Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 66 Force
"There's one more thing, Mr. Hase, you might want to pay attention to."

"whats the matter?"

Gu Yansheng thought for a moment and said, "Although we have come up with a strategy, it is people who are ultimately responsible for its execution. The value of a ship's cargo is determined by the people who inspect it.

If these merchant ships secretly bribe the inspectors, then when the new policy is released, they could be used against us and accused of issuing these regulations for personal gain. Then the prestige that the Judicial Department has worked so hard to establish would be completely destroyed."

Hasegawa nodded in agreement: "Mr. Gu's reminder makes sense. There are mainly three anti-smuggling departments now: the customs anti-smuggling team, the police anti-smuggling department, and the anti-smuggling department of the secret service headquarters.

These departments are not under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. If we pretend to obey them but secretly disobey them, our strategy will become a means for them to embezzle money.
Thus, the Anti-Smuggling Section has been established in the Judicial Department. From today onwards, all goods transferred from the dock must be released with a pick-up permit issued by your Anti-Smuggling Section.

I will inform the gendarmerie of this. After you set up the anti-smuggling department, send people to be stationed at the customs and various docks.

Having two different departments' anti-smuggling divisions in charge at the same time should be able to avoid the problem you just mentioned."

Only the crying child gets the milk. What Gu Yansheng lacks most is a military force that he has complete control over, and now he has the manpower.

He nodded and said, "Mutual supervision is indeed a good idea, but it involves personnel establishment. If there are too few, it won't be enough. If there are too many, will Fu Xiaoan approve it for me?"

"I'll talk to him about this later. I'll approve a 50-person staffing plan for you first. Do you think that's enough? 12 people in each team, four teams, plus two staffing plans for the chief and deputy chief."

"Almost, it should be enough."

The anti-smuggling department has a lot of money. With 50 regular staff members and 100 non-staff members, a team of 150 people is formed.

"Okay, that's it. I'll go tell Fu Xiaoan right now. It's time to have a good chat with him."

"Walk slowly."

At noon, Gu Yansheng made an appointment with Lu Bowen.

Until today, we can finally have open contact.

But when I went downstairs and saw Lu Bowen's haggard face and the bloodshot eyes, I felt that this guy had been having a miserable life recently.

It shouldn't be.

Gu Yansheng asked in surprise, "Why do you look like this? Haven't you slept yet? Let's walk, talk while we walk, and go straight to eat."

Lu Bowen, who was a body length behind, chatted with him and said with a wry smile, "Don't mention it. Last night, I was picking up people until after 8 o'clock. After picking up these newly released people, I had to arrange a good meal for them, right? That meal took two hours.

You haven't seen that scene before. We ate voraciously while standing, eager to lick the plates clean and swallow everything. The restaurant owner was so scared that he thought refugees had entered the city and was afraid that we couldn't pay the bill, haha.

After dinner, I took them to take a bath. It took half a day to take a bath. They had to be clean. They were so dirty that the water turned black after washing.

After taking a shower, you still have to arrange accommodation.

These people who are willing to follow me are basically homeless. Accommodation is not a problem, but they are excited and want to walk around when they get out. They can't sleep in the middle of the night and have to go out and see the world.

I was really busy all night. After I arranged everything for them, I finally had time to take a shower. By the time I finished taking a shower, it was almost dawn. Then I had to take care of them eating, drinking, going to the toilet and defecating.

I arranged for them to have a day off today, and found someone to take them out for a walk to calm their nerves. They will start working again tomorrow and will be able to earn some money, so there is something to look forward to.

Gu Yansheng nodded after hearing this. "It's good enough that they made it out alive. As long as they work diligently with you in the future, I will definitely be able to give them a full meal."

All Gu Yansheng knew was that his subordinates reported to him that the prisoners' daily meal allowance was 1.5 cents, but after thinking about it, he knew that this number was impossible. However, there was no way to investigate this matter further, as clear water has no fish.

"how many people?"

"Twenty-seven. Our salary isn't high, but the good thing is that you'll have work as soon as you start, and it also provides food and accommodation."

"pretty good."

Only 27 out of 200 were recruited, which means that most of them returned to society. If there were really too many people, Lu Bowen would not be able to handle them all.

"You will observe inside for a few days and find a few useful people to train as your confidants. As for the others, once they finish their work at the construction site, if they want to leave, they can leave."

"Okay, I understand. What do you want me to do today?"

"Of course it's a big deal. It's time to collect the cotton yarn."

Hearing this, Lu Bowen paused: "Is the time right?"

Gu Yansheng also stopped and nodded. "This is a very delicate time. Li Shiqun has set up a special agent headquarters. He is now spending all his energy dealing with the still-fleeing Military Control Commission. He is interrogating, chasing fugitives, and arranging personnel for the newly established department. He also wants to exclude Ding Mocun. There is plenty for him to do.

I estimate that he will be completely unable to track other things for at least ten days or half a month. If we give him more time, it may even take a month.

Now the Japanese are focusing on the new government's policies. The reaction from the concessions is enough to make them suffer, and their attention to other things will definitely decrease.

I have some free time now, so sometimes I go for a walk, check out some news, and see how the cotton yarn issue is being handled.

As for you, don't get too involved in the construction site affairs. Let the Construction Bureau handle everything that can be handed over to them. Our goal is to collect some money and recruit some people of our own.

Make time. Once I determine the safe angle to attack from, I may need you at any time."

Lu Bowen nodded to show that he understood. "I understand, but to be honest, I really don't feel that the people from No. 67 are still following me these past two days, and He Yun also said that they are not."

Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "Someone is helping you to attract firepower. Naturally, no one cares about small shrimps like you. I guess no one is following you now. Li Shiqun should have withdrawn all his men when he took action.

But just in case, you and He Yun should confirm it.

If there really is no one following.

You can rent a warehouse now and keep it as a backup. No one will follow you. It is very safe to rent one as a backup.

Alternatively, you could send these workers out to buy some cotton yarn, saying you're going to make clothes for them. The quantity should be small, two or three pieces a day. This amount won't attract attention. Once you've bought some, give them some to make clothes. It doesn't matter how much is deducted, we won't mind it anyway. A little bit adds up, so save it for now."

"Okay, then I'll go back and observe."

"That's all. Let's go and have dinner. I'll take you to a good meal. Remember to help Director Gu."

Lu Bowen bowed his head and said in a flattering tone, "I'll remember the director's instructions."

Evening, The Bund, hotel.

In a luxurious private room, eight men gathered together, with different skin colors. There were directors of the Municipal Council, Jewish tycoons, local gang members, British comprador families, and of course the former president of the Chamber of Commerce, the current mayor Fu Xiaoan.

There were two Jewish tycoons present.

One is Eli Kadoorie of the Kadoorie family.

The Kadoorie family's main industries are electricity and real estate, as well as some pharmaceutical smuggling.

Businesses like the Shanghai Electric Power Company and the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong are their family's businesses.

Therefore, the new regulations imposed by the Japanese on foreign cargo ships will have the least impact on him and can be almost ignored.

He leaned elegantly on the sofa, sipping red wine and looking relaxed.

But the Sassoon family, who were also Jewish, was a different story.

Although Sassoon was a Jew, he was a British citizen and a retired British military officer. His main businesses were real estate and opium.

Once the Japanese new regulations are implemented, port inspections will inevitably be tightened, causing damage to his interests.

So when Fu Xiaoan informed them that public opinion was useless and the new policy would definitely be implemented if they didn't find a solution.

Sassoon was the most angry.

"Mayor Fu, can you control your subordinates? Can't you replace a mere deputy director?"

Fu Xiaoan said with a sullen face: "That person is from the Japanese consulate, do you think he is just a deputy director?

Hasegawa Inkawa has already come to warn me. If he can transfer the power of inspection to the Judicial Department, you should understand that this is not a question of replacing people, but that the Japanese people's patience has reached its limit.

Don't even think about replacing him. Even if you kill him, the Japanese will still execute someone else.

And I tell you, you'd better not touch the people in the consulate. You all know how ruthless those people in the gendarmerie headquarters can be. They will detain you when they should, and it's completely unreasonable.

Only the consulate takes this into consideration for the sake of face. If you look back, isn’t it the consulate that releases people every time they are detained?
If you touch the people at the consulate and provoke Hasegawa Incheon into siding with the Military Police Headquarters, our losses will only be more severe. I advise you to think of other solutions."

Sassoon snorted coldly, "If it can't be replaced, what about the money? Give him a share. He's a deputy director, how much can he ask for?"

(End of this chapter)