Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 138 Naked Contempt!

Doihara immediately said, "Quickly, invite him in!"

A moment later, Okamura Yasuji strode in, his face ashen.

Doihara was slightly taken aback upon seeing this, then asked, "Okamura-kun, you look so pale, is something wrong?"

Okamura Neiji said with a grim face, "Doi-kun, do you know what news I just received from Shanghai?"

News from Shanghai?

That's definitely not good news.

Lately, all the news coming back from Shanghai has been bad.

There wasn't a single piece of good news.

Upon hearing the words "Shanghai," Doihara's heart sank, and he asked urgently, "Okamura-kun, what's wrong?"

Okamura Yasuji's voice was low: "It has just been confirmed that General Shirakawa Yoshinori, the highest-ranking military officer of the Japanese forces stationed in Shanghai, was assassinated seven days ago in the classified archives room of the Shanghai Military Police Headquarters—his body was only discovered today."

Was Yoshinori Shirakawa assassinated?

As expected, this is not good news.

"What? Shirakawa-kun died for his country?" Doihara and Yamamitsu Ichiji both changed color at the same time, speechless with shock, their faces filled with disbelief.

This is an army general!

It was almost the pinnacle of Japanese military ranks.

How could it not be horrifying that a great general was silently murdered and his whereabouts were only revealed seven days after his death?

Doihara's face remained etched with shock for a long time before he finally recovered and turned to Okamura Neiji: "Okamura-kun, what exactly happened?"

No wonder Okamura Yasuji was so furious.

The assassination of a general is far beyond the scope of ordinary cases.

This kind of thing is simply the responsibility of the intelligence and espionage system.

Okamura Yasuji replied, "According to the telegram, Mr. Shirakawa went to the confidential archives of the Military Police Headquarters to look up intelligence that day, but was unexpectedly assassinated. Because the room is a highly restricted area, unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter. Mr. Shirakawa's body was unexpectedly discovered today during a routine patrol by the Military Police."

"This is an utter disgrace, a blatant disregard for the Imperial Army!"

anger!

Utterly enraged!

Okamura Yasuji's expression remained unchanged.

Doihara pondered, "According to what Okamura-kun said, the murderer may have been lurking in the archives room for a long time, and just happened to run into Shirakawa-kun, so he suddenly struck."

Okamura Yasuji stated firmly: "Doi-kun, what I want is not speculation, nor reasons, but results."

"This time, a general of our army died, which is the most serious provocation against the Imperial Army. If we do nothing, others will only think that the Imperial Army is weak and easily bullied!"

"The anti-Japanese forces in Shanghai are too rampant; your intelligence network must prove its worth!"

Yamamitsu Ichiji replied, "Don't worry, Okamura-kun, we have urgently dispatched capable personnel to Shanghai to assume their new posts."

"I believe the situation in Shanghai will soon stabilize, and those reckless anti-Japanese elements will surely be dealt a heavy blow."

Okamura Yasuji said gravely, "In short, no matter what method you use, you must turn the tide in Shanghai. This time, the one who fell to their blade was General Shirakawa Yoshinori—a trusted and beloved general of His Majesty the Emperor, whom he has always relied upon greatly."

"I anticipate that His Majesty the Emperor will be furious upon learning of Shirakawa's martyrdom. Therefore, Doihara's intelligence agency must give an explanation not only to the Emperor but also to the entire Imperial Army."

"If we don't take decisive action soon, those anti-Japanese patriots will really think that our Imperial Army is weak and easy to bully."

I really couldn't control my temper.

The assassination of an army general was enough to shake the entire North China region and even the central government of Beijing.

It was entirely understandable that Okamura Yasuji was furious.

He personally went to the intelligence headquarters to hold them accountable and exert pressure.

There was really no other way—this time, the one who fell was Army General Yoshinori Shirakawa, a trusted confidant personally appointed by the Emperor.

When Yoshinori Shirakawa led his troops to attack Shanghai, the Emperor secretly telegraphed him, instructing him to fight a swift and decisive battle and take this important city as soon as possible.

The last sentence of that secret order moved Yoshinori Shirakawa on the spot: "I have been disappointed many times, but I hope that this time I will not fail your trust."

Later, Shirakawa Yoshinori lived up to expectations and conquered Shanghai in one fell swoop. The Emperor was overjoyed and personally praised him, saying, "He has won my favor." From then on, Shirakawa Yoshinori firmly held a position as a close advisor to the Emperor and was highly trusted.

Doihara, of course, understood perfectly and immediately agreed: "Understood, Okamura-kun. I will make arrangements immediately and ensure that these anti-Japanese forces are no longer allowed to run rampant."

Okamura Neiji's expression softened slightly, and he patted Doihara on the shoulder: "Doi-kun, there's a lot of pressure from all sides right now, especially with the assassination attempt on General Shirakawa—not only our frontline troops, but your intelligence agencies also need to take concrete action. Otherwise, everyone will think the Imperial Army is easy to fool."

"We are willing to work together with you to build the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere as soon as possible and usher in a peaceful and prosperous era."

The death of Yoshinori Shirakawa was like a thunderclap, shocking both Doihara and Neiji Okamura.

Immediately afterwards, Okamura Yasuji dispatched the Central China Area Army to launch a large-scale counterattack against the anti-Japanese armed forces behind enemy lines.

This surprise attack came without warning—the two sides had been locked in a stalemate, and no one expected the Japanese army to suddenly press forward and launch a full-scale attack.

The firefight was extremely fierce, with heavy casualties on both sides, and neither side gained the upper hand.

The commanders of the anti-Japanese forces were unaware that this fierce counterattack was actually a powerful blow from Okamura Yasuji to avenge Shirakawa Yoshinori.

Of course, we'll leave those follow-ups aside for now.

Meanwhile, Doihara also simultaneously ordered the Special Higher Police Section of Shanghai, the Military Police Headquarters, and all intelligence agencies to immediately enter a state of war and tighten and intensify their control measures.

However, all actions can only be truly launched after Yoko Minamida and Yoshimasa Fujita officially take office.

Magic City.

The news of Yoshinori Shirakawa's assassination spread throughout the city overnight, causing a great shock in official circles—especially among the high-ranking traitors in the Japanese puppet regime who had curried favor with the powerful and sold themselves to the authorities.

Even a commander-in-chief like Yoshinori Shirakawa was assassinated, and everyone immediately felt insecure, as if an invisible knife was hanging over their necks, ready to fall at any moment.

The Japanese wanted to block the news? There are no secrets in the world; no matter how tightly you try to cover it up, you can't stop rumors from spreading.

Upon learning of Shirakawa Yoshinori's death, Zhou Xiao immediately concluded that the body had been discovered.

The last remaining hidden danger can finally be completely eliminated.

Inside the office of the head of the intelligence department.

Zhou Xiao looked up at Lan Yanzhi: "Yanzhi, could you please have the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai Station action team eliminate a few people for me?"

Lan Yanzhi asked, "Who? What's the quantity?"

Zhou Xiao replied, "They're not big shots, just three Japanese officers from the Military Police Headquarters."

Before he finished speaking, he handed over a slip of paper with five names on it.

Three of them were Yasuda Jiro of the military police, and the two military police officers who were on guard that night when Zhou Xiao broke into the confidential archives.

They must die.

For secret agents, a silhouette can sometimes be more deadly than a face.

Zhou Xiao used Shirakawa Yoshinori's officer's subjugation to escape unscathed, but left a flaw—the perpetrator's body shape and outline were highly similar to Shirakawa Yoshinori's.

This flaw must be eliminated.

The only people who could recognize the figure from behind were Yasuda Jiro and the two military police officers on duty.

With their deaths, the eyewitness trail was severed.

Only by ensuring Zhou Xiao's undercover identity can we truly be considered foolproof.

Lan Yanzhi took the list and glanced at it, slightly puzzled: "Didn't you say there were three? Why are there five?"