Chapter 178: Responsibility
Ding Mocun did not know what to say about this conclusion.
He was secretly delighted in his heart. Trouble was big now, wasn’t it? All soldiers were selling, and they were Shanghai’s soldiers. You, the commander, bore undeniable responsibility.
His face showed a serious expression. “The confession should be fine. Since he dared to say that, he must be able to find the corresponding soldiers. General Miura, do you need to interrogate him personally?”
Miura Jiro’s face was gloomy as he said to Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun, “Have your people leave.”
“Yes.”
Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun went out. Less than five minutes later, Miura Jiro came out with his men, his subordinate holding the already dead quartermaster.
“There is no incident of military personnel reselling guns in Shanghai. He died in a car accident. Understand?”
With the person dead, how could they not understand?
“Understood.” The two men kowtowed.
Miura Jiro looked at them coldly. “If I hear anyone talking too much, everyone involved in today’s investigation, including you two, will die.”
“Yes!”
“Continue investigating the gun incident. Stop investigating the British. But as for how the guns flowed out of Shanghai, who in the port is letting them through, that must be investigated and reported to me.”
This was a bit difficult. Ding Mocun frowned and said, “General Miura, to investigate the outflow channels, only the British know. If we investigate from the port, the scope is too broad. It’s possible even the navy is letting them through. We simply can’t investigate that.”
“I’m not here to hear your complaints!” Miura Jiro was in a bad mood and shouted loudly, “It would be best if you can investigate the navy. Now the army has a dead man. Can’t the navy have a dead man?
He is dead, so the source of the lost guns is blocked. But will this person letting them through continue to let other supplies through? This cannot be ignored absolutely. He must be found!”
“Yes!”
Miura Jiro took his men and left first, with Major General Haruki lagging one step behind.
Li Shiqun instantly understood and stepped forward to listen to the instructions.
Haruki Keiichi said, “Smuggling in Shanghai has never stopped. I know with your ability, you definitely know who is smuggling. Arrest one Chinese and one navy person from customs. Don’t keep them alive, but make the matter solid. It must be the navy’s responsibility.”
Li Shiqun understood and kowtowed, saying, “Rest assured, I know what to do.”
Haruki Keiichi hummed and patted Li Shiqun’s shoulder before leaving.
Li Shiqun frowned and thought for a moment, then looked at Ding Mocun. “At customs, besides our people, there are Gu Yansheng’s people.”
“We can’t touch his people, right?” Ding Mocun was shocked. Without waiting for Li Shiqun to finish, he widened his eyes and cursed, “Li Shiqun, I know you’re a petty person, but you can’t be this petty, can you? He brought you to make money, and you arrest his people? Then drag him in later too. What are you plotting?”
“Who is petty? Can you let me finish!” Li Shiqun was unhappy too, raising his voice and glaring angrily. “Aren’t there still two directors over there? Sent by the Greater East Asia Ministry? Haven’t your subordinates reported? They only collect money and let ships pass after taking it. Can’t we pull one out to take the blame?”
Ding Mocun finally breathed a sigh of relief and pondered before saying, “Those two can work, and quite a few people know about them letting ships through. There must be British ships. Yes, just them. Their official positions are convincing to the Japanese. Which one to pick?”
Li Shiqun said casually, “Arrest both. Finance Bureau, Social Affairs Bureau, both are rich. Pay to save lives. One for you, one for me. I’ve included you in the get rich plan. Fair enough?”
Ding Mocun sneered, “Just sharing responsibility. Don’t make it sound so grand.”
“Do you want in or not?”
“Yes, why not? What if they both pay up?”
“Have them hand over a division chief from under them to take the blame. At customs, the specific enforcement wouldn’t be them personally. There should be a responsible division chief.”
Ding Mocun had no objection. “Do as you say. What about the navy pick?”
“Pick a major. Isn’t there a navy major who is usually quite arrogant?” Li Shiqun raised his head.
Ding Mocun understood.
Their Inspection Department mixed around Wusongkou and knew the character of every Japanese military officer at customs clearly.
This was a chance for legitimate killing. Killing their own partners was impossible, but killing one who charged high fees, or took money but still got cursed, or one who fancied himself superior and refused money—killing such a person was no big deal.
Goals aligned, they assigned their respective work. The smuggling investigation started that very night.
The two directors were arrested. After an hour of interrogation in the interrogation room, they walked out of No. 76 intact, except their clothes were a bit wet from fear and they lost some money. No major issues.
Then their subordinates were brought in for punishment. Once beaten badly, No. 76 could say whatever they wanted.
The punished ones never imagined that working for the Japanese and just taking some money would get them arrested into No. 76 and interrogated like agents. They were mentally dazed.
Confessions obtained, signed and thumbprinted. The bribe money usually taken was retrieved. Evidence and witnesses present, facts clear.
Consecutive actions. Based on the confession, this matter linked to a navy major. That night, secret arrest. When he came out of the izakaya and was alone heading home, they pinned him, stuffed him in a car in one go, took him, locked him in the interrogation room, and beat him half to death first.
Asked for all locations where his money was hidden, sent people to retrieve it. Once the money was taken, he had no value. Killed him, transported to the suburbs, big fire to burn the corpse completely, thoroughly destroying evidence.
The next day, an interrogation report was submitted to the Gendarmerie Headquarters, and they requested the Gendarmerie Headquarters to contact the navy and demand this navy major come forward for joint investigation.
The Gendarmerie Headquarters carefully reviewed the report, deemed the case too major, and immediately dispatched gendarmes to go to the navy headquarters demanding the navy hand over the person.
How could the navy hand the person over to the army?
The navy could not possibly have smuggling officers.
“You can leave. We will investigate this internally.”
After sending away the army people, the navy prepared to find someone to question.
Upon checking, the person was missing.
Missing?
Checking further, the money at home was also gone?
How did this look exactly like he got wind of it in advance and fled out of guilt?
Then it was even more impossible to admit.
But thinking it over, if he ran, fine. But what if he was in the army’s hands? The army deliberately comes demanding him, waiting for them to deny it, then produce him claiming they caught him. That would be bad.
After discussion, the navy sent people to the army Gendarmerie Headquarters to demand the person.
Did they arrest and hide him? What right do they have to arrest navy people!
Navy’s large force brought dozens of people to the army headquarters demanding the person. How could the army Gendarmerie Headquarters let navy people in?
But the navy people were relentless. A major was missing. If the confession was fake, they must find him. They absolutely could not let this dirty water be splashed on them.
If it was real, they must get the person back even more. How could the person fall into army hands.
The two groups quarreled and cursed each other at the headquarters entrance, finally coming to blows.
This scene was directly photographed by reporters and made the front pages of major newspapers the next day.
Things blew up. The navy commander personally brought Staff Department people to intervene, accompanied by Greater East Asia Ministry and consulate people, jointly pressuring the army Gendarmerie Headquarters to demand inspection of the cells.
The army Gendarmerie Headquarters superficially agreed to the inspection out of anger. Of course, even if they turned the Gendarmerie Headquarters cells upside down, they definitely wouldn’t find the major.
Next was searching the Agent Headquarters cells. Of course, still nothing found.
The army people were very calm. Even if the navy turned all of Shanghai upside down, they couldn’t find a navy major whose ashes had been scattered.
The navy people refused to give up. The only clue left was this division chief who admitted to smuggling.
After discussion, each side sent a colonel for a joint public trial of the Finance Bureau division chief to thoroughly clarify the matter.
No. 76.
The Finance Bureau division chief admitted that he did let ships through. The Japanese asked if the navy major was involved. The division chief nodded. He was.
“I did this only to complete the task, taxing ships. Part of the tax money completed the task, part went to the navy major. I myself took just a few hundred silver dollars. My original intent was to complete the taxation task, not corruption. These few hundred silver dollars were rewarded to me by the navy major.”
The navy people’s faces turned black hearing this, but admission by mouth wasn’t enough. With the person unfound, the navy wouldn’t acknowledge it. They continued the punishment.
Once punished, after just a few rounds, the person died.
The navy people were furious. This must be the army’s doing.
“He was already barely breathing from the beating. You add more punishment, of course he dies normally.”
Li Shiqun wouldn’t admit to drugging this division chief. Beforehand, he promised him that as long as he stuck to the navy major taking money, his life could be spared.
But in reality, before the navy people entered, he had injected this division chief. He definitely wouldn’t last an hour, beaten or not.
As for autopsy, it wouldn’t happen, because the Gendarmerie Headquarters wouldn’t let the corpse be taken by the navy.
The navy people had no choice. No matter how he died, he was indeed dead now.
Then dead men tell no tales. This matter had nothing to do with the navy.
They immediately turned to the Greater East Asia Ministry.
Assigning the two directors to manage Wusongkou was a decision from the Greater East Asia Ministry. They should take responsibility. It was the Greater East Asia Ministry’s duty.
Though the Greater East Asia Ministry’s chief official was a navy person and they seemed like one group, the Greater East Asia Ministry was essentially an extension of cabinet power. They weren’t that close.
Anyway, the people were arrested by the army. Either the army’s responsibility or the Greater East Asia Ministry’s. Had nothing to do with Shanghai’s navy.
What did it have to do with the Greater East Asia Ministry?
The Greater East Asia Ministry people were shocked. He thought he was there as a juror, judging the case from a neutral perspective.
How did they drag him in too?
“Have you all gone mad? What does this have to do with us?”
“Without you making them raise taxes by thirty percent, would these people resort to every means to let ships through? The confession is crystal clear. The ship passage policy emerged only after you Greater East Asia Ministry arranged these people to Wusongkou! Wusongkou never had these issues before!”
“Raising taxes benefited your army and navy entirely! The Greater East Asia Ministry’s efforts were all for your military expenses! Yet you dare push responsibility onto us!
Moreover, what’s wrong with this policy?
We raised taxes by thirty percent. Is that letting them smuggle? Our policy has no issues at all. If there are problems, it’s their execution problem. What does it have to do with us Greater East Asia Ministry!”
“They are your Greater East Asia Ministry people!”
“Customs is your people! The money they made is for you to spend!”
“How much did we take? The army spends the money! Baka yarou! What are you arguing with me about? This is the army’s problem, not our navy’s!” The navy turned and cursed the army. “Don’t hide on the side! Why is this criminal dead? Where is our major? Hand him over!”
