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

Chapter 180 The bottom overcomes the top

"Trust?" Lin Su didn't quite understand what Chen Yang meant.

Indeed, Lin Su was very intelligent, but she was unaware that such conflicts could arise among the Japanese army.

"These things can't be explained in just a few words." Chen Yang downed his glass of red wine in one gulp.

"I asked you to come forward so that both sides would lower their guard. If I came by myself, Saito might suspect me because of my identity that I might collude with the Army Transport Department to scam them."

"This network requires concerted efforts to achieve unimpeded operation."

"Without the navy, the army's transport capacity alone is still somewhat inadequate."

Lin Su seemed to understand, but then said worriedly, "Boss, what if they find out that you're the one in charge?"

Chen Yang said with apparent confidence, "Then we need to help them obtain huge profits in a short period of time."

"Everything has a price, whether it's the navy or the army. The reason they can't reach an agreement is simply because of the price."

"Loyalty arises from insufficient temptation."

"As long as there are enough benefits, the Japanese are also human, and they know how to make choices."

"Moreover, as I've said before, this network can serve as a front for certain big shots, and that's not just empty talk."

"We'll see how we use it then."

Lin Su frowned: "What the boss means is..."

"This net is a valuable tool; if used well, it can bring you credit, but if used poorly..."

Chen Yang sneered, "You can also use it to blackmail me."

"As long as it's online, he has to listen to me, otherwise he'll fall and die."

Looking at Chen Yang's handsome face, Lin Su felt a chill run down her spine for no reason. Chen Yang was full of confidence at the moment, but he didn't know that, since ancient times, heroes have always been made by the times...

Perhaps one day in the future, it won't be him controlling the net, but rather the giant net carrying him forward relentlessly.

This is like what Nietzsche said in "Beyond Good and Evil": when you are fighting with monsters, you should be careful that you don't become a monster yourself.

and so……

"When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

深秋
Deep inside the headquarters of the Japanese Joint Special Higher Police in Shanghai.

The old-fashioned wall clock emitted a monotonous and persistent "tick...tick...tick..." sound, like slowly dripping ice water, tapping on the tense nerves of the visitors.

Ryohei Kumano stood ramrod straight. The fatigue of the long journey had left him somewhat listless, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness as he gazed at the silent, mountain-like figure behind the desk.

Kumano had a black leather briefcase tucked tightly under his arm, its four corners wrapped in worn brass, and a delicate brass combination lock embedded in the side, occasionally reflecting a cold, hard light in the dim light.

General Doi-maku was dressed in a dark kimono casual outfit, his whole body sunk into a high-backed leather chair.

Cross your hands and place them on your abdomen, fingertips touching, without moving an inch.

His face was hidden in the shadows beyond the lamplight, and his gaze slowly swept over Kumano Ryohei's tense face before finally landing on the briefcase he was clutching tightly.

“General,” Kumano broke the silence, stepped forward, and respectfully placed the heavy briefcase on the mahogany table with both hands, pushing it toward the center of the dim yellow light.

"This is Major Nantian's 'Maple Project'."

"She specifically emphasized the importance of this plan and demanded that we not use the radio to transmit it to avoid leaking intelligence. So, I carried the plan from Chongqing, traveled across half of China, and it took me more than half a month to reach Shanghai."

Please take a look.

The briefcase landed on the table with a soft "thud," which was unusually clear in the deathly silent room.

Tu Feiyuan took the plan, placed it in front of him, but did not open it!

Ryohei Kumano respectfully said, "Major Minamida has set his sights on the heart of Yamashiro, intending to take advantage of the enemy's psychological turmoil after the Battle of Wuhan to create chaos!"

"Covering Mr. Wang's safe departure from the mountain city is the task you assigned her, and it is also key to the empire's collapse and the war of resistance in China."

Tu Feiyuan's expression remained unchanged, and even his crossed fingers did not loosen in the slightest.

Only when Kumano Ryohei mentioned "Mr. Wang" did his eyes tremble slightly.

“Plan details,” Tu Feiyuan’s voice slowly rang out, “Risk assessment. Consequences of failure.”

Kumano took a deep breath, as if trying to capture the thin oxygen in the air.

"Signals and Cover: The operation begins with the massive explosion at Pier No. 7 in the mountain town! The explosion itself creates immense panic, drawing the attention of the entire city's military, police, and the public, and paralyzing its transportation and communication nodes!"

"Core Operation: Simultaneously, our meticulously trained 'suicide squads,' perfectly disguised as radical anti-Japanese elements, will take advantage of the chaos to launch an assassination attempt on the top leader in the designated core area, near the Central Party Headquarters!"

Kumano made a gesture of complete control in the air, "The aim is not to take his life, but to create maximum chaos and ignite the long-simmering suspicion and discord between him and the Red Party."

"By taking advantage of the conflict between the Red Party and the Kuomintang, we can divert the attention of the Chongqing intelligence agency, create an opportunity, and let Mr. Wang enter the hidden passage and rendezvous point that we have set up."

"The Akainu Squad will ensure that Mr. Wang and his core entourage are swiftly evacuated from the mountain city and into our absolute control zone!" "The risk is that the assassin squad may be discovered in advance, or Mr. Wang's evacuation route may be exposed."

"After Major Nantian repeatedly rehearsed the plan, it was determined that the assassins were all 'suicide agents,' whose knowledge was limited to their own 'assassination' missions, and they were unaware of the ultimate target, Mr. Wang!"

"As for the benefits of success, Your Excellency General, this plan is enough to completely destroy the remaining prestige of the Mountain City government!"

"This will greatly boost the confidence of the Imperial military and civilians in their inevitable victory! Furthermore, it will allow us to establish Mr. Wang as the core of the 'New Order'..."

After he finished speaking, the secret room fell silent once again.

General Doiyu stared at the plan in front of him. The three blood-red Chinese characters "Top Secret Maple" on the action plan with chrysanthemum patterns were shocking.

After a moment of silence, he opened the plan and quickly scanned the dense text: precise coordinate maps, action schedules, personnel code names...

Time passed by second by second, each second feeling like an eternity.

Tu Feiyuan turned to the last page, where a blank space was left, awaiting the final verdict.

“The plan… is quite audacious.” Tu Feiyuan finally spoke, his tone still calm, as if he were commenting on something unrelated to himself. “Does Kagesa know about it? He’s in charge of the China Affairs Section’s intelligence work in Shanghai and on Chongqing.”

Kumano's heart sank suddenly, followed by a surge of resolute determination.

"General! To ensure absolute secrecy and the critical timeliness of the operation, this plan was formulated in Yamashiro, and I was ordered to report directly to you! Colonel Kagesa... at present, the specific details are still unknown."

Tu Feiyuan's lips twitched up very slightly, as if silently confirming some power game rule he already knew by heart.

He was well aware of the undercurrents and power struggles between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and he understood even more clearly Kumano's intention to bypass Kagesa and present himself directly to him.

Silence descended once more.

The chubby man tapped his fingers lightly twice on the smooth mahogany table, then picked up the Parker gold pen on the table, uncapped it, revealing a shiny gold nib.

"It's worth a shot." Tu Feiyuan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a cold, decisive power.

With a stroke of the pen, a few powerful Chinese characters were smoothly signed on the glaring blank space on the first page of the "Top Secret Maple" document.

"Approved for execution."

"Major Nantian will be in charge of all resources and personnel needed for the operation, sparing no expense to help Mr. Wang leave the mountain city."

"After success, I will report to headquarters..."

"Thank you, General..." Kumano Ryohei suddenly brought his heels together and bent his body at a ninety-degree angle, giving a standard deep bow.

Shanghai, Consulate, second-floor office.

The atmosphere inside the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai was completely different from the oppressive atmosphere at the Special Higher Police headquarters.

The corridor was spacious and bright, paved with smooth diamond-shaped floor tiles that reflected the cold light from the overhead lights.

The air was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant and paper ink.

Kagesa's office door was tightly closed.

Ryohei Kumano stood outside the door, took a deep breath, straightened his uniform collar to ensure it was impeccable, and then raised his hand, his knuckles tapping lightly on the smooth oak door panel.

"Come in." Kagesa Yoshiaki's voice came from inside the door, calm and without any apparent emotion.

"Lord Kagesa." Kumano walked to the desk and stood still, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his voice as steady as ever.
“Lieutenant Colonel Kumano,” Kagesa Yoshiaki’s voice was not loud, carrying a deliberate affability, yet every word was like a needle.

"I heard you just returned from the Special Higher Police headquarters? It seems you met with General Doi-mado. I'd like to know what kind of urgent business required you to bypass me and report directly to the General?"

Kumano met Kagesa's gaze without flinching: "Yes, Lord Kagesa, I am reporting to General Doi-mado an urgent matter concerning the Empire's core interests in China."

"We have already received approval from General Doiyu Masashi."

"According to procedure, I should say goodbye to Lord Kagesa before I leave."

"Furthermore, I need your assistance to obtain a special pass as soon as possible so that I can return to the mountain city as quickly as possible to carry out the plan."

"Oh?" The faint smile on Yingzuo Zhenzhao's lips seemed to deepen, but his eyes suddenly sharpened like a hawk's. "When did the North China Information Division come under the jurisdiction of the Special Higher Police?"

Why didn't Wachi Takaji mention this to me?

"Kumano-kun, do you realize that your behavior has crossed the line?"

"A subordinate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' intelligence agency actually reports to the leaders of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and then shamelessly asks me to arrange the procedures for you."

"What? Do you think I'm dead?"

Kagesa's voice was filled with anger; he didn't care even when facing a leader of Doi-Yuan's caliber.

When will the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have to follow the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs?
Kumano Ryohei's gaze sharpened slightly, but he said calmly, "Lord Kagesa, please consider the bigger picture."

"Baka Yalu..."

(End of this chapter)