Chapter 97: Welching
Gu Yansheng headed back home.
A Cheng Yaojin killed out halfway.
This was something he hadn’t expected.
Sheng Xuanhuai’s third son, Sheng Wenyi, although stripped of power, Gu Yansheng actually approved of Sheng Wenyi’s method very much. As a traitor leaning toward the Gendarmerie Headquarters, producing such a plan was forgivable.
Anyway, with this plan, the one who would ultimately get hurt was Hase Jinagawa, which had nothing to do with him. He had been stripped of power; Hase Jinagawa should go blame the Gendarmerie Headquarters.
It was good to make a fuss; only after fussing would there be a comparison, and Hase would better appreciate the rarity and value of this plan.
However, the name Sheng Xuanhuai wasn’t the first time Gu Yansheng had heard it. He remembered that Secretary-General Ling had mentioned that Fu Xiao’an had once been Sheng Xuanhuai’s confidant.
Could this matter be related to Fu Xiao’an?
Still so restless lying in the hospital.
Gu Yansheng arrived at the City Government and went to find Secretary-General Ling.
“Secretary-General, I just went to the Gendarmerie Headquarters. Forget about the free housing; even the title of Anti-Drug Captain was stripped by Commander Iwasa.” Saying these self-mocking words, Gu Yansheng plopped down on the sofa.
Secretary-General Ling frowned and walked out from behind the desk. “What’s going on? The Japanese aren’t satisfied with your efficiency? But it’s only been a few days?”
Gu Yansheng shook his head and sighed. “Sheng Wenyi popped up, claiming to be Sheng Xuanhuai’s third son, offering advice to the Japanese to use tough measures to seize Shanghai’s drug market. Secretary-General, do you know what kind of person this Sheng Wenyi is?”
“Sheng Wenyi?” Secretary-General Ling nodded. “This person isn’t actually Sheng Xuanhuai’s biological son; he just happens to rank third among the males in the large Sheng family clan. Called ‘Old Third Sheng’ so often, outsiders spread rumors that he’s a biological son of the Sheng family.
But this person has good relations with the Japanese; he studied in Japan, attended a Japanese military academy, went to the Northeast after graduating from the military academy, and has good relations with the Japanese Army in the Northeast, probably including classmates among them, so he knows people in Japan’s military and political circles.”
“Sounds like he has quite a background.” Gu Yansheng said in surprise.
Secretary-General Ling hummed. “He’s a formidable opponent. What do you think?”
“What can I think?” Gu Yansheng sneered. “The power has already been handed over, so I can only watch others do it first. Establishing the Anti-Drug General Bureau was still my proposal, and now he’s been made the Director.”
Secretary-General Ling didn’t believe Gu Yansheng would sit idly by. With power taken from his hands, could he really swallow it quietly?
“If you need help, just say so.”
“Let’s see for now. What I’m unclear about now is whether this matter is related to Fu Xiao’an.”
With Gu Yansheng’s reminder, Secretary-General Ling also recalled the relationship between the two families and thus frowned.
“Don’t say it, but it really might be possible. The drug market—what huge profits?
If Sheng Wenyi really clears out the turf in Shanghai’s urban area and teams up with Fu Xiao’an to take down this market, one has funds, the other has ability—no, both have ability. The drug business in Shanghai’s urban area could really be up to them.
Lu Ying is now following Fu Xiao’an, and even the Police Station has been taken care of.”
“No more guessing. Let him mess around; anyway, this matter won’t be that easy.” Gu Yansheng smiled and took his farewell.
However, Gu Yansheng did indeed need to call a few partners to notify them and intimidate them a bit.
If they couldn’t handle this matter, he would at most lose revenue, but for them, even their rice bowl would be smashed.
The next day, Sheng Wenyi formally attended the City Government’s Supreme Council meeting.
Su Xiwen received the notification and directly introduced him to the Directors present: “The City Government is establishing the Anti-Drug General Bureau. This is the new Director Sheng Wenyi. Everyone, welcome him.”
“Since the Anti-Drug General Bureau deals with different kinds of people—mostly riffraff and local thugs—these people aren’t suitable to appear in the City Government, and this department has a lot of work, so the Anti-Drug General Bureau is only temporarily officeing here for now. Later, it will office outside. Finance will provide funds to build a new Anti-Drug General Bureau building. Director Sheng, you discuss the site selection with the Construction Bureau after the meeting.”
Sheng Wenyi nodded.
“Additionally, the Gendarmerie Headquarters now requires the drug matter to be fully handed over to Director Sheng in charge. Director Gu is no longer managing it. Just notifying everyone.”
As soon as the words fell, all the Directors glanced at Gu Yansheng, with some surprise in their eyes.
The anti-drug matter had been on the government meeting agenda, explicitly assigned to Director Gu’s Judicial Department. Originally, everyone thought Sheng Wenyi’s Anti-Drug General Bureau was just a subordinate department of the Judicial Department, but who knew it would be on equal footing.
And it could be said that this new Sheng Wenyi had forcibly snatched this portion of power from Gu Yansheng’s hands.
This matter was getting interesting.
Gu Yansheng calmly faced the crowd’s gazes and even had time to exchange a look with Secretary-General Ling to convey information.
Look, you and Vice Mayor Su don’t get along, and I have to be publicly mocked at the meeting. Vice Mayor Su deliberately pointed out that he, Gu Yansheng, is unwelcome at the Gendarmerie Headquarters; otherwise, why would he lose the mission.
The matter isn’t over.
Su Xiwen looked at Gu Yansheng, face stern, and said: “Speaking of which, Director Gu, you didn’t attend the meeting the day before yesterday, and yesterday your department didn’t submit the list of ten enterprises—not even one. What’s the reason?”
Gu Yansheng calmly said: “Because I was busy with the drug matter and temporarily couldn’t attend to the enterprise matter.”
“Couldn’t attend to it—just you are busy; others have no work?”
Su Xiwen slammed the table and suddenly lost his temper. “Didn’t I say it was mandatory! Promoting military scrip is the City Government’s most important work right now. Everyone must complete it! Are my words ineffective for your Judicial Department? Or are you relying on someone to deliberately not submit and create opposition?”
No need for Gu Yansheng to speak.
Secretary-General Ling immediately pushed back: “Vice Mayor Su, if you want to lose your temper, come at me. Bullying Director Gu—isn’t this a joke?
Even if he’s no longer in charge of the drug matter today, he was still the person in charge yesterday. He was busy—any problem with that?
If you’re idle and want to nitpick, wait until tomorrow when he doesn’t submit, then nitpick, okay?”
“Nitpicking—just him busy?” Su Xiwen glared at him, face pulled taut. “Fine, you said it. Don’t say I’m being harsh, making it seem like I’m deliberately targeting someone. Tomorrow it is. Director Gu, since you’re not busy now, you should be able to submit today’s ten tomorrow, right?”
“Definitely. If he can’t submit, count it on me.” Secretary-General Ling took it on without hesitation.
“Heh, good.” Su Xiwen laughed coldly. “With Secretary-General Ling’s words, I’m relieved. Director Gu hasn’t been in Shanghai long; I was worried he couldn’t complete the later tasks and was planning to reduce a few, but now it seems Secretary-General Ling’s connections are very broad. It was my overthinking.”
After Su Xiwen finished, his expression turned cold; he slapped the folder on the table and walked out. “Twenty per day—I’ll see how long your connections hold! Meeting adjourned!”
The meeting had too much gunpowder flavor; the others left one by one with varied expressions.
Secretary-General Ling and Gu Yansheng left together.
Secretary-General Ling patted Gu Yansheng’s back and laughed easily: “Don’t worry, I can hold for a few days. If not enough later, we’ll think of something else. Your Judicial Department isn’t some remote department; no problem.”
What problem could there be? It’s just that Gu Yansheng really couldn’t expose yet that he and a few others had already negotiated this matter, or else if the relationships were known, it would affect the later drug situation.
This was also the reason he couldn’t report it yesterday.
If he really could report it, with those people’s connections, maybe in the end he could even cover for Secretary-General Ling on the numbers.
But thanks still needed to be given; Secretary-General Ling was a good person. “Thanks, Secretary-General. I’ll work hard to find them.”
Secretary-General Ling was very graceful. “We’re family; no need for thanks. Then I’ll go contact some entrepreneurs first; you go do your thing.”
Gu Yansheng nodded and left. Busy—what to be busy with? Busy drinking coffee and watching the show. Had to wait for Sheng Wenyi to make some noise first.
But thinking about it, there was indeed one thing that needed to be resolved.
That was the cotton yarn.
Originally, he could wait for Fu Xiao’an’s guaranteed price, but if Fu Xiao’an was involved in this matter, better not let him use the cotton yarn to cause trouble later.
Go to the hospital to visit the patient.
Gu Yansheng bought some fruit.
Fu Xiao’an was the Mayor; this ward was very luxurious.
“Mayor, am I disturbing your rest?” Gu Yansheng walked in and put the fruit on the table.
Fu Xiao’an was leaning on the bed reading a book. He put down the book and smiled curiously: “Director Gu, you big busy man—how do you have time to visit me today? Something with the City Government?”
“There is indeed something.” Gu Yansheng sat on a stool nearby and, without minding, self-mockingly told Fu Xiao’an about being scolded at the senior meeting.
Anyway, they weren’t on the same side.
“If your health doesn’t improve, Su Xiwen will soon be Mayor.” Gu Yansheng slyly dropped some eye medicine.
Fu Xiao’an sneered. “If he wants to be, let him. The doctor told me that at my age, I really need to rest, or I’ll develop chronic issues.
The reason I was poisoned so much is actually because of this Mayor position. That night, someone came to toast me a glass. If not for this status, would I drink so much? This arsenic is too toxic.”
At this critical moment, Fu Xiao’an wouldn’t go out even if told to, let alone with such a good excuse as recuperating.
But Gu Yansheng wasn’t urging him to be discharged, so whatever.
After chatting a few idle words, Gu Yansheng got to the point.
“Mayor, my friend has been urging me. So much cotton yarn is tying up a lot of funds; he’s having cash flow issues and asks when you plan to take delivery.”
“This matter…” Fu Xiao’an paused, frowned, and said: “How much cotton yarn does your friend have?”
“He told me it seems like six thousand bales.”
Gu Yansheng had 7800 bales, but on the books it was 6000.
“Six thousand bales—not a small amount.” Fu Xiao’an raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and said: “This matter probably needs to wait a while. You know the Japanese are suddenly pushing this military scrip; it happened abruptly, right at this juncture, causing very strong selling pressure in the market.
Cotton mills in Shanghai’s urban area are dumping cotton yarn en masse, just wanting to take cash and run.
And because of their dumping, futures prices can’t rise. My funds are all in maintaining the market; I have to maintain both markets, so temporarily I can’t come up with that much money to take delivery.”
Gu Yansheng’s smile unchanged, joked: “No way, right? 6000 bales, 100 silver dollars per bale, just 600,000 silver dollars. Might be a big number for others, but for you it shouldn’t be much.”
Fu Xiao’an shook his head, brows tightly furrowed. “Sigh, brother, these are not the old days; the situation is bad.
Cotton yarn prices can’t even reach 100—90 was knocked down by news, and to this moment, it’s only 65.
Forget making money; the interest I’m losing every day is a huge sum.
Really powerless; fully trapped.
This is my problem, but you don’t need to worry too much. Because as long as we get through this period, once military scrip promotion succeeds, in no more than one or two months, Shanghai people will go back to their lives as before. Cotton yarn will still be in hot demand, prices will definitely rise, and then my financial pressure won’t be big. I’ll definitely settle the account with your friend first thing.”
One or two months—winter would be over.
Gu Yansheng believed what Fu Xiao’an said was probably true; there was indeed selling pressure in the market.
But doing business is like that: said 100 at the time, then it has to be 100, even if it drops to a dime, still calculate at 100 for him.
Otherwise, why help you back then?
Gu Yansheng raised an eyebrow and said: “Mayor Fu, my friend isn’t doing this alone; he’ll wait, but the shareholders holding the majority shares can’t wait and are urging him for money.”
“How many shares?”
“Ninety percent.”
“That much?” Fu Xiao’an sighed. “Temporarily really no way. If your friend is urgent, I can introduce someone with spare capacity to take delivery, but at today’s prices, with so much goods dumped, he can probably only offer up to 55. Not sure if your friend can accept.”
“Will Mayor Fu make up the rest later?”
“Can’t make up; the goods are sold—not taken by me, how can I make up? Wouldn’t that be pure loss for me? I’m willing to take at 100 because I know it’s worth over 100, right?
If your friend is willing to wait until futures prices warm up, I’ll take it all, still at this price, 100, I cover it all. But if he can’t wait, then I’m powerless.”
Gu Yansheng laughed as he listened: “Doing business—you really are a cut above, Mayor. Impressed. I’ll go ask my friend and see what he says. If there’s news, I’ll contact you. Rest well.”
Did Fu Xiao’an think this friend was fictional? The friend you mentioned—isn’t it you?
But this time there really was a friend.
Still wanting to do the drug business—Wu Sibao’s money isn’t easy to covet.
But back then, letting Wu Sibao buy cotton yarn at 70—wouldn’t that be a loss too?
