Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 219 Nosaka Sanzo
6 month 15 day.

Changzhi Daying.

Zhao Fangyuan rushed in: "Sir, a telegram has arrived from the First War Zone. The Japanese army has suddenly stopped outside Zhengzhou!"

Wang Feng raised an eyebrow: "What's going on?"

Zhengzhou is a key city on the Pinghan Railway. Since the Japanese army wanted to attack Wuhan from both the north and south, they had to capture this city. There was no reason for them to be cowardly and not move forward.

Zhao Fangyuan shook his head: "We don't know yet. The First War Zone only sent news that the Japanese army had stopped its offensive, but did not provide any explanation."

Wang Feng frowned.

What kind of trouble is Terauchi Hisaichi causing now?

"Tell Sergei to mobilize my agents in Zhengzhou and the Beijing-Tianjin area to investigate this matter thoroughly!"

The Japanese army's actions were erratic, which made him somewhat uneasy.

Zhao Fangyuan: "Yes!"

"By the way, sir, news has come from the Eighth Route Army that the Japanese Communist Party representative, Nosaka Sanzo, will arrive in Changzhi this evening. They will no longer be involved in any subsequent matters."

"Sir, do you think the Eighth Route Army might...?"

Wang Feng shook his head: "You're overthinking it. Since we've already decided to pin the blame on the Soviet Union, there's no need to worry about it."

"They brought the people over, so they've already dragged me into this mess. We're all in this together, so how could I do something that harms others without benefiting myself?"

Zhao Fangyuan suddenly realized his mistake.

Wang Feng: "Go and make the arrangements first. Nosaka Sanzo is, after all, a semi-international friend. We can't be negligent in our etiquette."

Zhao Fangyuan responded.

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evening.

A gentle breeze blew, and the military camp was brightly lit. There were twice as many sentries inside and outside the camp as usual, and every two or three steps, you could see armed guards.

"who!"

At the gate, guards reached out to stop a caravan from entering, while simultaneously unloading their rifles from their shoulders, their eyes wary.

"Young man, we're delivering meat, this is our pass!"

The caravan leader was dressed in a long robe and mandarin jacket, and wore round glasses; he looked very shrewd.

The guard, expressionless, took the pass, glanced at it twice, and after confirming it was correct, said, "Hurry up and go in, don't dawdle!"

The businessman smiled and said, "Alright, thanks a lot, brother!"

After saying that, he waved to the group behind him: "Hurry up and go in, don't cause them any trouble!"

"Move more quickly!"

The laborers pulled the carts, and the creaking sound of the wooden wheels filled the silence. Under the moonlight, the sound seemed particularly jarring.

The caravan had just entered the military camp when it turned a corner, which was not the direction to the kitchen.

After turning the corner, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The merchant in the lead carried a lantern, illuminating the quiet alley, and a squad of soldiers immediately came into view.

The person in charge was Zhao Fangyuan.

"What about people?"

The leading merchant looked behind him, and several workers worked together to lift the cover on the cart box. A man dressed in coarse linen clothes, with his hair slicked back and a thick mustache emerged.

The businessman walked over and said, "Mr. Nosaka, we've arrived."

Zhao Fangyuan looked over, but the light was dim and he couldn't see the person's face clearly. However, through their conversation, he knew that this was the person he was looking for.

The merchant approached: "Sir, we have brought the person here. Is that alright?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "No way!"

"You can't leave yet!"

The merchant was taken aback: "This..."

Zhao Fangyuan: "We have prepared accommodation and food. Please stay here for the night and set off for your return tomorrow."

The businessman hesitated for a moment, but then remembered the orders from his superiors.

[The journey is long, so avoid conflict with any organization. Upon arrival in Changzhi, follow the instructions of the garrison. If the situation changes, act decisively.]

Thinking of this, the merchant nodded: "Then I will follow the officer's instructions."

Zhao Fangyuan: "This way, please!"

After saying that, he summoned a squad of guards to escort everyone away.

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Inside the office.

Wang Feng sat in a chair, holding a book in his hands, sometimes frowning, sometimes relaxing.

"What the hell is this?"

A knock sounded at the door. Wang Feng paused his rant and said, "Come in!"

"Squeak——!"

The door was pushed open, and Zhao Fangyuan and a group of guards quickly entered, followed by another person.

"Sir, this is Mr. Nosaka Sanzo!"

He glanced at the person behind him, his expression indifferent.

Even though I knew beforehand that he was a "good Japanese soldier" who had not participated in the war and had even supported China's resistance against Japan in Japan, I still felt a sense of disgust when we met.

Wang Feng stood up and extended his hand: "Hello, Mr. Nosaka Sanzo."

With bright lights overhead, Wang Feng could see the other person's face very clearly.

Like the representatives from various countries, he sports a very distinctive slicked-back hairstyle.

Is this some kind of cultural symbol?

Nosaka Sanzo grasped Wang Feng's hand: "Greetings, Your Excellency General!"

Seeing that he was covered in dust and looked like a refugee who had fled a long way, Wang Feng said, "Fang Yuan, take this gentleman who has come from afar to wash up first. Our business is not urgent, we can talk slowly."

Zhao Fangyuan saluted: "Yes!"

Nosaka Sanzo bowed slightly: "Thank you, General!"

Wang Feng nodded with a smile.

----------

It doesn't take a while.

Nosaka Sanzo returned.

Wang Feng looked him up and down.

Her face was much cleaner, but she still looked noticeably tired, perhaps due to the many days of rushing around.

Wang Feng smiled and said, "Please sit down, sir!"

The guard next to him pulled out a chair and then took a few steps back.

Nosaka Sanzo looked around at the room full of soldiers and officers and immediately felt an indescribable sense of oppression. He forced a smile, sat down in a chair, and saw that Wang Feng was staring straight at him without saying a word, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

He then looked at a bound book on the table.

"General, what is this book of yours?"

Wang Feng said "Oh," and then asked, "You mean this book?"

"This book has quite a history; in fact, you wrote it."

Nosaka Sanzo looked bewildered: "What?!"

Wang Feng: "Sir, once you enter this room, please do not speak Japanese."

As he spoke, he glanced at the room full of guards.

Nosaka Sanzo realized what was happening. He stood up and bowed to everyone in the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please accept my apology!"

"Our country's fascist regime invaded your land, massacred your people, and plundered your resources. We should unite to fight against this crime against humanity."

Nosaka Sanzo was talking non-stop, but the expressions of the people in the room didn't change, though their eyes seemed to hold a sense of disdain.

It seems that if Wang Feng hadn't been present, this group of people would have at least retaliated with insults, even if they hadn't actually attacked.

Zhao Fangyuan's brows furrowed as tightly as ropes, and in the end, he didn't even want to look at Nosaka Sanzo anymore.

What are they even talking about?
Is it all just empty talk and grandstanding?
The weapon in hand is still the most practical!
Wang Feng took a sip of tea and smiled.

It's very easy to understand what everyone is thinking.

If it were before, before I knew all this in detail, I probably would have looked down on Nosaka Sanzo if I had seen him like this.

Japanese people are Japanese people.

What else is there to say?

There's a saying—national interests take precedence over ideology.

------------

Two hours later.

Accompanied by Wang Feng, Nosaka Sanzo strode out of the office, a smile that was hard to describe on his face.

Zhao Fangyuan, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately stepped forward, heels together, and saluted.
"Sir!"

Wang Feng raised his hand to indicate: "Settle this gentleman in first, and come find me after everything is over."

Zhao Fangyuan's voice was full of energy:

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)