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

Chapter 219 Qingqi Jun, the door to wealth and honor has been opened
"Haruki-kun, please have a seat." Kagesa invited Haruki Yoshitane into the secret room, while Inukai Ken tactfully left.

The group took their seats, and Kagesa smiled and said, "Minister Kujo has already sent me a telegram informing me of your arrival in Shanghai."

Haruki Yoshitane bowed slightly and said, "Lord Kagesa, the mainland attaches great importance to your proposal to reorganize the intelligence agency."

"Minister Jiu not only hopes that you can assist the new government in stabilizing the situation in the south, but also assist the Special Higher Police in making up for its shortcomings in internal supervision."

Kagesa seemed unwilling to bring up the topic, raising his hand and saying, "Haruki-kun, let's talk about this later."

"Lord Kujo explained to me the purpose of your trip."

"This is Section Chief Chen Yang. If you need anything, just ask him for help."

"The four major agencies will officially begin operations in March. You should familiarize yourself with the Shanghai Stock Exchange environment and work processes first."

"We'll discuss the rest later."

Chen Yang was slightly surprised. This Qing Qi Qingyin seemed to be an official who had been parachuted in from the local area.

Based on their brief conversation, Chen Yang could already tell that Qing Qi Qingyin seemed to have come with an extremely important mission.

Moreover, it's still unknown to others.
This made him quite curious.

Yingzuo took a document out of his briefcase and pushed it in front of Chen Yang: "Chen-san. This is a plan sent from Jinling."

"Ten days ago, Wan Tianmu, the head of the Nanjing station of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and Zhao Lijun, the head of the Shanghai station, launched a surprise attack on Huang Xianggu, Chen Mingchu, Zhao Huaishan and other members of the Central Executive Committee."

"Despite our careful planning, this operation ended in failure."

"Lieutenant Colonel Sonoda devised this plan specifically to get rid of these Kuomintang rats as soon as possible."

"Tomorrow, Huang Xianggu and Chen Mingchu will arrive in Shanghai. You will assist them in completing this plan."

"Find the military intelligence's special fund account in Shanghai as soon as possible."

Chen Yang took the plan but didn't open it. Instead, he asked, "Do we need to arrange for someone to protect these two?"

Kagesa suddenly smiled: "We don't need too many people."

"These are two baits. If a bunch of sharks suddenly appear nearby, those rats won't make a move easily."

Chen Yang hesitated for a moment before saying "this."

This is clearly telling them to die.
Qingqi Qingyin smiled and said, "Chen Sang, since they have chosen to serve the Imperial Army, they cannot refuse when the Imperial Army needs them to make sacrifices."

"People always have to pay the price for their choices, don't they?"

February 28th, 1939
Meeting room of the British-owned HSBC Bank in the International Settlement of Shanghai.
At one end of the heavy mahogany table sat Chen Mingchu and Huang Xianggu, members of the Central Executive Committee.

Both men were quite old. Chen Mingchu was dressed in a well-tailored suit, trying to project an air of authority, but a hint of unease and anxiety lurked deep in his eyes.

Huang Xianggu appeared more composed, but his expression was equally solemn.

They represented the newly established Meiji Restoration government, which was dependent on the Japanese, and their mission was not easy.

Sonoda's task for them was to demand, in the name of the Meiji Restoration Government, that HSBC hand over information about the Military Intelligence Bureau's accounts opened with them at the bank.
On the other end were several senior bank executives, led by British General Manager Carlson and Chinese comprador Manager Zhang.

Carlson wore the professional smile typical of long-established colonial banks.
“Mr. Carlson, Manager Zhang,” Chen Mingchu cleared his throat and spoke first, his tone as official and forceful as possible.
"On behalf of the Ministry of Finance of the Reformed Government and the Shanghai Special Municipality Government, I formally request your bank to disclose that, according to reliable intelligence we possess, several accounts have close financial ties with anti-Japanese organizations in Chongqing."

“Mr. Carlson, you should be aware that these people are seriously endangering the city’s security and financial order.”

"Now, the new government is demanding that your bank cooperate immediately and provide all transaction records of these accounts for the past six months, as well as detailed information on the account holders, so that we can conduct a thorough investigation."

As he spoke, he gestured to his entourage to push over an official document bearing the red seal of the Reformed Government.

The wording on official documents is similar, but the official seal makes them appear more authoritative.

General Manager Carlson merely glanced at the document and did not touch it.

He leaned back slightly in his chair and replied in fluent but heavily accented Chinese: “Mr. Chen, Mr. Huang. First of all, thank you for your government’s attention to our work.”

"However, I regret to inform you that we are unable to comply with your request."

"Why?" Chen Mingchu frowned, his voice rising several decibels. "This is an official document from the Reformed Government requesting this!"

"Combating terrorism and maintaining financial stability are the government's responsibilities! As a financial institution operating in Shanghai, your bank has an obligation to cooperate!"

Seeing this, Zhang, the comprador standing nearby, quickly tried to smooth things over with a slick smile: "Committee Member Chen, Committee Member Huang, please calm down. It's not that we're not cooperating, it's just that banks have their own rules."

"You should know that keeping our clients confidential is the foundation of our business, and it is also a basic principle that is recognized and protected by law by the Concession Bureau of Commerce and Industry and consuls of various countries."

"Without a formal warrant from the concession court or the account holder's explicit authorization, we are indeed not authorized to disclose any customer information. We ask that you both understand this."

Huang Xianggu then interjected, trying to change the perspective: "Manager Zhang, Mr. Carlson, we understand your bank's difficulties."

"But the situation is special. These accounts involve extremely dangerous anti-Japanese elements who take advantage of the convenience of the concession and the confidentiality of the financial system to carry out illegal activities, and even plot assassinations and sabotage!"

"If your bank insists on so-called 'secrecy,' wouldn't you be becoming their accomplice? Once the matter comes to light, public opinion will be extremely unfavorable to your bank."

Carlson shook his head, his attitude unwavering: "Gentlemen, the bank's rules apply to all customers, and I can tell you very clearly, regardless of their status."

“We cannot break our confidentiality commitment to all our clients based on unsubstantiated allegations. This is a matter of principle.”

"If your government has conclusive evidence that certain accounts are involved in illegal activities, please apply for an investigation order through formal diplomatic channels or from the Concession Police Station. We will certainly cooperate in accordance with the law."

"You..." Chen Mingchu slammed his hand on the table. "You're showing contempt for the reformed government! You're protecting criminals! You need to know who's in charge in Shanghai now!"

His threats clearly seemed weak and ineffective.

After all, in this bank conference room located in the heart of the concession, the seal of the Reformed Government was far less intimidating than the bayonets of the Japanese military police, and there were no Japanese soldiers present at the moment.

Manager Carlson's face also turned cold: "Mr. Chen, please watch your words and your place. This is the International Settlement. If you have no other procedural requests, then this meeting can be adjourned."

"The end? Mr. Carlson, I can tell you very clearly that we will not give up so easily."

Huang Xianggu crossed his arms and looked at Carlson, saying, "Our status may not mean much to you."

"However, I can tell you clearly that this matter was assigned by the high command of the Japanese military."

"I hope you can think this through carefully: who is really in charge of the Shanghai Stock Exchange?"

"In case something happens to your bank's employees, or to you yourself."

"You dare threaten me?" Carlson's face suddenly darkened.
"We, the noble citizens of the British Empire, are not afraid of threats from any power."

"Mr. Huang, Mr. Chen, if there's nothing else, I won't see you off."

"Hmph, Mr. Carlson, I hope you won't regret your decision today. Brother Si'an, let's go." Huang Xianggu uttered a harsh remark in a huff, and the meeting ended unhappily.

With their faces ashen, Chen Mingchu and Huang Xianggu quickly left the bank amidst the silent, slightly disdainful gazes of the bank employees.

As he got into the car, Chen Mingchu slammed his fist on the seat: "These foreign devils! They're so ungrateful! They don't take us seriously at all!"

Huang Xianggu sighed: "They only recognize the laws of the concession and the guns of the Japanese. Our tiger skin won't scare them."

"It seems we have no choice but to take real action," Chen Mingchu said viciously. "We have to get the Japanese involved. I refuse to believe they dare disrespect the Imperial Army!"

"Don't rush to find the Japanese," Huang Xianggu pondered. "When we came here, Lieutenant Colonel Sonoda told us that if things don't go smoothly, we can ask Director Chen of the Special Service Department for help."

"We can't let him sit idly by at this time."

Chen Mingchu nodded and instructed, "Go to No. 625, Da Xi Road, the Shanghai Office of the Jinling Special Service Committee."

As the car drove away from the bank, Zhang Zhiyao, Carlson's assistant, stood in his second-floor office, watching the departing car with a worried look in his eyes. After a long while, he respectfully said, "Mr. Carlson, these Chinese are despicable and shameless; they're capable of any despicable thing."

"Shouldn't you report this to General Manager Anderson?"

“I’m afraid they might actually do something like kidnapping or extortion.”

Carlson rubbed his temples and said slowly, "If these people really dare to cause trouble, this won't be a simple criminal case, but a diplomatic incident."

"I'd like to know if these Japanese also want to test the might of the Royal Navy of the British Empire."

Zhang Zhiyao quickly waved his hand and said, "Mr. Carlson, actually, there's no need to go to such lengths. Perhaps you should report to Mr. Anderson and let him make the choice."

Carlson paused for a moment, then nodded repeatedly and said, "You're right. I'll go find Mr. Anderson and ask him to put in a good word with the consulate."

Third floor, General Manager's office.

Carlson quickly reported to General Manager Anderson about Chen Mingchu and Huang Xianggu's visit to demand a thorough investigation of the accounts.

“Carlson, there’s no need for all that trouble.” After hearing the whole story, Anderson’s face did not show the fear or compromise that I had expected.

He smiled slightly, and the look in his eyes behind his glasses became somewhat subtle, even carrying a hint of mockery.

Slowly opening the drawer, Anderson didn't take out any documents, but instead took out several crisp Japanese yen banknotes, gently placed them on the table, and pushed them towards Carlson. "Speaking of 'consequences'," Anderson's tone was very calm, but every word carried considerable weight, "those Japanese should perhaps take a look at this first."

Carlson glanced at the few yen notes with suspicion, but at first glance they seemed normal.

But as someone who frequently handled money, upon closer inspection, he was startled to find that the paper felt thicker and heavier than the Japanese yen he had handled before.

But the watermark, engraving, and even various details are all perfect.

If you weren't someone who had worked in a bank for over ten years and dealt with coins every day, you would basically be unable to distinguish the subtle differences in feel.

"What does it mean?"

After pondering for a long time, Carlson mustered his courage and asked, "Mr. Anderson, is there a problem with this yen?"

“Correct answer.” Anderson leaned back in his chair. “Mr. Carlson, have Zhang Zhiyao deliver a few coins to the Japanese consulate.”

“If Iwai Hiroichi doesn’t understand, then explain it clearly.”

"If the Japanese military police or your special committee dare to take any excessive or illegal 'measures' against our bank's employees or our business on trumped-up charges... then, such 'yen' will be scattered like autumn leaves throughout Shanghai's financial market tomorrow."

“We have many ‘friends’ in the British Empire who are very happy to help us with this.”

"At that time, the collapse of market confidence in the yen, the chaos in the financial order, and the condemnation from the Tokyo Ministry of Finance and the international community..." "I wonder if Colonel Yoshiaki Kagesa, or even the Japanese General Staff, is willing to see and able to bear this 'consequence'?"

Carlson's face lit up with joy, and he quickly and respectfully replied, "Mr. Anderson, I know what to do."

No. 625, Daxilu Road, Shanghai.
Chen Mingchu and Huang Xianggu got out of the back seat of the car, took a breath as they looked at the Western-style building in front of them, and then put on an indignant expression.
The two men, having been turned away at HSBC, went straight to Chen Yang, who had just finished dealing with other matters.

"Director Chen! Those foreign devils are simply going too far!" Chen Mingchu couldn't help but complain as soon as he entered the door, almost forgetting the proper etiquette. "Committee Member Huang and I went there in person, carrying the official documents from the Reformed Government, but that Manager Carlson didn't give us any face at all, constantly talking about the laws of the concession and client confidentiality!"

Huang Xianggu added from the side, his tone even more anxious: "Director Chen, these accounts are very critical, and may very well be related to the financial lifeline of the Military Intelligence Bureau's recent series of activities in Shanghai."

"If we don't nip it in the bud, the consequences will be dire. We've tried everything to reason with them, but they just ignore us."

Chen Yang frowned slightly. He wasn't surprised by the result; he had witnessed the arrogance of the foreign banks in the concessions all too well. The name of the reformed government certainly didn't carry enough weight in their eyes.

“So,” Chen Mingchu leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said in a urging tone, “we still need your help. You are now the director of the Jinling Special Service Committee, representing the will of Lord Kagesa and the Japanese Army.”

"Go yourself, bring the military police, and see if they dare to use some bullshit law to evade us again! I don't believe they're not afraid of the military police's cells!"

Chen Yang pondered. Using the Special Committee and the Japanese military police to directly threaten the senior executives of the concession bank was a more drastic and riskier approach, but it was undoubtedly the fastest and most likely effective method at present. He was about to nod and instruct his men to prepare a car.

"Wait a minute." Just as Chen Yang was about to make a decision, a calm voice with a slight accent came from the doorway.

Everyone turned around and saw that Lieutenant Colonel Haruki Yoshitaka was already standing there.

"Lieutenant Colonel Haruki?" Chen Yang was somewhat surprised and immediately stood up. Chen Mingchu and Huang Xianggu also quickly bowed and became more reserved.

Qingqi Qingyin slowly walked into the room, his gaze sweeping over the three people before finally landing on Chen Yang: "Director Chen, I just heard that you were planning to use forceful means to compel the bank to hand over the Military Intelligence Bureau's account information?"

“Yes, Lieutenant Colonel Haruki,” Chen Yang explained. “These two accounts are crucial, but the bank is refusing to cooperate. The reformed government’s documents are ineffective; it seems we must exert more direct pressure.”

"Pressure?" Qingqi Qingyin shook his head slightly, a meaningful expression on his face. "Sometimes, the most direct pressure can detonate the bomb beneath our feet."

"Bomb? What do you mean?" Chen Yang asked, puzzled.

"Mr. Huang, Mr. Chen, you may leave now," Qingqi Qingyin said calmly.

Huang Xianggu and Chen Mingchu exchanged a glance, and then bowed to Chen Yang in farewell.

Chen Yang's heart stirred slightly; what could be so important that even these two members of the Central Executive Committee couldn't listen to him?

Qingqi Qingyin slowly said, "Do you know? In the vaults of that bank, as well as several other major banks in the concession, there is a very special kind of 'currency' stored."

He turned around, his gaze becoming extremely serious: "A batch of Holiday Dollars, technically supported by Americans, with craftsmanship even surpassing the level of the Imperial Bank of Engraving. Their level of imitation is so high that even our best banknote counters would have difficulty distinguishing them."

Chen Yang frowned instantly, realizing the seriousness of the problem.

“This batch of counterfeit money,” Qingqi Qingyin continued, his voice low, “is a ‘financial bomb’ that Chongqing and their American friends are preparing to use to destroy our country’s financial system and cause economic chaos.”

"The reason they are still lying quietly in the vault is because the other party is also waiting for the right opportunity, or is still looking for channels to launch them on a large scale."

"If you were to storm a bank right now with the military police, using forceful or even illegal methods, and search the vault, what do you think the bank managers would do to protect themselves, or in retaliation?"

Chen Yang subconsciously replied, "You mean, they... might immediately release this batch of holiday dollars... or make this public, accusing us of openly disrupting financial order and even printing counterfeit money in order to find an uncertain Military Intelligence Bureau account..."

“That’s right.” Qingqi Qingyin nodded coldly. “Once this batch of incredibly realistic Japanese yen floods the market, the Empire’s economic credibility will suffer a devastating blow, the yen’s exchange rate will plummet, and our procurement and resource allocation throughout East Asia will be paralyzed!”

"The consequences would be a hundred times more serious than the damage caused by a few Kuomintang accounts! It would be extremely foolish to blow up the whole ship for a few small fish."

Actually, the British really can't be blamed for this counterfeit money issue.

To be precise, the Japanese shot themselves in the foot.

As early as 1937, when the Japanese decided to carry out their invasion plan against China, the Third Department of the General Staff...

The Economic Strategy Department had already devised a plan to use counterfeit currency to disrupt China's financial system.

This is the infamous "Project Sugi".
The person in charge of this project was Kenzo Miyamoto, who served as the new government's financial advisor.

He even oversaw the printing of currency by the new government.

The plan was not entirely successful; in fact, it could be described as a complete failure.

Because, just as the Japanese were making a big show of printing three million legal tender with 30,000 yen, preparing to attack China's financial system.

The mountain city authorities preemptively drove down the price of the legal tender.
In the Shanghai Stock Exchange today, the value of the fiat currency continues to decline.

The Japanese had no way to use the legal tender they held.

However, in an attempt to annoy the Japanese, the Yamashiro authorities actually collaborated with the Americans to print a batch of holiday coins.

Because the machines and printing processes used by Americans were superior to those used by Japanese machines.

This resulted in the printed yen being of higher quality than those printed domestically.

This has become a joke.

The only type of counterfeit currency in the world is unusable because its quality is superior to genuine currency.

This batch of Japanese yen totals 500 boxes, with 100,000 yen per box, for a total of 50 million yen.

If this were used to attack the yen market, the Japanese economy would suffer a fatal blow.
This is also why, after receiving a "warning" from Zhang Zhiyao, the comprador of HSBC, Yingzuo immediately forbade Chen Yang from making any rash moves.

Haruki Yoshitaka slowly said, "Mr. Chen, Lord Kagesa means that this matter can only be handled by the new government, and the Empire must not be involved."

"If the British really intend to go all out, then they will only suffer heavy losses on both sides, killing a thousand enemies and losing eight hundred of their own."

Chen Yang nodded and said, "I understand what to do."

"Qingqi-kun, do you have time tonight? I'd like to treat you to a drink."

Qingqi Qingyin smiled and said, "Chen Sang, then there's no need. I have a lot of things to do."

Chen Yang raised his hand and said, "Don't worry, Qingqi-jun, I'm taking you to a very private place."

"Moreover, you will meet many like-minded people there."

Qingqi Qingyin was slightly taken aback, and a curious expression rose in his eyes.

"I'll arrange for a car to pick you up at 7 p.m.

"Okay, alright." Qingqi Qingyin hesitated for a moment, but still agreed.

It's 7 PM.

A black Buick sedan drove around to the backyard of Moonlit Sand.
A waitress in a pink kimono was waiting at the entrance. When she saw the car arrive, she immediately took small steps forward.

The waitress respectfully opened the car door, bowed slightly, and said to Qingqi Qingyin in the back seat, "Your Excellency Qingqi, Mr. Chen has reserved a private room for you. Please follow me."

Qingqi Qingyin got out of the car and briefly looked around at the surroundings.

The decorations here seem no different from those of an ordinary courtyard, but the waitress is quite pretty.

A waitress led the way, taking us up the stairs at the back to the third floor.

The waitress led Qingqi Qingyin to the private room in the center of the third floor. Suddenly, the door to the private room opened to both sides with a whoosh.

Chen Yang sat in the main seat of the private room, picked up the wine glass on the table, raised it slightly to Qingqi Qingyin, and said, "Qingqi, the door to wealth and honor has been opened for you; we are just waiting for you to step in."

(End of this chapter)