Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Back in the car, Ichiro Nakajima found that Mitsuda Shoma was not sleeping, but was looking at him with interest.

After thinking about it, Ichiro Nakajima seemed to understand something and asked softly, "Captain, if I embarrass Japanese businessmen in public like this, I'm afraid it will exacerbate the dissatisfaction of the overseas Chinese community."

"Discontent is better than lawlessness." Mitsuda Shoma looked out the window. "If they're dissatisfied, that's even better. We'll oppress them until the day they explode, then we'll wipe them out and make these people, accustomed to being high and mighty, understand who's the boss in Tianjin."

Nakajima Ichiro looked at Mitsuda Shoma with suspicion: "Captain, I've been wondering these past few days. It seems... our military police are particularly concerned about the lives of Chinese people?"

Mitsuda Shoma's heart trembled, but he remained calm on the surface: "Stable rule requires living labor, not corpses.

Death creates panic, and rules create obedience."

Ichiro Nakajima nodded thoughtfully, as if accepting this explanation.

A few days later, a more serious challenge came.

Mitsuda Shojin was in his office studying the map of Tianjin and planning his patrol route when Nakajima Ichiro hurried in.

"Captain, emergency! A group of Japanese expatriates clashed with Chinese residents on the edge of the French Concession! Someone's been injured!"

Mitsuda Shoma immediately stood up: "Mobilize the emergency team! We will go to the scene ourselves!"

The scene was in chaos.

More than a dozen Japanese youths, armed with sticks, confronted a group of Chinese vendors. There was blood on the ground and several Chinese vendors were injured.

The French Concession police watched from the other side of the border, not daring to intervene.

"Stop!" Nakajima Ichiro shouted, "All Japanese put down your weapons!"

When the Japanese youths saw the military police, they reluctantly put down their sticks, but they were still aggressive.

The leading youth stepped forward and said, "Second Lieutenant, these Chinese pigs dared to refuse to sell their goods to us! They should all be arrested and taught a lesson!"

An injured vendor struggled and said, "Taijun, they only paid half the price, and when we refused, they started to attack..."

Nakajima Ichiro's face was icy: "All those involved in the attack will be arrested and taken back to the military police for processing."

Military police approached to arrest the Japanese youths, who were shocked and resisted: "Second Lieutenant! We are Yamato people! Why are you helping the Chinese?"

"In Tianjin, rules are above ethnicity." Nakajima Ichiro said coldly, "Take him away!"

Mitsuda Shoma sat in the car and looked at the changes in Nakajima Ichiro with satisfaction and nodded.

Back at headquarters, Ichiro Nakajima personally handled the case.

The Japanese youths who took action were required to pay the medical expenses and compensation of the injured vendors, and each of them had to pay a high bail.

The news quickly spread throughout Tianjin's overseas Chinese community, causing an uproar.

That evening, Yusuke Yamamoto, President of the Japan Salt Chamber of Commerce, visited again, this time bringing with him more than a dozen influential Japanese expatriates.

"Vice Captain Nakajima, where is Captain Mitsuda? The military police have gone too far this time!" Yamamoto Yusuke spoke on behalf of the crowd: "Those you arrested today are all outstanding Japanese youths!

Their fathers dedicated their lives to the empire! And now, you humiliate them for a few lowly Chinese vendors!"

Nakajima Ichiro calmly waited for Yamamoto to finish speaking, then asked, "Who do you think the rules should serve?"

"To serve the Empire, of course! To serve His Majesty the Emperor!" a businessman shouted.

"So what is the empire's goal in Tianjin?" Nakajima Ichiro continued, "Short-term plunder, or long-term rule?"

Ichiro Nakajima's righteous attitude silenced Yusuke Yamamoto and the people behind him.

Nakajima Ichiro went on to say: “If Japanese expatriates are allowed to commit violence at will, it will only provoke stronger resistance and increase the cost of rule.

Clear rules, though harsh, can reduce conflict, create a stable environment, and ultimately benefit the empire’s long-term interests.”

He glanced at the crowd. "I know you're all unhappy. But please understand, this is for a greater purpose."

The overseas Chinese representatives looked at each other, some seemed convinced, while others still looked dissatisfied.

Yamamoto concluded by saying, "Colonel, we will convey your views to the community, but please understand that this dissatisfaction is accumulating."

After seeing off the overseas Chinese representatives, Nakajima Ichiro walked over to Mitsuda Shoma and said worriedly, "Captain, if this continues, there will probably be serious consequences. Yamamoto Yusuke's words just now clearly contained threats and warnings."

Mitsuda Shoma nodded: "I know, but this is exactly what I want to see."

As he spoke, Mitsuda Shoma led Nakajima Ichiro back to the office and handed him a document.

Nakajima Ichiro opened it and saw only a series of numbers on top, and a summary below: "Since the military police took over Tianjin, the number of 'unnatural deaths' in the Tianjin area has dropped by 70 percent, and the number of resistance attacks has decreased by 40 percent."

At the same time, Mitsuda Shoma's words rang out: "These data are weapons to deal with all those who oppose us and our military police. We military police are fearless, and we have the military police headquarters behind us!

Even if there are riots in those overseas Chinese communities, we dare to arrest all the people and interrogate them!

. . . . . . . .

It was late at night and Ichiro Nakajima was still working in the office. The orderly brought him dinner and he ate a few bites.

Ichiro Nakajima felt that there must be something wrong with his thinking.

There has always been a voice in my mind. It was the last words that Section Chief Itai told me at the dinner with the Military Police Commander a few days ago.

"Rules can limit violence, but they cannot eliminate hatred. In this occupied city, there is always an undercurrent."

What on earth does this sentence mean?!

Suddenly, the alarm sounded.

"Deputy Captain! There's a riot in the prison area!" the guard reported hurriedly.

Nakajima Ichiro immediately stood up: "What's the specific situation?"

"Several detainees attempted to resist and clashed with guards!"

Upon arrival at the scene, the situation was basically under control, several detainees were injured, and one gendarme was slightly injured.

"What's going on?" Ichiro Nakajima asked the warden sternly.

"Deputy Captain, these are some long-term detainees who refused to obey labor arrangements and incited others to rebel."

Ichiro Nakajima looked at the several Chinese youths who were pinned to the ground, their eyes full of hatred and indomitable spirit.

"Keep him in solitary confinement and re-interrogate him tomorrow," ordered Ichiro Nakajima.

A few days later, Ichiro Nakajima inspected the labor area.

He noticed that the young man who led the riot was working silently, and the hatred in his eyes had not diminished.

Nakajima Ichiro walked over and asked in Chinese: "Why are you resisting?"

The young man sneered: "Japanese dogs, stop being so hypocritical! Kill them if you want!"

The rules don't allow random killings." Nakajima Ichiro said calmly.

The young man was stunned for a moment, then sneered: "What a set of rules! No killing, only torture! Making us work like slaves!"

Nakajima Ichiro was silent. . . .

At this time, Mitsuda Shoma came over, patted Nakajima Ichiro on the shoulder, awakened his somewhat confused look, and said to the young man: "Work is better than death."

Mitsuda Shoma looked at the young man seriously and said, "Only by being alive can there be hope. You must learn to hide your emotions here with us so that you can save your life when you get out."

The young man stared at Mitsuda Shoma, as if trying to find something from the face of this Japanese officer.

Before Mitsuda Shoma pulled Nakajima Ichiro away, he whispered in Chinese, "Take care of your life and wait for dawn."

Nakajima Ichiro looked up in shock...

That night, Nakajima Ichiro wrote in his diary (in coded form):

"After arriving in Tianjin for over a month, a superficial order was established, but discontent among all parties was accumulating. I knew this balance would be difficult to maintain..."

I turned off the desk lamp and stood in front of the window. The night in Tianjin was quiet and depressing. The scattered lights in the distance were as small as beans, as if they would be swallowed by the darkness at any time.

Nakajima Ichiro understood that Commander Mitsuda had given him a choice... If he made the wrong choice, it could mean the difference between life and death...