Chapter 688: Is He Really That Strong?

"Iwai-sensei, this time the Red Party is truly too rampant, actually daring to directly attack Section Chief Nantian. But it is also truly too terrifying; this Comrade Pei Min Min was actually able to silently kill Section Chief Nantian under heavy guard, and it wasn't discovered until the next morning. Iwai-sensei, you must be careful. In the Great Japanese Empire, you are the only friend who treats me sincerely..."

Inside the Iwai Tianyue Gongguan, in a Japanese-style tea room, Wang Yan was shamelessly praising "Comrade Pei Min Min" without blushing, and even more shamelessly speaking false words.

Iwai Eiichi naturally also knew Wang Yan's lies, but he liked to hear them; besides, Wang Yan hadn't come empty-handed today.

He played with a late Ming Dynasty blue and white spring vase, shook his head and smiled: "Comrade Pei Min Min is indeed very strong, but he is ultimately just one person. Now that we have precautions, it is impossible for him to carry out a silent assassination. Although he also has a record of blocking the army, for a figure like him, the Red Party will not easily let him take action. Every operation is a life-and-death struggle. The moment a gun is most powerful is always when the bullet is in the chamber, held but not fired. You don't need to be afraid; after all, you manage the Red Party's penicillin, and having cooperated for so many years, it can be considered good; they have no reason to take action against you."

Wang Yan smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Although I know this, the feeling of a sharp sword hanging over one's head is not pleasant. I heard that after Zhou Fuhai went to see the scene at Section Chief Nantian's residence yesterday morning, he was so scared that he ran straight to Nanjing."

Iwai Eiichi's gaze left the blue and white spring vase in his hand and landed on Wang Yan. He felt that Wang Yan was talking about them, the Japanese, but he had no evidence. Comrade Pei Min Min is a sword, isn't the Kuomintang a sword? Aren't they, the Japanese, a sword?

However, he didn't say anything; after all, Wang Yan usually complained a little, and this time he was stimulated by Comrade Pei Min Min and lacked a sense of security, so saying a few words was normal. And thinking about it from another perspective, people who speak out are not scary; those who don't speak are the insidious ones.

He said: "You didn't come to find me today just to complain, did you?"

"I just found some new antiques, and it happened that General Fujita Yoshimasa called again this morning to invite me to lunch, so I made a trip to bring the things to you. It's also to understand the inside story of Section Chief Nantian's matter, so that I can have a response when I have lunch with General Fujita Yoshimasa later."

"I don't know the specific details of the matter very well, but I did ask about it. The Special Higher Education Division speculates based on various signs that it is because Section Chief Nantian discovered the mole hidden within us, which forced the Red Party to enable Comrade Pei Min Min, who had disappeared for a year, to carry out the assassination. So I don't know what Fujita is looking for you for; perhaps it's because you had some exchanges with Nantian before?"

Wang Yan frowned and pondered: "Then perhaps it is General Fujita Yoshimasa who wants to inquire about some situation from me. Among the Special Higher Education Division and 76, besides Wang Manchun, the one who has been close to me recently is Ming Lou. Iwai-sensei, do you think it could be that General Fujita Yoshimasa suspects Ming Lou? But isn't Ming Lou your person? Is he trying to target you?"

"Anyone has the possibility of being suspected. Ming Lou could be an agent for both parties, and you could be too; even citizens of our Great Japanese Empire have the possibility of being persuaded by the enemy to defect. However, everything must rely on evidence; groundless suspicion and speculation will only destroy our unity. So if Fujita has no evidence, I will ask for justice for Ming Lou when the time comes."

Iwai Eiichi's words were very particular, because these words were said to Wang Yan, but the person in the words was Ming Lou. The meaning of these words was that Iwai Eiichi boasted of being a good leader, a good big brother, someone reliable who protected his subordinates. Saying it to Wang Yan was to continue releasing his goodwill, making Wang Yan closer to him. And if Wang Yan was smart enough, he would definitely tell Ming Lou about these words later. At that time, Ming Lou would have to be deeply grateful.

Wang Yan nodded repeatedly and gave a thumbs up: "Iwai-sensei is truly a good leader, treating even Chinese people so well. It's a pity, if it weren't for the previous matter with Mr. Fujiwara..."

"Wang-sang, let the past be the past; why talk about those things? Although it was an unprovoked disaster, before that, the Fujiwara family was also very helpful to me. Accepting the cause and receiving the fruit is as it should be."

Although Iwai Eiichi spoke very beautifully, his slightly low tone revealed that he hadn't actually looked at it that openly, but was just comforting himself. After all, for anyone whose smooth path of promotion was blocked, it wasn't that easy to see clearly, especially since it was Fujiwara Nobuya himself who had no ability and didn't restrain himself, leading to the current situation; this little devil was also aggrieved.

Iwai Eiichi had no serious business, so he drank tea with Wang Yan for more than an hour, talking about all sorts of things. Until it was almost time for the appointment with Fujita Yoshimasa, Wang Yan then said goodbye and left.

The place for the meal was a local cuisine restaurant opened here. It couldn't be called a very old brand, but the taste was not bad. Although at this time, many good restaurants and many master chefs were opening shops and making a living in the concessions, it didn't prevent people from wanting to make money. After all, the concessions had been developed for many years, and there were too many famous and delicious restaurants; relatively speaking, there were fewer in the Japanese-occupied area, but there were still many high-consumption groups here.

When Wang Yan arrived, Fujita Yoshimasa had already arrived, so he hurriedly went over to apologize: "General Fujita, I've kept you waiting for a long time, I'm truly sorry. I was drinking tea with Iwai-sensei earlier, so I was delayed for a while; it was truly not Wang's intention. I will punish myself with three cups."

"No need. It is I who arrived early, sit down quickly." Fujita Yoshimasa waved his hand with a smile. After Wang Yan sat down, he poured tea for Wang Yan and said, "I heard you like gourmet food, so I specially found this Shanghai restaurant that I have been to before; the taste is not bad, it should suit your appetite."

"General Fujita, thank you for your care, but you don't need to accommodate Wang. Having known Iwai-sensei for more than a year, I am also very used to eating Japanese cuisine."

"Wang-sang truly has a good appetite." Fujita Yoshimasa laughed, "However, choosing this place is actually not entirely because of accommodating you. It is because I myself am also very fond of your Chinese food. Compared to Japanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine is even more extensive and profound; this is the wisdom of you Chinese people, and it is also a gift given to you by the vast land."

So, the Japanese have come... This was what Fujita Yoshimasa didn't say, and it was also the next sentence Wang Yan could think of.

Wang Yan didn't pick up the topic and asked directly: "I don't know what matter General Fujita is looking for Wang for?"

"I like Wang-sang's straightforwardness. Alright, since that's the case, let's talk about business first, then eat, so as not to disturb the good mood of enjoying gourmet food because of these matters. You should know about the assassination of Section Chief Nantian by the Red Party's Comrade Pei Min Min, right?"

"Of course, the front page headlines of all the major newspapers in Shanghai are all about this matter; it's impossible not to know."

Fujita Yoshimasa nodded and continued: "We speculate that Section Chief Nantian was assassinated because she discovered the Red Party agent hidden within us, threatening his existence, so the Red Party had no choice but to send Comrade Pei Min Min. And the major events that have occurred recently are only the celebration meeting for the North China war organized by the consulate three days ago, where an agent lurked in and took the opportunity to steal our military intelligence in the Third War Zone. You participated in the cocktail party that night. As far as I know, on your way back to the Wang Tianyue Gongguan in the French Concession after leaving the cocktail party, you met Ming Lou, and you had a conversation; I am not wrong, am I?"

"Yes, General Fujita. That night, we were heading in opposite directions; I was going home, and he had received a notification from Section Chief Nantian to go to the scene to check the situation. He stopped my car because he didn't know the situation at the scene, and since I happened to be leaving the scene, he asked me about it. Perhaps he intended to think about the cause and effect on the way. After all, Section Chief Nantian is considered Ming Lou's superior; as a subordinate, when meeting a superior, especially in a sudden event, one must be even more prepared and speak with substance."

Facing Fujita Yoshimasa's gaze, Wang Yan answered truthfully. He didn't lie, he just concealed the matter regarding Ming Tai and Cheng Jinyun.

He turned to ask: "General Fujita, are you targeting Ming Lou? If that is really the case, finding me to understand the situation might not get you any useful information. When the new government was being prepared last year, Ming Lou had already taken office as the Director of the Economic Department, and my intersection with him also stems from this."

"Although we are neighbors, I have indeed had many meals with him, but we only talked about business matters. This is unavoidable; he is in charge of the economy, and the industries in my hands are among the top in Shanghai, and the taxes paid to the new government are not small. For the sake of stability, I also have some business cooperation with the Ming family; it is both to partner to make a fortune and to borrow this point to take some advantage from Ming Lou, the Director of the Economic Department. As for other matters, I know nothing at all."

"I understand all of this, Wang-sang. I am not targeting Ming Lou, and I will not target you. However, such a big thing has happened, everyone is a suspect; multi-party verification and multi-party screening are indispensable." Fujita Yoshimasa nodded with a smile and asked, "I heard that you had a good relationship with Section Chief Nantian before?"

"It was indeed good. Two years ago, when I was just a small police station captain, Section Chief Nantian took special care of me. Wang Manchun of 76 being intimate with me also came from Section Chief Nantian's instruction. I am very grateful for this, because I have gotten along very harmoniously with Wang Manchun for these two years. It's a pity that Section Chief Nantian has fallen victim to the Red Party's Comrade Pei Min Min. There is a saying in China: who says women are inferior to men? On this point, I personally admire Section Chief Nantian immensely..."

"That is indeed the case. Section Chief Nantian is a very formidable woman. Her journey here has not been easy. In Japan, for a woman to achieve results and gain recognition is much harder than in today's China."

The two of them started chatting, talking about all sorts of things.

Wang Yan knew very well that Fujita Yoshimasa's invitation to dinner this time was to inquire about Ming Lou. He believed that before this, Fujita Yoshimasa had already looked for Ming Lou, asked about all kinds of things, and had come to him for verification.

Of course, verification was one purpose, and another purpose was to have close contact with him and have his own judgment. After all, he was doing big business with both parties, controlled the exclusive external sales of the Red Party's penicillin, and also had dealings with foreign devils from various countries; he always had to understand in detail.

Actually, before this, Wang Yan had already sent gifts to Fujita Yoshimasa. Although because the war expanded and the Japanese army kept expanding, Major Generals and Colonels were promoted in batches, and it was hard to count them, so it wasn't that valuable. But at this time, it hadn't really reached the point of being worthless; that would only happen after the Pacific War. Fujita Yoshimasa was at least a Major General and managed the Special Higher Education Division; what's more, he was a named character in the drama, so no matter what, Wang Yan should send money to handle it.

However, to be honest, Fujita Yoshimasa was somewhat flattered. Because the list of high-ranking Japanese army officers Wang Yan sent money to was too gorgeous, and his rank was a bit low. This was also why his attitude toward Wang Yan was even more polite than Nantian Yangzi's before.

However, Nantian Yangzi's impoliteness also had another reason. It was because when she was studying Wang Yan, Wang Yan was only a small police station captain, and the scale of his business was not as terrifying as it was now. And when Fujita Yoshimasa heard his name and knew his story, it was Iwai Eiichi, a high-ranking Japanese official ranked in the front row of Shanghai's power, who stood up for him. And his own status, his business, and his influence had also expanded to the maximum. To put it plainly, it was a matter of first impressions.

This meal was naturally not eaten in vain; Wang Yan gained a closer relationship with Fujita Yoshimasa, and Fujita Yoshimasa gained the money and antiques he liked. Yes, this little devil also liked antiques.

The antiques Wang Yan had previously sent to Iwai Eiichi were at most items from the late Ming Dynasty, and there were absolutely no older or more precious ones. Unless there was really some important matter, he would get some truly precious things to send out. Although these things were dead objects, they were not sent to the little devils to be ruined for nothing; he would deal with them as he could.

And although gold is not antique in troubled times, and many people even pawned their treasures to pawnshops because it was hard to live, there were many pawned, and many collected. No matter when, good things are good things, and they are not that easy to get.

Of course, they were not really sent out for nothing; they would definitely be taken back later. However, it might be because this old boy sent gifts or something, and he couldn't get them all back.

Now that it was Fujita Yoshimasa, the principle was the same. Send some from the Qing Dynasty first, and wait for this little devil's appetite to grow before sending more precious ones.

After having lunch with Fujita Yoshimasa and connecting their feelings, Wang Yan wandered outside for a few hours, and after having dinner, he went to the casino.

For these two days, Wang Manchun definitely didn't have time to find him, and Yu Manli's career ambition had come up, and she was working energetically; wouldn't he just go out and mess around again?

Ever since Wang Manchun and Yu Manli climbed into his bed one after another, the number of times he came out to find women had plummeted; the dance hostesses in Shanghai really missed him...

This assassination of Nantian Yangzi actually didn't differ much in effect from the original drama; after all, the most fundamental purpose was to cover for Ming Lou so that his identity would not be exposed.

As for Ming Lou's design in the original drama, letting Ming Tai come forward to rent two houses and revealing it to Wang Manchun through Lone Wolf, thereby leading to other things. It seems to have some relationship with the execution of the Dead Man Plan later, but in fact, this is not the key; it's all flashy and useless.

The real key to the Dead Man Plan is Wang Tianfeng being captured, and he betrays Ming Tai and others, using the lives of these people to make the Japanese intelligence believe that the fake codebook is the real codebook, and the intercepted and deciphered fake intelligence is real intelligence.

And in fact, whether this plan has Ming Tai or not is not as important as in the plot. Changing to someone else would be the same, and it wouldn't need so many scenes from Ming Tai.

On the contrary, from another perspective, Ming Tai, this adopted son of the Ming family, being a Kuomintang agent, is an extremely unfavorable thing for Ming Lou, who is an undercover agent. How could such a thing be cleared up just by saying it?

The Ming Lou in the drama has a relationship with this matter, and even later Fujita Yoshimasa was killed. In such a time where the beginning and end are clear, it is impossible for Ming Lou to be cleared of suspicion and return to his original post as if nothing had happened.

However, the plot is like this, so it is like this.

But Wang Yan's assassination of Nantian Yangzi has no impact on the things that happen later in the original plot. If the Dead Man Plan is still executed, then Wang Tianfeng just needs to throw himself into the net.

It has no impact on the Dead Man Plan, but it has some impact on Ming Tai. Because he didn't participate in the operation, he doesn't know the identities of Ming Lou and Ming Cheng as Kuomintang agents. This is a good thing for them.

Another important point is that Wang Yan took away all the documents Nantian Yangzi brought home; he went to find Lu Boda carrying a large suitcase.

Lu Boda was stunned at the time, both by Comrade Pei Min Min's operational efficiency and by Comrade Pei Min Min's composure in the operation. After all, if they were to execute it, there would be absolutely no time to rummage through cabinets; it would be good enough not to be exposed, let alone Comrade Pei Min Min's way.

And the various documents Wang Yan brought back were undoubtedly very important. There were those related to Shanghai, those related to both parties, and those related to the war on the front line; the use of this intelligence needs no further explanation. In summary, Wang Yan had made another great contribution.

Besides these, there were no other points to Nantian Yangzi's assassination. It was nothing more than scaring away Zhou Fuhai and at the same time giving a red envelope to all the major newspapers in Shanghai. After all, Comrade Pei Min Min reappeared and killed the Section Chief of the Special Higher Education Division; such explosive things are not worried about sales. And it was not just in Shanghai, it also sold well in the surrounding areas.

Comrade Pei Min Min had a very high popularity nationwide and could be considered a star figure of this era, not much worse than those famous singers.

After all, people are very yearning and curious about heroic figures who have high martial arts, come and go like the wind, and kill in the red city and escape in the white blade. Especially at this time of national crisis, it is a Chinese killing a Japanese high-ranking official who has committed all kinds of evil, which makes people feel relieved.

Such a great reputation, so much so that when Wang Yan was gambling with two girls in the casino, the surrounding idle talk was all about Comrade Pei Min Min's deeds.

It is truly that people fear being famous, and pigs fear being fat. But fortunately, no one has the opportunity to kill the pig, and he will not blush because of this, because he is really that strong... ===== CHAPTER 689 =====