Chapter 159: Guard
On this matter, Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun were united in hatred, “Exactly, will our Agent Headquarters also have to obey Minister Gu’s orders by then?”
Gu Yansheng gave them a sidelong glance and sneered: “It’s not set in stone yet, you’re saying that, but Mr. Wang’s side has his own people.
That gang is the Guangdong Gang, there’s a guy named Li Shengwu, a law doctorate, studied in Japan, even Minister Zhou isn’t sure this can definitely succeed.
If my matter fails, at worst a Director position is lost, with a pile of people above managing it.
Instead, you all, the position of Agent Headquarters, who else can compete with you? Even if they want to compete, can they?
And from what Minister Zhou just implied, military police secret service, who is police? Who is secret service? Isn’t it just you two.”
Li Shiqun was delighted to hear it, but waved his hand and sneered: “If Minister Zhou thinks it’s fine, then I have no problem, I also know some of Wang Faction’s people, in terms of ability, they’re far inferior to Minister Zhou, Minister Zhou was Deputy Director of the Attendant Room of President Jiang.
If ability was lacking, could he sit in that position? President Jiang is so hard to serve, don’t believe me, ask Director Ding, Minister Zhou must be very familiar to him.”
Ding Mocun was indeed familiar, he and Minister Zhou were both old hands of the Central Statistics Bureau.
He said upon hearing: “Minister Zhou has great ambitions, you heard what he just said, military power, financial power, law power, law enforcement power, secret service power, if a country loses these, what’s left?
Conversely, if you get these, what else is there to get?”
“Hahahahahaha.”
“So, Brother Gu, your law power, he will definitely fight for it.”
Gu Yansheng had nothing good to say, just smiled and drank.
“Sounds like I’m the most useless, can be replaced casually.” He Xingjian also came in to interject.
Ding Mocun smiled: “Commander He, forget it, too awkward, Brother He, your army is different from others, those are all Green Gang disciples, you say who could replace you? If this person was so easy to replace, how did you bring over these more than ten thousand men?
And from Minister Zhou’s meaning, military supplies are all prepared, just waiting for you to come, Brother Gu, right?”
“Yes.” Gu Yansheng nodded, “Whatever you need, just tell me, need grain I’ll give grain, need equipment I’ll give equipment, need women don’t come to me, I really don’t have any.”
“Hahahaha.” The three laughed loudly.
Gu Yansheng said: “Brother He, you really don’t need to worry, Minister Zhou told me, Nanjing now has a Pacification Army, prepared to transform from the current Nanjing Reform Government’s subordinate armies.
If they could do it, Minister Zhou wouldn’t specially find Brother He, it’s just as Minister Zhou said, some people are too complicated, especially now Nanjing’s people, right?”
He Xingjian nodded, “I know this bunch of men, Ren Yuandao’s troops, Ren Yuandao is Liang Hongzhi’s Pacification Army Commander, Liang Hongzhi and Mr. Wang probably don’t get along too well, right?”
“Definitely not getting along.” Ding Mocun interjected: “The Japanese want Mr. Wang’s people to integrate North China Reform Government and Central China Reform Government, Liang Hongzhi is now ruling Nanjing, you say when Mr. Wang comes, Liang Hongzhi becomes second-in-command, actually second-in-command gets nothing, how could he feel comfortable?
The troops he uses, Ren Yuandao, can Minister Zhou trust them?”
This was like giving He Xingjian a reassurance pill, his heart felt much more at ease.
“Come come come, drink up.”
“Today we must drink a cup together, with you coming, that villain Dai Yunong must be pissed half to death, I really want to see his face getting scolded by President Jiang, tonight I’ll laugh in my sleep.”
“Hahahaha.”
He Xingjian took a sip of wine and smiled, asking: “Director Li, earlier at the dinner table I heard you mention, you and Minister Zhou both participated in the Red Party before?”
“Old news.” Li Shiqun smiled and swirled his wine glass, “He was a First Congress delegate, in terms of seniority, few in the Red Party can match him, I was just a small fry, only worked in Special Section for a few years.”
“Director Li’s experiences are indeed rich.” Gu Yansheng asked curiously: “So how did you get to the Central Statistics Bureau?”
“This story is long.” Li Shiqun took a sip of wine, his expression somewhat nostalgic: “At that time I was in Special Section serving as Zhou’s guard.
Section Three, the famous Red Team, Dog-Beating Team, the Section Chief was arrested in Wuhan, do you know how he was arrested? He actually went to the market to perform street arts, and the art he performed was magic tricks, that rare stuff.
So many people watched, someone recognized him, and he was immediately grabbed by the Central Statistics Bureau.
After being grabbed, he defected on the spot, confessed all information, luckily arrested in Wuhan, Xu Enzeng’s confidential secretary was a Red Party member, Wuhan sent the telegram, Shanghai people urgently evacuated.
Then the Central Statistics Bureau wanting to find them again had to rely on other clues, one of which was through his confession of my name.
He knew I was Zhou’s guard, wanted to find Zhou who had already escaped by finding me.
Had to admire, Zhou’s alertness was very high, when the incident happened he thought of this, we all were individually arranged by him to scatter to different locations, even if caught, losses could be minimized.
At that time I hid in Jiangsu, changed name and lived incognito thinking I was safe, who knew that crackdown was really widespread, still didn’t escape, this is how I was taken to the Central Statistics Bureau.
You know how I was tortured then, I held out hard, when I really couldn’t hold, I used fake intelligence to fool Xu Enzeng, thinking he’d release me to find people, so I could run.
But damn this traitor dead-bit me not letting go, he was Section Chief of Section Three, knew too much info, any slight fake in my confession, he could spot it.
Xu Enzeng almost executed me because of this.
No way out, I had to survive right? So I could only help Xu Enzeng do things.
But honestly, I didn’t betray the Red Party anywhere, what I knew the traitor knew, what I confessed had no value, and I delayed for a while, even if I really knew something, by organization discipline they had already all run.”
“Loyal enough.” Gu Yansheng nodded.
“Come drink.” Ding Mocun raised his glass.
Speaking of the mental journey of becoming a traitor and collaborator, everyone in this room could say a big pile, at this moment there was quite a sense of mutual appreciation among scoundrels.
Isn’t this the purpose of this friend achieved?
“Yo, distinguished guests come, didn’t tell me in advance.”
Liao Shan got the information, smiling cheerfully knocked and came in, saw no women in the room, immediately got angry at his subordinates, “What’s going on, how didn’t you arrange people to serve? When I’m not here you treat distinguished guests like this?”
“We were talking business, deliberately didn’t want.” Li Shiqun went forward to greet, strode out the door and shouted at Wu Sibao who was at the stairwell watching the women dance below: “Told you to watch the door, this is how you watch? Dancing good to look at right?
Good thing it’s Director Liao who came, if it was an assassin, what then?”
Wu Sibao felt wronged being scolded, “Bro, I’m watching, front back left right all have subordinates guarding, only let Director Liao in, you see anyone else nearby?”
Li Shiqun glanced and indeed so, rolled his eyes and went back in, smiled at Liao Shan: “Director Liao, when we’re out we still need to be careful, no offense to you, don’t mind.”
“Understand.” Liao Shan went along smoothly, all Shanghai’s respectable people, everyone introduced each other, got to know each other.
Gu Yansheng happened to have business with Liao Shan, since bumped into, just talk.
“Director Liao, the Japanese now want me to manage West Shanghai, require taxation to greatly increase, you know business is hard, those factories really have no oil to squeeze, do you have any ideas, to help me get some money to make up the difference?”
Liao Shan frowned: “Specific amount?”
“One hundred thousand silver dollars a month.” Gu Yansheng opened his mouth and doubled it.
“Not little.” Liao Shan thought and shook head: “Probably no good way, now your West Shanghai’s casinos should have already paid.”
Li Shiqun had an idea, “Hey, Brother Gu, perfect, the Japanese now gave me a mission, to expand ability in the concession, invade the concession, I think better like this.
You collect tax into the concession, the two concessions aren’t there areas that were overbuilt from boundary road construction back then?
This part without contract signed with China government, we first force the concession to hand over law enforcement power and taxation power, I enforce law, you collect tax.”
This was no good idea.
Gu Yansheng frowned: “This probably won’t work, you’re touching the concession’s rice bowl, if things blow up, whether Japanese protect us is uncertain.
You grab an agent in concession, and taking others’ tax power in concession, can that be the same?”
Li Shiqun smiled: “This is the simplest way, one hundred thousand silver dollars, if you go in, three hundred thousand silver dollars possible.”
Only a fool would play with you.
Gu Yansheng shook head firmly, “No, you as Agent Headquarters can do it, you just don’t admit, I’m city government people, no law, go door to door collect tax, the nature of the matter changes.”
