Chapter 152: Old Miser Yan
Grassroots officers may seem unremarkable on ordinary days, but they are extremely important, so any army values these backbone elements highly. Now this guy named Su Yaoyang actually opened his mouth and asked Yan Xishan for one or two hundred people. I’m afraid his old man is going to fly into a rage?
Yan Huiqing shook her head inwardly while tidying up the scattered documents on Yan Xishan’s desk.
But this time she guessed wrong. Yan Xishan not only didn’t get angry, but instead pondered silently, seemingly considering whether to agree.
Seeing Yan Xishan’s expression, Yan Huiqing, who was familiar with him, couldn’t help but be startled.
Whenever Yan Xishan showed this expression, it meant he was really weighing the pros and cons, seriously considering if it was worth it. Otherwise, with his temperament, he would have thrown this telegram aside long ago.
She couldn’t help but ask in a low voice: “Old man… who exactly is this person? He actually dares to send a telegram asking to do business with you?”
Yan Xishan sighed: “His name is Su Yaoyang, a powerful dragon who just came over from Xuzhou.”
“Powerful dragon?” Yan Huiqing said in surprise: “Old man, what’s wrong with this world? Any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to call themselves a powerful dragon in front of you?”
“He’s not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry.” Yan Xishan said solemnly: “He is the Shanxi Militia Commander-in-Chief personally appointed by the Ministry of Military Affairs. This person fought fiercely with the Japanese at Taierzhuang at the beginning of this year, inflicting heavy losses on the 10th Division and 16th Division. Both division commanders were relieved of duty and sent back to Japan.”
“Don’t think I’m joking; there’s even more ruthless stuff.” Yan Xishan continued: “Last year, this kid released a poison gas attack in Nanjing city to break out of the encirclement, crippling the 6th Division. They still haven’t recovered. Tell me, does he have the qualifications to do business with me?”
“Hiss…” Even though Yan Huiqing had followed Yan Xishan for several years and thought she had seen a lot of the world, she couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.
She knew all too well the combat power of the Japanese army. At the end of last year, the Japanese occupied most of Shanxi with just four and a half divisions, and Sakaue Seishiro defeated the Jin-Sui Army and sent them fleeing in disarray with only half a division. Such combat power was more than just formidable.
And this young man had been victorious in every battle since his debut, which was enough to show how impressive he was.
“Then what business does he want to do with you?”
“Penicillin.” Yan Xishan spat out the word faintly.
“Penicillin? This divine medicine is more precious than gold nowadays. How can he bear to bring it out to cooperate with you, old man?” Yan Huiqing said puzzled.
“Because he’s short on manpower right now.”
What kind of person was Yan Xishan? At a glance at this telegram, he understood that Su Yaoyang must be severely short on manpower now, to the point of having to share this highly profitable business with him.
However, nothing is absolute. It was also possible that Su Yaoyang genuinely wanted to build a good relationship with him, the King of Shanxi, and was extending an olive branch.
“Wuxianzi, you go down first, and call Jia Jingde here on the way.”
“Okay.” Yan Huiqing responded and went down.
Soon, Jia Jingde, who was then the chief secretary, arrived at the cave dwelling.
“Chairman Yan, you’re looking for me?”
As Yan Xishan’s chief advisor, Jia Jingde naturally asked upon entering.
“Yuru, come over and sit.” Seeing Jia Jingde enter, Yan Xishan warmly beckoned him to sit.
After Jia Jingde sat down, Yan Xishan handed him the telegram: “This is a telegram sent to me by Su Yaoyang, the Shanxi Militia Commander-in-Chief who just took office in Shanxi last month. Read it yourself.”
After taking the telegram and skimming through it quickly, Jia Jingde said: “Chairman Yan, this visitor comes with ill intentions and great ambitions.”
“Yes!”
Yan Xishan narrowed his eyes. “This kid is treating me like a donkey grinding at the mill, dangling a carrot in front of me.”
Jia Jingde laughed: “It’s not exactly dangling; he’s putting out real gold and silver goods. It’s just that what he wants isn’t money, but people.”
“Yes!” Yan Xishan sighed: “This kid makes a move with a hundred crates of penicillin. What a grand gesture. Just these hundred crates of penicillin, if we resell them, we can make at least 800,000 silver dollars.”
Seeing Yan Xishan narrow his eyes, Jia Jingde knew his old superior had already agreed and naturally didn’t mind giving him a push.
“Chairman Yan, in more than ten days, our batch of officer crash course graduates will be finishing, right? At that time, we can transfer those officers to him.
Being able to connect with this Su Yaoyang, I think it’s pretty good. After all, it’s all for the war of resistance. Why split hairs so clearly? What do you think?”
“That’s true.”
Yan Xishan stroked the mustache on his upper lip and sneered: “Chongqing sent this kid over to make trouble for me, didn’t they?
He, Chiang Zhongzheng, is underestimating me too much. What’s the situation in Shanxi now? The Japanese have occupied most of Shanxi, the Central Army can only hunker down in the Zhongtiao Mountains and dare not move, and I’m holed up here at Kedunan Slope, pinned down by the Japanese and unable to budge. At this time, am I still afraid of a young kid stirring up trouble for me?
As long as he can stir up some action over at Mount Wutai, it will relieve so much pressure for me. For that alone, what’s wrong with giving him two hundred officers?
I, Yan Xishan, still have that much boldness!”
“Good!”
Jia Jingde slapped his thigh. “Chairman Yan has such boldness and such magnanimity!”
Faced with Jia Jingde’s flattery, Yan Xishan didn’t show any happiness. He just stared blankly out the window and said softly: “Wutai… I really want to go to Wutai and see it.”
Jia Jingde knew he was homesick. Since the matter was settled, he didn’t disturb Yan Xishan and quietly exited the cave dwelling…
Soon, Su Yaoyang received the reply from the Second War Zone Command. Yan Xishan agreed to his request in the telegram, but also struck out the part about him sending people to deliver the medicine to Kedunan Slope first.
Seeing this telegram, Su Yaoyang couldn’t help but complain to Pi Ruoyu: “Old Yan the Shaanxi man is as stingy as ever. Does he really think I’ll welch on the deal?”
Pi Ruoyu couldn’t help but chuckle: “Commander Yan is just like that; he won’t change in this lifetime.
There was once a funny incident: When Commander Yan entertained guests, there was always only a small dish of pickled vegetables on the table, and he strictly limited each person to only one bite. If someone cheekily took a second bite, he would knock their hand with chopsticks on the spot and say seriously: ‘Too much salt harms the body!’
Later, the guests got smart. The first time they took pickled vegetables, they piled it into a little mountain. Yan Xishan felt heartbroken and gnashed his teeth, but due to face, he couldn’t flare up. Only after the guests left did he curse them out for several minutes in front of his subordinates.”
After hearing this, Su Yaoyang was both shocked and amused, and couldn’t help saying: “Isn’t this exactly the behavior of a real third master?”
“Third master… who is that?” Pi Ruoyu asked curiously.
“Nothing… nothing.”
Su Yaoyang waved his hands repeatedly, but inwardly he grumbled: Sure enough, every character in any TV drama has a real-life prototype.
