Chapter 38: Qingchuan's Countermeasure

October 15, 1938. Night. Qingchuan’s residence in the French Concession of Jiangcheng.

The warehouse had been emptied, and the deal with the Umbrella Corporation had naturally fallen through. Despite Alexei’s displeasure, the Japanese soldiers had to keep smiling and apologizing. What Wang Yue did not expect, however, was that Qingchuan did not rush to retaliate this time. Instead, he had the elementary school bombed overnight. As luck would have it, naval bombers were flying over that very evening and dropped a few bombs, providing a convenient scapegoat for the entire affair.

"Has everything been cleaned up?" Qingchuan Yosuke looked out the window at the distant glow of the fire and asked coldly. This incident was his own mess; if the Investigation Headquarters learned the truth, he would likely have to commit seppuku to atone for his sins. Fortunately, Kobayashi Shuichi had a conscience and helped him orchestrate this scheme. As long as the people were dead and the warehouse destroyed, everything would be blamed on the naval aviation, just like the previous incident in the French Concession.

"The warriors have all sacrificed their lives for the country. It is perfectly normal for the naval fools to have been carrying incendiary bombs tonight and to have burned down the warehouse. Then, a round of destruction by the military police will surely leave no leads behind," Kobayashi Shuichi said with great confidence. Such cold cases were impossible to investigate, and even if someone were suspicious, they would have no evidence to present.

"Keep a close watch on the investigation reports from the fire department and the police station. Destroy what needs to be destroyed, and eliminate those who need to be eliminated. There must be no hidden dangers left!" Qingchuan Yosuke instructed sternly.

He had received ten thousand yen from the Kobayashi family for the last incident. They were both in the same boat now—if one prospered, they both prospered; if one suffered, they both suffered. He could still trust Kobayashi Shuichi.

"Rest assured, Senior. Our men know what to do. There will be no loose ends," Kobayashi Shuichi promised, patting his chest.

"Yosh, as long as you have a plan in mind." Qingchuan Yosuke nodded. Recently, the enemy’s torpedo boats had been very active, destroying a large number of vessels. By reporting false losses, both men had made a fortune. He truly did not want this to end; he wished for this war to drag on indefinitely.

"Then, how shall we deal with the Umbrella Corporation? The Investigation Headquarters has demanded that we cooperate with the Special Higher Police to stop them from continuing to sell torpedo boats," Kobayashi Shuichi reminded him in a low voice. Honestly, he did not want to get involved in this. The other party’s torpedo boat units rarely attacked civilian ships, even Japanese ones, so they had little impact on them. In fact, this situation allowed them to fish in troubled waters, but the orders from the Investigation Headquarters could not be ignored.

"Our unit has suffered heavy losses and no longer has the capacity to support the Special Higher Police. We are in urgent need of reinforcements. Don't worry, the Special Higher Police won't actually exert any real effort this time either. They hope the military high command will recognize the reality and not expand the war any further." Qingchuan Yosuke smiled. The Battle of Jiangcheng had already exhausted years of material reserves. If another battle of the same scale were to occur, the Empire's economy and finances would collapse. Now, aside from the Army, no one wanted the war to escalate further.

"Hai, you are wise, Senior!" Kobayashi Shuichi felt he had been too timid. What did it matter what the Investigation Headquarters wanted? They had no jurisdiction in Jiangcheng anyway. If he and Senior Qingchuan were gone, where would the funding for the South Manchuria Railway and the Kwantung Army come from? Jiangcheng was not a place just anyone could manage.

"The front line is almost out of food. You must ship out that batch of rice as soon as possible," the stern expression on Qingchuan Yosuke’s face softened slightly.

The rice he mentioned was old grain from the previous regime that they had purchased at a low price from the Ministry of Military Affairs. It had turned red with age; while it wouldn't kill anyone, the taste was truly appalling—even livestock wouldn't touch it. What the two of them had to do now was sell this rice at ten times the price.

"I have already chartered an American transport ship; it can be shipped out tomorrow. Along with it will go one hundred vats of pickled vegetables. The warriors will surely love it!" Kobayashi Shuichi did not dare mention that he had added 10% talcum powder to the rice during the milling process to make the old grain look better. As for whether it would harm the soldiers' health? What did that have to do with him? Fighting in a foreign land, wasn't it normal to suffer from the local conditions?

"Yosh, make sure the warriors are fed well! The Investigation Headquarters will likely ask us to procure a batch of horse fodder locally—twenty thousand tons. Does Kobayashi-kun have any good suggestions?" Qingchuan Yosuke nodded. The logistics officers at the front were already bought off and would know how to cover things up. If there were any naive fools, the "Kuomintang agents" would take care of everything.

"We have plenty of wheat bran. While it's not as good as soybean cake, it's not far off. If we mix in a bit of talcum powder and soybean meal and press them into cakes, we can save 60% on costs. It just means the warhorses will be a bit hungrier," Kobayashi Shuichi smiled. He had planned this long ago and had even started the process. If it weren't for that "Head-Cutting Demon" acting so quickly, he would have likely swapped the fodder himself.

"Kobayashi-kun, you must understand that the combat intensity at the front is high, and many warhorses are severely overexerted. It is normal for them to have health issues. I hope to save 80% on costs. After all, local unscrupulous merchants are skilled at cheating the Imperial Army." Qingchuan Yosuke shook his head gently. The young man was still too timid. What did it matter if the warhorses were a bit thin, as long as they didn't die? Jiangcheng was still enemy territory; what was strange about unscrupulous merchants cheating the Imperial Army? Besides, it wasn't certain they would be discovered. Otherwise, where would those Imperial Army horses in the black market come from?

"You are right to reprimand me, Senior. My understanding of the cruelty of the front line is still insufficient." Kobayashi Shuichi’s mouth twitched. Damn it, what was the difference between this and just feeding them grass? A warhorse needed 30 kilograms of forage and 10 kilograms of grain a day; even a draft horse needed 20 kilograms of forage and 8 kilograms of grain. If they were fed only forage, they wouldn't be able to meet the combat requirements.

"The welcome ceremony and the troop rewarding work must also be well prepared; this is what the superiors can see. It must be done beautifully, and don't be afraid to spend money," Qingchuan Yosuke continued to instruct.

"That is true, especially since the high-ranking officers are working so hard and need to relax. The most expensive foreign wine, the top-tier ingredients, and the most beautiful socialites will all be there. We will make everyone feel the sincerity of the South Manchuria Railway," Kobayashi Shuichi smiled knowingly.

"Our annual shipment from Jiangcheng exceeds three hundred tons, and the entire market in Central and Southwest China relies on Jiangcheng for distribution. The Investigation Headquarters will accept a reasonable increase in public relations expenses; after all, this is a one-time thing." Fearing that Kobayashi Shuichi was not bold enough, Qingchuan Yosuke added this final remark.