Chapter 287: Integration
Tea House.
Gu Shuping came to see Gu Yansheng.
“We’ve received news from the organization. They hope we can procure a batch of supplies for the New Fourth Army, and also wish for us to obtain information on the defense deployments of the Japanese Army and puppet troops in the Huangqiao area of Taixing.”
“Huangqiao?”
“Yes, Huangqiao.” Gu Shuping nodded in confirmation.
Huangqiao. Gu Yansheng pondered the place. It was the core grain-producing region of Northern Jiangsu. From a strategic standpoint, he guessed the organization was planning ahead to solve their grain problem.
This location aligned with the organization’s stated strategic goal of expanding northward.
The Japanese were currently severely requisitioning grain. If they could secure a core production area before the autumn harvest season, they would not only have ample grain themselves but also disrupt the Japanese grain harvest.
This would reduce their strength while increasing ours, killing two birds with one stone.
“Did they mention what supplies were needed?”
“Fisherman told me that the organization intends to establish the New Fourth Army’s Northern Jiangsu Command, and this is the implementation phase. As troops march towards Huangqiao, they will undoubtedly encounter fighting along the way, and the consumption will not be small. I estimate that medicine, grain, firearms and ammunition, and radios will all be needed.”
“Alright, I understand.” Gu Yansheng looked at him and asked, “You have considerable influence in Suzhou, what can you procure?”
“Radios. They are available on the black market. Other items can be purchased, but the quantity cannot be large, nor can it be significantly large.”
Gu Shuping frowned, “For items like medicine, one can only discreetly buy a few on the black market. For large-scale procurement, even merchants don’t have stock. The 76th Division is watching closely, and the black market has been raided several times.
For grain, I can handle the transportation, but procurement is very troublesome.
There is already a grain shortage in the market, and purchasing such a large quantity of grain without a proper reason would easily attract attention.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Grain merchants have plenty of grain in their warehouses, and the Ministry of Justice’s inspection teams have seized quite a bit.”
Gu Yansheng told him to relax. Anti-corruption efforts were ongoing in Suzhou, and obtaining grain would be as easy as turning over a hand.
He was surprised by the radios, however. “Are there many radios on the black market?” Gu Yansheng asked.
“Not many,” Gu Shuping shook his head and chuckled. “It depends on luck. Generally, no one buys them, and generally, no one sells them. But if someone really wants to buy, they can find them. Some radios even originate from within the Japanese.
In the past, when the 76th Division captured Military Statistics Bureau agents, they would report the seized radios, along with their codebooks, as a significant accomplishment. After several Military Statistics Bureau stations were broken, and a considerable number of radios were confiscated, the merit became ordinary.
Some individuals from the 76th Division would then sell them on the black market, fetching several Yellow Croakers.”
This was news to him. “Is this a trap?”
“No, this business has been around for a long time. Before the Battle of Songhu, those merchants sold to the Japanese. After the Battle of Songhu, these merchants sold to the Military Statistics Bureau, underground parties, and I even heard they sold to foreign spies. It has a long history.
Black market merchants who can handle this kind of transaction are not ordinary people. Who would dare to accept radios casually?”
“That brazen?”
“The profit is huge. I tell you, although the volume of radio transactions on the black market is small, for those who need them, they will pay any price. It’s not just people from the 76th Division selling them; the Japanese themselves are selling them, stolen by those in charge of the warehouses.
A Japanese soldier now earns nine yuan a month. One gold bar is equivalent to a year’s salary. Stealing one radio can yield at least ten years’ worth of salary.
Those with courage steal radios, and those with less courage steal parts. Radio parts break, but even the parts are valuable.”
“Heh.” Gu Yansheng chuckled. “There’s no shortage of such people anywhere.”
Gu Shuping continued with a smile, “So, if you want to find stock, it’s possible, but the price is not cheap. If you want brand new ones, Suzhou might not have them, but the black market in Shanghai definitely will. They are imported, high-end goods.
Gu Yansheng nodded. “Since they are establishing a command post, one or two units might not be enough. If we can get more, let’s get more. Since you have connections in Suzhou, look into it. Once you’ve confirmed, give the lead to Fisherman so he can find someone to buy them. If that’s not enough, we’ll buy more in Shanghai.”
“Okay, how will the other supplies be handled? The quantity is considerable.”
“I will handle it.”
Nurturing soldiers for a thousand days, to be used in times of need. They are developing in Shanghai, not just passing time; they must be capable when it matters.
Currently, the entire country is under blockade. Even Hong Kong has been subject to an embargo by the United Kingdom. The concessions in Shanghai are currently the only place where supplies can be imported legally from abroad without Japanese consent.
Shanghai is their warehouse; what could they possibly lack?
Food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
Correspondingly, this means cotton yarn, medicine, grain, security for the base areas, and firearms and ammunition.
Gu Yansheng has plenty of medicine. If he doesn’t have it in his warehouse, the warehouses of the numerous druggists under his employ will surely have it, both Chinese and Western. If they are not picky, they might even find Native American remedies from the druggists’ warehouses.
For cotton yarn, Lu Bowen’s factory has a large quantity. Cotton yarn is not easy to sell in the summer, so making bandages for the New Fourth Army is more than enough. Selling it through regular sales channels, a round trip, will completely isolate Lu Bowen’s factory from the risk.
For grain, the grain routes Lu Bowen has established in Suzhou and Anhui are already in place. Finding ways to buy grain is not a difficult task.
However, there is an opportunity now. Gu Yansheng does not intend to use Lu Bowen. Fu Xiao’an is buying grain; they can simply hijack his grain transport team.
It will also save some money.
For firearms and ammunition, Sassoon would likely not refuse the Communist Party, one of their few major clients.
A single sentence from Gu Yansheng could completely relieve Gu Shuping.
“Is it difficult? If you need my help, I can try to find a way in Suzhou.”
In reality, anything could be purchased, but it was a matter of quantity. Supplying an army of several thousand men was too large a quantity and too conspicuous.
Gu Yansheng waved his hand. “Not for now. You arrange the matter of the radios first. I’ll contact you again if more is needed. Pass a message to Fisherman to find our old partner regarding firearms and ammunition. Tell him to inform me of the cost, and he will handle it.”
“Understood,” Gu Shuping nodded. “What about the Huangqiao intelligence?”
“In a couple of days. Obtaining intelligence around Huangqiao might be less difficult than obtaining supplies.
The main forces of the Japanese Army, in order to force the Chongqing Government to surrender, have moved all but a small defensive force to the frontline. The remaining troops are mostly empty shells, with little manpower, primarily used to garrison towns.
As long as the New Fourth Army advances along the smaller paths, they will have no opportunity to encounter them.
Conversely, the puppet army has more garrisoned troops, making them the primary target of vigilance.
Obtaining intelligence on them will require some effort.
But only a little. I need to ask someone.”
“That easy?”
“How difficult can it be?”
He served Minister Zhou daily, flattering him constantly, and it wasn’t for nothing. Minister Zhou was not only a minister but also the second-in-command of the Wang Puppet regime’s military, the Vice Chairman.
Regarding military matters, as long as it involved the Wang Puppet forces, he would report it to him.
Gu Yansheng sacrificed his own interests to accompany him to more opera houses and engage in conversations, thereby obtaining most of the information he needed.
To be accurate, verification is necessary.
Gu Yansheng looked at Gu Shuping. “Do you know where Ren Yuandao has any businesses? In Suzhou, perhaps? Or his family’s?”
“Yes,” Gu Shuping nodded. “Ren Yuandao’s influence is considerable now. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacification Army, and ordinary people cannot contend with him. He has many shops and businesses, the owners of which can be confirmed to be him. He has stakes in two hotels in Suzhou alone.”
Gu Yansheng pondered for a moment. “Destroy them.”
“Destroy them?!” Gu Shuping was astonished.
“Smash a large one. Make him feel the pain, but we must find a suitable reason. It could be sophistry or extortion, but there must be a justifiable starting point.”
“It can be done, but why?” Gu Shuping thought and couldn’t understand.
Gu Yansheng smiled. “Don’t you need intelligence? If you don’t smash them, what excuse will I have to invite him for a drink and offer an apology?”
Gu Shuping laughed. “Alright, I’ll research which one is suitable. How about we use the excuse of having taken a liking to their hotel, deliberately causing trouble, and wanting to buy it at a low price?”
“Not great, but sufficient.”
It was an excuse anyway; anything would do.
“The initial destruction should be severe, so as not to let the other party reveal their identity. Once they recover, and Ren Yuandao’s men come looking for you, have their people contact you, and then you inform me.”
“Understood.”
“Good, you can go now.”
Extracting intelligence from Minister Zhou and then from Ren Yuandao should be sufficient.
After Gu Shuping left, Gu Yansheng called Lu Bowen and asked him to come and prepare the supplies.
“I’ll leave the cotton yarn preparation to you. I’ll send people separately for transportation. It will be handled through a normal procurement contract.”
“No problem,” Lu Bowen agreed readily.
“Grain…”
“No problem.”
“There are no problems. Listen to me. I want to hijack Fu Xiao’an’s grain transport team. You are knowledgeable about grain; do you know the route Fu Xiao’an’s grain transport team takes?”
“I don’t need to handle the grain?” Lu Bowen was a little disappointed. He was, after all, a legitimate grain merchant now, with several grain factories.
“No, the route.”
“The route depends on the destination. Northern Jiangsu is near the sea. If it’s from Northern Jiangsu to Shanghai, it’s by water. The ships are loaded directly at the wharves in Northern Jiangsu and unloaded at Wusongkou in Shanghai.
If it’s to Suzhou, it’s by land transport to Nantong, Taizhou, or Yangzhou, then across the river to Zhenjiang or Zhangjiagang. The former goes towards Nanjing, and the latter towards Suzhou.”
“Is Fu Xiao’an’s route the same?”
“It’s definitely the same. These are established routes with the lowest cost. My people have even encountered their grain convoys.”
“Alright.” Gu Yansheng nodded and pondered. “Suppose I have grain in Suzhou, and I sell it to Fu Xiao’an, but I don’t want Fu Xiao’an to sell the grain to Shanghai, but rather in the direction of Zhenjiang. Is there a way?”
“Moving in the opposite direction?” Lu Bowen was initially surprised, then he understood. “Is the main force of the army near Zhenjiang?”
“Approximately.” Gu Yansheng couldn’t be sure, as the telegram didn’t specify.
However, in terms of expanding northward, the troops always move from the direction of Anhui towards Northern Jiangsu, and this involves crossing the river.
So far, Gu Yansheng had not heard any news of the New Fourth Army crossing the river.
This means the troops are at most between Anhui and Jiangsu, in the triangle formed by Ma’anshan, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang.
It’s likely a border area.
The advantage of a border area is that neither side wants to deal with it.
Who wants the thankless task of deploying troops to deal with these troublesome Communists? They can’t extract much oil, and fighting them would mean losing flesh. This is the mindset of the Japanese and the puppet army.
“They will definitely reach the vicinity of Zhenjiang to cross the river, so wherever our grain is transported, they can receive it.”
“Understood.”
Lu Bowen thought for a moment and said, “There’s no reason to transport grain from Suzhou towards the grain-producing areas, but there is one type of ship that is currently doing this.”
“What kind of ship?”
“Grain transport ships controlled by the Japanese. They load the grain they requisition and transport it. Their destination is not Zhenjiang, but downstream along the river, all the way from Shanghai to Wuhan, directly to the frontline. This route passes through Zhenjiang.”
“If you put it that way, I’m not even interested in hijacking Fu Xiao’an anymore.”
Gu Yansheng stood up and looked at the map hanging on the wall. “If that’s the case, then let the New Fourth Army directly rob the Japanese. We will provide the timing.”
Gu Yansheng remembered that the New Fourth Army had an underwater commando team.
“Then we can’t let Fu Xiao’an get away with it either,” Lu Bowen knew that when Gu Yansheng had an idea, it would definitely be resolved.
“I have another method. It’s not the peak harvest season, and all regions are short of grain. The amount of grain transported from Suzhou to Zhenjiang is not much, but if it’s transported to Nanjing, it will pass through there.
If we can coordinate with the troops and stage an incident halfway, wouldn’t that solve it?”
Gu Yansheng looked at the map and clicked his tongue. “Indeed, that makes sense. Transporting to Nanjing by land route, and having the troops seize the grain on their way to Zhenjiang.”
It really worked.
Supplying grain from Suzhou to Nanjing was perfectly feasible.
Lu Bowen smiled. “How about it? We can provide two plans to the organization, and they can choose themselves.”
Gu Yansheng sneered. “Choose what? Only children make choices. Figure out the pattern of the Japanese grain transport ships, calculate the travel distance to Zhenjiang for the operation, and then, after seizing Fu Xiao’an’s grain, immediately hijack the Japanese grain transport ships. With two batches of grain seized, by the time they cross the river, there will be enough grain until the harvest season this year.”
“Alright, you’re still the one with the ruthless approach. But I don’t know how much grain Fu Xiao’an has, and if it’s too much, they won’t be able to carry it all, slowing down their march.”
“If it can’t be given to the Japanese, better to distribute it to the local common people, which at least earns goodwill.”
It was decided. Gu Yansheng would report it, confirm the route, and let the organization take action.
The situation in Jiangsu was not a major problem, but in North China, Gu Yansheng estimated that the armies there would have a difficult time.
He couldn’t reach that far.
He had always wanted to change things, but there was no good solution.
Although the organization hadn’t explicitly stated it, they were aware of Wang Kemin’s situation, and for his safety, they wouldn’t force anything.
“The Japanese Army in North China trusts Wang Kemin, making it difficult for me to arrange for people. Do you have any ideas on how we can support our Communist Party troops in North China?” Gu Yansheng looked upwards on the map.
The Japanese were conducting a large-scale sweep there, and supplies were not as abundant as in Central China, making it particularly difficult.
“North China…” Lu Bowen frowned, looking at the map. “Transportation in North China is basically by land. I heard the Japanese are implementing a scorched-earth policy, burning everything. Even if we could transport grain to Tianjin by sea.
But to go to places like Taiyuan, we would have to pass through too many Japanese checkpoints. With so much grain, the Japanese couldn’t possibly turn a blind eye.”
Even considering Gu Yansheng’s authority, Lu Bowen couldn’t get past this.
“Except for individual travelers, each person carrying a small amount, like those merchants reselling medicine, the target wouldn’t be large. However, that would require many people, otherwise, the quantity wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the army,” Lu Bowen added.
How about it, can you extend your reach into North China?
“How about I go to North China to scout the path?” Lu Bowen volunteered.
Gu Yansheng shook his head. “There’s no need. There isn’t enough time, and far-off solutions can’t solve immediate problems.”
By the time Lu Bowen explored North China, it would take at least several months, resulting in too much loss. Moreover, he could be killed by bandits there, and Gu Yansheng’s authority wouldn’t reach.
Thinking of bandits, Gu Yansheng suddenly had an idea. “Are there many bandits there?”
“Certainly, there are many. Where are there no bandits in these times? Even in the Manchukuo, under strict Japanese control, there are still many bandits.”
“If bandits can survive, it means there is room.”
Gu Yansheng pondered for a moment and said, “You go back first. I’ll think about this matter.”
“Okay, then I’ll go prepare the cotton yarn.”
“Good, no need to rush. We can transport it after they cross the river.”
Cotton yarn wasn’t that urgent.
“Understood.”
After Lu Bowen left, Gu Yansheng had to visit Shen Ji Garment Factory.
“Why have you come over?” Shen Linshen asked curiously. “Gu Shuping has already been here.”
Gu Yansheng nodded. “There’s something I can’t let him know. I suspect the situation in North China is also quite difficult. Have you heard anything?”
“I’ve heard. It’s even more difficult than here.”
“I’ve been thinking about how to help North China, but my reach is limited. Now I have a plan: I’ll have the Green Gang send people to North China to act as a trade and transport team.”
“Would Zhang Xiaolin cooperate with you? Won’t it be too dangerous? What if he informs on us? Isn’t that too risky?” Shen Linshen felt the risk was very high.
Gu Yansheng calmly responded with an “Mm.” “Of course, I know Zhang Xiaolin is unreliable, so he’s not part of my plan.”
“Not Zhang Xiaolin?”
“Assassinate Zhang Xiaolin, promote Chen Mo to power, advance into North China, unite with our party’s internal connections in North China, consolidate the local underworld, and establish a transport line to reach the base area.”
