Chapter 81: Admit Your Mistakes, Stand At Attention For Punishment
There really is nothing new under the sun.
The Ming Dynasty empty seal case, even now, has just turned into a means for officials to cover for each other.
Qin Gang and Tang Yuelin exchanged a glance, both showing knowing smiles on their faces.
Chen Yang continued, “I’ve already arranged the matter for you two. This fee.”
Qin Gang quickly said, “No problem, Officer. Give us a number.”
Chen Yang was not polite either and took out a slip issued by Li Lang and handed it over.
“What? Eighty, eighty thousand silver dollars.” Seeing the quotation for something like “Yuan celadon hidden dragon vase” on it, Qin Gang nearly bit his own tongue.
“What’s wrong? Is eighty thousand silver dollars too expensive?” Chen Yang’s face instantly darkened. “These past two days, to settle your materials shortage, I’ve called in every connection I have.”
“Just from drinking, I’ve vomited over a dozen times. Who the hell am I doing this for?”
“If it weren’t for these slips, your report goes up and within a day, you two, including your boss Chen Jintao, would all be taken by the Japanese for tea.”
“Do you think what I settled for you was just the materials issue? Corruption and fake accounts, if exposed, are matters that cost lives…”
“But this is too much.” Qin Gang and Tang Yuelin instantly couldn’t smile anymore.
Chen Yang’s face darkened, and he said furiously, “Damn it, what do you two mean right now? Do you think I’m extorting you?”
“Are you two lobsters or something, with your heads full of shit?”
“I saved your lives, and eighty thousand silver dollars is too much?”
“From start to finish, did I ask for even one extra cent?”
“Damn…”
“Speaking without thinking…”
“No, no, no,” Tang Yuelin quickly said with a smile, “Officer, what are you talking about? You settled our accounts for us, of course it costs something. This is only right. How would we dare have any opinion?”
“Please rest assured, eighty thousand silver dollars will be delivered to Shopkeeper Li’s residence tomorrow.”
After saying that, Tang Yuelin did not forget to give Qin Gang a look.
Qin Gang lowered his head and said, “Officer, don’t be angry. It’s all our fault. Thank you, Officer, for helping us plan.”
“We will never forget the officer’s great kindness and virtue. Please, Officer, be magnanimous and forgive us for not speaking properly.”
Chen Yang’s expression softened slightly and he said flatly, “Director Tang seems to have misunderstood. It’s not eighty thousand, it’s eighty-four thousand four hundred silver dollars.”
“What relationship do you have with Shopkeeper Li? Why would he help you for nothing without any benefit?”
“For off-the-books accounts, three points on the pass-through is Shanghai custom. Do I need to remind you…?”
“Remember, before tomorrow evening, eighty-four thousand four hundred silver dollars, not one cent less.”
Tang Yuelin nodded and bowed, saying, “Understood, understood. We’ll go raise the money right away.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Officer…”
Shanghai, Gendarmerie Headquarters, Joint Special Higher Police Affairs Commander’s Office.
“What, materials loss of over three thousand tons?” Matsui Koji saw the damage figures reported by the Economic Department, and his face instantly turned flushed.
“A tiny little Economic Department just established, their entire materials warehouse isn’t even half a soccer field big. Where did they get over three thousand tons of materials from?”
“Lord Fujita, I now seriously suspect their reported numbers are fishy.”
“I demand to summon the Director of the Economic Department and those office directors under him right now.”
“They, they’re treating us like suckers like this.”
Fujita Go rubbed his temples in annoyance but had to dissuade, “Matsui-kun, I advise you to calm down a bit.”
“Do you have evidence now to prove their report is falsified?”
“All the in-and-out supply details are complete, and some of them are allocation slips from Gendarmerie Headquarters Logistics.”
“If you say these materials have issues, doesn’t that mean Gendarmerie Headquarters Logistics also has issues?”
“What? Are you planning to investigate Gendarmerie Headquarters too now?”
“May I ask what your position is now? Do you have the authority to question them?”
Matsui Koji still unconvinced said, “Lord Fujita, I can confirm their materials warehouse absolutely couldn’t have that much material.”
“If you don’t believe me, I can grab a few patrol personnel and warehouse managers from the materials warehouse, have them write confessions proving the quantity of materials.”
Fujita Go sneered, “Confessions? Heh, do you think that’s useful?”
“With just one confession and no supporting evidence, even if you take the case to Lord Otani, he won’t side with you.”
“Moreover, that Economic Department Director Chen Yang previously revealed his identity as a member of the Eighth Section of the Empire General Staff Office China Affairs Section.”
“That’s a department even Gendarmerie Headquarters has no authority over. Do you, a Special Higher Police Affairs Investigation Team Leader, want to summon him?”
“Aren’t you afraid Consul Iwai Koichi will complain to the homeland?”
“Heh, actually no need for the homeland. If he complains to Colonel Konan of the Central China Expeditionary Army Special Services Section, you’ll immediately be grabbed for an internal investigation by the Expeditionary Army Special Services Section.”
“Besides, at the start of this action, Director Chen clearly expressed refusal to cooperate with you.”
“It was you who promised the other side that if the materials warehouse had losses, Special Higher Police Affairs would handle it appropriately.”
“If it really escalates to the Military Department, they insist it was you acting alone causing immeasurable losses. How will you respond?”
“Will you say Major Ando was too careless, didn’t choose to set up an ambush at the materials warehouse, so this unexpected incident occurred?”
“Are you trying to put Matsui-kun on the fire?”
“Over a little materials issue, to take down an investigation team section chief plus an action team section chief, wouldn’t the Shanghai Joint Special Higher Police Affairs become a joke?”
“If that really happens, how will General Dohihara see me? How will I explain to the homeland?”
Upon hearing this, Matsui Koji immediately deflated like a punctured ball, unable to say a word.
“Matsui-kun, there’s a Chinese saying that fits perfectly: if you’re wrong, admit it; if beaten, stand straight.”
“I’ve read the report on this matter. It was indeed because you and Matsui-kun didn’t prepare fully that led to the failure of the two actions.”
“As your superior, I also have undeniable responsibility, so for this matter up to now, minimizing the impact is enough.”
“For future such actions, you must carefully screen the other’s intentions and not be easily deceived again.”
“As for the Economic Department’s compensation, the action team previously seized some medicine smuggled by French people.”
“I’ve already applied to Major Suzuhara of the Logistics Department for a batch of materials, and together with the medicine, send it to the materials warehouse. This matter is settled.”
“You now have more important matters to handle.”
Saying this, Fujita Go flipped through the information on the desk and took out a report: “This is a secret just sent from the Nanjing Special Higher Police Affairs.”
“The Blue Army’s Fourth Front Army, established in October last year, received orders to move from southern Jiangxi to the Jiangsu-Anhui area.”
“In early May, Imperial Troops stationed in the Jiangjiahe area had a small-scale clash with them, with over twenty Imperial casualties.”
“The other side also had quite a few dead and wounded. A few days ago, Imperial reconnaissance troops learned their position and launched an encirclement and suppression.”
“Although most of them escaped the encirclement, it still caused no small damage.”
“Latest news, their troops sent people to Shanghai to procure medicine to treat the wounded. Our current mission is to quickly determine who exactly came.”
