Chapter 114: News of Miyazaki Kentaro

The morning in Yande Lane was as busy as ever.

Granny Ma was cursing in the street again.

A salted fish she had hung on her windowsill had been stolen.

The old woman was heartbroken. From early morning until mid-morning, her scolding had not stopped for a moment.

Carrying a suitcase, Cheng Qianfan appeared at the entrance to the lane and heard Granny Ma’s curses from far away.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

This was Yande Lane.

The familiar Yande Lane.

It gave him the warmth of home.

He had not brought Haozai directly to his residence in Yande Lane. Instead, he had arranged for Haozai to stay in a safe house on Avenue Joffre.

After giving him some travel money and instructing him not to go out casually, Cheng Qianfan had returned alone to his residence in Yande Lane.

“Brother Fan is back.”

“Brother Fan, where have you been these past days?”

“Brother Fan, do something about Granny Ma.”

Cheng Qianfan smiled and greeted the neighbors.

“Brother Fan, this is terrible. A great thief has appeared in Yande Lane.”

The moment Granny Ma saw Cheng Qianfan, she grabbed hold of him and tearfully accused the villain who had stolen her salted fish.

Cheng Qianfan soothed Granny Ma and promised he would definitely help solve this major theft case. Only then did she let the matter rest.

He took out his key, unlocked the door, and entered the house.

There was none of the musty smell that came from a residence left vacant for a long time.

The house had been cleaned spotless and was free of dust.

Cheng Qianfan immediately knew that Li Hao had been coming regularly to clean and air out the place.

A faint sound came from the second floor.

Cheng Qianfan frowned. Setting down his suitcase, he drew his Browning service pistol and quietly went upstairs with a serious expression.

Meow.

A cat cried out and jumped into his arms.

Cheng Qianfan did not relax his guard. He carefully checked the area before confirming that the little creature had been the source of the noise.

“You little rascal.”

Putting away the Browning pistol, Cheng Qianfan sat on the bed and stroked the cat repeatedly.

Meow~

The cat narrowed its eyes in enjoyment and let out a contented cry.

Then Cheng Qianfan noticed the half-eaten salted fish remaining in the cat’s bowl on the windowsill.

“So you’re the great thief of Yande Lane.”

Cheng Qianfan could neither laugh nor cry.

After finishing with the cat, Cheng Qianfan opened his suitcase and began unpacking.

Opening a drawer, he saw several letters lying inside.

Cheng Qianfan picked them up and examined them.

Two of the letters were from classmates at Meixi Primary School.

They had been two of his closest childhood playmates.

One now worked for a foreign trading company in Nanjing.

The other had returned to his hometown of Gusu next door to inherit the family herbal medicine shop.

Cheng Qianfan opened the letters.

There was nothing important in them. Both classmates were merely offering their usual greetings, talking about recent developments in their lives, and inviting him to visit Nanjing or Gusu.

There were two more letters.

One was a greeting letter from the East Asia Common Culture Academy.

Cheng Qianfan could not help admiring the Japanese for their meticulousness and attentiveness.

He had left the East Asia Common Culture Academy quite some time ago, yet the Japanese school still sent him greeting letters at regular intervals.

The tone was sincere, inquiring about his recent circumstances, asking whether he had any difficulties the school could help with, and inviting him to return to his “alma mater” when he had time.

This letter?

Seeing the handwriting on the final letter, Cheng Qianfan was slightly startled.

It was Imai Futoshi’s handwriting.

He immediately checked the postmark and confirmed that it had indeed been mailed from Manchukuo.

A letter from Imai Futoshi in Manchukuo?

Hadn’t Yu Ping’an said that Imai Futoshi had already been assassinated and executed by Special Service Office operatives in Manchuria?

Cheng Qianfan did not suspect Yu Ping’an of lying.

The assassination order had been personally issued by Dai Chunfeng. The Special Service Office would not dare handle it carelessly.

If they said he had been executed, then he had almost certainly been executed.

That meant this letter had been mailed before Imai Futoshi’s death.

Cheng Qianfan did not think much of it.

Roughly every six months, Imai Futoshi would send him a letter.

He would describe his life and work in Manchukuo and express nostalgia for his student days at the East Asia Common Culture Academy and for his friendship with Cheng Qianfan.

Cheng Qianfan pulled a book from the bookshelf and began deciphering the letter.

Yes, Imai Futoshi’s letters required translation using a codebook.

Mail coming from Manchukuo might be examined by the Japanese military, Manchukuo intelligence agencies, or the National Government’s Party Affairs Investigation Department.

Nor did Imai Futoshi wish for his letters to cause trouble for Cheng Qianfan.

Regarding Cheng Qianfan, this “friend of the Empire,” Imai Futoshi had certain thoughts of his own and did not want him to become a pro-Japanese figure attracting the National Government’s attention.

This was a codebook known only to the two of them.

Cheng Qianfan copied the deciphered contents onto a sheet of paper.

“Mr. Cheng, my spirits have been poor lately. Anti-Manchukuo and anti-Japanese elements have become extremely rampant and troublesome.”

“The other day, I personally punished an anti-Manchukuo element. This man was exceedingly stubborn and spoke with great disrespect toward the Empire. Regrettably, I was unable to reform him and could only personally execute him and his family.”

“I often think how wonderful it would be if these people were as friendly toward the Empire as you are, Mr. Cheng.”

“Let me tell you some good news. I believe you will be just as excited as I am when you hear it.”

“I have news of Miyazaki.”

“A month ago, I received a letter from Miyazaki in Manchuria and learned that he had actually come to China a year earlier.”

“I truly envy Miyazaki’s life. He is employed by Kobe University, and his daily work consists of traveling throughout China, recording local customs and conditions. That is the life I long for, and I imagine you feel the same way, Mr. Cheng.”

“Miyazaki has been in poor spirits recently. During his travels, he met and fell in love with a Chinese girl. Unfortunately, the girl was filled with hostility toward the Empire and even participated in anti-Japanese activities.”

“Miyazaki is absolutely loyal to the Empire. He single-handedly carried out the killing of the girl and her family. It has given me an entirely new appreciation of him. Of course, the incident has left Miyazaki somewhat saddened.”

“From Miyazaki’s letter, I learned that he will soon be traveling to Shanghai. That fellow, wounded by love, is probably still recovering.”

“However, I am delighted. You have always been curious about Miyazaki. When the two of you meet, just imagine the scene. I greatly look forward to it.”

“In my reply to Miyazaki, I did not mention you. This was intentional. Thinking about a man with an identical appearance suddenly knocking on Miyazaki’s door, I cannot help laughing aloud at the expression of surprise he might wear.”

“I have already written to Miyazaki and arranged for him to stay in the residence I previously used in Shanghai, the house in Hongkou District that you know about.”

“Mr. Cheng, according to Miyazaki’s latest letter, he will arrive in Shanghai in mid-May. I am certain the two of you will get along splendidly. When I imagine you and Miyazaki drinking and chatting together, with only me absent, I feel a deep sense of regret.”

Cheng Qianfan set down the letter.

His heart was filled with both astonishment and delight.

He had never expected Miyazaki Kentaro to be in China, nor that he had arrived a full year earlier.

And now he was about to come to Shanghai.

Moreover, according to Imai Futoshi’s letter, Miyazaki Kentaro was employed by Kobe University and traveled throughout China, observing and recording local customs and conditions.

This was remarkably similar to the “wandering poet” identity Cheng Qianfan had previously claimed while impersonating Miyazaki Kentaro.

It was a Japanese pretext for gathering intelligence throughout China under legitimate cover.

Officially, it was travel and observation.

In reality, it was espionage conducted openly.

Cheng Qianfan picked up the letter again.

His gaze settled upon the section describing how Miyazaki Kentaro had killed a Chinese girl and her family.

Inside, Cheng Qianfan felt both fury and confusion.

According to Imai Futoshi’s previous descriptions, Miyazaki Kentaro had been a rather introverted, kind, and quiet young man.

Yet such a Japanese youth, after coming to China, had rapidly transformed into a demon who served Japan’s invasion of China and killed without blinking an eye.

Mid-May.

The long-famous Mr. Miyazaki Kentaro would soon arrive in Shanghai.

There was a blood debt between them that had to be settled.