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

Chapter 144 To take, one must first give.

Xiao Aqiao's offer of only one percent of the business turnover was far below Chen Yang's expectations.

"How about you add some more?"

"Given Miss Lin's talent and ability, it seems a bit unfair for her to only occupy one percent of the share."

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Mr. Chen. I think there's no need to raise the price," Xiao Aqiao said with a smile. "I believe this price is already very fair."

Chen Yang couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, and said with a slight admiration, "Miss Lin certainly knows how to be content."

"Okay, I agree to all the conditions. I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

"cheers."

"cheers."

*****
Shanghai, Southern Transportation Department.

Chen Yang had just stepped into the office when Li Ningyu rushed in in a fluster.

"Sir, the minister is waiting for you upstairs. He instructed that as soon as he sees you, he should let you up immediately."

Chen Yang was slightly taken aback, and couldn't help but wonder, "The transportation of supplies is going very smoothly."

Within three days, all the goods had been delivered to the designated port, and Chief of Staff Kenichi Kitahara of the 106th Division had sent people to pick them up.

What else is there to do at this point?
Li Ningyu looked around and leaned closer, saying, "Sir, I just heard that the first shipment of supplies to the 101st Division has been delayed again. The minister is furious right now. Don't let the minister catch you doing anything wrong, or he'll scold you too."

Wow, this girl is a natural gossip magnet; she can find out all sorts of news...

As a professional agent trained by the Iwai Agency, working in a department like the Ministry of Transport, she was able to keep secrets from even the smallest rumors.
"Alright, I'll go up now." Chen Yang pulled out several pre-prepared documents from his desk, put them in his briefcase, straightened his clothes, and headed up to the third floor.

Just as Chen Yang reached the stairwell, he looked up and saw Matsushima Jun coming down from the third floor with a livid face.

His face was so sour, as if someone owed him millions of yen.

The moment their bodies touched, Matsushima Jun suddenly said, "Section Chief Chen, Department Head Oshima is in a bad mood. Be careful."

Chen Yang glanced at Matsushima Jun, but the other man acted as if nothing had happened and hurriedly went downstairs.

At the entrance to the minister's office on the third floor of the Southern Transportation Department,

"Report." Chen Yang stood at attention in front of the minister's office, his voice steady and powerful.

"Come in," came Kenjiro Oshima's deep voice from inside the door.

Pushing open the door, Chen Yang saw Minister Oshima standing with his back to him by the window, his hands behind his back, his shoulders tense.

The office fans hummed loudly, but they couldn't dispel the oppressive heat.

"Section Chief Chen, do you know why I called you up here?" Oshima didn't turn around, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

Chen Yang glanced at the maps and reports spread out on his desk and calmly replied, "I think it's probably about the supply and transportation of the 101st Division?"

“You’re very clever, Section Chief Chen. If Matsushima-kun had your vision, I believe I would have it much easier.” As soon as he finished speaking, Kenjiro Oshima turned around abruptly, his eyes flashing with anger: “Urgent report from the front: the 101st Division’s supply line is blocked, and ammunition and food can only last for three days.”

"But the transportation route that Matsushima-kun was in charge of had problems again. I had reminded him not to put all his eggs in one basket, but he wouldn't listen, which caused the supplies to pile up in De'an and get stuck."

"Doesn't this bastard know that if the supplies don't arrive on time, I'll be the first one held accountable?"

"So, I'd like to know if you have any way to solve this problem."

Chen Yang did not respond immediately. Instead, he walked to the map and pointed with his long fingers to the supply route marked with a red line: "Minister, the only way now is to change the original transportation route."

“Changing the route at the last minute is too risky,” Kenjiro Oshima said, his expression showing some hesitation.

“Minister Oshima, the original route passed through the De’an to Wanjialing area,” Chen Yang tapped his finger on the map, “This area has complex terrain and is also a frequent area of ​​Blue Army activity.”

"Our reconnaissance troops were ambushed here several times, and our supply vehicles were also robbed here."

“But this is a vital supply route. Are you going to take a detour instead of going this way?” Oshima frowned. “Section Chief Chen, this is war. Risks are everywhere!”

"Even if we bypass this area, it might not go smoothly. Besides, taking a detour would lengthen the transport route and increase the risks many times over..."

Chen Yang's voice remained calm, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Minister Oshima, I have already done a complete analysis report and designed a transportation plan that can completely replace the previous route."

"The new route detours through Jiujiang, adding 80 kilometers, but the entire route is under our military control, increasing the safety factor by 60%."

Kenjiro Oshima frowned and said, "An extra eighty kilometers! What about the time? What about fuel consumption? Can the front lines afford to wait?"

Chen Yang confidently took a document from his briefcase and spread it on the table: "This is the conclusion I reached after precise calculations."

"The original route was estimated to take 32 hours, but due to combat and terrain factors, it actually took more than 48 hours on average. The new route takes 56 hours in total, but it can ensure that 95% of the supplies arrive safely." He pointed to a series of figures: "More importantly, the Jiujiang route can utilize waterways for part of the transport, which actually reduces fuel consumption per ton of supplies by 15%."

Oshima stared at the numbers, his brow furrowed.
A brief silence fell over the office, broken only by the hum of the fans and the distant sound of car engines.

“Chief Chen,” Oshima finally spoke, his tone softening slightly, “you know how important the 101st Division is to our attack on Wuhan. If supply problems delay our advance…”

"Commander Iizuka will come running at me with his katana and fight me to the death."

The organization of the Japanese army was quite interesting; their standing divisions ranged from one platoon to twenty.

The 13th Division was notably absent. Influenced by Chinese culture, the Japanese believed that the number 13 represented "death and injury," so they skipped from 12 to 14.

After 1925, in order to improve combat efficiency, the Japanese army disbanded the 15th, 17th and 20th Divisions.

In 1938, the Japanese army's advance in the Chinese battlefield slowed down. In addition to the regular divisions, they also set up a unique reserve system to replenish the troops of the divisions.

In other words, both the 101st and 106th Divisions were actually reserve forces.

The 101st Division is the reserve unit of the 1st Division of the 1st Army General Corps.

All officers in this division were active-duty soldiers or officers from the 1st Division.

The entire army continued the traditional Japanese 4-3 organization, that is, a division consisted of four regiments, and a regiment consisted of three battalions.

A battalion has about 1,200 men, and the four regiments together have about 15,000 men. Adding the engineer regiment, artillery regiment, and supply regiment, the total is more than 23,000 men...

First Regiment Commander Kunigoro Iizuka, known as the war god of the First Division, had an extremely fiery temper and a cruel personality.

He'd go crazy if he knew the Southern Transportation Department couldn't deliver supplies on time...

“It was precisely because of this that I insisted on changing the route.” Chen Yang looked directly into Oshima’s eyes. “Minister, you know better than I do that without reliable logistics, even the most elite troops will collapse. If the 101st Division runs out of food and ammunition at the front, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

Oshima walked to the window, then turned back: "Commander Okamura has ordered that the 101st Division must be fully supplied within five days to support the 106th Division's attack on the Lushan defense line."

"Section Chief Chen, do you think your plan can achieve this?"

Chen Yang's lips curled into a confident smile: "If the order is given tonight to mobilize the transport fleet in Jiujiang, it can be completed in two and a half days. I have already prepared a detailed execution plan."

He pulled out several pages from the folder, densely covered with timelines and resource allocation plans. Oshima took them and flipped through them, his anger gradually replaced by surprise.

"You've been preparing all this all along?"

"As the head of the Third Section of the Transportation Department, it is my responsibility to anticipate and resolve supply issues," Chen Yang said calmly. "I have studied all the terrain data and enemy situation reports in this area, and the Jiujiang route is the optimal solution."

Oshima let out a long sigh and sat back down in his chair: "Asking for the Navy's help? I don't think Commander Okamura would like this change."

“But history only remembers the correct path chosen by the victors,” Chen Yang said softly. “Minister, please allow me to speak frankly, explaining the supply disruption to the front lines is far more embarrassing than explaining the route change to the commander.”

Oshima stared at Chen Yang for a long time, then suddenly laughed: "Section Chief Chen, sometimes I really don't know whether to admire your intelligence or worry about your courage."

He sighed, then picked up his pen. "Alright, we'll proceed with your plan."

"If all goes well, I would like to have the Third Division take over the transportation responsibility from the First Division and undertake the main transportation tasks, while the First Division will provide auxiliary transportation."

"Section Chief Chen, I have high hopes for you. As long as you do a good job, the Empire will not treat you unfairly."

Even at the very end, Kenjiro Oshima didn't forget to make a grand promise.

Chen Yang didn't care about being treated unfairly; his goal was to control the transportation line.

He had thought it would take at least a month to get Matsushima Jun out of office, but he underestimated the urgency of the transport mission.

Two mistakes alone had already greatly disappointed Oshima.
"Yes, Minister." Chen Yang stood at attention and saluted, a barely perceptible glint in his eyes. "I will not let you down."

Back in his office, Chen Yang immediately handed the prepared plan to Li Ningyu and asked her to communicate with the dispatch center.

Chen Yang then called the Navy Logistics Department to ask Saito Koichi to coordinate matters concerning the Jiujiang transport fleet.

After arranging everything, Chen Yang breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The plan went more smoothly than he expected. After a few more supply runs, Chen Yang would be able to use AI to accurately calculate the normal firepower configurations, troop structures, and troop numbers of the 101st and 106th Divisions.
Yes, it can indeed improve transportation efficiency, but that's all it does; it only improves efficiency and doesn't increase the amount of supplies.

On the other hand, he could quickly grasp the movements of the Japanese army and obtain detailed data on the troops. Considering both factors, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.
As the art of war says, "To take something, you must first give it."
It's the same principle as fishing. If you don't feed them some bait, how will they take the bait?

Ring ring, ring ring, suddenly, the phone rang. Chen Yang answered the phone, and the voice on the other end was that of Kageyama Masaki.

"Mr. Chen, put down your work for now and come to the consulate."

(End of this chapter)