Chapter 257: Busy
Upon landing in Shanghai, everyone first returned home to rest.
Later, they still had to go to Nanjing to resolve the issue with Liang Hongzhi.
However, Minister Zhou had to find Gu Yansheng. “During this time you weren’t in Shanghai, you need to learn more about the situation on Fu Xiao’an’s side. The funds cannot have any issues.”
After all, it was more than 20 million in funds, all Central Bank money. Minister Zhou wouldn’t be that unconcerned.
“Alright, later after I go back, I’ll immediately check the situation.”
Gu Yansheng wasn’t worried. The money was in the money shop, the money shop was in He Yun’s hands. He Yun was an accountant, plus there was his own stock operating team supervising. The probability of issues with the funds was too low.
“Good, thanks for the hard work.”
After bidding farewell, Gu Yansheng returned to the tea house in West Shanghai.
“Minister, you’re back.” Ma Shiqi stood up to welcome him.
“Mm, how has Shanghai been these past few days?” Gu Yansheng went upstairs while asking.
“No big events, official business handled normally. Mayor Fu and President Sato of Mitsui Company called. I told them you were on a business trip.”
“Sato? Did he say anything?” Gu Yansheng walked to the coffee machine and started brewing coffee.
“I asked, but he didn’t say. He just said to call him back when you returned.”
“Got it.”
It was nothing more than medicine business or the like.
“Anything else?”
“One more thing. The assessment time from the Greater East Asia Ministry has arrived. They want us to do a tax audit, report in five days.”
“Let Wang Rusong handle it well. A Tax Bureau Chief can’t be visiting brothels every day. It’s his duty anyway. I can just show up for the report.”
The new government was about to start, and this Greater East Asia Ministry stuff would soon be swept into the trash heap.
“I’ve contacted them. Now Director Wang is taking charge. It’s just about how much tax those factories actually owe. You might need to decide yourself. Should we still report losses this time?”
“No need to report losses anymore. We have to fulfill what we promised the Japanese. Otherwise, the Greater East Asia Ministry will think we’re useless or something.”
This was indeed a problem.
The problem wasn’t with the tax. The problem was that the cotton mills had to sell goods to generate tax, and Fu Xiao’an planned to raise the cotton yarn price to 250 before slowly shipping out.
“What’s the cotton yarn futures price now?”
“240.”
The difference was close enough.
Gu Yansheng took a sip of coffee, picked up the phone, and called Fu Xiao’an.
“Haha, Mayor Fu, as soon as I got back, I heard the cotton yarn price has risen to 240?”
“Minister Gu is back, that’s great. I have something to tell you. Like this, I’ll come find you. We’ll meet and talk.”
“Alright, then let’s have a meal together. I’ll wait for you.”
He still had to come over. Gu Yansheng hung up the phone.
“Shiqi, help me find a restaurant. Later, Mayor Fu and I are having dinner.”
“Okay.”
The phone rang again.
“Hello.”
“It’s me. Did you get Sato’s call?” Ding Mocun’s voice came over the phone.
Gu Yansheng waved his hand, signaling Ma Shiqi, who had stopped because of the call, to continue booking the restaurant.
“Haven’t gotten it yet, but when we went out, the secretary received it. You got it too?”
“Yeah, my secretary said Sato called. I thought this was most likely related to quinine. Calculating the time, it’s about the one-year deadline we discussed last time. Is he coming to collect the debt?”
“Probably.”
They took 400,000 US dollars in advance payment for two tons of quinine from them, but only delivered a few dozen pounds in a year. That amount wasn’t even a fraction of their smuggled medicine. And they used Mitsui’s customs declaration.
From a business perspective, it was a bit unethical.
No choice, who made the partner Japanese.
“How to respond to this call? Can’t those druggists think of other ways? The people in Southeast Asia can’t hold such grudges. Not selling medicine anymore? People always need to eat.” Ding Mocun had a headache.
“Let me call and ask about this. I’ll call you back later.”
Gu Yansheng hung up the phone and redialed to call He Yun.
“Hello, it’s me. Where is Boss Guo of Yong’an Department Store now?”
“At the company, I suppose. At this time, he should be at Yong’an Department Store.”
“Good, I’ll go find him.”
“Need me to come along?”
“Mm, if convenient, come over. We’ll go together.”
“Okay, I’m coming now. I’ll be there soon.”
In the time it took to drink a cup of coffee, Gu Yansheng picked up He Yun and went to find Guo Linshuang.
Yong’an Department Store mansion, Guo Linshuang’s office.
After pleasantries, Gu Yansheng asked directly, “Boss Guo, how is the preparation of the cinchona bark you were asked to acquire last time?”
“Ah? You still want it? I thought you didn’t.” Guo Linshuang looked surprised.
“Did I say I didn’t want it?” Gu Yansheng asked strangely. “Why would you think that?”
Guo Linshuang hissed, “After you mentioned this last time, I did inquire and contacted people, prepared to ship to Myanmar, and then hand over the rest to your connections. But after that, you never mentioned it again, and no one contacted me. I thought you didn’t want it.
I see Miss He often, and she never mentioned it either. I thought”
“Thought what?”
Guo Linshuang smiled mockingly, “I thought you just came to trick me into selling shares, and had no intention of delivering goods to the Nationalist controlled area.”
“Overthinking it. Things always need the right timing. Previously, the timing hadn’t arrived.”
Selling quinine to the Japanese, Gu Yansheng indeed wasn’t that urgent.
Now that they were pressing, he could just handle it.
Not dwelling on this, “Now I want goods that can produce ten tons of quinine. How long do you need to ship to the border of Myanmar and Yunnan?”
“Plenty of goods. No buyers in Nanyang right now, lots of inventory. Can ship anytime. Transportation takes some time. Fastest half a month, slow twenty days. Definitely can arrive.”
“Good, then place the order. Money matters, discuss with Miss He. Miss He, keep an eye on this.”
He Yun nodded. “I’ll handle it.”
“Other matters proceed as we originally agreed.”
After explaining the rest, Gu Yansheng left.
Driving back to the tea house, Fu Xiao’an was already there.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mayor Fu. Just got back and came up, a pile of things to handle. I haven’t stopped for a moment.” Gu Yansheng smiled and greeted him.
“You’re the hot favorite in front of Mr. Wang now, of course you’re busy. I’m just here for a free meal, no issue.”
“Thanks for understanding. Shiqi, restaurant booked?”
“Already booked. Guaranteed private.”
“Good, Mayor Fu, please.”
Gu Yansheng and Fu Xiao’an arrived at the restaurant for dinner.
In the private room.
Gu Yansheng was actually quite curious. “Mayor Fu, I heard the price was pulled to 240. This seems much faster than the pace you told me last time.”
Before his business trip, the price was only 180. In these few days, it rose 60 points, doubling the paper profits again.
“Something came up.”
Fu Xiao’an ate some food, put down his chopsticks, and said, “I originally planned to grind everyone’s patience at the 200 price level, making more people firmly believe cotton yarn would rise for sure.
Things developed about right. Under my propaganda and market control, stockholders’ enthusiasm is high now. They’re even saying cotton yarn futures can reach 500.
But isn’t this the Greater East Asia Ministry requiring tax payment?
I thought, this timing isn’t right. If we drag too late, we won’t be able to explain to the Greater East Asia Ministry. So I called you, planning to discuss pulling up and starting slow shipments, making our submitted ledgers look good.
Otherwise, with so many fewer cotton mills, this tax would look too bad. Especially your West Shanghai, mostly cotton mills, right?”
Gu Yansheng nodded.
Fu Xiao’an said, “Wasn’t this when I knew you were on a business trip? I had to decide myself.”
“Oh~” Gu Yansheng understood and said generously, “No issue either way. Mayor Fu, you decide. The Greater East Asia Ministry’s errand must be done. Was the pull-up smooth?”
“Smooth, too smooth.” Thinking of the process, Fu Xiao’an smiled brightly, took a sip of wine, and said, “Brother Gu, let me tell you, you missed it by not being here these days. You missed a good show.
Those in the concession, didn’t they get trapped by my rigging with a bunch of short positions at 155? They didn’t cut flesh!
Then a few days ago I pulled to 180, stopped. Do you know what they did?
I made a selling move. At 180, they added a bunch more short positions, wanting to flip it all at once!”
Fu Xiao’an excitedly tapped the table. “I waited for them to buy and hold. Wasn’t it just when the Greater East Asia Ministry news came? I released positive news all at once, price directly pulled to 200!
Those foreigners’ emotions completely collapsed. They chose to surrender, cut flesh and exit, then went long! Price directly pulled to 260!”
“All cut?” Gu Yansheng’s eyes lit up.
“Part of them.” Fu Xiao’an smiled. “I could feel the big players exiting. They pull, I short in response. Price can’t rise too fast. We need time for spot goods, can’t carry them up, right?
As soon as I shipped, now they’re suspecting again if I’m going to smash the market.
Now at 220, 240, 260, washing back and forth. Scaring them to death.
Cotton yarn spot goods have started shipping. 250 first batch factory price.
But these out-of-town cotton yarn merchants aren’t accepting it much. After all, it’s 100 more than the highest price in previous years. They’re afraid of no profit after taking it back, not daring to buy.”
“Cover their transportation. Previously they had to give kickbacks to others, afraid of deductions by Japanese. Now we cover it. They order, we deliver to their cities.
Be tough, directly give them quotas. Tell them they must buy, unified price. Everyone at this price, they’ll definitely make money.
But if not buying, house search, factory closure, arrest.”
Forced buying and selling. Fu Xiao’an raised an eyebrow. Gu Yansheng was ruthless. “Also a way. Must guarantee our own income.”
Don’t squeeze merchants in Japanese Occupied Area, who to squeeze? If uncomfortable, go to Nationalist controlled area to resist Japan. Gu Yansheng wasn’t stopping them.
“Just do it like this. Anyway, we can’t lose money. Minister Zhou has emphasized it repeatedly. Mayor Fu, this needs attention.”
“Of course.” Fu Xiao’an nodded. “Then I’ll arrange the spot goods shipment. First guarantee our taxation, make an impressive result. At least 50% increase.”
“Alright, you arrange it. I’ll have West Shanghai merchants contact you.”
50% increase wasn’t much. Cotton yarn price was three times higher than same time last year, but costs same, profit margin terrifyingly high.
“Okay.” After finishing money matters, Fu Xiao’an chatted idly. “Brother Gu, you know? Foreign funds have already entered Shanghai Stock Market for bottom fishing.”
“Really?” This judgment matched Gu Yansheng’s. “How did you see it?”
“Funds. Previously Shanghai Stock Market had this much money. Pull a few stocks, funds drawn from others, prices fall. Now we’re doing cotton yarn, gathered lots of funds, but other stocks not falling but rising. Increase not big, but I can see. I think international capital is interested in our Shanghai.
Just not enough money. After we finish this cotton yarn wave, we can enter other industries, make another fortune.”
Trapping foreigners, Gu Yansheng was of course interested.
“See the situation then.”
After dinner, Gu Yansheng didn’t mind the late hour and called Sato Kenji of Mitsui.
“President Sato, hope you’re well. Heard from my staff you called me? Good, then let’s meet tomorrow.”
The next day, Gu Yansheng went to Mitsui Chamber of Commerce to find Sato.
“Mr. Gu, please sit.” Sato served tea.
“Mr. Gu is now very busy with personnel matters. Hope you haven’t forgotten our agreement. Time is almost up. General Headquarters urgently needs this medicine.”
“Quinine, of course not forgotten.” Gu Yansheng smiled slightly. “In fact, after the quinine accident last time, I’ve been thinking of ways to solve these merchants’ difficulty in landing on the island to buy.
During this time, I’ve tried multiple times, paid a lot, finally found a feasible path. And believe results soon.”
“Oh?” Sato perked up. “What method did Mr. Gu find?”
Gu Yansheng took a sip of tea. “I analyzed all possibilities, found the only stable supply route. Avoid Japan being blockaded. Have Chongqing people come forward, place orders to countries in Nanyang, legitimately ship to Myanmar, then through Japanese army defense zone, reach Nationalist controlled area.”
Sato was quick-minded and immediately understood the whole process. “Does Chongqing have such people willing to help us?”
“Not openly helping us.” Gu Yansheng shook his head. “They dare not take the risk, can’t directly import quinine. Under guise of developing medicine, research quinine production, import cinchona bark from Nanyang.
Then produce in pharmaceutical companies in Nationalist controlled area.
We provide money, local officials provide cover.
We don’t say, they don’t ask. Everyone understands tacitly.
Even if investigated, with their ability, this medicine production line is shoddy, inexperienced, much scrapped. Very normal.
But actually, medicine production good, shipped back to us.”
“I see.” Sato nodded with slightly furrowed brows. Situation more complex than before, but logically feasible.
And with local officials’ greed, they would cover it well.
Just
“Is their medicine production ability reliable? Medicine quality can’t be too poor. This is for army combat, Military Department will inspect.”
Gu Yansheng of course knew this. Quinine for southbound operations, those places, malaria rampant. Quality had to be good.
But no choice?
“This I indeed can’t guarantee. But something better than nothing. If you really think not workable, we can order professional production line shipped there.
Have Japanese enterprises pharmaceutical researchers write operation process. Should be about right.”
Sato thought carefully. “How much bark can be bought?”
“Several tons for sure. Specific depends on local officials’ operation level. I’ll have merchants bribe local officials. If workable, quantity large, depends on their rank.”
“Good, do as you say. Thanks for the hard work.”
Southbound operations, quinine hard demand. Sato had no choice.
