usatvline Chapter 2082 Behind bars
Chapter 2082 Behind bars
Chapter 2082 Behind bars
"Time flies," Lu Jiufan said, handing Li Hao a cigarette and stamping his foot.
"Yes, the New Year is almost over," Li Hao nodded and said.
Today is the eighth day of the Lunar New Year.
It's strange these past two years; winters in Shanghai have gotten colder year by year.
For starving and freezing people, the Lunar New Year is like a gateway to hell.
Hundreds of ordinary people in Shanghai are freezing and starving to death every day; it's a truly tragic sight.
"Where's Brother Fan?" Lu Jiufan asked.
"The military police called," Li Hao said in a low voice. "Brother Fan went to the military police station."
"Is it still about the matter on Hamton Road?" Lu Jiufan asked in a low voice.
“Yes.” Li Hao nodded. “So many people died in the military police and the Special Higher Police. The Japanese won’t just let this go.”
"What about Brother Fan?"
"It's nothing." Li Hao shook his head. "I guess he just wants to call him over to ask about the progress of the investigation. Besides, you know that Brother Fan has connections with the Japanese too."
Lu Jiufan nodded. It was already an open secret that Cheng Qianfan and Lieutenant Colonel Kawada Atsuto of the Military Police were good friends.
……
“Young Master Atsuhito,” Cheng Qianfan asked with a serious expression, “What exactly happened? How could Araki-kun…?”
The captain of the Shanghai Special Higher Police's Action Brigade had just returned to Shanghai from Nanjing yesterday when he was taken away by the military police at the train station.
"Araki Harima indeed discovered traces of the Setouchi River in Nanjing," Kawada Atsuto said.
"What?!" Cheng Qianfan was startled at first, then overjoyed, and asked, "Have you caught the person?"
“No.” Atsuto Kawada shook his head. “Just ten minutes before the arrest, Setouchi Gawa received a phone call and then quickly evacuated.”
Cheng Qianfan was stunned for a moment, his expression serious and gloomy.
Then he asked, "You suspect that Araki-kun has a problem?"
“Whether there’s a problem or not, we’ll only know after we investigate,” Onodera Shogo said from the side. “But Miyazaki-kun, don’t forget about Hamton Road and Daikin Clinic.”
"Onodera-kun suspects that the ambush on Hamton Road is also related to Araki-kun?" Cheng Qianfan's eyes widened, then he shook his head. "That's impossible! I know Araki-kun. His loyalty to the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor is beyond question."
“Miyazaki-kun,” Onodera Shogo shook his head, “Back then, you and Setouchi Gawa were colleagues in the Special Higher Police. Could you imagine that Setouchi Gawa was a communist party member?”
Cheng Qianfan fell silent.
After a long pause, he shook his head and said, "I still don't believe that Araki-kun has a problem."
"Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that Araki-kun let Setouchi go, his actions would still be related to the Red Party. And the incidents at Hamton Road and the Daikin Clinic are clearly the actions of the Military Intelligence Bureau in rescuing the young Taoist priest." He said urgently, "I don't need to elaborate on the relationship between the Red Party and the Kuomintang, do I?"
“Don’t forget, they are currently engaged in what is called the Nationalist-Red Cooperation, a joint effort to resist Japan,” Onodera Shogo said.
"In short, I don't think there's anything wrong with Araki-kun," Cheng Qianfan said firmly.
“Young Master Atsuto doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with you either,” Onodera Shogo suddenly said.
"Onodera-kun, what do you mean by this!" Cheng Qianfan's face darkened as he questioned him.
"I was just using an analogy," Onodera Shogo said calmly. "Miyazaki-kun, don't overthink it."
Cheng Qianfan snorted coldly.
"Alright, I'll say it again: whether Araki Harima has any problems or not, we'll find out once we investigate," Kawada Atsuto said in a deep voice.
……
"Can I see Araki-kun?" Cheng Qianfan asked after a long silence.
“No,” said Shogo Onodera. “Araki Harima is currently under investigation, and no one is allowed to contact him.”
Cheng Qianfan ignored Onodera Shogo and looked at Kawada Atsuto.
“You can meet Araki Harima,” Kawada Atsuto said after a moment’s thought. “However, you can’t meet Araki alone; someone must accompany you.”
“Okay.” Cheng Qianfan nodded. “I believe Araki-kun will have no problem.”
Atsuto Kawada nodded slightly.
……
When Cheng Qianfan saw Araki Harima, he was startled.
Araki Harima looked haggard, his eyes cold and sinister.
“Araki-kun,” Cheng Qianfan said.
Araki Harima's expression softened considerably upon seeing that it was his friend, Miyazaki Kentaro.
He glanced at the military police following Kentaro Miyazaki.
“I applied to come see you, and Lieutenant Colonel Kawada granted my request,” Cheng Qianfan said.
Araki Harima nodded.
"Araki-kun, what exactly is the situation in Nanjing?" Cheng Qianfan asked anxiously. "Why did such a huge mistake occur?"
"You also suspect that I let Setouchi Gawa go?" Araki Harima asked, frowning.
"Araki-kun, if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have come to see you," Cheng Qianfan said anxiously.
Hearing Kentaro Miyazaki say that, Araki Harima felt a warm feeling in his heart and nodded.
……
“Araki-kun, you must understand that I firmly believe in your loyalty to the Empire and His Majesty Emperor Tian,” Cheng Qianfan said earnestly. “However, the most direct reason why you are here now and why you are being investigated is the matter of the arrest of Setouchi Gawa in Nanjing. You must explain this matter clearly, otherwise the suspicion against you will not be cleared.”
“Explanation…” Araki Harima suddenly became agitated. “It’s common for operations to fail, even when arresting anti-Japanese elements or traitors. Why is it that in my case it’s because I let Setouchi go without permission?”
Cheng Qianfan glanced at Araki Harima, and then suddenly left.
He found Atsuto Kawada and said, "Atsuto, my conversation with Harima Araki involves the Daikin Clinic incident, and I request to speak with him alone."
Atsuto Kawada understood what Kentaro Miyazaki meant.
Although the nature of the Dajin Clinic incident has been publicly determined, the details are naturally known to these few individuals, and are confidential matters that cannot be known to outsiders.
“Okay.” Atsuto Kawada nodded.
“I’ll make the arrangements,” he said to Kentaro Miyazaki.
……
The military police officer was called away.
Cheng Qianfan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Araki Harima and said, "Araki-kun, our conversation is very important for your innocence. Please tell us the truth."
"You still don't believe me?" Araki Harima glanced at Miyazaki Kentaro.
"Araki-kun!" Cheng Qianfan suddenly raised his voice, "Please don't act impulsively."
He said anxiously, "Calm down, I'm your best friend. I'm here to find a way to get you out of here and to clear your name!"
……
Atsuto Kawada and Shogo Onodera entered a room.
"Everyone, get out," Atsuto Kawada said.
The military police in the room immediately withdrew.
Shogo Onodera stepped forward and turned off the recording device.
Then Atsuto Kawada and Shogo Onodera both picked up their headphones to listen.
"Araki-kun, about the incident that happened at Hamton Road and the Daikin Clinic," Cheng Qianfan said in a deep voice, "you know the inside story of this matter, do you understand what I'm saying?"
"You suspect that someone leaked information behind the Daikin Clinic incident," Araki Harima said after a moment of silence.
“Yes.” Cheng Qianfan nodded. “Only a few of us know the inside story of that matter. However, the enemy’s abduction of the young Taoist priest came too suddenly and too suspiciously. So suspiciously that we have to suspect that the intelligence was leaked and that the enemy’s abduction was carried out in response to our actions.”
“I understand.” Araki Harima frowned. “First there was the Daikin Clinic incident, then the failed arrest of Setouchi Gawa in Nanjing, so now you’re suspecting me in both of these cases, right?”
“Yes.” Cheng Qianfan nodded, and seeing Araki Harima’s gloomy expression, he shook his head and said, “But personally, Araki-kun, I believe in you, and you need to understand that.”
Araki Harima glanced at his friend. He believed what Miyazaki Kentaro had said. He knew his friend believed him, which filled Araki Harima with emotion.
I didn't misjudge people or make the wrong friends.
……
"In other words, the others suspect me," Araki Harima said. "Is it Lieutenant Colonel Kawada who suspects me? Or Lieutenant Colonel Onodera?"
"Araki-kun," Cheng Qianfan said in a deep voice, "don't let your emotions get in the way."
“Answer my question,” Araki Harima said.
“Araki-kun, the fact that I can meet you here shows that both Atsuto-sama and Onodera-kun still have faith in you,” he said to Araki Harima. “At the very least, they are willing to give you the opportunity to prove your loyalty to the Empire, rather than assuming that you have a problem.”
Cheng Qianfan spoke earnestly, "Araki-kun, you need to understand this."
Araki Harima fell silent.
"Araki-kun," Cheng Qianfan continued, "if you look at it from a calm, objective perspective, put yourself in Onodera-kun's shoes and look at these two things objectively, wouldn't you doubt yourself?"
“I will.” Araki Harima frowned in thought, then nodded.
“That makes sense.” Cheng Qianfan nodded with satisfaction. He said to Araki Harima, “Araki-kun, being suspected is not a problem. What we need to do is prove our innocence and our loyalty to the Empire.”
……
“Miyazaki-kun.” Araki Harima looked at Miyazaki Kentaro, “I am very happy and gratified to have a friend like you, and I am also gratified by your trust in me.”
“Isn’t this the only way?” Cheng Qianfan smiled and said, “I know you well, and I am very clear about your loyalty to the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Go ahead and speak, I’m calm now,” Araki Harima said. “Whatever you want to ask, I will tell you the truth as long as I know it.”
"How did you track down Setouchi Gawa's whereabouts in Nanjing?" Cheng Qianfan asked.
“There was also an element of luck involved,” Araki Harima said. “The Nanjing Special Higher Police destroyed an underground transportation station of the New Fourth Army in Nanjing. One of the captured New Fourth Army soldiers surrendered and mentioned a person. I knew immediately that the person he was describing was Setouchi Gawa.”
Cheng Qianfan nodded, but he was shocked. He never expected that Araki Harima, under the pretense of "discovering Setouchi River in Nanjing", would actually stumble upon Liu Bo's whereabouts by sheer luck.
What he didn't expect was that a traitor had emerged from the New Fourth Army's Nanjing underground transportation station.
"So, it was because of that person's confession that you learned about Setouchi River and launched the arrest?" he asked.
“Yes,” Araki Harima said.
"Why did the arrest operation fail?" Cheng Qianfan asked.
“I don’t know,” Araki Harima sighed. “We went to the hideout in the Setouchi River near the General’s Temple to make the arrest, but this person suddenly left ten minutes before we arrived.”
"Later we found out that Setouchi River must have received a phone call and was ordered to evacuate urgently," Araki Harima said.
“A mysterious phone call,” Cheng Qianfan said, frowning.
He looked at Araki Harima and asked, "Didn't you investigate this mysterious phone call?"
“I checked, the call was made from a public phone booth,” Araki Harima said.
Cheng Qianfan remained silent for a while before saying, "So, regarding the Nanjing incident, Araki-kun, you haven't yet been able to find sufficient evidence to prove your innocence."
"Evidence?" Araki Harima scoffed. "I wasn't the only one in charge of the arrest; Yoshimura Shinpachi was also involved. Putting aside the fact that this couldn't possibly be a problem within the Empire, even if there were traitors within the Empire, wouldn't Yoshimura Shinpachi be a suspect?"
"You suspect Yoshimura Shinpachi?" Cheng Qianfan asked immediately.
“If I’m being suspected, doesn’t Yoshimura Shinpachi also have suspicions?” Araki Harima said.
……
“Yoshimura Shinpachi,” Cheng Qianfan murmured, “Did you notice anything unusual during your contact with this person in Nanjing?”
“No,” Araki Harima said, then paused before continuing, “because Yoshimura Shinpachi is one of our own, a colleague. Although I don’t particularly like this guy, I wouldn’t suspect or guard against my colleague for no reason. That’s why I haven’t paid much attention to Yoshimura Shinpachi.”
“I understand.” Cheng Qianfan nodded slightly. “In other words, if the Nanjing Setouchi River incident is to be investigated and internal screening is to be conducted, Yoshimura Shinpachi should also be included in the investigation list.”
“What I want is fair treatment,” Araki Harima said.
Cheng Qianfan nodded. "I will inform Young Master Duren about this situation."
……
“Okay, let’s talk about the Daikin Clinic incident now,” Cheng Qianfan said to Araki Harima.
“When the Daikin Clinic incident happened, I was in Nanjing and didn’t know anything about the situation,” Araki Harima said. “Just because I knew the inside story, just because I wasn’t in Shanghai, they suspected me?”
“It’s just a routine investigation, Araki-kun, please calm down,” Cheng Qianfan said.
He handed a cigarette to Araki Harima, stood up, lit it for him, and said, "Araki-kun, I believe you are loyal to the Empire."
“It is precisely because I trust you,” Cheng Qianfan continued, “that you are not in Shanghai, and theoretically speaking, you do not know much about this matter. It is precisely because of this that I believe you will not be influenced by the environment and will be able to analyze this matter from an objective perspective.”
He said to Araki Harima, "What I mean is, if you were to go by gut feeling, who would you suspect in the Daikin Clinic case?"
"Who has a problem?" Araki Harima frowned, deep in thought.
Suddenly, Araki Harima looked up at his friend and said a name, "Onodera Shogo!"
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