Chapter 176: Life Is A Grand Stage
Apart from those patrolmen at the police station who are chummy with those people, the other patrolmen, if not frequently, have more or less suffered humiliation and bullying from that gang.
How could there be no resentment in their hearts?
They are not saints who treat others’ humiliation as real tempering.
Now that there is a way to deal with that gang without worrying about revenge, and even make a fortune in the process, he can imagine how high the enthusiasm of these patrolmen will be.
Dong dong dong~~
Cao Weida knocked on Xu Hancheng’s office.
“Who is it!” Xu Hancheng’s angry roar came from inside.
His ears twitched, and Cao Weida, guessing something, grinned mischievously, “Bureau Chief Xu, it’s me, Cao Weida, I’m coming in.”
“Wait, hold on!”
A flurry of chaotic sounds came out, and soon after, a female patrolman with a flushed face opened the door and ran out in a slight panic, sidestepping.
Cao Weida glanced over, yo, isn’t this Su Meihua, the sergeant from our women’s patrol team?
There were female patrolmen in this era, but their numbers were extremely rare.
Take Beiping for example, across all police stations in Beiping, there were only about 100 female patrolmen in total, mainly responsible for assisting the Japanese puppet regime and puppet army in checking pedestrians’ good citizen certificates and citizen IDs, preventing women from participating in illegal transportation of drugs and arms, conducting household registrations and case investigations, and such work.
Due to lingering feudal remnants in this period, the status of female officers was far lower than that of male officers, and even their salary and benefits were about one-third less.
The Outer Fifth District Police Station had about 45 female patrolmen, and with so many people, naturally someone needed to manage them, making positions like sergeant and patrol officer inevitable.
Generally speaking, a sergeant manages 7 to 9 people, so 45 people would require about five sergeants and at least one patrol officer.
The female patrolman just now was one of those five sergeants.
“Xu Hancheng this kid is pretty slick at playing unspoken rules, starting right in the office.”
He strode in, conveniently closing the door, squinting with a smile: “Bureau Chief Xu, quite the elegant interest.”
“Ahem.” Xu Hancheng was embarrassed, tactically coughing twice, chuckling: “Sorry for letting you see that, brother, we’re brothers, don’t spread this around.”
“Look at what you’re saying, elder brother, do I seem like someone who can keep my mouth shut?”
“That’s good, that’s… Huh?!” Xu Hancheng suddenly froze, realizing it, he wanted to cry but had no tears, “Brother, you can’t harm your brother like that, if it gets out…”
Tch, keep pretending, keep pretending!
It’s just office fun, you’ve done it before, you really think this can be hidden?
Besides, Su Meihua herself didn’t mind too much, let alone you, a big man?
In this chaotic, shattered era, such a small matter is just chit-chat after tea, envy it a bit, and no one pays attention anymore.
Xu Hancheng acting quirky was just to close the relationship between them.
It’s just acting, so play along.
Life is a big stage, everyone is an actor!
“Haha~~ Just teasing you, how did you take it seriously? Your brother’s mouth is the tightest, how could I badmouth you? I wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Xu Hancheng showed a relieved expression, “Heh heh heh, I knew my brother was the most reliable.”
“So, coming over suddenly today, is there something up?”
“You guessed it, there really is something to discuss with you.”
Cao Weida held nothing back, detailing the plan.
“Moreover, this is our chance to turn around our reputation!” Cao Weida continued: “In the past, the people have been poking at our backbones behind our backs, calling us black-skinned Gouzi, stinking street patrollers. Don’t the brothers feel bad?”
“If we handle this beautifully, the people’s views won’t flip instantly? Especially you, the helmsman of the police station, won’t the people thumbs-up praising you for removing harm for the people, bright mirror hanging high!”
“Well…” Xu Hancheng frowned silently, clearly having some unspoken concerns.
Cao Weida was perceptive, his mind turning to know his concerns.
Don’t think that as police station chief, Xu Hancheng seems high-status, but actually, the union bonds he gets monthly convert to only about forty silver dollars.
Moreover, prices in Beiping have always been high, especially recently with frequent fluctuations, plus union bonds continuously depreciating, purchasing power declining further.
To live a better material life, to spend lavishly, that requires outside income!
Those local ruffians and scoundrels and gangs are one source of his outside income.
If these people are dealt with, who will ‘show respect’ to him later?
Without ‘showing respect’, how can he live extravagantly?
So, deep down, he naturally doesn’t want to.
As for the people’s reputation, does it matter?
Anyway, it’s all like this, hasn’t stopped him from living it up, being cursed behind his back doesn’t cost him flesh.
Cao Weida knew even more that if he didn’t convince Xu Hancheng, though he’d cooperate on the surface, when it came to action, it would be pretend to obey but disobey in reality.
Cao Weida had anticipated this, so he wasn’t surprised.
“These local ruffians and scoundrels have long harassed the people and merchants, making Beiping’s merchants suffer immensely. If we can eliminate all these people, then levy some public order management fees monthly based on shop size to ensure merchants can operate worry-free, I think those merchants wouldn’t object, right?”
Xu Hancheng wasn’t dumb, with Cao Weida saying this, he immediately got it, eyes lighting up, “You mean, like the method you used in your jurisdiction a few days ago?”
“Exactly.” Cao Weida smiled slyly: “If this succeeds, that’s a hefty revenue every month.”
“This way, money comes in, people’s reputation gained, our brothers won’t have to work so hard, killing three birds with one stone!”
“Good, good, good! Great idea!” Xu Hancheng got more excited, but suddenly paused, hesitating before saying: “Then our dividend…”
“Though it’s under our police station’s jurisdiction, many parties are involved, like the garrison army taking a share, Gendarmerie Headquarters taking a share, those Manchukuo government officials taking a share…”
Xu Hancheng’s heart sank more as he listened, well, all those above, he couldn’t afford to offend any, none could be omitted.
So how much would he get in hand?
Don’t end up busting his ass to get it done, only to have less than a brothel visit in the end.
Cao Weida glanced at him from the corner of his eye, smirking inwardly, counting on fingers: “All in all, to you, about seven or eight hundred silver dollars a month.”
“How much?!” Xu Hancheng exclaimed, doubting if his ears were faulty and he misheard.
“Seven or eight hundred silver dollars.” Cao Weida showed an apologetic expression, “I know, it’s indeed a bit little, but as police station officials, we have to do some real things for the people under our rule, a little sacrifice is unavoidable…”
“Ahem~~ Ahem cough cough~~~” Xu Hancheng coughed violently, eyes bulging round.
Seven or eight hundred silver dollars is little?!
This is silver dollars, not union bonds!
Don’t think Cao Weida throws around thousands or tens of thousands casually, but for most people, seven or eight hundred silver dollars a month is already astronomical!
For Xu Hancheng, it’s no small sum!
Those gangs do ‘show respect’, but everyone has connections behind them, many don’t take him seriously!
So, ‘showing respect’ is ‘showing respect’, but the amount isn’t much.
As for those without big backing, even less so, since they themselves don’t make much, where’s the money to ‘show respect’?
Thus, the respect he receives monthly is between three or four hundred to five or six hundred silver dollars.
Now, Cao Weida tells him he can stably get seven or eight hundred in ‘dividends’ monthly, and crucially from a ‘justice’ standpoint, how could he not be moved?
One is unstable 300-500, the other relatively stable seven or eight hundred, the latter with no worries and gains public support, only a fool wouldn’t know which is better!
Who would complain money is too hot to handle!
“Cao’er, you’re truly my own brother!” Xu Hancheng excitedly hugged Cao Weida, then was pushed away disgustedly by Cao Weida.
“Get off, get off, I’m male, like females, this embrace is reserved for beauties.”
“Go go go, always joking with your brother, as if I like men, your brother was just showing manly vigor for us men!” Xu Hancheng dissed verbally, but inwardly was blooming with joy.
Cao Weida wanted to befriend him, to expand connections after victory against Japan.
But at the same time, why wouldn’t he want to befriend Cao Weida?
Cao Weida’s close relationship with Ono Shiota and those Japanese army officers goes without saying, old news.
Just say Cao Weida speaks and acts impeccably, not arrogant despite ties to little devil higher-ups, ignoring him; instead humble attitude, not forgetting his share of benefits.
If it were the dead funeral stick and them, they’d hog all the money, attitudes extremely arrogant, not putting him the chief in their eyes.
Not afraid of not knowing good goods, afraid of comparing goods; under comparison, fools know who to get close to.
Now Cao Weida delivers a chance to get rich, and a wave of reputation earning!
Not to mention foresight seeing little devils sunset, just as an official, who doesn’t want people’s praise, like being reviled by thousands?
He’s not a masochist!
Reputation and riches double harvest, little devil side solved by Cao Weida, no reason to refuse!
Standing up, full of righteousness, passionately: “As police station chief, I Xu Hancheng shall protect public order for the people and merchants in the jurisdiction. If bullies oppress the good, I will punish severely without mercy!”
“Cao’er rest assured, I’ll immediately convene all sergeants and above to announce this.”
