Chapter 152: Separating
“Underground arsenal? You really dare to think big.” Gu Yansheng cast an admiring glance at Old Shen.
Not to mention anything else, just this courage alone is extraordinary.
Shen Linshen was very calm: “I’m not acting on a whim. The biggest problem facing the troops in Southern Anhui right now is weapons and ammunition, followed by grain.
Because the Third War Zone has never issued us ammunition, the organization has actually discussed whether the troops in Southern Anhui can build their own underground arsenal. The result of the discussion was that the conditions are insufficient and it’s extremely difficult.
You’ve seen the situation too. The Japanese will think of launching raids whenever they find an opportunity. The mountainous areas where the Southern Anhui troops are now may not even be safe to stay in, let alone stably establishing production in an underground arsenal?
And if it’s set up in the county town, just them buying cotton yarn would get them tracked. I can already imagine how they would acquire the raw materials needed to make weapons.
West Shanghai is different. According to the Japanese, you chief officials have absolute power in your own territories and can freely assign staff. That gives us a lot of operational space.
First, raw materials are much easier to obtain here than in Southern Anhui. Second, if the Japanese come to inspect, you can know right away.
Have the organization send people to West Shanghai. They don’t need to know about you. Just order them to select a location in the suburbs of Shanghai to set up an underground arsenal. They will ninety-nine percent choose West Shanghai. Then we provide covert assistance and manage it the same way as the transportation station. I think it’s feasible.”
Gu Yansheng nodded as he listened, with a puzzled look. “What you said makes sense, but the Japanese Type 38 Arisaka rifle is only 80 silver dollars each. Do we really need to produce them ourselves?”
“80 silver dollars? Have the Japanese gone mad with poverty?” Shen Linshen was no longer calm. Everyone was stunned and he stared, asking: “Is this price accurate?”
Gu Yansheng burst out laughing.
Shen Linshen blinked. “What are you laughing at?”
“A member of our Party, called paupers by all forces on the Chinese battlefield, calling the Japanese mad with poverty—isn’t that funny?”
Hearing that, Shen Linshen thought about it and realized it was a bit off. He couldn’t hold back a smile at the corner of his mouth. “Is this real? It doesn’t sound real. Really just 80 silver dollars? That’s way too cheap. The Japanese Type 38 Arisaka rifle is an absolutely good gun.”
“I didn’t believe it at first either, but this information came from Zhang Xiaolin. SH urban area is full of agents. There’s no market at all for rifles. Further out to Hangzhou, Suzhou, Southern Anhui—those are guarded by other troops. The Japanese soldiers here in Shanghai have no battles to fight and no oil to skim.
When they first entered Shanghai, they could still rob the common people, but now the common people have no money left.
So it might be expensive in other places, but here in Shanghai, the Type 38 Arisaka rifle really is that cheap.”
“Tsk.” Shen Linshen had an indescribable expression and was speechless for a moment. He thought for a bit and smiled: “If rifles are this cheap, we can really buy them. Using the Japanese Type 38 Arisaka rifle to fight the Japanese—that sounds interesting. Tell me, how do we do it?”
Gu Yansheng had called him precisely to discuss this. “Get the guns from Sha Shun. Tell him directly these are guns for the New Fourth Army. Have him find a British ship to deliver to Southern Anhui. If he’s willing to transport them, give him a 20% price increase.
If he’s not willing to transport, have our people open a trading company in the concession. Buy the guns and store them in a concession warehouse. Have the trading company seal the crates. I’ll get Gu Zhuxuan’s people to transport them out, listing opium and western medicine on the manifest. Once the goods reach West Shanghai, you’ve worked with Gu Zhuxuan before—transporting the goods there will be easy after the first time.
I’ll handle any other emergencies.”
Shen Linshen nodded and pondered. “I can arrange the personnel. Will there be any issues with Sha Shun?”
“It doesn’t matter. At worst, we lose money once. Sha Shun now has a blood feud with Li Shiqun, and his normal business in SH urban area is already ruined. He doesn’t need to care about the Japanese at all—who he sells to is all the same.
It’s just one test run. If it works, it saves us a lot of trouble.”
“Good, then I’ll arrange for someone to make contact right away.”
Once Shen Linshen left, Gu Yansheng still needed to find Lu Bowen. He didn’t know if he was back yet.
Finding Lu Bowen was much simpler—just make a telephone call.
An hour later, Lu Bowen arrived in West Shanghai, travel-worn.
“Hard work, Boss Lu.” Gu Yansheng teased.
“I’m clearly a businessman serving you, Division Chief Gu. How dare I mention hard work.”
Lu Bowen took a sip of tea, sat on the sofa, and said excitedly, “This time I took people to Jiangsu, and the harvest was plentiful.
I visited the main grain-producing areas in Jiangsu. There are too many places, so I couldn’t see them all, but I got a basic understanding of the grain situation in Yancheng and Huai’an. From those two places, grain goes through Nantong to Suzhou, then from Suzhou to Shanghai, or directly shipped by boat to Shanghai.
I’ve now rented a shop in Suzhou and opened a trading company there. I left four people in each of the other three places. That sets up the entire chain of stations from Northern Jiangsu transporting grain to Shanghai, and I have my own warehouse.
Also, I’ve sounded out the officialdom connections in Suzhou. Thanks to your influence, Division Chief Gu, two grain merchants there heard I have a Shanghai officialdom background and proactively suggested ways for me to get a larger share during the May grain collection. So the flour mill won’t have to worry about grain in the future.”
“Good. This trip was long enough—truly hard work, and very important.” Gu Yansheng explained the New Fourth Army’s grain shortage. “The New Fourth Army in Southern Anhui will likely be short on grain for a long time. I expect the guerrilla teams around Taihu Lake are short too. Your grain will play a big role then.”
Lu Bowen slapped his thigh. “Suzhou has stored grain. I’ll figure out a way to get grain to the Taihu Lake guerrilla teams. You arrange a meeting point with them, and I’ll make another trip to Suzhou to have people deliver it. As long as they send people to receive it.”
Gu Yansheng shook his head: “You can prepare grain, sell it, even participate in smuggling to make money, but you can’t do Communist-related things. Although your men are now all brothers who were imprisoned by the Japanese, they aren’t organization people after all—their reliability is hard to guarantee.
Just focus on business matters and make money with peace of mind. Keep operations and business separate.”
This had nothing to do with whether Suzhou was Gu Yansheng’s territory. Since the organization assigned him the transportation station’s Shen Linshen, Gu Yansheng had to separate these two people’s roles.
Moreover, more and more people would know Lu Bowen was his man. Lu Bowen was an above-board figure—this point couldn’t have issues.
“You have the grain, and I’ll find other people to buy it. You’re just a businessman—the highest bidder gets it. Even if the Japanese ask to buy, sell as long as they pay. Don’t worry about identities.
The benefit of buying from you is I can be sure this batch isn’t bait dumped by the Japanese—buy with confidence, eat with peace of mind.
The New Fourth Army in Southern Anhui bought cotton yarn precisely because they had no trustworthy merchant. They were betrayed while sourcing on the black market, losing two groups of underground couriers and porters—seven people sacrificed. Your existence is very important.”
Lu Bowen was quite regretful. Delivering grain to the New Fourth Army would have been wonderful, but he couldn’t participate. Still, he thought Gu Yansheng was right.
His men not participating meant he and Gu Yansheng were both safe.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you. Then I’ll stick to the original plan and head out tomorrow to check the producing areas in Anhui: Wuhu, Bengbu, Anqing. I plan to follow the route along Jiaxing, Huzhou, Xuancheng, Wuhu to connect the stations from Shanghai to Southern Anhui.”
“That’s necessary.” Gu Yansheng nodded. The stations must be developed. Can’t do Communist things, but smuggling still needs to happen—otherwise, what’s the point of being an official?
As for who buys the smuggled goods, that’s none of their business. Even if found out, it’s no big deal—who doesn’t smuggle a bit these days?
“Right, why did you call me here?” Lu Bowen realized he’d been talking about his own matters the whole time and almost forgot Gu Yansheng’s main business.
“Originally to have you open two flour mills in West Shanghai, plus an automobile repair shop and a cotton mill, but you seem to have no time now.”
“Comrade Yansheng, four factories—you want me to open them all at once?” Lu Bowen stared wide-eyed, his mind buzzing. Gu Yansheng wasn’t treating him like a person but like a donkey.
“Time is tight, tasks are heavy—making money for the organization can’t wait. Don’t I believe in your business ability?” Gu Yansheng smiled at his shocked expression. “No choice. I need achievements too. If I get the Green Gang to open them, what’s the use?”
Lu Bowen frowned and swallowed. The pressure was huge. “Flour mills make sense, but I don’t understand automobile repair shops or cotton mills. What for?”
“In West Shanghai, we’re building smuggling lines. Transporting goods can’t do without cars. With a repair shop, first we can source cars, second it’s convenient to load our own cars.
Cotton mills are even simpler. The whole country lacks cotton yarn. Once the lines are open, sales are guaranteed—definitely profitable. Plus, cotton yarn is a controlled item. On a ship, calling it smuggling won’t raise suspicion, but it’s bulky and can hide other things underneath, like guns and ammunition.”
Lu Bowen rubbed his forehead and thought. “How about I delay going to Southern Anhui? You said the New Fourth Army lacks grain—can I go later?”
“No issue. It won’t take much time. I’ll handle all the documents for you.
Go to the concession, spend some money to hire two experienced foreign engineers—Germans, Americans, whatever. Have them tour West Shanghai with you. The factory buildings are ready-made. Pick one and I’ll secure it for you. Just come up with a name.
Then, per the engineers’ advice, order whatever machinery is needed—use second-hand if available. Once the orders are placed, you go to Anhui. Hand off the rest to He Yun to coordinate.
I’ll handle everything else.
Whatever other resources you need, just say so. I’ll get them from the Japanese—definitely make them bleed a little.
You coming to West Shanghai means legitimate business, providing a bunch of job positions, boosting the economy, and giving taxation. They can’t not take care of you.”
Having someone backing him was great—not just enclosing land, but providing money too. He just needed to play the role of Boss Lu. Lu Bowen thought it over—this really had no difficulty.
“Alright, then I’ll hurry. Heading to the concession now to find people.”
After arranging things for these two, Gu Yansheng had only one business matter left in West Shanghai: medicine.
Other things needed consideration for smuggling them out of Shanghai, but drugs and medicine didn’t. This was business with an official Japanese license.
Just needed to sort out quinine.
Green Gang transports drugs out of Shanghai, medicine follows with general cargo to all Japanese occupied areas—this waits until Shanghai’s gangs clear out the drug dealers in each place.
Nationalist controlled area business is handed to Ding Mocun.
Only the areas controlled by Yan’an still need thought on how to sneak it past people.
Still need to arrange a stable line for the New Fourth Army side.
Gu Yansheng thought for a bit, then drove to find the boss of Kyushu Pharmacy, Qi Wuzhou.
