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

Chapter 183 Special Higher Police Summoning

"What did we find?" Shinichi Ando perked up instantly.

The Special Higher Police officer respectfully replied, "Lieutenant Colonel Kumano's body has been found, and, moreover..."

"And what? Tell me!" Shinichi Ando couldn't help but get a little anxious.

The man lowered his head and said, "The situation is a bit complicated, Major Ando. You should take a look for yourself."

"Take me there," Shinichi Ando said, frowning.

The man hurriedly led the way, passing through several broken carriages, until Shinichi Ando was led to a carriage.

The decorations inside the carriage had been almost completely burned by the fire, and a dark figure lay lifelessly on the carriage floor.

Judging from that posture, it's as if he's protecting something.

Seeing Ando approach, several Special Higher Police officers put on white gloves and worked together to turn Kumano's body over.

Ando's eyes widened instantly as he saw Kumano tightly protecting a briefcase with both arms.

The briefcase's lock was broken, and the documents inside were...
"Oh no, the files may have been tampered with."

Not just Ando, ​​everyone present thought the same thing when they saw this scene.

"Major Ando, ​​what should we do?" the subordinate asked cautiously.

After pondering for a long time, Shinichi Ando slowly said, "Take the items back to the Special Higher Police and explain the whole situation to Colonel Fujita, so he can make the decision."

Shanghai, Southern Transportation Department.

As soon as Chen Yang arrived at work, he was called to the office by Kenjiro Oshima.

The special train that Kumano Ryohei rode on was arranged by Chen Yang.

Now that Ryohei Kumano is dead, Kenjiro Oshima naturally wants to ask Chen Yang if there are any problems.

Fortunately, Chen Yang had anticipated this, and when Kenjiro Oshima asked, he had Ichiro Yoshida, one of the drivers, come up.

Yoshida also confirmed that yesterday, Chen Yang asked Li Ningyu to arrange for him to take Kumano Ryohei to the supply warehouse near Maigen Road train station to wait for the car, and Chen Yang accompanied him the whole way.

Section Chief Chen also specially bought some local specialties for Kumano Ryohei to eat on the road at Hezi Department Store.

That is, sushi platters, plum wine, and some other best-selling items.

Moreover, the three of them stayed together the entire time and were never separated.

They even go to the toilet together.

As Yoshida spoke, he didn't forget to praise Chen Yang for his dedication and hard work to Oshima.

I was busy until dark yesterday before I got back to the transportation department at 8 p.m.

Chen Yang also made sure to finish the worksheet so as not to affect his work the next day.

According to Yoshida, this was a diligent and hardworking model worker, so how could he possibly leak secrets?

Kenjiro Oshima listened with a mixture of regret, guilt, and self-reproach.
It seems I shouldn't doubt someone who has dedicated himself so wholeheartedly to the cause of the empire.

Imagine this: a Chinese man toils late into the night for the cause of the empire, not seeking high office or wealth, but only to realize the empire's hegemony as soon as possible, and you actually have the audacity to doubt whether he has any problems...

Am I even human?
Just then, there was a knock on the office door. The secretary opened the door and said, "Minister, Chief Matsushima of the Special Higher Police is here. He wants to ask Chief Chen to go to the Special Higher Police to assist in the investigation."

Kenjiro Oshima's expression turned somewhat unnatural: "Since when has the Special Higher Police been able to control our Army's transportation department?"

"I have already asked Section Chief Chen about his questions. If there is anything you are not satisfied with, please ask Fujita himself."

"Section Chief Chen is too busy to take on any of this bullshit investigation."

The secretary was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Minister, I'm afraid that won't work. Summoning Section Chief Chen is General Doi-Yuan's order."

"Furthermore, Colonel Fujita has already received an order from the Army Ministry to assist in the investigation."

"Procedurally, we cannot refuse."

Kenjiro Oshima's expression froze, and his tone softened slightly: "Section Chief Chen, don't worry, go to the Special Higher Police. I guarantee they won't make things difficult for you. If they dare to do anything to you, I will definitely take the case to Commander Tian Junliu."

Chen Yang smiled slightly: "Minister Oshima, thank you for your trust. I have a clear conscience."

After saying that, Chen Yang asked his secretary, "Where is Team Leader Matsushima?"

The secretary quickly said, "Section Chief Chen is waiting for you in your office."

Shanghai, Special Higher Police, Interrogation Room.

The air was thick and cold, filled with the smells of rust, disinfectant, and a faint odor of blood. Chen Yang sat in a chair, his hands neatly placed on his knees, his other hands naturally placed in front of him.

His face was carefully crafted to convey confusion, the tension of being unjustly disturbed, and a hint of timid and aggrieved dissatisfaction typical of technocrats dragged into such situations.

Across the table, shadows swallowed most of the details, leaving only the vague outlines of two human figures.

The person leading the questioning was Yokoji Matsushima, the head of the investigation team.

Beside him, the clerk's pen made a monotonous, continuous scratching sound as it traced lines on the paper, recording this silent struggle.

The door slid open silently, and a taller figure blocked the entrance, then moved in like an iron tower.

Instead of walking to the chair, he embedded himself directly into the deepest shadow of the room, standing against the wall.

The harsh sound of a match being struck rang out, and a strong smell of tobacco immediately filled the air, overpowering the original aroma.

In the fleeting moment of the firelight, Colonel Fujita Tsuyoshi's expressionless face was illuminated.

His presence immediately caused the pressure in the room to increase exponentially, as if the air itself had become tangible, pressing heavily on every living thing.

Matsushima Yokoji's voice rang out, carrying a scrutinizing tone: "Mr. Chen, your official position is the head of the Army Transportation Section. According to the information, you are mainly responsible for the scheduling and coordination of military supplies and special personnel transportation on the Shanghai-Nanjing, Shanghai-Hangzhou, and Nanchang-Xunyi lines, right?"

This information is from before; Chen Yang is now in charge of all long- and short-distance transportation arrangements for the army in the south.

“Yes, Team Leader Matsushima.” Chen Yang did not refute, his voice deliberately a little hoarse, as if his mouth was dry from nervousness. “My responsibilities end with vehicle dispatching and document approval for the priority of material transportation.”

"As for armed escort and on-site execution during transportation, that falls under the purview of the military police and railway garrison."

Chen Yang reiterated his responsibilities, seemingly afraid of getting involved in any unclear relationships.

"Very good." Matsushima pushed a piece of paper out from the shadows; the sound of the paper rubbing against the table was unusually clear.

"Regarding the explosion that occurred last night—or rather, early this morning—near Suzhou Station, which resulted in the death of Lieutenant Colonel Ryohei Kumano of the North China Area Army and severe damage to train K-5471."

"The train's schedule and vehicle approval records show that it was a special train arranged by the Army Transportation Division."

"I want to know, are you aware of the specific details?"

Matsushima Yokoji suddenly flipped up the desk lamp in front of him, the blinding white light making Chen Yang's eyes sting.

He had to tilt his head slightly and squint: "Yes, Chief Matsushima, I arranged for Kumano to take this train."

"However, I want to clarify that K-5471 is a regular night train, and the timetable is routinely filed every week."

"I just make sure it has a route and handle the scheduling conflicts between it and the military trains."

"Nothing unusual happened yesterday, so according to the train timetable, it departs from Shanghai East Station, also known as Maigen Road Freight Station, at night."

"Team Leader Matsushima, I don't understand what you mean by asking these questions?"

Matsushima Yokoji said calmly, "Section Chief Chen, don't be in a hurry. I want to know if you knew about Lieutenant Colonel Kumano's itinerary beforehand?"

"Yes." Chen Yang's face immediately showed an expression of being offended by the absurd question, and his tone rose slightly: "Team Leader Matsushima, you might as well make your point more clear."

"Are you trying to say that the train carrying Lieutenant Colonel Kumano crashed because our Army Transportation Division leaked Lieutenant Colonel Kumano's whereabouts?"

"Team Leader Matsushima, I'd like to know if you have any strong evidence to prove that the problem lies with the Army Transportation Division."

In the shadows, Fujita exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, which swirled upwards, making his rock-like face appear even more indistinct and unpredictable.

“Section Chief Chen, please control your emotions. I have no ill intentions.” Matsushima did not seem to expect a positive answer and continued to press on in that unhurried tone: “According to the survivor’s testimony and preliminary investigation, before the explosion, on the Suzhou platform, an unidentified woman collided with Lieutenant Colonel Kumano, causing his important briefcase to fall and be damaged.”

"Is there any relevant record or abnormal report in the transportation department's system? Or have any suspicious individuals recently attempted to obtain information about train K-5471 through any means?"

Chen Yang frowned, pretending to try to recall: "Woman? Collision?...This...I can confirm that there is absolutely no record of this."

"What happens on the platform falls under the jurisdiction of the station police and local military police. As for gathering information..."

"Team Leader Matsushima, as you know, there are countless people trying to find out train schedules and get tickets through various channels every day. They come from all walks of life. My subordinates usually just do things by following the rules and get away with it."

"Unless it involves clearly core military secrets, it will not be reported up the chain of command."

"K-5471 has been in operation for more than sixteen months, and its timetable is not top secret... I really can't think of anything specifically targeting it that is worth reporting."

"Among your staff, has anyone recently exhibited unusual behavior? For example, unexcused absences, sudden changes in spending, or showing unusual interest in matters beyond their authority?" Matsushima changed his perspective, scrutinizing the situation like a comb.

"No!" Chen Yang answered quickly and definitively this time, with a hint of protecting his territory and subordinates. "My classrooms are filled with conscientious colleagues and reliable officers. At least in my sight, there is absolutely no such situation!"

"Section Chief Chen, can you take responsibility for what you said?" Matsushima Yokoji pressed. "Section Chief Chen, this is a serious matter. Think it through before you speak."

Chen Yang replied affirmatively, "Of course, I naturally trust my subordinates completely."

(End of this chapter)