Chapter 44 Internal Conflict

Chapter 44: Internal Conflicts

"I am quite willing to support your idea. How about this: first draft a formal application and submit it to me, and I will arrange for you to make a special report directly to General Miura. Your considerations are completely realistic; the performance of the police officers in the police department has indeed been quite poor, and His Excellency the General has long harbored some complaints about this," said Tsukamoto Kiyoshi.

Xu Ruiyang’s plan was, in his view, entirely aligned with the actual situation. As the official in charge of overseeing the police system for the Shanghai Special Service Kenpeitai Headquarters, the actual utility of the police department had left him bitterly disappointed. They were barely acceptable for routine patrols or maintaining basic order, but as for arresting well-trained agents, that was simply out of the question.

"Section Chief Tsukamoto, I have heard that there is a place in Shanghai known as Number 67, Great Western Road, spearheaded by Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun, and backed by Lieutenant Colonel Kazuki. If I establish a new organization, might it arouse his displeasure?" Xu Ruiyang asked, feigning concern.

His understanding of the relationships among Kageura Kazuaki, Kazuki Yoshinori, the Japanese Kenpeitai Headquarters in Shanghai, and the Shanghai Special Service Agency of the Ministry of War was still unclear. This remark was intended to probe the dynamics between them.

"Kazuki Yoshinori was formerly a staff officer in the General Staff Headquarters and served as General Doihara’s assistant. By order of the Imperial General Headquarters—meaning the Chief of the Army General Staff—he holds the authority to command and mobilize all special service agencies in the Central China region. However, everyone is merely assisting in the work; they do not entirely submit to his command."

"You should sound him out about this matter first. If he does not consent, our Kenpeitai Headquarters will support you independently. I estimate he has no grounds for refusal, and this will be highly beneficial for safeguarding the Empire's interests in Shanghai."

"That Number 67 set up by Kazuki Yoshinori consists of nothing more than traitors from the Nationalist Government's Bureau of Statistics and Enquiry, alongside some hooligans and ruffians from the Green Gang. To be frank, both the General and ourselves harbor strong reservations about him, which is why we have never intervened in the operations of that organization," Tsukamoto Kiyoshi explained.

Through Tsukamoto Kiyoshi’s explanation, Xu Ruiyang roughly grasped the current state of affairs. Kazuki Yoshinori had received authorization from the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters to command all special service agencies in Central China, but the secret service factions from various quarters did not take him seriously at all.

Among them, the Special Service Section of the Kenpeitai and the Shanghai Special Service Agency of the Ministry of War both fell under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of War—formerly the Military Affairs Section of the Military Affairs Bureau, now designated as the Defense Section. The Special Service Sections of various local consulates answered to the Police Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Shanghai Investigation Group of the Cabinet Information Bureau and the Investigation Sections of the Liaison Offices of the Koa-in belonged to government intelligence agencies. The Intelligence Department of the Expeditionary Army Headquarters served as the direct intelligence arm of the military, while the Intelligence Office of the Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force and the Kodama Agency were naval intelligence organizations.

Kazuki Yoshinori was a leader in name only, essentially a commander without an army. Being merely a lieutenant colonel, such a military rank carried very little deterrent power within the intelligence community.

For instance, the head of the Shanghai Special Service Agency of the Ministry of War held the rank of major general; the commander of the Kenpeitai Headquarters held the rank of major general; and the head of the Intelligence Department of the Expeditionary Army Headquarters also held the rank of major general!

Although the relationship between the navy and the army was exceptionally abysmal and they virtually had no interaction, the head of the Kodama Agency and the chief of the Intelligence Office of the Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force both held the rank of colonel.

"Section Chief Tsukamoto, why do I feel that the Imperial advisors at the police department are not particularly welcoming of my arrival?" Xu Ruiyang asked.

"You possess quite a sharp intuition. This is not about you personally; rather, it stems from the issues between Kazuki Yoshinori and the Shanghai Special Service Agency of the Ministry of War. Relying on the military orders of the Chief of the General Staff, Kazuki has incorporated the police department into his sphere of influence, which invisibly diminishes the power of the Ministry of War's Special Service Agency in Shanghai."

"Chief of Police Lu Ying has already defected to Kazuki Yoshinori. Major General Maeda Masami, head of the Ministry of War's Shanghai Special Service Agency, wanted to replace him, but met with opposition from Kazuki. Since you are an appointee of Kazuki, it is entirely normal that the advisors hold no affection for you; there are direct conflicts of interest at play."

"Wanting to make a successful career in Shanghai is not as simple as you imagine. Managing the relations among all these various factions is the most troublesome yet crucial task," Tsukamoto Kiyoshi said with a helpless sigh.

Upon observing his forty-three subordinates, Xu Ruiyang found the sight rather amusing. They stood with sagging waists and limp postures, completely devoid of proper military bearing, and their expressions when facing their superior were deeply vivid—as if to say, "Big Boss, this is the lot you're stuck with; do whatever you please about it!"

He lit a cigarette and began slowly reviewing their personnel files, showing not the slightest trace of impatience. Since he was seated while they were standing, he was more than willing to see who could outlast whom!

Minute by minute ticked away. The legs of all forty-three men began to grow numb, yet Xu Ruiyang completely ignored them, leisurely smoking and sipping his tea. They realized that this newly arrived superior was not someone easily manipulated, and attempting to sideline him through collective pressure would likely prove exceedingly difficult.

Xu Ruiyang discovered that among the men before him, only thirteen genuinely belonged to the former Special Police Corps. The remaining thirty had been temporarily transferred from the Detective Brigade to the Special Police Corps, which clearly indicated that the Detective Brigade was waiting to watch him make a fool of himself.

When the Shanghai Police Bureau was restructured into the Shanghai Police Department, the Detective Brigade had subordinated the Special Police Corps to itself. Now that Xu Ruiyang had arrived, the Special Police Corps was poised to stand on equal footing with the Detective Brigade—an outcome that Wu Changhe, the captain of the Detective Brigade, was naturally unwilling to witness.

Though a minor unit like the Detective Brigade was considered an important direct subordinate department within the police department, it held no weight in Xu Ruiyang's eyes. He was already plotting to detach it entirely from his command, a move Wu Changhe could not possibly foresee!

"Chang Weiagang, Wan Xuexiang, Hou Chengye—the three of you captains stay behind. The rest of you, return to your offices and await orders. Until you receive new assignments, you must report to work on time every day and are strictly prohibited from leaving the office without authorization," Xu Ruiyang stated after an hour had passed.

The three individuals called out were all commissioned police officers. According to their files, they were graduates of the Nationalist Government's formal police academy, untainted by crude, unorthodox backgrounds. He needed to extract information about the identities and backgrounds of these subordinates from the mouths of these three officers.

"Captain, we still have plainclothes operatives deployed in the Foreign Settlements on a secret mission to investigate Kuomintang elements. This is a direct directive from Section Chief Tsukamoto of the Police Affairs Section!" someone protested.

"Do not attempt to use Section Chief Tsukamoto to pressure me. I am far more familiar with him than you are. In this little corner of the Special Police Corps, I am the one who issues orders. Your sole prerogative is to obey. If any of you are unwilling to follow me, you are free to transfer to the Detective Brigade. If anyone wishes to leave, I will sign their release papers immediately!"

"The Special Police Corps is already a ruined mess. As captain, I am not afraid of leading a skeleton crew. Let it rot even further—let it rot completely to the ground, and good riddance if everyone clears out!" Xu Ruiyang said with chilling indifference.

You people conducting reconnaissance against the Kuomintang in the Foreign Settlements?

More likely, you're using the police department's funds to stroll down the main avenues and gawk at foreign women, aren't you?

Tsukamoto Kiyoshi might indeed have given such an order, but following his own arrival, Tsukamoto would not lightly bypass the chain of command to issue directives. Anyone attempting to borrow the prestige of the Japanese as a tiger uses its stripes was wasting their effort!