Spy game? Stop guessing, I really am an undercover agent!

Chapter 102 There are mice in the house
Kenjiro Oshima opened his mouth and muttered, "I still think it's not a good idea to involve Chinese people in the Southern Transportation Department."

At this moment, Sato Fumitasu, who had been silent until now, stood up and said, "Oshima-kun, what the Empire needs are capable people."

“If you can’t find a suitable reason and just use this as an excuse, I think it doesn’t make sense.”

“Chen Sang’s identity is not just that of the Director of the Economic Department; he is also a member of the Eighth Section of the Chinese Affairs Division.”

Are you questioning the decision of the Local Strategy Division?

Everyone looked somewhat surprised upon hearing Sato Fumita's words.

They were surprised that Chen Yang had such an identity.

"Alright, Abe-kun will distribute the work manual to everyone later."

"I hope everyone can quickly familiarize themselves with the processes they are responsible for, and work together to complete the transportation task."

"Hai." Everyone stood up and bowed respectfully to Sato Fumio.

The weather in the south is like a child's face; one second they're crying their eyes out, and the next they're all smiles.

Xiangji Noodle Shop, French Concession, Shanghai.

The plum rains of June are thick and sticky like oil, and the sultry moisture, along with the fishy smell and the rotten smell of sycamore leaves from the Suzhou River, weighs heavily on Jinxian Road.

The glass windows of Xiangji Noodle Shop were covered with foggy water droplets, and the old-fashioned ceiling fans inside creaked and stirred up the fumes and sweat.

Dockworkers in short jackets slurped noodles from large bowls, while traveling merchants ate sesame cakes with garlic cloves. Amidst the clamor, only one square table in the corner remained unusually quiet.

Lin Xueli changed into a faded bamboo cloth long gown, with the cuffs slightly rolled up, revealing half of his wrist.

His fingertips rested on the rim of the rough porcelain bowl, where a few scallions floated on the surface of the three-ingredient soup noodles, and thin steam rose from it, blurring his vision behind his glasses.

Behind the counter, the noodle shop owner's abacus clattered slowly, three light taps, two heavy taps, and then a half-beat pause.

It is precisely the code for "safety".

"Sir, would you like a dish of pickled cucumbers?" The young waiter approached, wiping his sweat.

Lin Xueli shook his head, drawing an arc in the soup with the tip of his chopsticks: "The crab roe hasn't arrived yet in June, so this year's crab roe is still a bit lacking."

"Important." A voice, neither too loud nor too soft, rang out, and a middle-aged man in a long robe appeared in the noodle shop at some point. "Boss Zhu, has the tobacco from Southeast Asia arrived yet?"

Lin Xueli took out a handkerchief he always carried and wiped his mouth. He looked up at the middle-aged man and said, "Mr. Chen, let's not talk about this for now. Sit down and have a bowl of noodles."

“Very good, very good. I see this noodle shop is doing good business. Even someone as picky as Boss Zhu would come here specifically to eat noodles. There must be something special about it.” Zhong Yuan set up his umbrella to the side and sat down leisurely: “Waiter, a bowl of pork chop noodles.”

"Okay, sir. Please wait a moment," the waiter said politely, and hurried to the kitchen to place the order.

Lin Xueli took a sip of the noodle soup. As the temperature gradually rose in June, he breathed a sigh of relief after finishing the soup, which was infused with the savory flavor of crab roe.

"Boss Chen, the tobacco arrived yesterday, and I've stored it at the Xicang warehouse."

Zhong Yuan frowned and said, "Tobacco is prone to getting damp in this kind of weather. The ventilation in the West Warehouse is not good. Should we move to another place?"

Lin Xueli shook his head and said, "Don't worry about Mr. Chen. I will fully compensate you for the damp tobacco."

"However, there is something I would like to ask Mr. Chen for help with."

"Two bags of goods you delivered last time seem to have been chewed by rats. Shouldn't you check them carefully?" Zhong Yuan's expression changed drastically: "Boss Zhu, you can't just say things like that."

“Mr. Chen, if there’s a problem, there’s a problem. People in our line of work don’t talk nonsense,” Lin Xueli said slowly. “The goods that were shipped to Jinling before had problems.”

"It hasn't been long, and the goods that were picked up have had problems again. The first time it might have been because the goods weren't stored properly, but for it to happen twice in such a short time, if it wasn't because of rats, could it be a problem with the goods themselves?"

“Mr. Chen, we can’t be overconfident. There’s a rat in the warehouse. The first priority is to catch it. It seems that the rat has only damaged a little bit of the goods.”

"Don't worry, I've already disposed of the problematic goods at a low price."

"For safety reasons, this batch of goods should be stored in the warehouse for the time being and should not be moved."

Zhong Yuan frowned and said, "Alright, I'll go back and arrange for the guys to clean up the warehouse."

"By the way, which batch of goods did Mr. Zhu pick up last time?"

Lin Xueli pondered for a while and said, "I don't remember very clearly either, but it should be around the time my cat had the accident."

"Boss Chen should have detailed accounts, right? Let's check them when we get back."

Zhong Yuan was about to say something more when he was interrupted by a figure. The noodle shop waiter brought over a bowl of pork chop noodles: "Sir, your pork chop noodles are ready."

Lin Xueli stood up, took out six mao (0.6 yuan) and handed it to the waiter, saying, "This is for two bowls of noodles."

Then he said to Zhong Yuan, "Boss Chen, don't worry about the tobacco. Just prepare the money, and we can make the deal anytime."

"By the way, I have a customer who wants a shipment from the north. Do you have any ideas on how to get it?"

Zhong Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "I'll go ask an expert if they have any, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Chen." Lin Xueli said with a smile, "I've already paid for the noodles, please enjoy your meal, I'll head back now."

"Take care, Mr. Zhu."

The two men made no attempt to conceal their conversation from the dockworkers present. Of course, to others, it sounded like a negotiation between two small merchants from Shanghai who operated independently, regarding goods.

Zhong Yuan, however, had a furrowed brow and looked preoccupied.

The tobacco the two men were talking about was the special envoy; Lin Xueli had already found him and arranged a hiding place.

But what he said next was hard for Zhong Yuan to accept.
Lin Xueli said there was a traitor in the organization. Is it really possible that such a thing is true?

After the laborers finished their noodles, they chatted and laughed, then left the noodle shop arm in arm. The number of people in the noodle shop gradually decreased, and the abacus beads on the counter resumed their even, clattering sound, as constant as the patter of raindrops on the eaves.

After finishing his thick noodle soup, Zhong Yuan casually rolled up his sleeves to wipe his mouth, picked up an umbrella, and disappeared into the wet streets.

The noodle shop owner was still busy fiddling with greasy abacus beads, while the rich aroma of beef bones bubbling in the soup pot, along with the humid heat of June, silently permeated the everyday life of the people.

Office of the Director of the Economic Department, Shanghai.

Chen Yang tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his expression somewhat solemn.

The Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters' transportation integration plan completely disrupted his original plans.

His transfer from the Economic Department to the Southern Transportation Department as section chief seemed to give him more power, but he lost the ability to keep track of the movement of supplies at any time.

As expected, man proposes, God disposes. Chen Yang sighed slightly. The only solution now was to develop an obedient subordinate to keep an eye on the supply warehouse for him. But who should he choose?
(End of this chapter)