The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 449 Recruitment
"Come on, enjoy your meal. Tell me what's wrong with you while you eat."

In the private rooms of the restaurant near Jiachuan Hotel, there were jar meat, crucian carp with fermented black beans, brown sugar pot cakes, cold-mixed heart, tongue and stomach, four-happiness rice balls, twice-cooked pork, braised pork, steamed pork intestines... all kinds of fresh, plump and fragrant dishes were placed on the whole table, steaming hot.

He Wei pointed to the table full of food and wine, indicating to Ding Lunshi, who was sitting opposite him, that he could start eating.

Although it is hard to say that He Wei has any good feelings towards Ding Lunshi, the arms comprador, he has done a lot of things for He Wei after all.

At least, the assault corps' helmets, tactical vests, MG34 machine guns, 60mm mortars and a large amount of ammunition were all purchased by Ding Lunshi, and these firearms did become an important firepower pillar of the assault corps on the battlefield, playing an extremely critical role in each battle.

From this point of view, Ding Lunshi also made a contribution, so He Wei could not just stand by and watch him die. Although he didn't know why Ding Lunshi ended up in this state, He Wei still helped this guy and rescued him from the pushing and dragging of the hotel waiters and waitresses, and then took this guy to a nearby restaurant to calm down.

Speaking of which, when He Wei first met Ding Lunshi in Wuhan, the fat comprador was being chased by a group of gangsters and almost lost his life. It was He Wei who rescued him in time, and then took him to a restaurant in the downtown area of ​​WH for a feast. Now they met again by chance, and their state and the whole process were almost the same as the first time they met.

Ding Lunshi, who was so thin that he looked unrecognizable, seemed not to have heard what He Wei said. He just sat there with an embarrassed look on his face, staring at He Wei, making He Wei feel creepy.

It was not until half a minute later that Ding Lunshi finally recovered as if he had just woken up from a dream. He then gave He Wei a wry smile and did not eat the food. Instead, he asked the waiter for a bottle of sorghum liquor. Without caring about what He Wei said, he poured the liquor into the bowl. Then, without saying a word, he made a bitter face and gulped down three bowls in a row.

He Wei did not speak. He picked up a large piece of braised pork and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it with relish. He looked at Ding Lunshi who was staring at the wine glass and said, "Go ahead. If you have something to say, tell me. Maybe I can help you."

It was not until then that Ding Lunshi opened his mouth and said excitedly: "Brother He, it's all because of those bastard foreign devils. I fell into this situation because of those German devils. Oh, and the Japanese devils. Damn it, it's all the devils' fault."

He Wei picked up a large piece of twice-cooked pork and put it in Ding Lunshi's bowl, saying, "Don't be impatient, speak slowly and make your words clearer."

"Hey, brother, this all started after I sold you that batch of arms last time. After our deal was done, it was good for everyone. I took the money you gave me for the arms and happily handed it over to the foreign companies that I was handling this deal with. After the payment was settled, our deal was done. After I rested for a month, I found the foreign companies again and was ready to continue my business. But damn, damn, who would have thought that this damn foreign company would kick me out with a dismissal document, turning against me in an instant!"

After saying that, Ding Lunshi's face turned fierce and he slammed his fist on the table.

"I remember that you worked for the German-owned Lihe Foreign Company. You were doing well there and were considered a top agent. You also had many connections. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable for them to kick you out? Don't they want you to run business for them and collect debts?"

He Wei said doubtfully.

"Brother, this is what happened. The bad thing is that this foreign company is run by Germans. You are a soldier, and you should know more about the international situation than me. Now the Japanese are attacking China. I don't know what the Germans are thinking. They have formed an alliance with the Japanese. Now Lihe can't do business with China. The largest trade items between Lihe and China are various military equipment, industrial products and machine parts. These are all war materials. Naturally, the Japanese will not let the Germans sell them."

"Just a month ago, Lihe began to reduce its business in China. After Nanjing was lost, the branch of Lihe in Nanjing was closed, and branches in many cities were also closed. Only the Lihe branch in Shanghai, which was controlled by the Japanese, was still in business. In a word, Lihe did not want to do bulk business in China anymore and gave up this market."

Ding Lunshi filled another bowl of wine and drank it, then continued, "The business I did for Lihe was mostly arms. Now they don't want to do arms business anymore, and they want to reduce their business and market. Naturally, I am useless. The Lihe Foreign Company head office in Songhu directly kicked me out with a dismissal document."

"Not only that, they haven't even paid me the various commissions, kickbacks and remunerations that Lihe & Co. owed me for the past year and a half. I went to the head office to ask for them, but those German devils kept shirking their responsibilities. After much persuasion, they finally gave me less than 10% of the commissions I deserved. After that, no matter how much I asked, they refused to give me a penny, and even threatened me, saying that if I continued to make trouble, they would punish me. The head office is in Songhu, which is now the territory of the Japanese devils. The Japanese devils and the Germans are now in cahoots. How could I dare to continue making trouble? If I really pissed off those German devils, I might even have to move my head."

"damn it!"

Ding Lunshi cursed again fiercely.

As Ding Lunshi spoke, He Wei finally understood his recent experiences. As he said, after Germany and Japan formed an alliance, the German firm of Lehr & Co. no longer engaged in arms business with China, and its various businesses and markets were greatly reduced. Ding Lunshi was naturally kicked out, and even his deserved compensation was withheld.

Of course, this guy has many connections, including his own company and connections with foreign companies in other countries. For example, the French 60mm mortars sold to the Commando Corps last time were obtained through other foreign companies. So Ding Lunshi tried to cooperate with other foreign companies. But who would have thought that after Ding Lunshi and Lihe had a big fight, Lihe held a grudge against him and secretly instigated other foreign companies not to cooperate with Ding Lunshi. Ding Lunshi's attempt to find a new way naturally failed.

Not only that, some foreign companies that had done business with Ding Lunshi also followed the example of Lihe Company and embezzled the commission that should have been given to Ding Lunshi.

In short, after all this trouble for Ding Lunshi, the commissions and fees that he should have received for the business he had done for the foreign companies in the previous year and a half were basically all taken away by those foreign companies. If we take into account the expenses of Ding Lunshi's business in the past year and more, the expenses of finding ways and various hidden costs, as well as the energy and hard work he had spent, it means that he had worked in vain for more than a year. Not only did he have no income, but he also suffered a loss of debt.

Take the last big deal that Ding Lunshi did with He Wei for example. It involved tactical vests, steel helmets, and large quantities of machine guns and mortars. It was considered a big deal. However, after all this trouble, Ding Lunshi did not get a penny of the commission and commission he was entitled to. Almost all the money was taken away by the foreign company that handled the business, which meant that he did not make a penny.

Ding Lunshi was disheartened and naturally no longer sought to deal with foreign companies. Instead, he planned to use his own trading company and his accumulated connections to try to do some business. The temporary capital, as the wartime capital, naturally became his best choice. So, he came to the temporary capital to look for opportunities, and then what happened next was the scene that He Wei just saw.

This guy changed his residence two days ago and stayed at Jiachuan Hotel. As a result, when he went out to make connections today, his wallet and large checks were all stolen. He couldn't afford the room fee for consecutive stays, and the waiters and waitresses in the hotel would certainly not let him stay. In a hurry, Ding Lunshi almost had a mental breakdown, which naturally led to the shoving and fighting in front of the hotel and the screaming and howling.
Fortunately, Ding Lunshi was lucky. At this critical moment, He Wei happened to bring Tao Heiwa back to the hotel and he recognized him, which saved him. Otherwise, Ding Lunshi would have really ended up on the streets.

He Wei was also very sad after learning about his experience. He picked up the wine bowl and said, "You are really something. I won't say anything else. I will go with you."

Ding Lunshi quickly raised his bowl to greet him, and after finishing another bowl, he sighed, "Brother, to be honest, I used to think that I was a top-notch person working for foreigners, but now I know that in the eyes of those foreigners, I am just a chamber pot. They use it when they need it, and kick it away when they don't. The Japanese devils and the Germans in the foreign company are not good people."

He Wei added, "They want you to work for the profits in the Chinese market. Now that the German arms market in China will no longer exist, it is naturally impossible for them to keep you. You don't have any backers, and there is no protection for your rights in this business. When they fire you, there is no risk in cheating you. The people in the foreign company are naturally happy to do so. So, what are you going to do next?"

"Well, what else can I do? I have to keep looking for ways to do business. The foreign company's business is gone. The properties and houses I bought in Nanjing and Suzhou, as well as my cash, were destroyed by the Japanese invaders during the war. To be honest, I don't have much money left, but I still have a family to support, and dozens of employees in the trading company to support. I can't fail. I have to keep fighting."

"My whole family and my subordinates are in Wuhan now. I am afraid that my money was stolen this time, so it is a wasted trip. I have thought it through now. I might as well sell my property in Wuhan and bring all my assets to live with me. I don't want to do big business, and I can't do it. I can still do a small business like mosquito meat. If it doesn't work, I can open a pub or restaurant, and I can make a living."

He Wei nodded slightly and said nothing. Ding Lunshi sighed again, picked up a piece of cold dish with chopsticks, looked at He Wei with envy, and said: "Brother, I saw your photo and the Xinyang or Yangxin victory you created in the newspaper. You are very famous now. When your Yangxin victory first came out, the newspapers were all about you. Brother, I admire you. You are powerful, you fight well, and you fight happily. You should kill these Japanese devils! Kill them all!"

He Wei smiled bitterly, thinking that Ding Lunshi was probably angry that the alliance between the Japanese and the Germans had caused him to lose his job, so he was also resentful of the Japanese as well.

"Alas, brother, this is called the unpredictable world. A few months ago, I was discussing the arms business with you. At that time, I was still a young man. To be honest, I knew that the person behind you was Minister He of the Ministry of Military Affairs, so I thought I must make this deal well and see if I could get in touch with Minister He through you. The Ministry of Military Affairs is in charge of the import business of arms equipment nationwide. If I could get in touch with Minister He, then I, my brother, could move up to a higher level. But now, everything is gone. The white land is so clean!"

After that, the table fell silent. He Wei looked at the dejected Ding Lunshi and thought of his almost ruined trading company. Suddenly, an idea popped up in his mind. So, He Wei asked tentatively, "Brother, you just said that I did a good job in the Yangxin victory. Now I am considered a little famous. I don't talk about other places. I still have some face in the army, especially in the senior military officials. Maybe I can help you. Tell me the bottom line, how much wealth do you have now?"

Ding Lunshi was stunned at first, then he looked tangled, and his face was not very good. He Wei knew at a glance that this guy didn't want to reveal the truth to him, so he changed the topic very "considerately" and said: "I know you have something difficult to say, so I will tell you directly. Your current situation is here. Looking at your situation, running around in the capital, and doing business doesn't seem to be going well. If you don't mind, why don't you help me?"

"Uh, help you? What do you mean by that, bro?"

Ding Lunshi suddenly became suspicious. He understood what He Wei meant. He was trying to recruit him. However, he used to be mainly engaged in arms trading. Now that arms trading was no longer possible, he could only do other things. He Wei, an officer, made a living by fighting and killing people. He really didn't know what was so great about him that He Wei valued and wanted to recruit him.

He Wei continued in a deep voice, "Ordinarily this is a military secret, but it doesn't matter if I tell you. To be honest, my troops have made great contributions in the great victory in Yangxin this time. Not only have I been commended and promoted, but my troops will also be expanded and reorganized. Now the troops are marching towards the auxiliary capital along the Yangtze River. They will arrive at the auxiliary capital soon and take on the defense of the area near the auxiliary capital. They will also be stationed in the auxiliary capital for a long time."

"So I plan to run a good business in the temporary capital. It would be best if I could find a stable rear guard post for my assault corps near the temporary capital, or a rear training ground for reorganization and replenishment. No matter where my assault corps is transferred to the battlefield, this will be a stable rear base for my unit. I hope you can help me to build this rear guard post. After all, building this rear guard post is not just about guns. It also requires a lot of non-military planning. It is definitely not a small business. So I intend to ask you to help me. What do you think?"

(End of this chapter)