Chapter 204: Effect
Wang’s residence.
Wang and Minister Zhou walked into the room and saw a man in his fifties chatting with Chen Biqun on the sofa.
“Hey, Minyi, when did you arrive?”
“Hey, brother-in-law, I just got here not long ago, Minister Zhou.” The man stood up.
“Chu Minyi, hahahaha.” Minister Zhou smiled and went up to shake hands. “We last met in Nanjing, right? You just up and quit as Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan like that, what great resolve, haha.”
Chu Minyi smiled and shook hands with a sigh. “Yeah, in the blink of an eye it’s been over three years. Nanjing back then was still Chinese territory, now it’s all under the Japanese. Things have changed, people have moved on.”
“Why did you resign back then?”
“At that time, brother-in-law was in Nanjing and got injured in an assassination attempt by that assassination king Wang Yaqiao. He needed to recuperate, and he was going to recover, so as his doctor I had to go with him to take care of him if anything came up, so I quit.
Later, brother-in-law recovered well, but I got lazy about going back, so I came to Shanghai to teach medicine at a school, and I’ve been teaching up to now.”
Lazy about going back or having a falling out, those are two different things. Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan just up and quit like it was his own home, putting his own status above Wang’s house slave—you have no shame, but the Executive Yuan does, of course he couldn’t go back. Minister Zhou haha laughed.
“Look at my memory, I almost forgot you’re a French medical doctorate. Actually, teaching in Shanghai is pretty good too. Didn’t we teach at Guangdong University back in the day? Those days were really comfortable.”
He and Chu Minyi were both professors at Guangdong University in the 13th year of the Republic, but Chu Minyi was the dean of the medical school, he was a part-time professor of political courses. They didn’t even know each other, but they were at the same school, so they could claim some connection.
“Sit down and talk, why stand?” Chen Biqun smiled and called out, asking: “You went to inspect today, how was the situation?”
Wang felt good, sat down, tugged at his tie, crossed his legs and said: “The people in Shanghai all give me a pretty good impression. Whether it’s the city government people or the agent headquarters people, they have no objections to peaceful nation building.”
Wang told the think tank at home about today’s observations and asked: “What did you end up telling that Fu Xiao’an about his demands?”
“He wants the appointment power for police chief.” Minister Zhou explained the negotiation.
“You agreed?” Chen Biqun asked.
“Not yet, but I think this police station can only be given to him.”
“Why give it to him? I think there’s no need at all.” Chen Biqun frowned and said, “Fu Xiao’an is connected to the Nanjing Expeditionary Army. It’s fine not to touch his mayor position, but the other conditions shouldn’t be met, and there’s no need to meet them.
We negotiated with the Japanese to establish the new regime, and the Japanese agreed. Even without this police station, what can Fu Xiao’an do? Quit being mayor?
But if we lose this police chief, we’ll have big problems in Shanghai later.
You’ve already promised him to limit the agent headquarters’ scope of power, so in the future, whether ordinary cases in Shanghai are investigated or not will all fall on the police station. He won’t rebel, but isn’t his plan just to grasp all of Shanghai’s power in his hands?
How are we supposed to act in Shanghai later?”
Minister Zhou said calmly: “Isn’t there still Gu Yansheng’s Ministry of Justice? In the future, the appointment power for Shanghai’s judicial department will be with the Ministry of Justice in Nanjing. Gu Yansheng will definitely hold the judicial department in his own hands. With him supervising, even if Fu Xiao’an takes the police station, he can’t cover the sky in Shanghai with one hand. What’s there to worry about?”
Chen Biqun was dissatisfied. “Whether the Ministry of Justice is given to Gu Yansheng is not even settled yet. How can you draw this conclusion on an unsettled matter?”
“If not to Gu Yansheng, then to whom?”
“To Li Shengwu. He came over with us, a Japanese-studied law doctorate. The Japanese will have a good impression of him too. You don’t give the Ministry of Justice to him, but give it to someone you barely know? Is that appropriate? This is the Ministry of Justice, not a grocery store.”
After Chen Biqun finished, she looked at Wang Ni. “Don’t you think that’s reasonable? We don’t even know what kind of person Gu Yansheng is.”
“I think Gu Yansheng is actually quite spirited.” Wang Ni recalled the image of Gu Yansheng in his mind, dealing a critical hit to his wife, and said with great interest, “Today I also took a look at the industry Gu Yansheng developed in West Shanghai.”
Chen Biqun got angry listening and directly interrupted: “This isn’t the time to discuss that. I’m just asking you, if you give the Ministry of Justice to Gu Yansheng, what do you do with Li Shengwu? The old-timer who came with us, you’re just going to make him work under Gu Yansheng?
The people who came with us, if they find out about this, what will they think?
The people who might come over later, if they find out, will they still come?
At the initial stage of creating the new government, we need talent. You have to give others a promising future, right?
Gu Yansheng may be talented, but no need to promote him straight to minister, right? Deputy minister okay?”
As soon as she said this, Wang also frowned and hesitated: “If you put it that way, you have a point. The deputy minister position isn’t low either. He’s still young, he can succeed Li Shengwu later. Right?”
Wang looked at Minister Zhou.
Minister Zhou remained calm. “Since we’ve brought it up, let’s make it clear. Anyway, today’s purpose is also to confirm the preparatory committee list. It’s called the preparatory committee, but these people are actually the backbone of the new government later.
For the personnel we currently control, not counting those coming later, right now, besides us, among the Shanghai people, Fu Xiao’an must be counted. He’s the mayor.
Why am I giving him the police station?
You just said it’s fine not to give it to him, yes it is. If you don’t give it, he really won’t resign.
But will he cause us trouble?
We’re doing preparatory work in Shanghai: just the propaganda we need to do—putting up banners, contacting the concession, organizing various activities, etc.—a whole pile of things. If you don’t give him the police station, he’ll use the police station to make trouble for you right now. What do you do?
Future appointments are future matters, but don’t forget, we haven’t been established yet. We’re not his superior now, we can’t appoint this police chief.
What do you do? Confront him? Won’t that create huge obstacles for our work?
You go complain to the Japanese, just fighting this lawsuit will take who knows how long!”
Chen Biqun thought and said: “Then why don’t we tell the Japanese now to replace this police chief? The reason is we need cooperation for our activities in Shanghai, to protect our safety. I think the Japanese will agree.”
“No need for that.” Minister Zhou shook his head with a sneer. “Why must we confront Fu Xiao’an? He wants it, give it to him. So what?
Once our new government is established, we won’t need Fu Xiao’an anymore. Then we can free up hands to handle this later, okay?
Cut off the funding, in the end, are we afraid of Fu Xiao’an, or is Fu Xiao’an afraid of us?
If you don’t confront him, won’t he have to wholeheartedly help us with propaganda now? Why not?”
On the right thing, Chen Biqun didn’t insist, nodded slightly. “Then give it to him, do as you say. But if so, there’s even less reason to give the Minister of Justice position to Gu Yansheng.”
“No, the Minister of Justice position must go to Gu Yansheng.” Minister Zhou waved his hand, about to continue, but was interrupted by Chen Biqun.
Chen Biqun was somewhat frustrated, slapped the small coffee table nearby and said loudly: “Why are you fixated on Gu Yansheng? What do you do with Li Shengwu? What do you make others think?”
Minister Zhou’s voice also rose. “Think whatever they want. Li Shengwu can be arranged anywhere, but when arranging positions, the first priority is ability, right?
You discard Gu Yansheng with so many connections in Shanghai, for a Li Shengwu, just because he’s your person, you have to promote him?”
“Who is my person? These are people who follow Mr. Wang! If you don’t arrange him, you have to arrange an outsider?”
“What’s wrong with an outsider? Are you here to establish a new government or to form cliques? The new government all relatives and friends? Still doing peaceful nation building?
Even Old Jiang uses people, when it’s time doesn’t he do Kuomintang-Communist cooperation? The people at No. 50 Zengjiayan hang around under his nose every day, what does he say?
What stage are we at now? Can we succeed just with relatives and friends?”
“Then what do you do with Li Shengwu? How do you explain?!” Chen Biqun demanded.
Seeing the argument getting louder, Wang Ni came out to smooth things over, raised his hand and pressed down: “Okay okay, talk business, keep your tempers in check. You both have your reasons. If it really doesn’t work, we can discuss this position later.”
“No, the minister position must go to Li Shengwu.” Chen Biqun wouldn’t yield an inch.
Minister Zhou took a deep breath. “Fine, do as you say, minister to Li Shengwu. Then let me ask you, have you thought about what the situation in Shanghai will become?
If you don’t give this minister to Gu Yansheng, who in the city government will check Fu Xiao’an?”
Chen Biqun said strangely: “What does it have to do with checking Fu Xiao’an?”
“It has a huge relation!
The current situation inside the SH city government is actually very clear: Fu Xiao’an on one side, Ling Xianwen on one side, Gu Yansheng on one side. Among the external directors, except Lu Ying of the police station who’s somewhat useful, the rest are all mediocrities.
You can see from what Fu Xiao’an wants: he can give up all personnel power, but only wants this police chief. He just wants to pull Lu Ying into his camp.
If you don’t use Gu Yansheng, the situation you’ll face won’t be just Fu Xiao’an alone, but the entire city government uniting against you. Fu Xiao’an plus Gu Yansheng, police station plus judicial department, all of Shanghai out of control—that’s the key point!”
“With the Ministry of Justice in Li Shengwu’s hands, we can still supervise Fu Xiao’an.”
“Let me tell you, impossible!” Minister Zhou was absolutely certain. “Gu Yansheng absolutely won’t obey Li Shengwu’s orders. If Gu Yansheng is minister, Shanghai’s judicial department is the Ministry of Justice’s. If Gu Yansheng isn’t minister, the Ministry of Justice won’t even have a chance to touch Shanghai’s judicial system.”
“If he dares defy orders, transfer him away.”
“He has the consulate behind him, Hase Jinagawa is watching. Where do you transfer him? No promotion, can you demote him?”
“Promote him, make him deputy minister in the Ministry of Justice. Not not giving him anything, just not giving him minister.”
“If he’s deputy minister, Shanghai still listens to him, not to Li Shengwu? He’s minister, Shanghai listens to him; he’s deputy, Shanghai still listens to him. Aren’t you deliberately screwing over Li Shengwu?
With Shanghai not in Li Shengwu’s hands, do you think he can really sit steady and happy in that minister position?”
“Does Shanghai have to be him?”
Chen Biqun’s temper flared, her voice rose again. “Transfer him to Nanjing as deputy minister. If he doesn’t obey, replace everyone up and down in Shanghai’s judicial department, wash away all his forces, done?”
“You’re joking!”
Minister Zhou widened his eyes. “What do you take Gu Yansheng for, that he’ll let you wash his people?
I won’t even mention if Hase Jinagawa will intervene, just you washing Gu Yansheng’s people—have you thought Fu Xiao’an might intervene too?
And is Gu Yansheng’s value only in judiciary? Didn’t you see the industry in West Shanghai? I saw it, Mr. Wang saw it too.
And I haven’t even mentioned his other connections in Shanghai. Did you forget, the Anti-Drug General Bureau is now under him, and the drug taxation power is factually in his hands too?
Just handling these drugs, you should know he at least knows a heavyweight in the Green Gang.
What kind of place is Shanghai? Demons and ghosts gathered. Make him minister, can the Green Gang people be used by us too?
Isn’t that a huge help for political stability? Have you thought of that?”
Chen Biqun sighed, rested her elbow on the coffee table and held her forehead, brows tightly furrowed.
Wang said: “So, Gu Yansheng’s abilities are indeed not to be underestimated.”
“Of course.” Minister Zhou affirmed: “If it was just a judicial division chief, why would I pick him? Selecting him is from multiple angles. He can achieve effects Luo Junqiang can’t.”
Wang looked at Chu Minyi. “Minyi, in these years in Shanghai, have you heard of Gu Yansheng? Know him at all?”
Chu Minyi recalled and thought: “I don’t know much about him, but I’ve heard his name. Wasn’t I the director of the medical department at the Sino-French Technical School in the French Concession? He handled a lawsuit for the French Consulate back then, it was quite sensational. French teachers at the school talked about it, newspapers reported it too.”
“Did he win?” Wang was interested.
“He won. Who remembers the loser.” Chu Minyi smiled and recounted the events.
Wang nodded and looked at Chen Biqun. “How about using this person? His abilities sound fine, strengths in all aspects.”
Chen Biqun was troubled: “Why don’t you understand what I mean? Using capable people is fine, but no need to give him the minister position. If you give it to him, how does Li Shengwu handle it?
You do merit-based promotion in Chongqing, fine, but you have a stable regime there, right?
How do we do it here? The stage isn’t even set up, and you’re tearing it down.
He’s followed us for seven years and still like this, won’t lesser capable people get restless?
Hearts will scatter.”
“This problem indeed can’t be ignored.” Wang thought and said: “How about another minister position to Li Shengwu? What else is he good at? Diplomacy? Wasn’t he an advisor in the Foreign Ministry before?”
“How give him diplomacy? He was a director in there before, handling general affairs. Give him diplomacy, won’t work become a joke?
And if you give it to him, what about Gao Zhongwu?
Gao Zhongwu was previously Director of Asian Affairs in diplomacy, a real powerhouse. Now he’s handling negotiations full-time with Mei Siping. Once successful, such big merit—do we just give him deputy minister, let Li Shengwu’s general affairs top him?”
“General affairs as minister is actually pretty good, but such big merit only deputy seems hard to justify.”
Ouch, Wang Wang had a headache, frowned: “Then it’s not easy to arrange. What else can he do?”
“He was also chief writer for the Central Daily.” Chen Biqun reminded.
“Right right right.” Wang slapped the sofa armrest. “Remembered. Outer aggression must first pacify interior—he helped Old Jiang propagandize this policy, wrote articles, even got Old Jiang’s appreciation.
His writing is good, propaganda expert. Sigh, Fohai, aren’t the president and editor-in-chief positions at China Daily still vacant?”
He remembered Gu Yansheng mentioning this when inspecting China Daily that afternoon.
Minister Zhou smiled lightly. “He’d be willing to be just an editor-in-chief?”
“Of course not.” Chen Biqun said: “Either make him president first, take charge of propaganda. Propaganda is top priority now, with him it’s reassuring. Later, promote him to propaganda minister.”
“Deputy?”
“Minister.”
Heh, Minister Zhou sneered inwardly. No wonder Chen Biqun kept insisting, planning this and that for Li Shengwu—she’s eyeing his propaganda department, wants to stretch her hand in.
“If he’s minister, then what about Tao Xisheng who came with us?
Li Shengwu at most was chief writer, still far from president, not even proficient in newspaper business, just familiar.
But Tao Xisheng was deputy in propaganda in Chongqing, knows all propaganda work like the back of his hand. No matter what strategy Chongqing comes up with later, he can think of countermeasures, even reverse-engineer who on the other side proposed it!
Propaganda is important, that’s why this position must go to him.”
“This won’t work, that won’t work, this is important, that is too, anyone Minister Zhou uses is important. So tell me, isn’t Li Shengwu important? Where do you put Li Shengwu?”
Chen Biqun was unhappy, her voice rose again.
Minister Zhou displeased: “What do you mean anyone I use is important? You think I’m forming cliques?
This is establishing a new regime!
This is for the great cause of peaceful nation building!
This is the arduous revolution to save 400 million compatriots!
Of course I carefully select people for every position, the best of the best. The people we use are of course all important! Irreplaceable!
Otherwise, wouldn’t we betray our own ideals?
Still cliques—look at the people I selected: Li Shiqun, Ding Mocun, Gu Yansheng. Promoting them to ministers is all considered: both their abilities and their connections and background with the Japanese.
I didn’t know these people at first, right? Except Ding Mocun whom I met twice before. I’ve met many, who remembers a small figure like him.
Look at Luo Junqiang, truly always with me, knows the roots, safe and reliable—did I arrange him as minister? Did I say one word for him?
Capable is capable, incapable is incapable. This is revolution! Not entertaining guests!
Arrange all seven aunts and eight uncles, all wanting the best dishes. How many bites of meat on one table? Impossible for everyone to get a share?”
Chu Minyi listened with a wooden expression. You two talk, why drag him in? Is this Zhou fellow cursing him?
