Chapter Nine, Unknown (Part One)

Li Yunfan nodded: "I understand General Sanzai's intention; you hope that the new department will operate as soon as possible and begin investigating these unknown events"

Miyake Kyouji nodded and said: "Then, for the Greater Japanese Empire, for Manchukuo, for the East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, are you willing to take the risk?"

Guan Beihe immediately stepped forward and said: "Director Park."

Honjo Nobuyoshi nodded and said, "You may leave."

Upon exiting the conference room, Park Byeong-jeong immediately saw Kwan Bei-he, Li Yun-fan, and Qian Si-nian standing outside the door

"Snake?" Li Yunfan was quite surprised, but at that moment he also saw the photos of the snakes in the file. "Snakes should have already gone into hibernation by this season, how could there be any?"

What exactly do the Japanese want to do with secret searches?

It was entirely within Park Byung-jung's expectations that Kyōji Miyake would arrange for an assistant for himself, but he never anticipated that the selection would come from the Security Bureau, as the so-called assistant, to put it bluntly, was merely someone sent to monitor him

Miyake Kyoji was very satisfied with Li Yunfan's answer, nodding as he continued: "You come from a family of martial artists, your family is well-off, and you are also involved in the antique business. I have heard that your father was a well-known explorer in the Manchukuo era."

This type of snake is locally referred to as the black worm. Experts from the Empire consider it a rare species of snake, and it is quite uncommon even in Manchukuo. Honjo Nobuyoshi looked at the file in Li Yunfan's hand and remarked, Even the locals of Harbin Special City have never seen so many black worms appearing at the same time

Miyake Kyoji said: "Yes, his father was a remarkable person from Manchukuo, and he knew quite a few individuals like him, and these people are the important force that constitutes the new department"

Nobuyoshi Honjo looked at Li Yunfan and said, "A few days ago, the Harbin Special Municipal Police Department received a report stating that a snake had been found in an izakaya in the old expatriate district."

Park Byung-jung understood that the reason why Miyake Kyoji arranged things this way was due to concerns that if the military were to investigate and find that the department was entirely composed of Japanese, Miyake Kyoji would then be suspected of treason. However, if it appeared to be led by Manchukuo and there were no Japanese within the department, it would not provide the military with any grounds for suspicion.

Honjo Nobuyoshi said: "Yes, we have dispatched five batches of elite soldiers to explore the cave, but they have all gone without return. Even the ropes tied to them have been severed. Judging from the frayed ends of the ropes, it appears to have been torn by some kind of beast"

Miyake Kyouji said: "Let him in first, and then you will know."

Miyake Kyouji simply stated: "I have already mentioned that the responsibilities of the Secret Investigation Division include investigating all mysterious events within the borders of Manchukuo. We are also preparing to appoint your father as a special advisor to the Secret Investigation Division"

Guan Beihe was taken aback: "Ah? What does it mean?"

Honjo Nobuyoshi said: "We spent a lot of time cleaning the snakes out of the izakaya. These snakes are completely black and often appear in the summer. The locals in Manchukuo refer to them as 'black insects', but they do not actively attack people."

Li Yunfan nodded silently

After Li Yunfan opened the door and left, Honjo Nobuyoshi looked at Miyazaki Kyoji and said, "General, your true objective is his father"

Miyake Kyouji chuckled coldly: "I have long made arrangements; Qian Sinian is our informant."

Miyake Kyouji coldly said: "Watch your words, they are not Chinese, they are people of Manchukuo"

Miyake Kyouji said: "Indeed, that is correct. Currently, the new department consists only of Section Chief Park, you, and Qian Sianian. As for the other personnel, you may conduct the selection and recruitment, but it must be approved by both me and Major Honjo."

Miyake Kyouji nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, you may go down first and await orders"

Honjo Nobuyoshi asked again: "Then what about Li Yunfan?"

Miyake Kyōji said: "Mysterious events, things that cannot be explained, and so on"

Li Yunfan said: "Yes, but I do not understand what the secret search class is for"

Park Byung-jung stood at attention and bowed, then opened the door and left

Miyake Kyoji nodded and looked directly at Li Yunfan: "So, Section Chief Li, are you interested in those peculiar events and objects?"

As he reached the corner, Li Yunfan paused slightly and looked towards the direction of the conference room

Li Yunfan took his seat, sitting up straight

Li Yunfan was puzzled: "This ... ... "

Outside the conference room, while Guan Beihe and Qian Sinian were asking Li Yunfan various questions, the door opened again, and Honjo Nobuyoshi stood there: "Director Qian, General Miyazaki requests your presence. Director Guan, you have no further business here, you may leave now"

Li Yunfan looked at the file: "The file states that the snake emerged from the kitchen of the izakaya, and after digging through the kitchen counter, a foul-smelling cave was discovered beneath it"

Guan Beihe Dao: "It was transferred from the Governor-General's Office of Korea, and currently there is no specific position held, only a title as the Director of the General Affairs Office of the Security Bureau."

Honjo Nobuyoshi said: "Your salary will be raised by one level, while your authority remains unchanged, and you will continue to enjoy the previous benefits"

Miyake Kyouji nodded to Honjo Nobuyoshi, who handed another file to Li Yunfan: "Section Chief Li, please take a seat and review this file."

Li Yunfan took the document with both hands and sat down to examine it carefully

Honjo Nobuyoshi asked: "Screening action?"

I invited them for the same reason that you were appointed as the section chief," explained Miyake Kyouji. "It is to eliminate external suspicions regarding the new department; we cannot allow the military to misunderstand us.

Honjo Nobuyoshi did not explain anything; he simply let Qian Si Nian into the conference room and then shut the door firmly.

At this moment, Miyake Kyoji glanced at Honjo Nobuyoshi, who also roughly understood the reason for choosing Li Yunfan, not only because he was outstanding, but also due to his family background

Guan Beihe looked at the tightly closed door, then turned to Li Yunfan: "This ... ... "

Nobuyoshi Honjo continued, "The temperature in the cave is nearly twenty degrees higher than outside, which is quite strange, as we have investigated that in Harbin, the permafrost layer can reach a depth of twenty centimeters underground during winter. Even if we were to dig deeper, the temperature in the cave would still be far from sufficient to allow snakes to awaken during winter."

Li Yunfan stood at attention and said: "Yes!"

Honjo Nobuyoshi's doubt: "Isn't he also a Manchukuo person?"

Li Yunfan hesitated for a moment and retorted, "I wonder what the strange and peculiar things General Miyake is referring to?"

In the conference room, Nobuyoshi Honjo was reviewing the files: "General, although Park Byung-chul is useful to us, we cannot fully trust him. We must place our own people in the Secret Search Division."

Park Byung-jung immediately apologized: "I am sorry"

Park Byung-jung said little, merely nodding his head before turning and leaving

Li Yunfan immediately walked into the conference room, and the door closed again. Outside, Guan Beihe and Qian Sinian were left in the dark about what was happening, so they could only stand there and continue waiting

Li Yunfan said: "General Sanzai has overpraised me!"

Once Park Byung-jung walked away, Guan Bei-he whispered, "What is a Korean so proud of? He really thinks of himself as a Japanese."

Li Yunfan and Qian Snian exchanged a glance, one shrugged while the other pouted

Park Byung-jung was well aware that he was merely a pawn in the game of Kyōji Miyazaki

Li Yunfan said: "General, forgive my boldness, I am a Manchukuo citizen"

Miyake Kyouji further stated: "The German side has already organized similar departments, with funding and personnel far more abundant than ours. Moreover, it is said that they have achieved considerable success. Although we are allies, Germany is unwilling to share the results they have obtained in this regard."

Li Yunfan said: "I do not understand what the so-called mysterious events refer to"

No, he is actually a North Korean just like Park Byung-jung, currently serving as the head of the Eighth Division of the Security Bureau's Secret Warfare Section, having been secretly transferred from the Foreign Affairs Office of the General Directorate of the Korean Governor-General's Office by the Ministry of Internal Affairs many years ago. Miyake Kyoji said to Honjo Nobuyoshi, "In Manchuria, very few people know his identity, which is why I want to assign him to the Secret Investigation Section. Moreover, he is indeed an excellent agent; during his time at the Korean Governor-General's Office, he infiltrated the Korean Independence Corps, demonstrating great loyalty and extensive experience in infiltration and surveillance."

Miyake Kyouji said coldly: "Therefore, I arranged for them to recruit members and then conduct a practical selection operation. Once the selection is complete, only those who remain can become official members of the Secret Search Division"

Li Yunfan shifted his gaze away from the file and looked up at Miyake Kyoji, saying: "In other words, we still do not know what is inside the cave"

Miyake Kyouji pointed to the file he had previously shown to Li Yunfan and said, "This is it"

Nobuyoshi Honjo nodded, stood up to open the door of the conference room, and said to the three people standing outside: "Chief Li Yunfan, please come in"

Li Yunfan looked at the record on the file: "Has someone from the military department already gone down?"

Miyake Kyoji then asked Li Yunfan another question: "Director Li, throughout history, there has been a belief that the ancients thought there was not just one world existing on the land we live on."

Li Yunfan's heart skipped a beat, unsure of what Miyake Kyoji meant, but he still immediately stood up and said: "I am willing!"

Li Yunfan entered the conference room, stood at attention, and bowed, saying: "General Miyazaki, Colonel Honjo"

Li Yunfan merely smiled wryly and said, "Director, let's go. I will treat you to a drink"

Honjo Nobuyoshi nodded and said, "I understand. Once they recruit members, I will immediately begin making arrangements"

You were born into a traditional Chinese family..." Miyazaki Kyoji deliberately said this, and as he expected, halfway through his words, Li Yunfan immediately interrupted him.

Miyake Kyouji opened his file: "I have already reviewed your file, and it is very impressive"

Park Byung-jung asked: "Are they all Chinese?"

Park Byung-jung nodded and said, "I understand."

Guan Beihe called the two of them aside: "What do you know? This Park Byeong-jeong is a favored person in front of General Miyake and Colonel Honjo. Although he is said to be at the same level as you, in reality, his power is greater than mine. To put it bluntly, he is sent by the Japanese to monitor us."

Li Yunfan replied: "I cannot say I am an explorer; it is just that my father cannot stay idle and has a fondness for peculiar things and objects"

Qian Snian said from the side: "The Director of the General Affairs Office? That is equivalent to our level, why are you being so deferential to him?"

Miyake Kyouji raised his hand and said: "Please take a seat"

Miyake Kyouji finally got to the point: "Starting tomorrow, you will no longer serve as the head of the Security Bureau's Investigation Division. You will be transferred to the Secret Search Section, becoming Assistant to Section Chief Park Byung-jeong."

Nobuyoshi Honjo is still very concerned: "However, if this is the case, the secret investigation department will become a mixed bag, making it difficult to manage"

Li Yunfan replied: "General, everyone has a sense of curiosity, but curiosity also represents danger"

Guan Beihe left with Li Yunfan, muttering and cursing under his breath

Li Yunfan asked, "Director, who was that Director Park just now?"

Honjo Nobuyoshi asked: "Do you have any questions?"