Chapter 434: Paradox

Mao Chuanxu felt deeply humiliated.

Unprofessional.

So unprofessional.

Is this Zhang Yong really from the Fuxing Society? Is he really an agent?

He's a rogue!

He's all about money!

An agent of the Empire would never do such a thing...

Damn it!

An agent should focus on intelligence.

They should focus on the battle behind the scenes.

How can they be so money-minded?

Damn it...

It's just that he himself has been caught by the other party.

If the other party really drags the Japanese military police who were killed to the port for display, it will become a scandal all over the world.

'How many people are there roughly?' asked Takeo Kishida.

'Seventy-three dead,' replied Shu Shigawa angrily.

Takeo Kishida almost blurted out.

So many dead?

My god!

What's wrong with you guys?

Were you surrounded by Zhang Yong? Ambushed? A death squad?

The losses are too great.

Fortunately, we managed to hold back.

It seems that he is not qualified to say such things.

On the Shanghai beach, his losses were also not small. Moriguchi Muta was also killed.

It should be noted that Moriguchi Muta was the head of the special operations agency of the Nan agency! He was the best at assassinations and stabbings. And yet, he ended up in Zhang Yong's hands.

You say Zhang Yong is unprofessional?

Haha.

Moriguchi Muta is not convinced.

The dead Moriguchi Muta definitely disagrees.

As for Zhang Yong's insistence on money, this is universally acknowledged. He himself has not denied it.

If it can be solved with money...

Takeo Kishida feels that it is better to try.

Unless Zhang Yong's appetite is really too big. It cannot be satisfied.

Otherwise, the cost of not spending money will definitely be greater than spending money. In short, if it can be solved with money, it is better to give priority to solving it with money...

'Five hundred...'

'Seventy-three...'

'Thirty-six thousand five hundred...'

Kishida Takeo helped Shigekawa Hideo with the calculations.

Shigekawa Hideo suddenly felt bad again. What? It's going to cost more than 30,000?

Isn't this going to kill him?

How can he bear to pay it?

If he is asked to give Zhang Yong more than 30,000 taels of silver, it's better to ask him to kill him...

Hagah!

He is going to negotiate with Zhang Yong face to face!

There is absolutely no way he will pay!

He will use other methods to force the other party to give in!

He will do it!

'Where did that phone call just come from?'

'It was the Junsheng Coal Trading Company.'

'Baka!'

Mogawa Hide could not help but feel his anger rising again.

Zhang Yong is still at the Junsheng Coal Trading Company? Baka! There is definitely something wrong with this place.

What Matsui Residence! Bullshit!

I think it is just a disguise!

He immediately ordered his subordinates to call back. See if Zhang Yong is there.

The result...

Zhang Yong was really there. And he answered the phone.

After hanging up just now, Zhang Yong also felt unsatisfied, as if he had not performed well. He wanted to give Hidekazu Mogawa another call. Unexpectedly, the other party actually called back on their own initiative.

That's good. Maintain good communication.

It's business. Harmony brings wealth. But not a penny less than 30,000 silver dollars. It was agreed that 500 silver dollars each, no bargaining.

And the cost of the mines and bullets, the Japanese invaders will have to reimburse.

'Zhang Yong!' Hideki Maokawa gritted his teeth.

He was so angry.

It was as if his veins were about to burst.

'Oh? Is this His Excellency Colonel Hideki Maokawa?' Zhang Yong spoke politely.

The main point was to remain calm.

The angrier the other person, the better. The angrier they were, the more likely they were to lose their temper.

'You get out of Tianjin immediately!'

'Why?'

'Haha! You still ask why? I will report to the garrison headquarters and immediately launch a full-scale attack.'

'And then?'

'And then I will dismember your body into ten thousand pieces.'

'I will run.'

'You...'

Shu Maochuan suddenly felt a sweet taste in his throat.

He himself could not understand why he suddenly wanted to vomit blood.

It seemed that the other party had not said anything provocative.

On the contrary, the other party seemed to say very frankly and sincerely: I will run.

And then...

He coughed up blood.

Ahhh...

This son of a bitch!

So annoying!

"Where... where can you possibly run to?'

'Chengdu and Chongqing.'

'You...'

Mao Chuanzhu felt a sweet sensation in his throat. He almost coughed up blood again.

He thought the other person would retort. Unexpectedly, the other person was very honest. He answered seriously.

In an instant, it felt like a 999 combat effectiveness fist had smashed into cotton.

A complete waste. It was useless.

There was no choice but to withdraw the fist. As a result, I used too much strength and it felt like I had punched myself instead. I had punched myself into vomiting blood.

Damn it...

This demon...

'We, we will occupy all of China! We will, we will destroy you all!'

'You can't...'

'Baka! Who said that? Our Great Japanese Empire...'

'Your navy is designing and building a huge super battleship. Standard displacement over 60,000 tons. Full displacement over 70,000 tons...'

'What?'

Shu Shu was baffled.

His anger had suddenly dissipated.

What was going on?

The navy was making a fool of itself?

Designing and building a super battleship?

Wait!

What did this have to do with him, Shu Shu, and you, Zhang Yong?

Hagah!

Don't change the subject!

You, come back here!

'...the main gun is 460 mm in diameter, and the thickest part of the armour is over 350 mm...'

'Shut up!'

'You think I'm changing the subject?'

'Don't you dare say anything else!'

'I'm not changing the subject. I'm telling you seriously. In your country, Japan, your army will never be a match for the navy. You will always be the navy's little brother...'

'Baka! Are you a spy for the Navy? How dare you insult the Army? I will duel you!'

In an instant, Shigehide's anger flared up again.

His hair stood on end. He looked like he was going crazy.

However, this was not the anger from before. It stemmed from the life-and-death grudge between the Navy and the Army.

Baka! This damned Chang Yong!

How dare he say in front of the Army that the great Army is inferior to the Navy!

This is the greatest humiliation of the army!

How can this be tolerated? No army can accept such an insult!

Aaaaah, he must kill him!

He must capture him and make him admit that the Navy donkey is inferior to the army, and that the Navy donkey is the army's little brother...

'Come off it, Shigehide Mogawa, your army is the little brother.'

'I, I want to duel with you!'

'Do you know how much this super battleship cost?'

'What?'

'It cost over 10 billion yen (in the currency of the time)...'

'What?'

'Just the cost of building it would be enough to set up 20 divisions in your army. Or two brigades and four regiments, with tanks and heavy artillery...'

'Hagya! That's impossible!'

'I'm serious. Its designer is called Hiraga Jo...'

'You're talking nonsense!'

'You will soon find out for yourself. Starting next year, your army will receive 5% less funding than this year...'

'Baka! Shut up!'

Shigehide Takigawa was about to lose his mind.

The other party was speaking with authority. He had been led astray.

Navy idiots!

Twenty divisions!

A 5% cut in army funding!

How could this be?

The army's military spending is already much lower than the navy's. If they cut it by another 5%, will the army even be able to survive?

Ahhh, this must be a lie. This must be a lie...

Stupid navy!

Stupid bloody navy!

Why do they get to hog so much military spending?

What's the point of building all those battleships just to sit around and rust? It's a complete waste...

'Bring out your money.'

'Hagya! No way! I won't give you a single penny...'

'Then I'll strip them of their military uniforms and leave them in their underpants...'

'You, you...'

Shigekawa went mad with rage.

This son of a bitch. How dare he! How dare he!

"I'll hang them all up and send them to the harbour for exhibition. One dollar each, ladies free...'

'You, you, you, me, me, me, give...'

Shigekawa finally gave in.

There was no choice.

If such a scandal broke out, he would have no choice but to apologise and commit suicide.

Even if the Japanese garrison was deployed to eliminate Zhang Yong, he would have no chance of turning over a new leaf. Because he was already dead. If Zhang Yong really did that, he would definitely not survive.

To find a scapegoat for himself, Toiihara Kenji would be the first to force him to commit suicide.

'That's right. Give me the money.'

'Where are you?'

'I'll be waiting for you at the Xiang Man Yuan. From now on, if we have anything to discuss, we'll do it there.'

'Baka. Who has anything to discuss with you?'

'Mr. Shu Maochuan, we should establish an effective communication mechanism to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings. I believe it's better to resolve things privately than to have a falling out.'

'Baka! What do I need to discuss privately?'

'Shall I have your men stripped naked and paraded at the port?'

'B...'

Mao Chuan Xiu was hard-pressed to keep quiet.

Suddenly, he felt a sweet taste in his throat. He could no longer hold back. A mouthful of blood really welled up.

Baka...

Finally, he coughed up blood.

He was so angry at that bastard Zhang Yong. He hurriedly gulped it down hard.

He was exhausted...

'Come to the fragrant garden. I'll wait for you for two hours. Don't bring too many people. Four or five will be enough. You have to pay for the meal yourself.'

'What the hell do you mean, 'meal money'?'

'It's almost time for lunch. Don't you want to eat? Do you expect me to pay for your meal? Dream on!'

'You...'

Hidetsugu felt his throat become dry again. Another mouthful of blood welled up.

He tried to swallow it hard, but failed. The blood oozed out of the corner of his mouth. He quickly covered it with his handkerchief.

'Come on, let's talk about this!'

'You...'

Hidetsugu dared not get angry again.

If he continued to lose his temper, he expected another mouthful of blood to well up.

That would be the end.

He might even die of a heart attack today.

There was no choice. He had to ask someone to prepare the funds. Of course, he couldn't ask the Japanese to do it.

If this matter were to leak out, it would be a complete loss of face.

He would have to ask a traitor. Perfect. Yuan Wenhui.

Yuan Wenhui was a dog kept by the Shigekawa residence. He would do whatever he was told.

Immediately, Yuan Wenhui was ordered to prepare 50,000 silver notes. There was definitely no reason for this. Just say it's an emergency. Yuan Wenhui dared not neglect this matter and hurriedly sent someone to deliver it.

The funds were in hand.

Prepare to set off.

Kishida Takeo said, '茂川阁下, I am also interested in this Zhang Yong, can we go and see it together?'

'Good.' 茂川秀求之不得.

He felt that at this time, having someone follow him would allow him to gain some insight.

He and Kishida Takeo had no conflict. It was that guy, Wachi Kotani, who didn't get along with him. Of course, it couldn't be said that there was a conflict.

It was mainly because they were in the same place and doing the same job that there was bound to be some competition.

It was hasty. If he had known, he would have let Wachi Kotani deal with Zhang Yong, and he wouldn't have lost so much...

Rambling thoughts. Arrived at Xiangmanyuan.

Found that Zhang Yong was indeed there. There were also agents from the Fuxing Society all around. But there weren't many of them.

Overall, the atmosphere was quite peaceful. There was no tension.

Of course, if he hadn't brought the money, that would be a different story.

It's all about money.

Those were the three words

that were branded on Zhang Yong's body.

'Pop!'

Maochuan Xiu angrily handed over the banknote.

Since he had already decided to pay, there was nothing more he could say. He just gave it to him.

At the same time, he secretly vowed: I will not be human until I avenge this hatred.

'Very well!' Zhang Yong accepted it with satisfaction.

Then he pointed at the food on the table and said, 'Please.'

'If you have something to say, just spit it out!'

'Eat! The food you navy guys eat is called food! You army guys are all pigs!'

'Baka...'

'Am I wrong? The navy eats steak, red wine, French cuisine...'

'Shut up!'

'Am I wrong? Your army will always be a subordinate of the navy. Whether you admit it or not, the facts are the facts. The future of your country, Japan, is in the hands of the navy!'

'Don't mention the navy again...'

'Mr Zhang Yong, I'm curious. Why do you have such a view?'

Takeshi Kishida suddenly interrupted.

He felt that Zhang Yong wasn't talking nonsense.

There was no need to.

What was the point of talking nonsense about the navy?

In fact, outsiders don't know much about the Navy. Including Takeo Kishida.

The Navy is relatively closed off.

Almost only graduates of the Etajima Naval Academy are qualified to serve on warships.

Therefore, it is impossible for the Army to develop spies.

Navy personnel are very wary of the Army. All Navy sailors regard the Army as the enemy.

When the army is mentioned, the word 'horse' is always added. Just as the army refers to the navy, it is definitely four words: navy horse!

The last two words must not be omitted. Otherwise, you may be considered a spy for the navy.

That's no joke. Someone really was seriously dealt with for that.

'Let me put it this way. No matter what kind of victory you achieve in the army, as long as the navy fails, you will also fail. No one can save you.'

'Why?'

'Without the support of the navy, your connection to the mainland will be completely severed. Do you think you can continue fighting?'

'That...'

Takeo Kishida was lost in thought.

Zhang Yong was eating with complete composure.

He did it on purpose.

He deliberately created a paradox for them.

It is a paradox, isn't it?

I don't know exactly how it should be described.

Anyway, no matter what the result is, it is unacceptable to the other party.

No matter how you put it, it is wrong.

Admit the navy's strength? HAGAKURE! How can the army admit the navy's strength?

But if they don't admit the navy's strength, it is in fact true. Without the support of the navy, the army alone cannot sustain the battle.

They can deny it. But reality will soon teach them a lesson.

In the future Pacific battle, as the Japanese navy retreats, it will be useless for the Japanese army to be strong.

Without naval escort to provide logistical supplies, the army defending the island would only be trapped and starved to death.

Even if it was on the Chinese mainland. The same applies.

Without resources from the mainland, the Japanese army would also be unable to sustain itself.

Otherwise, why would Okamura Neiji surrender on 15 August 1945? Did he really think he was faithfully executing the Emperor's orders? There was no other choice.

Without ammunition supplies from the home country, the Japanese army would have been wiped out within a few months at most.

'Baka! You're talking nonsense!'

Of course, Shigekawa Hide could never admit this. He didn't have such an understanding either.

He was a very zealous army man. Where would he feel the need for a navy?

The army could build its own gunboats.

The army could build its own ships.

As long as the army had enough military funding, it could build anything itself. It could completely kick the navy to the curb.

'You can go and verify it.'

'You...'

Mao Chuanxu felt his throat become dry again.

Fortunately, he managed to hold back this time. He didn't actually spit blood. Otherwise, he would have been humiliated.

Kishida Takeo nodded thoughtfully.

He judged that Zhang Yong should not be talking nonsense. An ordinary person could not talk nonsense either.

After all, this involved navy idiots.

Frankly, many people don't even know the Imperial Navy exists. How would they know what kind of super battleship the Navy is designing and building?

It's strange. How did Zhang Yong know?

Could it be that he has connections with the Navy?

"I suggest we make a pact.'

'What do you want to say?'

'I hope you won't send out the military police in the future.'

'What gives you the right?'

'Five hundred taels of silver for a dead person. Can you afford it?'

'You...'

Shigekazu Shigekawa suddenly froze.