Chapter 193: Arriving In Shanghai
Ding ling ling, ding ling ling.
“Hello.”
“Director Gu, this is Fu Xiao’an. Tsuda notified us to go to the city government. Two hours later, there will be a meeting at the city government.”
“Okay, I’ll be there on time.”
The Greater East Asia Ministry called a meeting, and Gu Yansheng drove to the city government.
After arriving, he chatted with Ling Xianwen for a bit.
Ling Xianwen was quite grateful for Gu Yansheng’s strong support. He Yun’s factory had been opened there, and all of that was taxation.
After chatting for a bit, Wang Rusong also arrived. He smiled at Gu Yansheng. “Director Gu, you couldn’t wait for me even a little.”
“How would I know which woman’s bed you were in? I didn’t see you at the police station, so how could I find you?” Gu Yansheng leaned back in his chair, rolling his eyes teasingly.
“Hahahaha.” The others in the meeting room laughed.
“Stop it, stop it.” Wang Rusong blushed and sat down. “What do the Japanese want with us?”
“I don’t know.” Gu Yansheng had asked Fu Xiao’an, but Fu Xiao’an didn’t know either.
After waiting a bit longer, the people from Pudong arrived, and Tsuda Shizue followed right on time.
“Everyone, let me announce some information. Due to some other reasons, the results of your work over this period need to be tallied ahead of schedule. Please quickly complete the accounts for your respective areas and submit them to the Greater East Asia Ministry for review. The deadline is seven days.”
“Seven days? Why so sudden?” Someone’s face changed.
Originally, there were still about half a month left until the three-month deadline. Normally, after three months passed, they could do the tallying work and still have about a month to stall.
Now there were only seven days in total. If the data wasn’t enough, how could they falsify it?
Tsuda Shizue did not explain the reason. “After seven days, it must be submitted. Meeting adjourned.”
She left after speaking, leaving the group who had come from far away in a daze.
“Mayor Fu, what do you think this is about?” The Director of Finance was the most annoyed. “Originally, my subordinates were arrested at Wusongkou, causing the growth point at Wusongkou to disappear. The future data will look terrible. I’m thinking of ways to fix it right now, but even the best method needs time to implement. Suddenly having to submit it now—isn’t this asking for my life?”
“Yeah, Mayor Fu.” Someone chimed in with a few words.
Fu Xiao’an frowned and said, “Who should I ask if you ask me? Tsuda didn’t tell me the reason either.
But this matter isn’t hard to guess. There are only two possible reasons. Last time, we had Tsuda negotiate with the Gendarmerie Headquarters to get them to control the Agent Headquarters. So many days have passed with no news. Maybe Tsuda couldn’t reach an agreement with the Gendarmerie Headquarters, so he can only let the data do the talking and have the Japanese Cabinet pressure the Gendarmerie Headquarters.
If he manages well, once Shanghai’s economic data is presented, won’t the Cabinet listen to him?”
This analysis made everyone nod.
“So you’re saying we still have to submit good data?”
This was about preserving everyone’s own lives.
“I think the data must be good.”
Everyone nodded frequently, but the two directors from Wusongkou looked glum. “How can this data be good? You can open factories and increase urban area taxation. Can we at Wusongkou open factories and increase taxation too? If we increase it further, all these people will run away.”
“Figure it out yourselves.” The others weren’t there to hear their complaints, especially the people from Pudong, whose casinos and brothels were booming wildly.
“Mayor, you said there are two reasons. What’s the other reason?”
“There’s also…” Fu Xiao’an paused, scanned the room, and said, “The people from Hanoi are arriving. You didn’t know this news yet, right?”
“When?” Several directors exclaimed. They really didn’t know this news.
“Soon, by my calculations, just these few days.” Fu Xiao’an looked at Ling Xianwen and Gu Yansheng, finally looking at Gu Yansheng with a smile. “Does Director Gu know?”
Everyone turned to look at Gu Yansheng in unison. Whoever was closer to the Japanese represented status.
Gu Yansheng nodded slightly. “You should know about the assassination. The people from Hanoi are indeed arriving soon.”
Everyone’s expressions varied.
“Mayor Fu, please continue.” Gu Yansheng reminded.
“Okay.” Fu Xiao’an said, “Based on my guess, the negotiations between Hanoi and the Japanese are still ongoing. This trip to Shanghai was actually forced by the Military Statistics Bureau’s assassination. What are they negotiating? Nothing more than showing their chips.
The Japanese now emphasize using Chinese to control Chinese. They want the people from Hanoi, but to save face, they need to tell the people from Hanoi how little they need them.
The people from Hanoi know the Japanese need them. If they’ve been negotiating for so long without agreeing, they must be waiting for a better offer.
Tsuda is now collecting our taxation data. I guess it’s to tell the people from Hanoi that we can manage quite well ourselves, with steady growth. Doesn’t that allow them to lower Hanoi’s price?”
“Impressive, Mayor Fu. As expected from someone with rich business experience.” The Director of Finance flattered. “Able to view the negotiation from a business angle, and I think that’s exactly the reason—right on the mark.
Look, the negotiations are handled by Kageza. Tsuda gives our data to Kageza, and Kageza can then order the Agent Headquarters. Isn’t that completing a transaction?”
“Then let’s submit it. We all need to save our own skins, right?” Someone suggested. “Use every possible method to increase taxation a bit, so Lieutenant General Tsuda can negotiate smoothly with Kageza and take back the power.”
“That’s all we can do.”
The other directors nodded.
Gu Yansheng had no objections.
Only Luo Junqiang sat there with a grim face after hearing everything.
Gu Yansheng noticed his expression and found it strange. Then he thought about it and laughed.
Luo Junqiang ran brothels in Pudong. His Pudong data should be extremely good. Achieving thirty percent growth was absolutely doable. With Pudong’s wasteland, playing these kinds of games, fifty percent growth was even possible.
But according to Fu Xiao’an’s analysis, this matter wasn’t good for the negotiations with Hanoi. Luo Junqiang represented Minister Zhou—what should he do?
Submitting to the Japanese came first, while Minister Zhou’s arrival was later. Luo Junqiang had no one to discuss this with right now.
If he didn’t submit, the Japanese’s anger might not be easy to handle. If he did submit, once Minister Zhou arrived and the news reached his ears, what would Luo Junqiang’s actions count as? Rejecting Hanoi to side with the Japanese masters?
Fu Xiao’an’s analysis might not be correct, but things had become tricky.
After the meeting, Gu Yansheng planned to leave with Wang Rusong and return to West Shanghai.
Luo Junqiang suddenly spoke up. “Director Gu, wait. I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?” Gu Yansheng was puzzled.
Luo Junqiang smiled, waited for the others to leave, then asked, “Director Gu, how do you plan to handle this? Fu Xiao’an’s words hide disaster. If we don’t handle it well, it’ll cause trouble for Minister Zhou.”
“How could it cause trouble?” Gu Yansheng was strangely puzzled.
Luo Junqiang frowned at Gu Yansheng. “You didn’t understand what Fu Xiao’an meant just now? Are you planning to submit? Help the Japanese, not Minister Zhou—is that what you’re thinking?”
Gu Yansheng shook his head. “How could that be? I’m being factual. I will definitely submit, but you might have misunderstood. The data I’m submitting definitely won’t reach thirty percent taxation, so my data won’t have any negative impact on Minister Zhou’s negotiations—in fact, it might even help.”
“Yours isn’t enough?” Luo Junqiang’s eyes widened. “How could yours not be enough?”
