20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 735 The storm is coming
After Zhao Guoyan put away his melon-shaped hat, he left the guest room and sat in the lobby for a while.

Not long after, the door of the private room in the corridor on the second floor opened, and Jiang Lianheng and others came out one after another, walking slowly down the escalator.

Zhao Guoyan stood up upon seeing this, but did not go forward to greet them. It was not until Jiang Lianheng sent General Manager Zhu and Mo Laowu to the gate of Huifangli that he followed behind them and truthfully reported the news he had just obtained.

At this time, Xiaoxiguan Street was already quite dark. Except for a few brothels and restaurants, most shops were closed.

The evening breeze suddenly blew, causing the lamp shadows to sway, and the buildings in the distance also seemed to be floating.

When Jiang Lianheng heard the workers calling for a break and there was a trend of uniting and expanding, he couldn't help but frown and muttered to himself: "This is bad, one wave has not yet settled when another wave comes!"

Zhao Guoyan nodded and said, "The Fengtian Machinery Factory is too large, with at least 1,800 workers, and it also involves Xiao Dongyang's shares. If they start making trouble, the provincial capital will not be able to have peace for a while."

"This matter is difficult to handle," Jiang Lianheng said, "but it is also an opportunity. Whoever can help the government to settle it will be valued by the government in the future."

"Boss, that's what you said, but in the end, we may still be assigned to do the dirty work that the government is not convenient to do."

"Hey, you can't think like that. This is what I do. If one day the government doesn't need me to do the dirty work, that would be a bad situation!"

Jiang Lianheng had been working as a secret agent consultant in the provincial capital for more than a decade, and had long understood the pros and cons.

To be honest, he was not afraid of trouble at all, but he was afraid that the government would not have any trouble that needed him to step in and solve.

If Fengtian is truly peaceful and harmonious, then there is no need for the Jiang family to exist.

Although the workers' calls for rest gave him a headache, in most cases he did not regard it as a disaster, because the more turbulent the society was, the more he would thrive, and the more useful the gangs would be in the eyes of the government.

In other words, Jiang Lianheng actually hoped that the workers would make trouble every now and then. Only in this way could he show his ability and skills to the government - of course, the premise is that he can still control the situation.

Therefore, over the years, he has not always assisted bosses in suppressing workers' calls for rest.

The fact is just the opposite. Jiang Lianheng even helped workers fight for higher wages.

To be fair, although everything he did was out of personal gain, the rights and interests he fought for workers are also an objective reality, otherwise he would not have become the honorary chairman of the United Labor Union for no reason.

Is there anything black and white in the world?

Jiang Lianheng was well aware of the principle of "the dog is cooked after the rabbit has died", and he was also very clear about the role he played in it.

He was a mediator of labor-capital disputes, not simply working for one party. Just like now, he did not immediately pass on the information Zhao Guoyan had obtained to General Manager Zhu and Mo Laowu, but held it tightly in his hands, weighing the pros and cons and waiting for the right price.

This is the reason why three parts ability and seven parts selling are the basis of our thinking.

Zhao Guoyan didn't think too much and asked directly: "Boss, I don't know the situation at the machinery factory yet, but I have a list of people who have called off the printing factory. Do I need to send it to Mr. Jiang and the others?"

Jiang Lianheng pondered for a moment, and finally shook his head, saying, "Put it in your hands first. When the printing factory called for a break in the morning, Lao Chai at the gate of the government office was also there. He was quite restrained in his actions, and it seemed that he had no intention of asking me to come out. They are not in a hurry, so why should I be in a hurry?"

"But... we can't just wait for Lao Chai to come and ask for help, right?"

"Why not?"

Jiang Lianheng curled his lips and said, "Liu Bei even visited the thatched cottage three times. Don't think I'm crazy, but many things in this world are just like this. The more proactive you are, the less valuable you are in the eyes of others. Sometimes you really have to stretch them before they will remember you."

"I know that," Zhao Guoyan said, "but it would be fine if it was just the printing factory that called for a break, after all, they just decided on it at the last minute. But there are too many workers at the machinery factory, and they are already showing signs of calling for a break. If we don't report it in advance, won't Old Zhang blame us?"

Jiang Lianheng remained silent - this was indeed a problem.

He still needs to carefully consider what information can be revealed slowly and what must be reported promptly.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Lianheng suddenly asked: "What time is it now?"

"It's five minutes to eight," Zhao Guoyan immediately asked, "Boss, are you going to the Marshal's Mansion?"

"Well, I'd better go!" Jiang Lianheng nodded, and then said, "Also, don't be idle tonight, go find a few recruiters at the Fengtian Machinery Factory and ask about the situation to see if there are any reliable spies!"

After saying that, he raised his hand to signal the driver, then lowered his head and got into the car.

Just as he was about to turn around and close the door, he suddenly stopped and reminded, "Oh, by the way, tell Xifeng on the way and ask him to arrange a few more fans to go to Sanwei Road in the west of the city early tomorrow morning to keep an eye on them. If they see those who lead the slogan shouting, find out where they live."

Zhao Guoyan walked with him for a few steps, then walked down the steps at the door. While closing the car door for Jiang Lianheng, he nodded and said, "Got it."

Immediately, the car engine started, and with a dull roar, it sped towards the Marshal's Mansion in the inner city...

…………

It was already very late, the lights were flickering in front of the Marshal's Mansion, and several guards were standing guard with live ammunition. It was quiet all around until two beams of car lights shone from a distance, breaking the silent atmosphere in front of the Marshal's Mansion.

As soon as the black car stopped at the door, footsteps were approaching rapidly.

"Who is it?" The two guards were on high alert, and only breathed a sigh of relief when they got closer. "Oh, it's Boss Jiang! What time is it? What's the matter?"

Jiang Lianheng got out of the car, said hello, and asked, "You two, I have something I want to report to the Marshal." The two guards looked at each other and said, "Boss Jiang, the Marshal is not at home, didn't you know?"

"Really?" Jiang Lianheng was stunned. "When did he leave?"

"He left by special train last night. It seems he was going to the capital for a meeting."

Jiang Lianheng was caught off guard. No wonder the provincial government was a little hesitant in its response to the workers' call for a break today. He then asked, "What about the young marshal?"

"The young marshal is not here either. He should be in the Tianjin Concession now," the two guards asked. "Boss Jiang, what do you want? Are you in a hurry? If you are not in a hurry, then go and discuss it with Wang Tiekan!"

Jiang Lianheng was immediately troubled.

The matter of the laborer asking for a rest could be a big deal or a small one. He was a little undecided whether it was worth alarming Marshal Zhang who was far away in the capital.

But one thing is certain, Wang Tiekan has no say in this matter. Although he is now nominally the head of the Fengtian Office, in fact, except for the management of finance and taxation, all actions require Lao Zhang's approval before they can be carried out.

Moreover, Wang Tiekan had once targeted the Jiang family, and Jiang Lianheng was really unwilling to follow his lead.

But when they asked further, they found that all the powerful officials of the Fengtian clique were not in Fengtian at the moment.

Almost all of the five new generals have entered the pass and are stationed there, ready to march south at any time; the two old-fashioned leaders, such as Zhang Fuchen and Wu Dashetou, have also gone to Jilin and Heilongjiang respectively to serve as military governors. Fengtian is now like an empty shell.

While I was hesitating, I suddenly heard the roar of an engine slowly approaching.

A few people looked in the direction of the sound and saw a car stop in front of the Marshal's Mansion.

After a while, a woman in a long-sleeved cheongsam came out of the carriage and walked towards this side.

Upon seeing this, the guards at the Marshal's Mansion straightened their backs, looked straight ahead, and saluted.

"Hey, isn't this Boss Jiang? What do you want to talk to Mr. Shuai about?"

"Oh, it's Madam Five. Sorry to bother you."

When Jiang Lianheng saw that the person coming was Marshal Zhang's fifth concubine, he immediately bowed and saluted, not daring to be negligent.

Madam Wu smiled and said, "Don't bother me. I just came back from a cocktail party. Fengtian Girls' School is planning to expand. I graduated from there. I'm busy raising funds for them recently."

"This is great news!" Jiang Lianheng immediately took over the conversation, "My daughter is now in junior high school, and we need to continue to support girls' education in the provincial capital. I don't know how the fundraising work is going. I'll go and support you one day."

"Then I would like to thank Boss Jiang first."

"No, no, no, this kind of good thing that benefits the country and the people is the obligation of the Fengtian business community."

Madam Wu thanked him a few times and then said, "However, Mr. Shuai is not at home today. Do you have anything urgent to do with him?"

Jiang Lianheng knew that the Fifth Lady was deeply loved by the Marshal and had received a modern education, so he often gave advice to the Marshal. Although they were all trivial matters, her intelligence and wisdom were evident everywhere, and she was by no means a vase decoration like a mediocre woman.

Thinking of this, he reported to him the news that the Fengtian Machinery Factory might have a shutdown.

Upon hearing this, Madam Wu frowned and murmured, "It's no small matter for the workers to ask for a break. Now the printing factory has just started a commotion. We must not let the situation get any worse."

"Yes, yes, the Marshal asked me to keep an eye on the news in the provincial capital. I just heard about it and rushed over."

Jiang Lianheng stopped talking after all. After all, he only had the authority to report things based on hearsay and was not qualified to make any suggestions. So after he finished speaking, he turned around and prepared to leave.

As expected, the Fifth Lady hurriedly called him and said, "Boss Jiang, the Marshal is not in Fengtian right now. I know you are well-informed, so you must pay more attention to him recently!"

Jiang Lianheng responded, "Madam, rest assured. I will report any news promptly. However, it is difficult to handle the laborers' request for a break. I hope the matter will not get out of hand!"

The Fifth Lady said, "I will tell Master Shuai about the situation tonight. Although I don't know Master Shuai's attitude yet, I can probably guess it."

"Oh?" Jiang Lianheng was a little surprised. "Then what do you think Mr. Shuai will think of you, Madam?"

The Fifth Lady looked around and suddenly led Jiang Lianheng towards the car, keeping a distance from the guards in front of the Marshal's Mansion.

"The situation is special now, I won't hide it from you, I have three things to do right now:
"First of all, the Marshal's trip to Beijing is mainly to form a cabinet and seize power. At this critical moment, Fengtian must not allow any chaos, otherwise people will take advantage of the situation to incite public opinion and discredit the Marshal's governance level and external image.

"The second thing is that the commander has decided to expand southward. Fengtian, as the base camp, must not be in chaos. All industrial production must not be stopped at will, otherwise the opportunity to fight will be missed and the Fengtian Army's southward expansion will be frustrated.

"The third thing is that the provincial government is drawing up a plan to build a railway. The Fenghai Line is expected to start construction this summer. The Japanese are very dissatisfied with this and are looking for an opportunity to attack the provincial government. If there is trouble in the provincial capital again at this time, who knows what they will do. So no matter what, the provincial capital must be peaceful now."

Jiang Lianheng listened silently, and in his heart he couldn't help but look up to the Fifth Madam, but he still pretended to be dumb and said: "Madam, your opinion is right. Don't worry, Jiang will do his duty and will never let the Marshal down."

Madam Wu was startled, and simply said, "At a time like this, don't just fulfill your duties. You have to help the commander-in-chief solve his problems. I'll take care of the government office for you. Don't you understand what I mean?"

(End of this chapter)