Chapter 121: Three Days
In the evening, the welcome banquet in Hongkou.
The Japanese clustered around the new commander, flattering him there.
A group from the city government still found a corner and gathered together to chat.
Fu Xiao’an, relying on his status, picked up a glass of wine and drank, Ling Xianwen originally wanted to drink too, but suddenly thought of something, coughed, and put down the red wine glass again.
As soon as he put it down, the remaining few people seemed to think of something too, their faces slightly changing as they also put down their wine glasses, some even secretly spitting to the side, afraid of being poisoned too deeply.
The shadow of the Iron Blood Assassination Group was still too frightening.
“Can’t be, right?” A director asked uncomfortably.
Ling Xianwen smiled faintly: “I just simply don’t want to drink, it has nothing to do with the last incident, drink as you please, we’ve had one incident already, the Japanese must have strengthened their defenses, how could they fall into the same pit twice?”
“Yeah, yeah, the Japanese must have investigated strictly.”
Everyone smiled and agreed, but no one took a sip.
As soon as he said that, Fu Xiao’an just remembered this matter, his face stiffened, he wanted to put down the wine glass, but felt it would be embarrassing, so he held the wine glass and swirled it there.
Pretty awkward.
No more drinking, so let’s chat.
“As I say, this Lieutenant Colonel Kobayashi coming is really great, as soon as he arrives, he helps us solve a big problem, finally we have money.”
The happiest about this is the Director of Finance, now with two more taxes, tariff plus drug tax, finally having funding autonomy, this position’s value jumps several levels.
Speaking of this, everyone present was happy.
Gu Yansheng was very happy and proposed: “I propose first, now that the city government has money, the first thing is to improve the canteen food, it’s too bad, they even serve moldy rice, how do the subordinates think? How can they work diligently?”
“Is there such a thing?” A director widened his eyes, he was someone who never ate at the canteen.
“You can tell you haven’t eaten at the canteen.” Gu Yansheng told about his encounter with moldy rice at the canteen.
Ling Xianwen said: “Now the Japanese are clearly making us self-reliant, we do well, trade does well, trade does well then taxes naturally increase, we can give more bonuses, this strategy is actually pretty good, for ourselves to eat better, we will also work diligently, right?”
“Right, right.”
“This is too right, it’s long overdue, if even like this the economy doesn’t pick up, we have no one to blame, self-inflicted.”
“No wonder he’s a Doctor of Economics, you can tell he’s knowledgeable, working for others and working for yourself, can the effort be the same?”
The Tax Bureau Chief teased: “Director Gu, this matter still depends on you, tariff won’t show results for a while, but drugs make money fast, if your side makes achievements, we can immediately get income, then the first sum of money, all used to buy rice for you, top-grade rice, all city government people eat top-grade rice, and write on it, grace of Director Gu.”
“Hahahaha.” Everyone burst into laughter.
Gu Yansheng rolled his eyes, thought for a moment and said: “This matter isn’t impossible, I’ll think of a way, no need to wait for results to ask for money, I’ll make them pay a sum first, to improve our food, so the subordinates get real benefits, and have motivation to work.”
“This works.”
A few people exchanged glances, “At least several hundred thousand in account, right?”
Just as they were talking, boom, a violent explosion sounded, the ground shaking!
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?”
Everyone’s faces changed instantly, all standing up.
But before they could steady themselves, another boom explosion, the reaction even bigger than before!
The Japanese had already run toward the door first.
The city government side people looked at each other, everyone had the same thought, has the Military Statistics Bureau come again?
Every time they see a commander, he’s assassinated once, do the Japanese commanders have a curse?
Bang, suddenly, all lights went out.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why power outage?”
“Go go go, outside, there are gendarmes there.”
Originally the city government people didn’t dare go outside, thinking outside had Military Statistics Bureau, but now inside was pitch black, the sneaky darkness even more frightening.
Gu Yansheng came to the door with them, seeing a spectacular scene.
In sight, all of Hongkou plunged into darkness, and in the distant unseen place, a thick fire cloud billowed and rolled, the firelight tearing through the sky’s darkness, especially dazzling.
It really came, caught off guard, tonight, as long as Gu Yansheng saw this fire, he could sleep well.
As long as the armory is bombed, the plan can be said to be ninety percent successful.
The Japanese were completely panicked, many gendarmes for defense immediately transferred, the advance troop riding three-wheeled motorcycles rushed toward the explosion direction.
“What did they say?”
“Seems like the armory was bombed.”
“Military Statistics Bureau again?”
“Besides them who else? Can’t be the Japanese accidentally did it themselves?”
They still had mood to chat, the Japanese were busy running around, protecting, reporting, commanding, but the telephone lines were also cut, couldn’t make calls out, didn’t know the situation there.
Long wait, one hour, two hours, firefighting firefighting, rescuing people rescuing, searching searching, the big fire burned all night, until dawn, the fire finally extinguished by the fire brigade’s small water guns.
The new Gendarmerie Commander on his first day on duty encounters this, someone definitely getting punished.
All city government people waited in place all night, finally after daybreak, got notification, could go to Gendarmerie Headquarters.
When arriving, Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun bringing Wu Sibao, Liu San and others were already in the meeting room.
But not a single Japanese officer above lieutenant was seen.
“What’s the situation?” Gu Yansheng went forward to ask.
“Don’t know.” Li Shiqun frowned and shook his head; “Yesterday when we heard the explosion we called Hongkou, couldn’t get through, I talked with Director Ding and brought people over, people got in, but soon stopped, saying now no random movement allowed, even our Agent Headquarters not allowed, because they want to seal the whole area, wait till dawn to check everyone.”
“At first we were even treated as suspects and detained, only found Major General Haruki to be released.” Ding Mocun shook his head speechlessly.
Li Shiqun asked: “Does Director Gu know the current situation?”
Gu Yansheng shook his head: “We don’t know either, the banquet was going fine, then it exploded, said armory explosion, we didn’t dare leave, waited in place all night, now just called over.”
While talking, the door opened, Kagesa Sadaki brought people in.
“All sit.” Kagesa sat in the main seat, looked at everyone and said: “Last night’s armory explosion killed hundreds of our expatriates, dozens of houses destroyed, the losses currently hard to estimate, confirmed, this is a premeditated terrorist attack.”
“Expatriates? How so many expatriates killed? Wasn’t it the armory?” Li Shiqun frowned and asked.
Kagesa said without avoidance: “Because of some people’s greed!
Normally, around the armory, no large residential buildings would be built, but as we control Shanghai, more and more Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese moved to Hongkou.
Hongkou’s housing not enough, so builders eyed the land around the armory, actually turned it into residential houses, causing when explosion happened, these people for various reasons couldn’t escape, crushed to death by collapsing houses, burned alive by spreading fire!”
Now everyone understood, they deserved it.
“They will get their due punishment, but you!” Kagesa looked at Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun.
“The Military Department approved 300,000 Japanese Yen funding for Agent Headquarters, every month! Such a big Military Statistics Bureau attack, you got zero information beforehand? Are you useless?”
Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun immediately stood up, heads lowered admitting fault.
Li Shiqun explained: “Mr. Kagesa, it’s not that we didn’t do anything, actually the Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District we already destroyed once, this time the people should be newly transferred from Chongqing, they have experience from the previous Shanghai District failure, acting even more cautious, plus just arrived, so we temporarily didn’t get information.”
“Just arrived?” Kagesa raised an eyebrow: “You mean our armory in Hongkou can be breached by a just-arrived troop? Deputy Director Li, do you want to go to the Army Hospital to check your brain?”
Li Shiqun shut up.
Kagesa didn’t scold more, very pragmatic, “Three days, within three days, give me a reply, otherwise you two prepare for military court.”
“Yes!” Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun’s faces looked worse.
Li Shiqun immediately asked: “Mr. Kagesa, have searches been conducted, and yesterday’s action, any captures?”
Kagesa shook his head: “Many dead at the scene, some even mis-killed, now burned to pieces, don’t even know if there are Military Statistics Bureau personnel bodies inside, last night no one forced out of Hongkou, but on Suzhou River and Huangpu River, there were ships passing.
Last night Military Department order was indiscriminate arrest, if resist, all shoot to kill, so uncertain if those on the river were Military Statistics Bureau or smugglers, now all corpses.”
That means zero clues, Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun frowned tighter.
But Kagesa gave them a piece of information: “These few days, Vice Chairman Wang’s envoy in Shanghai, you two also know, actually I guessed they would be interested in the envoy, even assassinate the envoy, so set a few traps.
But for some reason, they found the real envoy, even scouted the residence, without falling into my traps.
If you have no leads, you can check this clue.”
Li Shiqun raised an eyebrow: “You mean, the envoy I saw that day was fake?”
Kagesa very direct, “That was a test for you, Vice Chairman Wang is in Hanoi, and his envoy departed from Hanoi to Shanghai, that side in Hanoi couldn’t keep the secret, likely sold the info to those who want to know, so I guessed Chongqing would know.
And Vice Chairman Wang’s newspaper declaration would make Chongqing want to kill him.
So I set traps in three hotels in Hongkou, you check one wave, city government one wave. Just didn’t expect, they didn’t pick any.
Three days, give me an answer, remember, you have only three days.”
After saying, Kagesa left directly.
After he left, Kobayashi Nobuo came in.
Looked at the city government people: “The explosion is unfortunate, but hope your emotions not affected by the explosion, investigating the case not your job, your primary task is to restore the economy, stabilize Shanghai.
The explosion matter externally say it’s an accident, don’t let outside think Shanghai unsafe, understand?”
“Understood.”
“Director of Finance come with me to get the money, others can go back, quickly advance Shanghai’s economy.”
“Yes.”
For the city government people, this could only be called a shocking trip.
But work still needs doing, Kobayashi is right, investigating the case unrelated to them, so finally could leave.
“Director Gu, wait.” Li Shiqun called Gu Yansheng, pulled him aside for quiet talk: “What Mr. Kagesa said, you were also tested, which hotel, when?”
Gu Yansheng told what he knew, “Just met once, chatted a bit, nothing else.”
Ding Mocun after hearing Gu Yansheng’s simple account frowned, “Then this is strange, you met fake, we met fake, people fake, residence fake, all fake, how did Military Statistics Bureau know where the real one is? No message leak source?”
“How no, the real participants.” Gu Yansheng said.
Ding Mocun sneered: “Can you participate?”
“No.”
“Then that’s it, you can’t, we can’t, such level meeting, how could participants leak info, those are Japanese core.”
“What about their people around? Family, driver? Might loose lips leak?”
“This not impossible, but Japanese how do we investigate?” Ding Mocun frowned and fell silent.
Li Shiqun exhaled deeply: “Japanese side problems no need us worry, Mr. Kagesa and Major General Haruki will surely investigate themselves, the part handed to us, is what he thinks no problem, shouldn’t have problem part, wants to borrow our eyes, see what they themselves missed.”
“This makes a lot of sense.” Gu Yansheng nodded.
“Additionally, if really can’t find, we two take the blame.” Li Shiqun sneered helplessly shaking head.
“This also makes a lot of sense.” Ding Mocun nodded with a grim face.
Gu Yansheng accompanied them pondering deeply for a while.
“Sigh, you investigate first yourselves, I still have a pile of cases, foreign enterprises waiting for money, Japanese urging tight, leaving first, if really progress, need me as staff officer, wait after you investigate, now how do I think?”
Gu Yansheng still busy going back to inquire information, not accompanying them to chat.
Anyway if progress, Liu San will know last.
As for going to Nanjing to buy house, at this time obviously no need mention, if person gone, buying cemetery about right.
