Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Chapter 1131 What's the rush?

"Reinforce the guards by three times?" Sato's voice carried a hint of surprise, then became hesitant, even tinged with a touch of helplessness: "Yamada, do you think it's so easy to reinforce the guards?"

"You might not be aware of this because you're in Tianjin, but guerrilla groups are causing a lot of trouble throughout Manchuria right now. Around Fengtian and in Jilin, they frequently attack our transport trains and sabotage the tracks. The transport department's security forces are already stretched thin; each company has its own defensive perimeter. Where are we going to find extra manpower to allocate to you?"

Yamada Iwakuro's heart sank instantly, as if he had been hit by a huge rock, the heavy weight making it hard for him to breathe.

He could clearly feel his palms starting to sweat; the cold sweat soaked the receiver, and even his fingers felt a little numb.

He quickly adjusted his tone, his pleading becoming even stronger: "Minister Sato, please, please help me! This is no small matter! If Miss Sakura is dissatisfied and takes it out on the South Manchuria Railway headquarters, and the president gets reprimanded, we'll both be in deep trouble!!"

His voice carried a barely perceptible sob, and his posture was extremely humble. Facing Minister Sato, he dared not show any temper and could only abandon all dignity and plead bitterly.

Faced with power and influence, his small position as director was insignificant. To keep his position and even the lives of his family, he had no choice but to bow his head.

"I know you're in a difficult position, but please, for the sake of our colleagues and the many years we've worked together, please make an exception!" Yamada Iwakuro continued to plead, even offering promises of benefits: "If you're willing to help, I'll definitely treat you well whenever you come to Tianjin!"

I've already made arrangements with the best ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) in the concession, and I've also had someone specially go to Osaka to purchase your favorite sake—I guarantee you'll be satisfied!

Silence fell on the other end of the phone, broken only by a faint static. Yamada Iwakuro held his breath, gripping the receiver tightly until his knuckles ached from the force. Sweat poured from his palms, dripping down the receiver and staining his desk.

His mind involuntarily conjured up images of Miss Sakura's cold gaze, and even the tragic scene of his being dismissed and investigated, with his family suffering the consequences.

"Sigh, alright!" After a moment, Sato finally relented, his tone filled with deep helplessness: "It's all those damn bastards' fault... for their own profit... they dragged us all into this!"

I'll help you this once, as a favor and also to leave myself a way out.

I will draw some men from the Fengtian guard force to double your number of guards. Triple is simply impossible; we're already short-handed. The remaining men also need to guard against the surrounding guerrilla forces, so we simply can't spare any more."

"Twice? Great! Twice is fine too! Thank you so much, Minister Sato! You are truly my second father!" Yamada Iwakuro was overjoyed, as if he had grasped a lifeline. He bowed repeatedly into the phone, and even though the other party could not see him, he remained bowed and dared not straighten up for a long time.

"Don't worry, as soon as transportation can return to normal, I will tell Miss Sakura about your great help as soon as possible!"

"From now on, whatever you need, I, Yamada Iwakuro, will obey your every command, even at the cost of my life!"

"Alright, alright, stop nagging!" Sato interrupted him impatiently, his tone carrying a subtle, unspoken meaning: "I know the real reason you called me. It's not just to send more guards, but also to ask me to pass on a message to headquarters, to let those money-grubbing bastards know what their actions will bring."

Don't worry, I'll pass this message on and let headquarters know what kind of trouble this has caused.

Yamada Iwakuro felt a sense of relief; Sato understood his thoughts: "Thank you for your understanding, Minister Sato! You've thought of everything perfectly!"

"The additional guards I've dispatched will be in place first thing tomorrow morning. Have someone make sure the handover is done in advance," Sato continued, his tone becoming serious. "You'll be in charge of overseeing the rest of the transport yourself. Make sure nothing goes wrong!"

If any more problems arise, I won't be able to help you.

"Yes! Thank you so much! I will personally keep an eye on things! There will be absolutely no more mishaps!" Yamada Iwakuro replied quickly, his tone full of gratitude and respect.

“If you hadn’t come to me, I wouldn’t have wanted to get involved in this.” Sato’s tone carried a hint of complaint. “But now that I’m involved, there’s nothing I can do… Those people are incredibly audacious, and they even want to interfere with the interests of the Military Police Headquarters…”

"Understood! I completely understand!" Yamada Iwakuro quickly replied.

"Hmph... So you dragged me into this! Yamada!" Sato's tone was tinged with mockery. "I won't let you off the hook without a generous gift!"

"Understood, Minister Sato. Rest assured, once this matter is settled, I will personally deliver the gift to you and guarantee your satisfaction!" Yamada Iwakuro quickly agreed.

"Okay, you'd better pay more attention!"

"Hi Yi!"

After hanging up the phone, Yamada Iwakuro let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing a bit.

He leaned back in his chair, feeling all his strength drain away. The back of his shirt was completely soaked with sweat and clung coldly to his body.

He reached out and rubbed his still aching back, a bitter smile on his face. His humble pleading with Sato was no easier than his pleading with Miss Sakura, but he had no choice. In this chaotic world, to protect his position and the lives of his family, he had to put aside all his dignity and bow to power.

But he also knew clearly that this was just the beginning.

Opium must be transported to Tianjin on time and in full, otherwise all efforts will be in vain.

Thinking of this, Yamada Iwakuro dared not slack off in the slightest. He immediately picked up the phone again, his fingers trembling slightly with nervousness, and finally managed to dial the number of the Fengtian Office.

Fengtian was the starting point for this opium transport. Only by prioritizing transportation in Fengtian could the train be ensured to depart on time.

"Hello? Is this Director Inoue of the Fengtian Office? Hello, hello! This is Yamada Iwakuro from Tianjin!" This time, his tone wasn't as overly respectful, but it was still humble: "I'm so sorry to bother you, but I have an urgent matter I'd like to ask for your help with!"

Director Inoue on the other end of the phone was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting Yamada Iwakuro to speak to him in such a tone. Although the two were colleagues, they would occasionally have some disputes over transportation scheduling, and Yamada Iwakuro always maintained a humble and dignified demeanor.

Director Inoue asked in confusion, "Director Yamada? What's the matter that's so urgent?"