Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 107 Backer
Gu Yansheng went back home.

Being targeted by the Iron Blood Assassination Group is not without its benefits. At least the possibility of being assassinated is gone.

However, this matter must be reported to the organization immediately.

Gu Yansheng found Lu Bowen and told him about this.

Lu Bowen looked at Gu Yansheng and asked, "Has the aroma of your steamed buns reached Chongqing? Even Chiang Kai-shek wants to have a bite after smelling it?"

Gu Yansheng was amused by him: "Be serious, this is a major incident and must be reported to the organization immediately."

"Okay, I got it." Playing and joking are allowed, but organizational discipline must not be forgotten.

"I'm happy for you. You don't know how worried He Yun and I were that you were nearly killed twice by the Iron Blood Assassination Group. It's been so short a time. I'm afraid if you continue like this, one day we won't be able to see you again. I think this is a good thing."

Gu Yansheng patted his chest and said, "It's very warm."

Lu Bowen chuckled, "Okay, I'll go first."

The next day, Lu Bowen came back again, and his expression was a little weird.

"Yesterday, after He Yun and I exchanged messages, the organization replied, agreeing to contact and asking us to be careful. But you know the radio code message tonight? The organization actually sent another message. Do you know what it said?"

"what?"

"About Chen Mo."

Lu Bowen didn't keep the secret and said directly: "Yesterday I also sent the information about Chen Mo who recruited you. The organization has records of this Chen Mo. Long before the Anti-Japanese War, Chen Mo joined our party. However, two years after joining, he was arrested by the Kuomintang authorities while promoting our party's ideas in night school and was imprisoned.

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he disappeared from prison and the organization could not find any trace of him. Unexpectedly, he had joined the Military Control Commission. The organization asked you to identify whether there was any possibility of redemption for this person. If so, after you have identified the possibility, they will send someone else to contact him and restore his relationship with the organization.

He was able to accept our party's ideology from the very beginning and actively promoted it, so the possibility of his recovery is relatively high."

This news was truly unexpected. Gu Yansheng thought about it and nodded, "Okay, I'll observe him. I don't have many opportunities to interact with him, so we'll have to see how things go."

If you really count it this way, Chen Mo's seniority is older than theirs.

As soon as Lu Bowen left, Liu San came again.

He wanted to cheat people last time, but he didn’t do that this time. Instead, he actually came up, holding a box of something, as if he really wanted to give a gift.

"Director Gu, I passed by Fuxingzhai and brought you some freshly baked cakes."

"You're so polite. Sit down." Gu Yansheng pointed to the seat. "What do you mean?"

Liu San glanced at Liu Xiaolou and saw that he had already left and closed the door. He went to the door and listened to confirm that there was no movement. Then he returned and said:

"Chongqing responded that they have always had the printing master of the Japanese Yen, but the Japanese Yen's anti-counterfeiting technology is very good. Its banknotes are printed using engraving intaglio printing, and there is a special tree pulp material in the paper that they have not analyzed. As a result, the money they make has a different feel from the Japanese Yen.

If you think it's suitable, they will have someone bring the master copy to Shanghai and print it directly there."

"I don't know how much difference there is when you put it that way. It can't be the difference between toilet paper and money, right?" Gu Yansheng thought for a moment and said, "Actually, it's not a big deal. No matter what kind of money it is, I can put it to good use."

Good money can be exchanged for money, while bad money can cause trouble. To Gu Yansheng, it doesn’t make much difference, as long as the money is not too bad.

Liu San nodded. "That's good. As long as you think it can be used, I will notify the team leader to bring it over from Chongqing. Also, Director Dai has instructed that a dedicated radio station and a transmitter will be assigned to you. If you have any other needs, please let me know. Director Dai will do his best to meet them."

After saying that, he added with a smile: "Mr. Gu, I'm very envious. This kind of treatment is really not something that ordinary people can have."

Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "I won't ask for anything when serving my country. I just hope that if we can meet one day, he can treat me to a good meal."

"Okay, I'll definitely bring it to you."

After the two groups of people left, Gu Yansheng welcomed a rare day of leisure.

Regarding the drug issue, Sheng Wenyi is almost done cleaning up the big-eyed shops in downtown SH, and has started selling drugs himself.

At the city government meeting, I showed off a bit and had some fun.

But it didn't work.

Before the purge, he was in the dark while the Green Gang was in the light. With the help of the Japanese military police, he could do whatever he wanted.

But after sweeping, he opens his own shop, the situation is reversed, the offense and defense change, and the Green Gang's counterattack begins. They smash your shop without any negotiation, and after smashing the shop, they steal your goods, and then run away, leaving the shop for you to continue to operate.

Are you going to put it in stock? If you put it in stock, keep grabbing it.

The Japanese military police could indeed help Sheng Wenyi, but it was impossible for them to put all the opium shops in Shanghai on guard.

Do you really think the Japanese are like Bodhisattvas, satisfied with just offerings? It's fine to ask people to stand up for you, but whether the money earned is enough to pay for the offerings is another matter.

While the Japanese military police were standing guard at the tobacco shop, the activity of smashing shops began again.

When one problem is solved, another one pops up. The Green Gang and the military police started playing a game of whack-a-mole. Their main target was to take advantage of the fact that the SH urban area was more familiar to the Japanese and then run away after making a quick buck.

The main target of the smashing was Fu Xiaoan's shop. Fu Xiaoan had already repaired the shop, but he continued to smash it after that.

"Director Sheng, please negotiate with the Green Gang to stop disrupting Shanghai's economy! Look at what Shanghai's economy has become!"

At the city government meeting, Fu Xiaoan could no longer tolerate it and lost his temper at Sheng Wenyi in public.

"I'm asking you one last time, do you want to talk about it or not?"

Fu Xiaoan could have waited. With his years of business experience, he knew this plan would eventually fail. The Japanese, in their broader interests, would never allow Shanghai's economy to continue in such dire straits. But this would take time, and no one knew how long it would take—perhaps a month, perhaps two. He couldn't afford to wait.

The losses during this period were heavy. Not only were the shops smashed and there was no income, but the strict inspection at Wusongkou also led to slow logistics operations. The biggest problem was the stock market. The economy had not shown any signs of improvement, and the stock market had been falling for several days, and it was already showing signs of a complete collapse.

If the stock market collapses again, even he won’t be able to hold on.

In the past, with the loan support from Zhonghui Bank where his son Fu Pingui worked, he could urgently replenish his working capital, but now the secret service headquarters has intervened and the bank's board of directors has returned to review the accounts.

Although he resolved the risk, Zhonghui Bank was almost bankrupted by a run due to his son's incident. He was not fired because of his face. It was impossible for him to withdraw funds again.

Who doesn’t know that Fu Xiaoan is in danger now?

He is rich, but if the stock market really crashes, it will be a chain reaction, and most of his assets will be wiped out in an instant.

Sheng Wenyi felt very embarrassed to be scolded in public, especially since he had actually made a great contribution to the Japanese recently and had indeed made a lot of profits from drugs.

But he also didn't want to have a too close relationship with Fu Xiaoan.

So I felt that Fu Xiaoan was so depressed that he was about to explode, and I actually went to talk to him yesterday.

He said unhappily, "Mayor Fu, it's not that I don't want to talk. In fact, I sent someone to talk yesterday, but they didn't show any sincerity."

"You went to talk?" Fu Xiaoan calmed down a little.

"Yes, last night I visited each one one by one. The first one was the Green Gang. Zhang Xiaolin said he wanted 90% and wanted me to compensate him for all his losses. Listen, does this sound like a negotiation?"

"If you're asking for an exorbitant price, just pay it back. Why are you in such a hurry? Let's talk."

"Ha! He even offered me 40% to pay back the money, but he refused! How can we continue the discussion? And what about 50% or 60%? Do you think the Military Police Headquarters would agree to that?"

Fu Xiaoan frowned: "How many more are there?"

Sheng Wenyi said unhappily, "They had an agreement, but when I got there I found out they wanted 90% for everything. Even the smaller gangs wanted 90%. Sassoon went even further, asking for 100%, not a cent."

Sheng Wenyi knocked on the table angrily and said, "Tell me, how do I talk about this?"

Fu Xiaoan took a deep breath, looked at Gu Yansheng with a serious face, and said in a cold tone: "Director Gu, you have talked to them before. Please come forward to talk to them. Shanghai's economy still needs to be saved."

Forced by the situation, Fu Xiaoan had to ask for help from others, otherwise he would go bankrupt.

But Gu Yansheng is not a living Bodhisattva who saves people from suffering.

He was just thinking about the situation in southern Anhui. The 3000-dollar customs pass was indeed useful, and the customs clearance at the Yangtze River port was very smooth. According to the news that just arrived today, the next step is that the river bandits will rob the goods. With the troops dispatched, there shouldn't be any major problems.

He came back to his senses, thought for a moment, and said with a smile: "Mayor Fu, this is not appropriate. When I was doing this kind of job before, I could talk to them. There was no conflict at that time, and we could talk peacefully. How can I say it now?

Even if they give me the face and don't drive me away, I can't decide the price, so how can I negotiate?
Not to mention that my Judicial Department has recently cooperated with the Narcotics Control Bureau to sentence many members of the Green Gang to serve as a warning to others. It’s unclear whether there will be retaliation if I go to their house.”

Fu Xiaoan was devastated by the bank run, but the double blow from the stock market almost drove him to death.

With a gloomy face, he was silent for a while, then suddenly stood up and pushed the chair with a crackling sound, "Meeting adjourned!"

After saying that, he strode out the door.

Several directors and Gu Yansheng looked at each other with smiles in their eyes. In the final analysis, this problem was caused by Fu Xiaoan himself. He had appointed a director and created a lot of trouble. Now the only way to solve this problem was to get rid of Sheng Wenyi.

But without the order from the gendarmerie headquarters, Sheng Wenyi couldn't go down, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Ultimately, the Japanese themselves have to admit defeat.

Fu Xiaoan returned to the office. In this extraordinary period, extraordinary measures must be taken.

At this critical moment of life and death, there is nothing that can be done even if it offends the Military Police Headquarters.

Pick up the phone and say, "Connect me to Nanjing Command Headquarters. I want to see Commander Matsui."

As soon as the call was connected, Fu Xiaoan said a few greetings and then got down to business.

"Your Excellency, the Shanghai Military Police Headquarters has made a huge mistake in its command, and Shanghai's economy is on the verge of collapse.

I've reminded him repeatedly, but Commander Iwasa always overruled me. I don't know what he's thinking in this matter, but if he continues to act this way, I won't be able to be mayor. I'm dedicated to the Empire, but if Shanghai's economy continues like this, I really can't do anything about it."

Matsui said a lot of things on the phone, asking how bad the situation in Shanghai was.

Fu Xiaoan responded by elaborating in detail on what had recently happened in Shanghai, and mainly pointed out the adverse impact caused by Sheng Wenyi in this incident.

In order to achieve his goal, Fu Xiaoan even went so far as to praise Gu Yansheng.

"In fact, the person who was originally chosen to handle this matter was Gu Yansheng, the deputy director of the Judicial Department, who was recommended by Consul Hase Inkawa. He handled the matter very well, and there was no unrest in Shanghai until he was dismissed.

But such a person, who handled the situation impeccably, was forcibly dismissed by Commander Iwasa after Sheng Wenyi appeared. As far as I know, Consul Hase completely disagreed with this decision, but his disagreement was forcibly rejected.

General, I'm not blaming Commander Iwasa. I'm just considering the overall situation. Is it possible that this matter was done wrong?

If this continues, I guarantee with my life that within a month, Shanghai's economy will completely collapse, and the Empire of Japan's hope of using Shanghai's economic tax revenue to recoup its military expenses will be in vain. I am not exaggerating!

After a brief silence on the phone, Fu Xiaoan finally heard what he wanted to hear.

"I'll leave soon and arrive in Shanghai tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)