Chapter 106: Adulteration
Say we do it and do it!
Iron Blood Assassination Group never drags its feet in doing things.
Chen Mo got in the car and took out a gun, gesturing at the window outside: “Killing is simple, just fire two shots like this. The important thing is not to get caught. This time it’s impromptu, I’ll choose the route, I’ll handle the withdrawal, you only have one chance to shoot. There are gendarmes at all intersections in the city right now, you have to be able to pull the trigger.”
Gu Yansheng’s response was to reach out: “Gun.”
Chen Mo chuckled lightly and pulled another one from the waistband of their pants behind and handed it over.
Gu Yansheng felt the gun and thought of a problem, “I’ve never fired a gun before, what if I miss?”
“No problem, I’ll cover it.”
So confident.
“Then I have no problem.”
Next came disguising, stealing a car, and switching cars in one go, this was 76’s old trade. Liu San was responsible for stealing the car and driving, Gu Yansheng and Chen Mo in the back seat.
The route was set by them. Chen Mo had Gu Yansheng aim the gun at the bottom edge of the window bit by bit. At a certain moment when they were about to reach the checkpoint, suddenly spoke up: “It’s them, three, two, one, fire!”
Chen Mo fired first, bang bang bang bang. Gu Yansheng saw this and without hesitation raised the muzzle, emptying the clip at a private soldier, bang bang bang bang bang.
Good news was the bullets were used up, the first shot probably hit. Bad news was the other bullets didn’t know where they went.
Chen Mo also kept their promise, not counting on Gu Yansheng at all, and directly fired supplementary shots at Gu Yansheng’s target.
Liu San who was driving didn’t ask anything, he just drove his car. When the time came, the car made a sharp turn and headed back in the direction they came from, until they switched cars, the car headed toward the concession.
The entire action process was quite brief, just those few seconds of firing were processed in ultra slow motion, the rest at normal car speed throughout.
“Did I kill him?” Gu Yansheng asked hopefully.
“Killed him.” Chen Mo nodded affirmatively.
“That’s good.” Gu Yansheng breathed a sigh of relief and even smiled, this expression quite memorable.
Liu San driving in front held back his laughter, those bullets had flown to the sky, terrible marksmanship, he wasn’t willing to say it.
Their own car, with Liu San’s 76 identity certificate, even if they encountered a checkpoint, there was actually no problem.
The journey had some scares but no dangers.
Once they reached the concession, they were completely safe.
Still at the riverside, Chen Mo smiled: “Now Director Gu should be able to be frank with us, right?”
“Not yet.”
Chen Mo was stunned and puzzled, “You’ve already killed the person, and still not? Do you think you can go back?”
Gu Yansheng shook his head: “It’s not my problem, what I mean by not yet refers to you. As far as I know, the Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District district chief is now in the International Settlement, right under the nose of Agent Headquarters, probably just a few blocks away from here,
if I join, and then your district chief gets caught and confesses you, confesses him, whether I join or not doesn’t seem to make much difference.”
“So you’re worried about that.”
Chen Mo chuckled lightly: “Don’t worry about that, we don’t belong to Shanghai District, we report directly to Chongqing headquarters. The full name of our group is Military Statistics Bureau headquarters Shanghai anti-Japanese action group. Iron Blood Assassination Group is just the public name, there are them nationwide, common people know it’s us as soon as they hear it, convenient for boosting morale.
Iron Blood Assassination Group has contact with Shanghai District, but only limited to telegrams, the contact content mostly about assassination targets, intelligence on puppet government officials, we don’t interfere in their affairs, they can’t control our assassinations either.
We don’t meet in person, so Liu San’s and my identities are very safe.”
“Then no problem.” Gu Yansheng nodded while listening and smiled: “Tell me, what do you want me to do.”
Getting to the main topic, Chen Mo said seriously: “From the end of the Battle of Songhu until now, from the establishment of this new government, we feel the Japanese have greatly changed their economic strategy for Shanghai. Previously it was strict control, pressure, imprisonment.
Now it’s issuing this military scrip, collecting opium taxes, developing the economy, etc., all purposes turned into making money.
Plundering us Chinese’s money, using Chinese blood and sweat to support the invasion, achieving the goal of sustaining war with war.
Matters in occupied territory are under our Military Statistics Bureau’s jurisdiction, we definitely won’t let the Japanese be so comfortable.
So to quickly obtain intelligence behind enemy lines, our department was commissioned by Director Dai to develop some core talents who can access Japanese Army policy, hence specially sending me to contact you.
We hope you can serve the country.
Now I represent Military Statistics Bureau headquarters, represent Director Dai, to formally invite you, at this time when the country is shattered, are you willing to join Military Statistics Bureau, to throw your head and spill hot blood for the national revolutionary cause, struggle a lifetime, die a hundred deaths without regret.”
Gu Yansheng straightened his expression, smoothed his suit, nodded and said: “I am willing to join.”
“One day in Military Statistics Bureau, lifetime cannot withdraw. If violate this oath, family law merciless.”
“Understood.”
“Good, welcome.”
Chen Mo’s expression softened, smiled and shook hands, then said: “Director Dai values you highly. Before we studied recruiting you, we specially sent a telegram to ask Director Dai. Director Dai instructed, as long as you are willing to serve the Party and State, all past events will be disregarded.
And grant you the position of major staff officer in Shanghai economic intelligence group, entered into Military Statistics Bureau files, personally held by him. That means from today, you are a soldier with actual identity in the Party and State, there will be a salary paid to you every month.”
“Director Dai’s famous name is renowned, I’ve heard it many times. Puppet government officials hate him to the teeth but are helpless. Thank him for his regard, but what is this economic intelligence group? And who else?”
“No one else, currently just two people. Director Dai serves concurrently as team leader, you are staff officer. This isn’t arranging a position for you? Can’t put an economic talent like you in our Iron Blood Assassination Group.
Later, might arrange a dedicated radio for you, but that has to wait until I go back and report the news to Director Dai, to be decided by him.
Believe when he knows you’ve joined, he’ll be very happy. He instructed me, once there’s news, must tell him immediately, he’s waiting.”
“Oh~” Gu Yansheng nodded in understanding and smiled: “Bring my regards to him.”
“Will do.”
Chen Mo saw this and said: “Director Dai has instructions, if you’re willing to join, he wants to ask your views on the current stage Japanese puppet strategy, and what targeted measures there are.”
Gu Yansheng thought and said: “Japanese purpose is actually sustaining war with war. Drugs, military scrip, all for money. To counter, measures naturally also fall on money, actually not difficult.”
Chen Mo’s eyes lit up: “Tell me, how to counter?”
Gu Yansheng smiled: “For example military scrip, Japanese take money from Shanghai citizens’ hands, but spend it definitely in Nationalist controlled area.
So if you instead spend money in Shanghai first, then this matter becomes interesting.”
“Explain clearly, I don’t understand economy.”
“Aren’t Japanese Army promoting military scrip now?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve seen military scrip, right?” Gu Yansheng took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a one dollar bill and showed it: “Does it look like Japanese Yen?”
Chen Mo nodded: “Similar, but it has the four words ‘military use scrip’ on it.”
“Right, Japanese modified Japanese Yen into military scrip, the difference is adding those four words, and crossing out the line ‘Japan Bank exchange coupon’ above with red pen.
Now Japanese in urban area promote military scrip, citizens although unwilling, but have no choice, must accept military scrip. Many people haven’t seen Japanese Yen before, caused quite a few disputes.
So can we exploit this, forge a batch of military scrip, circulate it in Shanghai urban area, destroy military scrip credit?
Japanese collect it, know it’s fake. Japanese don’t collect it, citizens will resist military scrip.
New money’s biggest problem is, you can’t expect users to immediately distinguish true from false, especially since this money is issued by foreigners.
So even if roughly made, no big deal.
Once trading happens, you’ll have a lot of change military scrip in hand, real military scrip. Then find a foreign enterprise, according to Japanese own strategy, exchange from Japanese hands back to gold US dollars, the whole thing becomes a closed loop.
If they don’t exchange, military scrip credit destroyed, won’t foreign enterprises also resist?”
“Brilliant.” Chen Mo listened with eyes shining bright: “They issue, we also issue, and we can still earn a sum from Japanese hands? Haha, impressive, this method.”
Gu Yansheng nodded and smiled: “Muddy the waters, can buy some supplies, whatever works.”
“I’ll report immediately, Chongqing should have a way to make a batch of money.”
Of course there is a way, official printing money, it’s just a matter of craftsmanship quality, can definitely make it.
But slightly poor craftsmanship really doesn’t matter, put a Chinese in United States, wanting them to distinguish a fake US dollar, that difficulty is the problem now faced by Shanghai citizens.
Some can recognize it, no problem, as long as a large portion can’t recognize it, the matter can succeed.
“But speed must be fast, implementing fake mixing earlier, better effect.” Gu Yansheng reminded.
“Okay, got it. Do you have any other suggestions?”
“None for now, but” Gu Yansheng looked at Chen Mo: “Are you that Chen Mo, disciple of Du Yuesheng?”
Chen Mo smiled: “You’ve actually heard my name?”
Gu Yansheng raised an eyebrow: “Later if there’s benefit I’ll call you, don’t rush on the drugs matter, there’ll be your share when the time comes?”
“Isn’t Sheng Wenyi handling this matter?”
Chen Mo really wanted to ask about this matter. Drugs profit loss affects him greatly, the money earned is Iron Blood Assassination Group’s activity funding in Shanghai. Secondly, several opium dens in Shanghai urban area were uprooted, leading to fewer evasion sites for them, those all served as safe houses.
“This matter isn’t that simple, specifically I can’t say well now, hasn’t reached final end yet. Japanese reclaiming drugs profit in Shanghai urban area is something 100% successful.
But single event success doesn’t mean overall success. Sometimes losses elsewhere too big, they have to give up this portion of profit, maintain other profits, reach a new balance.”
Combining recent Shanghai chaos, Chen Mo could roughly understand what balance Gu Yansheng meant.
“Anyway current Shanghai definitely doesn’t count as reaching balance.”
“Right.”
“Then I understand, let’s leave it at that for now. If there’s urgent matter later, I’ll have Liu San contact you. If you have urgent matter, you can find him too. The rest, wait for Director Dai’s reply, then I’ll tell you.”
Gu Yansheng looked at Liu San who pulled him in and nodded, “Okay.”
“One more thing.” Chen Mo remembered something: “Shanghai District’s district chief isn’t being watched now? Now Agent Headquarters’ Li Shiqun is preparing to forcibly grab this person, threaten Public Works Bureau, if not hand over the person to them, they’ll kill people, and kill Public Works Bureau people, will act in these two days.
More than twenty people watching day and night nonstop, we want to rescue him, not easy for the time being. You’re an outsider, do you think there’s any way to rescue the person?”
Gu Yansheng had thought about this when seeing it in the newspaper, so directly gave a plan.
“How to rescue I’m not expert, but how to make him stay in the concession, I’m expert.”
“Stay? Also fine, how to stay?”
“Have him carry a knife, in public stab a British Person, American also works, French too, but must make the newspaper, must satisfy public condition.”
Chen Mo stared wide-eyed in shock: “Why do that? Now he’s relying on British to protect him.”
Gu Yansheng smiled slightly: “Handover premise is because he violated law in Shanghai urban area, but if he also violates law in International Settlement, how to handover? No way then hide in prison, foreigners also want face.”
Talent. Chen Mo was speechless at this thought process, but if truly desperate situation, locked in concession prison, still better than falling into Agent Headquarters’ hands.
“Teach you another method.”
Gu Yansheng continued giving ideas: “You definitely want this person released as soon as possible, after all district chief, important figure.
Then find a subordinate to take the blame. As long as scene can be created to look like district chief did the stabbing, Public Works Bureau also thinks district chief did it, then casually find a lawyer to file lawsuit for your district chief to delay time, that’s it. Locked in police station or detention center for a year or so no problem.
Environment won’t be too bad.
You stuff some money to prison guards or police officers, eat better, days can pass.
Wait until you’re ready how to rescue, then subordinate admits he did the stabbing, bring out key evidence, find a big lawyer to overturn the case, person is out.
Assault not murder, privately stuff some money, would Public Works Bureau not want to toss this hot potato?
As for key evidence, for example, half day or one day before action, twist the hand injury, break or fracture fine, find French Concession foreign director for treatment, leave record, confirm hand powerless, ten days half month unable to do stabbing operation.
Also can make knife special made, buy a good knife that can leave purchase record, that day bought by subordinate, do something to leave impression, like give salesperson 100 US dollar tip, or smash his counter glass, give him strong impression, then go stab.
At that time, he becomes key witness proving who the knife owner is, also prove knife owner has violent tendencies.
Also, beforehand let this subordinate have conflict with this stabbed person, provide reasonable motive to lawyer.”
Talking about this kind of thing, Gu Yansheng could go on endlessly, plenty of plans for them to choose.
Chen Mo and Liu San both listened stunned. Previously thought concession lawyers weren’t good things.
But now lawyer on our side, why does lawyer feel so cute.
Compared notes with Liu San, then could adjourn.
Before farewell, Gu Yansheng still wanted to consolidate his identity in Military Statistics Bureau.
“Right, you just asked if my position in puppet government means I’m a traitor, I’ve never been. On the night Military Statistics Bureau was exposed, I received news, once found someone to notify Public Works Bureau, block Agent Headquarters people from entering concession. If you check, you should know, at that time concession British Army suddenly strengthened search, guns very hard to bring into concession. I don’t know the effect but I did what I could.”
Chen Mo was stunned hearing this, looked at Gu Yansheng with somewhat strange gaze.
Liu San spoke: “So it was you. Li Shiqun was furious at the time, how British suddenly strengthened defense, otherwise that night many in concession would be caught. Team leader, this matter is real.”
“I know.” Chen Mo looked at Gu Yansheng, nodded, said solemnly: “Thanks, you saved many people.”
“No need thanks, next time don’t try to kill me again, twice nearly died at Iron Blood Assassination Group hands.
