dhibooks Chapter 218 My Advisor Has Disappeared?
Chapter 218 My Advisor Has Disappeared?
Outside the boundary marker, are they lecturing on the rules until they can't breathe?
Is it really that evil?
Although Li Mingyuan didn't understand, as a soldier and out of trust in Yang Yanzhao, the old Anhui clique's "little Zhuge Liang," he didn't say anything more.
He raised his hand and waved, and the adjutant immediately stepped forward.
Yang Yanzhao said, "Read out the lockdown order."
The adjutant unfolded the official document, his voice clear and bright.
"Order from the Fujian Provincial Government"
"Recent investigations have revealed that some trading companies, ronin groups, and armed guards within the Japanese concession in Xiamen are suspected of smuggling weapons, harboring spies, and operating unauthorized radio stations. They are also suspected of having connections with the Japanese warships that crossed the line and provoked the Japanese outside the Minjiang River estuary."
"To protect the safety of residents, overseas Chinese and business travelers in this province, effective immediately, the docks, warehouses, telephone exchange lines and customs lines outside the concession will be closed."
"Ordinary overseas Chinese can register to enter and exit."
"Goods must be accompanied by documents."
"Armed personnel are not allowed to cross the boundary marker."
"The radio station personnel, the arms warehouse manager, and the accountant of the involved trading company shall be handed over to the Fujian Provincial Government for questioning within one hour."
A low murmur rippled through the street corner.
The old manager of the chamber of commerce stroked his beard, his eyes lighting up.
This is not vandalism.
This is the government handling a case.
All categories are complete.
The reasoning is sound.
At the entrance of the Japanese consulate, several Japanese police officers in black uniforms stood with pale faces.
An interpreter ran out quickly.
"Protest! Your Excellency the Consul strongly protests!"
He shouted in broken Chinese, "The concessions are sacred and inviolable! The Fujian army must not threaten the Japanese residents!"
Yang Yanzhao glanced at him.
"Bring me the letter of protest."
The translator was stunned.
"Wh-what?"
"You say you're protesting, but you need a written protest document..."
Yang Yanzhao spoke calmly.
"Words are not enough to prove anything, and the Fujian Provincial Government cannot keep records of them."
Several chamber of commerce representatives nearby almost burst out laughing, and quickly lowered their heads.
The translator's face flushed red.
A moment later, Shinsuke Yoshikawa, the Japanese consul in Xiamen, finally came out.
He was wearing a tuxedo and had a stiff smile on his face.
He was followed by more than a dozen guards.
The guard's waist was bulging, clearly concealing a short gun.
Shinsuke Yoshikawa immediately said, "Governor Yang, your actions have seriously infringed upon the rights of the concession. If there is any misunderstanding, we can sit down and talk."
"We can talk."
Yang Yanzhao nodded.
"Hand over people first."
Shinsuke Yoshikawa's smile froze.
"Whom should we befriend?"
Li Mingyuan opened his wallet and pulled out the first receipt.
Three days ago, Toyota Corporation of Japan retrieved twelve boxes of wireless batteries from the Xiamen Customs warehouse, registered for use as lighting for merchant ships.
He drew the second card.
"That same night, the twelve boxes of batteries did not board the ship but instead ended up in the back street of the consulate."
Then a third card was drawn.
"Last night, around midnight, guards from the Japanese trading company in the concession were carrying long wooden crates to the dock. There were three testimonies from the dockworkers. There were obvious metallic clanging sounds inside the crates, which appeared to be parts of firearms."
Yoshikawa Shinsuke's face darkened slightly.
"These are just commercial goods."
"Commercial goods?"
Yang Yanzhao finally smiled.
"That's even simpler. Please have Your Excellency open the warehouse and allow customs to inspect it. If it's commercial goods, the Fujian Provincial Government will apologize. If it's weapons, Your Excellency will have to explain why light machine guns are needed to protect overseas Chinese."
Shinsuke Yoshikawa's eye twitched.
Damn it, these idiots are getting more and more unreliable.
They even found out that you were transporting light machine guns, yet you still say you've kept it perfectly secret and there's no chance of anything going wrong?
But he couldn't admit it.
Our family tradition is that I can bow, but I cannot admit my mistakes!
More importantly, we are the Japanese Empire, after all. What kind of attitude do you have...?
"You have no right to search inside the concession."
"So I didn't go in."
Yang Yanzhao pointed to the ground.
"I'm standing outside the boundary marker."
He then pointed towards the dock.
"The outer edge of the wharf is within the jurisdiction of Fujian Province."
Then point to the telephone exchange pole line.
"The telephone exchange's external lines are also within the jurisdiction of Fujian Province."
Finally, we looked towards the customs warehouse.
"The customs warehouse's accounts are filed with the Fujian Provincial Government."
Yang Yanzhao's voice was not loud, but he spoke each word very firmly.
"Your Excellency, the concession is not a military camp. Residents are not a shield for spies. Whoever fires a shot is a war criminal."
Shinsuke Yoshikawa's face turned completely cold.
Behind the gate tower, several Japanese ronin gripped the hilts of their swords, their eyes bloodshot.
They wanted to rush in.
But the armored vehicle outside the boundary marker had already lifted the tarpaulin covering its machine gun.
The dark muzzle of a gun was pointed directly at the gatehouse.
The ronin's steps faltered.
They dared to bully merchants and cut the laborers' wages.
But letting them charge at armored vehicles with knives is a different matter altogether.
The street behind the consulate.
A guard from a Japanese trading company, covered in cold sweat, was stuffing a stack of telegram drafts into the brazier.
"Quick! Burn it!"
"They burned the Third Fleet's reply messages too?"
"Burn it all!"
The flame licked the edge of the paper.
Black text curled up.
But just as the fire was halfway through, the back door was suddenly banged on from the outside.
boom!
boom!
"Open the door!"
"Fujian Provincial Government Security Team inspects exterior wall for fire!"
The expressions of the people inside the room changed drastically.
"They didn't enter the concession, so what right do they have to investigate?"
"Outside the back wall is Chinese Street!"
Someone muttered a curse under their breath and quickly stuffed the half-burnt telegram under the copper basin.
In this panic, they missed one card.
A few clear words were still left on the corner of the paper.
The mouth of the Minjiang River.
Destroyer.
Ponytail.
On the sea, the bridge of the Zhen Dong warship.
Shen Li received a second short report from Fujian.
"Young Marshal, Governor Yang has sealed off the outer lines of the Xiamen concession. The Japanese consul protested, but dared not take any action. Governor Yang requested that a copy of the brief report on the Battle of the Minjiang Estuary be forwarded to the Fujian Provincial Government to corroborate the case of radio communication within the concession."
Chen Zijun leaned against the nautical chart table, his eyes shining as he listened.
"Give."
"Will you give me the full text?"
"Remove the submarine details."
Chen Zijun said, "Only the sections about the Japanese destroyer crossing the line, our warning, the enemy ship's dangerous maneuvering, and battle damage are given."
Shen Li nodded.
"clear."
Chen Zijun looked at the wrecked Japanese warship in the distance.
The Japanese are really busy this time.
Two destroyers at sea are waiting to be shelled.
The land-based Xiamen concession was blocked from access.
Su Guiying suppressed public opinion in the newspaper office.
Mo Huixin was selling government bonds at the bank.
This combination of blows would leave anyone, let alone the Japanese consul, in a state of utter disarray.
"Young Marshal, Governor Yang has one more thing to say."
Shen Li read the telegram, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
He said that if the Fujian New Army can hold the boundary line today, it will be able to hold the coastal defense line tomorrow.
Chen Zijun smiled.
"That's a good point."
He raised his hand and pointed to Xiamen on the nautical chart.
"Reply to him. No disorder is allowed outside the boundary marker. Inside the boundary marker, wait for evidence."
Shen Li lowered his head to take notes.
"What if the Japanese don't fire?"
Chen Zijun said calmly, "Then force them to hand over the radio, the people, and the warehouse accounts. There are ways to fight without firing a shot."
He paused.
"But I bet they can't resist."
Shen Li looked up.
Chen Zijun looked at the gray-blue waves of the East China Sea.
"The invaders are most afraid of you telling them the rules."
"Because they know best in their hearts that their rules were all established by gunfire."
In front of the gatehouse of the Xiamen International Settlement.
Almost an hour has passed.
Yang Yanzhao took out his pocket watch.
The watch cover clicked open.
The pointer is just one small division away from the hour.
Shinsuke Yoshikawa is still dragging his feet.
"Governor Yang, the consulate needs to conduct internal checks. The one hour you've given us is too rushed."
"Not hasty."
Yang Yanzhao looked at the pocket watch.
"Burning telegrams, moving boxes, and transferring people—an hour should be enough."
Shinsuke Yoshikawa's expression changed.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It means you've already done it."
Yang Yanzhao closed his pocket watch.
Snapped.
The sound wasn't loud, but it made the Japanese guards in front of the gate tense up at the same time.
Just then, an adjutant ran up quickly and whispered in Yang Yanzhao's ear.
"Governor, Second Lieutenant Zhou Heting of the First Division Staff Office has gone missing. His last known appearance was with two military police officers investigating a fire on the outer wall of the consulate's back street."
Li Mingyuan's face immediately darkened.
Where are they?
The adjutant gritted his teeth.
"The military policeman was knocked unconscious at the alley entrance, and Lieutenant Zhou is missing."