As time went by, New Year's Day 1940 drew near. In a private room at the Mulan Academy in downtown Shanghai, Ning Zhiheng and Yingzuo Yushu sat facing each other.
Kagesa Hiroki took a sip of tea, placed the teacup on the table, and said to Ning Zhiheng with a smile, "Fujiwara-kun, we have been preparing for the new government's New Year's Eve banquet for a long time. High-ranking officials from various departments will be attending. I would like to invite you to the banquet to boost the prestige of our Mei Agency. You must do me this favor!"
Because this New Year's Day was the first major holiday after the establishment of the puppet government, Wang Tianhai planned to hold a large banquet in order to create a false impression of peace and invited high-ranking officials from all walks of life in Shanghai.
However, the local Japanese forces in Shanghai were quite resistant to the puppet government, and few responded to its invitations, which was a disgrace. Therefore, the Kagesa Agency, as the organizer of the puppet government, took the initiative to invite various high-ranking Japanese officials. Among them, Fujiwara Tomohito, the chairman of the Fujiwara Company and a representative of the local forces, was naturally the most important.
Kagesa Hiroki knew that as long as Fujiwara Tomohito was willing to attend the New Year's banquet, all the forces behind him would follow, so he was the first to find Fujiwara Tomohito and personally invited him.
Ning Zhiheng was naturally unwilling to attend such a large banquet. Not only were the attendees complicated, but the puppet government would also have many newspaper reporters present for propaganda purposes, making it inevitable that photos would be taken. Ning Zhiheng had always been careful not to have his image widely disseminated, so he almost never attended such events except for banquets hosted by close friends and family.
He had declined many such events before, so everyone in the Shanghai high-level circles knew that Fujiwara Tomohito was a very low-key person. Kagesa Hiroki also knew this, which is why he personally came to invite him repeatedly.
Ning Zhiheng hesitated for a moment, feeling troubled. After all, Kagesa Hiroki was a high-ranking military officer in the Central China Expeditionary Army, with a prestigious position that, to some extent, was no less than that of Uehara Junpei. Since he had come to invite him personally, Ning Zhiheng really couldn't refuse.
After much deliberation, he finally nodded and agreed, "Alright, since General Kagesa has spoken, I certainly won't refuse. I will definitely go then."
"That's wonderful, thank you so much!" Kagesa Yuuki said happily, his heart overflowing with joy, and his smile widened even more.
During this period, his secret talks with the puppet government progressed smoothly, and the agreed-upon contract was extremely favorable to the Japanese side. The General Headquarters expressed its approval and commended his work, so Kagesa Hiroki was naturally in a very good mood.
He then asked with great interest, "By the way, since you came to China, have you been to Qingdao?"
Qingdao?
Ning Zhiheng looked surprised, as if he didn't understand what Yingzuo Yuki meant. He shook his head and said, "After I left my hometown, I came directly to Shanghai. Later, I stayed in the south of China for a while. As for the north, I haven't been there yet. You know, China is really too big."
Of course, Kagesa Yuki knew that Ning Zhiheng had never been to Qingdao, and he was also quite familiar with Fujiwara Tomohito's history, so he continued, "Then, Fujiwara-kun, would you be interested in visiting Qingdao? Qingdao has beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate, and can be called the best in northern China. It's worth a visit if you have the chance!"
Ning Zhiheng was intrigued by Yingzuo Yushu's words, but asked curiously, "What, General, do you have a trip to Qingdao recently? But you're busy with official duties, I'm afraid you won't have time to accompany me sightseeing?"
Kagesa Hiroki chuckled and said, "Here's the thing, we've reached an agreement with the North China side. The location for this tripartite meeting of the new government will be Qingdao. It's a very convenient location, with easy access to both Beijing and Shanghai. I was thinking that if Fujiwara-kun has nothing else to do, he could come with me for a tour."
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng put on a rather interested expression and said, "I've often heard people say that Qingdao is truly the number one scenic spot in China, known for its green mountains and trees, and blue sea and sky. I've long wanted to visit it, but I've always been tied up with trivial matters. If I have the opportunity, I might go and see it, but..."
He paused, clearly hesitant, and said, "That's General Tsuchihara's territory. We had some unpleasantness before. I wonder if we'll meet this time? Otherwise, it could be a bit awkward!"
Kagesa Hiroki quickly waved his hand and said, "Fujiwara-kun, you're overthinking it. With your status and position, would Tsuchihara dare to make things difficult for you?"
Kagesa Hiroki's intention to invite Fujiwara Tomohito to Qingdao this time was also for his own little calculations. After all, it was the territory of the North China Area Army, and he would inevitably lose in terms of momentum if he went there, especially when facing his old rival Tsuchihara Keiji. He was afraid that the other party would really embarrass him and dampen his morale.
It's important to know that the North China and Central China factions within the Japanese military have always been in constant conflict, riddled with contradictions, and constantly scheming and plotting against each other. Kagesa Hiroki himself really doesn't know where the other side's bottom line is. This time, he's bringing Fujiwara Tomohito along, and with Fujiwara's status as a direct descendant of the Fujiwara family as leverage, Tsuchihara Keiji will have to be more cautious, at least there will be less trouble.
Ning Zhiheng, however, was interested in the meeting. If he could experience it firsthand and obtain the latest information, that would be ideal, especially since he could openly carry a high-powered radio and report the latest situation to Chongqing immediately. Kageyama Yuki's invitation was a rare excuse.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded and agreed, "Alright, since the general has extended such a warm invitation, I will go and take a look. But what is the specific date? I still need to arrange some work for the company."
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