Spy Wars: Return of the Red Luan

Chapter 189 The Japanese Navy's Reaction

Hotsumi Ozaki has brought some big news.

According to information from their group members planted in the South Manchuria Railway Company, the Kwantung Army had apparently established a secret department, whose office and headquarters were not located within the Kwantung Army headquarters in Fengtian (Shenyang). (This is not a typo; after the September 18 Incident, the Kwantung Army headquarters moved from Lushun to Fengtian.)
Although there was no other information, Chen Jiehua's intuition told him that this was the "epidemic prevention water supply unit," or at least its predecessor!

"Once your informant finds out the general area of ​​operation of this secret department, I'll take care of the rest. He doesn't need to risk going any further to investigate."

"Received. I'll have him delineate the area as soon as possible."

"You should be cautious in developing your local intelligence network. Be careful and set up an extra firewall."

"Understood. Teacher Wang Xuewen sent over many students from the academy, all of whom were originally members of the Japan-China Struggle Alliance."

"Oh? All the students are back?"

"Yes. Following your instructions and reminders, Teacher Wang also conducted a screening test. None of the students betrayed us. However, after the war in Shanghai began, the Navy required the students of the academy to participate in the war. Considering safety issues, Teacher Wang sent all his own people back to the mainland."

“Good, that’s perfect. Let them apply on their own first and infiltrate various units. You pick a few clever and steady ones and try to get them into the Special Higher Police.”

“These funds should be used to arrange accommodation for them, and to set up several more safe houses.”

"Your funding came at just the right time. So many people have come back all at once. I was just worrying about the funding problem."

“Ozaki, I’ve told you before, if you need funds, just come to me. Don’t waste your energy on trivial matters like raising funds.”
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Dividing line —
March 3, 1932, Shanghai.

Although the 19th Route Army suffered heavy losses, with more than half of its troops killed or wounded, with the assistance of the 5th Army, the two armies eventually held off two Japanese divisions. The two sides were evenly matched, and the two Japanese divisions also suffered more than half of their losses.

At this point, through the mediation of the British minister Lampson, both sides agreed to a ceasefire.

Shanghai was a bridgehead for European and American countries to invest in the Republic of China. Without mediation, business would not be able to take off.

The Japanese army was dragged into the conflict by the navy, gained no advantage, and even lost two divisions. At the same time, fearing international isolation, it backed down and agreed to a ceasefire.

The telegram from Chen Jiehua on the 26th was received by the army commander. He knew about the organization behind Lao Liu's plans, so he immediately assisted Liu Junze in completing the escape. Commander Cai picked a reliable person from the artillery to be the "God of Artillery's" stand-in.

Although Liu the Cannon God left quietly, he forged an unbreakable friendship with the 19th Route Army. The shrewd people in the army all knew that, given the current situation and the Kuomintang's ambiguous attitude towards Japan, it was dangerous for Liu the Cannon God to remain in the army.

As for the negotiations, that was a matter for the Kuomintang politicians, and the 19th Route Army had no right to participate. Commander Cai Tingkai led his remaining troops to retreat to Suzhou to set up defenses.

At the negotiation site, when the Japanese side proposed to "compensate Aoki Chain Pharmacy Co., Ltd. for its losses", the Chinese representative was a little confused. What does your pharmacy's loss have to do with us?

After translation, explanation (and sophistry), and questioning the chief of staff of the 19th Route Army, the Chinese representatives finally realized what was going on when the chief of staff produced various newspaper reports from the previous period and secretly revealed relevant inside information.

This is clearly the Japanese army that stole your navy's assets, and now you want to shift the blame to China? No way! I disagree! Absolutely not!

The two sides engaged in a protracted negotiation over various conditions, with talks frequently stopping and starting. During this period, major newspapers in Shanghai published related news, which gradually made it their front-page headline.

The reports in various newspapers were largely consistent, all conveying the same basic message: the Japanese negotiators were utterly shameless, the Japanese army had sabotaged its own navy's industries, and now they wanted to shift the blame onto the citizens of Shanghai. "We will never agree to this!" Shanghai citizens and student groups held demonstrations, demanding that the Chinese negotiating delegation uphold its bottom line and refrain from agreeing to the Japanese side's shameless demands.

Ultimately, the Japanese Naval General Staff received information that the Army was attempting to cover up the fact that it had dug trenches and damaged naval industries, and was making unreasonable demands on the Chinese representatives, which led to the stagnation of the armistice negotiations.
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Dividing line —
"This is simply unforgivable!"

At an internal meeting of the Naval General Staff in March, the newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Naval General Staff, Prince Hiroyasu Fushimi, lashed out at his subordinates.

"When I say unforgivable, I'm not just referring to the negotiators! I'm also referring to those army bastards! And all of you idiots!"

"The Army proposed exchanging industries in Shanghai for those in Manchuria. Why didn't you ask Aoki Qiao? He's the head of the company. You think Shanghai is a wealthy economic metropolis with a mature pharmacy network, so you made the decision on your own and are even smug about it!"

After further consideration, and with the whispered "hints" from the clerk planted by Hotsumi Ozaki, the officers of the General Staff finally understood that the Kwantung Army's proposal last year to exchange networks with the North and South Pharmacy Co., Ltd. was ill-intentioned and premeditated.

Moreover, with the navy abandoning Manchuria, it completely lost any opportunity to intervene in Manchuria, and the army was about to turn Manchuria into an impenetrable fortress.

If a pharmacy network had been left there, it could at least have kept the Kwantung Army occupied; now, that opportunity is completely lost.

The key issue is that the large pharmacies in Shanghai were robbed clean by the army before they could even make any money.

That was a terrible move.

Halfway through the meeting, Chen Jiehua arrived "late" right on time. He had deliberately timed his arrival to avoid participating in the earlier parts of the meeting, intending to enter only after the discussion about the "large pharmacy" had concluded.

Regarding the pharmacy issue, Chen Jiehua only needs to observe the results, but he must personally participate in and guide the subsequent content, otherwise they will go astray again.

“Aoki-kun, the issue of the pharmacy had already ended before you arrived. In fact, there was no need to discuss it anymore. The outcome is out in the open, and the Naval General Staff is about to become a laughing stock of the Empire. Your grandfather, Kato, was so angry that he ended up in the hospital.”

"What? Kato's grandfather is in the hospital? Then I'll go see him, you all continue!" Upon hearing Bo Gongwang's words, Chen Jiehua immediately got up and prepared to leave.

Act in full set.

Old Kato's health was already poor, and he was hospitalized every few days. It's hard to say whether he was hospitalized out of shame or anger this time.

“Aoki-kun’s filial piety is truly commendable. I haven’t finished yet. Kato-kun is in good health. Let’s finish discussing the next two topics first, and then you can come with me to see him.”

"Hi!"

Distracted by Chen Jiehua, Prince Bogong immediately moved on to the next topic, without mentioning the results of the discussion at the pharmacy.

"The second topic is the request from General Yamamoto of the Technical Section of the Imperial Navy Air Headquarters to fully strengthen the construction of aircraft carriers and the training of their formations. It just so happens that Mr. Aoki has arrived. Mr. Aoki is also quite knowledgeable about naval warfare, so we can discuss it again."

Here he comes! Yamamoto Isoroku, we've been waiting for you!

(End of this chapter)