Chapter 192: Cleaning Up
“Doesn’t the Central Party Department’s seal have any deterrent power at all?”
Gu Yansheng somehow felt there was something fishy about this matter, “If it was his subordinates who robbed it, Xue Yue wouldn’t know. How many heads do Xue Yue’s subordinates have? Do they have the guts to rob even after seeing the Central Party Department’s seal?”
“It’s a matter of timing.” Ding Mocun adjusted his sitting position, leaning on one side of the sofa and said, “Have you seen the newspapers these past two days? Okamura Yasuji has taken Nanchang.
Think backwards about the time of the robbery. Wasn’t that time when the Ninth War Zone and the Japanese were already confronting each other near Nanchang? Either they had started fighting, or it was about to start.
The goods were unloaded at Jiujiang. I estimate that CC side was preparing to give this batch of medicine to the local Central Statistics Bureau, whether to sell it or do a favor to distribute supplies, both are possible.
The information must have leaked. Xue Yue’s people found out. With a major battle imminent, who cares about the damn Central Party Department? They’d dare to rob even the things of the King of Heaven and Father. Originally, everyone wasn’t wearing the same pants.”
Gu Yansheng listened with a furrowed brow and didn’t speak. If that’s the case, it really was very likely robbed.
If he was the leading military officer, seeing boxes sealed by the Central Party Department, those would definitely be good stuff, and they had to be robbed if they should be.
Whether they survive or not is uncertain, who cares about future punishments.
Besides, if they don’t admit it, what can you do?
Ding Mocun continued, “Brother, don’t think that just because they’re all from Chongqing, there aren’t many factions inside.
Take him Xue Yue, he came from the Yue Army, but now he’s already aligned with Chen Cheng’s Civil Engineering Department.
Chen Cheng is Old Jiang’s direct lineage. Xue Yue taking the medicine is equivalent to Old Jiang taking the medicine.
But Old Jiang and CC’s relationship isn’t that good, with all sorts of overt and covert struggles inside.
Jiang family world, Chen family party. They say everyone plays their own game, party power and military power separated, but can CC not be jealous of military power?
CC has always wanted to use the party affairs system to interfere in army matters, but Old Jiang definitely doesn’t want him to interfere. Now Xue Yue’s troops took CC’s stuff. CC wants to investigate, can Old Jiang let him interfere?
Moreover, Xue Yue himself has his own little thoughts. After all, he’s from the Yue Army background, rebelled against Jiang multiple times back then, at best a stepmother’s child, absolutely not direct lineage.
I estimate Old Jiang let Xue Yue fight bloody battles in Nanchang, but Xue Yue’s side definitely says supplies are insufficient. Old Jiang somehow learned CC bought a bunch of good stuff, leaking it to Xue Yue to do a favor is also possible.”
“Using my stuff as a favor?” Gu Yansheng was so angry he sneered.
If Old Jiang wants to know, he can only know from Boss Dai. Could it be that there’s Military Statistics Bureau in Jiujiang, discovered Central Statistics Bureau sending good stuff, let Xue Yue’s people rob it?
That doesn’t even need to report to Old Jiang. Just the local Military Statistics Bureau seeing Central Statistics Bureau’s stuff would have greedy eyes, absolutely capable of doing such robbery.
Afterwards, Boss Dai can still do a favor in front of Xue Yue.
Heh, looks like we really got fleeced of wool.
Ding Mocun sighed, patted the sofa armrest and said, “So I think this matter is hard to handle. To really say it, it’s considered a natural disaster.
Although CC side says they want to investigate, Xue Yue won’t cooperate, Old Jiang won’t cooperate. I’m now worried this matter will drag on forever, can’t say how long it will drag.
After I knew about this matter, I already sent people to inquire about detailed information from Nanchang side. You saw just now, I even had people open another station, recruit some elite agents to check if this batch of medicine has appeared on the market.”
Gu Yansheng furrowed his brow and waved his hand, “What’s the use of opening stations now? According to what you said, this stuff can’t be found back. We can’t wait forever. Should we stop selling other medicines? How much loss?”
“Half of the goods.”
“That much? If all counted as ours, how much can we still earn this trip? Less than fifty percent.
You tell CC, each side takes half the loss. If they can pay this money, business can still continue. There’s still a pile of goods to send later. If we can talk it over, let his people bring money to Shanghai.”
Gu Yansheng still emphasized, “Before shipping in the future, let his people personally check the goods, so as not to get robbed halfway again and come take advantage of us.”
Gu Yansheng could relent, Ding Mocun could also heave a heavy sigh of relief. Half the goods, their cost alone would be 11500 US Dollars.
If calculated by the price sold to CC, that’s 34500 US Dollars.
If by regular black market price, it would double even more.
His stake in this business, his entire family fortune was just ten thousand US Dollars given to Gu Yansheng. He really couldn’t afford the loss, almost dying of anxiety.
“Alright, I’ll definitely make it clear to him. If there’s another problem, it’s all on him.”
“First see if he’ll bring the money. Without seeing the money, who knows if he’s sincere about doing business.
But we can’t lose this money for nothing. They tasted the sweetness once, what if they pull other tricks later?”
Gu Yansheng added, “Have them send some stuff to Shanghai to sell. Empty ships returning is also a loss. We can at least earn a little subsidy here.”
Gu Yansheng found a way out for everyone, Ding Mocun climbed down the pole.
“I think it’s fine. Like tungsten sand, pig bristles, Nanyang tobacco, tung oil, those are all good stuff in Shanghai. Lots of people want them. Some things Japanese even acquire at high prices. I’ll ask them, have them buy some over.”
Pig bristles for producing military cleaning tools, tung oil can be used to make insulating materials. Yunnan farmers plant it, but Shanghai’s high society likes it. Heard it can sell for a good price even in the United Kingdom, it’s a famous brand.
Smuggling is you benefiting me, me benefiting you, everyone turns a blind eye. Otherwise, smuggling businessmen would have been cleaned out long ago.
Whether for military use or not doesn’t matter. Anyway, mutually paying, boss buys the order, turning into money is real gold and silver. Stuff that can’t sell at home is just a pile of waste.
“Let’s do it this way. The stock business with Li Shiqun’s side has started. Director Ding, you need to step up making money, otherwise without your investment funds arriving, how do I calculate your share?”
“So fast?” Ding Mocun got a bit anxious upon hearing.
“Of course be proactive about making money. I’m off first, hurry up.”
In the evening, Gu Yansheng went to check the progress of the medicine.
Such a big official, coming at one in the morning to watch over business, Qi Wuzhou could only say he admired it.
After communicating with the people on the ship and coming back, Qi Wuzhou reported, “This time the medicine we shipped back from Germany mainly consists of sulfonamide, twenty kilograms per box, a full two hundred boxes.
Anesthetic morphine, ten person portions per box, four hundred boxes. The rest are various medicines, scattered, another six hundred seventy-two boxes.
Germany’s high-end surgical equipment, seven hundred sets, and a kind of stimulant used by the German army called methamphetamine. It’s said to allow soldiers to fight for a long time, extremely brave.”
Methamphetamine? Isn’t that ice? Gu Yansheng heard Japanese soldiers have the habit of taking drugs to fight. Didn’t expect Germany also does drugs. But who does he sell this stuff to?
But for the sake of sulfonamide, whatever.
“This time no one chased and killed, right?” Gu Yansheng joked.
Qi Wuzhou quickly shook his head, “Wouldn’t dare. This time it’s normal business. The leader entrusted a local pharmaceutical company. Germans are a bit more rule-abiding than Nanyang’s, take money and do the job.”
Gu Yansheng smiled faintly, “Make a specific list for me later. Also, total how much money?”
“The list is already ready.” It was made during procurement. Qi Wuzhou took out the ledger from his pocket and handed it over, “The original procurement prices are all here.”
Gu Yansheng took it and looked. The first item was sulfonamide, procurement price converted to 9 US Dollars per kilogram.
Gu Yansheng was surprised, “Sulfonamide this cheap? I remember in the black market it’s by the gram?”
“Yes, retail is by the gram, one silver dollar per gram. By kilogram, 300 to 500 silver dollars per kilogram, depending on the market trend.”
Qi Wuzhou, experienced in this line, knew the price changes of sulfonamide well, “These things aren’t expensive bought at the origin. This 9 US Dollars still includes the middleman’s fee. Bulk procurement channels are expensive.
If buying directly from factories, just a little, bribe the factory staff, can get it for under 6 US Dollars. The reason it’s expensive in Shanghai is mainly the blockade. Japanese strictly control sulfonamide, so sulfonamide is expensive in Shanghai, even more in Nationalist controlled area.”
Really huge profits. 9 US Dollars per kilogram, just over 30 silver dollars, sells for 300 to 500 silver dollars in Shanghai.
Gu Yansheng looked at the prices of other things. Except surgical equipment a bit expensive, other medicines’ unit prices are actually very cheap.
Gu Yansheng looked at Qi Wuzhou, “You gave me the original ledger, how do you charge me?”
Qi Wuzhou smiled humbly, “This isn’t the first time I’ve handled things for Director Gu. You’re not the kind who deliberately makes things hard for us. I believe you’ll always leave us some profit margin. You decide.”
Retreat to advance. “Plus transportation and labor, total how much?” Gu Yansheng nodded towards the ships.
Qi Wuzhou paused and nodded first, “Total over 137 thousand US Dollars.”
This time the total medicine isn’t more than last time’s quinine. Do it multiple times, long-term business.
“I’ll calculate 200 thousand for you, alright?”
“Alright, you decide.” Qi Wuzhou didn’t show it on the surface, smiled and nodded.
He was blooming with joy inside. Don’t think running long-distance smuggling medicine doesn’t double the revenue, far less than selling smuggled medicine on black market.
But how much can black market sell?
Now it’s bulk transporting goods, and with protection provided.
Just this trip, divided among several bosses, each gets thousands of US Dollars, not a small number.
“Mr. Gu, next time goods arrive, shall I contact you again?”
“Good, go get the money.”
Gu Yansheng had Ma Shiqi give them the money.
Here loading and unloading ships, then into warehouse, probably busy all night. Gu Yansheng didn’t wait, handed over and left.
The next day, Ma Shiqi came to report progress. Everything smooth.
“Division Chief, how to handle this batch of goods?”
“Take out forty percent, divide into two warehouses in the concession. The remaining sixty percent pile together, find others to take.”
“Not selling to Nationalist controlled area?” Ma Shiqi was curious.
“We also need to give an explanation to the Japanese side. So many businessmen’s mouths, bound to leak wind. So much medicine came to Shanghai, where did it go? So in future medicines, some we need to scatter to Japanese Occupied Area.”
Hearing this, Ma Shiqi understood, “Division Chief considers thoroughly. I’ll go handle it right away.”
“Wait.” Gu Yansheng stopped him, “After you handle the medicine, call the heads of various gangs, have them go to the warehouse to subscribe to medicine. Say it’s what I said.
In the future, when they take opium outside, every city or town they reach, while opening opium dens, also open a pharmacy for me. Whether sell medicine normally or on black market, I don’t care at all, don’t ask me, I don’t want to know, but must sell.
Japanese Occupied Area’s black market isn’t also bought by those people? Goods increase, can even bring prices down. If can’t sell, it will naturally flow to Nationalist controlled area. But then it has nothing to do with us.
In the future when goods increase, don’t need sixty percent to Japanese Occupied Area, fifty percent, forty percent is fine.
The price you give them needs room, ensure they make profit.”
Ma Shiqi smiled and nodded, “So many good things, usually can’t even get them. They’ll definitely be happy. Free money, isn’t that what gangs do?”
Gu Yansheng smiled faintly, “Whether happy or not isn’t important. Key is you do the accounts well, make that forty percent medicine disappear reasonably.”
Ma Shiqi raised an eyebrow, “Understood. Rest assured, I’ll get more people involved. With many people, each buys some, that quantity can’t be traced.”
“Mm, go.”
In the evening, Ding Mocun came to drink tea with Gu Yansheng.
“They agreed to this plan. Loss half each, then transport supplies to Shanghai. They’ll send people on the ship to return together, negotiate with us. Money also brought on the ship.”
This is good. Everyone gives and takes, supplies need to circulate. Gu Yansheng told him about the new batch of medicine arriving.
As long as this time the money arrives in Shanghai, the next ship can go out again.
Ding Mocun felt doubly comforted upon hearing, sighed, “Really good.”
This line now continuously makes money, every minute making money. No more penniless. Otherwise, dignified Director of the Special Agent Headquarters, can’t even take out ten thousand US Dollars from pocket.
Only after coming to Shanghai did he know Gu Yansheng was right back then. Wasted this Major General rank.
Chen Mo is also on this medicine procurement list. Now he has medicine in hand, and only doubled the procurement price, not expensive.
Gu Yansheng found Shen Linshen, talked about the medicine matter. Can suggest the organization assign a mission to Chen Mo.
Whether under the name of medicine, or supplementing New Fourth Army ammunition, have Chen Mo help transport, all fine. Organization arranges itself.
Just find opportunity to supplement Chen Mo with manpower. Chen Mo can better open the situation in Southern Anhui. Later land route transport matters can be handed to Chen Mo’s people via transit station to transport down, thoroughly connect water route and land route.
Smuggling matters all handled, just waiting for people from Hanoi to arrive.
