Chapter 230: Strike
“Sigh.” Gu Yansheng raised a hand, stopping Ding Mocun mid-sentence, “What’s there to explain? Say what fits the person you’re seeing. If you’re saying that in this situation, how could I not understand?”
“Yes, yes.” Ding Mocun felt greatly relieved at Gu Yansheng’s understanding.
Gu Yansheng smiled, “If you’re really helping Chongqing with work, it would actually benefit business too. I don’t oppose that, but let me remind you: the appointment letter is fine to take, the work is fine to do, but remember one thing—when far from command, military orders may not be obeyed.
What does Chongqing value in you? Isn’t your value just this position?
But if you do too many dangerous things and the Japanese find out, lightly you’ll lose the position, heavily you’ll lose your life. At that point, Chongqing might not care about you anymore.”
How could Ding Mocun not understand? He’d already been screwed over by Old Jiang once, “I get it. In the end, only money is real.”
“Exactly, making money is what matters. Ignore what they say. As long as you hold this position steady, even if you’re just doing business with Chongqing and nothing else, won’t Old Jiang have to hold his nose and call you a pillar of the nation? Hmm?”
“Hahaha, you’re right.”
“Come on, let’s go back and distribute money.”
Gu Yansheng didn’t want Ding Mocun getting too close to Chongqing. Helping was fine, but devoting himself entirely to serving the Party and State was unnecessary.
Of course, with Ding Mocun’s personality, even if Gu Yansheng said nothing, Ding Mocun would still pretend loyalty to Chongqing while pursuing his own agenda.
Gu Yansheng saying it was just to firm up Ding Mocun’s resolve, so as to avoid a slip of the tongue that might expose him to CC. There was no need for that—Gu Yansheng didn’t want CC trying to lure him anymore.
“Good, let’s go back and distribute money.” At the mention of money, a brilliant smile immediately appeared on Ding Mocun’s face.
He’d been poor for too long.
“Chongqing was unusually polite this time. CC is always stingy as hell, but they actually gave all the money this time. This is really an unexpected joy.”
It was only after coming to Shanghai that he realized making money was so easy—one trip equaled years of effort back in Chongqing!
He’d invested ten thousand US dollars, and now it had turned into thirty thousand!
Going back tonight to count money, he’d laugh in his sleep.
“Unexpected what? Listen to this Wu Kaixian’s source—Executive Yuan. I reckon nine times out of ten, it’s CC people who wouldn’t swallow the loss of that batch of medicine being swallowed up, couldn’t communicate with Xue Yue, so they took the lawsuit to Old Jiang.
Old Jiang hears there’s a chance to pull back a director of the Special Agent Headquarters like you, so of course he moves his lips and tries hard to do you a favor.”
Ding Mocun nodded; this analysis wasn’t impossible.
Otherwise, who paid for this money?
Loss split half and half becomes them bearing the full loss—the price difference there is twenty thousand.
Old Jiang and CC don’t seem like the types to willingly shell out these extra twenty thousand US dollars to throw down the drain.
The car drove back to West Shanghai, passing by No. 76 to the tea house. A casual glance showed action team members hurrying at the door of No. 76.
“What’s the situation, all bustling around? I’ll go take a look.”
The car stopped, Ding Mocun got out, and casually called over a person to ask.
After hearing a few sentences, he waved a hand at the action team member, letting him go free, then frowned, got back in the car, and cursed under his breath.
“What bad luck. That personnel section chief Li Shiqun caught is a total good-for-nothing. Didn’t even beat him once, just coaxed him a bit and the bastard spilled everything. What kind of rice bags is Dai Li using? Not tough at all. At least hold out one night, right?”
Gu Yansheng chuckled mockingly, “Hey hey hey, jealous, huh?”
Ding Mocun huffed stubbornly, shook his suit, and slumped heavily into the seat, “Jealous of what? Just a personnel section chief. It’s not like I haven’t caught one.
I’m just pissed that Li Shiqun picked up another bargain. Originally, with Mr. Wang and them coming back, Li Shiqun had no achievements and was probably facing punishment nine times out of ten. Now he’s got a way to survive again.”
Just one personnel section chief—even if he doesn’t cough up big fish, he can squeeze out a pile of small fry, enough for Li Shiqun to turn in as results.
Gu Yansheng tsked twice, comforting him, “Alright, he earns merit, you earn money. You’re not losing out.”
“That’s true.” Thinking of money, Ding Mocun did feel a bit consoled. What was being an official for, if not money? Even if Li Shiqun caught the entire Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District, the Japanese rewards wouldn’t match one business deal.
“You still sitting there?” Gu Yansheng urged.
“What’s up?” Ding Mocun didn’t get it, “Can’t I sit?”
“Go back. They’re all in action, why are you coming to the tea house with me?
The money won’t disappear, but Li Shiqun just caught someone and will definitely report the results to the Japanese. If the Japanese ask where you were, and he says you ran off to play in the afternoon.”
Gu Yansheng didn’t need to finish; he just clapped his hand.
Ding Mocun’s face fell, “Damn it, gotta watch out for that. I’ll head out first.”
With that, he hurriedly opened the door.
Gu Yansheng didn’t stop him, “Hey, even if you’re playing the bodhisattva, you gotta sit there. If there’s results, report to the Japanese first. Who else but you as director? It’s perfectly legitimate.
If there’s really nothing to do, best buy some food for the men under you, reward everyone. Won’t they sing your praises then?” Gu Yansheng smiled, “Made money, time to spend some.”
Ding Mocun raised a brow, “Getting some midnight snacks is fine, but report to who? Kageza isn’t in Shanghai. Am I supposed to report to Haruki? Haruki’s eaten Li Shiqun’s love potion, even if I called him dad, he’d only recognize Li Shiqun as his own son.”
Gu Yansheng chuckled mockingly, “Up to you. At least put on the show, even for your own people.”
Ding Mocun didn’t argue, “Alright, then we’ll talk about our business tomorrow.”
“Mm, tomorrow I’ll bring the money over.” Gu Yansheng waved his hand and left.
Leave an excuse for going to No. 76, check it out again tomorrow.
The next morning, Gu Yansheng went to the bank, stored the recording tape in the safe deposit box, then returned to the West Shanghai tea house.
He listened to Ma Shiqi’s report on supplies transportation.
“The supplies they brought this time are mainly tungsten sand, pig bristles, cloud smoke, tung oil. All good stuff, but none in large quantities. How do you plan to handle them?”
“Ask Gu the boss. Items the Jiangbei Gang was already trading in, have him find people to take them. The rest, not your Jiangbei Gang business, contact Zhang Xiaolin and give it all to him. We don’t do retail. From now on, any goods from there follow this model.”
CC’s stuff for retail, revenue doesn’t match the risk. Gu Yansheng had no interest in that money and didn’t want to steal food from the gangs. He and Ding Mocun taking the middleman’s cut was enough.
Of course, profits go to the gangs, risks borne by them too.
If something really goes wrong, the Japanese hit the Green Gang first. By the time they trace from black market vendors to gang leaders, Gu Yansheng and Ding Mocun would have time to react.
Ma Shiqi nodded deeply, “Got it, I’ll go arrange it right away.”
“Good.”
At yesterday’s latter half banquet, Wu Kaixian had already explained: deduct the advance payment for the next batch of medicine from this batch’s revenue, the rest is CC’s activity funding for regrouping in Shanghai this time. Hoped Ding Mocun would help more, earn a bit more.
Ding Mocun’s take was that many people here ate money—with Japanese relationships, Green Gang relationships—could only guarantee there’d be profit, amount should be decent, but hard to say exactly how much for now.
Like tungsten sand, acquisition price in Nationalist controlled area is fifty silver dollars per hundred jin, selling price here in Shanghai is one hundred silver dollars per hundred jin. Profit isn’t great, less than double after transport costs, and it’s especially heavy, can’t load much.
Tung oil has a bigger price difference, eighty silver dollars per hundred jin, black market price three hundred silver dollars.
Cloud smoke goes without saying, wholesale for triple profit for sure.
The most valuable is actually pig bristles.
This stuff is essential for military industry work. Japanese trading companies want it. Acquisition price in Nationalist controlled area fifty silver dollars per hundred jin, Shanghai black market price five hundred silver dollars per hundred jin.
Saying Chongqing upper levels resell good stuff to Japanese is indirectly aiding the enemy isn’t wrong, but this stuff really can earn Japanese money for activity funding.
Of course, if there’s corruption in it, that’s another matter.
He picked up the newspaper on the table and looked. No doubt, last night was another night of constant gunfights, and the newspaper had fully reported it.
Yu Xiangqin, intelligence team leader in West Shanghai, being pointed out definitely spread the information.
Plus Liu San passing messages, the Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District likely has dark lines at No. 76 too.
Some information definitely got out, but with current communications, no matter what organizational structure the Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District uses, those few hours of Yu Xiangqin fleeing to No. 76 action wasn’t enough to notify everyone.
Even if some were notified and dodged, since the one caught was the personnel section chief, these people would still find it hard to escape Shanghai. Barring accidents, the next few days all of Shanghai would have a massive manhunt, all exits issuing wanted notices, checking appearances and identification documents one by one.
The Shanghai District would definitely take a hit, just unknown how much damage exactly.
Gu Yansheng picked up the money box, floored it to No. 76.
