Chapter 107: Backer
Gu Yansheng returned home.
Being targeted by the Iron Blood Assassination Group wasn’t without benefits; at least the possibility of being assassinated might be gone.
However, this matter must be reported to the organization immediately.
Gu Yansheng called Lu Bowen and told him about this.
Lu Bowen looked at Gu Yansheng’s expression, “Has the scent of your sweet bun wafted all the way to Chongqing? Even Old Jiang smelled it and wants a bite?”
Gu Yansheng was amused by him: “Be serious, this is a major change, and it must be reported to the organization immediately.”
“Alright, I got it.” Playtime is playtime, but organizational discipline cannot be forgotten.
“I’m happy for you. You don’t know, you’ve nearly been killed twice by the Iron Blood Assassination Group. He Yun and I were so worried. In such a short time, twice already. We fear that if this continues, one day we really won’t see you again. I think this is a good thing.”
Gu Yansheng patted his chest, “Especially heartwarming.”
Lu Bowen chuckled, “Alright, I’ll head out first.”
The next day, Lu Bowen returned again, but his expression was somewhat odd.
“Yesterday, after He Yun and I sent the information, the organization replied agreeing to contact, with a reminder to stay safe. But you know the secret message on the radio last night? The organization sent another piece of information. Do you know what it said?”
“What?”
“About Chen Mo.”
Lu Bowen didn’t keep him in suspense and said directly: “Yesterday, I also sent the information about Chen Mo who recruited you. The organization has records on this Chen Mo. As early as before the War of Resistance, Chen Mo joined our Party. But two years after joining, while propagating our Party’s thought at night school, he was arrested by the Kuomintang authorities, betrayed under torture, and imprisoned.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance, he disappeared from prison. The organization couldn’t find his whereabouts. Unexpectedly, he joined the Military Statistics Bureau. The organization wants you to assess whether this person still has a chance of being salvaged. If so, after you assess, they will send someone else to contact him and restore his organizational relationship.
From the beginning, he was able to accept our Party’s thought and even actively propagated it. The possibility of salvaging him is still quite high.”
This news was truly unexpected. Gu Yansheng thought for a moment and nodded, “Alright, I’ll observe. I don’t have many chances to contact him, so it depends on the situation.”
If calculated this way, Chen Mo’s seniority was even greater than theirs.
As soon as Lu Bowen left, Liu San arrived.
Last time he wanted to trick someone, but this time he didn’t. He really came and was even holding a box, as if he was genuinely giving a gift.
“Director Gu, I passed by Fu Xing Zhai on the way and brought some freshly baked pastries for you.”
“So polite, sit.” Gu Yansheng pointed to a seat, “What’s up?”
Liu San glanced and saw that Liu Xiaolou had gone out and even closed the door. He went to the door to listen and confirmed no movement before returning and saying:
“Chongqing replied that they actually always had the master plate for printing Japanese yen, but the Japanese yen’s anti-counterfeiting technology is very good. Its banknotes use intaglio printing, and the paper contains a special pulp material that they haven’t analyzed, causing the money they make to have a different feel from genuine Japanese yen.
If you think it can be used, they’ll have someone bring the master plate to Shanghai and print it directly here.”
“You say that, but I don’t know how much difference there is. It can’t be the difference between toilet paper and real money, right?” Gu Yansheng thought for a moment and said: “Actually, the problem isn’t big. No matter what kind of money it is, I can put it to use.”
Good money for exchanging, bad money for disruption—for Gu Yansheng, there’s not much difference, as long as it’s not too bad.
Liu San nodded, “That’s good. As long as you think it can be used, I’ll notify the team leader to have Chongqing bring it over. Additionally, Director Dai instructed that he will assign you a dedicated radio and operator. If you have any other demands, you can raise them together, and Director Dai will try his best to satisfy them.”
After speaking, he smilingly added: “Mr. Gu, I’m quite envious. This kind of treatment isn’t something ordinary people get.”
Gu Yansheng smiled: “Serving the country, I won’t make any requests. I only hope that if one day we meet face-to-face, he can treat me to a big meal.”
“Good, I’ll definitely pass that on for you.”
After these two groups left, Gu Yansheng welcomed a rare leisurely day.
Regarding the drugs matter, Sheng Wenyi’s cleanup of the opium dens in the Shanghai urban area was nearly complete, and he had begun selling drugs himself.
At the city government meeting, he showed off a bit and felt happy for a moment.
But it was useless.
Before the cleanup, he was in the dark, the Green Gang in the open, and with Japanese Gendarme help, he could sweep however he wanted.
But after the cleanup, he opened them himself. The situation reversed, offense and defense swapped. The Green Gang’s counterattack began: smashing your shops without mercy, grabbing your goods after smashing, then running off, leaving the shops for you to continue operating.
Stock or not? If you stock, they keep robbing.
The Japanese Gendarmes could indeed help Sheng Wenyi, but having them guard all the opium dens across all of Shanghai was impossible.
Do you really think the Japanese are bodhisattvas who get full on incense? Calling them to help guard is fine, but whether the profits are enough to pay tribute is another matter.
And while the Japanese Gendarmes were guarding the opium dens, the shop-smashing activities started again.
Press down the gourd and up comes the ladle. The Green Gang and Gendarmes played whack-a-mole, excelling at knowing Shanghai’s urban area better than the Japanese—hit and run.
Mainly targeting Fu Xiao’an’s shops. Fu Xiao’an had just repaired his shops, and they smashed them again.
“Director Sheng, trouble you to negotiate with the Green Gang people. Don’t disrupt Shanghai’s economy anymore! Look at what Shanghai’s economy has become?”
At the city government meeting, Fu Xiao’an, unable to endure, vented publicly at Sheng Wenyi.
“Last time I’m asking you: negotiate or not!”
Fu Xiao’an could have waited. With his years of business experience, he knew this plan would eventually fail because the Japanese wouldn’t allow Shanghai’s economy to deteriorate like this indefinitely.
But it required time—who knew how long? Maybe a month, maybe two people. He couldn’t wait.
The losses during this time were severe: not only shops smashed with no income, but strict checks at Wusongkou slowing logistics. The biggest problem was the stock market; with the economy not improving, the market had been falling daily, showing signs of total collapse.
If the stock market collapsed again, even he couldn’t hold out.
Previously, loans from Zhonghui Bank, where his son Fu Pingui worked, provided emergency liquidity, but now Agent Headquarters intervened, and the bank’s board was scrutinizing the accounts.
Although he resolved the risk, Zhonghui Bank nearly faced a run and bankruptcy due to his son’s incident. Not being fired was already due to his face. Wanting to withdraw funds again was impossible.
Who didn’t know Fu Xiao’an was on the brink now?
He had money, but if the stock market collapsed, it would be a chain explosion, and most of his assets would vanish in an instant.
Being publicly scolded like this made Sheng Wenyi lose face, especially since he had recently made a great contribution to the Japanese with the drug profits.
But he didn’t want relations with Fu Xiao’an to deteriorate completely.
So when he sensed Fu Xiao’an’s emotions were about to explode, he actually went to negotiate yesterday.
Somewhat unhappily, he said: “Mayor Fu, it’s not that I don’t want to negotiate. Actually, I sent people yesterday, but they had no sincerity in negotiating.”
“You went to negotiate?” Fu Xiao’an calmed slightly.
“Yes, last night I visited one by one. The first was the Green Gang. Zhang Xiaolin said he wants ninety percent, plus compensation for all his losses. Listen, does that sound like someone wanting to negotiate?”
“They’re asking sky-high prices; you bargain down to earth prices. Why rush? Negotiate.”
“Hmph, bargain down—he won’t take even forty percent! How to negotiate further? Give him fifty, sixty? Do you think Gendarmerie Headquarters would agree?”
Fu Xiao’an frowned tightly: “What about the others?”
Sheng Wenyi said irritably: “They coordinated. I only found out after going—all demanding ninety percent. Even small gangs demand ninety. Sha Shun is worse: one hundred percent, not contributing a dime.”
Bang bang bang bang, Sheng Wenyi slammed the table angrily: “Tell me, how am I supposed to negotiate?”
Fu Xiao’an took a deep breath, face darkened as he looked at Gu Yansheng, tone heavy: “Director Gu, you’ve negotiated with them before. Trouble you to step in and talk. Shanghai’s economy still needs saving.”
Forced by circumstances, Fu Xiao’an was asking for help; without it, bankruptcy loomed.
But Gu Yansheng wasn’t a living bodhisattva saving the suffering.
He had just been thinking about Southern Anhui. The 3000 silver dollar pass was indeed effective; passing Yangtze River ports went smoothly. Today’s news just arrived, so next was river bandits robbing goods, then troops handling it—no big problem.
Coming back to his senses, he thought and smiled: “Mayor Fu, not appropriate, right? Previously, while handling that role, I could talk to them. There was no conflict then, so talks were amicable. Now how do I say it?
Even if they give me face and don’t chase me out, I can’t decide the terms. How to negotiate?
Not to mention my Judicial Department recently cooperated with Anti-Drug General Bureau to sentence quite a few Green Gang people to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. Whether I’d face revenge upon visiting is uncertain.”
Fu Xiao’an was left speechless by the retort, but the dual kill from market and stocks was nearly pushing him to death.
Face sullen, silent for a moment, he suddenly stood, shoving the chair with a clatter, “Meeting adjourned!”
Then he strode out.
The directors and Gu Yansheng exchanged glances, all with smiles in their eyes. This dilemma was ultimately Fu Xiao’an’s own making—creating some director position loaded with troubles. Now to solve it, the only way was to get rid of Sheng Wenyi.
But without Gendarmerie Headquarters’ word, Sheng Wenyi couldn’t be removed. No solution.
In the end, the Japanese had to admit defeat themselves.
Fu Xiao’an returned to his office. In this critical period, extraordinary measures were needed.
At life-or-death juncture, even offending Gendarmerie Headquarters was unavoidable.
He picked up the phone and said: “Connect me to Nanjing Command Headquarters. I want Commander Matsui.”
Once connected, Fu Xiao’an exchanged greetings, then got to the point.
“Your Excellency General, there’s been a huge command error at Shanghai Gendarmerie Headquarters, pushing Shanghai’s economy to the brink of collapse.
I’ve reminded repeatedly, but Commander Iwasa rejected them all. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but if he continues this way, I can’t be mayor. I serve the Empire wholeheartedly, but with Shanghai’s economy like this, I’m truly powerless.”
On the phone, Matsui said a bunch, inquiring how bad Shanghai’s situation really was.
Fu Xiao’an responded, detailing recent Shanghai events, emphasizing Sheng Wenyi’s malign influence in this matter.
To achieve his goal, Fu Xiao’an even praised Gu Yansheng.
“Actually, the original person handling this was Judicial Department Deputy Division Chief Gu Yansheng, recommended by Consul Hase Jinagawa. He handled it very well; until his dismissal, Shanghai had no turmoil.
But such a person, who handled it impeccably, was forcibly dismissed by Commander Iwasa after Sheng Wenyi appeared. As far as I know, Consul Hase completely disagreed with this decision, but his objection was overruled.
Your Excellency General, I’m not criticizing Commander Iwasa. I’m just considering the big picture. Isn’t it possible this was a mistake?
If it continues, I stake my life: within a month, Shanghai’s economy will totally collapse, and the Empire of Japan’s hope to supplement military expenses with Shanghai’s economic taxation will fall through. I’m not exaggerating!”
After brief silence on the phone, finally came what Fu Xiao’an wanted to hear.
“I’ll depart shortly and arrive in Shanghai tomorrow.”
