Chapter 645: Attention, Attention

Truth be told, it was no wonder Wang Wang Manchun was so respectful; Iwai Eiichi's status was indeed high. As the Deputy Consul General of the Shanghai Consulate, he already wielded immense power. At the same time, he was the leader of the Iwai Mansion, a special service agency, controlling the operational funds for the Japanese military and the puppet government's special service organizations, with the power to manipulate and interfere with them. Although the Consulate belonged to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Special Higher Division belonged to the Ministry of Home Affairs, with no direct subordinate relationship, in terms of rank, he was superior to the Special Higher Division.

To a certain extent, Wang Wang Manchun was now considered a special agent of the puppet government, just transferred to the Special Higher Division; in reality, she was also under Iwai Eiichi's jurisdiction.

However, to remain so respectful when no one was watching—that was a true internal recognition, or perhaps going a bit too far.

Wang Yan shook his head and smiled, saying, "Didn't I tell you? I have some business dealings with him, introduced by Omura Akihiro. We've been cooperating for a month now, but I haven't met him yet. Perhaps he also wants to know who is making money for him. As for your suggestion of absorbing me into the Special Investigation Office, that's impossible. At most, I'll just tell him the intelligence I've already told you. Don't worry, no need to be so nervous. If I wanted to defect to the Japanese, I would have done it long ago; it has nothing to do with the other party's status or position."

He really wasn't lying. He had previously suggested to Omura Akihiro that they do business together and had requested a detailed list of participants, which included Iwai Eiichi. The business had just begun, and the Japanese were indeed quite cooperative; all products had been changed to Western packaging. As for whether the eventual profits would end up in the pockets of these little Japanese, or if they would pay out of their own pockets to subsidize military expenses for their Emperor, that was unknown.

Wang Wang Manchun sighed: "You, you're just too attached to your life. Otherwise, your achievements wouldn't stop here; you would definitely have greater accomplishments."

"Still the same saying: even if you have heaven-defying accomplishments, what's the use if you don't have the life to enjoy them? Right now, I take A-Si with me and strut down the street every day. If I really defected to the Japanese, I'd be afraid of being killed even if I had a whole company of men with me. Living in fear and trembling just to achieve something? Why bother? You should try this; the taste is not bad."

Looking at the food Wang Yan had placed on her plate, Wang Wang Manchun shook her head speechlessly: "Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating..."

The two of them hid in a corner, talking sporadically. Aside from dealing with some ignorant people trying to get close, Wang Yan just kept feasting, enjoying himself immensely.

Although it was a cold buffet, the roasted meats and pastries had been freshly made not long ago, and the master chefs were highly skilled. Hosted by the Japanese Consulate, the banquet was attended by high-ranking Japanese military and political officials, key figures of the puppet government, and the Chinese elite of Shanghai. How could the food and drink for these people be anything but excellent? Wang Yan called it "junk," but it actually tasted quite good.

After a while, someone stood on the stage where music had been playing. The music stopped, and everyone's gaze subconsciously turned there, after which the person began to speak into the microphone.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this banquet. I am from the Consulate..."

This was a consulate official of not-insignificant rank, but with so many military and political bigwigs present today, he didn't rank high enough, so he ended up doing the work of a host.

He didn't say anything special, just standard remarks, roughly introducing why the banquet was held and introducing the key figures present. Then, amidst the enthusiastic applause of a group of Japanese and traitors, the Consul General took the stage to speak, followed by an Army Lieutenant General who had just returned from the Xuzhou battlefield. There was no serious talk, nothing more than showing off the might of the Japanese, urging those traitors and sellouts to firm up their resolve, and telling those with ambiguous attitudes like Wang Yan to make their choices early. The rest was the usual deception, painting a picture of their great cause of *****.

It was mainly to intimidate people, then to win them over, and to show their welcoming attitude. This kind of speech was useless; the main thing was the various one-on-one chats that followed.

Wang Yan couldn't bring himself to refuse a toast or turn the table when someone offered food, especially when the enemy was strong and he was weak. Regardless of whether anyone was watching, he had to keep up appearances. So, he reluctantly stopped eating, stood on the outermost perimeter, and clapped with a smile.

He would have preferred to hide in the crowd and do nothing, but unfortunately, the little Japanese were too short, rarely over 1.8 meters. The height of the Chinese present was okay, but most were over 1.7 meters, and there were very few young people among the Chinese present; they were basically all in their forties or fifties, already starting to shrink. At under thirty, with his body transformed by the "Living Father" and his skin still good, he didn't look old and appeared quite young. If not for his extraordinary bearing, he would be no different from the young students shouting slogans on university campuses.

So, he was considered a rather prominent player here; he couldn't get away with not clapping or smiling.

Fortunately, the little Japanese didn't have that much nonsense to say. After less than twenty minutes, everyone drank a victory toast to the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere of the Great Japanese Empire, which officially started the banquet. People began to disperse; some danced in the hall, some went to network, and even high-ranking Japanese officials, led by their subordinates, went to chat one-on-one with the Chinese.

It was under these circumstances that Omura Akihiro led over a man who was short and stocky, with a square head and face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, a short mustache, and short hair on his square head combed back in a slick, shiny style, dressed in a suit and leather shoes.

Without waiting for Omura Akihiro to speak, Wang Yan went up first and extended his hand to the man: "I guess you must be Mr. Iwai. I have long admired you."

Iwai Eiichi nodded with a smile, reached out, and shook Wang Yan's hand firmly: "Wang-sang, I have also long heard of your name. Seeing you today, you are truly extraordinary. Is our food here to your liking?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Wang Wang Manchun, who was wearing a polite smile on the side, and she tactfully left.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "The things prepared by the Consulate are all delicious. I'm not a picky eater; as long as it's delicious, I like to eat it. There's nothing that doesn't suit my taste."

Iwai Eiichi laughed, also picked up a plate, and began to eat with Wang Yan, picking out food: "Everyone else is socializing in the hall, only Wang-sang is enjoying the food. This detached state of mind is truly enviable."

"You flatter me. It's not that I am detached, but that what I seek is different from them. You should know that what they seek is greater power and more wealth, while what I seek is to live comfortably. I don't lack the spirit to take risks, but I will definitely not do things that are certain death."

"Wang-sang is a man of great wisdom. I understand completely, and I have no intention of forcing you to join us. Today is just to meet you in person. After all, we are business partners; we should know each other, don't you think?"

"That goes without saying. Speaking of cooperation, I must thank Mr. Iwai and other Japanese friends for their trust in handing over such a large batch of goods for me to handle. Mr. Iwai, rest assured, there will be no mishaps. In another month, we can settle the accounts. Also, I heard Mr. Omura mention before that you like Chinese antiques. It just so happens that I have two blue-and-white vases from the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty. Later, I will hand them to Mr. Omura for him to pass on to you."

Of the things that could be plundered from China, besides the resources on the land, antiques were the most popular. Many little Japanese who pretended to be refined and called themselves "China hands" liked to collect them.

"That would be great. Thank you for the gift, Wang-sang." Iwai Eiichi nodded repeatedly and smiled: "Wang-sang likes beauties. I also know about the woman just now; she was arranged by Minami Tada Yoko of the Special Higher Division. I also have beauties here, pure Japanese girls. I can introduce them to you. If it's a good fit, you can date and see, how about it?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Iwai, but let's forget it. Being with her was just because I was blinded by beauty and was negligent for a moment; it's not easy to shake her off. We don't need these things between us. Isn't the hundreds of thousands of US dollars we make from one business deal more intimate than a relationship with a woman? I am greedy for money first, and lustful second. If I don't have wealth to stand on, how can I enjoy beauties? I can distinguish these things clearly, so don't trouble yourself, Mr. Iwai."

Iwai Eiichi didn't mind Wang Yan's refusal, shook his head with a smile, and turned to ask: "I wonder what Wang-sang thinks of the current war between China and Japan?"

Wang Yan thought for a moment, didn't answer the question, but asked back: "I wonder what Mr. Iwai thinks of the 'On Protracted War' released by the Red Party last month?"

"Hahaha..." Iwai Eiichi looked up and laughed, very confident: "It makes a lot of sense, and many points are very correct. Judging from the current war situation, it is not an easy task to destroy your Nationalist government in a short time. The war is indeed developing in a protracted direction, but I say, the final victory will definitely belong to the Great Japanese Empire. We have a million warriors attacking, achieving one victory after another on the battlefield, from the Northeast to Shanghai, to Xuzhou, and now to Wuhan. No one can stop the footsteps of the warriors of the Great Japanese Empire."

"And Wang-sang, look at these compatriots of yours in the hall. They are the elite among you Chinese. They hold wealth and they hold the power of speech. This is what you see. There is also what you don't see: our Empire's agents are contacting people who are inclined toward the glory of the Great Japanese Empire. They are wise men, and even more so, warriors. Wang-sang, they have more courage than you. As you said, they pursue higher power and more wealth. Perhaps many of them don't have as high a status as you, but there are always those who are better than you."

"These people don't lack power or money, but they are still striving for higher goals. Are they not afraid of death? I'll tell you why. Because there is an old Chinese saying: 'A person leaves a name, a goose leaves a sound.' They have higher pursuits, and for this, they are willing to pay with their lives. On this point, Wang-sang, I must criticize you; you are a coward."

Judging from the war situation, Iwai Eiichi's confidence was completely flawless. Because the strategic goal of the Japanese military's advance on Wuhan was to capture Hankou and Guangzhou, control key locations, and force China to surrender. They had the intention of achieving success in one battle. For this, they mobilized the vast majority of their forces to fight this battle, with the intention of destroying China. Of course, the result was predetermined. Even if the Battle of Wuhan failed, China would not give up its determination to fight Japan to the end because of the loss of one city or one territory.

However, Wang Yan's focus was not on this aspect, but on the news revealed in Iwai Eiichi's words.

Iwai Eiichi said that agents were contacting people in the Kuomintang and elite figures in the Nationalist-controlled areas, which was a very normal thing. However, he said that among these people, there were those with higher status than Wang Yan, which was the key. Perhaps there were many people with higher status than Wang Yan, but to give someone of Iwai Eiichi's level such great confidence, and to speak of Wang Yan with such disdain, that status was not just a little bit higher than Wang Yan's.

Without bragging, although Wang Yan was a gang leader, in terms of the situation in Shanghai, his position gave him a status three points higher. Not to mention the distant ones, just looking at the traitors in the hall, none were as useful as him, although they were all capable people. Some were even figures from the Tongmeng Society era, but as of today, none of them could compare. Moreover, he himself did business with both parties and had woven a relationship network, which added even more to his status.

So, for someone who could make Iwai Eiichi look down on Wang Yan's level, in the Kuomintang, not to mention being countable on one hand, they were definitely checkable. Combining this with the history that only Wang Yan knew, this extremely high-status person was about to emerge.

Besides Wang Zhaoming, who else could it be?

Of course, the reverse also made sense. It was that Wang Yan, with the prior knowledge that Wang Zhaoming would definitely rebel, had an overreaction and over-interpretation of Iwai Eiichi's words, which was also fine. And Iwai Eiichi indeed participated in helping Wang Zhaoming defect.

But regardless, the matter of Wang Zhaoming had been brought up.

In his early years, Wang Zhaoming did not advocate fighting Japan. At that time, he was already being watched by the Japanese, and the wooing of Wang Zhaoming should have been going on for a long time. And Wang Zhaoming's betrayal indeed poured a bucket of cold water on China's resistance against Japan.

Because Wang Zhaoming was no ordinary figure. He once competed with the "Baldy" (Chiang Kai-shek) for supremacy. Although he was defeated and left, he later set up a Guangzhou government to rival the Baldy. Later, for various reasons, they merged into one family, but his status as the "Second Brother" of the Kuomintang remained. It was just that his political skills were poor, he couldn't beat the Baldy, and he was gradually sidelined.

As the number two figure of the Kuomintang, and thus the number two figure in China today, Wang Zhaoming's betrayal and defection to the Japanese undoubtedly had a huge impact. He set a very bad precedent and also deflated the spirits of those fighting below.

Wang Zhaoming and his puppet Nanjing Nationalist government played an active role in cooperating with Japan's aggression in China. Militarily, they incited a million Nationalist troops to defect, especially the miscellaneous troops, organized puppet armies, and carried out multiple "pacification" campaigns. Economically, the puppet government assisted the Japanese military in plundering the occupied areas. In ideological education, they promoted the concept of making peace with Japan in schools, beautified Japanese aggression, and weakened the public's anti-Japanese sentiment from an ideological perspective. In addition, they recognized puppet governments like Manchukuo and the Mongol United Autonomous Government of Prince De, which was an act of completely splitting the country.

It was precisely these things, one by one, that made Wang Zhaoming undoubtedly the greatest traitor in China's five thousand years. He truly left a name; even Qin Gui would have to make room for him.

Thinking this in his heart, Wang Yan appeared to humbly accept the criticism, nodding repeatedly and saying: "There's no way around it. I've been cautious since I was a child, and I've been lucky to have never encountered any major setbacks until now. I don't have as much experience as Mr. Iwai. The more this is the case, the more cautious I should be. Mr. Iwai, Mr. Omura should have already told you my attitude. On this point, I will not change no matter what. However, this does not affect our cooperation. Moreover, from now on, I will also tell you the things I tell Section Chief Minami Tada. What does Mr. Iwai think?"

Iwai Eiichi nodded with a smile: "Wang-sang, you don't have to be nervous. I said, I won't force you. Although you fear death, how many people in this world are not afraid of death? I understand very well, and I very much appreciate your straightforward and reliable character. The Great Japanese Empire will never treat friendly friends badly. Moreover, we are now business partners. To me personally, you are also my friend. We should communicate more in the future to enhance our friendship, Wang-sang."

"Yes, Mr. Iwai, you are right, we should indeed communicate more."

"Then it's settled. If there are any gatherings in the future, I will have someone notify you in advance. You must not decline. In the words of you Chinese, that would make me lose face."

"Mr. Iwai, you flatter me. It is Wang's honor that a person of your stature is willing to condescend to accommodate a small character like me. How could I decline?"

"Good, Wang-sang, then that's it. We'll talk later. There are still many people I need to meet. Excuse me."

"Please!"

Watching Iwai Eiichi leave, Wang Yan continued to eat and drink. Iwai Eiichi's purpose was actually no different from Minami Tada Yoko's: both were just making contact to see the person in real life. They both believed they had a unique set of skills for observing people and had a pair of "fiery eyes" that no one could escape. That was the mysterious confidence belonging to those in power. In other words, they were used to being flattered. Of course, it didn't exclude that they themselves had real ability and exquisite minds; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to rise to high positions.

Currently, it seemed his situation was still fine. The Japanese were still quite patient with him, which was also due to his position and the help provided by the foreigners behind him—all earned by himself, so it was considered safe. However, the situation changed quickly, and it was hard to say what would happen in the future, so he had to take it one step at a time.

At this time, Wang Wang Manchun also came over, and even brought her uncle Wang Fuqu over to introduce him.

Wang Yan naturally responded with a smile, talking about future cooperation. Wang Yan didn't like to bother with Wang Fuqu. A thing that would die sooner or later, and a man at that, why bother with him? However, for Wang Wang Manchun's sake, there was indeed some small cooperation. That was, the Qinglian Bank would lend them a sum of money, and in the future, part of the Wang family's capital turnover business would be placed in Qinglian, which was equivalent to a simple initial contact.

Pretending, Wang Yan was very good at it.

Watching Wang Fuqu leave satisfied, Wang Yan said with a smile: "How about that, I gave you enough face, right?"

"You wouldn't dare not to." Wang Wang Manchun snorted: "My uncle loves me the most; you must not cheat him."

"Your Wang family's business is already quite large; there's no need to get involved with me. But since you spoke, I don't have many merits, but being good to women is my most outstanding one. Don't worry, I wouldn't cheat anyone, let alone you."

"That's more like it. What did Mr. Iwai say to you?"

"About the same as your Section Chief Minami Tada, nothing more than testing me to see if I'm really determined not to defect, and promised him two Ming Dynasty antiques to build a relationship. Do you know what Minami Tada Yoko likes? Send her something too, otherwise I'll feel bad."

Wang Wang Manchun shook her head amusedly, but still thought about it seriously: "I really haven't discovered what Section Chief Minami Tada likes. She is very competitive and has always not wanted people to talk about her as a woman. Perhaps if you defect to her, she will be happy."

"Then let's just send money; sending money is the most practical. For that matter last time, I put up 200,000 US dollars. Do you know how much Minami Tada Yoko got?"

"Not clear, how could she tell me about such things?"

Wang Yan nodded and thought for a moment: "After I go back, I'll write a check for 50,000 US dollars. Tomorrow you help me pass it to her; consider it my heart."

Wang Wang Manchun frowned: "Isn't that too much? You've been making big moves recently, spending money like water. You should save where you can. I think you'd be better off getting some gold bars; not only do they look good, but you can also save quite a bit."

"What, starting to be my housekeeper?"

"Who's managing you?" Wang Wang Manchun punched Wang Yan angrily, the blush on her cheeks having the shyness of a young girl.

Even if this was truly Wang Wang Manchun's real expression, Wang Yan absolutely didn't believe it. She was just a "pink skull" (a beautiful woman who will eventually rot); he didn't care. Women couldn't disturb his Dao heart.

He said with a smile: "Money is easy to get, antiques are hard to find. Although Minami Tada Yoko's status cannot be compared with Iwai Eiichi's, she is, after all, the Section Chief of the Shanghai Special Higher Division. Giving too little is inappropriate. This is all 'life-buying money'; more is fine, but it must never be less."

It was this cowardly look again. Wang Wang Manchun couldn't be bothered to deal with Wang Yan and turned to start eating. She didn't have anyone to flatter. Coming here today was just because Wang Yan was here, and she was ordered to see who Wang Yan was in contact with and what he said. Who would have thought Wang Yan wouldn't pay attention to those people at all and just kept eating and drinking? Then, of course, she wouldn't move either. Besides, she would definitely have to leave with Wang Yan tonight, and that was very tiring. If she didn't eat more, it wouldn't be easy to handle...

Wang Yan's status was there after all. Even if he hid to be idle, there were always people coming to find him. For example, those former subordinates of Zhang Xiaolin, or businessmen with many industries in the concessions or whose unions were controlled by the Green Gang, they all had to come and flatter Wang Yan.

Dragging on like this, it wasn't until after seven in the evening that Wang Yan left with Wang Wang Manchun, and was sent by Qi Si to that garden villa to have fun...

After twelve o'clock, the battle ended, the battlefield was cleaned up, and by the time the naked Wang Wang Manchun was breathing evenly and had fallen into a deep sleep, Wang Yan moved to press her acupoints, making her sleep even sounder, then got up and went to the attic.

Still poking open the roof tile, Wang Yan took out the radio from his space to tune it, and then began to send the telegram with a "da-da-da-da" sound, the radio waves transmitting toward Wuhan.

Although it was already midnight, the "Handsome Man" who had come to Wuhan to cooperate with the Nationalist army in the Battle of Wuhan was still working under the lights on work that seemed to have no end.

Just then, a knock on the door sounded. After receiving permission, the telecommunications staff member who was always by his side walked in. His expression was a bit flustered, and he held the translated telegram with slightly trembling hands: "Report to the Chief, a telegram from Comrade Pei Min Min!"

The Handsome Man frowned, because this person had been tested; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to be by his side, let alone copy and translate the telegrams sent by Comrade Pei Min Min. Something major must have happened for him to be so uncomposed.

This was a thought in a flash; he had already taken the telegram and looked at it intently.

"Today, the Consulate held a banquet to welcome the enemy... troops returning from the Xuzhou battlefield to Shanghai for rest and recuperation. I was invited and went. During the banquet, Iwai Eiichi probed me... I sensed that Japanese agents are wooing high-ranking Kuomintang officials. He revealed that this person's status is much higher than mine, beyond reach... After analysis, I believe Wang Zhaoming may defect. Attention, attention!"

The telegram was very long, basically explaining the whole process of the matter and the analysis process. Generally, people send short telegrams because the longer the time, the greater the risk of exposure, so they keep it as short as possible.

Intelligence work doesn't necessarily require exact intelligence; after all, how many people can get such accurate news? More often, it's about summarizing and extracting useful information from chaotic information, then having other information to corroborate it, and finally, through repeated confirmation from multiple aspects, to determine its authenticity.

Moreover, this matter was too important. It could be fake, but the fear was that if it were true, the consequences would be unbearable. So he couldn't just state the result; he had to be clear and understandable, letting people know the specific process. And Wang Yan wasn't afraid of exposure; it was only a thousand words or so, very fast.

He didn't send telegrams from the same location all the time; he always "fired a shot and changed places," running in all directions. The last time he sent a telegram on Julai Da Road was when he moved. That was almost three months ago; it was very safe.

After reading the telegram, the Handsome Man let out a long breath: "Send a telegram to Chongqing, send people to closely monitor Wang Zhaoming's movements. Also, copy this telegram to Yan'an, remove the signature, and send it in my name."

"Yes!"

The Handsome Man read the telegram again, placed it on the table, took a sip of water, and sighed, looking at the dark night sky outside the window...

Outside, the rumbling of guns and artillery came from time to time, echoing far away in the dark night. Amidst the flickering fire snakes were countless fearless warriors with ferocious faces, not knowing the road ahead, fighting to the death to protect their homes and country.

"Swing the big sword at the devils' heads..." ===== CHAPTER 646 =====