bestfiction 144. The Chaotic Shanghai
144. The Chaotic Shanghai
"Breaking news! Breaking news! Breaking news! The Kuomintang, the Red Party, and the Axe Gang have reached a historic reconciliation, jointly ambushing a Japanese convoy and inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese army!"
"Breaking news! Breaking news! The Qiujiang Bridge is shrouded in a pungent, foul odor after the battle. Insiders have revealed that the Japanese army is transporting highly toxic poison, intending to use our civilians as test subjects! Breaking news! Breaking news!"
"Hey kid, give me a newspaper."
"I'll have one too."
"I'll have two."
"Sir, no rush, no rush! Everyone gets a newspaper, plenty!"
"Who's talking nonsense? Arrest all those newspaper boys!"
"Run!"
The following morning in Shanghai, news of this mysterious night raid had already appeared in the newspapers.
Kondo was furious and ordered No. 76 to thoroughly investigate the culprits behind the leak and to wipe out all the underground newspapers. Arrest those who could be arrested, kill those who could be killed, and burn those who could be burned. In an instant, the underground newspapers lurking in Shanghai were in a state of panic, with everyone living in fear.
Of course, this fierce fighting also made the people of Shanghai realize what supplies the Japanese were transporting, and made them more aware of their extremely dangerous situation. On the other hand, the anti-Japanese fervor among the people was further ignited. It is said that many people witnessed the heroic battles between the Kuomintang's Military Intelligence Bureau, the Axe Gang, and guerrillas and the enemy the night before, planting seeds of hope in their hearts, and spontaneously becoming propagandists, describing the fierce battle that night to those around them.
Qiujiang Wharf, along with Qiujiang Bridge, Jungong Road, and all the way to Wujiaochang, was placed under martial law. The roads along this route were damaged by the fighting; several bridges collapsed, and surrounding buildings and roads were riddled with shell craters and debris. The wharf was temporarily closed, all commercial activities were forced to a halt, and the Japanese military police and Special Agent No. 76 were conducting widespread searches for suspicious individuals, even arresting, interrogating, and executing people on the street without any evidence, creating widespread fear and completely disrupting the lives of Shanghai residents.
On the other hand, the Sakura Trading Company's warehouse was damaged and a large amount of supplies were burned. This not only affected the logistical supply of the Japanese Special Higher Police and the Military Police, but also indirectly impacted the local commercial supply chain. Many small businesses that relied solely on orders from the Japanese army faced bankruptcy, workers lost their jobs, there was a shortage of goods in the market, prices soared, and people's lives became increasingly difficult. The economy fell into a predicament of stagnation and instability.
Of course, where there is oppression, there is resistance, and many people reacted strongly to this battle. Students took to the streets to protest the Japanese army's transport of large quantities of toxic substances, which polluted the water sources around Qiujiang Wharf, making it impossible for surrounding residents to live there, and forcing them to move away. They also claimed that the Wang Jingwei regime said one thing and did another, and that the so-called Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was a ridiculous joke.
Faced with student marches and public protests, Kondo mobilized local troops to suppress them. Soon, the conflict turned into a bloodbath, with many students injured or even arrested and imprisoned. Even the prison of Zhou Hongyi's Second Precinct was full.
"Chief, we can't hold them all anymore. Even the third-floor warehouse is packed with people. Should we still make arrests?"
Team leaders Wang Shun and the others have been working themselves to the bone these past few days. But Zhou Hongyi seems to have gone mad, ordering them to arrest all the troublemaking students and underground members illegally printing tabloids and bring them to the Second Precinct. But instead of interrogating them, they're treated to lavish meals and drinks. Now, they've arrested more criminals than they have as police officers themselves.
Zhou Hongyi shouted, "Brothers, squeeze in a little more and clear out the office on the second floor. Grab as much as you can. Don't worry, it won't be for nothing. My red envelopes are on their way. I know you've all worked hard this time, and I promise you'll have a good New Year!"
The exhausted police officers from the Second Precinct, upon hearing about the large sum of money, mustered their energy and went out to arrest people.
Zhou Hongyi's fervent arrests stemmed from one thought: being caught by him was better than being arrested by the agents of the 76th Special Agent Unit. At least they were treated well with good food and wine, and aside from the lack of freedom and the inability to roam freely, their living conditions were even better than some students and ordinary citizens at home. Afterward, he would feign torture, and release those he could. When the Japanese and the 76th Special Agent Unit questioned him, he would simply say that they had been beaten to death and thrown into a mass grave, and he wouldn't get any more information. In any case, the entire city of Shanghai was in chaos, and no one cared about the lives of these students and ordinary citizens who were demonstrating in the streets.
Based on the preparations made by our side before the operation, we knew that the enemy would launch a fierce counterattack and retaliation after the operation ended. Therefore, the underground members of the Red Party and the Kuomintang temporarily went into hiding, not showing their faces or making contact, so as not to give the Japanese any opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
However, Kondo's madness lasted far longer than they had anticipated.
He seemed to have a stroke of genius, launching a relentless self-examination within the Special Higher Police, scrutinizing everything from routine staff who had access to the documents to intelligence transmission processes and document storage procedures. He personally interrogated relevant personnel, even resorting to torture against his own people, creating an atmosphere of fear within the Special Higher Police and causing a sharp drop in work efficiency. However, this only gave Zhou Hongyi and his team a chance to catch their breath.
"Dong Dong Dong~"
Ten days after the caravan was attacked, a group that had traveled from Japan to Shanghai knocked on Kondo's door.
"Come in."
Kondo has been unable to eat or sleep these past few days, and his anxiety and stress have caused him to develop a large blister in his mouth, making it painful to even drink water.
"Section Chief Kondo, Yosuke Ira has already reported to you from the Special Higher Police Operations Analysis Group."
Kondo's eyes lit up when he saw the newcomer, and his face lit up with joy. He quickly stood up, walked around the desk to the newcomer, snapped to attention, and gave a military salute, saying, "Yosuke Saotome, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for so long!"
This Japanese soldier, named Yosuke Saotome, had long, narrow eyes and a perpetually smiling face. He had fair skin and gentle features, looking like an ordinary student, utterly unremarkable. However, he was famous within the Special Higher Police headquarters because he possessed an ability incomprehensible to ordinary people—a so-called supernatural power.
This time, Kondo called headquarters specifically to request Yosuke Saotome and his spy team. This team was small, consisting of only six people including their captain. Despite being only six, each of them possessed exceptional skills, covering a wide range of techniques from wiretapping and tracking to interrogation and combat.
Yosuke Saotome said, "Commander Kondo, let's skip the formalities. We already learned a bit on the way here, and Shanghai is indeed in a state of chaos right now. But Commander Kondo is perhaps a bit too close to the situation to see clearly. Since the other side dared to make such a big move, why would they stay put and wait for us to arrest them? So it's unlikely that Commander Kondo will make any progress in the short term."
Instead of focusing on restoring production and calming public sentiment, we should first minimize the impact of this incident. We should have local merchants and celebrities on good terms with the Empire explain that the toxic gas was actually a misunderstanding. Furthermore, we should immediately release the students and newspaper staff, and have our newspaper reprint the news to reverse public opinion. As for the person Commander Kondo has been trying to capture, let's leave him to our Saotome Squad.”