Chapter 242: Blitz
Better to offend a scoundrel than an old man. Someone like Fu Xiao’an who has money and is old holds grudges.
A scoundrel holding a grudge is called harboring resentment in the heart; an old man holding a grudge is called dying with eyes wide open. Comparatively speaking, the resentment of dying with eyes wide open is a bit greater.
Gu Yansheng approved of the vengeful behavior of an old gentleman like Fu Xiao’an.
British and American money, if traitors don’t earn it, who else can?
Have Lu Bowen handle the matter of bottom fishing call options.
“These few days Fu Xiao’an will release negative news, so you secretly bottom fish.”
“Doesn’t He Yun have a dedicated stockbroker there?” Lu Bowen asked puzzled.
“A broker’s mouth leaks easily, and He Yun is now a director of a listed company. If news of her bottom fishing gets out, those British and Americans will have their own little schemes in mind. How can we then establish a counterparty?
Quietly, without a sound, buy as much as you can. Buy more during the first wave of decline, and the rest can be handed to her broker.
Don’t you like stock trading? This is a chance for you to relax.”
Sure enough, Lu Bowen was quite happy. Running around everywhere, busy here and there, he really hadn’t traded stocks for a while.
“Got it, how much to buy?”
“Buy a little, twenty thousand US dollars should be enough, use leverage.”
“That’s not a little.” Lu Bowen rubbed his fists excitedly. Gu Yansheng didn’t often speculate; he wouldn’t act without several times the profit.
This time, calculating the expected revenue, it could very well reach over a million US dollars!
Gu Yansheng indeed wanted to make a big move. This year they hid it from Japanese businessmen, waiting to collect cotton before raising prices, so profits were high.
Next year, the Japanese would get smarter and it probably couldn’t be done.
So the opportunity might only come once, and this time, they had to eat their fill in one wave.
This matter needed to control risk, and also find the famous stock commentator, Mr. Wu.
Gu Yansheng went to Agent Headquarters to find Wu Sibao.
He knocked on the door, “Captain Wu.”
“Director Gu, oh no, Great Minister Gu.” Wu Sibao came out quickly with a fawning bent waist and lowered head to welcome him, “Welcome Great Minister Gu of the Judicial Administration Department to guide this subordinate’s work.”
“Get lost, who are you putting on this scoundrel act for?” Gu Yansheng rolled his eyes, entered and sat on the sofa, legs crossed, asking: “How’s your recent stock trading going?”
“Don’t mention it.” Wu Sibao rolled his eyes even bigger than Gu Yansheng, unhappily saying: “Hey, can’t the Shanghai District just settle down? I can’t trade individual stocks in peace. If I don’t catch them, Director Li keeps scolding me. If I do catch them, I have no time to watch the stock market.
You know how much money I lose if I don’t watch for one day? The market maker sneak attacks, I can’t sell at the high. By the time I know, it’s dropped again. So annoying.”
“Hahahaha.”
Yo, not bad. Gu Yansheng’s eyes lit up. The suckers had learned to sell high buy low and shear the market maker’s wool back and forth. This stock wasn’t traded in vain; there was progress.
“What’s so funny? I’m annoyed.” Wu Sibao shook his leg, smacked his lips and sighed, “What do you say I should do about this?”
“Did you make money?”
“How can I make money if I can’t watch? I’m not bad at technology!” Wu Sibao glared, neck stiff.
“Hahahaha.”
Wu Sibao couldn’t stand being laughed at, disdainfully said: “What’s so funny? Get to business.”
“If you won’t let me laugh, I won’t say it.” Gu Yansheng put on airs.
Wu Sibao helplessly fawned, “Then finish and laugh after.”
Gu Yansheng restrained his smile a bit and got to the point, “Big business. I want to shear a fortune in the stock market. No need to say more, three to five times profit should be there. For something good, I didn’t forget you.”
Wu Sibao immediately perked up, leaning forward, eyes gleaming. Gu Yansheng’s credibility was unquestionable. If he said it could be done, it definitely made money, so he didn’t bother asking about the process.
“How much money needed, how to do it?”
“First go call your sister-in-law, so I don’t have to say it twice.”
“Okay okay okay.” Wu Sibao got up and made a phone call.
During the wait, Gu Yansheng asked, “Did you catch that woman later?”
“Nope, not that easy to catch, and let me tell you, she’ll never be caught.” Wu Sibao sat down and teased: “People in the Shanghai District get caught, but this woman disappears like she evaporated from the world. Where do you think she went?”
“Really his lover?”
“Nonsense, if not a lover, how could she disappear without a trace? She’s just a minor official. What safe house could be deeper than what a Military Statistics Bureau district chief hides?”
“You didn’t hide her, did you?” Gu Yansheng pointed at his face guessing.
“She’s definitely hidden, but not by me. If I hid her, and my sister-in-law found out, I’d be done for. I wouldn’t dare provoke her. Women go fierce when they flip out. Tsk tsk.”
Wu Sibao leaned in and whispered: “He wouldn’t dare let me hide her either. What if I talk in my sleep at night and my wife hears? Then during mahjong, it slips out.”
“Heh, true.” Gu Yansheng slapped the sofa armrest, pondering murmured, “Your Director Li hid her deep enough. Even the Military Statistics Bureau has dark lines at this level.”
“I didn’t even know.” Wu Sibao also pursed his lips sighing.
“Minister Gu.” Ye Jiqing walked in from outside.
“Sit and talk.”
Gu Yansheng beckoned and explained the matter.
“Funds needed, ten thousand US dollars or so should cover it.
For spot goods, don’t participate in Shanghai local cotton yarn. Fu Xiao’an is contacting major investors over there, put in big effort, stole his business. If he’s unhappy later, for operating futures, he’s the expert, we still need to follow his lead.
And in other places, like Nanjing, Jiangsu, Anhui, etc., anyway anywhere except Shanghai, those factories producing cotton yarn, your 76 can have the lower departments control prices.
Collect if you want, restrict them from selling low if not.
We’ll unify the bottom price, raise them all, earn on spot goods, then earn again on the futures market, eat full in one go.”
Explained clearly and understandably. Ye Jiqing never doubted the God of Wealth’s words, just that funds on hand were a bit short.
“Good idea, but we invested all our money in Yong’an Department Store, can’t come up with that much cash at once.”
Gu Yansheng puzzled, “You haven’t made money these past months?”
“We made money, but not ten thousand US dollars worth.” Ye Jiqing smiled bitterly. Money wasn’t that easy to make.
This shouldn’t be, Gu Yansheng thought and asked, “Even if Yong’an Department Store didn’t distribute money, don’t you have business in West Shanghai? And you caught a big batch of Military Statistics Bureau people. Didn’t you get any money out of the whole Shanghai District?”
“You think too highly of the Shanghai District. Boss Dai is stingy with his life. Funding is given monthly, afraid the money falls into our hands if he dies. Even if we time it to eat his monthly payout, how much is that?
And with so many people in this operation, I won’t say more, but by the time the money reaches us, hasn’t it passed through several hands?” Ye Jiqing raised her head.
Subordinates skim money; even if they know, they can only turn a blind eye.
People risk their lives; they gotta get something.
Gu Yansheng thought it made sense. This Shanghai District catch was planned, Boss Dai likely skimped on the funds.
“What about West Shanghai?”
“West Shanghai doesn’t have that much either. Monthly take is just twenty to thirty thousand silver dollars, how much in US dollars? Less than ten thousand. You want over ten thousand.”
“Then participate as much as you can.”
Involving them was to guard against British pulling some trick last minute. Dealing with them needed caution. 76 people could provide both money and effort.
Gu Yansheng’s own anti-smuggling team was fine playing in SH urban area, but in the concession, nothing was as handy as 76.
“Fifty thousand should be no problem.” Ye Jiqing thought and said.
“Fifty thousand it is.” Gu Yansheng nodded.
“No, make it ten thousand. The remaining fifty thousand I’ll handle.” Wu Sibao volunteered. Such a big money opportunity couldn’t be missed; he’d regret it for life.
Ye Jiqing glanced at him, “Fifty thousand US dollars, where can you get that?”
Wu Sibao smiled faintly and shook his suit, “I’ll borrow, I’ll rob. So many rich people in all of Shanghai, I don’t believe I can’t borrow fifty thousand US dollars.”
Kidnapping, huh. Ye Jiqing thought and silently nodded, “Then be careful, try not to leave evidence.”
Wu Sibao smiled, “Don’t worry, old profession.”
“Then as soon as possible.” Gu Yansheng didn’t say more. Kidnapping was a double-edged sword: money came fast, but offending people fast too, especially the rich weren’t pushovers.
Minor offense leads to seeking revenge; major one joins the anti-Japanese embrace.
The next day.
Gu Yansheng drank tea and read newspaper in the tea house.
Nanjing newspapers already showed the effect of his suggestion. Reform Government internal officials had come out supporting the Wang Government, sarcastically commenting on the current Nanjing Government’s achievements.
Accusing the Nanjing Government chairman of not developing the economy at all, so Nanjing’s prosperity couldn’t compare to Shanghai.
Using housing prices to illustrate Nanjing’s depression: in Shanghai, twenty silver dollars was just an ordinary concession office worker’s salary, enough to buy a small house in Nanjing.
‘Why, even with such cheap housing prices, others still unwilling to develop in Nanjing? Isn’t it because the government doesn’t develop the economy, common people have no work, can’t survive?’
‘Some hold positions without doing work, no enterprising spirit. Nanjing people curse him to death, he still doesn’t know, smugly thinking he did well. Extremely stupid!’
Someone defected; the atmosphere inside the Nanjing Reform Government these past days should be quite interesting.
Gu Yansheng skimmed Nanjing news, then looked at concession foreign newspapers.
One piece of news in the British newspaper caught his attention.
Germany attacks Poland.
Nazi Germany jointly with vassal state Slovakia’s army invades Poland.
British authorities and French authorities warned Nazi Germany to withdraw from Polish territory within 48 hours.
“The time has indeed come.”
Hitler attacks; Europe is about to be in big chaos.
Shanghai here was actually quite calm. The Germany attacking Poland matter caused no big stir. Concession newspapers as British mouthpieces criticized Germany a lot, but ordinary people at most chatted about it as after-meal fun, nothing obvious yet.
“Will it affect the stock market?” Gu Yansheng pondered this; it could be observed more.
But two days later, another newspaper finally made the Shanghai tea house discussions louder.
Because Germany didn’t heed Britain and France’s warnings, Britain and France formally declared war on Germany two days later!
War between great powers instantly sparked citizens’ curiosity, discussions everywhere.
While Gu Yansheng observed, another news in the American newspaper.
Kwantung Army Military Headquarters mobilized Second Division ten thousand men, Fourth Division ten thousand, Seventh Division eight thousand, originally to reinforce towards Nomonhan area, but now all stopped.
Simultaneously, Japanese Army in Mongolia war zone stopped attacking, signs of withdrawal. This provocation war proactively started against Soviet Army ended in failure, Japanese Army suffered heavy losses!
Two days later.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.
“Hello.” Gu Yansheng picked up the phone.
“Hello, you’re at the tea house, right? I’ll come find you.” Minister Zhou’s voice came from the phone.
“When did you return?”
“Just arrived, talk later.”
By reason, Minister Zhou shouldn’t be back so soon, as Gu Yansheng hadn’t received any news of Liang Hongzhi yielding.
Guessing, he waited a bit.
Minister Zhou arrived.
“Minister.”
Minister Zhou and Ding Mocun arrived; Gu Yansheng greeted.
“Mm.” Minister Zhou sat and took a big gulp of tea, “Japan had an incident. Itagaki stepped down, and our negotiations must pause.”
“Pause? Itagaki?” Gu Yansheng sat down puzzled, “Why, what happened?”
“Japan’s Minister of the Army.” Minister Zhou said gravely: “Japanese lost to Soviet Army in Mongolia. Emperor furious, this Minister of the Army was removed. Last night, Itagaki arrived in Nanjing, appointed Chief of Staff of the Expeditionary Force.”
Gu Yansheng understood, nodded, “What does that have to do with our negotiations?”
Minister Zhou frowned: “Last night Itagaki arrived in Nanjing, I went to receive him and asked about his mission in Nanjing.
Itagaki stated clearly, world situation changed, Japanese Army will make new strategic changes. His sole purpose in Nanjing is to force peace with Chongqing Government, so our role is essentially gone.”
“Isn’t this going back on their word?” Gu Yansheng felt indignant.
“Not the first time for Japanese.” Minister Zhou shook his head.
Ding Mocun said: “Yansheng, at the banquet then, Liang Hongzhi was there too. You know his face when he heard this news?
These days Liang Hongzhi was nearly beaten to death by me, really suppressed breathless. Result, who would’ve thought, Japanese lost the battle and saved him.
We don’t even have reason to stay in Nanjing now.
Leaving, still took his crap. Pissed me off.”
“Don’t talk about Liang Hongzhi now, he’s unimportant.” Minister Zhou waved hand, looked at Gu Yansheng, “Give your view.”
Gu Yansheng thought and said: “Japanese and Soviet Army fought in Mongolia, actually fits their northward strategy. Now realizing they can’t win and withdrawing, next only two choices.
One is go all out to swallow the entire Chinese land.
One is go south to hit various East Asia small islands.”
“Possible to hit East Asia?” Minister Zhou interjected.
“Very possible.” Gu Yansheng nodded, “Per what you said earlier, Itagaki spoke of strategic change, forcing peace with Chongqing Government.
So I think, going all out to swallow China isn’t in Japanese options. Japanese really want peace talks with Chongqing, then go south to East Asia.
Because fighting Soviet Army also had an important purpose: for resources.
Now can’t beat Soviet Army, withdraw fine, withdraw anywhere, but Japan’s resource problem unsolved, so only East Asia left.”
Minister Zhou frowned pondering before saying, “So Japanese really want to pause, not using this to play hardball on negotiations for lower price?”
“Doesn’t prevent that.” Gu Yansheng reminded: “Can’t both purposes be achieved?”
Minister Zhou got Gu Yansheng’s meaning, thought and said: “Still a bit different. If Itagaki to Nanjing truly for peace with Chongqing, then we shouldn’t negotiate now, no point saying anything.
Priority is how to handle things between him and Chongqing.
That is, what about us?”
Minister Zhou tapped the table, “If Chongqing peace talks, how do we position ourselves?”
Gu Yansheng met Minister Zhou’s gaze, glanced at Ding Mocun, turned back paused and said: “First, I don’t think Chongqing will peace talk. Not that it won’t start, but won’t have result.
Second, even if real peace talks, Chongqing wants to agree, but we don’t.
Director Ding, you think ways to make someone feel no sincerity are many?”
Ding Mocun thought, raised brow, smiled: “Testing me? Many, too many. Even marriage, all lovey-dovey can turn hostile on wedding day, let alone two with ulterior motives?”
Gu Yansheng smiled after hearing, “Minister, see, Director Ding has many ways.”
Minister Zhou also smiled, pondered alone a bit before saying: “Negotiations, let them talk or not as they want, but negotiations definitely won’t succeed. For ourselves, use every force. Agree?”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely.”
The three exchanged smiles, reached consensus.
