usatvline Chapter 2092 Director Xiao, we finally meet!
Chapter 2092 Director Xiao, we finally meet!
Chapter 2092 Director Xiao, we finally meet!
“Young Master Atsuto, Mr. Sakamoto.” Cheng Qianfan looked at Kawada Atsuto and Sakamoto Ryono, his eyes filled with reluctance, as well as hesitation and confusion.
Atsuto Kawada and Ryono Sakamoto are both returning to Japan.
“There’s no need for that.” Kawada Atsuto gave a wry smile and patted Miyazaki Kentaro on the shoulder. “It’s not like we’re never going back. Although the Empire is on the defensive in the Pacific theater, it still holds the initiative in the China theater. The Empire still has a chance of winning.”
"Yes, the dawn of victory will surely shine upon the Great Box Nation," Cheng Qianfan said with certainty. "A temporary setback does not mean anything."
He asked Kawada Atsuto, "Has Master Atsuto's plan for returning to Japan been finalized?"
“The headquarters has given us two options,” Atsuto Kawada said. “I’m still hesitating and haven’t made a decision yet.”
"Which two?" Cheng Qianfan asked.
“Osaka or Nagasaki,” Atsuto Kawada said with a smile. “Both places are very nice and very important. I’ll think about the choice on my way back home.”
"Young Master Du, please be careful on your journey," Cheng Qianfan said solemnly. "I only wish you a safe return home."
Now the Japanese military has completely lost air superiority, and the skies are entirely under the control of the Allies. Therefore, Kawada Atsuto has no planes to take back to the Japanese mainland and can only travel by cruise ship. However, having lost air superiority and with Tokyo Bay blockaded by the Allies, Allied submarines are attacking Japanese ships every moment.
Therefore, the most pressing issue facing Atsuto Kawada now is whether he can safely set foot on the Japanese mainland despite the Allied blockade and submarine attacks.
"Don't worry." Kawada Atsuto gave a wry smile, not wanting his friend to worry about him. "I offered sacrifices before I set off, and the Amanuma God will protect me."
"They will definitely protect us," Cheng Qianfan said.
His heart was filled with hatred. Kawada Atsuto's so-called sacrificial offerings were actually the slaughter of innocent Chinese civilians. He enjoyed killing civilians.
Based on the information he had, not counting the killings in Jinan and Manchuria, just considering the bloodshed committed by Kawada Atsuto in Shanghai over the years, 135 innocent civilians, captured and wounded soldiers, and arrested Kuomintang and Red Army anti-Japanese personnel died under Kawada Atsuto's massacres and tortures. And this was only what he could count; there were many more that he was unaware of.
"Where's Sakamoto-kun?" Cheng Qianfan asked, looking at Sakamoto Ryono.
Ryono Sakamoto also received a telegram informing him of his return to Japan; he would be returning with Atsuto Kawada.
"I'll probably go back to my hometown in Nagoya," Sakamoto Ryono said. "My father is seriously ill and doesn't have much time left..."
Seeing his friend's sad expression, Cheng Qianfan patted Sakamoto Ryono on the shoulder, sighed, and said nothing more.
"I heard that Tomohiro Arao also received a transfer order to return to Japan?" Atsuto Kawada asked Kentaro Miyazaki.
“Yes, Section Chief Arao did receive a transfer order to return to Japan.” Cheng Qianfan nodded and said, “However, the Special Higher Police have many affairs to handle here, and headquarters has allowed Section Chief Arao to complete his official duties and hand over his responsibilities before returning to the mainland.”
He lowered his voice and said, "The competition for the position of section chief is so fierce that no suitable candidate has emerged for the time being, which has slowed down Arao Tomohiro's trip back to Japan."
"He's lucky," Kawada Atsuto scoffed.
He really didn't want to go back to China.
Just a few days ago, the U.S. military announced that it had taken control of the entire island of Okinawa, marking the defeat of the Empire's Okinawa campaign.
In this battle, the Japanese army suffered as many as 110,000 deaths, and more than 100,000 civilians also died.
In addition, the Americans intensified their bombing of the Imperial homeland.
Take Nagoya, which Sakamoto Ryono wanted to reclaim, for example. The US military dispatched thousands of B-29 bombers every day to bomb Nagoya, and the entire Nagoya was engulfed in flames.
Nagoya's industrial capacity will be reduced to 21 percent of what it was before the outbreak of the Pacific War.
Most importantly, Atsuto Kawada was afraid; he feared he had no chance of returning to Japan alive.
American submarines launched a frenzied attack on Japanese ships. Based on data from just last month, American submarines sank a total of 1.4 million tons of Imperial ships. The Empire's maritime transport capacity was only five percent of what it was before the outbreak of the Pacific War.
Atsuto Kawada was genuinely worried that his ship would be attacked by American submarines or bombed by American bombers, and that he would perish in the sea.
Cheng Qianfan bid a reluctant farewell to Kawada Atsuto and Sakamoto Ryono. He was in low spirits and even burst into tears.
……
"The situation is excellent!" Cheng Qianfan said happily, clinking his teacup with Lao Huang's.
The National Revolutionary Army recaptured Zhennanguan, and the entire Guangxi region was recovered.
In the central Jiangsu region, the New Fourth Army had already taken control of the Yangtze River estuary and was shelling Japanese transport ships on the river, making it impossible for the Japanese to transport goods across the Yangtze River.
The Eighth Route Army launched a major counter-offensive, and within five days, the Shandong Anti-Japanese Base Area recovered five county towns and annihilated more than 10,000 Japanese and puppet troops. The situation on the entire Shandong Peninsula was very favorable.
“The Japanese will not accept their annihilation; they are struggling in their death throes, and they will likely become even more bloody and inhumane,” Lu Dazhang said.
In the Shandong Peninsula, especially in western Shandong, the Japanese spread the plague, which has caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
The Japanese people's inhuman and bestial behavior also greatly delayed the Eighth Route Army's counter-offensive plan.
“Kawada Atsuto has returned to Japan. Your biggest backer among the Japanese is temporarily gone,” Lu Dazhang said worriedly. “You must be extra careful.”
“I agree with Detective Lu’s point of view.” Old Huang also said with a serious expression, “It is impossible for the Japanese not to have any suspicions about you, especially after the previous operation to rescue the little Taoist priest. You must have become a suspect. It’s just that Kawada Atsuto was in charge of the investigation. He trusted you a lot, so the biggest suspect was Araki Harima.”
He took the cigarette Cheng Qianfan offered, lit it, took a deep drag, and continued, "You yourself mentioned before that Onodera Shogo seems to have become suspicious of you."
“I understand what you mean,” Cheng Qianfan said. “You’re worried that with Kawada Atsuto back in Japan and no longer having Kawada Atsuto’s control, Onodera Shogo might secretly investigate me?”
Old Huang and Lu Dazhang both nodded.
"I will be careful." Cheng Qianfan nodded seriously.
"We must strengthen our vigilance regarding our own safety," Lu Dazhang reminded.
Cheng Qianfan smiled and nodded, "The war of resistance will be won soon, and I will cherish my life more than ever before."
Old Huang and Lu Dazhang both burst into laughter.
……
Newspapers began to frequently report on the Kuomintang and Red Party armed forces launching a full-scale counter-offensive and recovering lost territory.
In response to this newspaper, the Political Security Bureau initially launched a frenzied search and arrest operation. However, as more and more "unfavorable news" emerged, the Political Security Bureau's agents became less diligent in arresting people. Even when they did arrest someone, they were more willing to pay ransom rather than resorting to killing.
“The situation is not good,” Liu Xia said to Cheng Qianfan. “When even the secret service agencies are afraid to arrest or kill people, it’s enough to show that the situation has deteriorated drastically. At the very least, many of us have lost confidence.”
"There's nothing we can do about it," Cheng Qianfan said with a wry smile, shaking his head. "Just look at the radio and newspapers these days; it's all bad news."
“It’s either that some county town has been occupied by the Eighth Route Army today, or that some dock has been occupied by the New Fourth Army, or that some city has been captured in Chongqing.” Cheng Qianfan flicked his cigarette ash and coughed twice. “We’ve been losing battles and losing territory constantly. Once our morale is broken, there will be big problems.”
"They haven't contacted you over there?" Liu Xia asked Cheng Qianfan, taking a light puff of her long, thin cigarette between her fingers.
"Which way?" Cheng Qianfan asked, looking confused.
“Which side could it be? Chongqing, of course.” Liu Xia flicked her cigarette ash and said, “Could it be the Red Party? If Chongqing can still tolerate you, the Red Party hates you to the bone.”
"Sister Xia, you can't say things like that." Cheng Qianfan waved his hand and said, "I am loyal to Mr. Wang and to the Party and the country."
"Alright, Fan-di." Liu Xia stubbed out the half-finished cigarette, sighed, and said, "Mr. Wang is no longer here, how can we remain loyal to him?"
She looked at Cheng Qianfan and said, "Can't I say whatever I want in front of my sister?"
"Sister Xia?" Cheng Qianfan frowned slightly as he looked at Liu Xia. "Are you serious?"
"What is real and what is fake?" Liu Xia shook her head and laughed. "It's just people living humbly in chaotic times."
She looked at Cheng Qianfan and said, "You're not telling the truth to your sister."
“To be honest…” Cheng Qianfan looked at Liu Xia with a serious expression, then shook his head, “No one has contacted me.”
"That shouldn't be the case." Liu Xia looked at Cheng Qianfan, seemingly unwilling to believe it.
“It’s true,” Cheng Qianfan said, lowering his voice. “To be honest, Sister Xia, I’m extremely anxious right now. If you have any connections, please remember to give me a hand.”
"That shouldn't be the case." Liu Xia frowned. "Leaving aside the Red Party, why wouldn't they contact you from Chongqing?"
"How would I know?" Cheng Qianfan gave a wry smile. He took a cigarette from the pack, lit it with a lighter, and said, "Maybe they don't think much of me."
Then, he glanced at Liu Xia and said, "Judging from your tone, it seems they've sent someone to contact you?"
“It’s not really a matter of contact.” Liu Xia’s brows were furrowed. “You should know that Chairman Chang has a lot of dislike for the Secretary-General. Therefore, as the Secretary-General’s close confidants, we are not actually very well received by Chongqing.”
"I don't think so," Cheng Qianfan pondered. "Strictly speaking, compared to Mr. Zhou and Mr. Chen, the Secretary-General is much less of a threat and a lesser criminal in Chongqing's eyes."
"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. The more I think about it, the more upset I get." Liu Xia picked up her water glass, took a small sip, and said irritably.
She got up and casually turned on the radio.
"Mr. Duman, President of the United States of America, Mr. Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr. Stalin, General Secretary of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics... The three heads of state have arrived in Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, Germany. The three leaders will hold in-depth consultations and meetings on the current situation of the fascist war and the future situation..." The broadcast announced.
Liu Xia clicked her tongue and gave Cheng Qianfan a meaningful look. "Brother Fan, don't tell me that your sister just casually twirled her hand and received a broadcast from Chongqing."
“The war is going badly, and people are panicking.” Cheng Qianfan chuckled and said, “I’m concerned about the situation on the battlefield and internationally. I listened to the enemy’s radio broadcast. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”
“Listen, listen.” Liu Xia glanced at Cheng Qianfan, then sighed and said, “In Nanjing, there are plenty of people who are secretly trying to contact Chongqing, some even shamelessly kneeling and begging for mercy. You, you are someone Chongqing doesn’t even care about. They can’t even contact you and you can only listen to the radio. You’re really nothing.”
"Sister Xia, are you praising me or belittling me?" Cheng Qianfan said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“You could say it’s a compliment, praising your loyalty to the Party and the country, and your loyalty to Mr. Wang’s peaceful path to national salvation,” Liu Xia said. “Of course, you could also say it’s a denigration. As a high-ranking official like Director Cheng, General Manager Cheng, or Secretary Cheng, Chongqing didn’t even contact you. What does that mean? It means that in Chongqing’s eyes, you, Cheng Qianfan, are just a nobody.”
"Sister Xia, that's really harsh of you." Cheng Qianfan frowned. He looked at Liu Xia, somewhat angry, but also seemingly more amused and exasperated, and said, "I'd rather you say that Chongqing is blind and doesn't know who the most important person in Shanghai is."
"Is 'top' really that important?" Liu Xia smiled, looked Cheng Qianfan up and down a few times, and said, "It seems that Brother Fan is quite confident in himself?"
She chuckled softly, "I just wonder if, when this gets out, people in Chongqing will think he's confident, or that Director Cheng is arrogant and ignorant?"
"Sister Xia," Cheng Qianfan frowned, "What's wrong with you today? The more I listen, the more I feel that you rushed all the way from Nanjing to Shanghai, and I rushed to see you, just to say something to provoke me and belittle me?"
"What?" Liu Xia glared at Cheng Qianfan. "You can't even stand a few words?"
"Is this something that can be resolved in a few words?" Cheng Qianfan said irritably. He looked at Liu Xia, then suddenly frowned and said, "Sister Xia, something's not right with you, something's not right with you."
"What's wrong?" Liu Xia glanced at Cheng Qianfan, slowly lit a cigarette, took a light puff, and said.
"I don't know the specifics." Cheng Qianfan shook his head slightly. "I just feel like something's not right. This isn't like you, Sister Xia. I just feel like something's not right with you, Sister Xia."
"I also want to say, I feel like something's off about you," Liu Xia said, rolling her eyes at Cheng Qianfan.
"What's wrong with me?" Cheng Qianfan said, both amused and exasperated.
“I’ve had a feeling something was off about you for a while now,” Liu Xia said, leaning forward until her lips were almost touching Cheng Qianfan’s cheek. She whispered, “Director Xiao, it’s good to see you now.”
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