20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 736 Getting started
"I see. I understand what you mean, madam, but..."

Jiang Lianheng stood beside the car, pondering for a long time, but he only looked hesitant and conflicted.

Madam Wu frowned and asked hurriedly, "What's wrong? Is there any difficulty?"

"Oh, since Madam has made it clear, I think there shouldn't be any problem. If you have to mention other concerns, I'm afraid Wang Tiekan of the Fengtian Office will not agree," Jiang Lianheng whispered, "Mr. Wang is upright and fair, and he doesn't tolerate any injustice. If he refuses to compromise, it will be difficult for me to deal with it!"

The Fifth Lady was not stupid. If she mentioned someone else, she would probably think that Jiang Lianheng was negotiating conditions and benefits with her. But Wang Tiekan was different. He was indeed a very stubborn person. Not to mention the Fifth Lady's face, even if it was the order of Marshal Zhang himself, he dared to argue with him in person.

Back then, Marshal Zhang promoted him to rectify the Fengtian police force, but he didn't give face to anyone and offended Tang Erhu with his first move, which eventually led to Zhang and his brothers almost turning against each other and going to war.

It was also in that year that Jiang Lianheng went south to Lüda, and Wang Tiekan personally gave the order and sent people to seal up Jiang’s two businesses.

The Jiang family at that time was far smaller than it is today. Once Heshengfang and Huifangli were closed down, the Jiang family immediately fell into chaos. With the addition of the Zongshe Party, Han Xinyuan and Zhong Yushan gradually became undisciplined, which almost caused a disaster.

Finally, if Zhao Zhengbei had not come single-handedly to the rescue, propped up the collapsing building, and helped Jiang Lianheng win back Lao Zhang’s trust, how could the Jiang family be where it is today?

Wang Tiekan was a loner in the Fengtian officialdom, with more contempt than favor, never forming cliques or flattering, and always being impartial and strict in his approach to business. Not only could the Jiang family not ask him for favors, even the leaders of the new and old factions found it difficult to gain leniency from him.

But he was indeed very capable, and he was vigorous and resolute in his work. He had made great achievements in rectifying the police force, managing taxation, and planning traffic in a very systematic way. He could be called an all-rounder, so he was highly valued by Old Zhang, and his position in the Fengtian clique's top leadership was always as stable as a rock.

At this time, Jiang Lianheng suddenly mentioned Wang Tiekan. Although it was out of grudge, he also had corresponding concerns.

After all, the Fifth Lady was just Marshal Zhang's concubine.

Strictly speaking, she had no authority to interfere in the security affairs of the provincial capital.

Jiang Lianheng would never act rashly without explicit consent.

Otherwise, if the top leaders have disagreements on this, the Jiang family will be doomed to be blamed for their rash actions.

Jiang Lianheng complained sincerely, "Madam, it's not that I don't dare to take responsibility, but Wang Tiekan is really hard to deal with. A few years ago, when I was active in Dalian, he sent people to seal up my family's business. Now the Marshal is not in Fengtian, and he is the head of the civil servants. If he doesn't agree, how dare I..."

The Fifth Lady sighed and responded, "Wang Tiekan is indeed upright and principled, but extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

"Yes, yes, we all serve the Marshal, but in different ways."

"How about this, I'll send someone to talk to him tomorrow morning."

"That's best."

"However, during this period, you must not be idle. You must help keep an eye on the movements of the workers. If you have any news, please report it to the government office at any time, or you can come to me directly. In short, don't neglect it."

"Of course." Jiang Lianheng replied immediately.

The Fifth Lady said, "Boss Jiang, you are the vice president of the Fengtian Chamber of Commerce, and you have a say in the United Labor Union. Although these two organizations are not affiliated with the Fengtian Provincial Government, they also have the responsibility and obligation to ensure that the Fengtian business community operates as usual. Just go ahead and do your job, and I will take care of the rest for you."

"Okay, then I'll trouble you Madam Wu. I'll be waiting for your good news."

Seeing that the moon had risen to the middle of the sky, Jiang Lianheng did not dare to stay any longer, so he quickly agreed to a few words, and then made an excuse to go and gather more information, took his leave first, got into the carriage, and respectfully said goodbye to the Fifth Madam.

He was in a good mood and thought that everything was under control, so he did not immediately reveal the details of the intelligence on the strike plan at the Fengtian Printing Factory.

The key to keeping the enemy at bay is balance.

If there is important intelligence that threatens the security of the provincial capital, he would not dare to conceal it, but other than that, most of the intelligence information has to be leaked slowly.

……

The fact turned out to be just as Jiang Lianheng had expected. That evening, Marshal Zhang, who was far away in the capital, received intelligence that a labor movement might break out in Fengtian.

But Old Zhang is now busy fighting for power. He has to deal with Feng Jishen, restrain Duan Qirui, and at the same time guard against the remnants of the Zhili clique's counterattack to the north. He is already busy and exhausted, so how can he have the time to take care of this kind of trivial matter?
Since the labor unrest was just beginning, he would not return to Fengtian to take charge of the situation, so he hastily sent a telegram saying:
"The labor movement should be treated with caution, and we should be careful to prevent the situation from escalating and being influenced by public opinion. The specific measures for the remaining matters will be handled at the discretion of Wang Tiekan."

By the next morning, the telegram had spread to all government offices in the provincial government.

At the same time, the Fifth Lady also sent her confidant to find Wang Tiekan, recommending Jiang Lianheng to him and proposing that this person mediate the labor-capital dispute.

Upon hearing this, Wang Tiekan rejected the Fifth Lady's proposal in front of his confidant and said firmly, "There is a labor dispute between the Fengtian Printing Factory and the Machinery Factory. Jiang Lianheng is neither a shareholder of the capital side nor a representative of the labor side. What qualifications does he have to mediate?"

The confidant said: "Boss Jiang plays an important role in Fengtian's business community and has considerable influence between labor and capital. The most urgent task now is to quell the labor unrest. As for the methods, they are secondary. Otherwise, if the situation escalates, the commander will definitely blame him!"

Wang Tiekan said: "Relying on the power of underworld gangs is like drinking poison to quench thirst. It will only cause endless troubles in the future. If the matter is exposed, how will the provincial government save its reputation and credibility? If the commander-in-chief really wants to protect the country and the people and benefit the people of Guandong, he must not rely on such people to resolve conflicts!"

The confidant said, "Boss Jiang has been a secret agent consultant in the provincial capital for more than ten years and is deeply trusted by the commander. He is well-informed and has extensive contacts in Fengtian. At this critical moment, if you don't use him, who else can you use?"

Wang Tiekan said, "Since Jiang Lianheng is the provincial capital's secret agent consultant, he should just stick to his job. If he has any news, he can just report it to the Municipal Government Office and make a report. It is not his turn to make decisions for the government. I think it would be better for him not to interfere."

When the confidant heard this, he stopped talking.

Wang Tiekan took a tough stance and firmly disagreed with letting the secret society resolve the labor unrest. On the surface, he said that Jiang Lianheng was overstepping his authority, but in reality, he was accusing the Fifth Lady of meddling in the affairs of the provincial government.

This guy is worthy of being the one who was given the cold shoulder by Lao Zhang. He has a very stubborn temper. As long as they disagree, he will never talk about social etiquette.

However, Wang Tiekan did not intend to go against the Fifth Lady, nor did he sacrifice the overall situation for the sake of small principles, and was only concerned about his own reputation and integrity.

He had his reasons. As the chief financial officer of the Fengzhang Group, he knew better than anyone that the labor unrest in the provincial capital was neither a problem of capital nor labor, but a problem of Marshal Zhang.

Since the beginning of this year, the official banks of the three northeastern provinces have repeatedly issued more Fengpiao, which eventually led to a drop in the value of the currency, soaring market prices, and financial disorder...

In short, labor unrest was bound to break out.

There is no luck in this matter; it is just a matter of sooner or later.

Wang Tiekan had anticipated this and had advised Marshal Zhang to reconsider carefully, but Zhang would not listen and still insisted on issuing more Fengtian bills. He had no choice but to watch Fengtian's financial situation deteriorate.

In other words, as long as the problem of Fengtian ticket shortage was not solved, any attempt to quell the riots would be a futile superficial effort. Whether the Fengtian authorities brutally suppressed the riots or gave in to appease them, they were only treating the symptoms and not the root cause. Even if the printing and machinery factories were quelled, there would still be spinning mills and electric light factories.

No matter how many tricks the Jiang family has, they can only suppress one problem while creating another. It will be of no avail. On the contrary, it may further intensify workers' emotions and lead to larger-scale riots.

Wang Tiekan knew very well that there was no solution to this problem, and he had already secretly begun to think about retiring.

Having said that, it is my duty to be in this position.

Wang Tiekan did not sit idly by. Early that morning, he notified the Fengtian Police Department and prepared police forces in advance and deployed them near the printing factory and machinery factory to maintain order at the scene and prevent the situation from escalating. At the same time, he urged the Chamber of Commerce and Guilds to contact labor representatives as soon as possible to hold negotiations and discuss resuming work.

Unfortunately, due to limited intelligence, his actions were always a step late.

The Fifth Madam's confidant left the Municipal Office and immediately went to the Jiang residence in the north of the city. He met Jiang Lianheng, but did not mention Wang Tiekan's intention. He just said vaguely: "Boss Jiang, this matter still needs you to come forward to solve it. Don't worry about what Wang Tiekan thinks. With the Fifth Madam to back you up, what are you afraid of?"

Jiang Lianheng nodded in agreement and said hurriedly, "Please go back and tell my wife not to worry. I will do my best to mediate."

However, after sending away the Fifth Lady's confidants, he was no longer in a hurry. He only sent Hai Xinnian out to find out whether the workers were taking a break, and then sat at home doing nothing.

The morning light was fleeting, the pendulum of the floor clock in the living room was ticking, and the hour hand on the dial was gradually approaching nine o'clock.

After a while, the heavy sound of time was heard in the Jiang family mansion.

“Ding—ding—ding!”

To the west of Fengtian City, walking along the busy Xiaoxiguan street, passing through the bustling street scenes and the atmosphere of fireworks along the way, the hawking sounds in your ears are melodious and graceful, like local folk songs.

Walk straight like this for a long time, go out of the outer city gate, walk for a few more minutes, turn south, and you will reach Fengtian Sanwei Road.

The street was a little deserted. The consulates of the United States, Japan, Britain and France were all on the north side, and the German consulate was not far away on the opposite side. Because it was a foreign area, there were not many small vendors. There were soldiers standing guard outside the consulates of various countries. If any Chinese approached, they would be scolded.

Until nine o'clock, there were hardly any pedestrians passing by.

Yoshida Shigeru of the Japanese Consulate was sorting documents by the second-floor window when he suddenly glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw a dozen Chinese people appearing on the street downstairs for no apparent reason.

Yoshida Shigeru immediately frowned, unbolted the bolt, opened the window and looked downstairs with a little confusion.

It would have been better if I hadn't looked. When I looked, I suddenly discovered that dozens of people were gathering here in the streets and alleys on the north and south sides of Sanwei Road, and the number of people was increasing. In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred people took to the streets, and the number was still expanding rapidly.

"Hey, what's going on downstairs?"

Yoshida Shigeru turned around in a hurry and shouted questions to his colleagues in the consulate.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of footsteps was heard on the wooden stairs, and a guard rushed in and stood at attention to report.

"Consul General, there are Chinese people demonstrating downstairs. They seem to be the protesting workers at the printing factory yesterday!"

"What the hell are they doing here protesting?"

Yoshida Shigeru cursed, and when he leaned over to look out the window again, he saw a banner supported by two bamboo poles being raised high in the crowd.

"Come here, call the Fengtian Provincial Government immediately and ask them to send people to maintain order!" Yoshida Shigeru immediately shouted to his colleagues present, "And you, inform the Southern Railway Garrison and ask them to send more military police to protect the consulate!"

"Yes!"

"Others, prepare your weapons, close the gates, and prevent the protesters from rushing into the consulate!"

No one dared to delay and immediately got busy.

Yoshida Shigeru was still a little worried, so he shouted to the people around him: "Telegram the Fengtian Provincial Government. If they cannot disperse the crowd within an hour, we will take all necessary measures to protect the property safety of the consulate!"

After saying that, he hurriedly looked at the demonstrators downstairs, always alert to the workers' emotional changes.

In fact, not only the Japanese Consulate, but also the American, British and French consulates nearby were also facing a serious threat.

Although they knew that the workers were protesting over wage issues, the anger of the group always spreads wildly and it is very likely that they will turn their attention to the foreigners. This has happened before, so it is necessary to take precautions in advance.

At this time, there were already three to five hundred workers protesting downstairs, forming a huge crowd that occupied half of the street.

The banner was a little crooked, but the words on it were very clear - Down with the unscrupulous factory owner and give me back my hard-earned wages!
Among the crowd, there were a few young people who led everyone in cheering.

"Oppose wage deductions and safeguard workers' rights!"

"Shorten working hours and increase wages and allowances!"

"You used to be cattle and horses, but now you have to be human beings!"

The shouts of the crowd were getting louder and louder, sweeping over like an overwhelming tidal wave; even the windows of the consulates of various countries were shaking slightly.

At first, everyone was still discussing the issue at hand, all of which were labor disputes. But as the protest team continued to advance, the consulates of various countries along the way closed their doors, armed themselves with live ammunition, and stood guard, shouting threats. Suddenly, the crowd's indignation rose, and they finally directed their anger at the foreigners.

"Down with imperialism and give us back our beautiful land!"

"Down with imperialism and abolish unequal treaties!"

However, most of the workers had limited education and could not think of any other slogans except these clichés. Once their emotions got heated up, they started shouting more and more chaotically.

Finally, someone stood up, pointed at the gate of the Japanese Consulate, and gave a simple and straightforward curse:

"Xiao Dongyang, I'll fuck your mother!"

That morning, the phone to the Fengtian Municipal Government Office did not stop ringing. Until the evening, there were still calls from consulates of various countries asking about the current situation and demanding that the Fengtian authorities step in to solve the problem and immediately restore order in the city...

(End of this chapter)