Chapter 1116 Nepotism

 “Sakamoto-kun.” Cheng Qianfan lowered his voice and said to Sakamoto Yoshino, “Thank you very much.”

Sakamoto Yoshino invited him to return to Imamura's mansion with him. Saito Kazuo hesitated for a moment, but after all, he considered that Kentaro Miyazaki was one of his own, and Miyazaki's status in front of Imamura was no less than him, so Saito Kazuo did not stop him in the end. .

 “I’m afraid you will blame me in the future.” Sakamoto Yoshino said with a smile.

Cheng Qianfan also smiled knowingly. He knew that Sakamoto Yoshino was referring to his previous complaints against him.

"Saito-kun." Sakamoto Yoshino said to the co-pilot Kazuo Saito, "Miyazaki-kun has great respect for Lieutenant General, and I regretted missing the opportunity to visit Lieutenant General."

“Is that so? Miyazaki-kun?” Kazuo Saito smiled and turned to ask Kentaro Miyazaki.

“On the day when the Imperial 101st Division entered Nanchang, I raised a glass of congratulations from a distance at home.” Cheng Qianfan said, “I thought at that time that if I had the opportunity to toast a famous Imperial general with a glass of wine, I would have no regrets in my life.”

"Hahaha." Kazuo Saito was very happy, "Maybe Miyazaki-kun's wish will be fulfilled soon."

"Really?" Cheng Qianfan showed a happy and excited expression. He looked at Saito Kazuo's slightly proud smile, and his face moved, "Saito... Saito-kun."

His eyes were filled with expectation, and he said in an uncertain tone, "Your Excellency Lieutenant General and Mr. Saito..."

“Uncle would be very happy if he knew that an imperial figure like Miyazaki-kun admired him.” Kazuo Saito said with a slight smile.

"It turns out that -" Cheng Qianfan was surprised, pleasantly surprised, and then inexplicably excited. Finally, all these emotions turned into an excited sigh, "I should have thought earlier that Saito-kun is so good that he must be a famous general."

“Miyazaki-kun is over-reputed.” Kazuo Saito said with a smile. He had not had much contact with Kentaro Miyazaki before, but now he finally understands why many people like to make friends with Miyazaki.

Miyazaki is really nice to hear.

 …

Cheng Qianfan also chatted warmly with Saito Kazuo.

I saw Kazuo Saito coming to see Sakamoto Yoshino earlier, telling Hyotarou Imamura that he had something to do and could not come to the salon, and that Yataro Saito was unable to leave Shanghai due to temporary commitments.

Cheng Qianfan immediately determined one thing:

Kazuo Saito must have followed Hyōtaro Imamura to see Yataro Saito off.

Then he thought about why Hyōtaro Imamura chose Kazuo Saito to accompany him to see off a Japanese lieutenant general.

 He ​​knows Hyoutaro Imamura very well. Imamura seems to be very easy-going towards his juniors in private, but in fact he is very particular about respect and etiquette in public.

Hyoutaro Imamura would never take just anyone to see Yataro Saito off.

 Kazuo Saito?

 Yataro Saito?

Cheng Qianfan had previously secretly speculated that Kazuo Saito was the nephew of Yataro Saito?

Because Hyōtaro Imamura has the habit of using younger family friends to get close to his subordinates.

Sakamoto Yoshino is the youngest son of the famous Japanese scholar Sakamoto Nagayuki.

Another example is Hidetoshi Hojo. Cheng Qianfan learned from Junji Ono many years ago that Hidetoshi Hojo’s uncle, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, was the captain of the 24th Field Artillery Regiment of the Second Field Artillery Brigade of the Japanese Kwantung Army.

Just in the first half of this year, Yamamoto Yoshinobu was promoted to the rank of major general and transferred to the post of Minister of Arms of the Japanese Kwantung Army Headquarters.

 The war between the Japanese Kwantung Army and Soviet Russia took place in Nomenkan. As the weapons director of the Kwantung Army Headquarters, Yamamoto Yoshinobu was the person responsible for raising and delivering combat equipment and combat supplies for the Japanese army fighting on the front line of Nomenkan.

Therefore, after some thought, Cheng Qianfan was inclined to think that Kazuo Saito had the background of his elder, Yataro Saito, a Japanese Army Lieutenant General.

 Hence, Cheng Qianfan sincerely expressed his admiration for Yataro Saito.

This not only made Sakamoto Yoshino take the initiative to invite him back to Imamura Mansion, but also made Saito Kazuo have a better impression of him later on.

 …

 “That’s it.” Cheng Qianfan looked astonished.

Now that his background has been ‘exposed’, Saito Kazuo no longer concealed anything and took the initiative to talk about himself.

It turns out that the reason why he came to work at the Consulate General was because his uncle Yataro Saito had a good personal relationship with Counselor Imamura:

Working in the diplomatic service, especially working in Shanghai, the most prosperous city in the Far East, is definitely one of the most suitable jobs for young men with backgrounds like Sakamoto Yoshino and Saito Kazuo.

 Speaking of the friendship between Hyotaro Imamura and Yataro Saito, they also come from the circle of the Kwantung Army.

 In fact, Imamura Hyōtaro has always had a strong Kwantung Army background, mainly because of his brother Imamura Jun.

Yataro Saito graduated from the 19th Infantry Course of the Army Military Academy. He happened to be Jun Imamura’s classmate. His classmates at the same time were Norihide Abe, Masaharu Honma and others.

In addition, Junichiro Ikeuchi, commander of the Japanese Military Police in Shanghai, also had a background with the Kwantung Army. Cheng Qianfan had previously asked Imamura Hyoutarou to give Ikeuchi two pure gold cigarette holders with the 'Wake Lake Incident' commemorative inscription. , which made Chi Nei very happy.

It can be said that many of Imamura Hyōtaro’s subordinates have nepotism.

Cheng Qianfan was good at dancing, and every word he said scratched Kazuo Saito's itch. At the same time, he was not deliberately flattering, but was completely sincere friends. This made Kazuo Saito's impression of him more and more. The better.

 …

Hongkou District.

 Special higher education courses.

“How likely is it that the radio station is in Cen Xu’s home?” Hiroyuki Kikube asked Nohara with a stern face.

Nohara was just released from the patrol room an hour ago.

After meeting Kano Kikube, the first thing Nohara said was to suggest Kano Kikube arrest Cen Xu, the tenant at No. 62 Masinan Road.

"Technically speaking, the radio signal disappeared when we arrived at No. 62, Masinan Road." Nohara thought, "Although we cannot rule out the possibility of other radio stations in the surrounding area, my intuition tells me that Cen Xu is extremely suspicious."

Hiroyuki Kikube frowned.

Nohara’s answer did not satisfy him.

Moreover, Kikube Hiroo is quite familiar with Nohara.

This is a technical expert who is indeed very capable. However, under his humble and gentle appearance, Nohara is actually a rather eccentric character. To be precise, he is a very vindictive and cruel guy.

Nohara strongly demanded the arrest of Cen Xu.

 Perhaps from a professional perspective, Nohara is indeed very suspicious of Cen Xu.

However, there is another very important point. Cen Xu witnessed the embarrassing appearance of him being beaten by the patrol. Nohara had no way to deal with the people in the patrol room for the time being, so he would operate on Cen Xu first.

Jingle Bell.

The internal phone on Kikube Hiroo's desk rang.

He picked up the phone, and soon, Kikube's expression was sinister. He put down the phone receiver and said to Nohara, "Cen Xu insists that he is innocent."

 “Can I meet this person together?” Nohara asked immediately.

　　Hiroyuki Kikube nodded and agreed to Nohara’s request.

 …

Nohara saw Cen Xu in the torture room who had witnessed his ugly behavior during the day.

At this time, Cen Xu’s skin and flesh were torn apart, and large pieces of blood-red flesh could be seen.

 His whole body smelled of blood and burnt skin.

 His head was drooping, his whole body was weak and he was in a semi-conscious state.

 Hearing someone approaching and talking, Cen Xu did not raise his head. His eyes were closed, and he did not even raise his eyelids.

 He was happy in his heart.

He was happy that a month ago, the organization arranged for a group of comrades to go to Yanzhou, and his wife was among them.

Now, my wife and son are living, studying and making progress safely in a place where the revolutionary torch is burning.

 …

“Cen Xu.” Hiroyuki Kikube picked up a red-hot soldering iron and approached Cen Xu. “We have searched the radio station in your home.”

"That's a commercial radio station." Cen Xu opened his eyes and said feebly, "I have already said that I work for Marin Foreign Company, and we must keep commercial communications open with the German mainland."

"Do you think this kind of lie can get away with?" Kikube Hiroo shook his head. He grabbed Cen Xu's head, and then pressed the red-hot iron almost against Cen Xu's scalp, burning his hair.

A ladle of salt water was poured down, extinguishing the burning hair. At the same time, the salt water seeped into the tattered wounds. The pain made Cen Xu scream and twist his body. As he twisted his body, the binding ropes violently rubbed against the burned body, making the pain even worse. .

"We only need to investigate this matter to confirm whether you are sending a report to Germany and to confirm that you are lying." Kikube Hiroo said coldly.

“It’s impossible to contact the German side.” Nohara, who had been silent for a long time, just leaned over to study the wounds on Cen Xu’s body with interest, suddenly said.

"That's the truth. You can check it out." Cen Xu endured the pain and said through gritted teeth.

"Jet difference." Nohara smiled slightly, "When you sent the telegram, it was still dark over Germany."

Hearing Nohara's words, Cen Xu's expression changed. He knew that the biggest flaw in his words had been caught by the other party.

“It was precisely because there was an emergency that I contacted the other side urgently,” Cen Xuqiang said in self-defense.

"No, no, no." Nohara shook his head, "Europa and I will often exchange telegrams. We will pay more attention to the time difference and choose a time that is easy for both parties to accept."

Hiroyuki Kikube glanced at Nohara. He was surprised that Nohara could think of the time difference, because Hiroo Kikube was not able to notice this either.

Of course, the time difference is not a completely sufficient reason for suspicion. As Cen Xu said, you can contact the other party at any time if you have urgent matters.

 However, there are more and more doubts about a person, which in itself is enough to explain a lot of problems.

 The Special Higher Education Section does not require evidence when arresting or interrogating people.

 …

"Mr. Cen, do you think your sophistry is useful?" Kikube Hiroyuki sneered, "Also, Mr. Cen, you are wrong about one thing."

Cen Xu looked at Hiroyuki Kikube in confusion.

"Your bones are very hard." Kikube Hiroo said with a serious expression, "This kind of tenacity does not belong to an ordinary person."

 He looked at Cen Xu, "You keep shouting that you are wronged..."

As he spoke, a cruel smile appeared on his lips and he waved his hand.

  A shabby man who had been tortured by the agents was dragged in.

An agent picked up a red-hot iron and approached. The man immediately struggled subconsciously and screamed, "I say, I will say anything. I say, you can do anything you want me to do."

 The soldering iron was fiercely branded.

The man let out a scream and fainted.

Hiroyuki Kikube waved his hand, and two agents dragged the man away, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground, and the burning smell in the air became stronger.

"Did you see it? Mr. Cen." Kikube Hiroyuki smiled slightly, "That man was arrested by us by mistake. After interrogation, he was indeed innocent, but -"

There was a look of pride on his face, "He has admitted that he is the commander of the military. Of course, he also admitted that he is a member of the Red Party. He will recruit whatever we ask him to recruit."

 He looked at Cen Xu, "Mr. Cen, now do you know where your biggest flaw is?"

 …

Cen Xu was silent, staring at the long trail of blood on the ground in silence.

　　When the man was dragged over just now, he was already tortured so badly that he almost didn’t recognize who he was.

When the iron was pressed hard towards the man, the man struggled twice before passing out. His smelly hair spread back, and he could see the man clearly.

 Comrade Gai Chaoyang!

 This person is Comrade Gai Chaoyang from our Party’s Enemy Work Department.

Comrade Gai Chaoyang has been missing for more than a month, and the organization has been searching for him to no avail.

 Some people say that Comrade Gai Chaoyang became a deserter.

Comrade Luo Yannian refuted this argument. He firmly believed that Comrade Gai Chaoyang was loyal to the party and the people and determined to fight against Japan. Comrade Gai Chaoyang could not be a deserter. Something must have happened.

For safety reasons, the organization decisively cut off all contacts that Comrade Gai Chaoyang had and could have.

In the past month or so, there have been no problems with all of Comrade Gai Chaoyang’s superiors and subordinates, as well as with the communication lines.

In view of this, Comrade Luo Yannian firmly believed in Comrade Gai Chaoyang's loyalty to the party and the people.

 The organization is still secretly searching for the whereabouts of Comrade Gai Chaoyang.

It turned out that Comrade Gai Chaoyang had fallen into the hands of the Japanese a long time ago. Looking at Comrade Gai Chaoyang's tragic situation, Cen Xu could imagine how Comrade Gai Chaoyang had been here for more than a month.

What impressed him even more was that his tenacity might become a flaw in himself. Comrade Gai Chaoyang, while being tortured by the enemy, managed not to be exposed. Instead, the enemy mistakenly thought that he had been captured by mistake. of ordinary citizens.

Although Comrade Gai Chaoyang is likely to be brutally killed by the enemy, as a secret front agent, after withstanding the enemy's torture, he was killed by the enemy as a commoner and a member of the Red Party. Identity killing, this is a completely different concept!

The latter is the unyielding cry of a Red Party member who died heroically, and the former is the last medal of merit for an underground worker!

 It's a pity that he has insufficient experience in underground work. Cen Xu shook his head.

 He knew that the enemy had doubted and even confirmed his identity.

as expected.

“Mr. Cen.” Hiroyuki Kikube looked at Cen Xu, “You are a member of the Red Party. Tell me, who is your upper line? Who are your lower lines?”

“I don’t understand what you said?” Cen Xu slowly shook his head.

"Then, let me put it another way." Hiroyuki Kikube lit a cigarette, his eyes seemed gentle but were actually sinister, and said slowly, "The man who left your residence this morning, who was he? What was his name? Name, where do you live?”

Cen Xu didn't speak, he closed his eyes.

　　Hiroyuki Kikube smiled. He was sure that this person was a Red Party member, a Red Party member with a strong will and insufficient experience in actual torture and lurking experience.

 “Continue to torture.” Kikube Hiroo said calmly.

bring it on.

　　‘I have nothing to worry about now that I am in the country.’ Cen Xu looked at Kikube Hiroyuki with a smile on his face.

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 (End of this chapter)