Chapter 58: Propaganda
Ding ling ling, ding ling ling.
It was the first time Liu Xiaolou received a telephone call from the Japanese Consulate, and he immediately reported it to Gu Yansheng.
“Division Chief, the consulate wants you to come over.”
“Okay, I got it.”
“Division Chief, does the consulate have any questions about the plan? That plan won’t have any problems, right?” Liu Xiaolou couldn’t help but inquire.
“I dictated that plan and you transcribed it. What do you think of the effect?”
“Of course it’s very good.” Liu Xiaolou blurted out.
“Really that good?” Gu Yansheng gave him a meaningful inquiring look.
Liu Xiaolou hesitated for a moment, then chuckled, “It’s just that will foreigners be so honest? If they don’t acknowledge it, won’t there be controversy?”
“Looks like you didn’t waste your time in the Judicial Department.”
Only then did Gu Yansheng withdraw his gaze, taking his coat from the clothes rack, “You can see it, so Mr. Hase can naturally see it too, but our mayor can’t see it. Interesting, right? And, in the future, be less of a sycophant. We’re not short of one like you.”
Liu Xiaolou pursed his lips and smiled, bowing at the waist: “Escorting the Division Chief respectfully.”
Gu Yansheng drove to the consulate.
It was something he wrote, so he always had a prediction in his heart about what it would look like and what effect it would bring.
Achieving the goal of releasing prisoners was his purpose, but it was not Hase Jinagawa’s purpose.
Releasing so many Japanese prisoners held in prison without a legitimate reason just wouldn’t work. At least showing mercy to Chinese people would look like favoritism no matter how you see it, not like a sharp knife wielded by the Japanese, which the Japanese wouldn’t like.
But if the people are ones that Hase wants to release, and they must be released, then it would be reasonable.
There’s a saying in the legal profession: in civil disputes, be the defendant if you can. If you are the plaintiff yourself, then turn yourself into the defendant. Usually, it will be much more comfortable that way.
Having Hase come to him proactively is much better than him going to beg Hase.
Consulate.
Hase Jinagawa had been waiting for a long time, and as soon as Gu Yansheng arrived, he was ushered in by the gatekeeper.
This was Gu Yansheng’s second time at the consulate. The room the gatekeeper led him to showed that Hase was not a bad person. Perhaps because the consulate often receives guests, the place for their face-to-face meeting had a sofa, so he and Hase didn’t have to kneel facing each other.
“Please have some tea. I’ve read Mr. Gu’s plan. Overall, there’s no problem, but there’s one thing I don’t understand. How does Mr. Gu guarantee that this plan will proceed smoothly without opposition from the concession authorities?” Hase Jinagawa asked very directly.
Gu Yansheng took a sip of tea and smiled, nodding slightly: “The tea is good, Mr. Hase. To be direct, after you read this plan, do you feel that perfectly implementing this plan is somewhat fanciful?”
Hase Jinagawa smiled and shook his head slightly, “It’s not fanciful. The plan is definitely good, but it doesn’t meet my expectations of Mr. Gu. This shouldn’t be Mr. Gu’s perfect level.”
Gu Yansheng laughed heartily: “Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Mr. Hase. You’re right, this is definitely not my full level. It’s just part of the plan.”
“Then what is Mr. Gu’s full plan?”
Gu Yansheng was not in a hurry to reveal the answer, but said:
Although I haven’t been in the concession for long, I still understand a thing or two about foreigners’ personalities.
Actually, all the hustle and bustle in the world is for profit. The personalities of people from all countries are not much different, especially businessmen. The essence of businessmen pursuing profit never changes at any time.
When I received this mission, I was thinking that no matter how stunning a reform plan I come up with, these foreign businessmen can always reject them all with one sentence: ‘Not allowed, we must have the concession court try it.’
So wouldn’t this plan still be a useless plan?
No matter who writes it, no matter what plan it is, unless the Japanese side is willing to forcibly detain cargo ships to cooperate with my new court, everything is futile. Do you think what I said is right, Mr. Hase?”
Hase Jinagawa nodded after hearing this: “The various chambers of commerce will naturally use laws more suitable for themselves to protect their own interests.
And various countries, based on the purpose of protecting their businessmen, will also order the concession to provide help to their businessmen.
And although we can forcibly detain cargo ships, in the diplomatic field, we also need to pay attention to international reputation issues.
So in the end, I had to make concessions on this point.
I am very helpless, but this is also the problem I want Mr. Gu to help me solve.”
“Public opinion in diplomacy is Mr. Hase’s key concern. The matter needs to be accomplished, but public opinion cannot turn bad. Is my understanding correct?”
“Very correct. Most important.”
“Then good, my plan is pulling the rug out from under someone.”
Gu Yansheng stared at Hase Jinagawa: “I will personally take Mr. Hase to experience the specific plan implementation process step by step. In my plan, you are an indispensable part. I need your cooperation.
And for the plan itself, a simple summary in one sentence.
All the concession media that have attacked Japan, I will make their public opinion bullets backfire on themselves.
I want all of Shanghai’s media to praise us, put them on a high platform, and when they are praising us, we pull away the ladder, leaving them unable to speak out despite their grievances.”
It sounded very stimulating but very vague. Hase Jinagawa was really intrigued, “Can Mr. Gu explain it more clearly?”
Due to the brutality of Japanese military, as the host of the consulate, Hase had been really tormented by the media. To have the concession praise them was something Hase wouldn’t dare dream of so boldly. He was very curious.
“Cannot.”
At this moment, Gu Yansheng could hold Hase Jinagawa in his grasp and directly refuse ruthlessly, smiling: “Words can never match the depth of experience. As I said earlier, Mr. Hase, you are a part of my plan and need your cooperation. I hope you will grace us.”
“No problem, as long as it accomplishes my goal.” Hase Jinagawa agreed immediately.
“In that case, Mr. Hase, I will state my request. I hope you can step forward and let me temporarily use Japanese and Chinese media. No wind, no waves. I need people to stir up the wind.”
An hour later, Japanese media and some Chinese newspaper company editor-in-chiefs were called to the consulate for a meeting.
When enemies meet, there is special redness in their eyes. Shen Bao Editor-in-Chief Liang Youwei was stunned upon seeing Gu Yansheng. He originally thought it was because he wrote some article recently that the Japanese caught hold of to reprimand him, but unexpectedly it was this lawyer. He had seen Gu Yansheng in court.
“I am Gu Yansheng. Some of you here should know me.” Gu Yansheng introduced himself to everyone at the conference table.
“Today, I troubled the consulate to call everyone here because there is one thing that needs everyone’s help in propaganda.
The main content is the new government institution reform. I, Gu Yansheng, will take the position of Deputy Division Chief of the Special Government Judicial Department of SH City.”
The Japanese media editor-in-chiefs had no reaction. They were here to work anyway, so nodding and taking notes was fine.
However, the Chinese newspaper company editor-in-chiefs clearly showed surprise in their eyes.
Although Gu Yansheng had been working for a few days, this was only known internally in the new government. For them, it was new information.
Gu Yansheng continued: “Of course, I called everyone here not to publicize me as an individual, but because I am preparing to reform Shanghai’s judicial system and make some efforts for Shanghai’s judicial environment.
And the first thing I do upon taking office is to release a batch of over a thousand minor offenders from prison, giving them full freedom.”
Wow, this news was extremely heavy. Not to mention the Chinese editor-in-chiefs, even the Japanese media editor-in-chiefs looked at him in shock.
“Deputy Division Chief Gu, is what you said true?” Liang Youwei asked directly.
Shen Bao, as the number one newspaper, although now affected by the war and subject to Japanese review, is still a Chinese newspaper at heart, so it naturally cares most about news related to Chinese people.
And during the crackdown period after the war ended, so many people were arrested arbitrarily by the Japanese. Shen Bao reported on this kind of news extensively during that time, even openly criticizing without restraint.
But the result was that the Japanese at that time didn’t care about their statements at all and continued to arrest people arbitrarily.
It wasn’t until international public opinion intervened later, and the Japanese needed ordinary people to restore Shanghai’s economy, that they stopped this behavior.
But regarding releasing prisoners, the Japanese never mentioned it. As far as the information Liang Youwei inquired about, no one knew when these people could be released. The Japanese had no deadline at all. For the sake of face projects, they simply didn’t admit it happened.
Say it doesn’t exist, what can you do?
Hearing this news about releasing prisoners now was no less than an 8.0 magnitude earthquake for Liang Youwei.
Gu Yansheng nodded: “Of course it’s true, but there are preconditions.”
He guessed it wouldn’t be that easy. Liang Youwei slightly calmed his excitement and listened patiently.
Gu Yansheng continued: “Regarding releasing prisoners, my original intention is to establish a sense of justice for our SH City’s special court, so that citizens and the outside world believe our court will judge cases fairly. As for these long-standing cases of adults, I have now listed them as the top priority for our court’s opening.
Mr. Hase trusts me and hopes the Judicial Department can establish a fair and strict image in Shanghai.
And I am willing to work hard. Taking out this batch of long-standing cases to win the trust of all citizens of Shanghai—even releasing the offenders locked in prison—they should have sufficient confidence in future judicial construction.
But my efforts are just my one-sided wish. Whether people can continue to be released depends on the effect.
If the judicial system remains chaotic and doesn’t achieve the expected effect, then our work direction may shift, or even stop after releasing one or two hundred of this batch, because I might even be dismissed by the city government.
This result is not what I want to see.
So I called you here today hoping that in the following time, you use your words to diligently persuade all of Shanghai’s citizens to believe in the justice of the new government’s judiciary, whether in Chinese Territory or the concession. This is what we need.
And for Japanese media, we can also create an atmosphere of Sino-Japanese kinship among the Japanese. Only a good environment can provide more long-term momentum for Shanghai’s economy.”
The Japanese media editor-in-chiefs nodded, having grasped the general idea.
“Then Mr. Gu, to what extent do you hope we media write? Do you need us to sing praises to you personally?”
Gu Yansheng smiled, “The entire rhythm cannot be written chaotically. I must control it. This is very important because influence is sustained. If we all dump the heavy news at the first moment, I believe the results we see from our efforts will be very small.
So for the first edition content, my central idea is that you have heard some gossip that I have actually been appointed as Deputy Division Chief of the Judicial Department, but it hasn’t been announced yet.
And my first task upon taking office, according to your sources’ guess, may be related to this batch of people who were arrested in the past.
Alright, that’s it. This is the entire content for the first edition about me.
You can write about my resume, but more importantly, report on why this batch of people were arrested in the past. Note, do not write about Japanese soldiers arresting people without reason. This is not allowed. You can say it was minor offenses, minor frictions, special reasons caused by the environment at the time.
You are all editors, so you should understand the specific reasons.
Japanese editors do not participate in this edition. From the perspective of Chinese newspaper companies, it will be more fitting. I will call you again if needed later.
Do the Chinese editors have any questions?”
Gu Yansheng looked at Shen Bao’s Liang Youwei. Shen Bao had the greatest influence.
Liang Youwei immediately said: “No problem. As long as it’s for the sake of justice, the newspaper company can cooperate.”
Whatever you want to write it as, I’ll write it that way. As long as people can be released, Liang Youwei is willing to set aside past grievances and cheer for Gu Yansheng.
Gu Yansheng smiled: “After producing the sample draft, I need to review it. Editor Liang, don’t smear my image. You have a black history, and I still remember your exaggerated descriptions of me vividly.”
“Hahahaha.” The other editors laughed.
Liang Youwei snorted lightly, “Just say outright what image you want. If there’s any deviation in what I write, consider my decades of pen work wasted, alright?”
“Neutral angle, normal description is fine. Write more about your positive outlook on the Judicial Department after I take office. This request isn’t excessive, right?
Then after this newspaper is published, it should cause some discussion. At that time, I will take you to circle around the outskirts of the prison, and you can produce the second edition content.”
