Chapter 196: Corruption
“Welcome, welcome.”
The first man and woman to disembark from the ship had an impressive air, smiling and waving to the crowd. Needless to say, Wang Ni and his wife, Chen Biqun.
Everyone clapped and welcomed under the lead of the Japanese.
Gendarmerie Commander Miura Jiro, Director Kagesa Sadaki of the Sino-Japanese Special Affairs Committee, and Tsuda Shizue of the Greater East Asia Ministry all went up to greet them, along with some Japanese high officials whom Gu Yansheng had not seen, possibly from Nanjing.
In terms of rank, it would not be excessive even if all the Japanese Army high-level officials from all of Shanghai and all of Nanjing came to welcome them.
No matter what, Wang Ni was after all the vice chairman of a country. The Japanese valued status and hierarchy, and they had given full face.
Immediately following were Minister Zhou and these Wang Faction personnel, surrounding Wang Ni, chatting with everyone and offering cordial consolation to the local bureaucrats, namely the two representatives Gu Yansheng and Fu Xiao’an.
When introducing Gu Yansheng, Minister Zhou said to Wang Ni, “This is the Director Gu of the city government whom I mentioned to you, who raised 500,000 in military provisions for us, putting in considerable effort.”
“Oh?” Wang Ni had evidently heard Minister Zhou’s introduction before, and upon hearing this, he reached out to shake hands with Gu Yansheng, saying amiably: “Shanghai’s compatriots have truly worked hard. Thank you very much.”
Gu Yansheng, neither humble nor arrogant, made up a story, “Mr. Wang’s great cause of peaceful nation building is a good thing that benefits the country and the people, planning for the nation and scheming for the millions of people under heaven. You are the one who has worked hard. What I did is just a duty-bound matter. How can it be called hard work?”
Wang Ni was pleased to hear this and waved his hand: “You’ve worked hard.”
Gu Yansheng nodded.
After going through the process, the major matters still needed to be discussed at the venue, so they got in the car and left.
This group of people who defected from Chongqing were all planned and premeditated defections, so they brought all their family members. Now they were all big families, with many children, making the scene very lively.
Hase Jinagawa instructed, “You just accompany them well. In the future, you’ll have plenty of time to contact them. Taking advantage of their just arriving, they will inevitably need help in life and work. You can get to know each individual.”
Since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had selected Gu Yansheng as the main infiltrator into the Wang Government, Hase Jinagawa placed his hopes on Gu Yansheng. Otherwise, for such reception matters, Ling Xianwen was much more experienced. This was also why he called Gu Yansheng to come.
Gu Yansheng echoed that he understood.
“Then I’ll go first.”
“Mm.”
Gu Yansheng quickened his steps to catch up with Minister Zhou and said to him, “Minister, you must stay here for an extra minute.”
“What’s wrong?” Minister Zhou was curious.
Gu Yansheng turned his head and pointed at those reporters, smiling, “Your China Daily reporter group, I pulled them over today to make an appearance. It’s their first time on the field, so there are bound to be inadequacies. Correct if there are, encourage if there aren’t. Shouldn’t you offer a few words of consolation for good luck?”
Minister Zhou then noticed these reporters. He had thought they were sent by the Japanese, but unexpectedly they were his own people, so he immediately became interested and sized them up.
“The newspaper company has been fully established?”
“It’s completed. Except for the positions of president and editor-in-chief waiting for your personal decision, all other personnel and equipment are fully in place.”
“Good, very good.”
With his experience as propaganda minister, he naturally had high standards for ordinary reporters, but for a newspaper company just established not long ago, seeing this scale and professionalism was sufficient to satisfy him.
“You’ve worked hard.” Minister Zhou stepped forward and offered a few words of consolation to the reporters.
Then, under the reporters’ urging, he made some remarks about his aspirations for peaceful nation building.
“Not bad. Later, give them a bonus.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s go, first to eat. Although the Japanese Navy’s cuisine has many varieties, there are no spicy dishes. After drifting at sea for so many days, I’m really missing Hunan cuisine.”
“Hahahaha, after you, Minister.”
Hunan cuisine was definitely not available to eat.
At a banquet hosted by the Japanese, where would Hunan cuisine come from.
Hongkou was now under martial law, and the cars following the Japanese convoy arrived at the Naval Club.
The venue here was large, with plenty of ingredients, speech equipment, and safety, meeting the demands of Wang Ni and the Japanese for talks.
“.We, upholding the legacy of Mr. Sun Yat-sen’s Greater Asianism, save the 400 million masses with the way of peace. Today’s meeting is truly the beginning of China and Japan joining hands to build a new order in East Asia. Sino-Japanese amity should be like brothers hand in hand, breaking the shackles of Britain and America, and opening a new era of coexistence and co-prosperity!”
Wang Ni delivered an impassioned speech on the podium, and the people below applauded enthusiastically.
After finishing his speech, he was surrounded by several Japanese high-level officials, discussing matters about Chongqing.
Gu Yansheng and Fu Xiao’an, as hosts, received the people from Hanoi, chatting about all sorts of topics from heaven to earth, keeping the atmosphere from going cold and ensuring others did not feel neglected, which also served as getting acquainted.
After busying for a while, they found a moment to sit down with Fu Xiao’an to slack off, drinking cola and discussing the positions in Chongqing of these newly arrived people.
While talking, Minister Zhou walked over smiling with a wine glass in hand, and seeing the two drinking cola, he smiled.
“You’ve both worked hard.”
“It’s our duty.” Gu Yansheng and Fu Xiao’an both switched to red wine glasses, stood up to clink glasses with Minister Zhou, pretended to put the glasses to their lips, at most wetting their lips, drank not a drop of wine, and put the glasses down.
Minister Zhou did not notice and just smiled curiously, “Do you two like drinking cola?”
“Not really, mainly we two have psychological shadows.” Gu Yansheng briefly recounted the last arsenic grand prize incident and concluded, “So we rarely drink alcohol outside, especially wine related to banquets hosted by the Japanese. We’re really a bit afraid.”
“Is it that serious?” Minister Zhou glanced at the wine glass in his hand and still had the mood to joke, “The Japanese should have strictly kept confidentiality on our whereabouts. How would the Military Statistics Bureau know we’ve just arrived in Shanghai? Moreover, after the incident, the Japanese must have strictly controlled security here.”
Strictly confidential? Is it that secretive? Fu Xiao’an had specifically mentioned at the meeting that the people from Hanoi were arriving soon. Now probably even the city government’s dogs knew you had come to Shanghai.
Gu Yansheng and Fu Xiao’an exchanged a glance and chuckled, “After encountering too many assassinations, we have to be careful and prudent. Minister, the situation in Shanghai is indeed somewhat complex. The Military Statistics Bureau has carried out too many assassinations in Shanghai.”
Fu Xiao’an also nodded, “I’m getting old. If there’s another arsenic incident, I’m afraid I won’t survive it, so Minister Zhou, please forgive us.”
“You two, no need to be so cautious.” Minister Zhou chuckled and beckoned to the waiter, “Get me a bottle of cola. I haven’t had cola in a while either. Seeing you drink it, I kind of miss the taste.”
After all, they had rushed to Shanghai precisely because of the Military Statistics Bureau’s assassination in Hanoi.
“Hahahaha.” Gu Yansheng and Fu Xiao’an chuckled lightly.
Minister Zhou took the cola from the waiter, his smile slightly converging, “He Xingjian had only been in Shanghai a short time before he died under the protection of Agent Headquarters. That the Military Statistics Bureau’s actions in Shanghai could be so rampant means Agent Headquarters bears responsibility.”
Since Minister Zhou said this, Fu Xiao’an took the opportunity to bite, “Not putting their minds on the right path, the grand Agent Headquarters not thinking of arresting spies and bandits, but single-mindedly helping the Judicial Department catch corruption. How could the Military Statistics Bureau not be rampant in Shanghai?”
Hearing it related to the Judicial Department, Minister Zhou turned to glance at Gu Yansheng, his eyes inquiring, then looked back at Fu Xiao’an, “What corruption matter is Mayor Fu talking about?”
Fu Xiao’an recounted the matter, “Arresting people right into the city government, what does catching corruption have to do with Agent Headquarters? Beating a division chief to death, is this for finding clues on agents or for house searches to make a fortune? Minister Zhou, what do you say these people are doing?”
Minister Zhou nodded slightly with furrowed brows, without expressing an opinion, and looked at Gu Yansheng, “What do you think of this matter?”
Gu Yansheng said: “This matter is definitely Agent Headquarters overstepping its authority.
Agent Headquarters should hand over suspects to our Judicial Department and follow legal procedures.
Corruption issues are corruption issues and must be distinguished from spy and agent problems.
The man is dead, the money taken by Agent Headquarters. Whether this will give rise to new corruption issues, no one knows. That’s one.
Two, for a corruption issue, if they just beat the person to death like this, is it that embezzling 80,000 gets you beaten to death, or would embezzling 10,000 also get you beaten to death?
When Agent Headquarters drags the person away, locks them up, and beats them, do they know how much was embezzled before the person confesses clearly?
They don’t.
Except for the corrupt individual himself, probably no one knows the exact amount.
So to what extent would Agent Headquarters release the person?
I think it’s impossible. They would definitely beat to death as the outcome, always feeling he hasn’t confessed fully, then say outwardly, this is a die-hard element.
This will bring an extremely serious problem.
If trial authority is taken by Agent Headquarters, all corrupt people will definitely live in fear.
Thereby, small corruption turns into massive corruption.
Anyway, once discovered it’s death, why not embezzle more? Make a big haul, flee abroad before discovery—isn’t that more worthwhile than being a small corrupt official living in constant fear?
Even, I run to Chongqing, even if I can’t be an official, being a landlord squire is no problem, right?
There will even be people cooperating with the Military Statistics Bureau, acting as their spies, not necessarily willingly. Maybe the embezzlement process was discovered by the Military Statistics Bureau, who threaten: if you don’t cooperate with me, I’ll report you to Agent Headquarters.
Then, under life-and-death crisis, don’t these people become Military Statistics Bureau spies?
This is the consequence of Agent Headquarters overstepping its authority.
The law stratifies corruption: little embezzlement means a few years in prison, much means more years, with emphasis on restitution, and this itself is well-considered.”
Minister Zhou nodded as he listened, “How to solve corruption has been a difficult problem through the ages. What you say makes reason. Can’t do it this way. Have you told the Japanese? What did the Japanese side say?”
Fu Xiao’an shook his head, “Very troublesome. Agent Headquarters now takes orders from Gendarmerie Headquarters, takes orders from Kagesa. We can’t command them. I wonder if Minister Zhou can command them?”
This was even goading him. Minister Zhou smiled, “Agent Headquarters is originally a department of the future new government, naturally under our command. Like this, I’ll handle this matter. I’ll talk to Kagesa. The rights and responsibilities of each department still need to be clearly divided.”
Unexpected joy. Fu Xiao’an felt cheerful and subtly teased Gu Yansheng, “Director Gu, then you have to shoulder this responsibility.”
Gu Yansheng snorted derisively, “Makes it sound like I’m slacking off. Mayor Fu, now according to the Greater East Asia Ministry’s saying, sweep the snow from your own doorstep. West Shanghai belongs to West Shanghai, Wusongkou to Wusongkou, each developing their own economy. Everyone is of equal rank. Even if I want to manage, I can’t.”
The topic was naturally led to the economy.
“What do you think of the Greater East Asia Ministry’s approach?” Minister Zhou asked, taking the opportunity.
