Chen Mingxiang paid great attention to his contacts with the Navy. The first people he met were Lieutenant Colonel Ono, Colonel Nakajima and Lieutenant Commander Shimada, and they often accepted gifts from him.
Daily contact includes cigars, red wine and imported lighters, and even occasionally expensive luxuries such as cameras. Rare specialties for holidays and festivals are also indispensable for these three people.
Relationships are built up slowly in this way. Although Shimada Nakasa's military rank and position are not high, his qualifications in the navy are not low. The key is that the school he graduated from is very famous, it is the Naval Academy.
All in all, famous naval admirals such as Zengo Yoshida, Isoroku Yamamoto, and Shitaro Shimada were all his seniors. Most of his classmates worked in important naval departments or fleets, so they were very well-informed.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Shimada, Admiral Shitaro Shimada will definitely be reused after returning to Japan. The big bosses in the Military Command admire him very much, especially a big boss from the royal family who controls the Japanese navy, and once specially promoted him.
His successor, Mineichi Furukawa, once served as deputy minister of the Military Command and commander of the Japanese Second Fleet. Lieutenant Commander Shimada is not sure about the specific situation. After all, he is only a lieutenant colonel, and his level of contact is still a bit low.
Chen Mingxiang has not yet met the newly arrived commander of the Third Fleet, Lieutenant General Takahashi, but according to Lieutenant Colonel Shimada, he is a typical advocate of the southward strategy.
After he became the second minister of the Military Command, he has been clamoring to seize the Nanyang region and Southeast Asia. As Japan's strategic interest circle, these remarks were deeply appreciated by the bosses of the Military Command, so he was sent to China to serve as the third fleet of the front fleet.
Commander.
"I heard from Lieutenant Colonel Ono and Chief Kodama that the Imperial Navy will have large-scale operations in the second half of the year. If you want to be promoted, this is a rare opportunity. Are your Marine Corps stationed in Shanghai going to participate in the battle?" Chen Mingxiang seemed to
asked very casually.
The Marine Corps is the only ground force of the Japanese Navy, and it is also an important mobile force that competes with the Army. Now it is receiving more and more attention from the Navy. If the Navy has important operations, the probability of the Marine Corps being dispatched is very high.
"I've also heard a bit about this news. To put it bluntly, it's a debate between the navy and the army about whether to go south or north. Now it has a definite conclusion."
"Germany and the Soviet Union have gone to war, but the Kwantung Army, the most powerful and elite force in the empire, has not made any move. This shows that the southward strategy proposed by our navy has defeated the northward strategy of the army and successfully controlled the situation."
"I hold a very low position and don't know much about the inside story, but the Military Command requires the Kodama Agency to increase the procurement of materials, especially strategic materials such as metals, tung oil and bristle. It is likely to be the final preparation for the southward strategy.
” Lieutenant Commander Shimada said.
Being able to obtain this information is a gain for Chen Mingxiang. He also knows that it is impossible to obtain major naval secrets from a mid-level officer, and this guy is not a lieutenant commander of an intelligence agency.
Chen Mingxiang also felt a little strange. The cocktail party tonight was not very important. Why did a high-level Japanese military officer like the commander of the fleet come here?
At six o'clock in the evening, people began to arrive at the club one after another. As the host of the reception, Chen Mingxiang naturally had to greet them at the door. The seven spider spirits who appeared at the listing ceremony this morning also came to the club in advance to help Tang Seng.
"Your Excellency, Mayor, you came early enough tonight to check on the preparations for the reception?" Chen Mingxiang said with some confusion.
It's only six o'clock. According to the normal rules of the game, the reception starts at seven o'clock. Such big shots usually show up around seven-thirty. There is something wrong with Chen Gongbo's move!
"I have always been confident in the work you are doing. There is no need to check. I don't want to come early. It's just that some people's eyes are so hungry that they are glowing green. Is it okay if I don't come?"
"By the way, Zhou Fahai and Ding Mocun will also come to the club later. Please arrange a quiet place and let's meet first. There are too many monks and too little rice to cook. This meal will not be easy to cook."
"At seven o'clock, after the Japanese high-level officials arrived, they also arranged for us to hold a meeting at this place." Chen Gongbo said pointedly.
There must be something important going on at tonight's cocktail party. No wonder the Japanese army wants high-level generals to come, perhaps to discuss some secret with the city government.
"Your Excellency, Mayor, I have a special gathering place in the Bank of China branch. It's in the garden house in front. It's very quiet there and no one dares to disturb it. What do you think?" Chen Mingxiang asked.
His house is cleaned every day by dedicated staff, and it is always kept clean and tidy. It can be used as a reception place at any time, and there are cigars, red wine, and coffee in it. Not to mention the decoration, it is very high-end, even luxurious. Buy it
All the furniture is Western style, even the coffee pot and coffee cups are imported.
"That would be best. The environment in the office makes people feel uncomfortable. After the reception starts, you ask Mo Guokang to come to this place to be my translator and recorder. Ask someone to bring a pot of good tea and prepare ten teacups.
.”
"You don't have to worry about the security work. The Military Police Headquarters will take charge later. If it weren't for the cocktail party, I would let you attend the meeting." Chen Gongbo said.
The second traitor of the Wang Puppet Government, his face was not very pretty, but his eyes gave people a feeling of helplessness.
Chen Mingxiang murmured in his heart, what is going on? Even Zhou Fahai, the third traitor, and Ding Mocun are here, the problem is a bit big!
At half past six, guests began to arrive in large numbers. Generally speaking, you are required to bring a dance partner to such an occasion. Some people do not bring a dance partner. They just want to use this opportunity to build relationships, get to know more people, and make more friends.
It’s easy to walk!
"Matsuda-kun, I haven't seen you for a long time. Why do you have time to come here tonight? It seems that you have a bright future. You have obtained a higher military rank. Congratulations!" Chen Mingxiang suddenly saw the 13th Army Headquarters.
Lieutenant Colonel Matsuda, Chief of the Intelligence Division, no, he should be Colonel now.
"Thank you, Mr. Chen. I have received gifts from you many times, but I have never had time to thank you. I will definitely have a drink tonight. I came with Commander Sawada Shigeru. He has other things to do and will not be able to come to the reception until later.
.”
"Chen Jun, you have provided a large amount of strategic materials to our Thirteenth Army in the past six months. Your Excellency, the Commander, appreciates you very much. After he arrives at the reception, I will take you to have a drink with him to deepen his impression." Matsuda
Colonel said with a smile.
"I know about the meeting. Mayor Chen Gongbo and Minister Zhou Fahai have already arrived in advance. The meeting location was arranged by me. If it hadn't been a reception hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office, I, as the host tonight, would have been unable to escape and would have attended the meeting."
"It seems that things are changing at the end of the year. Not only will the navy make big moves, but your army will also have important military operations." Chen Mingxiang said with a smile.
