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

Chapter 141 Let Me Give It a Try

Shanghai, Southern Transportation Department.

The heavy oak door at the bottom was rudely pushed open, and Kenichi Kitahara, Chief of Staff of the 106th Division, strode in with several soldiers. His leather boots clattered on the polished marble floor.
The people from the Southern Transportation Department didn't dare utter a sound when they saw the yellow sash on the other person's body.
This group of people, aggressive and reckless, stormed up to the Minister of Transport's office on the third floor.

Inside the minister's office, the head of the first section, Jun Matsushima, the head of the third section, Yang Chen, and the liaison officer of the Naval Transport Department, Koichi Saito, stood respectfully to one side.

Kenjiro Oshima flipped through the investigation report sent back from Jiujiang with a blank expression.

With a loud bang, the office door was pushed open forcefully.
"Chief of Staff Kitahara," Kenjiro Oshima said, noticing Kitahara's ashen face, and sensed that something was amiss.

"The 106th Division is fighting a fierce battle on the front lines, so why would Chief of Staff Kitahara be in Shanghai?"

"Is it strange? All of this is thanks to Minister Oshima." Kitahara's voice was icy, devoid of any pleasantries, his gaze fixed directly on Oshima.
"Yesterday, July 16th, at 8:20 PM! A vital supply ship of the Imperial Army's 106th Division suffered a devastating attack while unloading cargo at the Kuitong Wharf in Jiujiang Port!"

"Two barges, carrying transport ships loaded with urgently needed ammunition, medicine, first aid kits, and field rations for the division, were completely destroyed at the Kuitong dock. The scene was a mess, and the Empire's precious supplies were reduced to ashes."

"Not only that, but seventeen loyal soldiers and several dockworkers died on the spot. The Southern Transport Department must give me, the commander of the Matsuura Division, and the entire 106th Division an explanation for this!"

The air in the office seemed to freeze instantly. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Oshima's forehead as he struggled to his feet. "Chief of Staff Kitahara, please calm down. This...this is truly a heartbreaking tragedy. We just received a preliminary report from Jiujiang, and..."

"Tragedy?" Kitahara abruptly interrupted, his voice rising sharply. He strode to Oshima's desk, placed his hands on the surface, and leaned forward, creating a powerful sense of oppression.
"Minister Oshima, this is a sabotage operation against the Imperial Holy War, not a tragedy. The 106th Division is fighting valiantly on the front lines, giving its all to capture the gateway to Wuhan!"

"Right now, our soldiers may be unable to suppress the enemy due to a lack of ammunition, and may die in agony due to a lack of medicine. How will your transportation department compensate for these losses? With empty words?"

His gaze swept over Matsushima Jun and Saito Koichi, who were standing beside him, like a venomous snake.

Matsushima Jun subconsciously took a half step back, his body slightly bent forward, his face pale, and his fingers nervously twisting the hem of his suit jacket.

Saito Koichi straightened his back, his face expressionless, but his eyes revealed a hint of "this is your army's own mismanagement."

"Section Chief Chen!" Kitahara Kenichi glanced at everyone, his gaze fixed on Chen Yang.

"I have seen the report submitted by the Ministry of Transport. The Third Section is directly responsible for the vessel scheduling, berth arrangement, and on-site operation supervision of Jiujiang Port!"

"Now, tell me, why did such an important supply convoy stop at the Kuitung port at that particular time? Who approved the security deployment at the port?"

"Why were suspicious individuals allowed to infiltrate the work area so easily? Where are your safety plans? Are your on-site supervisors blind?!"

"Lord Kitahara!" Chen Yang's voice was neither humble nor arrogant: "Kuitong Wharf was the only berth at the time that could accommodate large barges."

"The front lines are pressing hard; all the docks are operating at overcapacity. The security measures are being deployed according to standard procedures, with a military police squad and a detachment of Marines providing support..."

“I had originally reminded Lieutenant Colonel Saito that the situation at the dock was complicated, and that we should not dock the ship at Kuitong Wharf at this time, but rather move closer to Jiujiang Port.”

"However, a large amount of silt has been washed down from upstream, so dredging vessels should be given priority to dock and operate near Jiujiang Port."

"Moreover, Lieutenant Colonel Saito only gave me an order to get the supplies out of Jiujiang Port within a week."

"All I can do is follow Lieutenant Colonel Saito's orders."

"As for the saboteurs... I can explain. I had already warned Lieutenant Colonel Saito beforehand that forcibly conscripting laborers for high-intensity work at this time would definitely lead to oversights..."

Saito Koichi frowned and explained, "Chief of Staff Kitahara, the Navy didn't want this to happen either."

"However, we have our own procedures. If we don't resolve the backlog of goods at Jiujiang Port as soon as possible, it could lead to the goods in Yichang being impacted by the tides."

“Procedure? Hmph,” Kitahara let out a short, sharp sneer. “What kind of standard procedure is Lieutenant Colonel Saito talking about?”

"Does your so-called standard procedure mean leaving priceless imperial resources exposed to the enemy's noses, allowing them to destroy them?"

"I think it was the Navy's negligence and incompetence that gave the enemy the opportunity to sabotage our supplies!"

"Chief of Staff Kitahara, you need to provide evidence for your statements," Saito Koichi's tone became sharper. "The Navy's procedures are perfectly sound; this was simply an accident."

"An accident?" Kitahara slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump. "Lieutenant Colonel Saito!"

"You're telling me the Navy's procedures are fine, then I'll have to ask you for your guidance."

"The Navy is responsible for escorting ships on the Yangtze River and maintaining surface surveillance! Why didn't they detect the infiltration of saboteurs in advance? Why didn't the patrol boats on the river react in time when the attack occurred?"

"Is your navy's claim of absolute control over the waterways just empty talk? Or are you only concerned with protecting transport ships flying the naval flag, while neglecting our army's supply ships?"

Saito Koichi's face finally darkened, and he coldly replied, "Chief of Staff Kitahara, please watch your words!" "The Navy's control over the Yangtze River waterway has never been relaxed. The saboteurs clearly infiltrated the dock area by land; this falls under the purview of land security and dock management, and the responsibility lies with the Army Military Police and the Southern Transportation Department!"

"The navy's patrol boats are responsible for the safety of the river surface; they can't possibly keep an eye on every inch of the dock at all times!"

"Moreover, after the incident, our gunboats immediately blocked the river, preventing any possible follow-up attacks!"

"I believe we have fulfilled our responsibilities. If you have any further comments, I suggest you consult Lieutenant General Hasegawa."

"Are there any problems with our navy's deployment?"

"Baka! Saito Koichi, are you trying to use Hase Chūjūrō to intimidate me?" Kitahara Kenichi immediately flew into a rage.

Despite being only a lieutenant colonel, Saito Takumi still displayed a disdainful demeanor when faced with the wrath of the 106th Division's major general chief of staff.

It was precisely this attitude that made Kenichi Kitahara feel extremely angry.

Tensions were running high between the two sides, and it looked like things were about to get out of control. Kenjiro Oshima quickly tried to smooth things over: "Chief of Staff Kitahara, Lieutenant Colonel Saito, please calm down! Now is not the time to blame each other! The most urgent task is to find out the truth, punish those responsible, and quickly gather supplies for the 106th Division!"

Kenjiro Oshima turned his gaze to Chen Yang, who was standing to the side: "Section Chief Chen, you have been in charge of recruiting laborers. Go to Jiujiang immediately and retrieve all the original records of the operations at the Kuitong Wharf."

"Including the personnel list, the dispatch log for the day, and the guard duty roster, investigate thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned! Detain and interrogate all relevant Chinese employees!"

"The guerrillas were able to select their targets so accurately; I believe they must have planted a spy within their ranks. Find him, and I want him dead."

"Hello." Chen Yang bowed slightly and was about to leave.

"Minister Oshima, you certainly have the airs of a high-ranking official." Kenichi Kitahara's mocking voice rang out again: "Minister Oshima, I didn't come here to watch you show off your power. You have time to investigate your internal traitors, but our 106th Division can't wait for your lengthy internal investigation!"

"Commander Matsuura demanded: First, the Southern Transport Department must, within three days, prioritize replenishing at least 70% of the lost supplies for the 106th Division! This is the minimum!"

"Secondly, the investigation into those directly responsible for this incident and those involved in dereliction of duty must be conducted by officers dispatched by my division, and a report must be submitted within five days!"

"Third, the security system of Jiujiang Port must be completely restructured and taken over directly by personnel from the front-line combat troops! Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that the division commanders will not directly accuse the Transportation Department of serious dereliction of duty, or even suspected of collusion with the enemy, to the Army Headquarters!"

The words "colluding with the enemy" struck the heart of the island like a heavy hammer.

Oshima's face turned extremely ugly. Kitahara was using the most severe accusations to exert pressure, and even threatened to escalate the matter to higher authorities.

He knew that the 106th Division was one of the main forces in this battle, and the Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters would never ignore their demands.

Koichi Saito frowned, but said nothing more. He was happy to watch the infighting within the army.

Kenjiro Oshima took a deep breath: "I will try my best to coordinate with Mr. Sato regarding supplies."

"Please give me three days, Section Chief Matsushima."

"I've requested the Army Logistics Department to urgently transport ammunition and supplies to the front lines. Arrange vehicles immediately."

"The supplies must be transported to Jiujiang within three days. Do you think there's any problem with that?"

"I'm sorry, Minister Oshima, the First Division is currently very busy with transportation tasks, and I think it will be difficult to arrange vehicles in the short term," Matsushima Junichi said matter-of-factly.

“All transportation plans are carefully designed by everyone involved. If you suddenly ask me to change the transportation plans, it will disrupt all our arrangements.”

"Moreover, the supplies for the 106th Division are not a small amount, and I don't think it can be done in three days."

Chief of Staff Kitahara sneered, "Minister Oshima, your subordinates are just as straightforward as you."

"I'm not discussing this with you, I'm ordering you: I must see supplies in Jiujiang within three days."

"If you can't do it, I will file a complaint with the local authorities, and your Ministry of Transport will bear full responsibility for it."

"Especially you, Minister Oshima, just wait to be questioned by the oversight department."

"That's all I have to say. Let's go." Chief of Staff Kitahara said coldly, beckoning his adjutant to leave the minister's office.

Kenjiro Oshima's face turned deathly pale. His palms clenched so tightly they were sweating after just a few words. Kenichi Kitahara had no time for jokes; failing the transport mission would be a minor matter compared to being branded as a failure in combat.
Ah, that can't be fooled by a few simple, superficial explanations...

Just when he was at his wit's end, Chen Yang's voice rang out: "Minister Oshima, why don't you let me give it a try?"

(End of this chapter)