usatvline Chapter 1932 I'll Cover the Rear!
Chapter 1932 I'll Cover the Rear!
Chapter 1932 I'll Cover the Rear!
Araki Harima made it clear in the call that all previously agreed-upon actions were cancelled.
Cheng Qianfan noted that Araki Harima even used commanding language in his telegram, such as "immediately cease all activities and resolutely execute the order."
Although Araki Harima did not explain in his telegram why he suddenly changed his mind, his resolute attitude was evident between the lines.
What exactly prompted Araki Harimaro to make such a 180-degree turn in his decision?
Cheng Qianfan fell into deep thought.
Did something happen to Araki Harima personally that forced him to make a new decision?
Or perhaps someone, like my grandson Shinta, sensed something, which forced Araki Harimaro to decisively halt his operation.
Or……
Cheng Qianfan's heart skipped a beat. He thought of a possibility: Mizutani Shogo's identity was even more important than Araki Harima had imagined or guessed, to the point that Araki Harima dared not have any 'malicious' thoughts, for fear of accidentally harming Mizutani Shogo?
After careful consideration, Cheng Qianfan began to lean heavily towards the last possibility.
After a moment's thought, Cheng Qianfan decided to test Araki Harima.
……
Nanjing.
Primrose Inn.
Kozaburo Yajima knocked on the door. "Captain, it's me."
"Come in," Araki Harima said in a deep voice.
“‘Inkstone’ replied,” said Kozaburo Yajima.
"Inkstone" was a temporary code name that Araki Harima gave to his friend for the purpose of secrecy, after discussing it with Miyazaki Kentaro.
It could be said that even the telegraph operator on this side, Kozaburo Yajima, did not know the true identity of the "inkstone" on the "other side".
……
"Oh?" Araki Harima showed a slightly surprised expression. He had already clearly informed Miyazaki Kentaro of his decision in his previous telegram, which could be said to be very direct. He did not understand why Miyazaki Kentaro still needed to reply.
Araki Harima took the telegram from Yajima Kosaburo and read it carefully.
Then a strange look appeared on his face.
Then, after a moment's thought, he understood the meaning of the telegram and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Miyazaki actually suspected that his side was being controlled, which led him to send a telegram to suspend the planned operation.
Therefore, in this reply, Kentaro Miyazaki used a code word that only the two of them understood to subtly ask questions in order to verify whether something had happened on his side.
Araki Harima figured out the meaning behind Miyazaki Kentaro's reply. At first, he found it amusing, but then his heart was filled with emotion.
That's Miyazaki for you, his good friend, his true friend. Only a true friend would worry about Miyazaki's safety the moment he clearly tells them his decision.
Araki Harima took out paper and pen, wrote a reply telegram himself, and handed the draft paper to Yajima Kozaburo, saying, "Reply 'Inkstone'."
"Hello." Kozaburo Yajima took the telegram draft, carefully folded it, placed it in the metal folder, and respectfully withdrew.
……
In Shanghai, after sending the reply, Cheng Qianfan waited for Araki Harima's reply from Nanjing.
He quickly translated the telegram and examined it carefully.
Sitting in the swivel chair, leaning back against the backrest, Cheng Qianfan lit a cigarette and fell into deep thought.
In his reply, Araki Harima answered the questions in a 'proper' manner, following the code words in the telegrams he had previously sent, to 'verify his identity' and show that he was safe and sound in Nanjing.
What piqued Cheng Qianfan's interest was that his sincere, friendly "test" was half successful, namely, a single sentence from Araki Harimaru's reply:
The professor bears a heavy responsibility and is admirable. With his profound knowledge, he has dedicated his life to the Empire and deserves the respect of every citizen of the Empire.
This statement was clearly Araki Harima's response to his previous telegram.
However, this response was vague and did not directly 'answer' his question.
Therefore, he regretfully felt that the response he received from this test was only half successful.
……
Cheng Qianfan carefully pondered this sentence in the telegram.
Ultimately, his attention settled on the phrase, "With profound knowledge, dedicate your life to the empire."
Does this statement imply that Mizutani Shogo's important identity is directly related to his 'profound knowledge'?
Considering Shogo Mizutani's professorship at Kyoto University, Cheng Qianfan immediately realized that he had overlooked one point, or rather, hadn't elevated it to a crucial level:
What subject does Shogo Mizutani teach?
What is his area of expertise?
Cheng Qianfan realized that if he could figure this out, it would help him understand why Araki Harima made the change.
However, these are things to consider later. For Cheng Qianfan, his most pressing task right now is to make a decision:
To fight or not to fight.
……
Zhuqiao Bridge.
After Qiao Chuntao passed the telegram from the Chief to Mao Xuanyi and Shen Xi, she lit it with a match.
The chief's telegram clearly instructed that tomorrow, Mizutani Shogo and his party would board a ship at the Shimonoseki dock to leave Nanjing for Shanghai, and that the assassination of Mizutani Shogo should be carried out at the dock.
"The Chief was hesitant about taking action before, but now he's suddenly given the order to act decisively," Mao Xuanyi said. "Is it because..."
"Whether something has changed is not something we should be concerned about," Qiao Chuntao said. "What we need to do is resolutely carry out the director's orders."
Upon hearing this, Mao Xuanyi gave an awkward smile and didn't dare to say anything more. He didn't mean any harm; he was just subconsciously speculating about possible changes.
"The enemy's departure date from Ning tomorrow has been confirmed, and the target's appearance and even his whereabouts are basically under our surveillance," Shen Xi said. "It can be said that the enemy is in the open while we are in the dark, and everything is under our control."
He said to the two men, “I would say I have never fought a battle with such thorough prior intelligence.”
“Brother Shen is pointing out the advantages of our operation,” Mao Xuanyi said. “Then let me talk about the problems we will face.”
"According to the intelligence we have obtained, my grandson Shinta's intelligence room is in the dark. We have only discovered a portion of the secret guards in the Shanghai Special Higher Police's intelligence room so far. We believe there must be other secret guardians that we have not yet discovered. This will be the most direct hidden danger to our operation."
"Furthermore, we will take action at the Shimonoseki Wharf tomorrow, which means that our enemies include not only Araki Harima's men and my grandson Shinta's men, but also the Nanjing Special Higher Police," Mao Xuanyi said.
He looked at Qiao Chuntao and said, "Station Chief Qiao, this is a very tough battle."
“We are already aware of how difficult this operation will be.” Qiao Chuntao nodded. “For us, launching the operation is not the problem, and even eliminating the target is not the biggest problem.”
He offered cigarettes to Mao Xuanyi and Shen Xi and said, "The biggest problem is how to evacuate."
As he spoke, Qiao Chuntao stood up, took out a map from the drawer, and carefully placed it on the table. "Please take a look, this is Xiaguan Wharf. After our operation begins, the worst-case scenario for a successful evacuation is being surrounded by the enemy on three sides..."
……
“I’ll cover the rear,” Shen Xi suddenly said.
Qiao Chuntao looked at Shen Xi.
“My men are not familiar with the terrain of Nanjing, so let us cover the rear,” Shen Xi said calmly.
Seeing that Qiao Chuntao was about to speak, he said directly, "Station Chief Qiao's men are familiar with the terrain, so the possibility of a safe retreat is greater. In addition, we don't speak Nanjing dialect, so even if we temporarily break through the encirclement, it will be easy for the enemy to find us."
"Nanjing is our territory." Qiao Chuntao waved her hand. "There's no reason for us to retreat first instead of having you risk your lives to cover the rear."
"No." Shen Xi took a deep drag on his cigarette and said to Qiao Chuntao, "Station Chief Qiao, Brother Qiao, I'm being presumptuous to call you brother."
He coughed and said, "Qingdao Station is gone. We who didn't die in Qingdao have already lived this long enough."
"Leave it to us." Shen Xi flicked his cigarette ash and said calmly, "Qingdao Station has cowards, but also fearless heroes."
"Station Chief Qiao," Mao Xuanyi suddenly said, "Let's do it this way, agree to Brother Shen's request."
Qiao Chuntao gave Shen Xi a deep look, then looked at Mao Xuanyi, and nodded. He only said one word, "Okay!"
"I'll stay behind with Brother Shen's men," Mao Xuanyi added.
"No!" Shen Xi exclaimed in surprise.
"What? You Qingdao people want to be anti-Japanese heroes, but we Jiangshan people can't?" Mao Xuanyi chuckled and said.
"Brother Mao, you know that's not what I meant," Shen Xi said hurriedly.
“Zhengze,” Qiao Chuntao said, “After the operation, we will split into two groups to break through, with you and me each leading one team.”
"Okay." Mao Xuanyi remained silent for a while, then nodded and said nothing more.
……
"Lu Liu, you go with Section Chief Shen to help the brothers make all the necessary preparations before the battle," Qiao Chuntao instructed.
"Yes."
After Shen Xi left, Qiao Chuntao remained silent. He opened a drawer, took out his sidearm, and carefully wiped it clean.
“The Chief couldn’t possibly be unaware of the cost of taking action in Nanjing or at the docks when he decided to act,” he told Mao Xuanyi. “However, the Chief still resolutely ordered the action to proceed according to the plan, which shows that the Chief had a reason to take action.”
"Or rather, the target is worth taking action against," Qiao Chuntao said to Mao Xuanyi, "even if this operation may cause significant losses to our side."
“I understand.” Mao Xuanyi nodded. “Losses are not a problem, as long as the action is worthwhile.”
He smiled and said, "Even if it means dying for one's country, it would be a worthy death, a death that was worthwhile."
"You can't die." Qiao Chuntao glanced at Mao Xuanyi. "If you die, it will be difficult for the Director to explain to Boss Dai and Secretary Qi."
Upon hearing this, Mao Xuanyi's expression changed. He glared at Qiao Chuntao and said, "I, Mao, have long been willing to sacrifice myself for the country. Does Station Chief Qiao not believe me?"
“I believe you. I also believe that Brother Mao’s words are from the bottom of his heart, and that he is determined to die on the battlefield.” Qiao Chuntao nodded. “Moreover, I believe you also understand that the Director trusts you very much and treats you as a true brother.”
Mao Xuanyi nodded.
“But that’s precisely why you can’t die,” Qiao Chuntao said. “If you die, it will put the Chief in a difficult position.”
"Damn it." Mao Xuanyi was silent for a long time before cursing bitterly.
……
Shanghai.
Lafayette Road.
"Wow, glutinous rice cakes!" Xiao Bao cheered happily when he saw his favorite sweet glutinous rice cakes for breakfast.
"Little glutton, hurry up and wash up." Bai Ruolan pinched Xiaobao's cheek, then yelled at Xiaozhima, who was playing in the water, "Xiaozhima, you're playing in the water again!"
Cheng Qianfan walked over in a few steps, picked up Xiaozhima who was playing with water in the kitchen, and slapped his bottom twice. Xiaozhima pretended to cry, but after being put down, he punched his father with his little fist, then giggled and ran away as if fleeing. Cheng Qianfan shouted something to scare his son and pretended to chase after him. Xiaozhima was startled and ran in a panic, but he slipped and fell to the ground. This time, he really started to cry loudly.
Bai Ruolan found it amusing, so she went over and picked up her son, coaxing him while glaring at her husband.
Cheng Qianfan smiled awkwardly and touched his nose.
Zhou Ru came out of the kitchen, carrying freshly made tofu pudding. In the courtyard by the door, Li Hao walked over, carrying his son Li Ben. Everything was so beautiful and peaceful.
……
Nanjing.
My grandson Shinta looked at the man in front of him; his expression was very serious.
“Go on,” my grandson Shinta said.
“Hai,” Hino Tomoya said. “According to Kumamoto’s report, Captain Araki and Cheng Qianfan of the French Concession have been plotting several times recently, seemingly with the intention of doing something detrimental to our intelligence department.”
“Unfavorable actions?” Shinta Azuma frowned. “That’s too broad. Do you have any further, more specific intelligence?”
“No.” Hino Yuya shook his head and said, “Captain Araki seems to be extremely wary of this matter, and even Kumamoto has been unable to obtain any further information.”
He said to my grandson Shinta, "However, there is some information that I don't know if it is related to this matter."
"What intelligence?" Shinta Azuma asked.
“Li Hao, a trusted subordinate of Cheng Qianfan, is suspected of having contacted the three Lu brothers in Zhabei,” Hino Yuya said.
"Do you know why Li Hao contacted the three Lu brothers?" My grandson, Shinta, asked with interest.
The Lu brothers were notorious scoundrels in Zhabei. All three were brave, ruthless, and vicious. They had previously joined the New Asia Peace Promotion Association under Zhang Xiaolin. After Zhang Xiaolin's death, the Lu brothers lost out in the power struggle within the New Asia Peace Promotion Association.
Cheng Qianfan's men contacted the Lu brothers. What kind of action is he planning against the New Asia Peace Promotion Association?
“There is no more concrete information at the moment,” Hino Tomoya said. “However, I believe there will be updated information soon.”
He said to my grandson, Shinta, "The Lu brothers' men are a mixed bag, so it's not difficult to gather information."
“Very good.” My grandson Shinta nodded. “Send over any new intelligence immediately.”
"Hai."
P.S.: Please subscribe, give a reward, vote for me with monthly tickets, and recommend me with your votes. Thank you!
Please subscribe, please tip, please vote with monthly tickets, please recommend. Thank you.
(End of this chapter)