Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Although they were both lieutenant generals, when Daihui Naoki was in Manchuria, his status was far lower than that of Tojo Hideki, the chief of staff of the Kwantung Army. In addition, Tojo Hideki had always been ruthless and his qualifications were not high enough.

When facing Tojo Hideki, Daihui Naoki always lowered his posture and put himself in the position of a subordinate. Even after leaving Manchuria and arriving in North China, he still did not dare to put on a high profile in front of Tojo Hideki.

"I've reviewed the battles in Shanxi and the performance of the North China Front Army in detail." Tojo Hideki's voice was steady, but it lashed at Daihui Naoki's heart like a whip: "The initial progress was acceptable, but why was it so slow in the later stages?

Especially in terms of eliminating the remaining enemies and consolidating the occupied areas, the efficiency is low!

The Chinese army is slithering around in your defense zone like rats, and you can't do anything about it? If this continues, how can you ensure the stability of North China's rear and support the empire's greater strategy?

This series of merciless questioning caused beads of sweat to instantly appear on Daihui Naoki's forehead.

He knew his old boss too well. Hideki Tojo was notoriously harsh in his treatment of his subordinates, especially in military command and execution, which did not tolerate any ambiguity or excuses.

He swallowed hard and explained with difficulty, "Your Excellency... Your Excellency, please forgive me! Shanxi's terrain is complex, and the enemy troops are fragmented. It is indeed... indeed, it is extremely difficult to wipe them out, and the logistical supply lines are long..."

"Difficulties? Which battlefield doesn't have difficulties?!" Tojo Hideki interrupted him rudely, his voice rising a few degrees with obvious dissatisfaction: "I think your determination is not enough! Your methods are not ruthless enough!

Being kind to the enemy is being cruel to your own soldiers! Do I need to teach you this again?

Dahui-kun, you guys really disappoint me!"

"Hi!" Daihui Naoki's voice trembled, his head lowered even lower, and he almost dared not look directly into Tojo Hideki's sharp gaze.

In front of Tojo, he completely lost the dignity of a military commander and was more like an elementary school student who was severely reprimanded for making a mistake.

Zhou Zhengqing watched quietly from the side, and gained a more intuitive understanding of Tojo Hideki's methods of controlling his subordinates.

The sharp contrast between his gentleness towards younger generations and his harshness towards others precisely demonstrates that Hideki Tojo was well versed in political tactics, knew how to distinguish between close and distant relatives, and used both kindness and force.

After scolding Daihui Naoki, Tojo Hideki seemed to have vented some of his unhappiness, and turned his tone to Zhou Zhengqing again. Although he still had the concern of an elder, the topic led to a deeper direction: "Takuto, before coming here, I heard some news from Central China.

"Mr. Matsui seems to be in some trouble on the Xicheng front line. Tell us what you know."

Zhou Zhengqing felt something in his heart and knew that the main topic was about to begin.

Zhou Zhengqing replied calmly, his expression unchanged: "Indeed, the Chinese army retreated in time and, relying on the Xicheng defense fortifications, put up an extremely tenacious resistance.

The Central China Expeditionary Force's progress was slow, and its casualties were . . . quite heavy." He stopped short, without embellishing, but the word "heavy" was enough to explain the problem.

"Oh?" Tojo's eyes flashed behind his glasses, "It seems that the Chinese army is not completely powerless to fight back.

General Terauchi invited me here to discuss the defense of Shanxi and Chahar. I'm afraid he saw the war in Central China dragging on and was worried about changes in North China."

"Uncle Tojo has great foresight," Zhou Zhengqing said, "Although the situation in North China is temporarily stable, underground resistance activities are rampant. Suiyuan and Chahar, which are controlled by Uncle Tojo, should also be unstable.

However, now with the support and assistance of the Kwantung Army, the empire's most elite force, the North China Front Army can more confidently deal with the changes in the south, and even... seek an opportunity to move south and form a pincer attack with the Central China Front Army."

His words seemed to be in agreement with Terauchi Hisaichi's position, but in fact they cleverly revealed the facts of "Kwantung Army's support" and "Southern pincer attack".

Tojo Hideki did not answer immediately, but tapped his knees lightly with his fingers, as if in deep thought. After a long while, he slowly said: "The Kwantung Army shoulders the heavy responsibility of guarding against the Soviet Union and must not act rashly.

However... Ensuring the overall victory of the Imperial Holy War is also the unshirkable responsibility of the Kwantung Army.

How to strike a balance requires careful consideration."

This statement was flawless, emphasizing the main tasks of the Kwantung Army and pointing out the necessity of moving south.

Zhou Zhengqing knew that Hideki Tojo and Kenkichi Ueda had already taken action, but they needed more "reasons" and "timing".

The convoy drove into the North China Front Army Headquarters.

Zhou Zhengqing got out of the car first and opened the door for Tojo Hideki again.

He knew that the upcoming formal meeting with Terauchi Hisaichi at the headquarters and tonight's banquet would be the stage for the real confrontation and planning.

. . . . . . . . .

Deep inside the Japanese military police headquarters in Tianjin, in a top-secret meeting room, the air was so heavy that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it.

General Terauchi Hisaichi, commander of the North China Front Army, sat at the head of the long conference table. He was dressed in a neat military uniform with medals shining on his chest. Although he tried hard to maintain his aristocratic composure, a trace of fatigue and anxiety between his brows that was difficult to conceal revealed the heavy pressure brought by the war situation in North China.

On his left and right sat Lieutenant General Daiki Naoki, Commander of the First Army, Lieutenant General Nishio Hisazo, Commander of the Second Army, and Lieutenant General Hasunuma, Commander of the Mongolian Corps.

The core generals of the North China Front Army included the commander of the 5th Division, Seishirō Itakase, the commander of the 14th Division, Fumisaburo Kawagishi, the commander of the 20th Division, Lieutenant General Isamu Kamikawai, the commander of the 108th Division, Lieutenant General Kumamiya Shimomoto, the commander of the 109th Division, Lieutenant General Shigeaki Yamaoka, the chief of staff, Major General Naozaburo Okabe, and other core generals of the North China Front Army.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the key figure sitting directly opposite Terauchi Hisaichi, Lieutenant General Hideki Tojo, Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army.

Hideki Tojo was also wearing a lieutenant general's uniform, sitting as straight as a pine tree. His eyes behind his round-framed glasses were as sharp as an eagle, and his tightly pursed lips revealed his inherent toughness and seriousness.

His arrival instantly elevated the level of this meeting, affecting the entire Chinese war situation and even the strategic layout of the Imperial Army.

As the commander of the Tianjin gendarmerie and one of the important facilitators of this meeting, Zhou Zhengqing was seated on one side of the long table, close to Daihui Naoki. His position was delicate. He was not a direct descendant of the North China Front Army, but was indispensable because of his special status and personal friendship with Hideki Tojo.

He sat quietly, like a calm bystander, but his ears and brain were working at high speed, capturing the deep meaning behind every word and every expression.