Chapter 104: Collection
Time was tight, and to obtain such a large quantity of medicine, Gu Yansheng had no choice but to play the robber once.
Gu Yansheng called Ding Mocun: “Director Ding, have you made any progress on those black market merchants smuggling smuggled medicine that I asked you to investigate last time?”
“Piece of cake, I dug up everything on him long ago. What’s up, do you have a plan?”
Getting merchants to smuggle from abroad for them, not only without paying but even taking a loss on quinine, was no easy task.
“Sort of. Prepare the list, I’ll swing by your place later to pick it up.”
Gu Yansheng drove to the entrance of No. 76.
Ding Mocun came out with his men holding the documents: “Since you’re here, why not come up and sit? Last time you came to Agent Headquarters to see Deputy Director Li, you sat for quite a while.”
Between the lines, he wasn’t taking him along to make money this time, and he was getting jealous.
Gu Yansheng didn’t even get out of the car, talking to him through the car window: “No time to sit. Shanghai’s a mess right now, and the Judicial Department has a pile of things to handle.
Now the Anti-Drug General Bureau is cracking down on opium dealers. Catching those shop owners is one thing, but he’s even prying into who’s supplying them and how the drugs are smuggled in.
Since ancient times, medicine and poison have been closely related. I suspect there’s a good chance the people smuggling medicine and opium are the same group. Sheng Wenyi’s methods against them are harsh—don’t let him kill off the people we need.”
“Right!” Ding Mocun suddenly woke up: “We need to hurry on this. Get everyone involved with medicine out. I heard some have been locked up in Gendarmerie Headquarters—can anyone survive two days in a place like that?”
“That’s why I rushed over as soon as I thought of it. And…” Gu Yansheng pointed toward Li Shiqun’s office: “If there’s money to be made, I’ll definitely include you. Last time we didn’t know each other, so why the rush.”
Hearing this, Ding Mocun laughed. The rumor circulating in Agent Headquarters these days was that Li Shiqun, Wu Sibao, and their group had struck it rich, so they were being extra generous with their subordinates.
To say he wasn’t jealous was impossible.
Everything is relative. Agent Headquarters now had two obvious factions. Deputy Director Li’s side had made money, so the underlings were living better, drinking and boasting louder than usual.
While on Director Ding’s side, forget extra subsidies—the Finance Department was controlled by Li Shiqun’s wife, so even legitimate reimbursements for his men were heavily scrutinized, depending on others’ moods.
Compared side by side, the saying that Director Ding was not as good as Director Li was widely spread in Agent Headquarters—who could stand that?
“I’m off.”
Gu Yansheng had no time to chat with him and headed straight back to the Judicial Department.
Looking at the documents provided by Ding Mocun, they were mostly confessions from Military Statistics Bureau and Central Statistics Bureau agents under torture, detailing their experiences buying medicine from the underground black market—how they found the contacts, how they got the goods, all crystal clear.
After that, the documents were basic information collected by Ding Mocun based on the pharmacy names or people mentioned in those confessions.
Pretty detailed.
Gu Yansheng picked up the phone and called Wen Yan: “Come to my office.”
“Mr.” Wen Yan knocked and came in.
Gu Yansheng handed him the documents: “Have the Anti-Smuggling Team set out now. Control all the people and shops on the list. Don’t go too hard—these people are still useful to me.”
Wen Yan took the folder, glanced at it, and nodded: “Understood.”
“Give you 10 minutes to assemble the troop. I’ll wait downstairs.”
“You’re going too?”
“Yes, I still need to handle the warehouse medicine. We’ll visit them one by one. Let’s start with the biggest one, Kyushu Pharmacy.”
“Okay.”
Gu Yansheng picked up the phone and called Lu Bowen: “Is the warehouse empty?”
“No, didn’t you sell your stuff to Mayor Fu? His men said they needed space anyway and moving back and forth was too much trouble, so I handed the warehouses over to him too. They were still moving yesterday—I don’t know if it’s empty. Want me to check?”
“Forget it, mixing them would be trouble. Do this: rent two trucks for me right away to transport goods, and another warehouse. Get it sorted. Have the trucks at Kyushu Pharmacy entrance—I’m heading there now. Bring some men too, we need to move stuff.”
“Got it.”
Forty minutes later, Kyushu Pharmacy.
Gu Yansheng entered Kyushu Pharmacy, hit by a thick scent of medicinal materials.
Seeing their imposing demeanor, the boss came out smiling to welcome them: “Gentlemen, what medicine can I get for you?”
“You’re the boss?” Wen Yan asked.
“Yes, yes.”
“Anti-Smuggling Team inspection. Bring out the account books.”
The boss’s smile stiffened slightly. “Anti-Smuggling Team? From which department? I’m from the same hometown as Section Chief Liao at the Police Station.”
“Hometown? We’re the Judicial Department’s Anti-Smuggling Team.” Wen Yan smiled faintly: “Still want to play hometown card? Want me to invite him over? You can call him.”
Sweat broke out on the boss’s face—who knew there were such grim reapers. He chuckled awkwardly: “No need, no need. I’m not that close to him. I was talking nonsense. I’ll get them right away.”
“All here.” As soon as the account books were out, Wen Yan continued: “Where’s the warehouse? We need to inspect.”
“The little alley in the back, my house. I’ll take you there right now, gentlemen, please.”
The boss led Gu Yansheng and the others around the alley to the warehouse.
Unlocking it, it was packed full of medicinal materials. None visible inside the room, but the courtyard was drying plenty of Chinese medicinal materials.
Deeper inside was the premium western medicine.
“This is aspirin, fever reducer. This is sulfonamide powder, anti-inflammatory drug. These are controlled drugs. We keep strict control here to ensure no medicine leaks out. Gentlemen can rest assured.”
The boss very thoughtfully introduced the controlled drugs that inspectors loved to check most, and the quantities indeed matched up.
Wen Yan smiled without answering and looked to Gu Yansheng: “Mr., how to handle?”
Gu Yansheng glanced at the western medicine. Fever reducers and anti-inflammatory drugs were definitely needed. In winter, frostbite ointment, iodine tincture, berberine—they had instructions, good for diarrhea. Quinine, must take this. Vitamin C, surprisingly they had it—take some.
Too many, hard to pick without seeming deliberate.
“Call the men outside in. Take everything.”
“Yes.” Wen Yan immediately called people in to move.
Lu Bowen arrived, bringing a group of porters from the construction site, carrying boxes with vigorous steps, all about efficiency.
The boss panicked at the sight, stepping forward to block but not daring to: “Hey, hey, hey, why take my medicine! My medicine! I haven’t broken the law—why take my medicine? Officers, officers, have mercy. This is my entire family fortune. Why?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you the reason later.”
Gu Yansheng walked out of the inner room and checked the Chinese medicinal materials outside, sniffing—they really smelled good. He’d always thought the mixed scent of Chinese medicinal materials was pleasant.
Every time passing a Chinese medicinal materials shop before, the scent wafting from the door made him want to breathe deeply.
In these times, the quality of these medicinal materials should logically be much, much better.
He didn’t know prescriptions for Chinese medicinal materials, but the troops in Southern Anhui surely had someone who did. As long as the ship could hold it, no such thing as too much.
Gu Yansheng pointed at the Chinese medicinal materials: “Take these too.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t take, don’t take, why?” The boss was on the verge of tears, suddenly wailing: “Heavens~”
“Stop wailing. Of course there’s a reason for taking your stuff.” Gu Yansheng reached out, and Wen Yan handed him the Military Statistics Bureau agent’s confession paper.
Gu Yansheng showed it to him: “See for yourself. Goods or your life.”
The boss stopped crying, glanced at the content, and his face changed. His hands started shaking.
“This, this, this…”
“Don’t think of denying it. Taking goods is just short of cash. Taking you means your life. Speak—where are the other warehouses.”
“None.” The boss said lowly, looking utterly dejected.
Gu Yansheng smiled: “Everything here matches up, so where did the stuff sold to the Military Statistics Bureau come from? You’re still fine now, but don’t test my patience. I won’t say it twice.”
After some inner struggle, the boss gritted his teeth: “Next door is mine too.”
“That’s right. Open it.”
Trembling, the boss opened the neighboring warehouse. Now his face was truly ashen, heart dead.
Gu Yansheng went in—wow, all scarce western medicine, substantial quantities.
Gu Yansheng nodded to Lu Bowen, who got it: “Take it.”
“Follow us to the Judicial Department. Got something for you.” Gu Yansheng patted the boss’s shoulder reassuringly: “It’ll be fine. For you, it’ll even be a good thing.”
Gu Yansheng then said to Wen Yan: “Have someone take him back. We go to the next location.”
“Yes.”
The Judicial Department’s seal-up operation unfolded frantically, sealing one site after another, with more and more goods piling up on the trucks.
Gu Yansheng didn’t know the exact amount—just have them haul to the warehouse when full.
From noon robbery to afternoon, Gu Yansheng’s plundering operation came to an end.
He used a public telephone to call Shen Linshen, gave him the warehouse address, told him to leave two-thirds of the quinine untouched, take what he wanted from the rest, and not worry about it after—disguise was not his concern.
Back at the Judicial Department, the meeting room was full of aggrieved pharmacy owners. As Gu Yansheng entered, everyone quieted and stood straight, trying to stand as rigidly as possible.
Gu Yansheng sat back in his chair, looking at them: “Feeling wronged?”
No one dared speak.
“You know exactly who you sold the black market medicine to. If the Japanese caught you for that, it’d be ten deaths no life.”
Gu Yansheng smiled: “Sit. I called you here for help. You have wide channels and connections, so I need you to smuggle medicine in from abroad. Figure out how to get it out there yourselves. I’ll handle getting it into Shanghai.”
No one expected this twist. They glanced at each other, and the bolder ones started asking.
“C-can we still go out?”
“Of course, why else would I invite you? Just have Agent Headquarters arrest you? Sit and talk.”
“Y-yes, yes.” The merchants sat hurriedly with eager smiles, chairs clattering against the floor.
Kyushu Pharmacy’s boss Qi Wuzhou boldly squeezed out a smile: “Director Gu, I didn’t quite get your meaning. You mean, have us figure out how to smuggle?”
Gu Yansheng nodded: “You can think of it that way. Once you take this mission, you’re the Judicial Department’s official smuggling team. Don’t say it outside—we won’t admit it. But privately, your smuggling will be under our protection. If trouble happens in Shanghai Territory, I’ll settle it.
Taking your goods today is first punishment—I need to put on a show to protect you. Second, deposit, so you take it seriously. I have requirements on the quantity.
I’ll return the seized goods based on how well you complete the mission. Clear enough? Discuss if not. Take your time.”
“This doesn’t seem so bad?”
Several merchants immediately smiled and discussed. With Judicial Department protection, in normal times, how much tribute would it take to get such a big shot?
And the seized goods would be returned, just as deposit—basically no loss. Of course, this was just self-consolation—what else could they do?
After discussion, summarizing opinions, Qi Wuzhou cautiously asked as representative: “So Director Gu, what price will the government pay for the smuggled medicine?”
“Ten grams quinine per gram of gold. You can sell the rest yourselves or to me. This year’s main goal is quinine—I need five tons.”
“Five tons?”
The merchants’ faces changed in unison. Knew it wouldn’t be that easy—too ruthless!
At first hearing one gram gold for ten grams quinine, they’d take a hit, but losing money on government deals was normal, prepared for it if small quantity—even give some free. But five tons—that quantity meant real losses.
Not black market price—even at cost, they’d lose over fifty thousand US Dollars.
“Director Gu, this… is a bit much.” Qi Wuzhou looked troubled, tone as tactful as possible: “We can’t handle this loss.”
“Yeah, Director Gu, we’d lose fifty or sixty thousand US Dollars. Not that we don’t want to, we really don’t have that much to lose.”
“Right, Director Gu…”
Merchants chimed in, striving to resist but keeping emotions stable, tone mild, determined not to offend this Deputy Division Chief of Judicial Department even if talks failed—absolutely not provoke Gu Yansheng.
Gu Yansheng listened and smiled: “I’ll calculate fifty thousand for you. Twelve here, a few absent—say fifteen. Divide it, three thousand five hundred each loss.
I know three thousand five is hard to earn, especially in US Dollars.
But I said, you can sell other medicine to me too. Bring enough goods, and I guarantee each of you earns forty-five thousand back in a year on other medicine.”
Hearing this, the merchants perked up. If really earning forty-five thousand back, minus loss, still ten thousand US Dollars net profit a year—not little, definitely not.
Especially getting a black merchant license!
“Forty-five thousand US Dollars? Not daring to make too much off you, but that quantity is huge—you can handle it?”
Earning forty-five thousand wasn’t buying forty-five thousand—the actual goods value would be sky-high.
“If I can’t, your mission ends. You just sell slowly—no loss, right?”
Gu Yansheng had Mitsui’s 400,000 US Dollars advance for two tons quinine, plus his own money. Even if they smuggled fast, half a year was no problem. Other medicine would turn over fine once started.
“No loss, no loss.” Merchants were delighted—guaranteed profit, definitely doable.
Gu Yansheng was giving them a safety net—unsold medicine could always sell to him, like periodic inventory clearance.
“Must be useful western medicine. No junk.”
“Rest assured, only good stuff. If not good, we wouldn’t smuggle it.”
“Good.” Gu Yansheng nodded: “Still reminding you: I ordered it, but avoid the Japanese. Not everyone is understanding. Say what shouldn’t be said, cause trouble, and you may not get this luck again.”
The merchants nodded repeatedly: “Understood, Director Gu rest assured.”
“Director Gu, my funds are tied up too much in goods. You took all, I’m short on turnover.” A merchant mustered courage to raise hand.
He spoke, several nodded— not everyone had spare cash. They were bosses, shops still needed to run.
Gu Yansheng thought: “Five thousand silver dollars principal per person as loan. Write IOU, mortgage with shop or house.”
Several hesitated then nodded: “Okay.”
Ten thousand US Dollars pure profit a year—worth the gamble. Plus Deputy Division Chief of Judicial Department’s connections, worth nurturing.
Even some not short on money wanted to borrow. First, Director Gu didn’t mention interest—more principal was good. Second, borrowing and repaying would bring closer relationship with Gu Yansheng.
