Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

The deepest area, like a vortex at the center of a magnetic field that attracts all eyes, is the side of the fireplace.

German Minister Clemens von Ketteler sat like a cold Germanic statue, sunk deep into a Gothic-style high-back sofa.

The Prussian blue uniform was straight and wrinkle-free, and the Iron Cross eagle emblem embroidered with gold thread on the chest was spotless, as if he had just walked out of the parade ground.

His right hand with thick knuckles rested on the armrest, and a black iron SS ring glowed with a harsh, cold light under the light of the fireplace and the crystal chandelier above his head.

His gray-blue pupils were like two precisely polished ice diamonds, piercing through the curling cigar smoke. From the moment Zhou Zhengqing pushed the door open, he locked his eyes on the young Japanese general without any reservation. The corners of his mouth were pursed into a hard straight line, revealing no emotion, only a thorough scrutiny and calculation.

"Oh, Your Excellency the Commander is late. Could it be that the tango of those beauties downstairs has entangled the heels of your noble boots?" A slightly greasy yet somewhat mellow and magnetic voice broke the stagnation in the room, like a stone thrown into a stagnant pool.

The person who spoke was Shen Xilin, the manager of Tung Wah Trading Company.

He was wearing a white banquet suit that looked casual but was actually quite expensive, and was reclining in a carved armchair next to the main seat of Takazaki.

He had a signature smile on his face, which was round, amiable, and even had a bit of the shrewdness and likability of a street vendor, but that smile never really reached the depths of his eyes.

Those eyes, with a hint of indifference as if they saw through everything and were accustomed to everything, only when they were cast at Zhou Zhengqing, would a smile flash across their eyes that only fellow travelers could catch.

After Shen Xilin's introduction, Zhou Zhengqing got to know several people present while chatting and joking.

Afterwards, Zhou Zhengqing stopped talking and found a seat to sit down. He was not used to this kind of cocktail party-style socializing, so it was most appropriate to leave the main stage to Shen Xilin.

Lingzi, who had arrived earlier with Shen Xilin and had already discussed with representatives from various countries, stepped forward quickly and personally poured drinks for Zhou Zhengqing. She stood quietly by the side, watching everyone in the venue.

. . . . . . . . .

Shen Xilin's eyes swept across the entire venue, as if he was counting each piece of goods.

"The consuls' sense of smell is a hundred times sharper than those Belgian anti-smuggling dogs trained at the French Concession docks."

He took a drag on his cigarette and slowly exhaled. His fingers tapped lightly on the thick list bound with golden nanmu plywood spread out on the low table in front of him. The paper made a dull sound: "Manchuria's finely washed pig bristles, the best coking coal from the Kailuan Mining Bureau, and the newly minted tungsten ore from the old mine in Rehe... Tsk tsk tsk,"

He drew out the last syllable of his words and glanced at the faces of several consuls. His playful eyes seemed to be measuring the courage beneath their skins.

"Even the losses that had just been counted in the Kwantung Army's warehouses, you guys dared to ask for the price and snatch them away... I really admire your courage and appetite!"

Before he finished speaking, Klind's cold voice with a Berlin accent cut off neatly, like a cold current sweeping across Siberia: "The spirit and appetite were also cultivated by Manager Shen's Donghua Foreign Company.

Manager Shen's channels and courage are truly astonishing." The minister's voice was low, but it clearly drowned out the crackling of the burning charcoal in the fireplace.

These words drew a complex smile of tacit understanding and slight embarrassment from the three consul representatives of Britain, France and Italy.

A few dry chuckles echoed in the room.

Shen Xilin seemed not to hear. He slowly dusted off the cigarette ash, his movements graceful and calm, as if he was brushing away an insignificant speck of dust.

His eyes slid to a position half a step behind Zhou Zhengqing, who was sipping the red wine in his glass as if nothing had happened. There, a slender figure stood silently.

"Miss Lingzi," Shen Xilin asked in a familiar tone, "The goodies that these people are thinking about are now piled up in Warehouse No. 3 of our Donghua Pier No. 2, covered with thick canvas to protect them from the rain.

Such a valuable item must be sent out on a safe ship. Could you give me some advice?" His smile deepened and he asked, "Is it more convenient to go through the mezzanine of the passenger cabin of our own "Li Tong" ferry on the Haihe River?

Or…” He glanced at Klind, intentionally or unintentionally: “Could you please help our German friends with their cruise ship? I heard that the waterproof compartments in the bottom holds of these German freighters are very strong and spacious, and they can squeeze in a lot of “bulk cargo”?”

Reiko, the maid standing behind Takazaki, is like an exquisite moving porcelain.

She was wearing a very plain light pink dress, her hair was combed meticulously, revealing her snow-white, slender neck.

With her eyelids drooping, her thick eyelashes cast a light fan-shaped shadow under her eyelids, covering up all the emotional fluctuations.

Only after hearing Shen Xilin's question did she slowly raise her head.

Her gaze met Shen Xilin and then separated, and then, like the most docile vine, she wrapped around and clung to Zhou Zhengqing, who was sitting in the main seat.

When her eyes slid across Takazaki's shoulder and profile, a moment of morbid obsession even revealed itself beneath the calm waiter's mask.

He took a small step forward calmly, letting his figure almost stick to the thick shadow cast by Yingqi's back on the wallpaper, as if only by blending into that shadow could he gain a sense of security and satisfaction.

"Everyone, just as our young master said before arriving, Donghua Foreign Trade Company is responsible for purchasing and stabilizing the transportation of some commodities that are currently in short supply in the market from Manchukuo..." She deliberately emphasized the words "export quota", "purchase", and "stable transportation", and everyone present knew it well.

"Mainly soybeans, corn, iron ore, and...high-quality ginseng that meets medical standards, some fur raw materials, and several "special commodities" that you all urgently need."

This is a necessary condition to ensure the smooth and rapid transshipment of these 'special' commodities through Tianjin Port to markets in various countries. . . ”

Zhou Zhengqing suddenly interrupted and took over from Lingzi, saying, “The Imperial Military Police Headquarters needs to obtain clear authorization to enter the concession to enforce the law.

The military police must have the right to enter any area of ​​the concession to investigate, search, and even arrest any dangerous elements hiding here who intend to disrupt the imperial order, undermine Sino-Japanese friendship, and threaten the security of the concession.

Of course, the scope and time of authorization will be precisely limited to ensure that it will not affect other normal commercial and social activities in the concession.

As for the goods of Donghua Foreign Trade Company, he tapped his knuckles lightly on the cover of a folder on the coffee table in front of him, making a dull sound. "We all know that time and efficiency are gold in today's situation."