Chapter 15: Out on Assignment, Part One

Chapter 15: Field Duty, Part One

Four days later.

“Mr. Xu, your English proficiency is more than sufficient to replace the English translators in the Translation Division. From now on, you will be responsible for translating all related intelligence into Japanese. Here is your identification card. Go collect your police uniform and sidearm shortly,” announced Shunsuke Ishikawa publicly.

The English translator from the Central Security Bureau carefully reviewed Xu Ruiyang’s translations and then told Ishikawa that his English was indeed excellent, and his Japanese translations were fluent. Henceforth, the responsibility for translating English intelligence could be entrusted to him without any obstacles.

Having passed the second stage of assessment, even without field duty, Ishikawa believed Xu Ruiyang was qualified to work in the Foreign Affairs Counterintelligence Division. Beyond translation, he could also conduct surveillance on Anglo-American spies, significantly enhancing the division's confidentiality and efficiency.

After several days of continuous surveillance with no abnormalities detected, Xu Ruiyang successfully obtained his identification from the Central Security Bureau’s Foreign Affairs Counterintelligence Division along with his registered firearm.

From this moment on, he officially became a full member of the Security Bureau, vested with law enforcement authority. He was authorized to carry a handgun and make arrests, and if necessary, shoot targets dead. The bureau’s resources would gradually become accessible to him.

“Team Leader, the tea gifts are already having some effect. You might want to consider getting some imported goods from Shanghai. If we want to get closer to the girls, perfume, cosmetics, jewelry, and fashion are all effective means. I can’t just carry a mouth on my two shoulders; besides dining together, there’s no other way, right?” Xu Ruiyang said.

The Japanese operatives in the Foreign Affairs Counterintelligence Division highly praised the tea he sent. At least when meeting, they would bow and greet him, and the Japanese agents would nod in acknowledgment.

Of course, there were a few who showed no gratitude after drinking the tea. In the eyes of these Japanese spies, the Chinese in the police system were merely enslaved subjects, so sending tea was simply what was expected.

However, to deepen his relationship with Haruka Inoue, mere dining and chatting were far from enough; catering to their preferences was essential. Having experienced romance, Xu Ruiyang knew that girls liked beauty and needed little surprises to quickly shorten the distance between them.

The gifts he mentioned were easily found in the Shanghai International Settlement and the French Concession, but in Manchukuo, they were still quite rare. Haruka Inoue would surely be touched by his thoughtful efforts.

“Don’t worry. Since the headquarters is monitoring the South Manchuria Railway line, they will certainly support you. We have the Military Intelligence Shanghai District in the Settlement; getting some imported goods is easy. Just have the tea delivery person bring them over,” Feng Qidong said.

“Now that you’ve officially joined the Security Bureau, you’ve made a good start. The key going forward is whether you can quickly break new ground. To gain the trust of the Japanese and establish yourself firmly in the Foreign Affairs Counterintelligence Division, results are paramount,” he added.

“My primary task is to learn skills from the Japanese agents and familiarize myself with the division’s operational procedures. Being too eager for results might give the impression of impatience, rashness, and recklessness,” Xu replied.

“We’re here for long-term undercover work. We’re not in a hurry. They haven’t even opened resources to me yet or given me specific investigation targets. I’m completely in the dark. You can’t expect me to find spies by luck on the streets all day, right?” Xu shook his head.

Xu’s choice was wise. The more cautious and prudent he was, humbly asking questions and studying earnestly, listening more and speaking less, avoiding unnecessary questions or comments, the more Ishikawa admired him. The Japanese agents in the division also grew more favorable toward him.

To be honest, setting aside their role as invaders, the Japanese are a remarkably diligent people. As an island nation that became a world military power, this spirit of perseverance is deeply ingrained. Thus, Xu’s demeanor naturally earned their respect.

Coming from a background as a patrol officer mattered little. Not knowing how to crack cases was no problem; one could make up for it through learning. But pretending to know when you don’t is pointless!

After receiving his credentials, besides completing daily translation tasks and organizing intelligence, Xu was assigned duty in the monitoring room. Whenever available, he accompanied the intelligence team for hands-on observation.

Masaru Kimura, a senior Japanese operative and leader of the Foreign Affairs Counterintelligence Division’s first unit, was assigned by Ishikawa to personally mentor Xu.

The skills taught included tailing targets, contacting informants, setting up surveillance networks, lock picking, inspecting luggage, and erasing traces of operations.

Intelligence work hinges on meticulousness and patience—bold hypotheses followed by careful verification. Adhering to these principles helps avoid major mistakes.

The Foreign Affairs Counterintelligence Division also develops informants to gather information, identifies targets for tracking, and, with assistance from the Investigation Division, carries out arrests. These are standard procedures.

Moreover, the Security Bureau’s Communications Counterintelligence Division, General Counterintelligence Division, Wireless Counterintelligence Division, and Intelligence Division all cooperate closely. Intelligence related to foreign affairs would be passed along accordingly.

The Japanese operatives were indeed highly skilled, but during over twenty days of internship, Xu saw no tangible results. Catching spies truly is a time-consuming endeavor.

By early February, he began formal shifts executing missions, still accompanying Masaru Kimura. Evidently, the Foreign Affairs Counterintelligence Division felt his experience was insufficient; he needed further learning and was not yet ready to operate independently.

At 7:30 a.m. on February 4th:

“Mr. Xu, yesterday Lord Shibuya returned to Xinjing to attend the intelligence department joint meeting convened by the Kwantung Army Headquarters. That evening, he returned to the bureau and summoned all section chiefs and senior officials for a briefing, publicly naming our Foreign Affairs Counterintelligence Division, which embarrassed the division chief greatly.”

“Lord Shibuya emphasized that General Kenkichi Ueda, commander of the Kwantung Army, is deeply concerned about foreign spies massively stealing military secrets from the Empire and Manchukuo. He demands that our division make a breakthrough within a short period.”

“Deputy Director Tohei Tamura also issued a strict order himself to oversee our division’s work. He promised manpower, full cooperation from other divisions, and unlimited funding. The mission: within three months, each unit must crack at least one espionage case or face severe punishment,” Masaru Kimura said, smoking with a troubled expression.

First came criticism from the Kwantung Army Headquarters, then a public naming by Shibuya Saburo, the Security Bureau’s head, followed by personal supervision from the deputy director. As a grassroots executor, Kimura felt immense pressure.

“Team Leader, hasn’t our division already identified several espionage suspects? Why not secretly arrest and interrogate them harshly to secure a breakthrough quickly?” Xu asked.

Thank you for the generous tip, Xiaoxue Chenguang!

(End of chapter)