cicada

Chapter 1180 Accept it and be a dog

"Woo~~"

A small steamer sailed quickly on Changjiang. Not far ahead was Anqing, the important town in Anhui Province. Passengers on the ship carried their luggage and came outside the cabin.

One of them, a young man wearing the uniform of a Japanese navy lieutenant, stood at the bow of the ship with a bamboo and rattan suitcase in his hand, looking ahead, immersed in the beautiful scenery on both sides of the river and the cool breeze blowing in his face.

"Lieutenant Saito, we will reach our destination in half an hour." The Japanese captain said to the young man respectfully.

"Yoshi."

The young man named Saito replied softly, and then closed his mouth, looking very arrogant and a little arrogant.

But as a graduate of the Etajima Naval War School with an enrollment rate of only one in 10,000, he is proud of this qualification. Everyone who can come out of there is the elite of the elite.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will be promoted step by step and eventually become the backbone of the Japanese Navy, such as the captain of the Combined Fleet and a senior staff member of the Navy Ministry.

At this time, Saito looked at the busy noodles and thought of what the head of the gendarmerie said to him when he was reporting at the Shanghai Naval Headquarters.

"You will go to the Imperial River Fleet Base in Anqing to serve as captain of the military police. We have received news that some of the Imperial soldiers there have been corrupted by the Republic of China and have become shameful non-nationals.

In his impression, this senior was a very hard-working and fanatical soldier. How could such a person be a non-national? Is there any misunderstanding?

The car set off slowly, the plaster flag on the front of the car fluttering in the wind. Pedestrians and vehicles along the way quickly gave way, and even took off their hats and bent down to salute.

Thinking of this, Saito's originally good mood gradually became depressed, and he felt that he was involved in a fatal incident.

Saito can use Takehara to compare with Anqing, which shows the excitement of the AQ market. The adjutant laughed when he heard this, and said something with a little pride and meaning.

"Hey Kexi, even my hometown Takehara is nothing more than this." Saito Jiro subconsciously replied.

However, the person who came was Ozawa's adjutant, and his military rank was higher than his own. He couldn't refuse him anyway, so he had to act like he was flattered and followed him into the car.

As he said that, the adjutant raised his arm slightly and pointed in the direction of the car. Saito Jiro's heart tightened, and he realized what it means to be intimidated.

Takehara is part of Hiroshima Prefecture. In ancient times, it was a transportation hub of the Seto Inland Sea and an important port city in the Muromachi period. It prospered in the salt production industry in the late Edo period and is known as "Aki's Little Kyoto".

The leading captain revealed his identity with a smile on his face and extended his hand to Saito: "Saito-san, welcome to Anqing. I am Lieutenant Colonel Ozawa's adjutant. Please come with me. Lieutenant Colonel Ozawa has been waiting for you at his residence for a long time. "

Perhaps seeing his doubts, the adjutant on the side turned his head with a smile and said: "It's very nice here, Saito-kun?"

What's going on? Doesn't it mean that the Anqing navy was corrupted by the people of the Republic of China?

Sitting on the soft seat, Saito Jiro looked outside curiously and found that the business here was quite prosperous, and the people of the Republic of China also treated the imperial soldiers with respect.

Moreover, even if the other party really betrayed the interests of the empire, can he really find evidence? What if those people kill him?

Fleet commander involved in treason?

Saito Jiro shook his head as he finished his reminiscences. He couldn't believe it. He had heard of Ozawagawa at the Naval War School and was not unfamiliar with him.

We need you to secretly collect evidence after you arrive in Anqing that all the scum of the Imperial Navy, including Fleet Commander Lieutenant Commander Ozawagawa, are involved in treason. Can you do this, Lieutenant Jiro Saito? "

Amidst the sound of music, several Japanese navy ensigns, lieutenants, and even captains walked quickly.

I saw flowers blooming on the pier, a big red carpet spread from the shore to the road, several high-end cars shining in the sun, and a group of trumpeters playing cheerful tunes next to them.

After half an hour.

Then, the adjutant changed the subject and introduced the situation of Anqing. In his account, Saito Jiro got a preliminary understanding of the city.

The small steamer docked at Anqing Pier. Saito Jiro walked off the ship under the escort of the captain. He was immediately shocked by the scene in front of him and slowly opened his mouth.

"What the empire needs is wealth, and what it needs is order. Saito-kun, it's good for young people to be motivated, but you have to know the direction. You still have a lot to learn."

According to the adjutant, Anqing has gradually become the most important shipping hub in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River since last year. A large number of ships and caravans gather here, and the commercial tax collected alone is as high as tens of thousands of yen every day.

This strong business atmosphere attracted hundreds of businessmen from various countries, who brought countless business and job opportunities to Anqing, and the people of the Republic of China benefited a lot from this.

Not only has its business performance been outstanding, but Anqing’s public security situation is also very good.

Different from the chaos in the surrounding cities, there have been no vicious attacks on Japanese soldiers in the local area for several months, and the relationship between residents and the garrison is very cordial.

At first glance, Anqing fully complies with the Greater East Asia co-prosperity policy proposed by the cabinet and is indeed a model for occupied territories.

But Saito Jiro seemed to see the turbulent undercurrent under the calm water.

Japanese domestic newspapers have reported on the resistance activities of the Republic of China people from time to time. Why did the situation change in Anqing? There must be a reason!

Saito Jiro calmly agreed with the adjutant and carefully answered each question raised by the other party. The shirt on his back quickly became soaked until the car stopped outside a Japanese-style manor in the suburbs of Anqing.

After getting off the car, Saito looked at this standard Japanese-style building, as if he was outside the door of a large local chaebol. The endless wall made him stunned again.

"Hahaha, isn't it spectacular, Saito-kun?"

The adjutant got off the car from the other side and walked to him, pointing to the manor covering dozens of acres, with a flash of pride and envy in his eyes, and recounted the origin of the manor.

"This is the official residence of His Excellency Lieutenant Colonel in Anqing. Don't get me wrong. It didn't waste a single renminbi of the empire's public funds. It was built with funds raised by local squires and businessmen from various countries. Every brick, tile, plant, tree, and even a tree inside is The nails are all brought from the mainland, and the person responsible for the design is also the most famous builder in the empire. Please come in. "

Saito Jiro was shocked. The distance from the mainland to Anqing was thousands of kilometers. Even if it was transported by sea, the funds required would be an astronomical figure.

Isn't Ozawa afraid that a Lieutenant Colonel is so high-profile?

He followed the adjutant into the courtyard gate in a daze, and found that the person standing guard at the door was actually a naval soldier, Baga. As a soldier, he worked as a domestic servant. What a warrior spirit!

If a soldier on guard hears this sentence, he will definitely tell him that he can get "hard work pay" that is more than 10 times the military salary every month. No one will feel embarrassed because of this. Warriors also need to eat and support their families.

Along the path paved with jade, Saito and his adjutant passed through a carefully crafted Japanese garden, smelling the fragrance of flowers, and stepped into a wooden building with cornices.

Several young Japanese women dressed as servants came up to them immediately, either kneeling or standing beside the two of them, slowly stretching out their jade-like hands.

During their gentle movements, Saito Jiro's coat was taken off and put on a soft kimono, and even the military boots on his feet were replaced with top-notch clogs.

Then, a servant led the way with small steps, leading the two of them to a Japanese room, bending down and gently pushing open the shoji door.

Inside the door, someone was sitting cross-legged at a low table and sipping tea. When he saw Saito and the adjutant arriving, the person suddenly smiled.

"Saito-kun, Tasa."

Ozawagawa, commander of the Japanese river fleet stationed in Anqing, said warmly, raising his hand to signal Saito Jiro to sit down opposite him, his air was very graceful.

Saito, who was like a puppet on strings, paused quickly, followed Ozawagawa's instructions, walked to the low table and knelt down on his knees, shaking nervously, completely losing the idea of ​​fighting against it.

Collect evidence?

To go against such a boss who has great power and spends money like water is a disgrace to his own longevity.

Saito knew that Ozawa's confidence must be related to some people in the Naval Command and even the Navy Ministry. He did not want to "slip and fall into the water."

Seeing that he was so understanding, Ozawachuan smiled proudly, took out a document bag and threw it to the other party, and then continued to sip tea leisurely.

Saito Jiro tremblingly opened the document bag and took out a few documents from it. When he saw the contents clearly, his heart skipped a beat, and a gentleman immediately came and said respectfully.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Ogawa, Saito is willing to be loyal."

Without a trace of hesitation, Saito Jiro knelt down, because the file contained the files of his family and all his movements during his stay on Etajima.

The details of the information and the depth of the investigation made it clearer than he, the client, could remember, what kind of power this was.

During the war, the files of active servicemen were classified, not to mention the files of students on Etajima, known as the cradle of the Japanese Navy. This would never have been possible without tremendous energy.

Saito knew that this was Ozawakawa's intimidation, and the greeting just now and the manor at his feet were temptations. Faced with this situation, bowing his head was the choice a smart person should make.

"Hahahaha, Saito-kun, please get up. From now on, we are all our own, and your benefits will not be missed."

Ozawa looked arrogant. He gave the other person a weak support, then stretched out three fingers and explained the benefits one by one.

"One, within three days, your father's merchant society received an order for the Imperial Navy, and the profit was enough to make the Saito family profitable for ten years.

Second, the Navy Garrison will come forward to negotiate, and your elder brother and younger brother will be exempted from military service.

Three, within three years, I guarantee that your military rank will be promoted to captain, and at the same time, you will receive a dividend from our business every month. "

If Saito Jiro was still a little unconvinced before, now he has no extra thoughts and only one thought, that is, let’s do it! Your Excellency Ozawagawa!

Family, career, money, everything you pursue in life have been met, so there is nothing left to hesitate.

He immediately told the whole story about the tasks of the Shanghai Naval Command, without any concealment. To be a dog, you must have the consciousness to be a dog. He knew this very well.

In this way, the military police captain who was supposed to be responsible for monitoring Ozawagawa and others became his own, and the "material circulation" transaction of the river fleet was completely free of worries.

After seeing Saito off happily, the adjutant sat down where he had been, poured a cup of tea for Ozawagawa, and said.

"Sir, what Saito said is consistent with the information sent by the Shanghai Military Police. It seems to be trustworthy."

Ozawakawa nodded slightly: "Well, the dividends from the military police and the commander must be sent to you in time. I will be transferred soon. It will be up to you in the future."

If Saito Jiro hears this, he will definitely be glad for his decision, because the Japanese naval headquarters in Shanghai is already rotten, and even the mission assigned by the head of the military police is a test.

The adjutant was neither excited nor declined. This was a rule established long ago by the "partners" of the mountain city.

No infighting is allowed among them. Everyone is promoted step by step. Even those who are transferred will still enjoy dividends in the future, but the share will be much smaller.

All these arrangements have only one purpose, stability!

With nearly a year of filial piety, Ozawa has successfully made a name for himself within the Navy. Not only has his rank been promoted, but he is also about to serve in Shanghai or the Combined Fleet.

Recalling his ignorance of the world when he first came to Anqing, Ozawa looked self-deprecating. Just as he was about to give his adjutant a few words, someone outside the door sent a telegram.

(End of this chapter)