Chapter 185: Miyazaki Kentaro’s Debut

Song Fuguo had already informed Cheng Qianfan in advance that he would not need to participate in the operation to assassinate Zhou Huaigu.

The reason was simple.

This Sino-Japanese Friendship Symposium was not being held in the French Concession.

In the competition to become the host, the French had lost to the British and Americans, who maintained better relations with the Japanese.

The symposium had been arranged in the International Settlement administered by the British and Americans.

The reason Song Fuguo had previously been authorized to request Cheng Qianfan’s assistance for this operation was because they had anticipated that the Japanese would hold the symposium in the French Concession.

That was Cheng Qianfan’s territory, and his assistance would have made things much more convenient.

Not having to participate in the operation against Zhou Huaigu was good news for Cheng Qianfan.

He could now appear at the symposium as Miyazaki Kentaro without any distractions.

As for the list of Japanese participants attending the symposium, Song Fuguo did indeed deliver it as promised.

Cheng Qianfan studied it carefully.

The list mainly consisted of professors from several Japanese universities and their students, along with a few Japanese scholars and literary figures who were already fairly well known in China.

At least on the surface, they were all “pure” scholars and men of letters.

Among them was the beloved disciple of Taniguchi Hiroyuki, the renowned professor of Chinese Literature at Kobe University, the young poet Miyazaki Kentaro.

The heat of summer could already be felt in Shanghai in May.

Along the way, Cheng Qianfan could see women dressed in beautiful qipaos and elegant dresses, carrying exquisite handbags, adding to the beauty of the great metropolis of Shanghai.

From time to time, men who considered themselves wealthy and charming would approach to strike up conversations.

Some obtained permission to carry a lady’s handbag.

Others were rejected, yet remained polite. They would even buy a bouquet of flowers from a child flower vendor as an apology for their presumptuous advance.

This tactic of retreating in order to advance was clearly effective.

The lady would nod slightly, leaving with a favorable impression of the gentleman.

Just as the man began imagining that he had a chance of winning the beauty’s heart, a Ford automobile made in America drove over, sounding its horn twice.

A young rich heir stepped out and successfully invited the beautiful woman into the car.

With his head held high, he glanced proudly at the unsuccessful suitor, like a monkey that had successfully won a mate.

Again, the horn sounded twice.

Watching the automobile drive away with the beauty for a leisurely outing, the gentleman stood there clutching the bouquet she had returned to him before angrily throwing it onto the ground.

“So what if you’ve got a car!”

Inside the hall of a clubhouse on Hankou Road in the International Settlement.

Rows of long tables had already been arranged.

On them were various pastries, fruits, candies, melon seeds, peanuts, and other snacks.

Quite a few people had already arrived.

Today was the opening day of the Sino-Japanese Friendship Symposium and Asian Peace Promotion Symposium.

The organizers had chosen to hold it in the form of a press conference.

The weather was already somewhat hot.

Lu Ben, an inspector on Hankou Road in the International Settlement, wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The authorities in the International Settlement had already received intelligence that the Nationalist government was increasingly dissatisfied with Zhou Huaigu’s growing alignment with the Japanese.

Nationalist agents in Shanghai had already received orders to carry out punitive action against Zhou Huaigu.

As the inspector responsible for security at the symposium’s opening press conference, Lu Ben was under tremendous pressure.

To be honest, neither the International Settlement authorities nor the police welcomed the decision to host this symposium in the Settlement.

Everyone knew exactly what kind of event this so-called Sino-Japanese Friendship Symposium really was.

It was a grand gathering of collaborators.

Naturally, nobody had any favorable opinion of it.

Furthermore, the officers worried that any security incident would result in them being held responsible.

They were even more concerned about being caught in the crossfire when Nationalist agents moved against collaborators.

But there was nothing they could do.

Their salaries came from the British and Americans.

“Cheng Qianfan? What’s he doing here?”

When one of the policemen assigned to security saw a handsome man in a fine suit step down from a rickshaw and stride forward with his head held high, he was visibly surprised.

“Officer Cheng, please stop right there.” A policeman stepped forward and extended a hand to block him.

“Who are you? Why are you stopping me?” Miyazaki Kentaro frowned and said.

“Oh my, now you’re speaking Japanese too?” the policeman sneered sarcastically.

“Please step aside,” Miyazaki Kentaro said coldly.

“What’s going on?” Noticing the commotion, Lu Ben hurried over.

“Inspector, that’s Cheng Qianfan from the French Concession...” The policeman covered his mouth and quietly reported while pointing with his finger.

“Officer, may I enter now?” Miyazaki Kentaro slightly raised his chin and spoke coldly.

While listening to his subordinate’s report, Lu Ben turned his head to look.

What was Cheng Qianfan doing here?

That was his first reaction as well.

At that moment, the man spoke.

Looking at the arrogant gaze of “Cheng Qianfan,” Lu Ben suddenly felt a jolt.

No.

This man looked extremely similar to Cheng Qianfan, but he was not Cheng Qianfan.

His expression, eyes, and demeanor.

Or, more directly put:

His temperament was different.

Lu Ben had met Cheng Qianfan before.

The young man was capable, but he was not arrogant.

He was tactful and knew how to conduct himself.

The gaze of the man before him made Lu Ben deeply uncomfortable.

It was a gaze of contempt.

The look reminded Lu Ben of a Japanese man he had arrested once.

When an employee of the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai had come to the police station and proudly taken the man away, he had worn the same expression.

Contempt.

They viewed this land and the Chinese people who had lived upon it for generations as beings beneath them, even as slaves to be exploited at will.

“Sir, please present your invitation,” Lu Ben said, suppressing his anger and keeping his tone calm.

“Thank you for your hard work. Please inspect it.” Miyazaki Kentaro nodded arrogantly yet politely and presented the invitation with both hands while speaking fluent Northern Mandarin.

Kobe University, Miyazaki Kentaro!

Seeing the Japanese name on the invitation, Lu Ben immediately realized the mistake.

This fellow really was not Cheng Qianfan.

He truly was Japanese.

He had only heard stories of people looking alike but had never witnessed it himself.

He had not expected two people could resemble each other so closely.

Moreover, the man clearly spoke Chinese.

Yet when stopped by the policeman, he had deliberately spoken Japanese instead.

“Mr. Miyazaki Kentaro, please proceed.” Lu Ben extended a hand inviting him forward.

“Much obliged.” Miyazaki Kentaro took back the invitation and casually tucked it into an inner pocket.

After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and stared into Lu Ben’s eyes.

“Officer, there is anger hidden in your eyes. I do not like it.”

Having said that, Miyazaki Kentaro smiled slightly, nodded politely, and strode into the clubhouse.

“What’s going on? Has something happened?” Imamura Hyotaro, aide to Iwai Eiichi, Deputy Consul General of the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai, hurried over with two men and immediately questioned Lu Ben.

The clubhouse had three entrances, front, rear, and left.

Because of insufficient manpower, no Japanese personnel had yet been assigned to this left-side entrance.

He had just arrived with reinforcements.

“Nothing serious,” Lu Ben replied neither servilely nor arrogantly. “My subordinate doesn’t understand Japanese. There was a minor misunderstanding, but it’s been resolved.”

Imamura Hyotaro glanced at the Chinese inspector, nodded, assigned one subordinate to receive guests at the entrance, and strode into the clubhouse himself.

After entering the venue, Miyazaki Kentaro remained very quiet.

He found a location that was not too isolated, yet still sufficiently quiet and private.

Picking up a pamphlet from the table, he pretended to read it out of boredom while actually observing his surroundings.

To the left was a group of Chinese journalists quietly discussing something among themselves.

Three large British or American men were laughing loudly in the distance while talking about something unknown.

A young couple was speaking softly together.

They appeared to be newlyweds.

The restlessness and sweetness of a recent marriage revealed themselves in every gesture.

No.

Cheng Qianfan revised his judgment.

This was a pair of adulterous lovers who had only recently begun their affair.

The man’s hand was constantly and discreetly caressing the woman’s shapely buttocks.

No.

Cheng Qianfan revised his judgment once again.

There was something wrong with this couple.