Chapter 99: Benevolence And Righteousness
“No resistance encountered?”
Sheng Wenyi in the office received a report call from his subordinate and was quite surprised. He had originally prepared the Gendarmerie, ready to kill the chicken to warn the monkey, and the chicken was Zhang Xiaolin.
Who knew his subordinate said the arrest went very smoothly. In the shop, besides the boss and employee opening the shop, the rest were addicts. The Green Gang disciples who usually guarded the house were either not there or had walked away from far off, with no resistance at all.
“Very good, continue. Seal everything that should be sealed, no need to be polite.”
As long as these people’s shops obediently withdrew from the Shanghai urban area, Sheng Wenyi’s goal would be achieved. No need to worry about the rest.
Just after hanging up the phone, it rang again.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.
“Hello.”
Lu Ying’s voice came from the phone: “Stop it quickly, you’re in big trouble.”
“What trouble?”
“Green Gang people are smashing foreign merchants’ shops!”
“So what if they smash, what does it have to do with me.”
“You really don’t understand? If you continue sealing, these foreign merchants will unite to protest. Then with concession public opinion suppressing, the Japanese might blame you. You won’t even pass the consulate.”
“Tch, I’m not from the consulate, none of my business.” Sheng Wenyi sneered. “This is an order from Gendarmerie Headquarters. As long as Gendarmerie Headquarters supports me, it’s fine. If everyone acts like the Green Gang, smashing foreign shops for no reason, how can we get anything done?
By the way, Director Lu, since you know it’s Green Gang people, go arrest them.”
Bang, Lu Ying hung up directly.
“Throwing a tantrum.” Sheng Wenyi pursed his lips, hung up the phone, and it rang again right after.
“Hello.”
“They’re smashing my shop.” This time it was Fu Xiao’an’s voice, clearly filled with anger.
Sheng Wenyi said casually: “Yes, quite a few shops have been smashed. With so many shops of yours, you’re bound to be affected. Don’t worry, I’ll compensate you later.”
“It’s not being affected, they’re deliberately smashing my shops! Not just one, at least five already in this short time, and every one set on fire. Besides my shops, no one else’s shops were set on fire!”
“Something like that?” Sheng Wenyi frowned upon hearing it.
This was a move he hadn’t anticipated at all.
“Stop first, this is clearly revenge against me, deliberately reminding me!”
“Can’t stop now. Stopping would mean we’re scared, right? And if we stop, what then? Negotiate with them, what good price can we get?”
With Sheng Wenyi saying this, Fu Xiao’an fell silent too. This choice was hard to make.
Continuing meant continued losses, but stopping also meant losses.
Sheng Wenyi said: “Call Lu Ying, tell him to arrest people. I told him and he didn’t listen, but if you call, it’ll work.”
“What’s the use? You think Lu Ying is a three-year-old?” Fu Xiao’an said angrily, his voice deep: “You telling him to seal shops is a Japanese order. Telling him to arrest Green Gang, he’ll go through the motions but not really act.”
This made sense. Sheng Wenyi frowned and thought. What armed forces were there in Shanghai? Gendarmerie, police station. His eyes lit up. “Get Agent Headquarters to act, label them as Military Statistics Bureau? Worst case, give them a labor fee?”
This idea was pretty good. Fu Xiao’an thought it feasible. Agent Headquarters acting meant they could kill directly, with huge deterrent power.
“I’ll call. You act fast there, seal everything ASAP. Also, raid all the warehouses at Wusongkou. My shops need compensation, right?”
“Okay, got it.”
On the other side, Li Shiqun received Fu Xiao’an’s request and naturally agreed, sending Wu Sibao to carry out the arrests.
Agent Headquarters’ style was completely different from the police.
Nowadays police worked sluggishly. Everyone knew dying for the job wasn’t worth it, just mixing a meal ticket, so one day at a time.
But Agent Headquarters men were agents at heart, with strong execution, strong combat power, and ruthless hands.
The first wave appeared and caught two groups of Green Gang people in action.
News of Agent Headquarters appearing reached Zhang Xiaolin’s ears. He immediately asked Gu Yansheng how to handle these men. Fighting Agent Headquarters meant too much loss.
“These guys with guns, each one’s marksmanship is top-notch. I can’t shoot back at them, that would change the nature, really turn us into Chongqing elements.”
“Okay, got it. I’ll handle it. Wait for my call.”
Gu Yansheng picked up the phone and called Li Shiqun: “Hello, Director Li, it’s Gu Yansheng.”
“Hello Director Gu, what’s up?” Li Shiqun asked with a smile.
“Here’s the thing. I heard your men are arresting people on the street. Trouble you to release them first and withdraw. I’ll come over to talk about this. Have your wife and Wu Sibao come too.”
Li Shiqun realized upon hearing his wife had to be there that it involved money. He didn’t know what happened, but stopping was no problem.
“Good, waiting for Director Gu’s visit.”
“Heading out now.”
Gu Yansheng hung up and called Zhang Xiaolin: “Have your men continue. Li Shiqun’s men won’t arrest anymore.”
“So fast?” Zhang Xiaolin was greatly shocked.
Real or fake? Agent Headquarters so agreeable? The call had just hung up.
Zhang Xiaolin half-doubting called his subordinate. But in less than two minutes, the reply came: yes, all arrested were released. And testing by smashing right in front of Agent Headquarters men, they surprisingly ignored it.
So they smashed even more vigorously.
Too amazing!
It was too amazing. Zhang Xiaolin knew Agent Headquarters only moved on Fu Xiao’an’s or Gendarmerie Headquarters’ word, but Gu Yansheng settled it with one call.
He gained new insight into Gu Yansheng’s abilities.
Gu Yansheng called Lu Bowen: “Which warehouses can be shown, give me a few addresses. Mm, mm, good, noted. Tell the warehouse people, I’ll bring people later to see.”
Gu Yansheng hung up, went out to Agent Headquarters.
Upon entering, Li Shiqun smiled: “Director Gu, one call from you and I withdrew the men. Mayor Fu tasked me saying these have Chongqing elements suspicion. Need an explanation, or I can’t justify it.”
“So many Chongqing elements? Fu Xiao’an’s using a chicken feather as an arrow to fool you. I’ll explain later.” Gu Yansheng sneered, nodded at Ye Jiqing: “Hello sister-in-law.”
Ye Jiqing’s eyes smiled: “Director Gu, heard our business has progress?”
“Yes, bringing a few bosses today to see the results of my hard work lately. Where’s Captain Wu?”
“Coming, coming.”
Speak of the devil, Wu Sibao ran in from the door, panting: “Exhausted me, ran all the way there, got there and called back. What’s going on?”
“Taking you to see good stuff. Let’s go.”
“So mysterious, what good stuff?” Wu Sibao saw Gu Yansheng had more to say: “Hey, Director Gu, that info you gave last time wasn’t accurate. Lost big.”
Wu Sibao last time wanted to recoup his margin call loss in one go, bet heavy, but now still stuck. If not believing the inside information useful, gritted teeth scraped deposit money together, might’ve margin called again.
“We’ll talk later. But 70 in, now 65? Just 5 bucks, seven or eight points. Your loss isn’t much, normal.”
“70? I got in at 80! Forgot? You asked price, I said 80, you said could hit 100.”
“80?”
“Yes, and I used leverage. How could it be just seven or eight points.”
Gu Yansheng thought carefully, yeah that price. Single loss 15, double leverage 30, yeah quite a loss. This guy too unlucky.
Born flashlight physique.
Honestly, Gu Yansheng really thought it’d hit 100. Winter coming, cotton yarn price increase logic right. Fu Xiao’an wanting to recoup would pull price up, logic right too.
Result hit Japanese issuing military scrip, real black swan unsolvable.
Drove them a long way to a remote warehouse, storage cheaper.
“Here.”
Gu Yansheng got out. Manager had received notice, waiting for big boss, came to greet immediately.
Gu Yansheng smiled at Li Shiqun and others: “Seeing is believing. Everyone worn clothes, but maybe not seen this cotton yarn. I mean whole warehouse of cotton yarn. Open it.”
“Yes, open.” Manager sent men to open door immediately.
Along the way, their get-rich instincts had been aroused. Now this “open,” eyes widened, all peering into warehouse.
Gu Yansheng right: whole warehouse cotton yarn, indeed rarely seen, especially if it’s yours.
Usually tightly shut big door opened, light entered warehouse. Several walked in.
Whole warehouse, left to right, bales stacked full of cotton yarn. Honestly, cotton yarn nothing special to see, but if yours, feeling totally different.
“Hahaha.” Wu Sibao first excited, quick steps in touching cotton yarn, here a bale there a bale, expression pure bliss.
Gu Yansheng accompanied Li Shiqun them strolling viewing, explained: “This just one warehouse, few more. Later if want see, can go look.”
“Total how many bales?” Ye Jiqing asked curiously.
“About 6000 bales.”
“How much per bale?”
Now to the point.
Gu Yansheng looking at cotton yarn said straightforwardly: “100 per bale.”
“That’s 600,000? How much ours?”
“Most yours, about just under eighty percent.”
“Just under eighty percent? That’s at least 450,000?” Ye Jiqing eyes lit up, number more than imagined!
“Director Gu, your money-making ability too amazing.”
She and Wu Sibao together initially just put out 80,000 silver dollars. Stock market double, cotton yarn more than double.
Ye Jiqing looked at Gu Yansheng with utter admiration. Real God of Wealth.
She decided now: henceforth business matters, whatever Gu Yansheng says is right.
Nearby Li Shiqun hearing felt similar. Though more reserved, not expressing like woman, but this real money Gu Yansheng earned them. Saying admiration too light.
“Director Gu’s money-making ability indeed strongest I’ve seen.” Li Shiqun subtly flattered.
Flattering not shameful, for money, should.
Paved way so long, raised their psychological expectation, at this happy time, Gu Yansheng had to say something unhappy.
“However…” Gu Yansheng smile faded.
“However what?” Ye Jiqing asked immediately.
Gu Yansheng frowned, paused, sighed: “Now a problem cropped up. The one promised to buy at 100 wants to renege, directly pressing price to 55. Wants to screw us.”
“Who?” Ye Jiqing asked.
“Who? Dares screw our money? Tired of living?” Wu Sibao touching cotton yarn ran over, words ready to chop someone.
Li Shiqun guessed: “Director Gu means Fu Xiao’an?”
Few in Shanghai could swallow such big goods. Combining today’s events, locking target not hard.
Gu Yansheng frowned nodded: “Right, Fu Xiao’an Mayor Fu. Initially I wanted to sell high, he came to me, promised 100 take all. That’s why I held goods for him. Now sees cotton yarn price bad, reneges. Captain Wu, you know recent cotton yarn price.”
Stock god Wu Sibao too clear: “Recent market price fluctuating big, but he promised this price must buy at this price. Why cheat our money? I damn near emptied family fortune, counting on this to flip.”
Ye Jiqing chimed: “Right, must pay money. Do business need integrity, right? He Fu Xiao’an not short money, cheat our bit meaningful?”
Gu Yansheng looked at Li Shiqun, displeased: “Director Li, Fu Xiao’an having you arrest Green Gang is Agent Headquarters internal. I can’t meddle. But before he settles money, if you help him, isn’t that unfair to me?
Anyway I can’t accept this. Cheating my account, once opens door to more. Everyone copies him, how I do business later?
Anyway now one sentence: this batch unless Fu Xiao’an buys at 120, not done.”
“Indeed unfair. But Director Gu, we Shiqun didn’t know beforehand. Shiqun, can’t help this.” Ye Jiqing now Gu Yansheng’s diehard fan.
“And indeed should buy at 120. Not just breach, treating Director Gu’s credibility as joke? Good we can talk negotiate. If unreasonable person, Director Gu’s face lost?
Price increase twenty percent I think compensation too light.
This whole thing Fu Xiao’an’s fault.”
Wu Sibao spat: “Knew Fu Xiao’an ordered arrests, should’ve smashed his shops too. Bro, I support Director Gu’s opinion. This batch he must buy at 120, not a penny less. Wrongdoing no punishment, how we mix later?”
Li Shiqun saw them so eager smiled: “I didn’t say no. I’ll stand with you for sure, Director Gu. So we need way to urge Mayor Fu pay this money.”
