Chapter 13: Negative Thoughts

Chapter 13: Negative Thoughts

"Why do I get the feeling, Captain, that you’re a bit envious?" Xu Ruiyang said with a smile.

As an underground party member, he paid no mind to the military ranks and medals of the Shancheng government, but ten thousand dollars was certainly a pleasant surprise.

“Be content, my friend. You’ve been granted the rank of Army Captain! I’m a veteran of the Secret Service, serving as the head of the Xinjing Intelligence Unit. My current official rank is Lieutenant Colonel, but the granted rank is probably just First Lieutenant. You outrank me!” Feng Qidong’s eyes reddened with envy.

Promotions from Second Lieutenant to Major were commonplace in the Shancheng government’s military system. Although the Military Statistics Bureau wasn’t overly liberal, Boss Dai was quite casual about rank promotions.

Currently, Feng himself held the position of Deputy Director with the rank of Major General, but after the establishment of the Military Statistics Bureau, many veterans in the Secret Service held the rank of Major General by position.

After the formation of the Loyal and Righteous National Salvation Army under the Military Statistics Bureau, recruitment was vigorous. They gathered up scattered Shancheng government troops from various regions, even involving gang members. Though the leaders weren’t qualified to be generals, the ranks of field-grade officers were freely handed out.

However, receiving an official Army Captain rank was rare and carried immense prestige.

The Shancheng government’s military system had two types of ranks: positional ranks, which changed with one's post—such as Major General Brigade Commander or Lieutenant General Army Commander—and official ranks, formally conferred by the Shancheng government’s chairman, accompanied by a commission. The latter was a strict merit-based system, unaffected by changes in position.

“We’re on the puppet state of Manchukuo’s turf. North and Central China aren’t within the Kwantung Army’s sphere of influence, so they may not have much intelligence. Besides, Xiyi Xian rarely returns; most of the time, he’s in Jinling. Where am I supposed to go to establish contacts and gather intel?” Xu Ruiyang was somewhat dumbfounded.

“The mission of the Xinjing Intelligence Unit is to collect intelligence on Manchukuo that might be useful in the future. There’s no need to be so anxious. If you can get it, great. If not, just do the work related to Manchukuo well.”

“Boss Dai knows the situation beyond the border is severe and won’t demand too much from you. Surviving itself is an accomplishment. Right now, the focus is on the Security Bureau. It’s too early to talk about anything else!” Feng Qidong said.

Such words were somewhat pessimistic, but they reflected Feng’s current state of mind. Assigned to a long-term undercover mission beyond the border, he harbored resistance—not because he feared death, but because he saw no future.

Feng preferred to engage the enemy in underground intelligence warfare within the core territories, where the war was still ongoing and could significantly impact the Shancheng government’s military.

Meanwhile, Manchukuo had been under Japanese control for several years, with ruthless investment. The dangers of intelligence work there far exceeded those in North and Central China; the environment was harsh!

More importantly, the Shancheng government was confined to a few provinces in the far southwest. Given the current situation, reclaiming lost territory beyond the border was a distant prospect.

Even if the Xinjing Intelligence Unit obtained intelligence, there was little chance for recognition or reward, as intelligence was time-sensitive and the work could become demoralizing.

“Get me some good tea leaves. When I get to the Security Bureau, I need to make a good first impression. Also, provide me with some funds—I want to make two respectable suits, buy shirts, ties, and leather boots. The night after tomorrow, I’m planning to take Inoue Haruka out for dinner,” Xu Ruiyang said.

Three promotions, a bonus, and a medal—was this all just to have me bide my time in Manchukuo?

Xu Ruiyang suspected his superiors hadn’t fully grasped the higher-ups’ intentions. The mission from headquarters was clear: don’t keep your eyes fixed only beyond the border; intelligence within the core territories was paramount, specifically pointing to the Manchurian Railway line.

No channels? Then build the channels yourself!

Picking up ready-made opportunities? Nobody steps in dog’s luck every day!

“This is easy. I’m half a tea merchant myself. Do I lack good tea leaves? I guarantee they’ll praise it!” Feng Qidong laughed.

“Money is no problem either. Actually, my tea leaves are procured by headquarters through merchants and transported long distances. This is the intelligence unit’s budget. Having a meal every now and then is more than enough!” Feng Qidong said with a smile.

During the first two days of rest, Feng did nothing besides ordering two suits, purchasing several shirts, two ties, and two pairs of leather boots. He didn’t go anywhere else.

On the morning of the third day, he stayed in the tea shop packaging tea leaves. In the afternoon, he went to pick up the suits and proactively called Inoue Haruka.

Xu Ruiyang’s intention was to thank her for helping with the transfer by inviting her to dinner that night. For safety, the dinner was at a Japanese restaurant near her home in the new district.

Inoue Haruka happily accepted the invitation and didn’t bother dressing up. After work, she arrived at the restaurant by bicycle.

Xu Ruiyang was dressed sharply in a suit and tie, looking quite handsome, with an unmistakably high status. He spoke Japanese throughout the meal; had he spoken Chinese, they wouldn’t have served him.

“Haruka, I originally wanted to thank Mr. Xiyi Xian as well, but the difference in status was too great. I didn’t dare to invite him,” Xu Ruiyang said with a smile.

“That’s unnecessary. He flew back to the Jinling branch the day before yesterday. This kind of thing is a trivial favor for Uncle Xiyi,” Inoue Haruka replied.

“I’ll pass your thanks on to him. As long as you perform well, his connections will surely get you information. After all, he recommended you, and General Saburō Shibuya will also mention you,” Inoue Haruka said.

“Most of the Security Bureau’s personnel are elite intelligence experts carefully trained by the Empire. I’m just a junior patrol officer without a solid foundation. It won’t be easy to achieve results and gain recognition from superiors!” Xu Ruiyang shook his head.

“Your department, the Foreign Affairs Counter-Espionage Section, is responsible for guarding against spies hired by foreign powers to steal various intelligence from the Empire and Manchukuo. The Manchurian Railway has strong intelligence-gathering capabilities, but it’s not a secret service agency. The help they can offer you is very limited.”

“Besides, anything I know has to be reported to the President for approval. It’s highly classified, so I can’t violate regulations by telling you privately,” Inoue Haruka added.

(End of chapter)