Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 26 One Move for the Emperor, One Move for the Minister
"Commander Ono!"

Cao Wei Da stood in front of Ono Oda with a guilty expression.

"Cao-san, what's wrong with you? Why are you acting so distant? Were you fine when we parted this morning? Did something happen?" Ono Oda looked puzzled. Fujita Sosuke and Tabe I hadn't told him what happened that morning, so he naturally didn't know.

"Commander Ono, something has indeed happened."

Cao Wei Da embellished the events of the morning, giving a more detailed account.
“At the time, I noticed that there seemed to be two French journalists around with cameras, whispering and watching what Kui Biao and his group were doing, and even planning to take pictures. I immediately stepped forward without hesitation to stop Kui Biao and his group from doing so.”

"At the time, I just felt that we shouldn't let these bullies damage the glorious and righteous image that the Great Japanese Empire had worked so hard to build in public. They were maliciously undermining the great achievements of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere!"

"If this matter were published by a French journalist, it would have a significant negative impact on public security in Beiping under the rule of the Japanese Empire."

"Therefore, please forgive my impulsive actions!"

The two French journalists were real, but they weren't drawn there by Kui Biao and his gang bullying Mohe; rather, they were drawn there when he was beating up Kui Biao and his gang.

Reversing the order of events makes things much more interesting.

As expected, after learning the whole story, Ono Oda was not angry at all. Instead, he patted Cao Wei Da on the shoulder with great pleasure and praised him:

"Cao Sang, you are not only without fault, but you have actually done a good job!"

"The goal of the Great Japanese Empire and China in jointly building the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere is unwavering, and any sabotager is a bad element!"

"As a police officer, you represent the face of the Fifth Precinct! Combating bad elements and upholding the dignity of the empire is a legitimate act. What's wrong with that?"

"You did very well!"

Ono Oda was lavish in his praise.

He is the police department's special advisor, which is just a title on the surface, but behind the scenes, he is the highest-ranking person in the police department!

He couldn't care less how the Chinese people were bullied, after all, the Japanese were even more ruthless.

Some things are best kept to yourself, but this one can't be made public!

If any scandal were to be published in the newspapers, he would lose face in the eyes of the empire. Cao Weida saved the face of the Beiping Police Bureau, which saved his own face.

"Hai, thank you for your recognition, Commander Ono, but..."

"What, does Cao Sang still have any concerns?"

"Yes, Commander Ono."

"Cao-san, you're being too formal. Just call him Ono-kun. We're good friends."

friend?

Ha ha
Cao Weida scoffed inwardly. He would be a fool to actually believe that. Don't assume that Da Banren is a good person. If someone genuinely believes that Da Banren considers him a friend, then that person is simply too adorable.

His cooperation with the Japanese was like seeking a tiger's skin.

He doesn't believe in evil without a cause, but he doesn't believe in good without a cause either!

He only met him once and treated him to a meal, and then a big business deal fell into his lap, making him a fortune.

They even handle the entire business process for you, so you have no worries whatsoever.

Such a big pie was suddenly placed in his hand?

Are these Japanese officers really that short-sighted?!
Ghost letter!
He firmly believes that there are no free lunches in life, and even if there are, they are more likely to be traps!
Do you have something about yourself that the other person would value?

He's just a lowly patrolman, there are plenty of them on the street, why was he chosen?

It was just a coincidence; after all, using anyone is still using someone.

As for the so-called cleanliness, well...
Therefore, you should try to curry favor with powerful figures, but you should still be cautious and wary.

The reason I'm here to report this time is not only because I want to deal with Kui Biao and Fu Decheng, but also to send a message to Ono Oda: everything I have is given to me by you, you are my biggest backer, and I will tell you everything without any secrets.

Only in this way could Ono Oda use him with more confidence, and only then could he obtain what he wanted from him.

"Yes, Ono-kun, it's mainly because you have an innate air of authority that makes me unconsciously feel a sense of awe and respect."

Ono Oda's face was so full of wrinkles from the praise that it almost looked like a chrysanthemum, and his mustache twitched up and down.

"Haha, Cao Sang, you flatter me. I have only barely managed to acquire some of the dignity of an Imperial soldier. What were you trying to say just now?"

Ugh~~
Cao Weida suppressed the urge to vomit rising in his stomach. "Ono-kun, although I maintained the stability of the Great Japanese Empire today, Kui Biao is Fu Decheng's man. That man is a bit petty, and I'm afraid..." "Are you afraid he'll cause you trouble?" Ono Oda looked as if he knew everything. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I remember he's a man of Zhang Pinghe, the commander of the Third Regiment under the Security Brigade. It seems that Zhang Pinghe had him by his side at this banquet."

"Ono-kun is very perceptive; Fu Decheng is indeed Commander Zhang's man."

"I see," Ono Oda pondered for a moment, then comforted him, "Cao-san, you don't need to worry. I'll call Cui Qi, the brigade commander of the security brigade, in a bit. With me on his side, I doubt Fu Decheng will dare to cause you any trouble."

At this point, Ono Oda patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly:

“Cao Sang, you are all serving the Great Japanese Empire, you are all on the same side, we cannot allow internal strife to occur, that would only hurt our friends and please our enemies.”

That's a disaster for loved ones and a boon for enemies!

And who are you friends? I wish you little devils would all be wiped out!

"Yes, yes, yes, Ono-kun is right. Ono-kun is always considerate of the big picture and has a broad vision, unlike me, who has a narrow perspective."

Those damned Japanese devils, if they didn't want to stand up for us, they should have just said so, instead of beating around the bush and spouting grand principles.

All that talk and no action is utterly useless!

If grand principles work, then you Japanese devils should refrain from using your guns and cannons and instead use our broadswords on the battlefield.

Cao Wei Da was dismissed casually, but he wasn't disappointed, because he hadn't expected the Japanese to stand up for him anyway.

Receiving such a reply is actually somewhat helpful; at least for the time being, I don't have to worry about that beast Fu Decheng causing me trouble.

But you're definitely unhappy, and when you're unhappy, you'll want to find a way to vent, otherwise it's too uncomfortable to keep it bottled up.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Duomen waiting not far away. Upon seeing him come out, Duomen immediately came to greet him.

"Cao'er, how did it go? Did Ono agree to help?"

Cao Weida shook his head. "I guess you could call it helping."

"What's going on? What happened?"

Cao Wei Da did not hide anything and told the whole story.

Upon hearing this, Duomen pulled him outside while whispering, "What did I tell you? You can't trust these little devils. When they're helping you make money, they're all smiles, but when you ask them for help, they're quicker to refuse than anyone else."

"It wasn't a complete waste of time; at least we don't have to worry about it for the time being."

Duomen shook his head. "You're really carefree. Now that things have come to this, what are you planning to do?"

"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it," Cao Weida said, patting his pockets. Only then did he realize he was out of cigarettes. He immediately slapped his forehead in annoyance. He had been so focused on showing off that he hadn't even thought to grab a pack of cigarettes.
Just as he was feeling annoyed, a cigarette was offered to him. Cao Weida took it, lit it, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, as long as Fu Decheng doesn't cause me any trouble in the short term, he won't have the luck to bother me again after a while."

Duomen was taken aback. "You don't mean to..."

"Oh, it would be too presumptuous of me to do it myself, Master Duo. You must know that both the Communist Party and the Kuomintang have always hated traitors like him to the core."

Duomen was startled and quickly looked around. Seeing that no one had heard, he whispered, "Are you crazy? How did you get involved with them!"

"What if the Japanese find out? How many lives do you have?! Didn't you tell me before that you weren't on either side?!"

"Master Duo, don't worry, I won't get too involved with them." Cao Weida understood Duo's concerns; the Japanese were no joke in their efforts to eliminate agents from both parties.

“You should remember the future trends I mentioned to you before,” Kentamon nodded, and continued:
"I am doing this to pave the way for the future. After the Japanese are defeated, the future world will eventually be decided between these two parties. Rather than scrambling at the last minute, it is much more valuable to provide timely help."

"As long as we grasp the right balance, we can navigate key junctures like dynastic changes quite smoothly. The risks are minimal, but the returns are substantial. Tell me, how could I refuse such a deal?"

Duomen fell silent, thinking that it made sense.

As the saying goes, "One move to the emperor, one move to the ministers." He had figured it out: Cao Wei Da was not one to settle for mediocrity. Although his ambition was not obvious, he exuded confidence.

After a long pause, he nodded with difficulty: "Alright, you're smarter than me, and you definitely understand the stakes better than I do, so I won't say anything more. But you'd better be careful and don't leave any evidence against you."

"Don't worry, Master, I know what I'm doing." Cao Weida exhaled a smoke ring and said with a grin, "Since we have nothing else to do, let's go to the brothel and have some fun. I haven't fulfilled my promise yet."

Duomen was both amused and exasperated, and said with a laugh, "Get out of here! Thinking about these things in broad daylight? You'll die on a woman's belly sooner or later."

"Oh right, I almost forgot. You left last night, and Third Aunt couldn't find you. She came to me and said that your affair is settled, and she wants you to find a house quickly so she can keep her mistress in a golden cage."

Cao Wei Da raised an eyebrow and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, so efficient! Third Sister-in-law is quick on her feet!"

(End of this chapter)