novelAbuy Chapter 1921 The Mysterious Professor
Chapter 1921 The Mysterious Professor
Chapter 1921 The Mysterious Professor
Upon hearing his friend's words, Araki Harima couldn't help but snort coldly.
'Security restriction and protection' is inherently a thankless and arduous task.
Arao Tomohiro assigned him such a difficult task, and he knew it was clearly not out of kindness.
“I might need your help then, Miyazaki-kun,” Araki Harima said. “You have many informants and are well-informed, so if anything happens, remember to let me know immediately.”
“Of course.” Cheng Qianfan nodded. “Just let me know if you need anything.”
As he spoke, he clinked glasses with Araki Harima, "When will this professor from Kyoto University arrive?"
“Professor Mizutani and his team are currently in Harbin. The telegram says they will arrive next month,” Araki Harima said.
"He'll be arriving in Shanghai next month, and he's already calling to request proper protection. It seems this Professor Mizutani is no ordinary person," Cheng Qianfan said thoughtfully.
As he spoke, he chuckled to himself, "Forget it, why bother thinking about these things?"
……
Araki Harima laughed heartily, pointing at his friend and saying, "This Professor Mizutani Shogo is now a professor at Kyoto University, but it's said that he also taught at Kobe University before, and he might have even taught you."
"Mizutani Masago?" Cheng Qianfan was taken aback, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
Then he shook his head, "I don't recall a single teacher named Mizutani Shogo, or even a teacher with the surname Mizutani..."
As he spoke, Cheng Qianfan frowned, "There was one Professor Mizutani who didn't teach me, and he was already nearly seventy years old back then. Because of his advanced age, he rarely taught classes at that time."
“Then I must have made a mistake,” Araki Harima said. “The telegram was vague about Professor Mizutani Shogo’s identity, and even contained some contradictions.”
“Then it’s best not to pry too deeply.” Cheng Qianfan’s expression turned serious as he said to Araki Harima. Then, when he saw Araki Harima nod, his expression suddenly changed, and he fell into deep thought.
"What's wrong?" Araki Harima asked immediately.
"I suddenly thought of something, but it's a bit of a contradiction." Cheng Qianfan frowned, looking rather troubled.
“Tell me,” Araki Harima said. “What is there between us that we can’t say?”
“Logically speaking, the identity of this Mizutani Shogo seems to be mysterious. As you said, there are even some contradictory statements in the telegram,” Cheng Qianfan said. “Araki-kun would be best to keep his distance from such a mysterious person he is protecting, and not to have any further desire to investigate.”
Araki Harima nodded; he thought so too.
……
“However, considering that Section Chief Arao assigned such a tricky task to you, Araki-kun,” Cheng Qianfan lit a cigarette, took several deep drags, then his eyes flickered, leaned forward, and said in a low voice, “If we assume the worst, it seems we have no choice but to be cautious…”
Araki Harima fell silent.
He fell into thought, and his expression grew increasingly serious.
Although his friend Miyazaki didn't say it explicitly, Araki Harima understood what his friend meant:
If the identity of this mysterious Professor Mizutani Shogo is concealed, or even if there are some suspicious circumstances, then the 'security restriction protection' operation arranged for him by Arao Tomohiro might actually be a trap, or even to put it bluntly, a snare.
"Is it possible?" Araki Harima said with a grim face, "that the professor deserves to die, or that someone wants the professor to die, but preferably at the hands of the enemy..."
Upon hearing Araki Harima's words, Cheng Qianfan's eyes widened suddenly, as if he could hardly believe it. Then, he immediately fell into deep thought, and as he pondered, his expression became increasingly solemn.
"Araki-kun, I can only say that, theoretically and statistically speaking, anything is possible." Cheng Qianfan's expression was strained; he didn't even notice the ash falling from his cigarette. He continued, "However, emotionally speaking, I..."
The smoldering cigarette butt burned his finger. He hurriedly stubbed it out in the ashtray, poured some sake on his finger, and then continued, "Although I suspect that person might deliberately create trouble for you, I still find it hard to imagine something of this magnitude... almost a trap."
……
“Miyazaki-kun, you’re too naive.” Araki Harima poured more sake into his friend’s cup and said, “The more intense the power struggle, the more it happens within our own ranks. Sometimes it can be even more brutal than the struggle between opposing sides.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Qianfan frowned, then downed his drink in one gulp, and sighed, "I'm not naive, I just don't want to speculate like that."
“Your reminder is correct,” Araki Harima said seriously. “I will try to find out information about Professor Mizutani Shogo and his team.”
He looked at his friend and said, "If there's any progress or need, I'll ask you to help find out the situation."
He said to Kentaro Miyazaki, "Since this person is a professor at Kyoto University, perhaps it's possible for you to inquire about the relevant information."
"I'll do my best." Cheng Qianfan nodded. "However, if Professor Mizutani's identity is truly hidden, then we must be careful in our investigation, lest we get ourselves into trouble."
“That’s natural.” Araki Harima nodded.
……
A few days later.
76 Jessfield Road.
Li Cuiqun flipped through the list, thought for a moment, and then picked up a pen to sign.
"Secret execution." He closed the execution list and casually handed it to Cao Yu.
"Yes!" Cao Yu took the execution list and nodded. "I'll take care of it right away."
After half an hour.
A military truck, protected by its front and rear sidecars and a car, drove out of Jesfield Road.
A light machine gun was mounted on the military truck.
Cao Yu sat in the car, holding the execution list signed by Li Cuiqun in his hand, his expression serious.
"Team Leader Cao, are all the people on this list to be killed this time?" Jing Kui took the list from Cao Yu, flipped through it, and asked.
"Yeah, it's marked with an X, it's on the Book of Life and Death." Cao Yu lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said with a smile. Then he casually handed the cigarette case to Jing Kui, who unceremoniously took a cigarette, lit it, and put the cigarette case directly into his pocket.
"You," Cao Yu smiled, pointing at Jing Kui, but didn't say anything more.
……
"Isn't Zhao Qi crazy?" Jing Kui asked suddenly, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Did he kill him this time too?"
"Precisely because they've gone mad and are no longer of value, why not kill them and keep them as a waste of food?" Cao Yu said irritably.
“That’s true.” Jing Kui clicked his tongue and nodded.
Then he looked at the list. In addition to the names of these people, some also recorded their place of origin, position, identity, etc., while others simply had nothing but the name, or were marked with a question mark.
“Hmph.” Jing Kui shook his head and said, “Twenty-three people, six from the Kuomintang and eight from the underground Communist Party. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party died together. Will they still be fighting in the underworld?”
will not.
Cao Yu thought to himself, "The Anti-Japanese National United Front is a great united front. The best people of the Chinese nation are fighting side by side. Even in the underworld, we will fight the Japanese devils together!"
"These nine people, whose identities are unknown, were just executed like that?" Jing Kui asked.
“The longest torture lasted over a year, and he was left with only half a breath left. The shortest torture lasted two or three months. They’re spineless, they won’t say anything, and we can’t find out their identities.” Cao Yu said with a hint of sarcasm and dissatisfaction, “It’s better to kill them. Just looking at their faces is a headache.”
……
On the banks of the Suzhou River.
Mass graves.
It was also one of the usual execution grounds at No. 76 Jessfield Road.
A group of twenty-three people, about to be executed, about to give their lives for this country and nation that has suffered so much yet is so great and glorious.
Some of them were still able to stand, and they tried their best to straighten their spines.
And those who had been tortured beyond recognition were being supported by their comrades who were about to die.
Cao Yu opened the unopened cigarette pack he took out of his briefcase, took out a cigarette, and lit it.
He took a deep breath, the cigarette between his fingers, and slowly smoked it while looking at the twenty-three people opposite him.
"Team Leader Cao, it's almost time," Jing Kui reminded him.
Cao Yu took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
He raised his right hand expressionlessly.
As his arm rose and fell.
Fierce gunfire rang out.
……
"The war of resistance will be won!"
"Fellow students, let us rise up!"
"Long live the Red Party!"
Long live the people!
"Father, Mother, your son is unfilial!"
Down with Japanese imperialism!
"Even as a ghost, I will never..."
……
Amidst the intense gunfire, Cao Yu puffed on his cigarette, watching these people shouting various slogans as they were slaughtered by light machine guns and rifles. His eyelids twitched.
"Execution complete, confirm again," an agent shouted.
Then a squad of executioners stepped forward and shot each of the corpses lying in pools of blood.
“Zhao Qi isn’t crazy,” Jing Kui suddenly said, walking up to Cao Yu.
"Hmm?" Cao Yu glanced at Jing Kui.
“He shouted slogans,” Jing Kui said with a smile. “I’ve been watching him the whole time, just to see if he would shout slogans.”
He said this with a slightly smug tone.
This aroused a strong sense of physical disgust and nausea in Cao Yu.
"What did he shout?" Cao Yu asked Jing Kui.
“Yes…” Jing Kui took the cigarette Cao Yu offered and said, “To die for the country, my long-cherished wish has been fulfilled, how wonderful!”
As he spoke, Jing Kui exhaled smoke through his nose and said, "Are these people all idiots? Isn't it good to be alive?"
"There are so many stubborn fools," Cao Yu said with a light laugh. "It is because of such ignorant fools that we have a place to use our talents."
"Team Leader Cao is absolutely right." Jing Kui gave Cao Yu a deep look, then suddenly smiled and said.
……
Just then, a car sped by and came to an abrupt stop.
As soon as the car came to a stop, a person jumped out, waving a piece of paper in his hand and shouting loudly.
"Spare his life."
Then, seeing the corpses scattered all over the ground, the man's hand, which had been waving the paper, fell to the ground.
……
"Team Leader Cao, why were they all executed so quickly?" Zhao Buqing asked, panting heavily.
"When executing anti-Japanese elements, instead of just shooting them with machine guns and sending them to their next life, are you going to shake their hands and say goodbye before slowly shooting them?" Cao Yu said irritably.
He took the paper Zhao Buqing handed him, looked at it carefully, and then casually handed it to Jing Kui before continuing, "The director personally signed his approval for the execution, which is a proper and just punishment. Who knew there would be a twist of fate like holding him back?"
“That’s right.” Jing Kui folded the paper and nodded, saying, “This isn’t some opera where an imperial envoy saves someone from execution and spares their life.”
He asked Zhao Buqing, "Secretary Zhao, this document doesn't explain why the executions have been suspended. Could it be that some people shouldn't have been killed?"
"I don't know." Zhao Buqing shook his head. "I'm just here to deliver an official letter. As for the reason, that's not something I should know."
"They know but they won't say anything, right?" Cao Yu said.
He was extremely frustrated and in great pain.
Although we don't know why there was this sudden official letter suspending the executions, or whether the enemy has some kind of conspiracy.
But as long as you survive, there's always hope.
If it had been just a few minutes later, just a few more minutes, these twenty-three heroes could have survived.
If I had just delayed for a few more minutes, it would have been enough.
He was filled with remorse; the immense pain and remorse were like knives tearing at his heart.
……
"I heard it, I only heard it," Zhao Buqing said in a low voice. "The Japanese sent an official letter demanding that we hand over all the prisoners who were to be executed to them."
"What kind of logic is this?" Cao Yu frowned. "Do they think we're not interrogating them well and that we can't get anything out of them, so they want to make use of them, fantasizing that these stubborn guys will suddenly change their minds?"
“We can’t possibly know that,” Zhao Buqing shook his head. “How could we possibly know what the Japanese are thinking?”
He sighed and looked at Cao Yu, saying, "You, Team Leader Cao, killed people too quickly. Now look what's happened, I have to report to the director when I get back."
"This kind of thing only takes a few minutes from start to finish, who could possibly know?" Cao Yu said irritably.
……
On the way back to Jessfield Road from the mass grave.
Cao Yu's face was gloomy, and he didn't say a word.
"What? Team Leader Cao is still worried?" Jing Kui glanced at Cao Yu and reassured him, "We were just following orders. The director signed off on it, and the execution was ordered after the official execution. Zhao Buqing's failure to arrive in time has nothing to do with us."
“I understand the reasoning,” Cao Yu said with a wry smile. “I also believe that the director is reasonable and won’t be too harsh. However, according to what Zhao Buqing said, the Japanese are behind this matter…”
As he spoke, he shook his head and sighed, "Whenever the Japanese are involved, who knows what kind of trouble might arise at any time."
Hearing Cao Yu say this, Jing Kui fell silent for a moment, then suddenly cursed, "Killing anti-Japanese elements can cause trouble. I think the Japanese are the worst kind of people."
Cao Yu glanced at Jing Kui, but smiled wryly and said, "Brother Jing, I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
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(End of this chapter)