Chapter 39: The Division Commander Defects

Morning, October 16, 1938—River City

“Extra! Extra! The Japanese Army’s 106th Division has been completely wiped out at Wanjialing!”

“Extra! Extra! A naval torpedo-boat squadron penetrated deep behind enemy lines, held back their reinforcements, and wounded the enemy commander, Masaharu Honma!”

“Latest news! General Yu has announced that Junrokuro Matsuura was captured alive by the brave men of our 74th Army!”

“Read all about it! Read all about it! Our army annihilated more than eleven thousand enemy troops at Wanjialing and captured twenty-one mountain guns, thirty-eight mortars, more than three hundred light and heavy machine guns, over four thousand rifles, and hundreds of enemy soldiers, including Junrokuro Matsuura!”

“The Military Affairs Commission announces that the enemy commander Matsuura will stand public trial!”

“Extra! Extra! Sources within the Executive Yuan claim that Junrokuro Matsuura has returned to our side!”

“Extra! Extra! General Xue reveals that the Nationalist Army will mobilize half a million troops to counterattack the Japanese invaders!”

“Our air force’s TB-3 bombers raided Longhua Airfield on the night of the fifteenth. The Japanese suffered catastrophic losses!”

“Read all about it! Read all about it! The enemy high command announces that Junrokuro Matsuura is dead!”

Wang Yue had not yet figured out what sort of outrageous stunt that Japanese devil Aoba Yosuke had pulled when an explosive piece of news arrived the next day: the Japanese Army’s 106th Division had actually been wiped out.

Unlike in Wang Yue’s memories, in this cinematic universe Junrokuro Matsuura’s escape route had been blocked by ten naval torpedo boats. Although six of the boats were eventually sunk by Japanese army aircraft, they still delayed the enemy long enough to create the opportunity for the 74th Army to capture the division commander alive.

As for Masaharu Honma, he had still managed to escape, but the old Japanese devil had run into a torpedo squadron. The torpedo-boat commander decisively launched an attack against a bridge pier, sending Honma into the water. The old devil had ultimately been rescued, but there was no doubt that he had been wounded.

The 106th Division’s regimental colors had been burned at the last moment, but its flagpole had been captured. With the entire division annihilated and its commander taken alive, the Japanese had no choice but to abolish the 106th Division’s designation.

As for the Japanese announcement that Junrokuro Matsuura had died in battle, that was nothing more than self-deception. According to Xu Zhongyi’s intelligence, Matsuura had indeed been captured alive. The air force, navy, Military Statistics Bureau, and Bureau of Investigation and Statistics had formed more than a dozen escort teams and were now heading toward River City. Even if the Japanese wanted to assassinate him, it would be extremely difficult.

The news that Junrokuro Matsuura had returned to our side was far more interesting. A lieutenant general and division commander—oh, and his elder brother was also an army lieutenant general, while his adoptive father was the navy’s surgeon general. If Matsuura surrendered, it would be equivalent to eliminating three senior Japanese commanders in one stroke.

A piece of news like that should, in theory, have been kept under the strictest secrecy. Yet somehow, the bigmouths at the Executive Yuan had leaked it. They might as well have been telling the Japanese to hurry up and kill Matsuura.

Honestly, was it really wise to leak classified intelligence so brazenly? Were they worried the Japanese would not know whom to kill? Your boss may be someone I cannot eliminate, but that does not mean I cannot deal with a minor nobody like you.

The deputy director of the Radio Administration Office had somehow managed to learn such core intelligence. His position among that crowd could hardly be insignificant. Since Wang Yue could not yet get his hands on the real target, he might as well use this man for practice.

Wang Yue did not send any of his subordinates. Instead, he went out onto the street alone and swiftly disappeared into the parade crowd. By then, the wartime capital had erupted into celebration. Crowds of revelers were everywhere, and Wang Yue, dressed in a short jacket, attracted no attention at all as he walked among them.

Hou Ping, deputy director of the Executive Yuan’s Radio Administration Office, was an insignificant deputy director with no real authority. He had suddenly begun acting ostentatiously, making it difficult for him not to attract attention.

Wang Yue waited beneath the Radio Administration Office for a while. Near quitting time, he saw a group of reporters converging on someone in the distance. One glance was enough.

That was him.

Thick eyebrows, large eyes, and an unusually tall frame. He looked remarkably like a certain celebrity from Wang Yue’s memories, though, as far as he knew, that man had never played this particular role. In any case, with those thick brows, big eyes, and dignified appearance, he looked exactly like the sort of person who could not possibly be a good man.

Wang Yue had intended to find some secluded place and kill the fellow outright. But Hou Ping was determined to make things difficult. He kept going wherever crowds gathered. First, he went to a French restaurant for dinner. Then he attended a reception hosted by the press. At ten that night, he went to a dance hall in the foreign concession and stayed there until well after midnight, only to head afterward to the Deming Hotel.

The Deming Hotel was the finest hotel in the French Concession. It served only foreigners and members. Unless one possessed the ability to travel over rooftops, Wang Yue would never have been able to enter.

But after finding Hou Ping, Wang Yue regretted it.

He truly regretted it.

When Wang Yue located Hou Ping’s room, the deputy director was playing games with a plump woman. She was pale and fat, shaped like a Michelin Man, and radiated an almost festive cheerfulness.

Although Wang Yue had already more or less guessed who the large white insect was, he still used his soul-searching ability to confirm it.

Honestly, could this man not think of anything respectable? He was clearly focused on Hou Ping, yet his mind had gone through eight different women in succession, comparing them one by one. Damn it, even their complexions were different.

It took nearly half an hour before Wang Yue finally confirmed the woman’s identity.

Mrs. Chen. So it really was you.

Sneaking out this late at night instead of staying home with your man and going hunting for wild game—there was no one else quite like you.

And as for Hou Ping, that fellow with the thick eyebrows and large eyes was in remarkably good shape. He could put nearly two hundred pounds of flesh through half an hour of exertion and still look dissatisfied when he finished.

Wang Yue had to admit that when it came to living off a woman, Hou Ping was a true professional.

Unfortunately, this made matters rather difficult. Wang Yue could not exactly kill someone for something that had not happened yet.

Mrs. Chen was not Hou Ping. If Wang Yue killed her, he would become an enemy of the National Government. He would also give that other fellow an excuse to defect to the enemy. Decades later, someone might even use this incident to whitewash that man’s reputation.

After observing them for a while longer and combining what he heard from their conversation with what he learned through soul-searching, Wang Yue finally understood why Hou Ping had been working so hard.

One had to admire how bold government officials could be.

Hou Ping had embezzled a sum from the Radio Administration Office’s procurement budget. That alone would have been bad enough, but he had also resold a considerable amount of the commercial radio equipment confiscated by the authorities. Altogether, he had pocketed a full three million dollars.

Recently, his superiors had discovered what he had done. Afraid of being punished, he had sought help from his patron. Unfortunately, Hou Ping was the sort of man who would rather risk his life than surrender his money. Since he refused to pay up, he had no choice but to “work hard” himself.

After confirming the state of Hou Ping’s accounts, Wang Yue did not waste any more time. He used ether vapor to knock both of them unconscious, then decisively killed Hou Ping and stored his body in his spatial realm.

After that, he made several leaps across the rooftops and headed to Citibank to withdraw the money.

As for Mrs. Chen, Wang Yue believed that she would help clean up the aftermath once she regained consciousness.

Still, he wondered whether he would regret not killing her this time. It had been such a perfect opportunity—a chance to casually eliminate a great traitor before he had even risen to prominence. Why had he been unable to bring himself to do it?

Could it be that he actually liked that pale, plump flesh?

No. Absolutely not.

It must be that perverted Nalan Xinde who liked women like that!