That night.
Hiroshi Otsuki followed Takeo Okada's advice and gathered together all the operatives who had fired the gun, and soon discovered a clue.
A member of the puppet government police station fired a gun during a chase today. At that time, it was not clear whether he was hit or not. Only a few drops of blood were seen at the scene.
However, through preliminary comparison of warhead traces, it was determined that Jia Jixiang, one of the targets of the pursuit, had been injured, which proved that the current pursuit strategy was effective.
After casually sending away the "hero" who fired the gun, Otsuki ordered the search team to search the houses one kilometer in radius one by one as Takeo Okada said, and also mobilized more than a dozen military dogs to cooperate with the operation.
The search lasted two full days.
The nearby streets were filled with banging on doors and barking of military dogs. Countless people were driven out of their homes to undergo screening by the Japanese and traitors.
Unfortunately, apart from catching a few thieves, Zuo Zhong and his men were not even found, and they completely disappeared in this ancient city.
In this regard, Okada Takeo, who is paying close attention to the development of the situation, gave his own guess, that is, the secret service must have multiple safe houses in the city, or there must be responders to cover it.
It was as if he had not said this. Otsuki Hiroshi, who had already seen the hope of promotion, still did not give up after being frustrated and tried to order the operators to conduct house searches in the entire Nancheng.
According to Japanese statistics, the number of residents in Beiping Nancheng exceeds 300,000. A major operation involving so many people is obviously not something that a colonel can decide.
Otsuki was soon summoned to the office by an order from Touichi Terauchi. It is said that the commander with heavy troops was so angry when he gave the order that he even slammed the table.
After receiving the news, Takeo Okada immediately rushed to the North China Front headquarters at the Central Hotel and waited quietly in the reception room.
Half an hour later, the disgraced Hiroshi Otsuki came back. His cheeks were red and swollen, and his eyes were full of resentment.
"Your Excellency Dayue, you were..."
Takeo Okada said in shock, but then he felt that it was not a good idea to ask such a question, and quickly comforted him: "Private Marseille, it is all because of me that Ohtsuki-kun has been wronged.
However, Commander Shouichi in the temple is too harsh on you. It is just a search operation. Even if the scale is a bit larger, there is no need to insult a warrior of His Majesty the Locust like this. "
With that said, the indignant Okada wetted the handkerchief with cold water from the kettle in the reception room, handed it to the other party, and motioned for Otsuki to apply it to the wound.
After receiving it, Otsuki Hiroshi covered his cheeks and shook his head with a sinister expression: "Okada-kun, this has nothing to do with you. Unlike Western countries, the empire and the army have a long history of corporal punishment.
I forgot this and only thought about how to capture Zuo Zhong so as to gain recognition from my superiors as a way to advance to the next level. I ignored the impact of such a large-scale operation on the situation and public opinion. "
Although what he said sounded nice, the throbbing veins on his forehead proved that his heart was not as peaceful as it seemed. It was a great shame and humiliation for a colonel to be slapped in public.
Takeo Okada, who also had a background studying abroad, understood the other party's mood, opened his mouth and said nothing in the end. After all, this was a matter for the North China Front, and it was inconvenient for him to get too involved.
The reception room became quiet. After the swelling on Otsuki's face subsided, the two went out to the Central Hotel. They sat at the bar inside the hotel and ordered two glasses of whiskey while drinking and chatting.
"Tasa~"
"Tasa~"
They clinked glasses with each other, Oyue drank the wine in one gulp, pulled open his collar, slapped the table hard, and cursed Baga softly in his mouth.
"Damn Zuo Zhong, if it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have been punished by Your Majesty the Commander. I will definitely catch him, I will!"
It's okay if you can't see hope. It's really annoying to feel like you can't catch your goal even though it's right in front of you.
Looking at Mr. Colonel who was losing his temper, Okada sighed: "Please forgive my directness, many people have said this, but Zuo Zhong is still alive and continues to bring trouble to the empire.
Besides, Otsuki-kun, you have seen through the other party's conspiracy, and the battle plan has not been stolen. In this case, why bother with him? You are a staff officer, and it is not your responsibility to arrest intelligence personnel. "
"Battle plan?"
Hiroshi Otsuki placed the wine glass heavily on the table and signaled the bartender to fill it up. He turned his head and said seriously: "Don't you understand, Okada-kun? I don't care about the battle plan, because no matter how great the victory on the front line is, it has nothing to do with me.
The success of the battle was due to the wise command of the commander-in-chief and the commanders, and it had nothing to do with the staff. Zuo Zhong was my only chance, otherwise I would probably have to end my life with the rank of colonel until I retire from active service. "
These words were somewhat superficial, but when faced with "similar people" who had the same life experience and were in the same embarrassing situation, he still chose to speak out.
After hearing this, Takeo Okada glanced at the bartender who was walking away and said sincerely: "No, I understand that it is difficult for people like you and me to get promoted in the military, and we must seize every opportunity.
But as a friend who fell in love at first sight, I must tell you one thing, Zuo Zhong is a terrible opponent who will always appear in an unexpected way and then deliver a fatal blow.
The so-called arrest is a complete waste of time, and everyone knows this. That's why I, who belongs to the minority in the Central China Dispatch Army's Secret Service Department, was sent to Beiping to perform this task.
Otsuki-kun, listen to me, give up. I will write down in the report the efforts you have made in keeping the battle plan secret. Even if you cannot be promoted as a result, it is always okay to record a good deed. "
Otsuki Hiroshi was grateful after hearing this, but he had to take a lot of risks in doing so. If anyone knew that they had given and received privately, the other party would not be able to escape punishment.
As a nobleman, how could he bring trouble to his friends? He looked at Okada, raised his glass and declined politely: "No need, I still have one of Zuo Zhong's subordinates, or I can find him through her..."
"Your Excellency Colonel, Your Excellency Colonel."
Just as he was talking, an agent hurriedly came from outside, shouting repeatedly. When he came to the two of them, he glanced at Takeo Jun Okada with an embarrassed expression.
Otsuki Hiroshi knew that something must have happened, and waved his hand indifferently: "It doesn't matter. Okada-kun is my good friend. If you have anything to say, just say it. There is no need to hide it."
"Hai." The agent lowered his head and said honestly: "The woman let go. According to her confession, Zuo Zhong has a safe house in Dongcheng, and now the military police have surrounded it."
"Nani!"
Otsuki Hiroshi stood up directly, shouted in surprise, and then immediately ordered: "Quick, call the military police to inform the military police not to act rashly, and wait until I arrive at the scene before taking action."
"Qiaodou sack, please be careful. Zuo Zhong is an insidious person and is good at making traps with dangerous materials. We have lost a lot of manpower because of this." Takeo Okada warned next to him.
"Yoshi, tell them to pay attention."
Thinking of the men who were blown away when they searched the small courtyard in Jiaozi Alley, Otsuki quickly told the little agent, secretly cursing the despicable Chinese in his heart, and turned around to invite Okada to go with him.
He could finally see that even though it was their first meeting, Okada did regard him as a friend. He was truly a rare honest person in the Imperial Army, and his abilities were quite extraordinary.
Take the other person there, firstly because he is a member of the Secret Service and may be able to help them, and secondly, if Zuo Zhong is caught, it will be considered as repaying the favor.
Of course Okada Takeo would not refuse and followed behind with a smile. The others got in the car and set off, speeding all the way to Toutiao Alley near Dongcheng Yan~Shugong Palace.
As soon as he got out of the car, Otsuki saw a shackled woman pointing at a villa and gesturing silently to the military police. A dozen or so fully armed soldiers were getting ready to go.
"Have you determined the location of the safe house?"
Seeing this, he hurriedly found the person in charge of the scene to ask about the specific situation. Otsuki himself did not notice it. The repeated attempts to return without success made him lose his previous patience and became upset.
"Hai, it's confirmed. It's in a room on the third floor. According to the neighbor's confession, I saw a stranger wandering around the building this morning."
The person in charge first reported the intelligence currently available, and then took out a drawing: "We have found the blueprint of the building and can launch a raid at any time. The people responsible for the operation are all elites in the military.
Once the residents in the building are under control, the woman will identify them and find out the Chinese spies among them. Please rest assured, Colonel, as long as the target is here, there is absolutely no way to escape. "
"Swoosh, let's start."
Hiroshi Otsuki, who didn't want to wait another minute, waved his hand and ordered the person in charge to take action immediately. He walked to Takeo Okada and started chatting and laughing.
Okada Takeo spoke while looking at the scarred woman. He seemed a little curious about this member of the Secret Service and asked Otsuki a few questions.
For example, the situation when the other party was arrested, and whether the other party gave any useful information, these Oyue answered one by one without hiding anything.
While the two were talking, Japanese soldiers rushed into the foreign-style building with long and short guns. Accompanied by shouts and screams, they quickly occupied the building without encountering resistance.
Seeing this, the person in charge was about to take the female prisoner to identify her. Before entering, the female prisoner stopped on the stairs and looked back into the distance, and was then pushed into the building by the agents.
Hiroshi Otsuki wanted to follow him, but looking at Okada who was chatting heavily, he hesitated and chose to wait outside for news. He never thought that this move would actually save his life.
Not long after the female prisoner entered, a room on the third floor suddenly exploded. A ball of fire broke through the window, and glass shards and human body parts flew everywhere.
The stunned Otsuki stood there, and then half of his thigh wearing Japanese military trousers fell not far away, and black smoke rose. He was stunned for a few seconds, and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Quick! Go and save people!"
After shouting, his legs weakened and he slumped to the ground, his eyes full of despair. It was over now. Not only was Zuo Zhong not caught, but the only clue was cut off, and so many people died.
It is conceivable that when the news reaches the headquarters, what is waiting for him will not be as simple as a few slaps. Those colleagues who have already had problems with him will swarm him and bite him into pieces.
Okada Takeo on the side sighed after being silent, stepped forward to help the other person up, helped him brush off the dust on his clothes, put his hand on his shoulder, and said something serious.
"Otsuki-kun, please be stronger!"
(I have a fever again. After you recover, be sure not to turn on the air conditioner or catch a cold. You will return to China in two days)
(End of chapter)
