Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

This man was not tall, even a little short and stocky, but every step he took was extremely steady and powerful, as if he was rooted in the earth.

He was also wearing the uniform of a lieutenant general of the Kwantung Army and a pair of round-framed glasses. His eyes behind the lenses were calm, sharp, and even had a look of almost harsh scrutiny.

His lips were habitually pursed, forming a firm straight line, and his jawline was strong, revealing a strong willpower and unquestionable authority.

It was Hideki Tojo, the then Chief of Staff of the Japanese Kwantung Army, who was known within the army for his tough tactics and ambition.

Hideki Tojo paused slightly at the door of the train, and his eyes, like the most sophisticated radar, scanned the entire platform in an instant, accurately locking onto Zhou Zhengqing and Daihui Naoki who were standing in the front.

When he saw Zhou Zhengqing, a smile immediately appeared on Hideki Tojo's stern face.

Zhou Zhengqing immediately stepped forward, his steps calm, and stopped at a suitable distance from Tojo Hideki, bowing slightly: "Your Excellency Chief of Staff Tojo, thank you for your hard work on the journey! Welcome to Tianjin!"

Following closely behind, Daihui Naoki also immediately put his legs together, bowed deeply, and said in a loud voice: "Mr. Tojo, it's been a long time! Welcome!"

Tojo Hideki walked up to Zhou Zhengqing, reached out his hand, patted Zhou Zhengqing on the shoulder and said with a smile: "You kid, I haven't seen you for a few months, but you have grown a lot stronger."

"Uncle Tojo is becoming more energetic." Zhou Zhengqing complimented casually.

Hideki Tojo's gaze fell on Zhou Zhengqing's face and stayed on that young face for a full two seconds.

The eyes behind the lenses were still sharp, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to have less pure scrutiny than the last time they met, and more of an indescribable feeling, similar to the consideration of a potential collaborator.

Turning to look at Daihui Naoki, the muscles at the corners of his mouth twitched very slightly. Perhaps it could be called a fleeting, extremely restrained smile.

His voice was not loud, but it carried the unquestionable majesty and oppression that was unique to those who had been in a superior position for a long time: "Mr. Dahui, thank you for coming to greet me in person. It's very polite." His words were concise, without any unnecessary greetings.

"It is an honor for us to have come all this way, Your Excellency the Chief of Staff. It is only right that we do so." Daihui Naoki leaned over and made a "please" gesture: "The vehicle is ready. Please go to the headquarters to rest for a while and get rid of the cold.

General Terauchi is already waiting at the headquarters, and a banquet has been specially prepared tonight to welcome you."

In the seemingly formulaic and polite conversation, Zhou Zhengqing keenly caught a slight change in Tojo Hideki's brow.

Despite the long journey, the Kwantung Army Chief of Staff was in high spirits. Far from being tired at all, he seemed even more composed and… more aggressive than during their last meeting.

Zhou Zhengqing knew clearly that Hideki Tojo's quiet visit this time was definitely not just to respond to the invitation of the commander of the North China Front Army, Terauchi Hisaichi, to discuss the handover of defense in Shanxi, Chahar and other places.

After several secret talks with Kenkichi Ueda, Tojo realized that the real undercurrents beneath the surface of this meeting were the Kwantung Army's coveting of the wealthy central China region, and Tojo's own strong desire to "actively move south" and intervene in the core battle situation to expand his own influence and that of the Kwantung Army.

And this undercurrent was precisely triggered by Zhou Zhengqing...

A group of people surrounded Hideki Tojo and walked out of the train station through the heavily guarded passage.

In the square outside the station, a long line of black cars had already been lined up silently waiting, and a small rising sun flag was inserted on the front of each car.

Zhou Zhengqing personally opened the door of the middle car, which looked the heaviest and had obviously been modified to be bulletproof, for Hideki Tojo.

Guided and escorted by several three-wheeled military motorcycles, the convoy started silently, quickly left the train station, and sped towards the Tianjin North China Front Command in Haiguang Temple.

Military police had already implemented temporary traffic control at the main intersections along the way. The empty streets further highlighted the uniqueness and majesty of this convoy. The occasional Chinese people who appeared on the roadside all lowered their heads and quickly stepped out of the way. An invisible sense of oppression filled the cold air.

Inside the car, Zhou Zhengqing and Hideki Tojo sat side by side in the spacious back seat.

The carriage was as warm as spring, which was in stark contrast to the bleak winter scene in Tianjin outside the window.

Zhou Zhengqing and Hideki Tojo sat side by side on the soft backseat sofa, the leather emitting a faint smell of maintenance oil.

The brief silence was not awkward, but rather a tacit understanding that required no words.

In the end, it was Hideki Tojo who broke the silence first, with a barely perceptible gentleness in his tone.

"Takuto." He used a more intimate name instead of a formal one.

He withdrew his gaze from the window and settled on Zhou Zhengqing. The sharpness behind his lenses seemed softened by the consideration of an elder. "Tianjin is a place where good and bad people mix. You've managed to run the Military Police Headquarters so neatly in such a short time. Compared to your reckless behavior in Harbin, you've grown quickly. I'm very happy."

Zhou Zhengqing bowed slightly, his face showing just the right amount of gratitude mixed with respect for his elders: "Uncle Tojo, you are too kind.

Many things still rely on advice from elders like you. Telegrams from home have repeatedly told me that when I'm undecided, I should always consult Uncle Tojo." He skillfully incorporated personal connections into the conversation, both narrowing the distance and subtly elevating Tojo's status.

Tojo nodded, his tone becoming more moderate, even carrying a hint of recognition from an elder towards an outstanding junior: "You have done better than many people expected. Maintaining stability in Tianjin is not easy."

He cleverly changed the subject, "It's just that I heard that recently in Central China, Matsui Iwane and the others... don't seem to be doing well?"

Your people are here. Have you heard any more specific news?

Have you been implicated or pressured in any way?" He asked with concern, as if he was worried that Zhou Zhengqing would be affected by the mess in the south.

Zhou Zhengqing understood that Hideki Tojo was trying to gather key information in the same way an elder would, caring about the work of his juniors.

He maintained a respectful attitude and replied calmly, “Thank you, Uncle Tojo, for your concern.

The war in central China did encounter some obstacles.

The Xicheng defense line was very strong, and the Chinese army's will to resist was stronger than expected.

General Matsui is under a lot of pressure. As for me," he paused, letting out a helpless smile, "it's my job, so there are some things that need to be coordinated and handled, but it's still under control and I can still handle it."

He answered skillfully, acknowledging the difficulties while hinting that he could control the situation, and implicitly expressing that he was not completely in sync with the Central China side.

This made a glimmer of admiration flash in Hideki Tojo's eyes.

However, when Tojo Hideki turned his gaze to Daihui Naoki, who was sitting in the passenger seat and trying hard to reduce his presence, the temperature in the car seemed to drop several degrees in an instant.

Tojo Hideki's tone returned to its previous cold and majestic tone, even with a hint of unquestionable admonition:

"Dahui Naoki."

Just a name, pronounced by Hideki Tojo in that unique tone without any emotion, made Daihui Naoki's back straighten instantly.

He half-turned around almost reflexively, his face showing obvious nervousness and respect: "Hey! Your Excellency the Chief of Staff!"