Chapter 234: Airport Pickup
Tea House.
Gu Yansheng learned the news that Li Shiqun had returned.
There’s nothing surprising about coming back. It is indeed a fact that Li Shiqun had contact with the Military Statistics Bureau, but Li Shiqun also arrested Military Statistics Bureau personnel in subsequent actions, which is something that can clear their relationship.
Now Yu Xiangqin has not been caught. It is impossible to take down Li Shiqun with just one report.
But being able to return so quickly proves that Li Shiqun indeed served Haruki Keiichi very well.
However, since the Gendarmerie Headquarters took action, and Li Shiqun was indeed reviewed for one day, Gu Yansheng inferred that Li Shiqun’s contact with the Military Statistics Bureau had not been reported in advance.
An agent not reporting contact with other organizations is a grave taboo, especially since Li Shiqun himself is a traitor.
This time, in the minds of those Japanese at the Gendarmerie Headquarters, there is probably a question mark over Li Sang’s loyalty.
For now, ignore Agent Headquarters matters. Everything that needed to be done has been done, they’ve helped the Military Statistics Bureau, and they’ve stirred up the feud between Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun. Gu Yansheng doesn’t plan to do more; he’ll watch the show first.
For three consecutive days, Li Shiqun rearranged personnel and took control of the Military Statistics Bureau’s arrest operations, clearly intending to suppress the resurgence of Ding Mocun’s influence.
And Ding Mocun is not willing to show weakness either. This matter wasn’t reported by him, but now it’s impossible to explain clearly. He can’t possibly explain to Li Shiqun—explaining is concealing, explaining is showing guilt.
Why would the head of Agent Headquarters need to explain to a deputy director?
Ding Mocun is grabbing the Military Statistics Bureau with one hand and the Concession Municipal Council with the other. He wants to rapidly expand his victories and regain prestige at Agent Headquarters.
Ding Mocun found time to tell Gu Yansheng about the progress in pressuring the Municipal Council.
“Now those people at the Municipal Council have been pressured by me to the point they dare not go out. Don’t worry, he will definitely come out this door, but as soon as he wants to go out, he must soften to me. At that time, you can put your propaganda slogans wherever you want.”
What more could Gu Yansheng say? He could only express thanks and tell Ding Mocun not to strike too hard.
To make the British Director completely soften, Ding Mocun has already killed even British Constables.
Not planning to kill, but already killed.
Those British people at the Municipal Council, under the threat from No. 76, will definitely seek military force protection and trust their own army and constables more.
British Constables previously relied on Chinese constables to do the work, of course, as well as the Indians.
But Chinese constables are not fools; they just take salary to make a living. Even maintaining public order and catching petty thieves requires looking at the Green Gang’s face before deciding whether to arrest.
Asking them to deal with No. 76 agents is thinking too highly of them.
Chinese constables’ wages are even worse than the Indians’. Why should they risk their lives?
So British Constables have to go themselves, and as a result, they ran into Ding Mocun during extraordinary times and were killed on the street.
Ring ring, ring ring.
Gu Yansheng picked up the telephone, “Hello.”
Hase Jinagawa, “Mr. Gu, Mr. Wang’s special plane has already taken off from Japan. Please help prepare the airport reception arrangements.”
“Okay, I’ll arrange it.”
Gu Yansheng hung up the phone and calculated the time. From the timeline, both sides had talked for half a month, which is not short.
Last time eating with Wang Ni, his statement was that the talks were almost done, and going to Japan was just to sign the contract, but judging from this negotiation duration, it clearly wasn’t as smooth as he said.
Notify the Wang Faction personnel in Shanghai and the reporters from China Daily to go to the airport together for the reception.
The plane landed, the cabin door opened, Wang Ni walked out, reporters snapped photos, officials went up to greet.
“Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhou.” A group of officials who intuitively felt the negotiation results would be good smiled and rushed forward.
Chanting welcomes for Mr. Wang’s return to Shanghai.
“Hard work, Mr. Wang.”
“For the Great Cause of Peaceful Nation Building, traveling thousands of miles, Mr. Wang has truly worked hard.”
“Mr. Wang, I wonder how the negotiation results turned out?”
A bunch of sycophants crowded forward surrounding Wang Ni.
But Gu Yansheng was different. With a smiling face, he went to Minister Zhou’s side; he was targeting Minister Zhou.
“Minister, I’ve already arranged the evening banquet at the Hua Mao Hotel. We can go directly now. Do you think we need to first arrange for everyone to go home, bathe, and rest?”
“Since everything is arranged, let’s go eat first.”
Minister Zhou smiled, “We didn’t sleep well outside, nor eat well. Let’s eat and then go back to sleep. I’ll go tell Mr. Wang.”
Minister Zhou went and whispered to Wang Ni. Seeing Wang Ni nod, everyone set off for the restaurant.
“Yansheng, ride with me.”
Gu Yansheng got in Minister Zhou’s car. Minister Zhou was eager to understand the situation in Shanghai.
But Gu Yansheng spoke first, “Minister, were the negotiation matters smooth?”
To answer completely according to the truth, of course it was not smooth; Japan did not concede much in the subsequent negotiations.
To the extent that signing according to the Japanese contract would make Mr. Wang lose a lot of face, and it might dispirit those who came to join, or even prevent them from coming. Even for those already here, like local Shanghai figures such as Gu Yansheng and Fu Xiao’an, they might not help.
So the people who went to Japan have now privately agreed that, apart from the normal terms already announced to subordinates, those harsh terms added later by the Japanese need not be known to others.
But Gu Yansheng is different. After consideration, Minister Zhou decided to tell him a bit.
First, the matter of Japan dispatching advisors later—Gu Yansheng will know as long as he serves as this minister, it can’t be hidden. Second, it’s also a sincere test; if he’s going to switch sides, better sooner than later.
Minister Zhou paused and said: “Some things went smoothly, some not. The smooth part is that the Japanese Cabinet has no objections to us establishing the sole government; all departments support it. The not smooth part is that the Military Department temporarily added a system.”
Minister Zhou explained the advisor system temporarily added by the Japanese.
“Mr. Wang’s relaxed attitude just now at the airport was mostly to comfort others. On this trip to Japan, we faced enormous pressure in every negotiation.”
Even though Gu Yansheng had some mental preparation, he was shocked by Wang Ni’s weakness. Conditions like this still need negotiation?
As soon as the Japanese threw out such conditions, they should have come back. Why stay so long? Isn’t this deliberately showing weakness?
Even if Gu Yansheng set aside his own identity and stance, and just considered from the perspective of a traitor wholeheartedly for Wang Wang, he felt these conditions were too harsh.
“These conditions are too harsh, right? Did Mr. Wang sign?”
“Not yet. We also want to strive for maximum profit, let the Japanese stew a bit, no rush to sign the contract. Anyway, we just do our own things first.”
Hearing this, Gu Yansheng sighed and shook his head, “Still too harsh. Logically, the Japanese want to use Chinese to control Chinese. Mr. Wang is very useful to them, so it’s normal for the Japanese to propose the advisor system. But in negotiations, they should concede some part, right?
Why wouldn’t the Japanese concede? Is it because they stayed too long?”
