You were allowed to marry into No. 76 family, and you were promoted to director?

Chapter 440 Two Wings
A bright smile appeared on Wang Shuyu's face:
"Not bad, this time, we've essentially cooperated with the Military Intelligence Bureau remotely."

"Most importantly, with the young tigers of the Military Intelligence Bureau lurking around, we can't afford to be careless."

"Given Young Tiger's long track record, when the conference is held, not to mention Matsui Iwane, I'm afraid all the agents from the Ume Agency, the former Agency, the Special Higher Police, and the 76th Division will gather around the venue to ensure the conference proceeds smoothly. Otherwise, if Young Tiger finds an opening, the Japanese will be in for a lot of trouble."

Young Tiger & Chenguang & Zhao Xuan: ?
"That's true, Shuyu. With you here, I have much less to worry about."

"Okay, I'll arrange a secret location to hide the explosives right away, and wait for the Military Intelligence Bureau to transport them into Shanghai."

No. 18 Shanyin Road, Hongkou District.

Aizawa Keiko knelt before the low table, watching Watanabe Kyoko complete a set of tea ceremony movements before speaking:
"Mother, why are we suddenly convening the East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Conference?"

Kyoko Watanabe pushed a cup of tea towards Keiko, but instead of answering the question, she asked:

"Ah Xuan is gone?"

Aizawa Keiko pouted and replied:

"Yes, I'm already on the train to Tianjin, and I'll transfer there to go to Harbin."

Upon hearing this, Kyoko Watanabe smiled and said:

"The proposal for the East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Conference was put forward by Matsui Iwane and has been approved by the Cabinet. The aim is to further consolidate the gains made in the Zaoyi Campaign. At the same time, the Cabinet also wants to take advantage of Ah Xuan's promotion to major general to set up a few more exemplary cases in order to win over the hearts and minds of the people."

"Of course, there is another point. After the conference, Matsui Iwane will send a group of secretly captured laborers to the battlefield in order to undermine the anti-Japanese elements' will to resist."

"On the one hand, he set up role models to win people's hearts, and on the other hand, he undermined the will of anti-Japanese elements. Matsui Iwane's eagerness to make a name for himself was truly impossible to hide."

Aizawa Keiko gave a soft snort:
"Isn't he afraid of going too far?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Aizawa Keiko suddenly stopped, then realized what she had said:
"Mother, are you saying that Matsui Iwane has already arrived in Shanghai?"

Watanabe smiled and nodded:
"To be precise, he has already arrived in the Shanghai-Nanjing area. During this time, he has been leading a team to secretly arrest laborers from various places. Now, judging by the days, Matsui Iwane will enter Shanghai at most in the next day or two and take full control of the Military Police Headquarters."

Aizawa Keiko's expression changed:
"Mother, why are you only telling me this now?"

Watanabe glared at Aizawa Keiko:
"Keiko, you need to understand your position. Matsui Iwane's proposal is excellent. The cabinet has expressed its support, and the family has also decided to support it."

"Therefore, before Matsui Iwane completed his preliminary preparations, his whereabouts were kept highly confidential."

Aizawa Keiko nodded, but still asked:
"Mother, who went with Matsui Iwane to capture those laborers?"

Kyoko Watanabe knew exactly what her daughter-in-law was going to ask, so she could only answer truthfully:

"Don't worry, it's someone from the Osaka United team."

Hearing this, Aizawa Keiko finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good. So, has the specific date for the peace conference been set?"

Kyoko Watanabe shook her head:
"Matsui Iwane and Kagesa are old friends. If I'm not mistaken, the Mei Agency will be in charge of security for this peace conference."

Aizawa Keiko chuckled:
"So, it has nothing to do with my Special Higher Police?"

Watanabe's expression darkened, and after nodding, he stared intently at Aizawa Keiko and said:

"You need to understand that at this juncture, it's better to avoid trouble."

"Furthermore, Ah Xuan and Yamayu Kazuo have both left Shanghai. I would be uneasy if the security of the Peace Conference were entrusted to the Special Higher Police."

Aizawa Keiko's lips twitched slightly:
"Does my mother not trust me?"

Watanabe glared at Aizawa Keiko:
“Huizi, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but there are too many things involved here. Without Ah Xuan’s help to come up with ideas, you could easily find yourself in a very passive situation.”

"What do you think the Wang Jingwei government sent officials to participate in the peace conference for? This is a clash between the Wang Jingwei government and those left-wing elements in the cabinet. I think you should know which side we've been assigned to?"

Aizawa Keiko nodded slightly. Although being torn between the left and right wings made her feel uneasy, she still couldn't help but speak out:
"Mother, why has the cabinet become like this?"

Kyoko Watanabe snorted coldly:
"Those guys in the military are all stupid fanatics who only know how to gain military merit in various ways, without considering whether the empire can still support large-scale military operations."

Keiko Aizawa looked at Watanabe with a furrowed brow:

“But Mother, wouldn’t this make it extremely difficult for us to conquer the Dragon Kingdom? At times like this, we should unite as one, instead of dividing ourselves into so-called left and right wings!”

Kyoko Watanabe chuckled:

"Huizi, don't you understand yet?"

"Conquering the Dragon Kingdom is not a question of whether it's difficult or not, it's simply impossible!"

"how come?"

Aizawa Keiko looked at Watanabe in surprise:

"Mother, we have already won the Battle of Zaoyi, and the situation is very favorable now. Why would you say such a thing?"

Kyoko Watanabe sighed:

"Keiko, you're still too idealistic."

"The empire is riddled with problems, and all kinds of resources are completely controlled by conglomerates. Oh, I'm talking about us!"

Aizawa Keiko was at a loss for words; her mother's words were far too blunt.

“Huizi, the territory of the Dragon Kingdom is so vast. The current situation has reached a stalemate between the two sides, and we are unable to make any progress.”

"You think we won the Battle of Zaoyi, but have you considered the follow-up problems?"

"Yichang has been captured, but why isn't the Empire advancing into Sichuan? Is it because they don't want to? No, it's because the Empire can no longer sustain a long-term war, while the Dragon Kingdom, by utilizing its geographical depth, has stretched our battle lines to a point where we have no control over them."

"To put it more bluntly, an empire with a population of 70 million is trying to conquer a country with a population of 400 million and a vast territory. Isn't that madness?"

Aizawa Keiko was completely stunned by Watanabe Kyoko's words, but she couldn't refute them at all.

"According to our plan, we should stop fighting and focus on consolidating the territory we currently occupy, rather than blindly expanding!"

"But, Keiko, do you know that right after Prime Minister Tojo took office, the cabinet has completely become a one-man show by the military?"

"All they care about is military merit. Isn't Matsui Iwane just a vicious dog released by the military?"

Keiko Aizawa was stunned, staring at Watanabe in disbelief:

"How could this be?"

Kyoko Watanabe shook her head:
"Now you should understand why the Cabinet initially decided to appoint Zhao Xuan as the head of the epidemic prevention supervision team, but later, when it came time to carry out the final task of establishing the epidemic prevention supervision team, they sent Tojo Hideo instead. It's because the military has completely taken control of the Cabinet."

"If it weren't for the fact that our families still have influence in the cabinet, do you think Zhao Xuan would have gotten this opportunity if Tojo Hideo had given it up?"

"Keiko, it's time to wake up. This war was doomed to fail from the day the military took complete control of the cabinet!"

Aizawa Keiko looked at Watanabe with a worried expression:

"Then Mother, what should I do? Will Ah Xuan be affected?"

Kyoko Watanabe's lips twitched as she looked at Keiko Aizawa. This kid was truly hopeless; the first thing she thought of was still Zhao Xuan.

However, given the circumstances, Watanabe had no intention of giving up on Zhao Xuan.

It's not that Watanabe completely trusts Zhao Xuan; for Watanabe, trust is the greatest luxury an agent can afford.

However, because of Aizawa Keiko, they have already invested so many resources in Zhao Xuan, so even if Zhao Xuan really has a problem, Watanabe will not give up.

"Don't worry, with the family's capabilities, having already invested so much political resources in Ah Xuan, it's impossible for them to abandon him."

"Upon returning from this trip north, I will make arrangements. Regardless of the outcome of this peace conference, once Zhao Xuan returns, the Special Higher Police will fully switch to the economics module."

"Since the family has calculated that this war is unwinnable, we must focus on the economy at this stage. The future of the family for the next hundred years depends on whether we can obtain sufficient benefits during this period!"

Aizawa Keiko was taken aback, looking at Watanabe with some disbelief and asking:

"Does Mother mean to continue smuggling for profit, and to have the Special Higher Police cover it up?"

Kyoko Watanabe nodded:

"Openly pursuing it won't work, of course, but you really need to shift your focus." "And it's not about continuing smuggling, it's about scaling up the operation. Small-scale operations won't amount to anything!"

At this moment, Aizawa Keiko understood: compared to the family, the interests of the empire were nothing.

Since the family sees no future in this war, they will take advantage of the war's period of prosperity to amass wealth and ensure the family's stable development for the next hundred years.

"Mother, do we really have to do this?"

Kyoko Watanabe said with a cold laugh:

"Otherwise, do you think the Osaka team could be transferred to Shanghai so easily? It took the family a lot of effort to make it happen. Given the current situation, Keiko, you should also consider the family's interests."

At this point, Kyoko Watanabe's expression turned serious:

"Of course, the Special Higher Police providing cover doesn't mean you can get directly involved; that won't work."

Aizawa Keiko was momentarily confused:
"What does Mother mean?"

Watanabe picked up his teacup, took a small sip, savoring the rich flavor of the tea, and then looked at Aizawa Keiko seriously before saying:

"If we want to acquire the financial resources our family needs during this period, relying solely on the Osaka Trading Company will not be feasible."

"The Dragon Kingdom is a treasure trove; all the resources we need must be plundered from the Dragon Kingdom."

"War is merely a means, while commercial exchanges are the way to go in the long run."

"Therefore, the Special Higher Police only has two tasks: first, to obtain the list in Ding Moqun's hands; second, to obtain the Sanyi list."

Aizawa Keiko frowned slightly, looking at Watanabe with a puzzled expression:

"My mother has been investigating the list that Ding Moqun has in his hands ever since she arrived in Shanghai, but she still hasn't succeeded. You can imagine how much Ding Moqun values ​​this list. The difficulty of getting it is probably unimaginable."

"And the Sany roster? What's that?"

"Furthermore, why do we need these lists? Shouldn't these be what the military needs most? What good are they to us? Now that we've separated ourselves from the left wing, spending so much effort on these lists seems pointless!"

Kyoko Watanabe sighed:

"Huizi, that's why I enjoy chatting with Ah Xuan!"

Lan Zehui's pretty face flushed red, and she pouted at Watanabe in dissatisfaction. However, she felt a little secretly pleased when she heard her mother praise Zhao Xuan.

Seeing the complex emotional shift in Aizawa Keiko, Watanabe felt helpless, but still explained:
"The list of the three was prepared by Kagesa's teacher, senior Chiba, in 31."

"Everyone on this list has had their weaknesses exploited by Senior Chiba, who has gained control over their recordings, handwritten notes, and various pieces of evidence."

Upon hearing this, Aizawa Keiko understood completely:
"I see!"

"After 31 years of preparation, it means that before this, Senior Chiba had been working on this project. He seemed to control their weaknesses, but in reality, he held the power of life and death over them."

"Given Chiba's calculations, given this time span, those people would likely be in high positions by now, barring any unforeseen circumstances."

"In that case, if we control this list, it's equivalent to having control of a vast network of connections."

Watanabe nodded approvingly, smiling as he looked at Aizawa Keiko and said:

"That's right. Those guys in the military naturally want the Trinity List too. They want to use this list to completely control the Wang Jingwei government, threaten the Kuomintang, and plunge the Kuomintang into a state of self-doubt and inquisition, causing them to lose their composure and thus increasing their chances of winning the war."

"We obtained this list to gain access to this vast network of connections, which we can use to coerce these people, who are likely already in high positions, to open doors of convenience for us. For the family business, as long as we have these connections, we can continuously obtain resources from the rear of the Dragon Kingdom and accumulate the financial strength for the family's development over the next hundred years!"

"As for the list in Ding Moqun's possession, based on my years of investigation, I have basically confirmed one thing: unlike Senior Chiba, the list in Ding Moqun's possession is biased towards the Red Party."

"If we can get our hands on these two lists, then our connections will be spread throughout the entire anti-Japanese resistance forces of the Dragon Kingdom. At that time, it will be much more convenient and faster for our family to trade resources with the Dragon Kingdom."

Aizawa Keiko looked at Watanabe with sincere admiration, but the worry in her eyes grew stronger:
“Mother has thought things through carefully. When Ah Xuan comes back, Ah Xuan and I will definitely help Mother get the list from Ding Moqun, as well as this Trinity list!”

Kyoko Watanabe smiled gently:

"Huizi, I know what you're worried about, but you don't need to worry."

That's right, what Aizawa Keiko is worried about now is, if the war really fails, why would Zhao Xuan come back to Japan with her in the end?

It's important to know that from the very beginning, Aizawa Keiko's goal was to get Zhao Xuan to go back with her. Even if Dao Yan was still around, Aizawa Keiko wouldn't mind, since in Japan, it's not like you can only marry one wife.

Furthermore, there are still concubines in the current Dragon Kingdom, but Lan Zehuizi is still not at ease. She would rather Zhao Xuan bring Dao Yan back to Japan with her.

Firstly, if the war is lost, she certainly won't be able to stay in the Dragon Kingdom. Even if she becomes Zhao Xuan's concubine, it's not the result that Lan Zehuizi wants.

Now that she knows the war is unlikely to be won, Aizawa Keiko's worries only grow stronger.

"Please enlighten me, Mother!"

Kyoko Watanabe said with a smile:

"As long as our business empire can be fully expanded, China will become our long-term partner. In this way, whether we win or lose, we will be invincible. So, Keiko, are you still worried that in the worst-case scenario, you won't be able to travel freely between China and Japan?"

"Sigh!"

Aizawa Keiko's eyes lit up:

"Please rest assured, Mother, the Special Higher Police will do everything in its power to obtain the list in Ding Moqun's hands, as well as the list from Sanyi!"

Kyoko Watanabe poured Keiko a cup of tea and said with a kind smile:
"Don't worry, I'll fully support you in gathering intelligence. Once Ah Xuan returns, the plan will begin!"

"Hi!"

Nanjing, Zhou Enlai's Former Residence.

Since arriving in Nanjing, Dao Yan has been arranged to stay at Zhou Enlai's residence.

In a full two weeks, Dao Yan only saw Zhou Lifo once.

Dao Yan was completely baffled by the Wang Jingwei regime's unusual behavior.

If the Wang Jingwei regime wanted to use him to control Ding Moqun, then there was no need for them to do so.

Moreover, Dao Yan did not believe that she could become the one to restrain Ding Moqun.

If that were the case, Ding Moqun wouldn't have found various reasons to transfer her to Nanjing.

Standing alone at the window of his room, Dao Yan stared intently at the personnel changes within the Zhou Mansion.

dong dong~
There was a knock on the door. Dao Yan turned around and saw that it was Zhou Lifu's butler who pushed the door open.

"Section Chief Dao, the Minister requests your presence at the Zichao Building for a meeting. Please come to the Zichao Building."

Dao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. Was he finally going to reveal his trump card?
"Okay, I'll change my clothes and go right away."

In a hotel not far from Zhou's mansion, Dao Ya was reviewing the intelligence she had gathered over the past few days.

Sato Ai slumped listlessly on the sofa. Having been in Nanjing for so long, she had lost all interest in the city and was only thinking about getting to Harbin as soon as possible according to plan.

This business plan is enough to earn most of Sato Ai's dream funds, so Sato Ai naturally takes it very seriously.

"Xiaoya, when are we going to Harbin?"

Daoya glanced at the intelligence report in her hand and casually replied:

"Soon, by tomorrow at the latest."

Upon hearing this, Sato Ai instantly perked up and sat up abruptly from the sofa:

"Really? Xiaoya, you have no idea how much fun I've had in Nanjing these past few days."

Daoya looked up at Sato Ai, smiled, and said:

"I'm sorry, Xiao Ai, it's just that I'm a little worried about my older sister being here."

Sato Ai snorted:
"If those people in the Wang government dare to make things difficult for Sister Ayan, I will definitely make my brother settle the score with them!"

(End of this chapter)