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

Chapter 108 Introducing a New Friend
Secretary Pan frowned and asked, "Five thousand silver dollars, how much are they still short?"

Zhong Yuan smiled wryly and said, "There's a lot missing, at least more than half. Qinghu wants to ask if the organization has any way to solve the funding problem."

Secretary Pan hesitated for a moment, as if he had made up his mind.

“I’ll take care of the funding. I’ll have someone deposit the gold bars into a HSBC safe deposit box before noon tomorrow.”

"Go to locker 103 at Wing On Department Store at 1 p.m. to get the safe key and seal."

"The combination for the safe will remain the same as the one we set before."

Zhong Yuan nodded, stood up and said, "We'll do as you say. I'll head back now."

Secretary Pan stood up and said, "Take care on your journey."

Office of the Chief of the Third Section, Southern Transportation Department, Shanghai.

For Chen Yang, the work after being transferred to the Third Division was even less demanding than his previous work in the Economic Department.

Because working in the Economic Department involves not only transportation but also coordinating matters related to supplies.

Especially since the Nanjing Reformed Government had only been established for a short time, many tasks had not yet been completed.

In addition, Liang's prestige is not enough, so people may not give him face in many situations.

In this situation, the work of collecting supplies needs to be coordinated by others.

But directly taking money from other people's pockets isn't that easy.

While it wouldn't be quite accurate to say he was being snubbed, Chen Yang still endured quite a bit of nagging from them.

Working here is much more comfortable. The work is simple and straightforward: putting materials into storage and arranging their transportation.

After handing the draft train schedule to Li Ningyu, Chen Yang was about to take a break when the phone on the table rang.

Chen Yang answered the phone, and a familiar voice came from the other end, "Mr. Chen. Let's have dinner at the newly opened restaurant in the HK area tonight."

"I heard that the restaurant ordered a bluefin tuna from Japan. It's a top-quality seafood and you absolutely can't miss it."

Chen Yang chuckled and teased, "Ino-kun, I haven't seen you at Japanese restaurants much lately. What's wrong? Has the proprietress fallen out of favor?"

Yusuke Ino didn't answer directly, but just smiled awkwardly and said, "Chen-san, don't forget, it's seven o'clock tonight."

As night falls, the paper lanterns of Japanese restaurants in the Hongkou Japanese Residents' District light up one after another, their soft glow illuminating the ink characters "Xiaosongting" on the lintel.

Chen Yang glanced at the ink characters on the lintel, confirmed the location was correct, and pushed open the cypress door.

Instantly, a warm, cozy atmosphere filled with the subtle aroma of sake, along with the slightly fishy smell of sashimi and the smoky aroma of grilled food.

The shop was filled with shadowy figures and soft, lingering voices that seemed to float in the air.

Chen Yang looked around and saw several low square tables scattered on the tatami mats, with men and women sitting around them.

The most eye-catching table was by the window, where several gentlemen and ladies sat together, dressed smartly and exuding a modern and sophisticated air.

A man in a well-tailored suit is awkwardly fiddling with slender black chopsticks, trying to pick up a round piece of sushi.

Seeing this, the woman in the cheongsam sitting next to her smiled and gracefully extended her slender hand to demonstrate. The deep red nail polish on her fingertips shimmered faintly under the light, like a rose quietly blooming in the dark night.

"Sir, how can I help you?" The waitress in the store immediately came forward when she saw Chen Yang's smartly dressed appearance.

This Japanese restaurant is at least three times larger than traditional Japanese restaurants. The waitresses wear elegant blue and white floral kimonos with white socks, and their etiquette and service are much more professional than those at traditional Japanese restaurants.

"Hello, I'm looking for someone," Chen Yang said with a smile, giving the name Ino Yusuke. The waitress clearly knew who Chen Yang was referring to, and immediately led the way, taking him to a private room on the second floor.

"Chen-san, you're right on time." The door opened, and Ino Yusuke's enthusiastic voice came from inside the private room.

However, there were two companions in the private room besides Ino Yusuke.

The one further inside was slightly overweight, wearing a navy blue suit of decent quality but with slightly worn edges, and a beige shirt underneath.

This person had a round face, and his cheeks glowed with a healthy red from the alcohol and warmth, like a ripe persimmon.

Her chin was covered by two distinct layers of soft flesh, and her neck almost blended seamlessly with her cheeks, forming a plump line. Her sparse hair was neatly combed back, glossy and smooth against her scalp, revealing a broad and full forehead.

His hands had short, thick knuckles and neatly trimmed nails, giving them a pampered, relaxed feel.

He was comfortably leaning against the cushion behind him, his belly slightly protruding, looking at Chen Yang with great interest.

Sitting opposite him was a middle-aged man with a rather thin build.

The man was wearing a gray uniform that resembled a Zhongshan suit. Chen Yang felt, however, that the clothes seemed a size too small, giving the impression of being tight and making his figure appear even thinner and more delicate.

This person has a long, thin face with slightly high cheekbones, which makes their eye sockets appear somewhat sunken, and their eyes carry a lingering sense of fatigue and caution.

His skin was pale from years of lack of sunlight, his thin lips were habitually pursed, and two clear nasolabial folds were etched around his lips, extending down to his chin, giving him a stubborn air.

His hair was also neatly combed, but it was dry and the temples were already frosted.

His hands had distinct knuckles, slightly protruding veins, and thick calluses on the base of his thumb and index finger, clearly marks left from long-term use of firearms.

Yusuke Ino stepped forward and pulled Chen Yang aside, saying, "Chen-san, these two guests have come here because of your reputation."

As he spoke, Yusuke Ino pointed to the thin middle-aged man and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Colonel Takeo Nohara of the Hangzhou Garrison Command."

"This is Colonel Matsui Isoro from Nanjing."

"Matsui-kun, Nohara-kun, this is Chen Yang, the head of the Third Section of the Southern Transportation Division."

After exchanging greetings, the group took their seats at Ino Yusuke's invitation.

"Gentlemen, if you need anything, please let Chen Sang know. I'll go and urge him to prepare the dishes for us."

Yusuke Ino was clearly perceptive and knew the purpose of Matsui Izo and Nohara Takeo's sneaky trip to Shanghai.

Therefore, he wisely avoided the conversation between the group to prevent them from becoming wary.

After all, everyone's in business that's risky; the more people who know, the greater the risk of exposure.

"Mr. Chen, actually, our coming to Shanghai was also at the behest of Minister Suzuhara,"

Matsui Izō took a sip of tea and said, "I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll just say what I mean."

"Nohara-kun and I have a batch of supplies, which are non-commercial goods. The Ministry of Inspection has been cracking down hard lately, so it's not safe to keep them."

"Minister Suzuhara said you can clean these things up quickly."

"If that's the case, I think we can cooperate."

Chen Yang smiled and said, "I wonder how Colonel Matsui wants to cooperate?"

(End of this chapter)