Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 139 Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust? Bullshit!
"Don't worry, have you forgotten that we have a relationship with Nao Tazono? He won't offend us for a dog."

He had basically figured out the relationship between Nao Tazono and Ono Oda, so he was naturally calm and had nothing to worry about.

In addition, he has been helping Nao Tazon smuggle goods. Compared to her initial small-scale operations, Nao Tazon, having tasted the sweetness of success, is now becoming increasingly daring.

There's a poem that goes something like this.

They toil day and night just to satisfy their hunger; once they have food, they long for clothing.

She put on her finest silks and satins, but when she looked up, she felt the house was too low.

He built tall buildings and mansions, but lacked a beautiful wife by his bedside.

He had married beautiful wives and concubines, but now he worried about not having a horse to ride when he went out.
This poem clearly states that human desires can never be satisfied.

At the same time, desire is also gradually aroused.

Gambling works on the same principle. People gamble small amounts at a time, and then when they get bored, they gamble larger and larger amounts.

The same principle applies to smuggling. At first, people get extremely excited when they make a little money, but as time goes by, especially when they see others making a fortune while they themselves only make a pittance, they naturally feel unbalanced.

With nothing else to do, Cao Weida, after telling Xiao Erduo, had just walked a short distance from the police station entrance when a car pulled up beside him.

"Cao Sang".

"Hey, Mr. Country Garden, where are you headed?"

"Haha, the weather's nice today, I was thinking of getting something good to eat, and then I remembered Cao Sang came by. I was thinking of inviting you for a drink, is that alright?"

"Oh, look at you! You wouldn't dare say that. It's my greatest honor that you invited me. If it's any inconvenience, it's me bothering you!"

"Haha~~ Cao Sang's words are still so pleasant to hear, get in the car."

"Thank you so much." Cao Weida smiled and got into the car.

The two arrived at the Beiping Hotel, requested a private room, and ordered food. Cao Weida proactively poured him wine and apologized, saying:

"Mr. Tianyuan, it's quite a coincidence. Even if you hadn't come to me, I would have come to you anyway. Today, I have to give you a thorough apology."

"Oh? Mr. Cao, you're too kind. What is it?" Nao Tazawa said calmly.

"Hey, isn't this a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple? Yesterday, I arrested a few bad elements suspected of being involved in the resistance and shut down a few shops. Today, after interrogating them, I found out that one of them was Lin Yuanjiang's subordinate. There was a bit of a misunderstanding."

"Oh, I see. It's alright, it's good that we've talked it out." Nao Tazon remained smiling, seemingly unconcerned about the matter.

Cao Weida observed secretly for a while, and couldn't help but wonder if the other party was genuinely indifferent or just pretending. This old fox, despite having no powerful backing, was far more cunning than Ono and Oda.

Come to think of it, don't think being a scapegoat is so easy. Without that ability, you wouldn't be able to climb to such a high level, let alone remain unscathed for so many years.

"Yes, yes, it's good that we've talked it out, but I was wrong after all, so I have to admit it. I'll punish myself with three drinks first."

After downing three cups in no time, Cao Wei Da couldn't help but snort twice. Although the wine of that era wasn't as strong as that of later generations, it still had some alcohol content.

At the beginning of the drinking, Cao Weida didn't want to pour it into his spatial dimension, otherwise it would seem too fake.

Only after Cao Wei Da finished his three cups did Tian Yuan Nao feign anger and say, "Look at you, you're being too distant. Do we need to use these excuses for our relationship? What's past is past. It was their own carelessness that made you suspicious."

Anyway, the arrests that should have been made have been made, and the consequences have been dealt with. Besides, although Lin Yuanjiang has sided with him, he has no connection with Lin Yuanjiang's people. So what if he's being extorted? It doesn't harm his interests.

He rolled his eyes and changed the subject, saying, "Cao Sang, I heard you're in the business of buying and selling goods?"

He emphasized the word "们" with a strong accent, making it clear that his real intention was not what it seemed.

This matter can't really be hidden from people, especially as the business grows bigger and bigger, it becomes even harder to keep it a secret.

Ruixin Grocery Store was right there, visible to everyone. When goods were coming in and going out, anyone who was watching could roughly figure it out.

There's nothing to hide, but we can't be too blunt either. Cao Weida nodded and said, "Indeed, it's just that life is getting harder and harder for us brothers, so we've come up with a business that can support our families."

"That's good, that's good." Nao Tazon felt a little frustrated. That's not what I was waiting for. Go ahead and say something. How am I supposed to continue the conversation if you don't say something?

The two chatted idly for a while, but didn't head down the road, until Nao Tazono finally gave up.

He realized that if he didn't speak up today, Cao Weida could keep dodging the question. Fine, you won't tell me, huh? Then I'll tell you!
"Cao Sang, actually, I also have some channels to obtain supplies, but it was a bit inconvenient before. Do you think you could help with the transportation as well?"

Haha, I think you weren't too inconvenienced before, you were just too hesitant.

Cao Wei Da secretly rolled his eyes, a troubled look on his face: "Tian Yuan Jun, it's not that I don't want to help, it's just... never mind, you should tell me first. If it's a small scale, I'll handle it for you privately."

"This..." Nao Tamago was clearly not satisfied with his reply. She frowned and said:
"Well, I'd like to say that there's a lot of this stuff, and you can't possibly eat it all by yourself."

Cao Wei Da couldn't help but laugh. So, you're planning to keep making me help you for free, right?

Ono and Oda took all the risks themselves, while you quietly made a fortune?
Where in the world is there such a good thing as treating me, Cao Wei Da, like a sucker?
The smile on his face faded slightly, and he said with a faint smile, "Mr. Tianyuan, as you probably know, I'm just a front desk manager. My job is to show my face and make an appearance. I don't have the final say on the specifics."

"..." Nao Tamago remained silent, her eyes fixed on him.

Cao Weida met his gaze without fear. Leaving aside his own confidence, the fact that he had a group of Japanese officers in Beiping, including Ono Oda, behind him was enough to make him fearless of anyone in Beiping.

After a short while, Nao Taniyama withdrew her gaze and laughed heartily, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you, Cao-san. You are indeed a trustworthy partner."

"Mr. Tianyuan, you flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise. I was just doing my duty."

Haha, what nonsense about not misjudging him. You had a conflict with Ono Oda before, so you subtly tried to sow discord between him and Ono Oda. Don't think others don't know.

Although Cao Wei Da never truly shared the same sentiments as Ono Oda, when others said it, it carried a different meaning.

If Ono Oda is a little fox, then the guy opposite him is a real old fox!
He's only superficially on good terms with Ono Oda, so how could he possibly be of one mind with this old devil?
Shit!

"Alright, trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust. I completely agree with this saying from your country. Let me tell you what I think you can do."

What utter nonsense about trusting those you employ and not employing those you don't trust. It's nothing but greed taking over and a helpless act when there's no other way. Do you really think I'm that easy to fool?

Through Nao's narration, Cao Wei Da roughly learned some of the key points.

Ono Oda belonged to the Japanese aristocratic class, though only of moderate standing, they represented their position.

Whether it's channels or relationships, they are much closer.

However, to ensure confidentiality, exclusivity, and competitiveness, their circle will not be too large.

Meanwhile, Nao Tazono united a group of officers from humble backgrounds to form a network of contacts.

They lacked the connections of nobles like Ono and Oda, but their distribution was quite extensive, covering almost the entire occupied territory.

Ono Oda and his group were able to procure a batch of supplies. Although Nao and her group did not have the same influence in their region as Ono Oda and his group, they still held various military and political positions and naturally had some channels and connections.

Little by little, they accumulated a large amount of supplies, some of which would be distributed from places like Beiping and Tianjin.

However, in the past, they were afraid of being exposed, so they only did small-scale operations and dared not make any big moves. Now that they have Cao Wei Da as a connection, they are naturally eager to try.

Of course, the reason he dared to say it so frankly was because Nao Tazono hadn't revealed any information at all, only giving a general outline.

Cao Wei Da was already helping Ono Oda and his group with shady dealings, so he probably wouldn't dare to play any tricks.

Otherwise, everyone will suffer together, and Cao Weida will definitely be the first to suffer!
Besides, although these poor individuals may not seem like much individually, if they come together, they can form a considerable force.

Cao Weida was not so foolish as to think about reporting someone; his first thought was how much benefit he could gain from it!

He stroked his chin and said, "Tian Yuan-kun, we've known each other for a long time, so just speak your mind."

"It's absolutely impossible to transport supplies through my channels without being discovered by Ono-kun and the others. A small amount of supplies is fine; nobody cares. But once it reaches a certain quantity, it's impossible to avoid attracting attention, unless..."

"Unless what?" Nao Tamago asked impatiently.

He naturally didn't want Ono Oda and the others to know. It was fine for everyone to be on good terms now, but if it attracted the attention of the higher-ups one day, who knew if Ono Oda would use him as a scapegoat?
As a shrewd old fox, he naturally didn't want to put himself in danger; self-preservation was the best policy.

“Unless we set up a stronghold outside the city,” Cao Weida said wisely. “We can build fortifications and material distribution centers in one of the three places of Changping, Shahe, or Nankou, and in fact build large warehouses inside.”

"I'll discuss the specific agenda with Ono-kun and the others. Of course, you also need to leverage your connections and cooperate to distribute all the supplies across multiple locations simultaneously. This will not only more efficiently mitigate risks but also disperse your supplies among various storage sites, making them less conspicuous."

He added to himself: In this way, the Red Party will be able to receive supplies more conveniently, efficiently, and safely.

(End of this chapter)