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

Chapter 175 Maddilon's Troubles
"Mr. Chen, this way please." Maddillan clearly didn't want anyone to know that he was in trouble.

The two avoided the crowd and went to the balcony of the corridor outside the banquet hall.

Maddilon squeezed his massive frame between the marble railing of the terrace and a lush areca palm, his thick knuckles white from gripping the crystal whiskey glass tightly.

Chen Yang followed closely behind him, appearing in the shadows beside him. His black tuxedo almost blended into the night, and the dark red embers of the cigar on his fingertips flickered intermittently.

“Mr. Chen, I would like to know what the conditions are?” Maddilron’s voice was very low, with the rough texture unique to oil tycoons.

Chen Yang slowly said, "I know that Asiatic Petroleum Company and Mobil spent a lot of money to build oil pipelines at Huishan Wharf."

"I now want to buy the oil storage warehouse you set up in Yangshupu at a reasonable price."

Maddilon's heart skipped a beat, and he asked in surprise, "Mr. Chen, are you perhaps interested in getting into the energy business?"

"However, you're being a bit naive. If you were in the energy business, you'd be my competitor."

"I have no reason to help my competitors get into trouble."

Chen Yang shook his head and said, "Mr. Maddilron, your use of the term 'competitor' might not be quite accurate."

"Shell is a multinational corporation, while I am just a small-time businessman."

"To be honest, there doesn't seem to be any competition between us."

"Because I don't think I have the ability to acquire as many of your oil fields."

"All I want to do is crude oil processing. Perhaps we can not only avoid competition, but also cooperate."

“I see.” Maddilon nodded and said slowly, “I need to go back and discuss this matter in a meeting.”

"However, don't worry. You have Her Highness's support now. She can make decisions on behalf of the royal family, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

“However, I need you to increase your leverage so I can convince the board.”

Chen Yang was slightly taken aback: "What do you want to do?"

Maddilon took a breath, his voice inexplicably rising a few decibels: "Mr. Chen, I think you may be aware of our current situation."

"Since the Japanese launched their military invasion of China, our oil tankers have been drifting like damned sitting ducks off the coast of Wusongkou!"

At this point, Maddilon took a big gulp of his drink, "Just in the last two months, Japanese destroyers, under the pretext of a 'military control zone,' seized three of my ships!"

"The light crude oil from Sumatra should have been stored in the Gaoqiao refinery's storage tanks last month! But now..."

“Mr. Maddilron,” Chen Yang’s voice was calm and even, yet it was like a needle chilled to the bone, piercing Maddilron’s heart: “You don’t need to complain to me about these things. I just want to know how I can help you.”

Maddillan said slowly, "The transportation of crude oil from the north is just a small part of the problem. Even if it really can't be transported, it will only affect sales a little and won't shake the foundation."

"My current headache is the crude oil from Indonesia and Myanmar."

“They made an offer: they want Shell to have a 15% stake in the new oil field in Borneo before they would issue a ‘passing flag’ to my tanker.”

“Waterfarm, this is blatant robbery. The Borneo oil fields are Shell’s future and its biggest lifeline in Asia.”

"They want to take 15 percent just by talking."

They were clearly the Japanese Naval Ground Forces Command...

Chen Yang gently flicked away the cigar ash, the grayish-white powder silently drifting onto the river surface: "A passage flag?"

“That thing might work at the mouth of the Yangtze River, but once we’re ashore… hehe… Mr. Maddilon, perhaps… perhaps you should consider other shipping routes…” Chen Yang’s lips curled into a cold, sharp smile, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s as he fixed it on Maddilon.
"For example, the 'old route' that runs from Manila through the outer edge of the Taiwan Strait, skimming the high seas past the Dongsha Islands, and then turns towards Gulangyu Island in Xiamen..."

"Who would care if an old oil tanker flying the Portuguese flag was carrying some 'industrial flux'?"

Maddilron's breath hitched!
The "old road" Chen Yang mentioned was a route that had been almost forgotten by everyone on the nautical charts.

This is a secret shipping route that has long since strayed from the main shipping lanes.
If it's an old oil tanker flying the flag of a neutral country like Portugal, carrying "industrial fluxes," which are considered "non-strategic materials," then...
Of course, so-called industrial fluxes are not actually chemical products. These oil companies often declare crude oil before refining under this name in order to evade taxes...

To pull these dirty tricks right under the noses of the Japanese is like dancing on a knife's edge.

But compared to being extorted by the Japanese for shares in the oil field...

"The risks are too great!" A bead of sweat appeared on Maddilron's forehead. "There are Japanese naval patrol boats in the Taiwan Strait! And it's typhoon season..."

“Risk? Ha.” Chen Yang chuckled lightly: “How much do you lose if your oil tankers are detained for a day? Ten thousand pounds? Twenty thousand? And if a ship ‘accidentally sinks’ in international waters…”

He drew out his words meaningfully, "Shell's insurance payout is enough for you to buy three more new ships, but can the Japanese compensate you with an oil field?"

Maddilron was jolted, as if struck by lightning!

Chen Yang was implying that insurance rules could be used.
But this is a financial game played by those vultures on Wall Street who will devour even the corpses!
His fat fingers gripped the cold railing tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

The river breeze, carrying moisture, lashed his face, but it couldn't dispel the turbulent waves in his heart.

"The patrol boats you're worried about," Chen Yang's voice returned to its usual calm, yet carried an air of complete confidence, "I happen to know their rotation times and patrol routes."

"As for the typhoon's path... the Xujiahui Observatory of the National Meteorological Center will also provide some reliable 'advice'."

He slowly exhaled a smoke ring, his gaze returning to the brightly lit area of ​​the hall. "Once the oil tanker enters the Shanghai port, you'll have even less to worry about."

"I can get you a permit to transport industrial 'waste' materials. You can unload them at the dock openly and no one will care." Maddilon looked at Chen Yang with suspicion, wondering where he got such confidence.

He was just a section chief in the Southern Transportation Department, yet he could still influence things at the docks.

Chen Yang calmly stubbed out his cigar, crushing the last embers: "Time is running out, Mr. Maddillan."

"The choice is yours: continue being a sitting duck at sea, or... go back to the 'old way'?"

Maddilron was unsure how to choose.

On the surface, Chen Yang pointed him to a bright future, but he knew very well that this path was not as simple as Chen Yang had casually mentioned.

There are too many uncertainties. If any problem occurs at any point, the cruise ship will become a sitting duck for the Japanese.

As for insurance, that's the last resort.
Maddilron clearly understood the principle that the money comes from the people.

He had just accepted compensation from someone, and the following year his insurance premium would increase.

Moreover, Shell's reach extends beyond Asia to include Europe, India, the Middle East, and North Africa.

If the insurance premium fluctuates by even 10%, the money he spends would be enough to buy five oil tankers.

"It seems you're not as decisive as I thought," Chen Yang shook his head.

Just then, a deafening roar suddenly came from the Huangpu River in front of the Cathay Hotel.

With a loud "boom".

A dull, loud bang suddenly came from the direction of the Bund, making the glass of the terrace rattle!

Immediately following were several sharp car horn screechs and shouts in Japanese.

The two looked up at the same time and saw several blinding beams of searchlight piercing the night sky and focusing on a small cargo ship flying the British flag on the riverbank!
Japanese military police motorboats are rudely pulling over to board the ship!
Maddilon slowly squatted down, his thick fingers trembling as he tried to pick up a sharp shard of glass, but he accidentally cut himself and drew blood.

Indeed, you only know pain when you bleed.

Maddilon stared at the beads of blood seeping from his fingertips and gritted his teeth.

"Okay, I'll do it..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang smiled with relief.

"That's right!"

“Mr. Maddilron, I seem to have forgotten to tell you that I can help you settle everything, but that will require payment.”

"My usual price is 10% of the total cost of the supplies..."

"Of course, I will also guarantee the absolute safety of your supplies. If any problems arise, I will provide a full refund."

After pondering for a long time, Maddilron slowly nodded.

"No problem. As long as the crude oil can enter the Shanghai market smoothly and does not affect our sales, a 10% fee is reasonable."

Ah, of course that makes sense. Oil is like certain mineral waters.

We are merely porters of nature.

Chen Yang extended his hand and said, "Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation..."

…………

As October approached, the previously arrogant Japanese finally learned their lesson at Wanjialing.

When the Matsuura Division advanced deep into Wanjialing on October 2, a fatal problem was exposed: the 1:50,000 scale military map used by the Japanese army was actually stolen by Okamura from Sun Chuanfang 12 years earlier, and many terrain markings were incorrect!
Even more fatally, the magnetite deposits underground in Wanjialing rendered all compasses unusable.

Without a complete map or compass to guide him, on the third day after entering Wanjialing, 106th Division Commander Junroku Matsuura was intercepted by the 74th and 66th Armies sent by Xue Boling while passing through the Xiaolangshan shortcut.

These two units were among the elite forces in the Blue Army. To prevent Matsuura Junroku from retreating, Xue Boling went to great lengths. After the 106th Division entered the encirclement, he placed the most powerful Fourth Army on the 106th Division's retreat route.

The Fourth Army was his own force, so it naturally had to shoulder the most important task of cutting off the 106th Division's retreat while also facing the 101st Division coming to reinforce.

Next, the 91st, 139th, 142nd, and 146th Divisions, along with the newly formed 9th, 15th, and 16th Divisions, totaling over 30,000 men, ambushed on both sides, forming an impenetrable encirclement of the 106th Division.

In this battle, the Blue Army not only had the advantage of being well-rested but also outnumbered the enemy by five to one, and almost all of its mobile troops along the Lushan defense line were deployed there.

The Fourth Army faced the greatest pressure.

After realizing that it was surrounded, the 106th Division immediately requested reinforcements from the 101st Division.

Both sides attempted to coordinate an attack from within and without to wipe out the Fourth Army.

But the Fourth Army was like an iron gate, firmly separating the two forces. No matter how fiercely the Japanese attacked, they remained rooted to the spot and refused to retreat.

After seven days of fierce fighting, the 106th Division suffered heavy losses. Most worryingly, as the battle progressed, the 106th Division's middle and lower-ranking officers were almost entirely wiped out.

In an effort to reverse the tide of the war, Commander Okamura ordered the temporary transfer of two hundred officers to reinforce the 106th Division. ...

(End of this chapter)