Chapter 137: Firearms
“Finished reading? What do you think?” Director Li asked with a smile.
“Then let’s buy it. I don’t think we need to waste time negotiating the price. Just bargain a bit and buy directly.” Gu Yansheng put down the telegram. “They’re all so cheap already. What’s there to consider? I originally thought ten thousand US dollars was the deposit, but in the end, ten thousand US dollars can buy dozens of sets. It’s all become full payment.”
Buy them up—however many there are, buy that many. Then sell them all to those tycoons going to Nanjing to take office.
Stockpile two or three hundred sets, sweep up everything on the market. And Director Li, I think if there really are good houses, even if the owner isn’t willing to sell at first, we can increase the price to buy them. Market price of 1000, we offer 1200 or 1300—isn’t he willing to sell then?
Then when we resell, we still make a profit. The key is that the houses have to be good.
Director Li nodded. “Alright, then I’ll reply to him right away. Wait for me. Once the reply is sent, we’ll go eat.”
Director Li called someone from the telegraph room, gave instructions on the telegram, had him send it out immediately, then dispatched someone to deliver money to Nanjing right away.
After giving the instructions, he called Gu Yansheng to go eat together.
While walking, Director Li said, “There’s something I want to inquire about with you.”
Gu Yansheng was straightforward. “What is it? Tell me.”
Director Li said quietly, “The Japanese suffered a defeat over in Southern Anhui and discovered there were too many New Fourth Army uniforms.”
Director Li’s phrasing was about the same as Ding Mocun’s side.
But Director Li’s problem was, “The Japanese now suspect that some businessman in Southern Anhui is connected to the Communists. They want us to send people to Southern Anhui for a secret investigation, to visit and probe this matter.”
But I think, weren’t we doing the cotton yarn business back then? I recall that the cotton yarn price in Shanghai wasn’t good at that time. Do you think it could be that someone in Shanghai transported cotton yarn to Southern Anhui?”
Gu Yansheng halted his steps, eyes widening. “You suspect Fu Xiao’an is connected to the Communists? No way?”
Director Li sneered, then quickly waved his hand. “I’m not suspecting he’s connected to the Communists, but the market price was bad back then. With so much stock in his hands, how was he going to sell it? We don’t even know if he’s sold it all now.”
He definitely wouldn’t sell it personally, but might he have forced his subordinates to sell the goods to recycle funds? The subordinate merchants, desperate, took risks and sold cotton yarn to the New Fourth Army?
That’s possible, isn’t it?
And according to the newspaper, his funds weren’t very ample for a while recently.
Gu Yansheng of course knew about this. Placing an ad in the newspaper asking the mayor for money—wasn’t that your masterpiece, great Director Li?
After mentally assessing the matter, Gu Yansheng hissed thoughtfully and said, “If you put it that way, then yes, it’s possible. But if you want to investigate Fu Xiao’an’s people, that won’t be easy to check.”
“It’s not easy to check.” Director Li frowned in deep thought, silent. “He has such deep connections at Nanjing Headquarters. If things go wrong, I might not be able to extricate myself. But Kageza’s side wants us to find the person. I have to turn in some results, right?”
“Just randomly pick someone in Southern Anhui. Won’t that settle the matter?” Gu Yansheng offered a bad idea to back him up, raising his brows and halting his steps.
Director Li noticed the anomaly and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I just remembered something.” Gu Yansheng frowned and said, “Back when you arrested Wan Molin, Fu Xiao’an was very eager to release the prisoner. He’s the mayor, so it’s understandable he’d want to release him in this matter. I also wanted you to release Wan Molin.”
But at the time, Secretary-General Ling and I were still discussing how to handle this, how to broach it with the Japanese.
Fu Xiao’an proactively called, suggesting we go together to Gendarmerie Headquarters to mediate, which finally led to Wan Molin’s release.
At first glance, there’s no problem with this. It affected Shanghai’s economy, so release the prisoner.
But Shanghai’s economy being damaged wasn’t the first time. Why didn’t Fu Xiao’an step in to mediate before? He just lay in bed pretending to be ill.
But with Wan Molin, he was particularly enthusiastic.
I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that you mention it, could it be that Wan Molin handled the transport, Fu Xiao’an supplied the goods, Kuomintang-Communist cooperation?
Director Li frowned tightly at this explanation. The whole matter sounded very complicated.
If deeply investigated, it’s not impossible. The New Fourth Army belongs to the National Revolutionary Army’s combat sequence. Although Ding Mocun said Old Jiang deliberately withheld the New Fourth Army’s military expenses, he definitely doesn’t want the New Fourth Army wiped out either. Otherwise, Jiangnan would lose an anti-Japanese armed force.
It’s possible to have Wan Molin deliver the goods. Wan Molin also has that ability.
But now that Wan Molin has been released, he’s been directly sent by Military Statistics Bureau to Hong Kong to recuperate. To investigate this, unless we directly kidnap Fu Xiao’an, it’s extremely hard to make a move.
“Let’s eat first, eat first.”
After eating, Gu Yansheng went to find Shen Linshen to make clothes.
“Master Shen, the weather is getting hot. Make two sets of spring clothes.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gu, for taking care of the business. You look like a blessed man. Maybe you ate a bit too much this winter and gained a little weight. Let’s take measurements.”
Gu Yansheng spread his arms, letting Shen Linshen take measurements.
“The Japanese Army in Southern Anhui wanted to sneak attack into the mountains to hit the nearly frozen-to-death New Fourth Army but took a loss. The Japanese had Agent Headquarters send a large troop to Southern Anhui to investigate where the New Fourth Army got their clothing. If you have people in the city, remind them to keep a low profile. Don’t show their faces these days.”
Shen Linshen didn’t know Agent Headquarters’ news. He narrowed his eyes but kept working. “Alright, I got it.”
The New Fourth Army in Southern Anhui had someone bring me a message saying the Japanese took a loss but have no intention of stopping. Instead, they’re preparing a big sweep to save face, and they’re already assembling troops.
I asked them what they needed. They said clothing and medicine are still okay, but they’ve been surrounded and endured another winter. If the Japanese sweep hard, even the scattered sources from villagers here might be cut off, and their grain reserves won’t last long.
But the most serious shortage is guns and bullets.
The Third War Zone has been withholding their supplies. Now they have less than five bullets per person on average, several people sharing one gun. Most are fighting the Japanese with big knives and spears. It’s very tough.
“Too harsh.” Gu Yansheng frowned. “Old Jiang’s selfishness is too great. He wants the New Fourth Army to hold back the Japanese Army but won’t give them weapons and bullets. I’ll figure something out. Chen Mo said there are some foreign arms dealers in Shanghai. We’ll find these people and buy ourselves. I’ll provide the money.”
“By the way, any progress from the organization on vetting Chen Mo’s side?”
Shen Linshen shook his head. “No specific reply, so probably not done. The difficulty is how a stranger approaches Chen Mo, creates an opportunity to negotiate, without being closely watched by Chen Mo’s subordinates. His subordinates definitely include Military Statistics Bureau people too. Who are confidants and who are outsiders, only Chen Mo knows.”
Gu Yansheng nodded. If Chen Mo directly told him about the arms dealers, of course it would be more convenient.
If not, it’s still doable. Start from the Green Gang—they definitely know where to get guns.
But actually, Chen Mo’s side could use a push.
“Like this: you suggest to the organization that they can send someone to contact Chen Mo, under the pretext of doing business.”
Chen Mo is under Du Yuesheng’s name and already has business. Just find some business to negotiate, use legitimate business as cover, find a chance for a private talk, reveal identity, and straight up say the New Fourth Army wants to buy guns from him. Ask if he’s willing to help.
If he helps buy, fine. If he provides us a list of arms dealers, also fine. As long as he helps once, doesn’t that test if he at least supports the New Fourth Army’s anti-Japanese efforts?
The whole process has nothing to do with his Military Statistics Bureau identity, just purely whether he supports anti-Japanese resistance. Chen Mo’s choice becomes much simpler.
“Good idea.” Shen Linshen thought about it and nodded. “Don’t expose that we know his Military Statistics Bureau identity first, just do business. Indeed easier to get him to side with us. Yes, I’ll suggest it to the organization right away.”
Once there’s one time, there can be a second. After helping once, next time something comes up, it’s still negotiable.
And the chance of refusal isn’t high.
“Right, Agent Headquarters’ attention is on Southern Anhui now. Timing is perfect.” Gu Yansheng thought and smiled. “They go to Southern Anhui, we procure in Shanghai. By the time they return from investigating Southern Anhui, we ship to Southern Anhui. A case of living worlds apart.”
Shen Linshen laughed upon hearing it. “It’d be great if the timing works out that well.”
“Man makes the opportunity. For the guns, let’s do it this way first. Your people are all ordinary folks not mixed in gangs. Don’t get them involved in this. Let the organization handle it themselves.”
The Underground Party’s Shanghai Special Section used to be a major player in Shanghai too, with a vast network of relationships. Special Section’s General Affairs Section could directly purchase guns from foreign firms anytime.
But due to key figures defecting, Central Statistics Bureau uprooted it entirely, destroying the whole system.
Now all networks are gone. Even the underground black market doesn’t recognize people anymore. Rebuilding takes a lot of effort and patience.
“Alright, then I’ll arrange the grain matter first.”
Grain doesn’t have to come through Shanghai. Can buy in Suzhou or Anhui. The issue is just transportation—how to evade the Japanese blockade and get it into the mountains.
This still needs careful study.
“You just said Agent Headquarters went to Southern Anhui. If they pursue this, could it lead back to you?”
“No. Even if Agent Headquarters traces the goods to Shanghai, they’ll get stuck at Japanese transport section’s Colonel Kobayashi first and can’t go further. Plus, I’ve muddied the waters.”
Gu Yansheng smiled and told about throwing Fu Xiao’an out to take the blame.
Shen Linshen was stunned. “Is Fu Xiao’an really from Chongqing?”
“Doesn’t seem like it. I more believe he might have some contact with Chongqing, like doing some business, but the specifics are still very vague. Hard to say.”
Even if Fu Xiao’an is from Chongqing, he won’t go down easily. His connections are at Nanjing Command Headquarters. Director Li wants to catch his problem—too hard.
Fu Xiao’an won’t act personally. Director Li can’t grab actual evidence. So even if it’s Fu Xiao’an’s subordinates who acted, once Director Li moves, Fu Xiao’an himself will counterattack.
He’s deeply rooted in Shanghai. As long as there’s no solid evidence proving he has a problem, he can always deflect.
If subordinates have issues, that doesn’t prove he does, right?
Shen Linshen thought it over and nodded. For now, this is good for them. Stir up Shanghai’s waters as much as possible—the muddier, the better.
Ordered two sets of spring clothes. Gu Yansheng returned to the Judicial Department.
As soon as he arrived, Liu Xiaolou came over. “Director, at noon Vice Mayor Luo called, asking if you were in. I told him you were out on business. He asked me to tell you, once you’re back, to go see him.”
“Go see him?” Gu Yansheng raised his brow and repeated.
Luo Junqiang always had troublesome matters in hand. What did he want?
Really didn’t want to see this person, but trouble came to the door—no choice.
“Alright, then I’ll go over.”
Gu Yansheng strolled upstairs and knocked on the door.
“Mayor Luo.”
“Director Gu, you’re here. Come in.” Luo Junqiang stood up with a smile to welcome him, gesturing toward the sofa. “Sit, sit. Little Ma, tea.”
“Mayor Luo, what matter do you have looking for me?” Gu Yansheng smiled and asked directly.
Luo Junqiang waited for the secretary to pour the tea, waved him out, then said, “It’s like this. After the morning meeting, I chatted with Lu Ying and got a general understanding of Shanghai’s current situation.”
The supplies we need to collect are basically in the hands of big merchants—the concession foreigners, and some local big businessmen. Of course, small merchants’ power isn’t great individually, but there are many of them, and combined, the quantity is considerable.
So, I considered it. Collect donations from major merchants proportionally.
The proportion doesn’t need to be large. Everyone contributes half a month’s or one month’s output. Won’t that cover the cotton yarn and grain needed for the 500,000 troops? It won’t affect their profits much.
But I know in reality, whenever money’s involved, some won’t be willing.
So I need Director Gu’s side to help. Issue a batch of seal-up orders. If any merchant really refuses to donate, provide legal basis and seal up on the spot.
Gu Yansheng wanted to laugh hearing this. Using his Judicial Department’s reputation to collect grain for you—why?
Gu Yansheng nodded. “So what’s the specific legal basis for the seal-ups?”
Luo Junqiang seemed not to understand, saying strangely, “You’re the Director of the Judicial Department. You find the legal basis. As long as it can intimidate them by sealing, any reason is fine. Smuggling, tax evasion, whatever.”
Gu Yansheng paused, then chuckled lightly. “Mayor Luo, I understand. The Judicial Department can cooperate with the action. But if they haven’t broken the law and won’t donate, do I seal or not? Does the Judicial Department still uphold the law?”
“The government is the law.” Luo Junqiang tapped the armrest with his finger, face serious. “If they won’t donate, they don’t support the government. If they don’t support, why talk law with them? Aren’t they just a bunch of troublemakers?”
“Director Gu, from what you’re saying, you’re not unwilling, are you?”
Gu Yansheng waved his hand with a smile. “How could that be? Of course I support the work. We’ll do exactly as Mayor Luo says. No problem from me.”
