bookbashuk Chapter 112: They acted way too fast!
Chapter 112: They acted way too fast!
Xiao Tu has a complex identity: codenamed "Wasp," he is ostensibly the vice president of "Ya Hui News Agency" and a trusted assistant of Mutō Zhixiong; secretly, he is a member of the underground Communist Party and a key member of the Xingrong Gang.
He is currently infiltrating the Japanese consulate.
Muto Yoshio stood up and patted him heavily on the shoulder: "Mr. Xiao, I have high hopes for you."
Xiao Tu bowed slightly: "Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Mutō."
After exchanging a few more words, Xiao Tu took his leave.
Not long after, a man in a sharp suit rushed in and urgently reported to Muto Tomio: "Consul General, there's an emergency to report!"
Muto Chiuo looked serious: "Hirano-kun, what's going on?"
Hirano Taikawa spoke rapidly: "I just received confirmed news—Asano Hirofumi, the newly appointed head of the Special Higher Police Section in Shanghai, has been assassinated in his office!"
"What?!" Muto Tomio sprang from his chair, his face changing drastically as he stared intently at Hirano Yamakawa: "Asano Hirofumi is dead?"
The animosity between him and Hirofumi Asano was no ordinary one.
That's a blood feud!
Ten years ago, in the puppet state of Manchukuo—that is, the three northeastern provinces—a Kwantung Army officer wantonly slaughtered civilians. He was investigated and severely punished by Muto Yoshio, the local military police chief at the time. Unable to bear the humiliation, the officer committed seppuku.
This man was none other than Hirofumi Asano's father.
For this reason, Hirofumi Asano regarded Yoshio Muto as his number one mortal enemy and was determined to bring him down and put him to death in order to comfort his father's spirit.
This transfer to Shanghai as the head of the Special Higher Police Section was an opportunity he had been waiting for for many years—he could finally take revenge himself! His excitement and elation before his departure were palpable even to those around him.
But in the blink of an eye, the person was gone?
Hirofumi Asano, is he really dead?
The suddenness of his death left even Muto Yoshio stunned, unable to process what had happened.
He turned to Hirano Yamakawa, his tone turning somber: "When did Asano Hirofumi arrive in Shanghai? How could he have been murdered in the Special Higher Police chief's office?"
Having served in the same region in their early years, Muto Yoshio had deep roots there, and he had already heard about Asano Hirofumi's appointment; however, he did not know the specific arrival time or route details.
He was secretly wary: the two of them worked in Shanghai and outwardly restrained each other, but if they secretly tripped each other up or set traps, it would be impossible to guard against them.
Now, this hidden danger has been eliminated with a single shot, vanishing into thin air.
Hirano Yamakawa replied, "According to information from within the Special Higher Police, Asano Hirofumi arrived in Shanghai early this morning. The commander of the military police, Oshima Ken, even specially dispatched a team of military police to the dock to welcome him. It was quite a grand affair."
"He went straight to the Special Higher Police after disembarking, without even taking a break. He was murdered shortly after entering his office, and his body was not discovered until the next morning."
"Rumors are circulating that it was the Military Intelligence Bureau that did it."
Upon hearing this, Muto Yoshio nodded slightly, his tense shoulders quietly relaxing: "His death has put a huge weight off my heart—at least I don't have to be on guard against him stabbing me in the back anymore."
"Junko was clamoring to come to Shanghai the other day. I actually quite like this city, but before Hirofumi Asano died, I wouldn't have dared to let her set foot in it. Now it's fine, I can let her come and have a look around. That girl has been talking about wanting to see the Bund."
His daughter, Junko Muto, was his only child and a middle school history teacher. She was gentle, clear-headed, a believer in peace, and abhorred killing. But as the tide of war rolled in, she, a young woman, had neither the authority nor the power to reverse the situation. She could only do what little she could—such as teaching students to read true history, writing letters of condolence to wounded soldiers, and quietly helping a few refugees in hiding.
"Hirano-kun, keep a close eye on the Special Higher Police's every move. Report to me immediately if there's any unusual activity."
"Yes, Consul General."
Hirano Yamakawa added a few more details about Asano Hirofumi's itinerary, his entourage, and the Special Higher Police's internal reaction before leaving the office.
Once the door closed, Muto Yoshio sat alone at the table, remaining motionless for a long time.
A thought lingered in his mind: Are the Kuomintang agents really that capable? They were able to time their attack perfectly, as soon as Asano Hirofumi disembarked, and even dared to break into the core office area of the Special Higher Police and kill him in front of everyone—this was not only incredibly audacious, but also a public humiliation of the entire authority of the Special Higher Police.
The newly appointed section chief was found dead in his own office, the security was practically non-existent, and the intelligence network was like a sieve... This is a huge disgrace.
Military Police Headquarters, Commander's Office.
Ken Oshima rubbed his temples and paced back and forth in the room for a long time before finally realizing: this matter could no longer be covered up.
He drafted a telegram, truthfully reporting the assassination of Asano Hirofumi to the headquarters of the Beiping Special Service Agency; he also drafted a separate secret report, which was simultaneously sent to the Army Staff Headquarters in Dongjing.
After all, the Sugimoto Agency belonged to the Ninth Research Institute of the Army, was directly controlled by the Army General Staff, and was personally ordered to be established by Hideki Tojo. Its special nature allowed no room for concealment.
Knowing he could not escape severe punishment, and that even committing seppuku might not be enough to atone for his dereliction of duty, he still tried his best to make amends and redeem himself through meritorious service.
The responsibilities of the Ninth Research Institute of the Army go far beyond conventional weapons development: it specializes in unconventional weapons and also engages in document forgery, counterfeit currency printing, and the development of counter-espionage equipment; on the covert front, it has developed miniature cameras in lighters, explosive devices disguised as cans, and pocket pistols hidden in pens; it has also mass-produced various identity documents, code manuals, and communication codes required by spies.
The Sugimoto branch was a key part of the institute, deeply involved in many core projects. Now, the branch has been destroyed, a large amount of research data has been burned, and several projects have been forced to stop.
In other words, this attack not only destroyed an intelligence outpost, but also severely damaged the strategic support system of the Ninth Research Institute and even the entire Japanese General Headquarters.
Once the news reaches Beijing, it will inevitably cause a huge uproar.
Beiping, headquarters of the secret service.
Kenji Doihara has returned to Japan to report on his work and is currently being questioned by senior management.
For the time being, Chief of Staff Kazuharu Yamamitsu will be in full charge of the organization's daily affairs.
An adjutant strode in, stood at attention, and saluted: "Report! Urgent telegram from Shanghai!"
A call from Shanghai?
Hirofumi Asano should have arrived this morning, but it is already 4 p.m. now—could it be that he has made a mess of things as soon as he took office?
Yamamitsu Ichiji did not look up, his gaze remaining fixed on the document beside him, and said calmly, "Read it."
The adjutant replied, "The newly appointed head of the Special Higher Police in Shanghai, Hirofumi Asano, was assassinated in his office just after midnight this morning."
"Huh?...What?" Yamamitsu Ichiji was looking down at the documents and hadn't noticed at first. He suddenly looked up, his body springing up with a "whoosh," his hands slamming heavily on the edge of the table, his eyes wide open, his face changing drastically: "You said Asano Hirofumi...was assassinated?"
The adjutant was taken aback by his sudden reaction and quickly straightened his back: "Yes, sir!"
This is so absurd it's unbelievable!
Yamamitsu Ichiji was stunned on the spot, his mind went blank.
Hirofumi Asano only arrived in Shanghai in the early hours of the morning to take up his new post, and before he could even get his footing, he collapsed in his office?!
That was incredibly fast!
If this news reaches Doisuka's ears, he will probably be furious.
The assassination of the head of the Special Higher Police was not uncommon in the Japanese intelligence system—since the invasion of China, many heads of the Special Higher Police in the occupied territories had been killed by assassins.
But the Special Higher Police in Shanghai seemed to be under the watchful eye of Death.
In less than two months, three section chiefs were dismissed, each with a shorter tenure than the last.
Hirofumi Asano set a record: he had barely stepped into Shanghai and hadn't even warmed his desk when he was killed in his office.
Yamamitsu Ichiji felt a tightness in his chest and a throbbing sensation in his temples.
"Bring the telegram!"
The adjutant quickly handed over the urgent coded telegram.
The telegram was quite long; it was a formal notification from Kenjiro Oshima to the headquarters of the Special Service. Although the Sugi Agency cooperated with the Special Service at the same level and was not under its control, such a significant event still required reporting and filing as usual.
The article details how the military police received him at the station, how they deployed along the route, Asano Hirofumi's itinerary after his arrival, and the details of the assassination attempt in the early morning and the on-site handling. Oshima Ken is known for his meticulousness, precise wording, and lack of embellishment.
As Yamamitsu Kazuji finished reading the text word by word, his expression grew increasingly grim, veins throbbed on his forehead, and he stood frozen in place, unable to recover for a long time.
He had served as chief of staff for many years, seen bloodshed and weathered many storms, but what he was about to witness still sent chills down his spine.
"Baka!" He grabbed the telegram and slammed it onto the table with a loud "bang," sending pages flying. "How dare they do this in the Special Higher Police chief's office, and no one even noticed?!"
"Are the people in the Special Higher Police in Shanghai blind or deaf? They're all incompetent bastards! Idiots!"
He was filled with rage, yet also tinged with an embarrassing sense of powerlessness.
On his very first day in office, the new official was shot dead right under his nose—this wasn't just murder; it was a public slap in the face to the Special Higher Police, a smear on the entire intelligence system!
So embarrassing.
Hirofumi Asano was too careless.
He believed his movements were well-hidden: arriving in Shanghai late at night was already unexpected; moreover, being inside the Special Higher Police and sitting in the chief's office was like being in an impenetrable fortress—who would have thought that the people he should be most wary of in the spy den were precisely the top hunters.
Unfortunately, they ran into a seasoned expert like Zheng Yaoxian.
The bullet was chambered, and the man had already fallen to the ground. Hirofumi Asano didn't even have time to raise his hand to reach for his holster.
Yamamitsu Ichiji quickly suppressed his surging anger—getting angry would be pointless. The most important thing right now was to report to Doihara immediately. This matter couldn't be covered up, nor could it be delayed.
However, if the headquarters finds out that the new-style section chief died on his desk as soon as he landed, Doi-Yuan might really have to stay in Tokyo for a reprimand during his performance review.
However, there's no time to worry about that right now. The Special Higher Police cannot be without a leader for even a day; a successor must be chosen immediately.
"Immediately send an urgent telegram to Chief Doi-man, reporting the situation in Shanghai truthfully!" Yamamitsu Ichiji paused, his tone emphasizing, "Then telegraph Shanghai again, ordering Oshima Ken to temporarily serve as head of the Special Higher Police until a new head arrives!"
"Yes, sir!" The adjutant stood at attention, accepted the order, and quickly withdrew.
Yamamitsu Ichiji sat alone in the chair, his brow furrowed in worry.
The position of head of the Special Higher Police in Shanghai has become a death sentence—three people died within three months. Among them, Sendoh Kaede and Asano Hirofumi were personally nominated and recommended by him.
Now they've all fallen, it's like sending people to the brink of disaster.
How do we choose a new person? Who would dare to take the job? And who can hold the line?
Headache.
What worried him even more was another matter: how exactly did the Military Intelligence Bureau accurately predict Asano Hirofumi's movements? And how did they manage to escape unscathed without leaving a trace after succeeding?
Could it be... that there are spies planted by the Military Intelligence Bureau within the Military Police and the Special Higher Police?
The moment the thought crossed my mind, a chill ran down my spine.
It should be noted that both teams are almost entirely composed of Japanese people. If there are spies among them, then it would be impossible to guard against them.
Yamamitsu Ichiji suddenly felt a tremendous weight on his shoulders—he might not be far from ending up in that disciplinary room in Tokyo.