NIS Agents Tearing Up the Japanese Empire - Chapter 44



Only Krnovel

Payday – 3

Shanghai Bank.

The original name is Hong Kong Shanghai Something Bank, but for convenience, we will just call it Shanghai Bank.

This bank was founded by mad capitalists who enjoy pouring satanic powder down the throats of people of all ages, regardless of whether they are from the East or the West.

The purpose of establishing the bank was to make China into a large piggy bank and suck its money dry.

Well, there were probably other reasons, but at least for now, that’s it.

“Welcome. How may I help you?”

today.

I came to Shanghai Bank.

We didn’t come here to rob the bank right away… We visited to get a feel for the bank’s security level and overall floor plan before starting the actual work.

“Oh, I would like to process a loan related to the company’s funds… Where is the loan window?”

“For loan services, please use the window over there. If you wait a moment, a vacancy will open up soon.”

“Then let’s do that.”

A young businessman who is moderately arrogant but slightly timid.

That’s the concept for today.

‘There are five guards stationed in the main hall… No, six?’

I looked around and saw uniformed security guards standing guard here and there in the main hall.

Although they were not very numerous, each of them had a pistol on their waistband, and some even had submachine guns of unknown origin.

‘Unless we have the means to subdue six people at once, we’ll either have to give up on a frontal assault or increase the number of people working on it.’

As I passed through the main hall and headed to the trading window, there were other security guards standing guard in various places.

‘Even from the main hall to here, the number of security guards exceeds double digits?’

Even though Shanghai Bank is one of the largest banks in China, the number of security guards was unusually high.

Of course, it is understandable that everyone was prepared for this given the poor public security in China and the widespread availability of guns in the market, but this was just too much.

‘The back of my head feels a little sore.’

The stares from the white guards were harsh.

They didn’t show much suspicion to other white businessmen, but whenever an Asian came in, they looked at him like he was a potential criminal.

No, it wasn’t just a glance anymore.

“Let me just check your identity.”

“Yes? What confirmation?”

“Please take out your ID and belongings.”

“???”

I looked around to see if I had misunderstood someone, but there was no one around me.

As if to confirm that it was me and not them who had misunderstood, security guards came rushing out from somewhere and surrounded me.

‘What? Did I do something that could be misunderstood?’

I wondered if I had let my guard down since there was no real threat, like swimming in a kiddie pool.

I couldn’t help but think that way, because that was the only reason they could have caught me.

“Is there any problem···?”

“It’s just like a normal investigation. Please take out your ID.”

“No, but don’t you think I should explain it to you so you won’t follow it?”

“Take it out first. I’ll explain later.”

The other person’s reaction was unusual.

The guards maintained a polite demeanor on the surface, but underneath it all lay blatant contempt.

I remembered experiencing a similar situation a long time ago, in a foreign country, before I came to Gyeongseong.

‘Hey, look at these kids?’

I remember once visiting the United States to exchange information with the US intelligence agency, and being caught by the local sheriff.

At that time, the sheriff, who seemed like a rookie, detained me for two hours simply for speeding.

The funny thing is, I was driving in cruise mode.

Afterwards, the guy from that side came and took the idiot away and apologized, and that was the end of it.

Besides that, when I travel abroad, I see quite a few people who openly discriminate.

Even in the intelligence agencies of other countries with which we are cooperating, such people can be seen quite often, so that speaks for itself.

‘It’s been a while…’

Still, it’s been so long since I’ve seen such blatant racism that I can’t help but feel taken aback.

“Please take out your ID.”

“Heh heh···.”

I made eye contact with the security guard who was blatantly ignoring me.

There was a feeling of something that could be called his characteristically shallow self-esteem that made him look down on and ignore others, or maybe it was foolishness.

Others surrounding me were similar.

They fiddled with the club at their waists, as if they were planning to beat me up here if they had to.

‘That’s a good thing.’

But I wasn’t afraid of this situation at all.

I’ve seen these little guys set up countless times, and I’ve even had to fix them a few times.

Everyone there trusted only the numbers and came to my range without paying attention… If I exaggerate a little, it won’t even take a minute to break all these guys’ balls.

‘Where… Let’s see how many minutes the Shanghai Bank security team will arrive at the scene.’

I naturally pretended to take my wallet out of my inside pocket with my right hand and leaned forward slightly, twisting my foot.

Then, my body collided with the guard, and I managed to put my wallet from my pants pocket into the guard’s pocket with my left hand.

“Ako!”

“What are you doing?”

“Ouch···. Someone pushed me···.”

I looked around for security while holding onto my ankle.

But everyone just looks down at me and laughs at me.

There was no one to help me.

rather.

“Should we push? Sir, if you keep acting like this, we will have no choice but to use force.”

He even threatened me with a fierce expression.

“Yes, yes, I should give it to you… Yeah?”

I searched through my pockets for a wallet that wasn’t there.

But unless my wallet had legs in the guard’s pocket, it would never come out of my coat again.

“Hey, your wallet···?”

“Enough joking.”

“My wallet is gone!!!”

As I was feeling around and moving around, one of the guards watching me sighed.

“Whew… This is why I said that Chinki guys are no good. They think they fit in here just because they’re dressed up….”

“You have to know the topic.”

“Look here, you damn coolie. This is not a place for someone like you. Do you understand English?”

The guards now started mocking me and giggling among themselves.

I didn’t stay still, and pointed my finger at the guard at the front and questioned him.

“Ah, when we bumped into each other earlier! Didn’t you take my wallet then?!”

“Speak sense. Why would I take a wallet from a guy who smells like vomit even if I just sit still?”

“Haha… Even though John is a bit of a picky guy, he’s not the type to touch those little chinks’ wallets~”

“Then, what’s that bulging thing in your pants…? What’s that?!”

“Pants? What pants… Huh?”

The guard noticed that his own trouser pockets were bulging and put his hands in them.

And when I took out what was inside, sure enough, there was my wallet made of brown crocodile leather.

“That’s right! That’s right! What are these kids doing with my wallet right now!”

“Now, wait a minute. I swear this is the first time I’ve seen this…”

“Why is a wallet I’ve never seen before coming out of your pocket?”

Without hesitation, I slapped the guard holding my wallet in the face with all my might.

The guard, who was hit in the jaw without any defensive stance, lost his balance and fell to the ground, and the other guards reflexively pulled out their batons.

Then he spoke to me with a stern face.

“······If you cause a disturbance, we will have no choice but to use force.”

“Why do those thieves have such long tongues?”

I untied the tie that was hanging loosely, threw it on the floor, and grabbed the guy in front of me by the collar.

“You guys are the ones who made the mistake, so where are you threatening me?! Do you guys know who I am and do this?! Huh?!”

“Tsk.”

He grabbed the guard by the collar and shook him back and forth, shouting so that everyone could hear.

Then, people’s eyes turned to me, and the guards were flustered and couldn’t rush in.

“Huh? Why are you making that face? Who would click their tongue in front of an adult talking…”

“Teacher, you shouldn’t do this… Ugh!”

The security guard who grabbed me by the collar tried to calm me down, but then got hit in the jaw and bit off his tongue.

Blood flowed out of the opponent’s mouth as he bit his tongue properly, and the guard collapsed in pain.

He was writhing and bleeding on the floor, and some of the guards who saw the blood became excited and pulled out their pistols.

“Don’t move! If you move, I’ll shoot…”

“Shoot me, you little shit!”

I pretended to be excited and ran towards the guard with the pistol and grabbed his gun.

Then I put my finger on the trigger and pulled the trigger like it was a mistake.

-Tang tang tang!

A short gunshot rang out inside the previously quiet bank, sending bullets flying everywhere.

“Gyaaaah!”

“Eww!”

Those who were watching this lowered their posture and closed their eyes to avoid the blinding bullets.

The guard who grabbed my hand panicked and tried to shake me off, and the others also tried to get me off, but I didn’t care at all and pretended to wave my hand wildly while aiming for the alarm installed on the wall of the bank.

-Ding! Tirrrrrrrr!

The alarm that had been shot started banging its bell like crazy to signal an emergency, and soon the iron bars on all the windows in the bank automatically lowered.

And the other guards inside the bank were also startled and rushed out into the main hall.

’67… 68… 69…’

Even as the Shanghai Bank was thrown into chaos, I calmly counted the minutes until help arrived from outside.

And when the number passed 90.

Outside, the sharp sound of wheels skidding on rough ground was heard, and a troop of British marines in shabby uniforms stormed in.

“The Royal Marines!”

“Everyone stop moving!”

The situation was later ended by the British Royal Marines coming out and subduing the guards.

And it was only when the number passed 110 that the US Marines entered the bank, followed by the French Army.

And only when the number passed 150 did a small number of Japanese soldiers and Inspector Sasaki, looking flustered, enter the bank.

“No, Mr. Lee!”

“Open it, Inspector Sasaki.”

“What the heck is going on?!”

Inspector Sasaki ran straight towards me and looked around at me, who was tied up tightly with rope.

“What the hell is this? You clearly told me you were just going to look around the bank!”

“I was just taking a quick look around the bank’s security situation.”

“How on earth did you manage to look around like this···.”

“Shh, it’s annoying.”

“Ugh… What?”

I looked sullen again at the sight of the British police approaching from afar.

A British policeman with a warm-hearted expression approached the soldiers and me and smiled kindly.

“Haha, I was wondering who the person was that caused a ruckus at the Shanghai Bank… He was a taller man than I thought.”

“······It wasn’t me who started the ruckus, but those guys with noses over there?”

“Um… I heard the story. It seems like they were rude to the teacher….”

I seized the opportunity and immediately exploded with anger.

“It wasn’t just rudeness! They stole my wallet and then they just plain looked down on me and ignored me while asking for my ID!”

“Really? Who can prove that?”

“Ask the bank employees or customers. They will know because they have all been watching.”

“hmm···.”

The British investigator’s expression was distorted in a pleasing way.

He had already investigated other people, which is why he had that kind of expression.

‘I made such a big fuss, there’s no way anyone wouldn’t remember.’

There had been a few Japanese and Chinese people in the bank in addition to Westerners, so I could guess what they had said without even having to ask.

“Where in the world is there a case where the victim is held captive?!”

“Hmm… I heard that you, sir, also used violence against the guards and injured them. Violence may be common in China, but in this case, in our British Empire….”

“That’s because those damn guys tried to assault me ​​first, so I acted in self-defense!”

“······.”

“And, logically, you’re saying that fifteen men rushed at one man and beat him up? Isn’t that a more absurd testimony!”

“······Hmm.”

The British investigator’s face was distorted in a pleasing way.

When he became silent and at a loss for words, I poked Sasaki’s shin with the tip of my foot.

Then, Inspector Sasaki, who had been quietly listening from the side, also started making loud noises, as if a window air conditioner that had been sitting still in the middle of summer suddenly started to turn on.

“This teacher here is a citizen of our Empire of Japan and the president of the Keijo Machinery Factory. His status is confirmed by our Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai.”

I took up the baton from Sasaki and raised my voice again.

“I came to Shanghai to start a new business and came to the bank to inquire about a loan, but do I have to be treated like this?”

“Hmm···.”

“They say the British don’t know Asians better than dirt on their toenails, and it’s true!”

“No, teacher···. That’s not it···.”

“No way! Anyone can see that! As soon as I leave, I will contact the newspapers and presidents I know in Shanghai and inform the whole of Greater East Asia of the British atrocities! The British have been forcing opium down the throats of the people of Greater East Asia and now they are trying to extort money from us!”

Since the Opium Wars, the Chinese have harbored strong resentment toward the British who brought opium into their country and sold it there.

However, even so, since British products had excellent market competitiveness, they were purchased from them. However, with Japanese and American products gradually gaining market share in China, this bad news was not good for the British government.

But if I wanted to organize it in a place where they couldn’t see me, the Japanese Consulate General backed me up by vouching for my identity.

“······I will take responsibility and punish those involved.”

In this situation, all British investigators could do was bow their heads and promise to prevent a recurrence and punish those involved.

“Don’t forget to report to me through the consulate how things are going!”

“······yes.”

The matter was settled like that.

******

“Why did you do something like that?”

“Why? Honestly, you had fun too.”

“I don’t know what’s so funny about it. Honestly, when I first heard the news, I was so shocked that I thought my heart sank.”

“What a pity~”

“yes?!”

Inspector Sasaki, who had taken me out of that mess, released me in a dark alley as usual.

“Huh. So, did you get anything from the Shanghai Bank?”

“Security is better than I expected.”

“I told you that security was tight···.”

“Hearing and seeing are two different things, sir.”

In just two minutes, all the troops within the concession were assembled.

Considering the communication and traffic conditions at the time, this was an absurd speed.

‘That means something important is sleeping inside the bank.’

I was a little curious about what it was, but I turned my attention away since that wasn’t the goal of this work anyway.

What I wanted was the election funds for Cao Kun that Tian Zhongwei had collected, not information that would make one hostile to the Western powers just by looking at it.

But when that opportunity arises… I guess I can take a look once in a while.

“Are you giving up on this matter?”

“Huh? We haven’t even started yet, how can you give up…”

“Didn’t you say earlier that security was tight?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… What does tight security have to do with getting things done?”

“yes?”

The plan was already finalized in my head.

“Inspector Sasaki, please don’t worry about anything and just prepare a sturdy truck.”

“Why the truck···?”

“I have to move the money later.”

“???”

“And I’ll give you some work to do later.”

“Me, am I doing it too?”

“That’s true, but I won’t give you such a difficult task. And you won’t even go in there.”

Only then did Sasaki look relieved.

“Instead, you have to help me out from outside.”

“Outside···?”

“Yeah, I don’t think this will end in one day.”

“?!”