Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it's mid-June. Shanghai's weather has entered the plum rain season. The plums ripen, and the weather is half sunny and half cloudy. The plum rain season is unpredictable, and the weather is like a child's face, sometimes sunny and sometimes cloudy.
Sometimes the sky is azure and the air is exceptionally fresh, but the high humidity makes it feel a bit suffocating. Then suddenly the clear weather turns cloudy again, and a light drizzle begins, allowing you to breathe deeply and feel extremely refreshed.
In the private courtyard of Mulan Society, under the long pavilion, Ning Zhiheng sat alone on a wooden chair. The rain was falling in front of him, and the wind occasionally splashed onto his clothes, but he had no interest in appreciating it.
Less than a month later, the international situation underwent a dramatic change. In early May, Germany took the lead and launched a full-scale attack on France. A few days later, Italy formally declared war on Britain and France, and the full-scale war in Europe began.
From the declaration of war last September to the actual fighting, both sides had made sufficient preparations. Everyone thought it would be a fierce battle between evenly matched opponents, with the continuous fighting going on for who knows when it would end.
But no one expected that, under the blitzkrieg of the German army, the performance of the French army, a long-established Western power, would be so surprising.
In the Battle of France, France, which claimed to be the world's strongest land power, displayed a fighting capacity that disappointed everyone. It was utterly vulnerable and was defeated by Germany in a single encounter. In just over forty days, the once impregnable Maginot Line became a mere decoration. Until the German army reached the gates of Paris and the capital fell, just two days earlier, the French Pétain government had formally surrendered to Germany, and the war in Europe was now in a one-sided situation.
The British, unable to withstand the onslaught alone, quickly retreated from the European continent to their homeland to preserve their strength and defend against the German offensive. This dramatic turn of events astonished everyone.
The fall of France and the impending doom of Britain completely shattered the balance of power among European nations, altering the entire landscape from a tripartite balance of power between Germany, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union to a two-power confrontation between Germany and the Soviet Union.
Major changes in the international situation directly affected China's war of resistance. Emboldened by Germany's victory, the Japanese attempted to attack Southeast Asia while Britain and France were preoccupied with other matters. However, due to a shortage of troops and fear of a Chinese counterattack, the Japanese General Headquarters ordered the Expeditionary Army to quickly resolve the China issue, and the war situation became increasingly tense.
As a result, the Japanese decided to pursue a strong diplomatic stance against Britain. Everything went as Phillips had predicted. The British made significant concessions, and the British troops in the Shanghai International Settlement were ordered to withdraw from Shanghai. At the same time, under pressure from the Japanese, the British finally ordered the Burmese government to close the Burmese section of the Burma Road, China's only transportation and supply line.
Fortunately, thanks to Ning Zhiheng's timely intelligence, the Chinese government increased the volume of transportation on Myanmar's highways. In the past month, they worked day and night to transport the massive amount of goods piled up at Yangon Port, minimizing the losses. However, this cut off the Chinese government's only lifeline, and the situation deteriorated further.
Therefore, the two bureau chiefs had to order the Shanghai intelligence department to do its utmost to transport supplies to ensure the needs of the front line. This time, even Huang Xianzheng ordered an urging, which shows the urgency of the situation. Ning Zhiheng also felt the pressure on him increased and his mood became even more anxious.
Just as Ning Zhiheng was lost in thought, Kimura Maki tiptoed over. Before he could speak, Ning Zhiheng turned to look at him.
Kimura Maki quickly reported, "Chairman, Takano-kun requests an audience, and he has brought a friend with him."
Ning Zhiheng perked up upon hearing this. He had previously asked Takano Takayuki to introduce him to Ito Teppei, but so much time had passed without any news. He didn't want to urge them too much, but fortunately, he had plenty of time and wasn't in a hurry.
Today, Takano Takayuki finally brought Ito Teppei here, and his plan can finally begin.
"Please invite them to the study; I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, sir!" Kimura Maki accepted the order and left.
Ning Zhiheng then got up and went into the room, picked up the phone and dialed a number. The call was quickly answered, and he said, "Takeshita-kun, if you have time, come to my place now."
After receiving a positive reply, Ning Zhiheng hung up the phone.
In the front hall, Takano Takayuki and Itō Teppei were waiting.
Teppei Ito was in his early forties, of medium build, with slightly balding temples, deep wrinkles on his forehead, and a thick stubble on his chin, making him look older than his actual age. However, his eyes were quite bright, and his knuckles were large. He wore a simple suit and dressed very plainly.
A month ago, he and his assistant Hiroshi Tanimura arrived in Shanghai and immediately began their intensive work, starting the redesign and engraving of Japanese military stamps.
Takano Takayuki went to the Yokohama Specie Bank to look for Ito Teppei, but because of the confidentiality of the work, all the carving work was done in a completely closed mode, and it was not easy to leave. Ito Teppei rarely had the opportunity to go out, so until today, when his work was finished, Ito Teppei made several requests before he was finally allowed to go out and meet with Takano Takayuki.
When Takano Takayuki told Itoh Teppei that Fujiwara Tomohito, the president of the Shanghai Fujiwara Company, wanted to see him, Itoh Teppei was very surprised.
He was familiar with the name Fujiwara Tomohito. Back in China, he had heard his teacher, Kanda Tamayama, mention that when he was in Shanghai, he was warmly received by Fujiwara Tomohito, a direct descendant of the Fujiwara family. Kanda Tamayama highly praised Fujiwara Tomohito, saying that although he was of high status and noble birth, he was humble and approachable, and had a great fondness for artists, making him a figure like Lord Mengchang.
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