Ozawakawa was silent for a long time, and wisely gave up the idea of asking Zuo Zhong's true identity, and instead asked what "Minami Kaiichiro" wanted to do.
Although he is the naval commander stationed in Anqing, he only has two small gunboats and dozens of sailors under his command, and he does not know any high-level intelligence.
The other party took such pains to lure him into the trap and made it clear that the goods were entrained. It was definitely not just for transporting prohibited materials.
But no matter what, there are some things that must not be done, such as openly treason and joining the mountain city, then he cannot agree even if he commits hara-kiri.
Since the beginning of the war, only a handful of imperial soldiers and officers have surrendered to the Republic of China. The family members of these people who stayed in the mainland have all been thrown into prison without exception.
Some people's wives and daughters were even sent to frontline comfort stations to "atone" for their relatives who betrayed the empire and the Locusts, and lived a life worse than death.
Rather than having his whole family liquidated like this, it would be better to end his life happily. At least his parents and wife would not be implicated and they could still receive the pitiful pension.
After listening to Ozawa's question, Zuo Zhong did not answer immediately. Instead, he poured a glass of wine for the two of them himself, then picked up the wine glass and touched it lightly with him with a smile.
"Ozawa-kun, some time ago, the Anqing Military Police arrested some government intelligence officers. Have you heard anything about this?"
Government intelligence officer?
Ozawakawa's heart sank. Things were still developing in the worst direction. "Minami Kaichiro" couldn't ask this question for no reason. Could it be that the other party wanted to rob the prisoner?
Thinking of this, he raised his head and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, taking a sip of bitter wine into his throat. He was addicted to alcohol and had never felt that the sweet wine in the past was so difficult to swallow.
This feeling of being coerced was so uncomfortable. It was all his fault that he was blinded by money and mistakenly trusted his so-called fellow countrymen. After a moment of silence, he looked at Zuo Zhong with red eyes.
"I know this. Before escorting the grain ship to the mountain city, the Anqing Military Police asked me to send a gunboat escort to help them transport the prisoners to Jinling.
I ignored your request and planned to make plans after returning to Anqing, so... all this was planned by you, you wanted to delay the gendarmerie! "
An idea flashed in Ozawakawa's mind. The first cooperation must not go wrong, and the delay in military affairs were all excuses. He lowered his voice in anger.
"Do you want me to save people? I'm sorry, but I can't do it. This is no different from an open defection. I will die after the incident is over. You'd better change your plan."
"Haha, Ozawa-kun, don't get excited."
Zuo Zhong patted his arm quickly, the expression on his face did not change, just like an old friend, he comforted him with gentle words.
"Please rest assured that compared to several prisoners who have been exposed, Mr. Ozawa, you are more valuable. We will not kill the goose to obtain the eggs. This is not in our interests.
What I want to say is that if the ship transporting prisoners is attacked by a large number of armed men during transportation, you and your men fight back but are still defeated.
As a result, the ship sank, the target escaped, and no one escorted was spared. If this happens, how much responsibility do you need to bear, and whether your life is in danger. "
Ozawa was stunned for a moment. Shouldn't he reveal his identity and forcefully save people? That would be fine. After thinking about it carefully, he frowned and answered.
"According to the tradition of the empire, the defeated should commit suicide and apologize. However, this mission is led by the army, and the navy is only responsible for cooperating. The main responsibility should be borne by the army.
Once what you said happens, Nan Jiajun, the members of the gendarmerie will undoubtedly die. My men and I may be severely reprimanded, but our lives will definitely not be in danger.
The conflict between the Army and the Navy has been going on for a long time, and they have always been incompatible with each other. It is impossible for the top brass of the Navy to punish their own people for the Red Deer mission. I am very sure of this.
I can tell you the escort route, the number of escort personnel, and the weapon configuration. If necessary, I can also mobilize the gunboats to leave you with sufficient time to act.
But this time won't be too long, only five to ten minutes. The rest depends on Nan Jiajun's strength, but please note that once there is a firefight, I will not show mercy. "
For his own safety and to avoid taking responsibility, Ozawachuan took the initiative to help make plans for the rescue operation, but this was not what Zuo Zhong wanted.
He wanted to make money but didn't want to take responsibility. How could anything be so cheap in the world? He looked at the other party deeply and then Zuo Zhong spoke.
"Haha, Ozawa-kun, I can tell you frankly that I do want to rescue the captured national agents, and you play a very important role in my plan."
"No, I won't answer..."
Ozawa was immediately anxious. He was going to die. He wouldn't kill the goose to lay the eggs. It was all lies.
"Shut up and listen to me!"
Zuo Zhong patted the table hard. It was now time. Ozawa had no other choice. He had to agree or not. There was no need to be too polite to the other party.
When the Japanese attacked Anqing, the Japanese navy's artillery fire killed thousands of civilians, and Ozawa was one of them. It is useless to deal with such people just being gentle.
So he completely gave up his pretense, and changed from a businessman who made money with peace of mind to a powerful deputy director of the Military Command Bureau, issuing threats in a cold voice.
"I don't have enough manpower to carry out the rescue operation, so you must help us, otherwise you will still die if the operation fails. If you want to survive, just obey my arrangements. I can guarantee that you will be fine.
What you are worried about is nothing more than being discovered by your subordinates or others about what you are doing. This can be solved easily. Just turn your subordinates into one of your own, and then kill all other insiders.
As long as you cooperate properly, you will be scolded at most. This is what you said yourself. I think you should know how to choose to exchange a painless scolding for a fortune that is greater than last time. "
At this point, Zuo Zhong no longer concealed his murderous intention, and he had the intention to kill someone if the other party did not agree. He once again used money to seduce him, and used both soft and hard tactics to force Ozawakawa to submit.
After hearing this, Ozawachuan secretly cursed the other party as a madman. He had dozens of people under his command. How could he bribe them? Not everyone was as willing to sell out the empire for money as he was.
Besides, the military police responsible for the escort are not fools. They sit there waiting to be killed. As long as a witness escapes, his only fate will be one, and that is to be captured by the military police and then shot.
But before he could refuse, Zuo Zhong took out a map of the Changjiang River Basin from his pocket, pointed at Naoziji, which is more than 80 kilometers downstream of Anqing, and made his first request.
"Ozawa-kun, this is the most dangerous section of the Changjiang Route. It is famous for its many bends, narrow channel, and fast currents. It can only accommodate one ship in one direction. I am right.
In addition to the gendarmerie ships, there will also be cargo ships transporting laborers. I need you to arrange the two escort gunboats at the head and tail of the fleet when arranging the escort plan. "
As a naval commander stationed in Anqing, Ozawa is naturally very familiar with Naoziji. This waterway is 21 kilometers long and looks like a capital S from the air.
Although the surface of the river is hundreds of meters wide, there are many reefs under the calm surface of the river. The width that can be used by ships is only more than 100 meters. Accidents often occur in the two opposite waterways, and those who fall into the water are either dead or alive.
This is indeed a good place to start. As long as the gunboats at the front and rear block the channel, the ships in the middle can't even dock, unless they force the beach with the risk of destroying the ship and killing people.
But there is still the same problem. His sailors have received complete military training and are not his personal private soldiers. They cannot follow his orders to attack the military police who are also friendly forces.
Moreover, Ozawa racked his brains and couldn't figure out why a freighter was needed to transport workers, so he had to throw out these two questions, hoping to get a reasonable explanation.
In this regard, Zuo Zhong just waved his hand: "None of this is important. We will still be in this restaurant tomorrow night. I need you to invite all members of the two gunboats to be there. You can think of the reasons yourself.
Remember, it’s everyone, no one less will work. How to convince them is up to me. Just drink. If you can do it, otherwise I will consider changing a partner. "
Ozawa knew what he meant, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and promise to do it. The navy was different from the army, which was accustomed to trying to defeat the superior. The internal hierarchy was strict. As long as it did not involve military affairs, few people would dare to refuse the invitation of their superiors.
Zuo Dian nodded, raised his hand to look at his watch and stood up to leave. He was not worried that the other party would report him. Once those entrained radio stations and information were exposed, Ozawa would be the first to die.
Don't talk about exchanging merit for crime. With the extreme national characteristics of the Japanese, betrayal is betrayal. There is no excuse. It is impossible for Ozawakawa not to know the virtue of his compatriots.
Besides, everyone has a sense of luck. Don’t those spies who were instigated to rebel in later generations know what they are doing? Of course they know, they just think that they will not be caught.
Now Ozawa is facing the same situation. If you cooperate, you may be arrested. If you don't cooperate or surrender, you will definitely be arrested. As long as you are not a madman, you will definitely know how to choose.
Pushing open the door to the private room, Zuo Zhong and Gui Youguang walked out of the restaurant together. They stood on the roadside and whispered a few words before splitting up. One walked to the bank and the other to the Anqing Telegraph Office.
The next evening.
One by one, the Japanese sailors happily left the barracks and walked towards the restaurant. Major Ozawa, who had always been stingy, treated them to a treat. This was a great event that was rare in a century, and no one wanted to miss it.
However, there are also people who have doubts and worries. How can Fang Pingshi have the money to invite so many people when he doesn't even have money for drinks? Considering the previous mysterious "military supplies" transportation mission, the answer is about to come out.
The sailors with their own thoughts walked into the restaurant lobby and found that there was no one inside. Even the waiter was gone, but the tables were filled with delicious food and drinks.
While everyone was wondering, Ozawa took Zuo Zhong and Gui Youguang from the back hall of the restaurant to the main table. He motioned for his men to sit down and explained casually.
"Everyone, sit down. These two people next to you are my good friends. I have asked all the people from the Republic of China in the restaurant to leave. It is very safe here. You will not come back until you are drunk today."
When the superior spoke, all the Japanese soldiers immediately sat down according to their military ranks and positions. Under the stimulation of alcohol, the atmosphere quickly became heated, and some people slowly turned their attention to Ozawa's good "friend".
(End of chapter)
