Since the Battle of Changsha two years ago, although the Chinese and Japanese sides have been exchanging fire continuously, they have all been local battles. On the front lines, they have basically been in a stalemate. After so much time has passed, both sides have become somewhat complacent. So, they were naturally quite surprised to hear this news.
The Director is right. In comparison, military intelligence with such a huge impact is the most important intelligence, and its value is enough to affect the entire war situation.
The director nodded slightly and said solemnly, "There have been major changes in Japan. The southward advance plan has been implemented ahead of schedule. It is reasonable that the Central China Expeditionary Army intends to weaken our strength after withdrawing its troops. It is estimated that this offensive will be launched soon. I have reported to the Military Commission and ordered all troops on the Changsha front to prepare for war immediately so that we are not caught off guard by the Japanese and suffer heavy losses."
Bian Ze nodded and said, "Yes, I remember it was the intelligence department that warned us back then, which is how we escaped the Japanese attack on northern Jiangxi. We were really lucky to get the news again this time!"
That evening, in a safe house in the Jiangbei area, Shang Zhenyun and Zhan Yuanliang sat facing each other.
By this time, they had learned some follow-up information about the poisoning incident, and headquarters had also issued a notification via telegram. Shang Zhenyun knew that the operation had not gone as well as expected, and the results were far from what was anticipated.
He sighed softly and said to Zhan Yuanliang sitting opposite him, "Brother, I'm sorry. Ten years of undercover work have come to an end just like that. It's all because I was too impatient..."
"Don't say that. It was just bad luck. After lying low for so long, I messed up my only operation. I'm ashamed!" Zhan Yuanliang waved his hand and smiled bitterly. He looked at Shang Zhenyun and said, "Station Chief, I'm actually very grateful to you. These past years haven't been easy for me. I've been living in constant fear, walking on thin ice. I even have to sleep with one eye open. Every time I look at my wife and children, I'm afraid that one day I'll implicate them and they'll be harmed by the Japanese. You know, the moment I left the consulate, I felt completely relieved. It was like all the weight that had been on my heart for years was lifted. It was indescribably liberating, haha!"
This was indeed Zhan Yuanliang's honest opinion. Spending ten years infiltrating the enemy's ranks, the psychological pressure was unimaginable for ordinary people. He was not a saint; he also had fears, was afraid of death, and worried about the safety of his family. Fortunately, all of that is in the past now.
Upon hearing this, Shang Zhenyun's mood improved considerably. Looking at Zhan Yuanliang, he couldn't help but smile and say, "So, you're actually grateful to me?"
"I really have to thank you. I'm finally relieved. Stationmaster, what should I do next?"
"You've already been exposed, what else can you do? Besides, orders have come from headquarters that you must return to Chongqing headquarters immediately. Your position will be personally arranged by the Director. I will arrange for your whole family to set off as soon as possible. Brother, you have a bright future ahead of you!"
Through the telegram from headquarters, Shang Zhenyun realized that he had misjudged Zhan Yuanliang. This Zhan Yuanliang was actually quite influential, one of the Bureau Chief's early associates. His undercover mission was personally arranged by the Bureau Chief. In fact, Zhan Yuanliang's future prospects were probably even better than his own. He might be able to rely on him someday. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so polite to Zhan Yuanliang.
"By the way, stationmaster, do you know anything about Keisuke Ueno? When I left, I left some sake near his seat. I wonder if it poisoned him?" Zhan Yuanliang kept this second objective in mind.
Shang Zhenyun was also uncertain. His sources of intelligence were actually very few. Apart from a few intelligence agents in Nanjing, he could only rely on information transmitted to him by headquarters.
The intelligence agents in Nanjing lacked this intelligence capability and only knew vague information circulating outside, while the information from headquarters was very timely and accurate.
"Headquarters said that Keisuke Ueno was also poisoned, but your dosage was too low. He is not dead yet, and it is unclear whether he can be saved. However, this is the best possible outcome. Leave the rest to us. You can go back to Chongqing with peace of mind."
Upon hearing this, Zhan Yuanliang nodded, then asked with some surprise, "The message came from headquarters? Not from one of our Nanjing station's intelligence agents?"
He had always maintained direct contact with the Nanjing station chief and was completely unaware of the other undercover agents, so he didn't know much about the current state of the intelligence network.
Shang Zhenyun said with a wry smile, "Our intelligence network at the Nanjing station is basically shut down. It's very difficult to obtain valuable intelligence now. The information comes from the Shanghai intelligence department. Their reach has extended to Nanjing. People like us can only do some manual labor. Headquarters doesn't count on us for intelligence."
"So it was them!"
Zhan Yuanliang suddenly realized that the Shanghai Intelligence Section was a well-known name among the Japanese, and its name appeared frequently in documents exchanged between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, making it a formidable force.
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