The Death of Sato Yosho

"No, how could that be? Nobody else noticed me except you."

At this point, Sato Yosho seemed to realize something and suddenly took two steps forward to look at Lu Chen.

"It must be you!"

Seeing Sato Yosho's ferocious and terrified expression, Lu Chen smiled faintly and then shook his head.

"Section Chief Sato, how could it be me? If it were me, wouldn't I be giving this evidence to Matsumoto Kiyoko to gain merit? Would I even be here talking to you?"

Lu Chen shrugged. Sato Yosho nodded inwardly upon hearing this and sat down again.

Indeed, if it really was Lu Chen, he would definitely take it to Li Gong, after all, he is Chinese and a traitor.

Moreover, they discovered that their section chief was suspected of treason, and if proven, his achievement would not be a minor one, but a major one.

No normal person could resist such temptation, so it definitely wasn't Lu Chengqian's doing, otherwise he would have already been caught and interrogated.

Sato Yosho calmed down again, and Lu Chen continued to speak.

"Section Chief Sato, I was asked to come by Ms. Kiyoko."

Seeing that Sato Yosho had finally calmed down, Lu Chen spoke again.

But his words were more impactful than the photograph, and they helped Yosho Sato stand up again.

Kiyoko Matsumoto?

Did Matsumoto Kiyoko send Lu Chen over? And with this photo?

Before Sato Yoshin could speak, Lu Chen continued, each word striking Sato Yoshin's heart.

"It was Team Leader Matsumoto who sent me over. She found you, but I don't know how she found out. She also gave me this photo."

Lu Chen looked helpless, while Sato Yosho stood there motionless, the tense atmosphere in the air was even more obvious.

"She sent someone to follow me? No, I have to go find Colonel Kuroda!"

He was already one of Kuroda's confidants, so as long as he sincerely apologized and explained his predicament, Kuroda shouldn't make things difficult for him.

Sato Yosho thought to himself, then lifted his foot and was about to walk around Lu Chen towards the door.

Lu Chen couldn't let him go out; if he went out and exposed this matter, he would be in danger. So he reached out and stopped Sato Yosho in place.

"Section Chief Sato, there's still something you haven't looked at."

Sato Yosho stood frozen in place, swallowing hard as he watched Lu Chen. He had a premonition that what Lu Chen was about to take out would be enough to crush him to death.

Seeing Lu Chen reach inside his clothes, Sato Yosho's heart jumped into his throat.

Lu Chen took out a stack of papers, several of them piled together, and the edges were clearly torn off violently.

Upon seeing these sheets of paper, Sato Yosho immediately recalled that he had taken all the logistical supplies outbound records to his office, precisely because he was afraid of being discovered by others.

He has to check it every day before he can feel at ease.

Just a few days ago, when he checked the exit record as usual, he found it was missing, and there were traces of it being torn at the edges.

He initially thought he had made a mistake, or that he was not thinking clearly and his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the same thing happened for the next few days, and the logistical records simply disappeared.

Sato Yosho stared intently at the stack of papers in Lu Chen's hand, his pupils contracting.

"How...how did this end up in your hands?!"

His voice changed, and he reached out to grab it.

Lu Chen was prepared and pulled his hand back. Sato Yosuke missed his target and staggered before grabbing the edge of the table to steady himself.

"Section Chief Sato, don't rush."

Lu Chen slowly spread out the warehouse exit records on the table.

"Two hundred cotton-padded coats, one hundred cotton-padded quilts, fifty military blankets..."

"The person who handled it is Sato Yosho, and the signature is blank. If this falls into Colonel Kuroda's hands, what do you think he'll think?"

Sato Yosho's lips trembled, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Lu Chen looked at him with a cold smile in his heart, but put on a regretful expression on his face.

"Section Chief Sato, although we're not close, we're still colleagues in the same section. I really don't want to see you get into trouble, but Ms. Kiyoko has already become suspicious. She asked me to come here today to sound out your intentions."

Sato Yosho suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with a last glimmer of hope.

"Miss Kiyoko... what did she say?"

Lu Chen sighed, sat down in the chair, and lit a cigarette.

"She said there's a mole in the department lately, someone's been reselling supplies, and she asked me to investigate secretly. My investigation led me to you, Section Chief Sato. So... how should I report this to Ms. Kiyoko?"

Sato Yosho's face was as white as a sheet. He slumped back into his chair, holding his head in his hands, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"It's over...it's all over..."

Lu Chen took a drag of his cigarette, said nothing, and just stared at him.

The office was so quiet you could hear the ticking of the wall clock. After a while, Sato Yosho finally looked up, his eyes red.

"Mr. Lu, please help me! Please help me! That shipment... that guy surnamed Song said he'd pay, he definitely will! As long as the money arrives, I'll cover the shortfall, and no one will find out!"

Lu Chen shook his head.

"Section Chief Sato, don't you understand? The problem isn't the money for that shipment; it's that Miss Kiyoko already suspects you. Even if the money is paid back, how will you explain it to her? Why were you in contact with that Chinese man? Why are there no signatures on the delivery records for those supplies?"

Sato Yosho opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Lu Chen stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, leaned forward, and lowered his voice.

"Section Chief Sato, let me ask you something from the bottom of my heart. You still have family in Japan, right?"

Sato Yosho's body trembled, and fear flashed in his eyes.

"He has...he has a wife and two children..."

Lu Chen nodded.

"That's right. Think about it, if this gets out, not only you, but your family, will you be in trouble? You should know better than me how the Special Higher Police treat traitors."

Sato Yosho was almost in tears when he grabbed Lu Chen's arm.

He knew the Japanese army's methods best, and he had seen people killed for being afraid to fight, and then their wives and daughters were all sent to comfort stations.

Sato Yosho knew exactly what kind of place that was, and he would never allow his wife to be taken to such a place.

Now his only hope was Lu Chen in front of him. Thinking of this, he no longer cared about his status and began to beg.

"Lu Sang! Lu Sang, save me! Save me! I'll give you anything you want! Money, official position, anything!"

Lu Chen felt disgusted by his groveling and fawning manner, but a troubled expression appeared on his face.

"Section Chief Sato, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just... this matter is too big, I can't handle it."

Sato Yosho was in despair. He let go and slumped into the chair.

Lu Chen was silent for a while, then spoke again, his voice very soft.

"Actually... it's not entirely impossible."

Sato Yosho, as if grasping at a straw, suddenly straightened up.

"What's the solution? Tell me!"

Lu Chen glanced at him, then at the doorway, and lowered his voice.

"If you don't want to implicate your family, there's only one way... to end it yourself."

Sato Yosho was stunned.

"To...end it?"

Lu Chen nodded.

"Think about it, if you die, there will be no way to prove it. As for Miss Qingzi, I can cover for you by saying that after investigating for a long time, they found nothing and it was probably a misunderstanding. As for that guy surnamed Song, he took the goods and ran away, so he definitely won't dare to show his face. As long as no one reports it, this matter will remain buried."

Sato Yosho sat there blankly, his eyes vacant, before finally stammering out a long speech.

"But...but I..."

Lu Chen patted him on the shoulder.

"Section Chief Sato, think carefully. Would you rather die with your whole family, or bear this alone and protect them? Your wife, your two children—they're all waiting for you to come back to Japan. What will happen to them if something happens to you? Do you think the Special Higher Police will let them get away with it?"

Sato Yosho finally shed tears. He had resold these logistical supplies in order to pay for his wife's medical treatment back in Japan.

But in this situation, only by sacrificing myself can I save my wife and family!

Lu Chen stood up, put the warehouse exit records back into his pocket, and then picked up the photo and waved it in front of Sato Yoshinori.

"I'll keep these things for you for now. I'll stall for Miss Qingzi for the time being, but it won't be long. You should make a decision as soon as possible."

After saying that, Lu Chen turned and walked towards the door, but stopped and turned back when he reached the door.

"Section Chief Sato, we're all working for the Japanese, basically just dogs. But even dogs have their own thoughts. We can't drag our own puppies into this, can we?"

Lu Chen opened the door, walked out, and closed it behind him.

The corridor was empty. He stood at the door and listened, but there was no sound from inside.

After going downstairs, the rat emerged from the shadows, climbed up his trouser leg to his shoulder, and squeaked twice.

"Nobody's coming?"

Lu Chen asked in a low voice.

The mouse squeaked again.

Lu Chen nodded and quickly walked out of the Special Higher Education Department.

It was already completely dark outside, and there weren't many people on the street. He lit a cigarette and slowly walked towards the military police headquarters.

Those words just now should keep Sato Yosho pondering all night. He's the kind of person who's afraid of death, but even more afraid of implicating his family. There should be a result by tomorrow, or at the latest the day after.

Afraid of being seen, Lu Chen took out the cat mask and put it on.

Halfway there, the rat suddenly squealed again and pointed its paw behind him.

Lu Chen remained calm and continued walking forward, turning into a small alley and stopping.

"Come out."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a dark figure walked in from the alley entrance.

It's Shen Ruoqiu.

Lu Chen frowned. What was she doing here?

Shen Ruoqiu walked up to him and looked him up and down.

"Zhang Rongshan is really dead."

Lu Chen didn't speak.

"How did you know? Did you know beforehand that he would die?"

Lu Chen took a drag of his cigarette.

"Didn't you say you'd believe me if I could prove I was innocent? Now that Zhang Rongshan is dead, doesn't that count as proof?"

Shen Ruoqiu remained silent for a few seconds.

"How can you prove that Zhang Rongshan's death is related to you?"

Lu Chen smiled.

"I didn't say it concerned me. I'm just telling you some news, believe it or not."

Shen Ruoqiu stared at him, her expression obscured by the moonlight.

"Who exactly are you?"

Lu Chen flicked the cigarette butt into the darkness.

"You can arrest me or call me a traitor, but I can tell you that I have never betrayed any anti-Japanese activists."

Shen Ruoqiu remained silent.

Lu Chen took two steps forward, getting closer to her.

"There's a mole within your organization."

Shen Ruoqiu's body stiffened.

How did you know?

Lu Chen didn't answer, he just said...

"Someone from the Military Intelligence Bureau has betrayed us and is cooperating with the Japanese to get rid of me. That person is also in contact with your underground party. Go back and ask your superiors if anyone has recently passed on any information about the agent 'Rat'."

Shen Ruoqiu's breathing became rapid.

"you……"

Lu Chen waved his hand, interrupting her.

"You don't need to answer me now. Go back and check. Once you find it, you can come back to me."

After saying that, he walked past Shen Ruoqiu and headed out of the alley.

After walking a few steps, he stopped again.

"By the way, you're pregnant, so don't wander around outside alone at night, it's not safe."

Shen Ruoqiu stood there, stunned, watching his figure disappear into the darkness.

The next morning, before Lu Chen even got out of bed, Liu Jie arrived.

"Brother Chen, someone from the Special Higher Police is here and wants you to go there right away."

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat, realizing that it was probably related to Sato Yosho.

After washing up, he got into Liu Jie's car and headed straight for the Japanese concession.

Upon arriving at the Special Higher Police Division, as soon as they entered, they saw that the corridor was in a mess, with several people running around.

Kuroda's office door was open, and voices could be heard coming from inside.

Lu Chen walked over and knocked on the door.

Kuroda looked up, saw him, and waved.

"Lu Chen, come in."

Lu Chen walked in and found Matsumoto Kiyoko there as well; neither of them looked too happy.

"What's wrong, Colonel?"

Kuroda sighed.

"Sato Yosho is dead."

Lu Chen looked shocked.

"Dead? How did he die?"

Kiyoko Matsumoto spoke coldly.

"Suicide. He shot himself in the head in his office."

Lu Chen opened his mouth, but it took him a while to speak.

"This...how could this be? Section Chief Sato, he..."

Kuroda waved his hand.

He left behind a suicide note, saying that he had misappropriated logistical supplies and felt ashamed before the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor, so he would atone for his sins with his death.

Lu Chen stood there blankly, but felt a sense of relief.

Kiyoko Matsumoto stared at him, her eyes sharp.

"Lu Chen, did you see him yesterday?"

Lu Chen nodded.

"Yes, Miss Kiyoko. Didn't you tell me to keep an eye on him? I went to his office yesterday afternoon to try and get some information out of him. He said he was under a lot of pressure and wanted to be alone, so I left. I didn't expect..."

Kuroda sighed, "It seems he had long ago resolved to die."

Kiyoko Matsumoto didn't say anything, but stared at Lu Chen for several seconds before looking away.

"Alright, you can go out now."

Lu Chen nodded and left the office.

He walked into the corridor and let out a long breath.

Kiyoko Matsumoto's eyes still betrayed her suspicion of him, but it didn't matter. Yosho Sato was dead, and there was no way to verify anything. He had a more important mission to do.

The position of head of the intelligence section is now vacant.