Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

at the same time.

Wuhan.

Luojia Mountain.

Dai Li's office was located in a room at the end of the corridor on the second floor.

His desk was piled high with documents, including intelligence reports from various places and reports that required his approval.

There are also some telegrams that I haven't had time to read yet.

He sat behind his desk, holding a top-secret telegram that had just been sent from Taiyuan Station.

The telegram was short, consisting of only a few lines.

"Katsuki Kiyoshi, former commander of the First Army of the Japanese North China Area Army, was assassinated at Taiyuan Guangshe Airport on the morning of May 31 and is presumed dead."

"The specific details are unclear, and the identity of the murderer is unknown. Further confirmation is needed."

Dai Li's gaze lingered on these few lines of text for a long time.

His brows were slightly furrowed, and his expression was somewhat complicated.

There was surprise, there was doubt, and there was something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

He knew Kiyoshi Kazuki all too well.

Lieutenant General of the Japanese Army, Commander of the First Army of the North China Area Army, equivalent to a war zone commander in the Nationalist government.

This man commanded the Japanese army in many battles.

This man was responsible for several major defeats suffered by the Nationalist army on the main battlefield.

Now, this person has been assassinated?

Dai Li put down the telegram, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

The first thing that came to his mind was...

Was this done by their Military Intelligence Bureau?

His mind was racing.

I went through the recent tasks from several stations in the North China region.

If he had personally assigned the task of assassinating a high-ranking Japanese general, he couldn't possibly have forgotten it.

If it wasn't personally orchestrated by him, would the station managers below have acted on their own?

impossible.

Assassinating a Japanese lieutenant general requires not just a small team, but an entire intelligence system.

We need someone to provide the target's location, someone to survey the terrain, someone to plan the strategy, and someone to prepare the evacuation route.

No one would dare to make a decision on this level of action without his approval.

"Someone come here."

Dai Li picked up the telephone on the table and shook the handle.

"Chief, what are your orders?"

A steady voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Get me all the recent activity records for the North China region."

"yes!"

The phone hangs up.

Dai Li put down the microphone and picked up the telegram again to read it.

"On the morning of May 31st."

He silently recited the date in his mind.

The incident happened two days ago, and Taiyuan Station only relayed the news back today.

It wasn't that Taiyuan Station was incompetent; it was that the Japanese blockade was too tight.

It's already quite an achievement that Taiyuan Station managed to get this message out.

Dai Li placed the telegram on the table, stood up, and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the view of Luojia Mountain is breathtaking.

Dai Li had no interest in appreciating the scenery; his mind was still preoccupied with the matter of Kiyoshi Kazuki.

If it wasn't done by their own Military Intelligence Bureau, then who was it?

Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong)? Or the Eighth Route Army?

Or was it a political struggle within the Japanese army?

Both are possible, but neither seems quite right.

Dai Li turned around, walked back to the table, and sat down.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table as he analyzed every possibility in his mind.

If it were someone from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtongqian), there's no way he wouldn't have received a tip-off.

Those people from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) are good at handling party affairs, but assassinations?

They don't have that ability.

If it was done by the Eighth Route Army, then it's possible.

The Eighth Route Army had already established a foothold in Shanxi, was familiar with the terrain, and had a strong intelligence system.

But the question is, did the Eighth Route Army have this motive?

Kiyoshi Katsuki was an enemy of both the Nationalist government and the Eighth Route Army.

The Eighth Route Army fought countless battles with the Japanese in Shanxi and lost countless lives. They wanted to kill this old Japanese devil even more than the Nationalist Army.

There is motivation, and there is also a certain degree of ability involved.

But Dai Li always felt that something was wrong.

He mentally reviewed the Eighth Route Army's troops in Shanxi.

The main force of the Eighth Route Army was on the front line, the closest of which was a hundred miles away from Taiyuan.

As for guerrilla groups and local armed forces, that's even more impossible.

They lacked the equipment, the training, and, most importantly, the courage.

To assassinate a Japanese lieutenant general in Taiyuan?

Isn't that just a fantasy?

Dai Li shook his head, dismissing the possibility.

But if it wasn't the Eighth Route Army who did it, then who was it?

Another idea popped into his head.

Could it be a political struggle within the Japanese army?

Kiyoshi Katsuki was dismissed from his post, reportedly due to a disagreement with Hisaichi Terauchi, the commander of the North China Area Army.

That old bastard Terauchi Hisaichi is incredibly arrogant; he'll take care of anyone he doesn't like.

Could it be that he sent someone to do it?

Dai Li thought about it and then felt it was unlikely.

Although Terauchi Hisaichi was arrogant, he was still a general and wouldn't resort to such despicable means.

Moreover, what good would killing Kiyoshi Kazuki do for him?

It does nothing but arouse suspicion about him.

Dai Li stopped tapping, and his brows furrowed even more.

It wasn't done by the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, or the Eighth Route Army, nor was it a political struggle within the Japanese army.

So who did it?

Dai Li stood up and paced back and forth in his office.

His steps were neither hurried nor slow, but the expression on his face grew increasingly solemn.

This matter must be thoroughly investigated.

If it is true that a Japanese lieutenant general was assassinated, it would be a major event that would shake the entire country.

Regardless of who did it, as the deputy director of the Military Intelligence Bureau, he must know the truth as soon as possible.

Otherwise, what would he say if the principal asked?

Dai Li walked back to the table.

He picked up the phone and shook the handle again.

"Send a telegram to Taiyuan Station, instructing them to do everything in their power to find out whether Kiyoshi Kazuki is dead or not."

"Yes, Director."

Dai Li put down the phone and leaned back in his chair.

Now, all he can do is wait.

Waiting for news from Taiyuan Station, waiting for news from the North China region, waiting for news from intelligence networks in various places.

Whoever did it, if it's true, there will definitely be traces left behind.

He refused to believe that they couldn't find out.

An hour later.

The phone on the table rang.

Dai Li picked up the microphone.

"Director, we've found all the operation records for the North China region."

"read."

Dai Li spoke calmly, but his pace was a few decibels faster than usual.

The person on the other end of the phone started reading.

One action record after another, one task after another.

As Dai Li listened, his expression grew increasingly grave.

No.

None of the tasks were specifically designed for Kiyoshi Kazuki.

None of the missions were directed at high-ranking Japanese officers.

There is none at Taiyuan Station, nor in the North China region.

There is no information related to this assassination in the activity logs of any of the sites.

"Alright."

Dai Li interrupted the reading on the other end of the phone.

"understood."

He put down the phone and leaned back in his chair.

It's confirmed that it wasn't done by their Military Intelligence Bureau.

Dai Li's brows furrowed even more.

If it wasn't the Military Intelligence Bureau, then who was it?

He picked up the telegram on the table and read it again.

"Suspected death."

These four words made him feel very uneasy.

Suspected means uncertain.

If you are unsure, you cannot report it.

If it cannot be reported, then the principal must not know.

But can he keep such a big thing a secret?

It can't be hidden.

Paper wrapped fire.

The news will get out sooner or later.

The news reached the principal's ears, the soldiers on the front lines' ears, and the people across the country's ears.