Chapter 149: West Shanghai
“The Japanese are raising us like gu insects.” Ling Xianwen let out a sigh.
“Everyone, I have to say something about this matter. We still need to help each other, and we absolutely cannot undermine each other, or else no one will have a good time.” The Director of Finance said.
They were all shrewd people. The first thing they thought of was not to undermine each other, or else everyone would just compete to be the worst. Could the Japanese fire them all?
No one believed this, but if they really started undermining each other, some could stay while others definitely couldn’t. The Japanese would surely kill the chicken to warn the monkey, and that would be certain death.
Wang Rusong nodded in agreement. “We also know the situation in Shanghai. Each place has its own strengths, so we must cooperate with each other to get by in the future. But why did I draw West Shanghai? Damn it, even a dog would lose a layer of skin going there. That place has the most street fights, brawls, drunken disturbances, and local ruffians.”
Fu Xiao’an disagreed with this. “West Shanghai actually has a good foundation. At least it has factory buildings. I remember West Shanghai’s taxation is only 4 million silver dollars now. If the factories really get going, a 30 percent increase would be easy.”
“Mayor, that’s easier said than done.” Wang Rusong sneered. “Given Shanghai’s current situation, it’s already good if we don’t move industries out. Who would want to come to Shanghai to do industry? Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t come.
And even if they came, in three months, they couldn’t even build the factory buildings, let alone industry. They wouldn’t even have time to buy machinery.
West Shanghai’s current trade volume is estimated at 16 million silver dollars a year, with taxation at 4 million. An extra 1.2 million in taxation would require West Shanghai to have an extra 4.8 million in business operations. Where would that come from?”
The Director of Finance suddenly laughed and blinked. “Actually, it’s simple. Don’t calculate it that way. Calculate 4 million, which is 330,000 per month. Thirty percent is 100,000. You just make up 100,000 silver dollars yourself, and the mission is completed, right?”
Wang Rusong glared. “So I’m spending money to work? Pasting over 10,000 US dollars a month to go to work?”
“Hahahahahaha.”
“I’m off. Anyway, I don’t dare eat the stuff here. Tomorrow I’ll go pick a location. Pudong is only two hours round trip. I don’t have time to come to City Government to work. Brothers, call me if there’s something.”
At this, everyone cast sympathetic looks. At least they were still in the urban area. Going to Pudong was indeed quite remote.
Then Luo Junqiang left with a dark face too. He was also Pudong.
Then the one for Wusongkou left too, preparing to go blow some sea breeze.
“Let’s go too.”
Wang Rusong pulled Gu Yansheng and left.
As soon as they exited the door, he sighed. “Brother Gu, our luck is bad. We got West Shanghai. But now there’s no choice. Brother knows you’re capable. Tell me, do you think this has any chance?”
“We should go take a look first. Besides going to Agent Headquarters in West Shanghai, I know nothing about the situation there.”
West Shanghai territory was vast, already a suburb in the SH urban area. West of the Concession was West Shanghai. The location of Agent Headquarters was a few hundred meters past the westernmost edge of the Concession.
Whether West Shanghai was a good place for economic development, Gu Yansheng didn’t know.
But what Wang Rusong had just said about smuggling, chaos, river bandits—it all sounded like advantages?
There were many places that could be utilized.
“Brother, bring the taxation data tomorrow. Since we’re in some broken place without even an office building, let’s meet first at Shanghai West Police Station. We’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.”
The next day, Gu Yansheng first went to Agent Headquarters to find Director Li.
“Director Li, busy?”
“Director Gu.”
Li Shiqun came out smiling to welcome him. Thinking Gu Yansheng had come to ask about the houses, he said directly, “They’ve already started buying on the Nanjing side, bought quite a few. Yesterday’s telegram said they’ve bought 129 sets, all good houses in good locations.”
Gu Yansheng waved his hand and plopped down on the sofa. “I don’t have time to care about that now. A Japanese lieutenant general came to Shanghai. Do you know about this?”
“I know. What’s up?” Agent Headquarters had an informant at the airport, so Li Shiqun knew about such a big event right away.
Gu Yansheng recounted what happened at yesterday’s meeting.
Li Shiqun listened in a daze, then pondered and said, “The Japanese are really clever. Their idea is great—making you all rack your brains to make money. If it’s really 30 percent in three months, then if he adds more later, he’ll collect tens of millions more silver dollars in taxation in a year?
But you got West Shanghai. I feel it’s not hard to complete.”
“How so?”
“I’m most familiar with West Shanghai.” Li Shiqun brewed coffee for Gu Yansheng. “West Shanghai’s chaos is because of unclear property rights.
When the Concession was first established, West Shanghai was clearly China’s territory. But later, the Concession Public Works Bureau and Municipal Council got ambitious, stuffed some money to the officials at the time, and signed a supplementary agreement. Houses kept building outward, so many places in West Shanghai became Concession assets.
But when the situation changed, this dynasty’s officials wouldn’t recognize it, saying the original agreement didn’t include this land. But the Concession’s money was given, and the houses were built. Asking them to spit it out just like that is impossible.
The two sides argued endlessly, so this land became a disputed area. Everyone wanted to manage it, but it developed into no one letting anyone manage it. If you manage it, what about my losses on houses and factories? If I manage it, you think it’s legally yours. So the Police Station and police station are both stirring things up here. The Japanese haven’t fully taken it even now.
So all sorts of people mixed in here.
So I think if you just want to complete the mission, it’s simple. Give the actual operating rights of all factories back to the Concession, on the premise that they help you solve the 30 percent taxation. I think that’s easy. They’d definitely be willing.”
“What kind of idea is that.” Gu Yansheng sneered irritably. “Ceding land—if the Japanese find out, how can I still mix around?”
Li Shiqun laughed. “Didn’t the Japanese say it themselves? You can do whatever, they don’t care, they only look at the money.”
“Fine, then I’ll sell your Agent Headquarters to the Concession for 100,000 silver dollars to hold us over for three months.”
“Hahahaha.”
Li Shiqun stopped laughing. “Seriously, it’s really not hard. Chaos has its benefits. West Shanghai has opium, black market, foreign enterprises, casino brothels, and so on.
Besides foreign enterprises being hard to touch, for the other places, have them give face and sell it. Gathering 100,000 silver dollars in taxation in three months isn’t hard. With the transition of the first three months, you’d have six months to bring in a few factories, and wouldn’t that solve it?”
Gu Yansheng nodded. “That’s a proper idea. What about after six months? Thirty percent increase in the first three months, fifty percent in the first six months, and after six months, the Japanese add another twenty percent. What then?”
“They wouldn’t be that ruthless, right?” Li Shiqun frowned and thought. “If they really do that, even immortals couldn’t complete it. The Japanese surely don’t plan to double Shanghai’s taxation in a year, do they?”
Gu Yansheng sneered. “Fine, I’m off. Just came to say we’re going to be neighbors. Are there any houses nearby that can serve as an office? We don’t even have a foothold here.”
“What’s the rush? You haven’t finished your coffee.” Li Shiqun thought and said, “Houses are easy. West Shanghai has plenty. If you want close to the Concession and safe, Yuyuan Road 749 Lane. Not far out the door, my house is there.
There’s a Japanese gendarme squad next door and an Italian barracks. That place is basically the Concession. All western-style villas. One end of the alley connects here, the other to the Concession.
And if you want to relax at night, it’s very close to the Paramount.”
Safety was something that really had to be considered on the surface. You couldn’t not consider it.
But being too close to Li Shiqun wasn’t a good thing.
“Can it accommodate a few people?”
“Depends on how many. A few is fine, a dozen for office work is okay. More than that isn’t convenient. How big can a small villa be? If you bring a lot of people, either rent two more sets, or switch to a bigger place like mine and renovate it yourself. It can hold hundreds or thousands.”
“I’ll think about it. Alright, I really have to go. Someone’s waiting for me at the police station.” Gu Yansheng finished his coffee and prepared to leave.
Li Shiqun said “hey” and stood up to ask, “Which district did Fu Xiao’an get assigned to?”
“Concession. Why?” Gu Yansheng felt this question was a bit off.
Li Shiqun narrowed his eyes and sneered, “Last time I thought Fu Xiao’an was a bit off, didn’t you? You also thought he was off.”
“Huh?”
“I checked a bit, and I really found something.”
Gu Yansheng widened his eyes in surprise. “Is Fu Xiao’an really Military Statistics Bureau?”
Li Shiqun frowned and shook his head. “Not sure yet. Hard to investigate Fu Xiao’an. Last time you said you thought it was off that Fu Xiao’an helped Wan Molin plead at Gendarmerie Headquarters. So I had people check Fu Xiao’an’s business during that time, and I found some anomalies.
My people inquired that Fu Xiao’an was actually preparing to dispose of some industries at that time. Buyers were contacted—a American in the Concession. But at the last moment, Fu Xiao’an wouldn’t sell. He breached the contract and still wouldn’t sell, paying a deposit of 10,000 silver dollars.
This shows his finances really had problems then. But look at him now—does he seem to have problems?
Where did the money come from?
And the breach happened on the exact day Wan Molin was released.”
Gu Yansheng pondered and frowned. “This doesn’t prove anything. It just shows Fu Xiao’an might have found some money to get through the crisis. Isn’t his son at the bank? Maybe he got him a loan?”
“You hit the key point.” Li Shiqun smiled mysteriously. “Do you know who the real behind-the-scenes controller of Zhonghui Bank, where his son is, is?”
“Who?”
“Du Yuesheng.”
“Oh~” Gu Yansheng nodded in realization. “That really could be it.”
So when Wan Molin was caught, Du Yuesheng might have sent a telegram to find Fu Xiao’an, asking him to step in and save the man, in exchange for a loan.
That’s why Fu Xiao’an was so enthusiastic.
Understood. Fu Xiao’an definitely wasn’t Military Statistics Bureau.
This resolved a doubt in Gu Yansheng’s mind.
“You can even find this out? Did you arrest someone from Zhonghui Bank?”
“No arrest. A few of Du Yuesheng’s subordinates were arrested by me back then. This was in their confessions.”
Li Shiqun pondered. “Now it’s certain Fu Xiao’an has ties to Chongqing. But Zhonghui Bank is in French Concession, so this can’t be investigated further. And even if it could, finding the ledgers wouldn’t mean much.
Zhonghui Bank lending to Fu Xiao’an isn’t the first time. If it happens again, he’d have a plausible excuse on the surface.”
“Alright, don’t make trouble for yourself.” Gu Yansheng laughed. “Fu Xiao’an has such good relations with Nanjing Headquarters. If you check his accounts and it pulls in the Japanese, do you report it or not?”
“Yeah.” Li Shiqun was also perceptive. This couldn’t be investigated. He thought and smiled. “I just inquired casually. I wasn’t planning to check him. Just telling you—be careful of him in the future. If you piss him off while doing business, and he gets Iron Blood Assassination Group to take you out, where do you go to reason?”
“Would he?” Gu Yansheng frowned.
Li Shiqun chuckled. “You have times when you’re afraid too.”
“Heh, better be careful of yourself. If you check him, you’ll die faster. I’m off.”
Sometimes opponents need protection too. Keeping Fu Xiao’an here could attract Li Shiqun’s curiosity.
The police station was on the same road, not far. The driver floored it and arrived.
