r18novel Chapter 113 Skilled in tactics!
Chapter 113 Skilled in tactics!
Japan's homeland, its main base.
This militaristic country has long been exhausted by war.
It constantly ignited wars and pursued naked militarism; however, the years of war not only failed to bring peace to the people, but instead made the country desolate and cold, with public resentment rising like a tide and pressure piling up layer by layer.
The war against China has become mired in a quagmire: initially boasting of "solving China in three months," the war has dragged on for years with the front lines stagnant and the conflict deepening. The old guard at headquarters is in a state of utter disarray, exhausting all their strategies but achieving little.
They ultimately underestimated one thing—the unbreakable will of 400 million people united against a common enemy.
Descendants of the dragon, unyielding and resolute.
We can be knocked down, but we will never give in!
Doiyuu is currently being questioned at his home base—in reality, a face-to-face review of the intelligence operation, outlining the loopholes, mistakes, and subsequent corrective measures. His core task is to deliver a plausible and convincing explanation to the General Staff Headquarters.
Almost at the same time he arrived in Tokyo, two urgent telegrams crossed the ocean and reached the Japanese headquarters: one reported the complete annihilation of the Sugi Agency, and the other confirmed that Asano Hirofumi had been assassinated in Shanghai.
As soon as the news broke, the Japanese high command was in an uproar!
Doihara was reporting to the General Staff Headquarters and Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.
The General Staff Headquarters originally consisted of the Navy Department and the Army Department, each responsible for the operational commands of the Navy and Army respectively. Later, the two departments were upgraded to the Naval General Staff Headquarters and the Army General Staff Headquarters, with the Chief of the Army General Staff being renamed the "Chief of the General Staff." In wartime, the army and navy command systems were of equal status and independent of each other.
At this moment, Prince Miyahito was in charge of the General Staff Headquarters.
After two days of questioning, Doihara's self-criticism came to an end. He not only responded to each question, but also set several hard targets, promising to reverse the decline and revitalize the intelligence front.
Ultimately, both Prince Miyahito and Prime Minister Tojo expressed their approval.
Prince Miyahito looked at Doi-kun with a calm gaze: "Doi-kun, the General Staff has always trusted your intelligence strategy."
"In the current war, victory or defeat hinges on intelligence. The intelligence network you have built has indeed brought our army many great achievements in the past. However, it has recently suffered a series of setbacks, and its effectiveness has declined significantly—we must correct this course immediately without delay."
The chubby boy bowed his head and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."
Prime Minister Tojo replied, "The Prince is absolutely right. This battle has reached a critical stage, and we cannot afford to relax our efforts in the slightest."
"Especially in Shanghai, the situation is complex and multifaceted—spies from all over the world gather here, and undercurrents are surging. The intelligence defenses here must be impenetrable."
Doi-man truthfully reported the fact that Aoki Takeshige and Sendoh Kaede, the two successive Special Higher Police chiefs, had been attacked and killed. This situation immediately caused Tojo and Miyajin to change color—neither of them had expected that the situation in Shanghai had deteriorated to this extent: within just one month, two chiefs had died.
Doiyuu added, "I am well aware of the importance of Shanghai. It is not only an intelligence hub in Asia, but also a global focus of espionage. Therefore, I have specially appointed Hirofumi Asano to take over the Special Higher Police."
"Asano-kun is experienced and skilled, and has solved many major cases during his tenure in the Tohoku region. He is well-known in the intelligence community. I believe he will be able to stabilize the situation in Shanghai and eliminate the rampant anti-Japanese forces."
His tone was resolute, and his words were forceful—as if Hirofumi Asano were the pillar of strength that could turn the tide.
Little did he know that the newly appointed section chief, whom he had so lavishly praised, was already lying dead on the streets of Shanghai.
As soon as Hirofumi Asano arrived in Shanghai, he was ambushed and killed in the Special Higher Police office.
Prime Minister Tojo said gravely, "I hope so. Otherwise, how can we explain ourselves to the people at home? Right now, we desperately need a real victory, a victory that can boost morale."
Prince Miyahito then presented a new plan: "Your Excellency, I propose a 'currency war' strategy."
"A secret order has been issued to the Shanghai branch of the Sugiyama Bureau to launch an operation to flood the market with counterfeit currency and disrupt China's financial markets and monetary order. The operation should already be underway, and results are expected soon."
"In addition, the Ninth Research Institute is stepping up its efforts to develop unconventional warfare methods and new weapons and equipment, which, once deployed, will significantly change the battlefield situation."
As the Chief of the General Staff, Prince Miyahito was unaware that the Sugimoto Agency had already been bombed into ruins, and the so-called "currency war" had long since died in the womb.
Prime Minister Tojo glanced at the two men, his voice low and somber: "His Majesty the Emperor is deeply concerned about the progress of the war. Both the General Staff and the intelligence system must do everything in their power to accelerate the process of ending the war—this is His Majesty's expectation."
Doi-maru and Prince Miyahito replied in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Before the words were finished, a communications adjutant strode in, stood at attention, and saluted: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, the Prince, and the Chief of Staff! Two urgent telegrams—one from the headquarters of the Special Service Agency, and the other from the Shanghai Military Police!"
The three exchanged glances, their expressions suddenly tensing.
Tu Feiyuan was the first to ask: "How's the content?"
The adjutant loudly repeated: "Telegram from the Special Service Headquarters: Asano Hirofumi, the newly appointed head of the Special Higher Police Section in Shanghai, arrived in Shanghai in the early morning and was immediately assassinated by anti-Japanese patriots. His body was found in his office!"
"What? Dead?!"
Doi-mado was struck dumb, his eyes wide open, his lips trembling slightly, his face filled with disbelief: "Asano-kun just took office, and he was killed on the very day?"
"To die in his own office?! This is outrageous—the anti-Japanese forces in Shanghai are utterly arrogant!"
Just moments before, he had been praising him highly, calling him "skilled and renowned."
The next second, the person was already a cold corpse.
The Special Higher Police Chief who died immediately upon taking office—this was a slap in the face, swift and brutal, leaving no room for him to catch his breath.
Tu Feiyuan's face was ashen, his anger surging, and the veins on his forehead were faintly visible.
This is probably the shortest-serving and most tragically ended position among all the Special Higher Police section chiefs in history.
Prince Miyahito and Prime Minister Tojo also had somber expressions.
In less than two months, three section chiefs fell from grace one after another.
The last person was nailed to his desk before he could even step out of the airport—this was not just a simple defeat, but a naked humiliation of the entire Special Higher Police's authority.
Prime Minister Tojo's gaze was like a knife, piercing Doi Madoka: "Doi-kun, is this the 'skilled' section chief you mentioned?"
"Prince Miyahito and I are currently undecided about whether to abolish the Special Higher Police."
Tu Feiyuan hurriedly interjected: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, Your Highness, it's not that the new section chief is incompetent, but rather that the anti-Japanese forces in Shanghai are too rampant and their actions are becoming increasingly reckless."
"I will definitely investigate and severely punish these anti-Japanese elements, and restore order and stability to Shanghai."
At this moment, Doiyu was already furious.
Prime Minister Tojo and Prince Miyahito were already dissatisfied with his recent work, but they were completely unaware that the headquarters of the Sugimoto Agency had also been destroyed.
Prime Minister Tojo turned to his communications adjutant, his tone urgent: "There's another telegram from the Shanghai Military Police Headquarters? What does it say? Read it quickly!"
Tu Feiyuan's face burned with embarrassment.
What made things even more complicated for him was that he had already been urgently recalled to the mainland for a review due to poor performance of his duties, but shortly after landing, Asano Hirofumi was assassinated.