Chapter 182: Grandeur
In the evening, Gu Yansheng went to find Chen Mo.
“The auspicious day picked by He Xingjian’s subordinates for him is coming up, two days from now, and his subordinates want a grand funeral, but the Japanese disagree.”
“He Xingjian still wants a grand funeral?” Chen Mo got angry upon hearing this. “For a traitor like him to have a grand funeral, what about the face of our Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District?
I think the Japanese are right on this, it suits my taste, this time I’m standing with the Japanese no matter what.”
Gu Yansheng chuckled upon hearing this. “Alright, you’ve betrayed the country now, daring to stand with the Japanese.”
Chen Mo laughed indifferently. “That doesn’t mean the Japanese are always wrong, they’re right on this matter, but why don’t the Japanese agree?”
Gu Yansheng explained the reasons.
Chen Mo frowned upon hearing this. “If you put it that way, I’m uncomfortable again. Wouldn’t this let the Japanese have their way?”
“Mm.” Gu Yansheng nodded. “So, He Xingjian’s people came to me to pull strings and find a way. I gave them an idea: act first, report later, proceed with the funeral without going through the Japanese, guaranteeing they can have a grand funeral.”
Gu Yansheng explained the idea.
Chen Mo paused to think, then glanced sideways at Gu Yansheng and smiled faintly. “It’s not that simple, is it? You’d let He Xingjian have a grand funeral?”
Gu Yansheng smiled faintly. “I want you to do something.”
“Just say it, how to do it.”
“When they’re sending off the casket, throw two grenades into He Xingjian’s casket procession.”
Chen Mo’s mind buzzed, a bit stunned, and looked at Gu Yansheng with utmost admiration. “That’s a grand funeral?”
Gu Yansheng gave a look and asked puzzledly, “Yeah, isn’t it grand?”
Chen Mo put hands on hips and laughed heartily. “Grand! Absolutely grand! I’ll make sure he’s never had one this grand in his life!”
“Hey, it’s up to you now. Don’t act too early, let them finish the ceremony first, so all of Shanghai can see.”
“Alright, leave it to me.”
Two days later, Li Shiqun called and asked Gu Yansheng to attend He Xingjian’s farewell ceremony for the remains.
The ceremony was held at the villa where He Xingjian lived before his death, with no mourning music or band. Various aspects provided personnel according to the list from the Funeral Committee drafted by Li Shiqun, quietly completing the funeral tasks.
Luo Junqiang delivered the eulogy on behalf of Minister Zhou. The Japanese sent a Deputy Chief of Staff for a symbolic bow, and the rest were He Xingjian’s own subordinates.
The subordinates who followed him in betrayal still had feelings, a bunch of them bowed silently, with sorrow on their faces.
Once the ceremony was over, the task was considered complete. Li Shiqun could breathe a sigh of relief. He Xingjian’s subordinates didn’t make trouble, the Japanese were quite satisfied, and the incident was contained to a very small scope without causing any bad spread.
The final task was to carry the casket to the cemetery for burial, which didn’t require Li Shiqun or the Japanese to follow. He Xingjian didn’t have that much face.
He Xingjian’s soldiers carried the coffin, a few close subordinates saw him off, and they just needed to take it to the cemetery.
The casket went out the door and onto the street, total of just over twenty people, no different from an ordinary family’s funeral procession.
Unbeknownst at what time, a truck drove up and stopped beside the procession. Someone on the truck took out a huge portrait of He Xingjian.
The people in the procession showed no surprise at this. Someone stepped forward, held the portrait, and walked at the front. From the alleys by the roadside, send-off teams that had been waiting there surged out. Flower wreaths and elegiac couplets from the truck were handed to them one by one, and the number of people swelled directly from just over twenty to over two hundred.
“Let’s go~”
Those with wind instruments played them, those with percussion beat them, professional wailing teams let out earth-shattering cries of grief, the sound carrying two li away, quite spectacular!
When Li Shiqun learned of this, it was already afternoon tea time. Normally, send off and bury in one morning, but dragging until now without returning could only mean He Xingjian’s subordinates were sincere, paying extra respects at the cemetery.
Who knew that while he was out stretching his legs, he heard subordinates talking about He Xingjian’s send-off procession, saying it was spectacular.
“What spectacular? He Xingjian’s send-off procession?”
“Yeah, hundreds of people with music and drums, Shanghai hasn’t seen such a grand funeral in a while.”
The subordinate vividly described the scene he saw in the Concession.
He Xingjian’s subordinates had Green Gang connections, so they called in favors. The casket procession and send-off team set off from West Shanghai, circled the entire Concession, then circled the urban area again.
“Right now, they’re probably still circling, haven’t reached the cemetery yet.”
“Who allowed them to make such a show!”
Li Shiqun was furious. If the Japanese found out, they’d think it was his idea!
“Were there reporters taking photos?”
“Yes, a lot.”
Li Shiqun clenched his fist. These idiots only knew how to cause him trouble.
Act first, report later—these people had hidden it well.
Scratching his head, just thinking about it felt troublesome. Stopping them now was impossible; it was already too late however it was handled.
With a grim face, he returned to the office. Since the deed was done and the Japanese were offended, there was no reason to offend He Xingjian’s people too.
Stop them? What use would stopping them be?
Ring ring, ring ring.
“Hello.” Li Shiqun picked up the phone, and after not even one sentence, he frowned and pulled the receiver away. The Japanese cursing had come, though late.
He tried to explain a few sentences, saying he didn’t know, figuring the scolding would pass.
Li Shiqun leaned back in his chair. Having been scolded by the Japanese side, he thought about how to win over He Xingjian’s people.
Having done the deed, he needed others to know it was him who took the heat. From now on it would be the Peaceful Nation Building Army; pulling in a few people was always good.
Claim this merit, make the current head of the Peaceful Nation Building Army think well of him.
Thinking of this, Li Shiqun went out and asked his subordinates where the send-off procession was, then called for the driver.
“Let’s go send off He Xingjian too.”
Shanghai urban area is quite large. He Xingjian’s send-off procession was still circling Zhabei. When Li Shiqun arrived, it was about three kilometers from He Xingjian’s goal.
Looking at the send-off procession, Li Shiqun didn’t get out of the car, after all it wasn’t too safe outside.
After following for a few minutes, suddenly two sedans sped past on either side. As they passed the send-off procession, several black objects were thrown from the car windows, and the cars didn’t stop, accelerating away.
Boom boom! Suddenly from the front send-off procession came explosions, continuous grenade blasts, throwing the procession into chaos!
Li Shiqun, who had been dozing off and lost in thought, sat up abruptly in shock!
Then habitually ducked down.
The send-off procession was densely packed with people, the shrapnel from the grenades causing exaggerated damage. The total eight grenades thrown from the two cars exploded in the crowd, blood flowing everywhere, agonized screams piercing the heart.
The Military Statistics Bureau’s target was aimed at the casket. The eight personnel carrying it, being in the innermost circle, weren’t too badly injured, but just the explosion sounds were enough to make people stumble.
Bang! The casket fell to the ground, the lid popped open, He Xingjian’s stiff corpse rolled out, face toward the sun, exposed to the wind and light.
Grand funeral!
Reporters snapped photos frantically.
A chaotic night began. The corpse still needed burying, the Military Statistics Bureau still needed hunting, and arguments were inevitable.
The next day, all Shanghai newspapers reported He Xingjian’s entire story from traitorous surrender to his swift death.
Of course, the prime photo was He Xingjian’s corpse exposed on the street.
Shanghai citizens read the newspapers with great interest. Some felt it was satisfying, truly satisfying!
Others felt the Military Statistics Bureau went too far. The man was dead, what grudge what resentment, not even letting him be buried.
The two sides cursed each other, plenty of topics in the Concession.
And at No. 76, angry officers questioned Li Shiqun’s dereliction of duty. The leader died under No. 76’s protection, and now even the burial ceremony was sabotaged. How could these subordinates not be furious!
Li Shiqun was also angry. Told you not to hold it, not to hold it, but you insisted. Now that the event was smashed, you come to him for trouble.
What did it have to do with him?
The Japanese scolded him, now these soldier-bandits scolded him too. Who did he provoke? Why?
The Japanese called again, berating Li Shiqun.
Originally, if it had been a grand funeral, they could have given these officers some comfort, pretending not to see.
But now, where was there any face left?
Must immediately find the Military Statistics Bureau and carry out revenge.
Li Shiqun smashed the tea cup. Tell them to get lost, go back where they came from, nothing but trouble.
The Japanese newspapers didn’t choose silence, but published an article furiously cursing Chongqing for major terrorist attacks and sabotaging East Asia peace.
But in Japanese, few could read it.
At noon, Chen Mo specially called to arrange a meeting with Gu Yansheng.
“Hahahaha, Chongqing telegram, commendation! This time not only bureau-wide commendation, but also in national newspapers. Boss Dai explicitly wants to give us a bonus, fifty thousand!”
“Whoa, not easy.” Gu Yansheng laughed. Fifty thousand legal tender wasn’t much, but for Boss Dai to actually give money meant he was truly pleased.
More practical than medals.
And since he’s giving money, the title really changed from Director to Boss. Money makes the man.
“When the money arrives, split half each.” Chen Mo was very generous.
Gu Yansheng couldn’t refuse. “Alright, I’ll take this money. Money from Director Dai must be taken.”
After laughing, Chen Mo got to business. “One more thing. Recent operations, Shanghai District and No. 76 fighting, losses are actually quite big. Director Dai wonders if there’s a way to turn Li Shiqun, make him work for us, or find some leverage to blackmail him.”
Gu Yansheng stared upon hearing this. “Turn Li Shiqun? Director Dai’s idea is bold. Never mind how hard success would be, just who contacts him is a huge problem—whoever does dies.”
For such unrealistic ideas to come up—Li Shiqun was at the height of power, about to become a core figure in the Wang Puppet Regime, right in his grasp of great authority. Turning him now was a pipe dream.
Even Ding Mocun, suppressed by Li Shiqun, Gu Yansheng had only so far encouraged him to do some business in Nationalist controlled area. This was really daring.
Gu Yansheng had to add, “Let me tell you, I’ve had plenty of contact time with Li Shiqun, I know his character well. Don’t have this idea.”
Chen Mo nodded. “I trust your judgment. I haven’t asked Liu San yet, but from his usual reports, he also thinks Li Shiqun won’t turn.
Director Dai is just asking us for reference. After all, turning him would have benefits.”
“Impossible, don’t think it, don’t even consider it. Face reality, we can only fight him.”
“Got it, then that’s it. I’ll head out first.”
“Alright, hey, by the way, how’s Anhui?”
The land route line was still very important. Relying only on water route, who knows when there’d be trouble.
Now that Chen Mo had returned to the organization, with the land route established, Chen Mo could handle sending things to the New Fourth Army, no need for him to bustle around.
Chen Mo nodded. “Basically done. Some days ago No. 76 swept through Anhui, Liu San already told me who’s Japanese nails. Now I’ve opened shops in the cities, all run by small gang people. I don’t have many of my own staff. When needed, I’ll send more.”
If short on staff, can ask the organization. Running some trade, no technical requirements, any farm boy works, New Fourth Army has plenty, not hard to find.
Chen Mo was still on observation, so Gu Yansheng would later, on behalf of the organization, have Shen Linshen send Chen Mo a report to transport medicine to the New Fourth Army.
When short on staff, it would naturally be enough then.
