My years of espionage

Chapter 2020: Military Intelligence Agent Cheng Qianfan

"The Imperial Navy has completely withdrawn from Guadalcanal," Heitaro Imamura said slowly.

"What?!" Cheng Qianfan exclaimed in surprise.

"The Battle of Guadalcanal lasted for six months, with the Empire initially winning but ultimately losing," said Heitaro Imamura.

“So, so…” Cheng Qianfan murmured, somewhat at a loss, “No matter what, the Empire has dealt a heavy blow to the American Navy, and I believe the Americans are not having an easy time right now.”

“You’re wrong.” Imamura Heitaro shook his head. “Do you know how devastating the Imperial Navy’s losses were?”

He slowly shook his head, his tone filled with sorrow, "More than 30,000 Imperial Navy personnel perished, and nearly 900 warplanes were lost..."

……

“How could this be, how could this be…” Cheng Qianfan murmured, then suddenly raised his voice, “The Americans must have suffered heavy casualties as well.”

Heitaro Imamura shook his head and remained silent. According to the data reported by the Navy, the Americans suffered tens of thousands of casualties and lost as many warplanes as the Empire. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had obtained data released by the Americans, who claimed that only 7,100 soldiers had been killed in action.

Even though the US concealed its battle damage figures, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assessed that the US losses were still less than those of the Empire.

Most importantly, the United States has a strong industrial base. With its industrial manufacturing capabilities, the Americans can replenish their war losses relatively quickly, while the Empire faces difficulties in doing so.

After the defeat in the Guadalcanal campaign, the Americans would gradually take over the Pacific. The empire's much-needed oil, rubber, steel and other supplies would be constantly threatened by American attacks on the vast Pacific Ocean. This was the most direct predicament and threat to the empire, which was heavily reliant on overseas supplies.

Furthermore, according to information obtained from the Navy, the Navy's elite naval aviators were almost entirely wiped out during the six-month-long Guadalcanal campaign. Fighter planes can be rebuilt, but pilots cannot be trained in a short period of time.

There are even extremely pessimistic voices within the navy:

From now on, Hainan Airlines will only be able to use rookies to compete with the American Eagles.

……

"Alright." Imamura Heitaro looked at Miyazaki Kentaro, who was still caught in a mix of shock, confusion, and sadness, and said, "I'm telling you all this so that you understand that the current situation is unfavorable to the Empire, and you must not be blindly optimistic."

"Yes, yes, yes." Upon hearing this, Cheng Qianfan immediately replied as if grasping at a lifeline, "A temporary setback is nothing. With the empire's powerful military might, it will surely make a comeback."

"This matter must be kept secret," Imamura Heitaro instructed.

"The student understands." Cheng Qianfan nodded seriously.

His heart was filled with joy. Previously, the Japanese puppet regime had covered up the fact of the defeat and exaggerated the fact that the Japanese had won the final victory in the Guadalcanal campaign. His heart had been heavy, as if there was a big stone in it. Now, the stone had been removed, and he was overjoyed.

……

"You did a good job accompanying Wang Tianhai on his visit to Japan last time," Imamura Heitaro said.

He said to Kentaro Miyazaki, "Ishihara-kun speaks very highly of you."

"It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent guidance," Cheng Qianfan said sincerely. "I was originally dull-witted, but it was thanks to the teacher's careful instruction that I finally understood."

"Your diligence and eagerness to learn have not disappointed me," Heitaro Imamura said with a slight nod.

He told Kentaro Miyazaki, "The last time in Tokyo, the relevant departments intended to contact you and ask you to do some things, but I stopped them."

"Huh?" Cheng Qianfan was surprised. "I really didn't know if the teacher hadn't told me."

He asked Imamura Heitaro, "Although I don't know the specifics, I understand that it must be because you are protecting Kentaro from the storm."

After Cheng Qianfan finished speaking, he bowed very solemnly and sincerely to Imamura Heitaro, and said excitedly, "Kentaro, you have troubled your teacher."

Heitaro Imamura glanced at Kentaro Miyazaki. Kentaro was right; if he hadn't intervened, his student would be dead by now.

……

Cheng Qianfan was stunned after hearing what Imamura Heitaro said.

He never expected the Japanese military to be so reckless.

The military was not satisfied with Wang Tianhai. They believed that Wang Tianhai was not obedient enough, especially compared with Zhou Liang, who had worked tirelessly to plunder supplies for the Japanese army. The military was even more dissatisfied with Wang Tianhai.

In fact, Wang Tianhai's acts of treason were beyond description, but compared to Zhou Liang's even more shameless behavior, the military was naturally extremely dissatisfied with him.

According to Imamura Heitaro, the military intended to create an accident so that Wang Tianhai would stay in Japan to recuperate. To be precise, they planned to assassinate Wang Tianhai, but not really to kill him. Ideally, he would be seriously injured and have to stay in Tokyo for treatment and recovery. In this way, the Japanese would push Zhou Liang to take charge of the situation in Nanjing.

He, Kentaro Miyazaki, was the chosen assassin. His Japanese identity was a secret, known only to the Japanese authorities and unknown to the outside world.

In this Japanese plot, his identity was that of a Kuomintang agent infiltrated within Wang Jingwei's regime. It was Cheng Qianfan, a Kuomintang agent, who took advantage of Wang Jingwei's visit to Japan and his position within the visiting delegation to assassinate him...

"I never imagined I would become a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau one day." Cheng Qianfan recovered from his shock and said with a wry smile, "Teacher, my mind is in a mess right now."

"Ok?"

"Logically speaking, Zhou Liang is indeed more subservient to the empire. If possible, I am willing to follow this plan. I would be happy to die for the great cause of the empire."

Cheng Qianfan looked at Imamura Heitaro and said, "But deep down, I'm also a little scared."

He looked ashamed and said, "Especially the more I think about it, the more afraid I become. In the end, I am somewhat afraid of death."

With that, Cheng Qianfan bowed deeply to Imamura Heitaro, saying, "Kentaro has disappointed his teacher."

……

“Who can truly be unafraid of death?” Imamura Heitaro slowly shook his head as he looked at Miyazaki Kentaro.

His expression was gentle and satisfied. "Kentaro, I'm glad you told me the truth."

"Kentaro is ashamed," Cheng Qianfan quickly said.

“You don’t see the problem clearly enough,” Imamura Heitaro said, shaking his head slowly.

"Please enlighten me, teacher," Cheng Qianfan said sincerely.

“Wang Tianhai is indeed not as obedient as Zhou Liang, but Wang Tianhai cannot be allowed to get into trouble, absolutely cannot get into trouble,” Imamura Heitaro said.

“Kentaro still doesn’t quite understand,” Cheng Qianfan said.

"Those guys in the military are all short-sighted and have never had any strategic vision," said Heitaro Imamura, his words revealing his undisguised contempt for some people at headquarters.

“Wang Tianhai is different from the others. Neither Zhou Liang nor Chen Nanhai possessed the identity and status that the Kuomintang members of the Nanjing regime could fully accept,” Imamura Heitaro said. “Have you ever thought about what would happen if something really happened to Wang Tianhai?”

Instead of asking a question, Imamura Heitaro answered his own question, saying, "Only with the existence of Wang Jingwei could the Nanjing regime truly stand on legal ground."

……

“If Wang Tianhai were to get into trouble, the Nanjing regime would be greatly weakened, and might even fall into disintegration,” said Imamura Heitaro. “Wang Tianhai was the only person within the Kuomintang who could rival Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing.”

“Only Wang Tianhai,” Imamura Heitaro said with a serious expression. “No one else, whether it’s Zhou Liang or Chen Nanhai, can do this.”

“Kentaro understands.” Cheng Qianfan nodded, then thought for a moment and asked, “But the military’s plan was only to wound Wang but not kill him…”

“That’s even worse!” Imamura Heitaro scoffed.

Cheng Qianfan was taken aback at first, then looked thoughtful. He nodded admiringly, "Teacher is wise, I understand."

“I’m telling you this to remind you that you are Chu Mingyu’s confidant and that you should pay close attention to the power struggles within Wang Tianhai’s regime,” Imamura Heitaro said. “If there is any unusual activity, report it to me immediately.”

“Kentaro understands.” Cheng Qianfan nodded, then asked Imamura Heitaro, “Is the teacher worried that the military hasn’t abandoned similar plans?”

“I don’t know either.” Heitaro Imamura shook his head. “It’s precisely because I don’t know that I’m paying even more attention.”

"Hai."

……

After hesitating for a moment, Cheng Qianfan still asked, "Teacher, regarding this matter, should we contact the Wang family...?"

Then he saw Heitaro Imamura's serious and cold expression.

“Teacher, of course I’m not revealing that the military is planning to take action against the Wang family,” Cheng Qianfan said. “Zhou Liang…”

He was not afraid of Imamura Heitaro's anger. He had cultivated a personality in front of Imamura Heitaro that was to say whatever he thought and to be very honest and loyal to Imamura Heitaro.

He said this with a purpose: he would be happy to add fuel to the fire of the power struggle within the Wang Jingwei regime.

“It’s okay to reveal some details,” Imamura Heitaro said after a moment’s thought. “But there’s one thing: the Empire must not be involved.”

Within Wang Tianhai's regime, Wang Tianhai's position and power were seriously challenged by Zhou Liang, which was something the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not want to see.

In Imamura Heitaro's view, Wang Tianhai was still somewhat idealistic and indecisive. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was genuinely worried that Wang Tianhai would be no match for Zhou Liang and would completely lose power.

“I understand,” Cheng Qianfan nodded and said.

……

After Kentaro Miyazaki left, Heitaro Imamura sighed.

There was another reason why he resolutely stopped the military's crazy plan: Kentaro Miyazaki, as the executor, was doomed to die, and not only Kentaro Miyazaki was doomed to die, but his family would also be implicated.

He knew his student well. Kentaro Miyazaki was very loyal to him and to His Majesty the Emperor, but deep down, his student was afraid of death and was unlikely to be able to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.

Of course, in Imamura Heitaro's view, the military's crazy plan was simply absurd.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly opposes this.

In other words, the military can do whatever it wants, but it absolutely cannot involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

……

Military Intelligence Bureau agent Cheng Qianfan!
Cheng Qianfan, a Kuomintang agent who attempted to assassinate Wang Tianhai!
Cheng Qianfan suddenly smiled and shook his head.

He never imagined that he would almost be framed by the Japanese as a Kuomintang agent tasked with assassinating Wang Tianhai.

If the war of resistance against Japan is won, the Japanese will find out his true identity.

Tsk.

Cheng Qianfan clicked his tongue.

He then fell into deep thought.

This also shows how brutal the power struggle within Wang Jingwei's regime had become.

He didn't believe that Zhou Liang would be completely unaware of any Japanese plot against the Wang family.

Cheng Qianfan began to ponder how to use Imamura Heitaro's 'permission' to create chaos within Wang Jingwei's regime.

"Fan-ge, where to now?" Li Hao glanced at Fan-ge, who was still deep in thought, and asked, "Home or..."

"Go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Yihe Road," Cheng Qianfan said to Li Hao after a moment's thought.

……

Yihe Road, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Sister Xia, isn't the Secretary-General here?" Cheng Qianfan asked Liu Xia.

"The Secretary-General has gone out." Liu Xia yawned, glanced at Cheng Qianfan, and said, "Did you need to see the Secretary-General about something?"

"It's a task assigned by the Secretary-General, and I'm about to report on its progress," Cheng Qianfan said.

"Is it urgent?" Liu Xia asked.

"It was the Secretary-General who urged us to hurry," Cheng Qianfan said with a smile.

"Let me ask." Liu Xia nodded, picked up the phone and asked, then glanced at Cheng Qianfan and said, "The Secretary-General went to see Mr. Wang and will be back in about an hour."

"Then I'll wait here," Cheng Qianfan said, then poured himself a glass of water without any hesitation.

……

"Fan Di, thank you very much," Liu Xia suddenly said.

"What is it?" Cheng Qianfan looked at Liu Xia and blinked.

"Stop pretending." Liu Xia gently patted Cheng Qianfan.

"Oh, about that matter," Cheng Qianfan said, "I was just reporting the facts. Besides, I can't possibly suspect you, Sister Xia."

He told Liu Xia, "It's all just hearsay from the people at No. 21 Yihe Road."

He lowered his voice and said, "The Secretary-General understands that they are here for the Secretary-General."

“I’m completely innocent and not afraid of being investigated, but being harassed by those guys is quite annoying.” Liu Xia nodded and said, “Tell me, who leaked this information?”

"That's hard to say," Cheng Qianfan said, shaking his head. "However, it was definitely not leaked by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Liu Xia nodded slightly and handed a cigarette to Cheng Qianfan. "Brother Fan, you're close to the Japanese. I have something to ask you."

"Sister Xia, please ask. I will answer to the best of my knowledge," Cheng Qianfan said with a smile.

"I heard some nonsense today, saying that the Japanese didn't actually achieve as much as they claimed," Liu Xia asked in a low voice. "What's the truth?"

“This…” Cheng Qianfan hesitated.

"Can't say, or don't know?" Liu Xia glared at Cheng Qianfan and asked.

“Sigh, I can’t tell others, but it’s different with you, Sister Xia,” Cheng Qianfan said, then added in a low voice, “I’ve only heard about it, just heard about it.”

Liu Xia nodded.

"The Japanese suffered considerable losses, and of course, the Americans also suffered considerable losses," Cheng Qianfan said. "However, the Japanese gains were not as great as they claimed."

“There’s no smoke without fire.” Liu Xia nodded and sighed. “Tell me, why would the Japanese bother the Americans for no reason?”

“That makes sense,” Cheng Qianfan nodded. “Forget it, let the Japanese worry about this.”

As he spoke, he suddenly asked Liu Xia, "Sister Xia, are we just going to let them off the hook like that at No. 21 Yihe Road?"

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(End of this chapter)