My years of espionage

Chapter 2083 Disastrous Failure
“Araki-kun.” Upon hearing Araki Harima’s words, Cheng Qianfan’s expression suddenly turned serious. He asked Araki Harima, “What evidence do you have to support your claim?”

“Araki-kun, I trust Onodera-kun in principle. He was wounded and bled for the Empire, and he is loyal to the Empire.” He handed the cigarette case to Araki Harima and said, “Araki-kun, you can’t just say things like that.”

“I have no evidence.” Araki Harima shook his head. “If I had evidence, I would have reported Onodera Shogo long ago.”

As he spoke, he looked at Kentaro Miyazaki, "Just like how they suspect me now, don't they also have no evidence?"

Cheng Qianfan fell silent. Yes, just as Araki Harima said, there was no real evidence to support the suspicion against Araki Harima; it was merely a baseless suspicion.

"Araki-kun, I believe in you," Cheng Qianfan said. "Don't worry, I will find evidence and clear your name."

"Please." Araki Harima stood up and bowed to his friend.

"There's no need for formalities between us," Cheng Qianfan said earnestly.

Cheng Qianfan was about to take his leave.

Araki Harima suddenly called out to Miyazaki Kentaro.

“Miyazaki-kun,” Araki Harima said.

"Does Araki-kun have anything else to say?" Cheng Qianfan asked.

"In Qingdao, His Highness Prince Fushimi Toshihiko was attacked and tragically killed; and on the front lines in western Zhejiang, General Onodera was also ambushed and killed." He said to Kentaro Miyazaki, "Onodera Shogo was involved in both of these incidents. Don't you have any doubts?"

"What?!" Cheng Qianfan looked shocked.

Then he nodded seriously, turned around and left.

……

Inside the listening room.

Shogo Onodera's face turned ashen.

He took off his headphones and saw Atsuto Kawada looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Master Atsuto,” Onodera Shogo said, “Araki Harima is slandering us. He himself has problems and is deliberately trying to confuse the issue and mislead the public.”

"Don't worry." Kawada Atsuto smiled and nodded. "Would I trust an outsider like Araki Harimaru instead of you?"

Hearing Kawada Atsuto say that, Onodera Shogo breathed a sigh of relief.

“Judging from the conversation between Miyazaki and Araki,” Onodera Shogo said, “Araki is also very wary of Miyazaki Kentaro. He not only denied that he had any problems, but also deliberately slandered me. This is enough to show that Araki Harima has problems, or at least there are many suspicious points.”

"I'll say it again, whether Araki has any problems or not, an investigation will make it clear," Kawada Atsuto pondered. "You'll still be in charge of the investigation into Araki."

"What about Miyazaki-kun?" Onodera Shogo asked.

“Kentaro is just too sentimental. He insists on finding evidence to exonerate Araki Harima. Let him be. You don’t need to pay attention to him,” Kawada Atsuto said. “As long as you secure the evidence, Kentaro will have no choice but to accept reality.”

"Understood." Shogo Onodera nodded.

It was at this moment that someone came to the listening room looking for Atsuto Kawada.

"Chief of Staff Kawada, the Special Higher Police, Chief Arao Tomohiro, has sent someone to ask us to hand over Araki Harima to them for investigation."

“Tell the Special Higher Police that Araki Harima is suspected of treason. Our military police are handling his case, and according to regulations, the Special Higher Police must recuse themselves,” Kawada Atsuto said in a deep voice.

"Hai."

Kawada Atsuto then looked at Onodera Shogo and said, "As for Yoshimura Shinpachi, he should also be included in the investigation. Don't let any suspicious people or things slip by."

“I will begin the investigation,” Onodera Shogo nodded and said.

“Go now,” Kawada Atsuto thought. “Yoshimura Shinpachi is a confidant of Arao Tomohiro. Arao Tomohiro will definitely strongly oppose detaining this man. You go there yourself.”

"it is good."

……

"Where is Onodera-kun?" Cheng Qianfan returned to Kawada Atsuto's office and, not seeing Onodera Shogo, couldn't help but ask.

“He went to the Special Higher Police,” Atsuto Kawada said. “The investigation into this matter should generally focus on the Special Higher Police.”

Then he looked at Kentaro Miyazaki and asked, "Kentaro, how did your talk with Harima Araki go?"

“Araki insists that he was wronged, and he repeatedly reiterated his loyalty to the Empire,” Cheng Qianfan said. “And as Araki said, our suspicion of him is only based on the result and there is actually no substantial evidence to point to Araki.”

“Isn’t it right to make reasonable inferences based on reasonable analysis and then conduct an investigation?” Atsuto Kawada said.

Cheng Qianfan fell silent, then sighed, "I understand what you mean, Master Atsuto. I just don't want to believe that Araki-kun has a problem."

“You’re only unable to accept it because of friendship, or perhaps it’s precisely because you’re Araki’s friend that you’re not paying attention to certain details,” Kawada Atsuto said. “Kentaro, are you still insisting on helping Araki investigate this matter?”

“Yes, Master Atsuto.” Cheng Qianfan nodded. “However, Master Atsuto, rest assured, I will not interfere with the military police’s investigation. My goal is to find the truth as much as possible.”

“Okay.” Atsuto Kawada nodded. “While I don’t support your actions rationally, I do approve of your appreciation for friendship and your willingness to do everything for Araki.”

"Thank you for your understanding, Young Master Duren," Cheng Qianfan said with a smile.

“Araki-kun raised suspicions about Yoshimura Shinpachi,” he said to Kawada Atsuto.

“Yoshimura Shinpachi?” Kawada Atsuto nodded. “This man was one of the Special Higher Police’s Nanjing operatives and was already on the list of those to be investigated.”

"What else did Araki Harima say?" Kawada Atsuto asked.

Cheng Qianfan hesitated.

"It seems that Araki-kun may have said something," Atsuto Kawada said with an interested expression.

“Araki-kun did say some things,” Cheng Qianfan said after hesitating for a long time. “He suspected Onodera-kun and even raised some questions.”

"Oh?" Atsuto Kawada looked at Kentaro Miyazaki. "Tell me about it."

……

"What do you think of these two things that Araki Harima pointed out?" Kawada Atsuto asked thoughtfully after listening to Miyazaki Kentaro's report.

“Young Master Atsuto, to be honest, I’m still in shock and my mind is a mess,” he said to Kawada Atsuto. “I don’t believe Onodera-kun has a problem.”

"Furthermore, the suspicion raised by Araki-kun is merely an analysis and speculation," Cheng Qianfan said. "Strictly speaking, although Onodera-kun was one of the parties involved in the murder of Prince Fushimi Toshihiko and the attack on General Sakai, there is no evidence to prove that Onodera-kun is guilty."

“Moreover, I really can’t understand why Onodera-kun would have any reason to betray the Empire,” Cheng Qianfan said to Kawada Atsuto with a serious expression.

"I'll say it again: who could have predicted Setouchi's betrayal of the empire back then?" Kawada Atsuto said earnestly.

Cheng Qianfan frowned and remained silent.

"Alright, that's enough that I know about this," Kawada Atsuto said. "Don't spread this around anymore. It's unfair to Onodera to spread such things without reason."

“I understand.” Cheng Qianfan nodded.

……

On the way back to Lafayette Road after leaving the military police station.

A smile appeared on Cheng Qianfan's face.

In his conversation with Araki Harima, he subtly hinted that Onodera Shogo suspected him.

He believed that with Araki Harima's intelligence, he would surely understand.

As expected, Araki Harimaru's counterattack followed.

He dragged Shogo Onodera into the mess.

Most importantly, regarding the attacks on Toshihiko Fushimi and Sakai, as proposed by Araki Harima, it seems that Shogo Onodera, as one of the parties involved, really has a hard time explaining everything clearly.

In fact, neither Araki Harimaru nor Onodera Shogo had any substantial evidence to support their claims, making Araki Harimaru's approach quite clever.

Cheng Qianfan stretched.

At least so far, the matter has been resolved fairly well.

Of course, he also knew that as one of the insiders, he would inevitably be included in the list of suspects, and what he needed to do was to be more careful in the coming period.

Furthermore, the impact of this incident was far-reaching. As a result, the military police investigated the Special Higher Police, which also caused internal strife within the Special Higher Police. This infighting among the enemy was, in itself, the best news for the anti-Japanese forces.

……

Early spring, March.

The weather is warm one day and cold the next.

The Japanese have officially announced their verdict regarding the gold heist on the Kōa Maru:
Bi Qixuan and Xiao Aocheng were executed by the military police as a warning to others.

As for Jing Qingxi, Jing Muyun asked Zhou Liang to plead with the Japanese, and Jing Qingxi was spared death. However, Jing Muyun spent a lot of money to save his nephew.

"Baka yarou!" Arao Tomohiro smashed a vase, his anger barely contained.

Just now, he received a report from his subordinates that Lu Tonghui had been assassinated on the street.

Lu Tonghui was walking down the street on a rainy day when someone approached him and stabbed him to death before leaving. The special agent responsible for protecting Lu Tonghui didn't react for half a minute, but by then the attacker had vanished without a trace.

“Section Chief, it must have been done by someone from the Shanghai Special Operations Division,” Yoshimura Shinichi said.

“Of course I know it was Xiao Mian’s men who did it,” said Arao Tomohiro. “But where are they? Where is the murderer?”

He looked at Tatsuya Sasaki and said, "You're in charge of this. I want to see the murderer who killed Lu Tonghui."

“Hai,” Sasaki Tatsuya said with a bitter face.

The detention and investigation of Captain Araki Harima by the military police was actually a boon for Section Chief Arao Tomohiro, who seized the opportunity to take control of the action team and promoted Sasaki Tatsuya to acting captain.

Of course, the impact of the Araki-Harima incident is not only positive. The section chief's confidant, Yoshimura Shinpachi, is currently being held by the military police, and the section chief has repeatedly tried to get him released without success.

……

Imamura Mansion.

"Teacher, is the situation very bad?" Cheng Qianfan asked in a serious tone.

Heitaro Imamura stared intently at the map on the wall, his gaze dark and uncertain.

Just last month, the Japanese army suffered a series of defeats in the Pacific theater.

Especially in the Battle of the Marshall Islands, the US forces launched a strong attack on Kwajalein Atoll, annihilating more than 8,000 Japanese troops, while suffering only 1,200 casualties.

Subsequently, the U.S. military launched a coordinated land, sea, and air offensive, swiftly capturing Enivik and cutting off the supply lines of the Japanese Combined Fleet's Truk base.

The US military's actions were a series of interconnected steps.

Subsequently, the U.S. military launched Operation Hailstorm, an air raid on Truk.

In this battle, the U.S. military sank twelve Japanese cruisers and destroyers, and thirty-two merchant ships.

Most importantly, 270 Japanese warplanes were destroyed, accounting for 70% of the warplanes at Truk Air Base.

In addition, the oil depots and shipyards at Truk were all destroyed.

The Japanese-made 'Gibraltar of the Pacific' was reduced to ruins, and the Combined Fleet had to retreat to Palau, thus completely losing control of the sea in the Pacific theater.

“The industrial potential of the United States is too enormous.” Heitaro Imamura said with a heavy look in his eyes, “If the Americans lose a warship or a fighter jet, countless warships and countless fighter jets will be built. But what about the Empire? The Empire is currently losing fighter jets and warships and cannot replenish them in time.”

"The navy idiots performed terribly," Cheng Qianfan said angrily.

"Shut up." Imamura Heitaro glared at Miyazaki Kentaro. "Kentaro, I don't want to hear this a second time. A war between land and sea is a foolish thing to do. The Empire is facing a crisis right now, and we must work together to overcome it."

“Yes, sir.” Cheng Qianfan quickly said, “Teacher, at least on the Chinese battlefield, the Empire has always held the advantage.”

"Kentaro."

"Hai."

"Have you noticed how long it's been since the Empire launched a large-scale campaign in China?" Heitaro Imamura asked.

Cheng Qianfan fell silent. Indeed, on the Chinese battlefield, the two sides were locked in a stalemate. Japan was unable to continue expanding its territorial expansion, and China was also unable to recover much lost territory.

Although the Japanese won the Battle of Western Zhejiang last year, in terms of the actual results, they did not achieve the expected outcome.

"The Empire is also facing setbacks in the India-Burma theater," Imamura Heitaro suddenly said.

"What?!" Cheng Qianfan exclaimed in surprise.

"General Renya Mutaguchi led 100,000 soldiers in a breakout, crossing the India-Myanmar border," said Heitaro Imamura.

Cheng Qianfan's eyes widened, seemingly shocked by the news.

The desolate mountains along the India-Myanmar border are notorious for their brutality; the Chinese Expeditionary Force suffered heavy losses when crossing them.

"How could this happen?" Cheng Qianfan rubbed his face and muttered.

Then he looked at Heitaro Imamura, "Teacher, why?"

"Why what?" Imamura Heitaro glanced at his student and asked.

"Why is the empire like this? It seems like overnight, the empire has become so passive?" Cheng Qianfan said with a worried expression.

“Overnight?” Heitaro Imamura murmured, then shook his head. “I should have expected this situation two years ago, starting with Pearl Harbor.”

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