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

Chapter 269 Your relationship is unusual.
"Colonel Kazuo Takaji?" Masao Nakamura's hand visibly trembled. "Section Chief Minamida, how did you come up with the idea of ​​using him to break the deadlock?"

"It's very simple. Shanghai is already an impenetrable wall. To pry it open, it would probably require a big shot like Colonel Kazuchi or Kenjiro Shibayama of the Takeshi Agency!"

As she spoke, Yoko Nanada took out the documents she had prepared beforehand, pulled out a purple-gray kraft paper package from the bottom, and from it pulled out a dossier with an old, oily sheen on the edges. The cover was marked with a striking chrysanthemum pattern in dark blue ink...

[Records of Key Officials in Lanzhou - Top Secret]

She respectfully handed the documents to Masao Nakamura with both hands!

Nakamura took the document and looked down at it. The photo on it had been specially processed, and the image was blurry. Only a handsome profile could be discerned.

Below, two cold Chinese characters are branded like an inscription: 【Special - Secret】

[File Classification: Top Secret]

[Document Number: LAN/Hezhi/001]

Name: Wachi Takaji

Codename: Winter Falcon

[Privilege Level: Highest]

Current Position: Head of the Special Missions Agency "Lan Agency"

[Department: China Section, Imperial Military Staff Bureau, under the House of the Grand Minister of the Interior]

[Honors: Order of the Golden Kite, Third Class / Order of the Rising Sun, Second Class / Emblem of the Sixteen-Petaled Chrysanthemum bestowed by Emperor Hirohito]

Background: Kazu Takaji, male, was born in the late Meiji period into an old samurai family in Kagoshima, Kyushu. His family genealogy can be traced back to the Shimazu family's successor retainers.

He received a rigorous dual education in Bushido and Confucianism from a young age, and displayed a memory and almost ruthless logical analysis ability far beyond that of ordinary people during his youth.

In 1921, he entered the Army Officer School (36th class), where he achieved outstanding results, especially in the study of intelligence theory and counter-espionage tactics.

Regarding his handling of a case involving leaks between instructors and external forces during his time at the military academy, the report only briefly mentioned that "the handling methods were extremely efficient and there were no follow-up problems," but those in the know remained tight-lipped about it.

In the early Showa era (1926), he graduated from the Army War College with excellent grades and was immediately selected to go to Europe for in-depth intelligence training.

This experience forms the core foundation of his thinking and methods.

Regarding his experience in Europe: He undertook a participatory "training" at the Gestapo interrogation center (i.e., the Colombian prison) (according to the report, the number of observations/operations during interrogations was 37).

The report summary records his annotation: "The fear is not about the threshold of physical pain, but about destroying the continuity of self-perception."

"An effective interrogation is one in which the person being interrogated voluntarily relinquishes the continuity of their soul in order to relieve their suffering."

An unconfirmed Berlin report claims that during a snowy night interrogation of a Soviet agent, he used extreme cold treatment bordering on psychological torture, ultimately leading to the target's mental breakdown and suicide!

It was ultimately recorded by German intelligence agencies as follows: "In low-temperature environments, the critical point of human will has a precise value in Celsius."

In 1928, Wachi Takaji went to France under the guise of an exchange program!

The focus of this investigation is on assessing the management loopholes in the complex information transmission networks and underground transportation lines established by France in its global colonies.

His report once pointed out the "blind spot" phenomenon of the French Indochina intelligence station due to local language and cultural barriers, which was later confirmed!

In 1931, on the eve of the Shenyang Incident, Kazuyoshi secretly returned to Japan.

At that time, radical military forces were stirring up trouble in the country.

Radical generals in the Army General Staff greatly admired his abilities and ruthless style, especially his "asymmetric intelligence warfare theory," which emphasized exploiting inherent contradictions within enemy societies to create divisions.

It aims to subvert the opponent's system with the effect of "using four ounces to move a thousand pounds," and advocates the use of action that is not restricted by conventional laws and morals to infiltrate, divide, subvert, and even eliminate, prioritizing efficiency over procedures and ethics.

His ideas were favored by a group of young officers who advocated "subordinates overthrowing superiors" and seeking military expansion.

In the winter of 1932, based on his ideas and European experience, Wachi Takaji submitted a report entitled "Opinion on the Establishment of the North China Information Command of the Special Mission Agency" to the General Staff Headquarters!

The proposal sparked intense controversy among the Army's top brass, but its promise to "efficiently solve complex problems and eliminate internal threats" impressed key figures.

Ultimately, under extremely secretive conditions, the "North China Information Department" was established in the late spring of 1933 (Showa 9), and Wachi Takaji was appointed as the first commander of the Information Department, codenamed Winter Falcon...

The main responsibilities of this organization are: to carry out infiltration plans against various reactionary forces in China, to induce and persuade key figures in Chongqing and various Red Army units to surrender, and to assist the North China Front Army in carrying out its work plan to maintain order and suppress dissent.

Since the establishment of the Lan agency, they have carried out numerous infiltration and persuasion plans.

This includes Wang Jixin, the second most important figure in Chongqing...

Wachi Takaji became famous because of the Iron Curtain Incident in Hankou in 1938!
This was a landmark case that made the name "Winter Falcon" famous throughout the military intelligence circle.

The Wuhan Security Command has been infiltrated for a long time and is now like a sieve.

After Wachi Takaji's arrival, instead of conducting a large-scale search and arrest like the Special Higher Police would to alert the enemy, he precisely targeted several key nodes.

By tracing subtle signals in the flow of funds and the life trajectories of abnormal transactions through reverse engineering, he completely destroyed a vast spy network within just 48 hours. The network was centered around a lieutenant general chief of staff of the National Revolutionary Army and extended to the Ministry of Military Affairs, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and even involved a deeply hidden Japanese logistics officer.

Their methods were extremely efficient and ruthless. After the initial interrogation confirmed the key figures, all witnesses were quickly and secretly executed, with the public uniformly claiming that they had "died in action on the front lines" or "in an accident."

He even ordered the original copy of the stolen latest mortar design from the Hanyang Arsenal to be retrieved, and after the drawing was framed, it was "returned to its rightful owner" and made into a lampshade!

Later, the head of the lieutenant general to be executed was hidden in the lampshade of the acting mayor's study. When the acting mayor discovered it, he was so frightened that he lost control of his bladder on the spot...

This bloody operation was referred to internally by the military as an "efficient purge," while those in the know privately called it the "Iron Curtain of Wuhan."

Nakamura slowly closed the file, the cold touch of the parchment making his fingertips tremble slightly.

"When Section Chief Minamida was the commander of the North China Information Section, Colonel Kazuchi was in charge of intelligence work in Taiyuan."

"He's the kind of person who won't leave anything behind, so what reason do you have to send him all the way from Taiyuan to Shanghai? Risking offending the Ministry of Transport and the South Manchuria Railway to investigate the whereabouts of the supplies!"

Nantian said slowly, "Mr. Nakamura, men are actually very simple; they are nothing more than money, power, and women."

"He may not be interested in women, and he doesn't lack money."

"What he wants is power, and now he has a very good opportunity!"

"Lord Minamijiro is negotiating with Mr. Wang, hoping that he will appear in Shanghai before August!"

"At that time, Lord Yingzuo will accompany Mr. Wang to Nanjing as the chief advisor of the military advisory group to assist him in establishing a new regime!"

"The position of the head of the Mei Agency..." "Haha, Section Chief Nantian, you are really naive and adorable." Nakamura said without any attempt to hide it: "You think that by helping Chiyoji find the entire supply line and offending the Ministry of Transport and the South Manchuria Railway, you can still gain a foothold in Shanghai!"

"He's not an idiot. The Wuhan Iron Curtain incident happened because his opponents were the Kuomintang in Chongqing. No matter how outrageous it was, it represented the will of the empire."

"But if you ask him to turn against his own people now, that's walking a tightrope, especially against people on the logistics line!"

Yoko Minami smiled. "Of course, I can't persuade someone like Colonel Kazuchi."

"But you're still here!"

"The fact that the Red Party in North China has acquired so much equipment is a huge obstacle to the plan to maintain order and suppress dissent."

"If we fail, Commander Shinotsuka will probably not escape reprimand from headquarters either!"

"Lord Nakamura, to be frank, our goals are the same: you want to cut off the Red Party's supply lines."

"And so am I..."

Masao Nakamura fell silent for a while, then suddenly said, "However, if Colonel Kazuchi is really willing to come to Shanghai and can successfully crack the smuggling case, it will not be beneficial for Section Chief Nantian."

"No, no, no." Nantian smiled slightly, "He can come, and I can leave. If the plan succeeds, I hope to be recommended by Colonel Kazuchi to join the Ran Agency!"

“I’ve spent a long time in the mountain city and have experience in infiltration and persuasion work. I think I’m at least qualified for the position of deputy director!”

“Deputy Chief, Section Chief Nantian’s ambitions are truly considerable!” Nakamura Masao stared at Nantian meaningfully and said, “I admire you. You are ambitious, resourceful, and greedy enough. A greedy person always knows how to make choices!”

Nantian's face lit up with joy: "Lord Nakamura, you've agreed?"

Masao Nakamura nodded slightly, then suddenly looked at Minamida and said, "Lord Minamijiro once said that Section Chief Minamida is the best agent he has ever met in the Empire. I find it hard to believe!"

Nan Tian's expression froze. When a man said those words, Nan Tian knew what he was about to do.

This seems to be the tragedy of a woman.

She raised her hand and pulled out the hairpin from her head, letting her jet-black hair fall down. Nantian then skillfully began to toss her hair...

Shanghai, Southern Transportation Department.

From the beginning of July to now, there have been five clashes between Japan and the Soviet Union, all of which have ended in defeat for the Japanese army!
As the Japanese army in the Far East was forced to retreat step by step by the Soviet Union's steel torrent, the Japanese forces in the Far East were forced to retreat.

The Far East battlefield finally saw a brief period of calm.

But this was not the time to cease hostilities and stop the war. Instead, it was to launch a larger-scale battle. The Japanese army refused to admit their defeat. They were like gamblers who had lost everything and were still thinking of betting more chips to win back their losses!

Realizing the strength of their opponent, the Kwantung Army headquarters decided to launch a decisive general offensive.

To this end, they carried out the largest troop buildup in Japan since the Mukden Incident.

The main attacking force was the 7th Division, which was recognized as one of the elite divisions of the Japanese army at the time and was known as the "National Army".
This division is stationed in Hokkaido year-round and is known for its adaptability to cold-weather warfare and its formidable combat capabilities.

The transfer of him to Nomonhan demonstrated the Kwantung Army's determination to win at all costs.

The 26th and 28th Infantry Regiments of the 7th Division were reinforced and assigned to the 23rd Division as the main force for ground offensives.

To ensure a sustained offensive capability, the Kwantung Army Headquarters transferred the 16th Infantry Regiment and the 29th Infantry Regiment from the 2nd Division.

The 61st Infantry Regiment was drawn from the 4th Division.

These units were all standing divisions of the Japanese army, with a long history and strong combat capabilities.

In order to counter the Soviet army's artillery superiority, the Kwantung Army almost emptied its coffers to establish an artillery command headed by Major General Eitaro Uchiyama.

They mobilized the largest field howitzer in the Japanese army at the time.

The Type 96 150mm howitzer, and a small number of Type 92 100mm cannons.

Even so, they were still not at ease, so they urgently transported the Type 89 150mm cannon, which was top secret at the time, from their homeland to suppress the artillery of the Soviet-Mongolian allied forces.

This time, a total of more than 100 large-caliber artillery pieces were assembled, which was an artillery density that the Japanese army had never had before on the Asian battlefield.

Faced with the massive Soviet tank forces, the Japanese army urgently deployed and distributed a large number of Type 94 37mm rapid-fire anti-tank guns, and organized "human bomb" attack teams, which were groups of infantrymen who carried explosive packs or cluster grenades and perished together with the tanks.

At this time, the Japanese army had 326 aircraft, 236 tanks, and more than 120 artillery pieces assembled at the front.

But what they didn't expect was that the repeated attacks by the Japanese army had ignited the father's anger.

Marshal Voroshilov received instructions from his beloved father and specially approved the delivery of 18,000 tons of artillery shells, 8,000 tons of bombs, 7000 tons of fuel, 4000 tons of food, 4000 tons of supplies, and 3000 trucks to the front lines for assembly!

A steady stream of supplies was transported from the Soviet Union to the front lines along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

The previously evenly matched situation instantly reversed. At this point, the Soviet Union was equipped with 498 aircraft, 625 artillery pieces, 519 armored vehicles, 389 tanks, and a mechanized force of over 30,000 men.

The two sides are simply not on the same level!
But that wasn't the funniest thing. On July 10th, the Japanese army secretly transferred a small team from Unit 731 to try and release the Klebsiella virus into the river...

Who knew that their secrecy was so good that the soldiers of the 23rd Regiment, who were downstream, were the first to be infected after the poison was released upstream!
More than a thousand officers and soldiers of the 23rd Division's supply corps were dehydrated and were urgently sent to the interior for medical treatment. This angered the 23rd Division's commander, Komatsubara Michitaro, who shouted that he wanted to have a samurai duel with Ishii Shiro...

With the fighting at the front lines reaching a stalemate, the work of the transportation department was also put on hold.

Everyone is waiting for the General Staff to make a final decision: whether to fight or to negotiate.

So far in this battle, apart from the more than 1,000 casualties caused by Unit 731, the troops that went to Nomonhan to participate in the battle have lost more than 10,000 soldiers, but have not made any contribution.

This was a great embarrassment for the Army Ministry, but at the same time, the Army Ministry also realized the reality that the Soviet Union of today was not the Tsarist Russia of the past.

Fortunately, this bacteriological warfare did not have a significant impact on the Soviet Union; otherwise, they would have soon witnessed the power of the Asian "King of Poison."

Inside the office of the Deputy Minister of Transportation, after the incident in which Chen Yang confronted Masao Nakamura at the headquarters, the South Manchuria Railway's attitude towards Chen Yang improved significantly.

The South Manchuria Railway team was also willing to accept Chen Yang's leadership. These skilled workers didn't have many ulterior motives; they were willing to admit defeat simply because Chen Yang was just too strong.

Even under such full-load operation, he still seemed to be not giving it his all.

Transportation team consultant Ryo Miura presented the latest transportation plan to Chen Yang. After Chen Yang signed it, Miura bowed respectfully before slowly leaving.
Chen Yang had just caught his breath when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Chen Yang said gently, "Come in!"

The door was pushed open, and German Ambassador Felmann appeared in the office doorway…

(End of this chapter)