Chapter 071: Son-in-law and Father-in-law Finally Meet

After Sorge sat down, he raised his glass to Mio Fujiwara in a gesture, then tilted his head back and drained it.

"Respected Mr. Ramsay, there’s poison in that! You’re too hasty! I didn’t tell you to drink it! What now? Any last words, say them quickly!"

"I say, Old Chen—"

"Please call me Mr. Aoki."

"Alright, Mr. Aoki, what kind of trick are you up to this time? Is that the right word? The one you taught me last time."

"What trick? You came here just to question whether I’m up to something? Mio and I are enjoying the pastoral life out here, tranquil and peaceful, basking in the countryside—why would I bother with tricks? Isn’t that exhausting?"

"You mentioned last time, about the bond between us?"

"A bond." Mio Fujiwara laughed quietly from the side, happily watching their banter.

"Yes! A bond! Mio’s still the best!"

"Through this bond, I can sense it—you’ve set another grand scheme!"

"Respected Mr. Ramsay, it seems your mystical intuition has improved! You can already sense the power of the bond in reverse!"

"Enough! Enough! Let’s get to business, Old Chen! News from the Far East—large numbers of Japanese spies and agents are infiltrating the border through various channels, advancing along the railway line toward Moscow!"

Chen Jiehua pointed at Mio Fujiwara.

"Why are you pointing at Mio? Are you saying she set this up? I don’t believe it!"

"I mean, they’re all here for her. I forgot to tell you her true identity—she’s the eldest daughter of the Fujiwara family, Japanese imperial nobility. In your country’s ancient terms, she’s a princess, understand?"

"You think I’d believe that?"

"This time he’s telling the truth. I mean, my identity in Japan."

Sorge was a bit stunned, his mind spinning slowly. These two—one, a top agent of the Communist Special Branch, the other, an heiress from Japan’s most prominent family—opposing camps, weren’t they? Was this for real?

Yet Sorge’s intuition told him that the sudden activity of Japanese agents in the Far East was undoubtedly connected to these two!

"How about this? I personally lead a team and escort you both back home myself. I’ll take you right to the border—is that acceptable?"

"Why do you have to personally escort us home? Why do we need your escort to get back? We can return whenever we wish."

"Alright, Old Chen, you’d better go. With so many Japanese agents coming in, the Far Eastern Bureau can’t hold out. Get moving, take them back."

"Alright, for the sake of Mr. Ramsay, we’ll go. As for the battles initiated by your Far Eastern Bureau, I’m not responsible!"

The timing was right, and preparations were complete. In truth, even if Sorge hadn’t come, Chen Jiehua was ready to set out with Mio Fujiwara.

He sent Sorge off, then worked with Mio to erase all traces of their presence, before heading east, continuing their journey across Soviet Russia in a truck!

Following the railway line toward Moscow, they drew the Far Eastern Bureau’s agents onto the tracks as well. Along the whole route, sparks flew, lightning flashed—it was turning into a meat grinder for agents of both nations. Would he still use the railway? That would be sheer stupidity.

On June 10, twenty days after their departure, the two arrived at the Soviet border checkpoint.

That day, the Fourth Bureau of Soviet Russia received word: the laboratory in Warsaw, Poland, had confirmed that penicillin produced using the formula had lifesaving effects equal to the American penicillin found on the black market!

Almost simultaneously, the Soviet medical lab’s results arrived—the effects matched!

This meant the formula was sound! Though another result was still pending, it was almost certainly correct!

Suddenly, there were two new miracle drugs in the world, able to reduce the mortality rate of wounded soldiers by over 70%! For now, American supplies were hard to obtain, and the Weimar Republic’s were hard to seize, but the Second Republic of Poland was weak!

Radio waves flew worldwide; apart from Soviet agents, agents from every nation converged on Poland through every possible channel!

In Japan, the Imperial Headquarters also received the news—the formula acquired by Poland was genuine! That meant the formula carried by Mr. Aoki and Miss Mio was also real!

"The Kwantung Army has been inside for twenty-one days! Why haven’t you found them yet? Every day you report how many Soviet agents you’ve killed, how many of our own have died!"

"Did I send you to kill people? I sent you to retrieve Miss Mio! Retrieve Miss Mio! Where is she?"

Where was she? She had already entered Rehe!

On June 11, the second message flashed across the globe, confirming the efficacy of the new drug.

Warsaw, Poland, was a bustling hub of intelligence, almost a marketplace for secrets.

Meanwhile, the two, having nearly crossed the entire Soviet Union by truck, were utterly exhausted.

Mr. Aoki and Miss Mio Fujiwara, under the personal escort of Itagaki Seishiro, Chief of Section 1 at the Kwantung Army Command, arrived in Fengtian, where the Imperial Headquarters’ special plane was about to land.

Chen Jiehua, ever shrewd and thorough, had sent a telegram to Zhao Shiyu before crossing the border, instructing the Manchuria Party Committee and the guerrillas not to act rashly, and not to target the Kwantung Army’s welcome convoy. Otherwise, after all their efforts to return home, dying by friendly fire would be the ultimate tragedy.

"Teacher, you are truly too kind! To personally fetch your student, I am deeply moved! This gift—your generosity leaves me utterly humbled!"

At the airport, Itagaki Seishiro presented Mr. Aoki with a chest of gifts—loot gathered from the Northeast! Clearly, upon returning, Mr. Aoki wouldn’t just be the son-in-law of the Fujiwara Speaker; his feat of bringing back two miracle drug formulas would see his status in the Imperial Headquarters rocket skyward!

So, a teacher sending gifts to a student was hardly embarrassing at all—it was wise to maintain these bonds!

The special plane landed, refueled on site, and prepared to depart immediately. The expert team was already waiting at Tokyo Airport, so they had to board at once.

Mr. Aoki accepted the gifts, saluted Itagaki Seishiro in the Japanese military style, then hauled his luggage and accompanied Mio Fujiwara onto the plane.

At Tokyo Airport, a large force of military police had taken over, clearing all unrelated personnel from the site!

As the special plane carrying Mio Fujiwara and Mr. Aoki landed, the Emperor arrived with his consort, alongside Speaker Fujiwara, the Minister of the Army, and others—all to personally welcome them!

Mr. Aoki was the first to step off the plane, saluting the Emperor, then winking at the Empress, his cousin, before, guided by Mio Fujiwara, he hurried to Speaker Fujiwara, who was a few steps behind.

Without much ceremony, Mr. Aoki took four rolls of film from his pocket, solemnly presenting them to Speaker Fujiwara with both hands! Then, as agreed with Mio Fujiwara beforehand, he performed the Japanese noble son-in-law’s formal bow to his father-in-law.

Mr. Aoki’s meaning was clear: this is my gift to my father-in-law as a token of marriage! If you want it, ask him!

The Emperor and the Minister of the Army were dumbfounded—the Emperor thought, "You won’t give it to me, but to Speaker Fujiwara? Has my little cousin lost his mind?"