The assassinations and counter-assassinations, revenge and counter-retaliation that broke out in Shanghai reached a new climax.
Previously, the assassinations against Japanese special forces were mainly led by Zhou Weilong and Cheng Yiming, the chiefs of the Shanghai latent zone of the military command, but now when Meng Shaoyuan officially entered, it suddenly became more vigorous.
The assassinations directed by Zhou and Cheng were entirely aimed at Japanese agents. Meng Shaoyuan was different. He made a request to his subordinates:
Indiscriminate assassination.
The assassination targets were not limited to Japanese special agents, but also included traitors, sympathetic supporters of Japan, etc.
According to their internal statement, Meng Shaoyuan's order was that once the other party was suspected of being a Japanese special agent or a traitor, they could take action even if there was insufficient evidence.
This kind of "indiscriminate assassination" later caused quite a lot of controversy.
Those in favor believed that this operation, which lasted for several months, greatly dealt a blow to the Japanese secret service, shocked the traitor groups, and stabilized the situation of military control in Shanghai in the shortest possible time.
The opposition believed that there were many manslaughter incidents in this assassination.
For example, Lu Jianping, a well-known businessman in Shanghai, once served as the president of the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce and was a veteran leader of the Shanghai industrial and commercial community. Similar to Huang Jingxuan who was assassinated before, he did a lot of good things when the Battle of Songhu broke out. However, after the fall of Shanghai, under pressure, his factory began to cooperate with the Japanese.
He was immediately identified as a traitor and put on the "anti-traitor list."
On the same day, after Lu Jianping attended an opening ceremony, he was shot on the spot and died of four bullets.
It is no longer known whether Lu Jianping was a traitor or whether his cooperation with the Japanese was voluntary or forced.
But at least this assassination brought a great shock to Shanghai's industrial and commercial community.
First it was Huang Jingxuan, then Lu Jianping.
The military commander has set his sights on the industrial and commercial circles.
This kind of situation has never happened in the past. If you cooperate with the Japanese, you will at most be scorned behind your back like "profiteer, traitor", but now they are really starting to kill people.
And one kill means two, and they are all well-known in Shanghai.
The shock was shock, but it was also followed by panic.
Some businessmen are already thinking about whether to close their business in Shanghai and move their families to Hong Kong or somewhere else.
Under such circumstances, Meng Shaoyuan made a decision. He asked Mrs. Qiangwei, Cai Xuefei, to host a banquet for him and entertain those business celebrities at Qiangwei Mansion.
Cai Xuefei didn't have time to think before she agreed.
From the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in Songhu to now, she has really seen everything Meng Shaoyuan did in Shanghai.
She never imagined that a person who had only been in Shanghai for a few months could actually stir up trouble in Shanghai.
Of course Butler Qiu was not happy.
That rude and disrespectful man, even if he bought a big house in Shanghai and could control everything, he was still a rough man in his eyes, which was definitely not comparable to his wife.
But my wife just accepts this man's tricks, so what can I do?
We started preparations early in the morning. After all, more than 20 people would be here in the evening.
Not every business person can receive an invitation from Mrs. Rose. At least it must be a famous celebrity. No matter how dissatisfied Butler Qiu is with Meng Shaoyuan, he will never embarrass his wife.
At noon, Meng Shaoyuan's housekeeper Alao came unexpectedly.
These two butlers were probably born to be rivals, and they were full of disdain for each other when they met.
"What are you doing here?" Butler Qiu's English is very good: "It's not time for the dinner yet."
"I'll check."
"What? Are you here to check?"
Butler Qiu wondered if he heard wrongly.
How dare this black man, who is as rude as his master, come to the Rose Mansion for inspection openly? This is simply the biggest insult to yourself!
"I think you are very humorous, sir." Butler Qiu decided to be a polite and civilized person. He tried to control his anger: "This is Rose Mansion, not your home. What qualifications do you have to come and inspect it?"
"I represent my master, sir." Arau did not give in at all: "My master attaches great importance to this banquet, so I must ensure that the banquet is perfect."
"Get out of here."
"No, I will not leave until the master's task is completed, and I will stay until the dinner is over."
Quality, quality.
Don't get along with this kind of person.
Butler Qiu said in as calm a voice as possible: "I say it for the last time, get out of here."
"I refuse." Arau decided to be a good gentleman while completing the master's task: "I need to read every step."
"roll!"
"Are you going to curse again, sir!"
"Yes, I'm swearing, get out of here!"
"You actually cursed, you disgraced a gentleman."
"Gentleman, do you know what a gentleman is?"
"I may not understand, but at least I know that you are very rude."
"Can you say that again!"
"I told you, you are not polite, rude, and ignorant...ah! Hit me!"
"I hit you, how about...ah! How dare you put my eyes in!"
…
"There's a fight! Butler Qiu and Butler A'lau are fighting!"
…
The cooks put down the dishes and the servants put down the utensils they were wiping. They looked at the two people wrestling with each other on the ground with interest.
The world of gentlemen is really confusing.
…
Just when there was a fight at the Rose Mansion... no, when the dinner was being actively prepared, Meng Shaopin met Kojiro Kawamoto again.
Strangely enough, although the two of them would argue with each other every time they met, most of the time they seemed like two old friends chatting there.
There's nothing at stake.
"This is the tea my friend brought me from Japan. Please try it." Kawamoto Kojiro actually brought a gift to Meng Shaoyuan.
"Oh, why are you so embarrassed?" Meng Shaoyuan touched his pocket: "I didn't bring you any gifts?"
"Ah, no need, no need." Kawamoto Kojiro said: "Mr. Meng, when I invite you to meet me this time, I must tell you that the assassination against you has nothing to do with me or the Army Intelligence Department."
Meng Shaoyuan nodded: "I know, but if there is a chance, you will definitely assassinate me."
"Yes." Kawamoto Kojiro answered very seriously: "Any small opportunity, as long as we catch it, we will not let it go. Being able to kill you will have a great change in the situation in Shanghai. It's a pity. , there are not many opportunities left for us. If I were responsible for the assassination of the noodle shop, maybe the ending would be different."
Being told by someone that he wanted to kill him in front of his face would have turned his back on anyone else, but Meng Shaoyuan was not angry at all. He seemed to think that what the other person said was justified:
"You didn't have this chance. The main reason I was in danger this time was because I ignored Aya Akagi. I think a woman, or a foreign woman, can't do anything to me, so this time it also taught me a big lesson."
"Since you already know that it was Asa Akagi who did it, I have nothing to hide." Kawamoto Kojiro sighed: "This incident happened so suddenly that we were completely caught off guard, and the originally bad The situation in Shanghai has become further complicated, and this is definitely not what we want to see.
Mr. Meng, too many people have died. Our people, your people, are dying every day, and new bodies are found every day. We are all under pressure, and neither of us can bear this loss to continue. So I suggest, let’s call it a truce. "
truce?
Did Kojiro Kawamoto come to ask for a truce?
Meng Shaoyuan said calmly: "Let me correct a few of your views. First, you can't afford such a loss, but we can afford it. We use the lives of ten agents who have not been trained in any way to exchange for one of your agents. life, this deal is worth it. We can resupply at any time, but you can't. The military commanders will fight more and more, what about you?
You can think of this as me talking nonsense, but the following point is the biggest headache for you. We are going to war in Shanghai, and you must respond. I think you will use more than half of your strength to fight us, right? So much so that intelligence work is now very difficult to carry out, and frontline military commanders are probably constantly reprimanding you. "
Kawamoto Kojiro smiled bitterly.
He found that Meng Shaoyuan could always hit the key points of the problem every time he talked.
Yes, with the outbreak of the war with the Juntong Army, the Army intelligence agency has been able to provide less and less intelligence to the front line, which has caused dissatisfaction among some senior front line officers.
Even the work of instigating rebellion against the national army generals has been temporarily stopped.
In the past, this work was mainly carried out by the Shanghai secret service.
"At the very least, I want to have a truce with you." Kojiro Kawamoto changed the topic: "My people and I don't want to continue this kind of consumption. And in order to express my sincerity, I want to give you another gift."
"Oh, what gift?" Meng Shaoyuan was a little curious.
"Tian Qi!"
"Tian Qi?"
Kawamoto Kojiro immediately said: "Yes, Tian Qi, the person who betrayed you is with me now. I can hand him back to you in exchange for a unilateral truce between you and me!"
Tian Qi was exposed? Tian Qi didn’t gain the trust of the Japanese? Or is Kawamoto Kojiro really scared and wants to use Tianqi in exchange for "peace"?
No, that's not right.
This is a trial.
If he refuses to take over Tian Qi, then there must be something wrong with Tian Qi's rebellion. What if I agree to take over Tian Qi?
From the analysis of intelligence feedback, Kawamoto Kojiro did not trust Tian Qi, but he could not catch Tian Qi. Therefore, in this case, returning Tian Qi to China could actually reduce the Japanese threat.
Moreover, this was decided privately by Kawamoto Kojiro.
Meng Shaoyuan suddenly smiled: "I accept this precious gift from you!"
