Canteen System Assistance Notes

Who are you looking for?"

"Can't you recognize my voice?"

It was Ozaki's voice, but he still needed to be cautious. Nakanishi Gong did not let his guard down and continued to ask.

There was silence on the other end of the line, as if confused by this sudden question. After a while, there were a few coughs and a very apologetic tone:

"I'm so sorry, I've had a bit of a cold lately and can't hear your voice—cough cough, it feels so bad to hold back a cough so as not to disturb others—please don't tease me, a patient!"

"Oh, I'm your relative Goro! You didn't recognize my voice!" Nakanishi Gong brewed up his emotions and expressed the sentiments of a veteran returning home. "I, an old man, have been re-enlisted in the army. I won't be able to visit you at the year-end party this year. I wish you a speedy recovery from your cold, and please give my regards to your wife and Haruko!"

"Hey? Hey... How could you not come? It's been almost a year since we last met, and our family is..."

An urgent inquiry came from the receiver, but no reply came - at this time, Zhong Xigong had already hung up the phone and quickly left the phone booth.

I just saw him a while ago, so Ozaki Hidemi naturally hasn't caught a cold to the point where his ears are blocked.

Nakanishi Isao knew that the previous conversation, based on the way he and Ozaki Hidemi communicated, already contained enough hidden meanings.

Ozaki told himself that his surroundings were not very safe at the moment, and that he needed the maid to answer the phone first to confirm before he could intercept the call. He was probably under suspicion; but the situation had not yet deteriorated to a point where it was completely hopeless: as of now, it was still the Metropolitan Police Department that was targeting him, and they probably still lacked sufficient evidence to accuse the former Prime Minister's private secretary and conduct a search and arrest on him - otherwise, what Ozaki would get would not be a cold that would heal in a few days, or the person who answered the phone would not be him.

Fortunately, fortunately, it seems that Japan's intelligence agencies are not as extreme as our Chinese comrades have estimated. Everything can still be saved. Zhong Xigong breathed a sigh of relief and began to plan his next steps.

Miyagi and Toku had likely already met with disaster. It was likely too late to notify everyone individually and properly arrange for intelligence blockades. Nakanishi Isao mused that his earlier "orderly retreat" strategy was no longer feasible. He had to activate Directive 9, a full-scale retreat. He gritted his teeth. The "Dōbunsuin" system had given him this authority, a sign of confidence in his own decision: now was the time.

Nakanishi Gong pulled a Japanese yen note from his wallet, then took out a small ultraviolet flashlight and shone it around, quickly discovering a series of serial numbers on it. He then found a specific issue of "Boys' Club"—a magazine that almost every Japanese household has—and found the codeword corresponding to Directive No. 9.

For what followed, Nakanishi Gong had an inherent advantage. He only needed to publish a lost and found notice in a newspaper in a specific format, or insert the codeword into the eight-part essay he was about to write for the "Daishei Yokusankai," to activate the directive, triggering the silencing and withdrawal of intelligence agencies in Japan. By then, the Chinese comrades would also learn of the activation of Directive No. 9 through newspapers, relay it via radio broadcasts, and arrange for the necessary coordination.

However, for the Chinese comrades to learn about this, they had to go through newspaper interpretation and telegram transmission, which is a cumbersome process. If I want to inform them, is there a faster way?

Nakanishi Gong began to rack his brains. He held a high position within the Japanese intelligence system, making him unsuitable for operating an intelligence radio. He only had one disposable "emergency radio" contact person available. But in the current situation, he might already be under suspicion! If he activated that radio again, even more comrades might be implicated.

We must do it in a way that appears normal, and the primary goal must be to preserve strength and retreat in an orderly manner...

In a flash, Nakanishi suddenly remembered his other identity: he was not only a well-known reporter for the Tongmeng News Agency, a personal advisor and close friend of former Prime Minister Konoe, a member of the "Shokukai" (a small group of young masters), but also the Chief of Investigation of the "Manchurian Railway Investigation Bureau" and the head of intelligence for Japan's "ZN Anti-Japanese War Force Investigation Committee." This time, he came to Japan on a business mission to assist Lieutenant General Iimura Jo in North China!

Since there's a completely reasonable method and legitimate motive, why not use it? Zhong Xigong breathed a sigh of relief, then revealed a slightly sinister smile. Besides being able to notify my comrades to evacuate faster, I could also cause some minor trouble for these wild dogs who love to bite!

Soon, the next day, Tokyo's Central Post Office welcomed a distinguished guest.

He belonged to the Army, one of the two pillars of the Empire, and held an order from the Army, asking JP Post to send a document to Guandong Province in (pseudo) Manchuria, which is Qingniwa.

This was a confidential package, requiring complex paperwork and stringent confidentiality regulations. It also needed to be delivered in a confidential pouch by a confidential courier working for the Army, and there wasn't even any bonus to be had. The office workers internally groaned, but they still had to be respectful, conscientiously completing their tasks, and bowing to see the Army section chief off as he left the post office.

The package contained the research materials needed by Iimura Joi and General Okamura in North China - "Materials, Labor, and Transportation Required for National Defense" - this comprehensive research report, led by Iimura Joi and written by the General War Research Committee, is Japan's most reliable pre-war summary report.

This report brought together the pre-war mobilization plans for the army, navy, government, supplies, foreign exchange, and even political mobilization, including the strategic planning of Japan as a whole.

Resource reserves and acquisitions, as well as all subsequent war deductions of reference value, can be

It can be said to be Japan's war underwear - now, as one of the few sober people in Japan, Iimura Mamoru and his report were naturally relegated to the cold palace by the army, and had to be brought out and delivered by a middleman like Nakanishi Isao.

Then, it is natural that Gong Zhongxi mailed this report through a confidential channel specifically serving the army intelligence agency.

In order to ensure the smooth delivery of such a critical report, after the package was sent, it was encrypted using the cryptographic system used by intelligence agencies and a telegram was sent.

It is naturally a sign of diligence, responsibility and caution in both Chinese and Western studies.

The telegram requested that the secret service agency in Kwantung Territory of (pseudo) Manchuria arrange the handover and agree on the time, password and handover method, which is naturally reasonable and justifiable.

Of course, this code corresponded exactly to the code used by the Tongwen Academy to communicate with Chinese comrades. The Chinese comrades would likely be able to quickly decipher this telegram—this was probably just an "interesting coincidence." Zhong Xigong felt no psychological burden at all. He hummed a little tune and leisurely walked out of the post office.

Chapter 534: The Invincible Wise (VI) The Perfect German

Among the red intelligence groups in Japan, apart from some individual chess-playing and cold-piece arrangements, the largest are the three intelligence groups: the Nakanishi Ko group, the Oki group and the "Ramza" group.

Needless to say, Nakanishi Gong was one of the most outstanding natural extensions of the CCP's "Tongwen Academy" intelligence line. His intelligence team was spread throughout the Manchurian Railway and further developed towards North China. While cooperating with Shirai Yukiyuki and Ozaki Shotaro on another line, he even extended his intelligence tentacles all the way into Japan's highest decision-making level.

The Ozaki Group and the Ramza Group were from the same school, both part of the Soviet Red Army intelligence department, known later as the GRU, and operating under the guise of the Communist International. This intelligence group, imbued with the contemporary Soviet style of intelligence, was a force to be reckoned with. Its members were small, highly respected, and highly capable, and they relayed crucial Japanese strategic intelligence to the Soviet Union in a top-down manner.

Now, because China and the Soviet Union had established a mechanism for mutual communication regarding intelligence on Japan, the monitoring station in Shandong Province had deciphered Germany's diplomatic telegrams to Japan, and China's friendly parties had won the Chinese army's first major battle-level victory over Japan in North China—Dalinzi had thus confirmed the strategic security of the Far East and achieved his most important intelligence objective regarding Japan—so, the primary mission of the Ozaki and Ramza teams had been completed, and they no longer had to be trapped in Japan.

As a result, Ozaki Hidemi's group was handed over to the management of the Chinese Common Literature Academy system, and Richard Sorge, the leader of the "Ramza" group, who had a legitimate German identity, was an "impeccable Nazi German", and was accepted by the German bureaucracy, naturally had to go elsewhere to play a more important role.

"Dear Richard, I will miss you terribly now that you're gone," Ambassador Eugen Ott said goodbye to Sorge with a smile. "Who will write the intelligence summary on Japan for me now?" "I believe the next intelligence analyst will be able to do a better job than I did."

Richard Sorge explained to Ambassador Eugen with a smile. They drank coffee, ate snacks and chatted in the office of the German Embassy in Japan. This was quite rare for two old drunkards, but they had to do business today and could not drink.

On the desk was a concise summary of Japanese war intelligence. This was the last intelligence summary submitted by Sorge: Yes, as allies, Germany and Japan did not even have superficial communication with each other on many things. Not only did they keep secrets from each other, but the embassy staff also had to collect and summarize the information themselves, or even obtain it through espionage operations.

This report obviously contained Sorge's full thoughts. As his "parting gift", he not only used his connections to collect information and used his brain to analyze it, but also added the important news he had just received from a "special good friend" a few days ago.

"No, no, no. From what I can see, Richard, there's probably no one who could do a better job than you." Ambassador Eugen praised him generously. "Who else could help me find clues about Japan's top decision-makers? Who else could be as reliable and loyal as you?"

As an ambassador, a spy in his public capacity, Eugen Ott couldn't often travel to gather intelligence, yet gathering intelligence was a necessary part of the embassy's job. Recently, Ribbentrop, a member of the diplomatic system, had frequently inquired about the situation of Japan, their Far Eastern ally, eager to understand Japan's strategic moves after Germany urged it to declare war on the Soviet Union.

Meanwhile, Sorge, working at the embassy, ​​not only acquired intelligence quickly and effectively, but also became Ambassador Eugen's most trusted advisor. He received a special intelligence allowance and could use the German embassy's secure radio station to send telegrams and freely access the security room. Naturally, this Nazi Party member had passed the rigorous scrutiny of German intelligence envoy Hart and had been praised by Military Intelligence Director Wilhelm Franz Canaris as a "natural born spy." Naturally, he was completely reliable and there was no need to worry.

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Eugen."

"But the newly appointed Prime Minister Tojo actually tried to prevent the war?" Eugen Ott asked, pronouncing Tojo's name in clumsy German. "And he actually failed? Was Japan really going to go to war with Britain and the United States?"

"Yes, this time the source of the information is very accurate, coming from the former Japanese Prime Minister's staff. Tojo was a minor figure in Japanese politics, with little foundation. His sudden appointment as Prime Minister was actually the Japanese Emperor's wish to throw the responsibility to him - this way, whether war or peace, victory or defeat, the royal family would not be affected.

"But both the Japanese army and navy were eager to go to war: the war chariot could no longer be stopped."

Sorge spoke freely but was cautious in his conclusions, displaying the classic intelligence officer's habit: "The exact time, location, and method are still unknown, but it shouldn't take more than three months. As for the method, Japan is an island nation, and an attack on Southeast Asia would undoubtedly be accompanied by naval deployments and amphibious landings."

"It is a pity that Japan did not launch an attack on the Soviet Union."

They can't even defeat the Communist army in northern China, let alone fight Stalin's Red Army. To be honest, I think that after the failure of that foolish military adventure in Northeast China, the Japanese army has lost the courage to fight the Soviet Union.

"That can't be helped," Ambassador Eugen said tactfully, waving his hand. "If the Japanese attack the United States, Germany will also declare war on the United States—which, in a sense, is a good thing. In fact, Germany has long been at war with the United States. They aid Britain through sea transport, and now they have to aid the Soviet Union as well."

"If war is officially declared, I think General Dönitz's wolf pack will definitely teach the Americans a profound lesson," the ambassador said optimistically. "The Japanese can also mobilize their navy to cut off the Soviets' access to supplies from the Bering Sea to the United States. This will be beneficial to our war effort."

"Well, if that's the case, then it couldn't be better."

After two cups of hand-brewed coffee with milk and double sugar, plus a few cookies, the two people's analysis of the current situation basically came to an end.

Ambassador Eugen sealed the report and put it into a file bag. Next, the material will be put into a diplomatic mail bag, flown to a third country, and then flown back to Germany.

"Dear Richard, are you really going to leave now?"

"Yes, I'm very sorry, Mr. Ambassador. Although the appointment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires me to return to my country to take up my post in December, I've been very busy recently and I'm a little tired." Sorge yawned without missing a beat. "I want to go back early. It's a good time to take a vacation."

"Hahaha, vacation! That's right!"

Ambassador Eugen laughed heartily. He took out a large square seal and stamped Sorge's application with a click: It is indeed time for you to take a vacation - I recommend you go to France, especially the south of France! When you get there, you must taste some champagne, which is indeed a rare fine wine.

"Oh!" He paused, then gave a mischievous smile. "When you return to the Foreign Office, you will certainly meet His Excellency Ribbentrop, who is a connoisseur of champagne. If you are not absolutely sure, don't give him champagne—prepare some rare, oriental gift instead."

"Thank you so much for your tip, Your Excellency the Ambassador."

Chapter 535: The Wise Are Invincible (VII) Elegant Secrecy

Sorge's departure represented many things.

In the original time and space, Sorge's arrest implicated the entire intelligence group in Japan. The Special High Police, greatly encouraged by this, continued to follow the clues and gradually broke through the intelligence network in Japan through Showa-style interrogation methods. They eventually found key evidence and captured Nakanishi Ko, and then arrested Ozaki Hidemi, Nishiri Ryuo and other prominent figures.

In this history, Sorge had not yet been exposed, which meant that the secret radio station had not yet been exposed. The Japanese Special High Police lacked sufficient evidence to prove the existence of a huge intelligence network in Japan. Their goal was nothing more than to eliminate domestic collaborators and leak secrets based on the "List of Collaborators and Traders" sent back by the Chinese Embassy in the United States, and to "clean up those who participated in the Communist Party." Among them, the main responsibility was not even borne by the Special High Police, but by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

As for why evidence is needed... For ordinary people, the Metropolitan Police Department can indeed conduct searches and arrests without a reason, but for the former Prime Minister,

The "nobles" from political families, well-known scholars and journalists, and even diplomats from allied countries, did not

Even with the evidence, they still can't do it.

Therefore, Sorge's "early vacation" can be more leisurely.

He bid farewell to Duke Albert Urach, the head of the Nazi Party in Japan, and presented him with some Ukiyo-e paintings from his collection. He also received a "handicraft" as a return gift - it was said that this was an antique pistol "tepco" made in Tanegashima during the Warring States Period in Japan.

He duly gave up his rental house and gave some gifts to his neighbors, informing them that he was leaving. He even took his Japanese lover with him and planned to return to France.

Of course, in addition to this, Sorge had to do something extra before leaving.

"Sir, you are here."

In a factory building that served as both a warehouse and a workshop, a young man nodded to Sorge - this was a German-owned blueprint company in Japan, with a large number of industrial plotters, enlargers, planners, and a lot of stacked consumables.

"Is everything ready?" Sorge asked. He put down his briefcase, put on his thick gloves, and prepared to work. "Clausen, how are the preparations for returning home going?"

Max Clausen, a member of the German Communist Party, was the hands-off manager of a graphics company, Sorge's assistant, and also an independent agent at the German Embassy in Japan and a GRU intelligence officer. He managed the company while assisting Sorge, and incidentally, he also provided cover for many Red Intelligence personnel who had previously retreated through Nakanishi Ko's side.

In response to Sorge's question, he nodded and confirmed, "Everything is ready. All those who need shelter have been evacuated, and this place will not be used again in the short term. The arrangements for my own evacuation have also been prepared, and I will be able to evacuate Japan in a few days—"

"As for these devices, I've already negotiated with the buyer. This company will soon be acquired by the Japanese. From what I've observed, those people are probably naval vests. Don't worry, sir, they have no doubts about the typewriter at all."

“It’s bad, it’s bad.”

Sorge nodded and walked into the factory office, where he saw an electromechanical typewriter covered with a blue dustproof cloth, and couldn't help showing a slightly proud expression.

"A typewriter is indeed a machine that can press keys and output characters; but it is more than just a typewriter: there are two light bulbs on the side of it, one red and one green, and an electromechanical scrambler with three rotating wheels.

This was a commercial electromechanical encryption automatic typewriter. It used electromechanical devices coupled with an automatic printer to automatically encrypt and decrypt messages. It was an expensive and luxurious piece of office productivity equipment, but not uncommon in this time and space. Its presence in a foreign-owned graphics company with close ties to the military made perfect sense.

But Sorge obviously hadn't stopped yet. He groped along the cloth-wrapped twisted pair wires on the back of the typewriter and soon found a small square box behind the table. This thing looked like a super mini movie projector, with two tiny wire reels and magnetic heads, connected to medium-sized alligator clips.

He skillfully unplugged the wires from the machine, gathered them together, and then straightened the tubes and laid them out on the table. All of these things, excluding the large typewriter, were only about the size of a woman's handbag. Yes, this was a set of secret radio equipment, the crucial technical support that had kept the Sorge Group active to this day, transmitting large amounts of intelligence and sending multiple telegrams without being discovered.

This modified German-made electromechanical ciphering automatic typewriter could encrypt telegrams using a commercial Enigma machine, which could then be converted into Morse code. The newly added box device could convert the Morse code output from the electromechanical printer into a magnetic signal, which was then overwritten on the wire reel of the wire recorder.

When it was necessary to send a message, one only had to connect the antenna and start the wire recorder, and the Morse code tone "喑乐" recorded on it would be automatically broadcast outwards; if the timing knob was used, unmanned scheduled message sending could be achieved.

And if Sorge accelerated the speed of the wire recorder when sending a message, then the machine could even carry out an "explosive" message at a speed beyond the limit of the listener's ear's ability to distinguish, almost eliminating all possible monitoring.

However, this function is only activated when sending messages to GRU and CCP comrades. Anyway, based on the principle of Enigma, even if the mechanical structure and encryption method are known, it is difficult to decipher the message without the code - and there is also burst transmission as a double insurance, which is very safe.

"What an industrial work of art," he thought.

Sorge did not know the relationship between this set of equipment and his Chinese comrades, nor did he know the relationship between the high-speed relays, reed switches and other equipment in it and the Eighth Route Army's "automatic key" radio. He just thought that this thing was really convenient, safe and easy to use.

"The relays and wire recorders need to be completely destroyed."

He began to remove the wire recorder and relay from the radio and put them into his suitcase. The two items were small, making them easy to hide and destroy. "But this typewriter is quite large. What should we do with it..."

Leaving it untouched was definitely not an option. The mapping factory would then sell it to the Japanese Navy's white gloves. This encrypted printer, after all, contained a commercial Enigma machine, which was a potential threat. But how could such a delicate device be handled without causing any disturbance?

"Can we get some thermite to completely melt the equipment?" Clausen removed the wire reel from the recorder and smashed it, then cut the wires one by one. "Then only a pile of metal residue will be left. Keep it secret." "No, thermite makes too much noise."

Sorge rejected the proposal, saying, "We've previously received rubbings of navy weapon blueprints, and we registered them with the Japanese Navy. If the company caught fire, the navy would definitely investigate immediately—and once the navy arrives, the army will surely follow."

"How about cutting the machine into pieces, hiding it in cement, and throwing it away at the scrapyard?"

"No, the cutting machine is noisy, and Japan's scrap metal is already a regulated resource.

I am afraid of attracting unnecessary attention. "Sorge suddenly had a headache.

I couldn't think of any more convenient way, "Don't worry, there must be a way, let me think about it..."

Secret typewriter, made in Germany, Enigma code...

Wait...why does it have to be destroyed?

A light bulb went off in Sorge's head. With his intelligence sharpness, he immediately grasped the key point in these clues: if you want to hide a tree, it's best to place it in a forest—where are there many electromechanical typewriters and Enigma machines?

That must be the German Embassy in Japan!

Since I have free access to the embassy's secure area, why not throw this typewriter in there? The embassy itself has an international radio station and many new and old encryption machines. After removing the tape recorder and burst transmission module, this typewriter itself is no different from any other device... Even if Japan's Special High Police were powerful, they wouldn't be able to find the German Embassy in Japan, right?

Why not let the Germans keep it a secret for us?

Thinking of this, Sorge breathed a sigh of relief: "Don't worry, Clausen, I have a plan."

Chapter 536: The Wise Are Invincible (VIII) Japanese Miracle

As Zhong Xigong boarded the passenger ship back to Shanghai, Sorge embarked on his journey back to France for vacation, and the Communist Party's intelligence network in Japan began to quiet down.

Many of them evacuated early in the same way, using various legal and reasonable means, and came to China, Vietnam, Myanmar or India, or went to Europe; some were ordered to reduce their activities, lie in wait, and wait for the war situation to develop before taking action; some had been targeted and had to hide their identities and change their identities, hiding in the Japanese countryside for a while.

As long as the CCP can take care of and make use of its strength, the "Tongwen Academy" system has arranged evacuation routes for intelligence personnel as much as possible, even if it involves some risks - after all, people are always kind-hearted, and a qualified intelligence organization cannot just use people and then abandon them.

But even with their best efforts, after every secret radio station fell silent and every line went dormant, there were still some people who never reported again, and were not even seen in public news in Japan. Perhaps they had sacrificed themselves.

The comrades in charge of the meeting thought they were waiting in the Northeast, Shanghai, Wan Chai, and Hanoi. Although their minds had already given the most likely answer, their emotions still hoped for a miracle. At the same time, as materialists, they could not fully submit to their idealistic vision. If there was any discomfort, it was probably this scene.

But perhaps due to historical changes and coincidences, and with the cooperation of many strange factors, a "miracle" may really have happened.

Miyagi and Yotoku, who were captured at the substitute goods exhibition, ultimately survived.

Because of the lack of the key link of the radio station being confiscated, Miyagi Yotoku went from being a "communist spy who stole intelligence from the Empire" to a "shameless Okinawan who wagged his tail to the US" - his Japanese-American identity made Miyagi Yotoku be listed on the Special High Police's "List of Collaborators and US Collaborators" without any explanation, and was subsequently listed by the Metropolitan Police Department as a group of returned US collaborators who needed to be monitored closely.