Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Guarding A Mountain Of Gold And Seeing Nothing
“This” Bai Lianqi groaned inwardly. What the hell did he know? He didn’t even know who these two authors were. If Cao Weida hadn’t said the names, he wouldn’t even recognize them fully.
Who knew if it wasn’t casually painted by one of his ancestors’ concubines?
Dezi tugged at his sleeve from the side and muttered, “Master, why don’t we go ask around near Liulichang?”
Liulichang was an important cultural commercial district in the Republic of China, holding very significant status in the book business, antique business, and cultural exchange.
Also because there were more and more downfallen Bannerman descendants, more and more people went to Liulichang to sell antiques and calligraphy paintings, bringing unprecedented prosperity to Liulichang’s antique business.
This therefore attracted numerous collectors to the place, further promoting Liulichang’s prosperity.
Since Beiping fell, Liulichang’s business was greatly affected. Numerous old book business and antique business shops closed one after another, presenting a scene of desolation and coldness, though a few shops barely scraped by.
Dezi’s meaning was to go ask around those antique shops near Liulichang. After all, shop around and compare.
“Go go go, Master is speaking, don’t interrupt.” Bai Lianqi glared Dezi back. Among these descendants of Bannermen, face mattered most!
He only knew eat, drink, play, and fun. The seal script on that painting looked like spider crawls—who knew what it said.
As for the painting, he understood it even less. Anyway, he didn’t see anything pretty about a painting.
He didn’t even know who Ma Xianglan was. If he really passed it off as a famous painting for appraisal and people found out, they wouldn’t laugh their teeth out!
Master Bai couldn’t afford to lose that face!!
Besides, what if it wasn’t a famous painting, just some random scribble by one of his ancestors’ concubines when idle? If appraised and found worthless, not even worth sixty silver dollars—what then?
Turning back, he licked his face again and said, “Cao Ye, I wouldn’t dare hide from you. I really don’t know who this Ma something is. Mainly my knowledge is shallow. But you said it yourself—this painting is pretty!
Just for the painting being pretty, it must have had some fame before.
You know my family was rich before. If not a somewhat famous painting, my Bai family’s old ancestors wouldn’t have taken it.
Like this—if you really think it’s expensive, I’ll let a bit more. Ninety, ninety should be fine.
Can’t go lower, or I’d be letting down my ancestors!”
He wasn’t without the thought of making up a story to fool Cao Weida, but he just thought about it and gave up.
Not that he couldn’t, mainly he didn’t dare.
This guy was an official. He was just a little civilian now. If the guy found out he was bullshitting, he might come knocking to settle accounts.
Heh, as if selling for ninety would honor your ancestors.
Not to mention ninety—even nine hundred or nine thousand, you’re still a prodigal defiling your ancestors!
Cao Weida sneered inwardly. After pondering on his face for a moment, he said for difficulty:
“You’re right, but who knows if it’s worth anything? I don’t understand this stuff. Key is you can’t say anything specific.
I’m not in it to make money—just want it for the pretty painting.
Like this—I’ll step back too. Eighty, eighty and I’ll take it. If it works, great; if not, forget it. You look elsewhere.”
With that, he made to stand, clearly intending to leave.
Seeing Cao Weida about to go, Bai Lianqi panicked immediately. “Wait, Cao Ye, just for you treating me to eat today, I’ll give you face! Eighty it is! I’m letting it to you!”
Tch, as if you’re so generous. You could only sell it for fifty silver dollars originally—now I give you eighty, go ahead and be secretly happy.
Cao Weida had zero guilt about ripping people off and directly pulled out fifty silver dollars and 3800 union bonds to hand over.
“I left in a hurry, only brought fifty silver dollars. Thirty silver dollars at current exchange is 3720—I’ll round to 3800. That work?”
“Sure, perfect!” Bai Lianqi grinned ear to ear. Union bonds still had some purchasing power nowadays, though continuously devaluing, they were still usable.
Plus eighty extra—he was thrilled inside.
As if afraid Cao Weida would back out, he stuffed the money hard into his pocket. “Cao Ye, we’re square on the goods now—no backing out!”
“Rest assured, I Cao Weida—one spit one nail. Once I decide, no regrets.” He rolled up the orchid bamboo painting and put it in the box.
“Then that’s it for now. I have something else—heading out.”
“Alright, Cao Ye, take care!”
“Tsk, picked up a bargain.” Cao Weida was in a good mood—not only profited nearly three thousand silver dollars, but most importantly protected an old ancestors’ calligraphy painting from falling into the little devils’ hands.
“Master, we’re here.”
The car slowly stopped not far from Gendarmerie Headquarters. After paying the fare, Cao Weida grinned and greeted the guards upfront, casually handing over a few packs of smokes.
The guards happily took them. This guy was a regular here—always scored some benefits on each visit. They wished he’d come every few days.
“Cao Sang, Officer Fujita is already waiting for you. Go right in.”
“Knock knock knock~”
“Squish squish~~”
“Hm?”
Cao Weida stood at the door in knocking pose, baffled, and doubtfully looked at the little devil translator who’d brought him.
The little devil translator kindly explained, “Cao Sang, Officer Fujita says go in.”
“Oh oh, thanks.”
After entering, Cao Weida did a half-assed salute. “Report—Police Station Patrol Captain Cao Weida sends greetings to Officer Fujita!”
“Hahaha~~ Cao Sang, no saluting—that motion’s all wrong. Sit quick. No need to stand on ceremony with me.”
“Ono-kun already told me the situation. Don’t worry—as long as we can screw those Naval forces, I’ll fully cooperate!”
He took a file bag from the locked drawer. “These are the diehards already arrested from Underground Party, Military Statistics Bureau, and Central Statistics Bureau. Pick any you want!”
He took out another file bag. “This is the list of suspected Underground Party and Kuomintang agents. Red-circled ones are already interrogated; unmarked are not yet.”
“Some of these are in East Asia Academic Research Association’s dungeon, a few in our Gendarmerie Headquarters, others in Special Higher Police and Matsui Special Agency.”
“Don’t worry—as long as you need them, just say the word. For Gendarmerie Headquarters and East Asia Academic Research Association, I’ll write the chit—you go pick up people directly!”
“For Matsui Special Agency, go straight to Matsui-kun. Special Higher Police might be tricky, but I think the first three places should suffice.”
Tsk, these little devil Army guys really went all-in to screw the Navy hard.
Cao Weida was nearly laughing himself numb inside. He took the two file bags and opened them right there to flip through without hesitation.
His gaze scanned ten lines at a glance, his heart growing heavy.
The two file bags held a full seventy-six people!
Men and women among them, all arrested within half a year.
As for beyond half a year—no need to guess: either turned traitor or killed.
He suppressed his heart’s rage and said surprised, “Fujita-kun, lots of arrests!”
“Our Great Japanese Empire’s special agents have some skill, but for dealing with your China’s agents, East Asia Academic Research Association’s bunch is even better.”
Hearing this, Cao Weida gnashed his teeth inside—these traitors were even more hateful than the little devils!
Actually, at first the little devils’ special agents didn’t achieve much against China’s agents.
As outsiders, language barriers and ignorance of Chinese society and customs made it hard to infiltrate the populace and anti-Japanese organizations.
Until notorious No. 76 and East Asia Academic Research Association and such traitor special agent agencies were set up, rapidly “homelandizing” the little devils’ special agent power.
Especially since many in these agencies came from Military Statistics Bureau and Central Statistics Bureau, knowing Kuomintang agents too well—effects were immediate upon founding.
Then, more traitors appeared.
These traitors knew anti-Japanese organizations’ operations, codes, weaknesses, and comrades’ beliefs and soft spots.
They knew only by destroying these anti-Japanese forces’ will could they fully eliminate their own threat.
Thus, anti-Japanese organizations’ agents suffered heavy losses for a time.
Even, these traitor special agents were more cruel and extreme toward China agents than the little devils’ special agents.
One, to show loyalty to new masters, shed suspicion of traitor status, gain Japanese puppet regime forces’ trust.
In their view, the harsher to anti-Japanese comrades, the better to show “total surrender” to Japanese Army and puppet regime—trading for trust, status, and survival space, like a pledge of allegiance.
Two, to cover inner fear and guilt—quite pathological actually.
Betrayal itself means betraying faith, even nation and comrades—traitors’ hearts full of guilt and fear.
Fearing settlement by original organization and suspicion by new masters, they doubly cruelly treat former comrades, trying to mask inner wavering and unease with such resolute posture—or understood as numbing their conscience by harming others.
Cao Weida didn’t want to dwell on this—he feared revealing killing intent. If Fujita sensed it, that’d be bad.
He immediately changed topic, exasperatedly saying, “Fujita-kun, with a gold mountain right before you, why ignore it?”
“Hm? What gold mountain?”
Fujita Sosuke was a bit confused, but seeing the materials in Cao Weida’s hand, he got it. “You mean… these people?”
“What else?” Cao Weida annoyedly slapped his forehead.
“My bad—too busy before helping those ‘friends’ clear misunderstandings, forgot friends can be developed more!”
“Fujita-kun, think—these are all guys with ‘parents.’ Plus their ‘misunderstanding’ with you is deeper. Wouldn’t their ‘parents’ pay even more to ‘clear misunderstandings’?”
