Spy game? Stop guessing, I really am an undercover agent!

Chapter 131 What to do? Here I am!

"Can we really make the transportation department take the blame?" Otani Yunqi said hesitantly.

Shingo Suzuhara smiled confidently and said, "Commander, this matter was originally caused by a transportation problem."

"As a front-line transportation unit, it is only natural that the Southern Transportation Department would step in to coordinate with the Navy when such a thing happens."

"Moreover, Commander Matsuura of the 106th Division is currently leading his troops in a fierce attack on Tianjia Town. If you don't handle this well, you might have to worry about Commander Matsuura taking up a samurai sword and challenging you to a samurai duel."

Otani Yunqi's pupils contracted slightly as he thought of Matsuura Junrokuro's unreasonable behavior, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Alright, I'll have Miura-kun hand the case over to Minister Oshima."

"Suzuhara-kun, thank you for reminding me."

Southern Transportation Department.

Kenjiro Oshima stared at the “Investigation Report on the Shooting Incident at Maigen Road Railway Station” delivered by the Military Police Headquarters, his face contorted with rage, unable to utter a word.

Shameless!
To think that the Ministry of Transport could be blamed for such a security incident, Commander Otani, do you have no bottom line?

Chief of Staff Saburo Miura, who came to deliver the documents, stated confidently that the incident was caused by a transportation problem, and that the two sides involved in the firefight were Imperial soldiers.

The case did not theoretically fall under the category of public security, so after careful consideration, the Military Police Headquarters decided to transfer the case to the Ministry of Transport.

Damn it, you can't pass the buck like this. They're not even bothering to pretend anymore.
Knock, knock, knock. A knock sounded on the door, and Secretary Koji Tanaka opened the door and said, "Chief Oshima, Lieutenant Commander Akutagawa from the Naval Investigation Department would like to inquire about the Transportation Department's investigation results on the Naval Transport Team."

"Investigation results?" Kenjiro Oshima looked at the report in his hand and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"Go and tell Lieutenant Colonel Akutagawa that I have already reported the incident to General Sato."

"If there's anything, please have someone from the Navy Department communicate with Lord Sato."

Koji Tanaka paused slightly, and his gaze toward Kenjiro Oshima was clearly a little off.

This person must be an idiot, actually pushing this matter onto their superior to take the blame.

This guy is clearly not cut out to be an official. In this situation, even if it means delaying the process, you shouldn't let your superiors get involved.

He can deal with it once the higher-ups have given a clear stance.

If a subordinate doesn't even have the courage to take the blame, how can you expect your boss to promote you?

"Stop daydreaming, hurry up," Kenjiro Oshima urged impatiently.

Koji Tanaka was speechless for a moment, then bowed slightly and strode out of the office.
Shanghai, Central China Expeditionary Army Logistics Department.

On a sweltering July afternoon, the indoor atmosphere was even hotter than the weather outside.

On the wall behind the logistics department hung a military map of the area surrounding Wuhan, with the Yangtze River and its tributaries marked with striking red lines. Various transport plans and telegrams were scattered on the table.

Army Logistics Chief Major General Fumitasu Sato's khaki uniform was soaked with sweat, and the top buttons were all undone.
He paced back and forth in the cramped conference room, finally stopping abruptly in front of the huge map, his finger jabbing hard at the location marked "Tianjiazhen Fortress," a crucial gateway for the Yangtze River into Wuhan, and currently the site where the Imperial Army and the Blue Camp Army were fighting to the death.

"Yamaki-kun! What on earth is the Navy up to?!" Sato's voice was hoarse with anger and anxiety.

The 106th Division is nearly worn down in the mountains south of Jiujiang! Ammunition is running out, and the wounded can't be evacuated! We urgently need the supply convoy from Hankou; it should have departed three days ago, why is it still detained at the dock?

Seated at the other end of the conference table was Colonel Kenichi Yamaki, the logistics chief of the Marine Corps Command, dressed in a neat dark blue naval uniform, maintaining an upright posture even in the stuffy room.

His face was cold and stern, his sharp eyes sweeping over Sato as he lightly tapped his fingers on a telegram stamped with "Confidential" on the table.

The Marine Corps Command was far less well-organized than the Central China Expeditionary Army, which commanded the Third, Seventh, and Ninth Fleets.

The total strength was equivalent to two army divisions plus a mixed brigade, totaling approximately 70,000 men.

The commander was Lieutenant General Hasegawa Ao, and the main person in charge of the logistics department was Colonel Yamaki Kenichi, who was standing in front of him.

"Lord Sato, please watch your words." Yamaki's voice wasn't loud, but it carried the coldness and unquestionable authority characteristic of the Navy. "Detain?"

"Your description is not quite accurate; this should be wartime control."

"I must remind you that the Yangtze River waterway is not your army's backyard. Enemy air force activities are frequent and the threat of mines is huge. Our ships need to prioritize ensuring their own safety and the passage of important military supplies."

"Personal safety? Important military supplies?" Sato whirled around, slamming his fist on the table, making the teacup jump.
"Your navy's precious gunboats and transport ships are carrying your own fuel and shells."

"What about our army soldiers who shed their blood and sacrificed their lives on the front lines? Aren't their food, medicine, and ammunition important?"

"People are dying every day in the direction of Tianjia Town. Without supplies, how can the fortress be defended?"

"Are we expect the soldiers to use their bayonets to block Chinese artillery shells?"

Kenichi Yamaki's expression remained unchanged: "Sato-kun, you're being too emotional. The Yangtze River is the lifeline controlled by the Imperial Navy, and it must be managed in an orderly manner."

"Moreover, the transport fleet is too large and conspicuous, making it extremely vulnerable to air or mine attacks."

"If this is lost, not only will your army's supplies be wiped out, but the Imperial Navy ships escorting you will also suffer losses. Can you bear that responsibility?"

“Responsibility? Heh…” Sato let out a short, sarcastic laugh. He rushed to Yamaki, almost touching his face, spitting everywhere.
"Colonel Yamaki! Now is not the time to shirk responsibility! The Battle of Wuhan is crucial to the overall situation of the Empire's Holy War!"

"The army's fight for every inch of land on the front lines depends on supplies! Your navy is holed up in the relatively safe river, using 'risk' and 'control' as excuses to strangle us! You are preserving your strength and missing opportunities!"

Kenichi Yamaki suddenly stood up. He was nearly 1.76 meters tall, while Fumita Sato was less than 1.6 meters tall. The pressure from this instantly turned Sato against him.

"Preserve strength? Miss opportunities? Mr. Sato, I must remind you, you are a general. Please be careful with your words without any evidence!"

"To be frank, without the Imperial Navy controlling the Yangtze River waterway, your army wouldn't even be able to reach Hankou."

"Have you forgotten the sacrifices made by the naval guns that breached your river defenses? Every ship sunk by enemy aircraft or damaged by mines is a loss to the Imperial Navy."

“We are more aware of the dangers of the waterways than anyone else, which is why we must be even more cautious. Your army only sees its own immediate needs and has no idea about the complexity and risks of overall shipping operations!”

"Cautious? Cautious enough to send frontline soldiers to their deaths hungry and with empty guns?!" Sato Fumitasu pointed to the mountainous region south of Jiujiang on the map, his voice trembling with extreme anger.
"Look here! Soldiers of the 106th Division are eating grass roots! The wounded are dying in agony because they have no medicine! Your navy's 'caution' is paid for with the blood of our army soldiers. This Yangtze River is not your navy's exclusive right!"

"You bastard!" Yamaki's face turned ashen, his hand gripping the hilt of his military knife at his waist, his eyes sharp and frightening. "This is slander against the Navy! This is sabotage of cooperation between the Army and Navy!"

"Slander? I'm telling the truth!" Sato's eyes reddened, and his hand also gripped the hilt of his knife. The air in the conference room seemed to freeze, filled with the smell of gunpowder, and tension was palpable, as if a more intense conflict could erupt at any moment.

"Enough." A short voice rang out, and a figure appeared in front of the office door.

A yellow sash hanging from the right shoulder to the button on the chest is enough to prove the person's identity.

"Chief of Staff by the River" Sato Fumiyasu bowed to the visitor.

"Mr. Yamaki, I heard that your soldiers opened fire at Maigenlu Railway Station and killed quite a few wounded soldiers who were being evacuated from Jiujiang?" Chief of Staff Kawabe's voice was not loud, but it was full of accusation.

Kenichi Yamaki was only a colonel in the Marine Corps Command, but he was not intimidated at all by Chief of Staff Kawabe.

"Chief of Staff Kawabe, I'm here for this very reason," Kenichi Yamaki said respectfully. "Our investigation has shown that the shooting incident at the Maigen Road train station was entirely accidental."

"It was caused by your army's wounded soldiers trying to forcibly obtain medicines sent to the front lines by the navy."

"I was just about to discuss this matter with Mr. Sato when he preemptively attacked me on the grounds that the Navy Transport Department was not cooperating with the Army's operational plan."

"Chief of Staff Riverside, I think his actions are likely to cause a rift in our cooperation."

Sato Fumio sneered, "So, Colonel Yamaki means that your Navy used our Transport Department's railways to transport supplies, killed our people, and then you say we were in the wrong?"

Kenichi Yamaki was slightly taken aback, and quickly explained, "General Sato, Chief of Staff Kawabe, I didn't say that."

"That's right, the navy does have its own transport fleet, but we also need to calculate the transportation costs. It's making a mountain out of a molehill to use a fleet to transport such a small amount of supplies."

"Moreover, every resource of the empire was won back with the lives of our warriors, and we cannot afford to waste it so easily."

Sato Fumio scoffed, "Colonel Yamaki makes it sound nice, but I haven't seen you guys conserve resources much."

Kenichi Yamaki's expression changed slightly. Before he could speak, Chief of Staff Kawabe waved his hand and said slowly, "Alright, Commander Otani has already sent over a report on the whole matter."

"I have already discussed this with Lord Hase, and we will treat this incident as an accidental discharge."

“Yamaki-kun, you can take your people back, but I still have to remind you.”

"We have no objection to your desire to transport supplies through the army's transport routes, but please abide by the rules."

"All material transportation will be handled by the Southern Transportation Department. I don't want to see a repeat of the Navy and Army exchanging fire."

(End of this chapter)