Chapter 136: Cotton Jacket
Ling Xianwen sneered and shook his head: “You’re wrong about that. What has kept Lu Ying standing firm in Shanghai’s police circles for so many years?
The middle path.
He is a speculative type of bureaucrat. You give him benefits, he may not take them, but if you let him step into a pit, he definitely won’t.
The Japanese force him, and he has no choice, but as for how things actually turn out, there’s a lot of room to maneuver there. In the end, if problems arise, it has nothing to do with Lu Ying.
If you say he’s helping Minister Zhou do something, he definitely will, since the Japanese are forcing him.
But he absolutely won’t lean exclusively toward any single side. That’s determined by the position of Police Chief.
Otherwise, with Shanghai’s interests being so complex, if he couldn’t stay neutral, he would have been taken down long ago. The best outcome would be an assassination.”
Ling Xianwen gave a look, “If the Green Gang is dissatisfied, can he sit steady in his position? If the British are dissatisfied, can he sit steady in his position?
In his position, resentment from any one side being too great won’t do.”
Gu Yansheng nodded: “The Secretary-General sees through it clearly. Lu Ying is indeed that kind of person. Last time with the drugs matter, I got him to team up with me. I asked him to come to my office to discuss, and throughout he just reminded me once that this matter is hard to handle. Then he left, and he didn’t show up again until it was over.”
“Hahahaha.” Ling Xianwen laughed loudly: “Don’t let his enthusiasm fool you. He has a clear mirror in his heart. He knows exactly what favors he can help with and what he can’t.
Besides, what can that Wang fellow’s side give him?
Lu Ying is already Police Chief. If he rises further, once the new government is established, Nanjing’s Police Chief, or even Department Head of Police, will be given to him.
You think that makes sense?
It just sounds good. In terms of comfort, can it compare to running the Shanghai Police Station for so many years?
In Shanghai, he is the king. His villa is in the French Concession. Would Military Statistics Bureau go assassinate him? Chongqing might not even want him replaced.
If he goes to Nanjing, he’s just a land god, with a bunch of immortals above him. Even a dog could bark at him twice.”
“Hahahaha.” This time Gu Yansheng laughed.
Ling Xianwen saw Fu Xiao’an deflated and in a good mood, so he got talkative.
“To say what chip could move Lu Ying, there’s only one: Minister of Police Administration Department. But do you think that Wang fellow’s side would hand such a key position to an outsider like him? Impossible.”
“Impossible.” Gu Yansheng agreed, “Then let’s wait and watch the fun. Cotton yarn for 500,000 troops, that’s not easy to find.”
This matter has nothing to do with Gu Yansheng. Let them forced requisition if they want. If they requisition too much and cause trouble, the Japanese side will have issues again. In Shanghai, freeloading isn’t that easy.
Watch the show first.
Back in the office, Liu Xiaolou came to report: “Division Chief, Deputy Director Li from Agent Headquarters called. I told him you were in a meeting.”
“Good.”
Gu Yansheng called back: “Director Li, I was in a meeting just now.”
“Director Gu, there’s news on the Nanjing matter. When can you come over? Let’s eat.”
“Sure, noon then.”
At noon, Gu Yansheng headed to Agent Headquarters.
Once there, he went to find Ding Mocun first.
But along the way, why were the offices so empty? Had they all gone out on operations?
It didn’t seem like they went out for lunch at noon, because the cars parked outside had decreased.
Knock knock knock. The door was open, but Gu Yansheng knocked anyway.
“Brother Gu, how come you’re here?” Ding Mocun stood up with a smile to welcome him.
Gu Yansheng sat on the sofa casually, “Came to find Li Shiqun, not you.”
“Business?” Ding Mocun smiled: “Not including me? Then why come to me?”
Gu Yansheng looked puzzled and teased: “Didn’t you say it? When coming to Agent Headquarters, you have to see Director you first. Did you buy the new coffee machine?”
“Bought it, bought it. How could I not?” Ding Mocun was about to sit but stood up again to brew coffee, “Coffee beans are all imported, specially prepared for you. But I was just saying it casually, you can’t come specially for me.”
“Tch.” Gu Yansheng sneered: “How could I not come specially for you? How’s that matter? The thing with Li Shiqun is small stuff, but with you, it’s big business.”
“Don’t rush.”
Ding Mocun set down the coffee, then closed the door, came back to sit, and then said quietly: “It came out at the time, and the connections there were mostly cut off, right? Building trust requires more communication.”
“So has it been established or not?”
“It has.”
“Good, who?”
Ding Mocun chuckled: “You even need to ask this?”
Gu Yansheng chuckled: “What’s not to ask? We’re in the same boat on this business. If something happens later, won’t I have to help cover your ass? You think I’d leak secrets?”
Ding Mocun thought about it and said quietly: “Who else could I go to? My old leader, CC.”
“Oh~” Gu Yansheng nodded with a look of realization. Chiang’s world, Chen’s party—the Chen brothers are indeed powerful. “Good, they should have protection in Chongqing. That puts me at ease.”
“Reliable, right?” Ding Mocun threw him a smug little look. “If it weren’t powerful people, who would dare do this business?”
“Then when can we start?”
At this, Ding Mocun’s expression turned a bit troubled. “It’s still because of the departure. Everything else is fine. They need medicine too. But on the advance payment, they’re unwilling—not unwilling, but afraid I’m deliberately trying to cheat them out of a sum.”
“Haha.” Gu Yansheng laughed, “Honestly, if I were them, I’d think it’s possible too?”
Ding Mocun’s face tightened slightly. “Don’t joke. Say, what do we do? I can keep talking, but the effect might not be great.”
Gu Yansheng thought and said: “Then as you said, build trust slowly. First time shy, second time familiar. Treat it as starting business anew. We’ll be generous: for the first batch of goods, we’ll ship directly. You put up ten thousand US dollars, and I’ll cover the rest first.”
Ding Mocun pointed at him. “Impressive. I knew Brother Gu had guts.”
Speaking of it, the other side fears being cheated, but them cheating us isn’t impossible either. Before the deal succeeds, nothing is certain. Once the goods reach Nationalist controlled area, it’s not up to them anymore. This could lose money.
“Life is short; how many times do you get to go all in?”
For Gu Yansheng, even losing money wouldn’t matter. The most valuable part of this is everyone joining hands on the same boat.
“Since you have no issue, I’ll confirm the funding method with them?” Ding Mocun asked. “Anyway, once the goods reach Nationalist controlled area, they’ll handle the rest themselves.”
Gu Yansheng nodded. “Fine. I’ll get the goods from the businessmen side when I have time. After these days, there should be a batch turned over.”
“Good, let’s go eat.” With things settled, Ding Mocun stood up to head out.
Gu Yansheng looked disdainful. “No time. I really have business with Li Shiqun.”
Ding Mocun looked even more disdainful. “Fine, I’ll eat alone.”
“Hehehe.”
Gu Yansheng laughed and went out with him, asking: “Why is Agent Headquarters so empty today?”
“Gone to Southern Anhui.”
“Southern Anhui? Why so far?”
Ding Mocun sighed and tilted his head: “You don’t know about this? There’s a New Fourth Army of over ten thousand in Southern Anhui, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Very poor, the kind that can’t afford clothes.” Ding Mocun paused: “Southern Anhui is especially cold this winter. That bunch of New Fourth Army holed up in the mountains for winter—won’t they freeze into ice shards? If three or four thousand out of ten thousand survive, it’s lucky.
So the Japanese army planned to hit them while down, wiping out this bunch of starving, freezing remnants in one go. A couple days ago, the weather improved a bit, so the Japanese marched through the snow into the mountains. But who did they run into—not the nearly frozen New Fourth Army? Damn, the cotton jackets they wore were thicker than the Japanese army’s own.
The Japanese chewed dry rations and trekked long distances into the mountains, while the New Fourth Army ate hot meals in the mountains, waiting at ease. Upon contact, the Japanese were stunned. It was like sneaking attack and falling into a trap.”
“How could that be?” Gu Yansheng asked in surprise.
Ding Mocun shook his head with a sneer: “Who knows? The Japanese are baffled. Initially, the New Fourth Army did scrounge some cotton yarn from nearby towns, but their spies quickly found out. They calculated that the amount the New Fourth Army bought couldn’t possibly clothe everyone. That’s why they decided to march through snow for a hard hit.
But now they’re wearing thicker ones than them, took a loss, and came to us for trouble. They want us to send people to Southern Anhui to investigate where the New Fourth Army’s batch of cotton jackets came from.”
Gu Yansheng thought and asked, “How far is that from Nationalist controlled area?”
Ding Mocun recalled the battle situation. “Still some distance, not too far. Why?”
Gu Yansheng patted his back and leaned in: “This time sending people there, isn’t it perfect for you to set up your own site locally?
You said earlier the New Fourth Army scrounging cotton yarn was quickly discovered by Japanese spies. Using this investigation, won’t you clearly grasp who those spies are?
Note them down, avoid them later, and doesn’t that open up the land route? We’ll use water route as main, but if something blocks water route, using land route for a stretch delivers too, right?”
Ding Mocun paused, chuckled, finding it interesting: “You don’t say, that’s exactly it. The Japanese exposed all their local spies.”
Time to part, Gu Yansheng pointed toward Li Shiqun’s office and stopped. “When does the money arrive?”
“Afternoon, someone will deliver it.”
Waved goodbye.
Gu Yansheng went to Li Shiqun, knock knock knock.
“Director Li.”
“Director Gu, come, sit.” Li Shiqun took a telegram from the drawer and handed it over: “Take a look. Liu San’s report is in—way beyond expectations.”
“Really?” Gu Yansheng took the telegram and read.
Though Nanjing and Shanghai can now call directly, it’s limited—mostly for agencies and registered big trading firms. Ordinary people don’t qualify and can’t afford the fees. Considering Liu San and them have no clout in Nanjing, no need for phone; radio is more convenient.
The content gist: Nanjing property prices are ridiculously cheap. Liu San gave an example—Yihe Road villa district, once full of high officials, now mostly occupied by Japanese, but that was at the start.
Now time has passed, some Japanese are still selling, and some original foreign buyers here are selling too.
Far from their initial image of all Yihe Road villas occupied by Japanese high officials themselves.
And the cheapest villa on Yihe Road now costs only 800 silver dollars.
“800?” Gu Yansheng was shocked.
In Shanghai’s Zhabei, a two-story small standalone house costs 800 silver dollars, and that’s residential style. Nanjing’s top villa district is only 800 too.
“Cheap, right?” Li Shiqun sneered and shook his head: “Even I find this price unbelievable, way cheaper than I remembered.
Yihe Road houses at 800—in National Government Nanjing days, any major’s two years salary plus allowances exceeded 800.”
“Why so cheap?” Gu Yansheng frowned.
Li Shiqun sighed heavily: “Japanese killed too ruthlessly. Nanjing massacre so many, survivors fled or escaped. Who’d still invest in property? Look at Liu San’s residential investigation: ten or twenty silver dollars buys a set in Nanjing City. Even rickshaw pullers can afford it.”
Property prices reflect purchasing power. From this, postwar Nanjing’s economy is awfully bad.
Japanese are trash at economy. Or say, with war sustaining war, they never planned economy, aimed for quick sweep but failed, now seeking puppets for economy.
“Were you in Nanjing then, Director Li?”
Li Shiqun nodded. “Yes, left during the fiercest fighting, went back to lurk later. Not that. Look below, more fun stuff.”
“Fun stuff?”
Gu Yansheng read on, stunned by Liu San’s content: Old Jiang’s official residence, want Meiling Palace? Meiling Palace is for sale.
“Meiling Palace?”
Gu Yansheng’s eyes widened. Nanjing Japanese gone mad poor? Spotting an out-of-towner to fleece.
“This looks like a trap?”
“Definitely a trap.” Li Shiqun chuckled: “Meiling Palace so influential, if really selling, why wait? And selling Meiling Palace isn’t for one or two small Japanese to decide?
But Liu San did go in for a look. Even a major general might not have entered before; he managed it.
Meiling Palace can’t be bought, but he says villas around Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum are ok. Now mostly Japanese living there. Has a bit of Hongkou vibe? I think those will sell hot.”
Gu Yansheng nodded, read on. Liu San reported besides Yihe Road villa district and Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum villa district, there’s a nice Western-style villa district by Xuanwu Lake, very pretty.
But this villa district’s nature differs from the previous two.
Xuanwu Lake villas now confiscated by Japanese, but ownership complex: some Kuomintang generals’, some embassy staff private property from foreign consulates in Nanjing then.
Per Liu San inquiring Japanese, these embassy staff are making noise via connections to get them back or at least compensated.
But embassy staff so-called private property mostly bribe-bought houses, can’t hold up— their own countries know, might jail for bribery. So Japanese pretend not to see, want to confiscate.
Mainly these three villa districts; scattered mansions elsewhere are mostly businessmen’s, available everywhere.
