Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 288 can be summed up in one sentence: No money!
Having served the boss for so long, Secretary Mao knew perfectly well that although the boss's face was expressionless, he was actually burning with anger inside.

Not daring to delay, Secretary Mao lowered his head and said nervously, "It is still uncertain. I came to report to you as soon as I learned of this news."

"But don't worry, I have ordered all departments to conduct a large-scale search, and the warrant for assistance has been issued immediately."

"Based on our analysis, he is most likely to flee to Beiping."

"So, Fang Jiamou has betrayed us and become a traitor?!" Upon reaching this conclusion he least wanted to hear, Boss Dai's heart sank instantly.

The Battle of Changsha-Hengyang is about to begin, which concerns the lives of 400,000 soldiers. If the battle is lost because of traitors in their Military Intelligence Bureau, he can imagine how angry the old man will be.

He could even imagine the feeling of the old man's spittle spraying on his face.

The Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB) was officially known as the Investigation and Statistics Bureau of the Military Commission of the National Government.

It sounds impressive, but it's actually similar in nature to ancient Chinese secret police, imperial guards, and military police, with all power originating from the emperor.

The Military Intelligence Bureau's power stemmed entirely from the old man's trust.

If they lose the old man's trust, their Military Intelligence Bureau is nothing!
Even those who have long been dissatisfied with the Military Intelligence Bureau could tear them apart alive!
The thought of potentially losing trust made Boss Dai extremely anxious.

"Who is in charge of the Beiping intelligence station now?!"

"The previous station chief of Beiping Station was betrayed and killed while fleeing. Beiping Station was destroyed and is being secretly rebuilt. The new station chief is named Su Hetong and is expected to arrive today. The highest-ranking officer in Beiping is Xu Jingge, with the rank of lieutenant colonel."

"Immediately notify Xu Jingge and tell him to use whatever means necessary to keep Fang Jiamou outside Beiping City forever!"

Secretary Mao cautiously reminded him: "However, Lieutenant Colonel Xu's control over Beiping is not in place. In addition, after the assassination attempt at the Tokyo Hotel, the Japanese have carried out several arrest operations in Beiping, forcing many intelligence stations to close or evacuate, resulting in a severe shortage of manpower."

"If Fang Jiamou has truly sided with the Japanese, he will certainly be under strict protection, which may be beyond our capabilities. Perhaps we could send stations in the nearby area to assist?"

After a moment of contemplation, Boss Dai shook his head and rejected the suggestion: "Mobilizing the surrounding stations is out of the question, but it's still very necessary to have someone intercept them along the way. You should quickly draft a plan and send it out."

The Japanese devils have gone a bit crazy these days. Life is tough for the Kuomintang secret agents in Beiping, and even tougher for them in other places.

If we rashly mobilize agents from surrounding stations to provide support, not to mention whether we can bring the weapons over, it's easy to leave, but it would be difficult to return without arousing suspicion.

Having finally managed to lie low, it would be a loss to cause a major conflict over this matter.

"Furthermore, here's another kill order: whoever kills Fang Jiamou will be promoted one rank and receive a Precious Tripod Medal!"

"Traitors like Fang Jiamou must be killed to serve as a deterrent to others!"

"Yes, I'll go and issue the notice right away!" Secretary Mao was secretly amazed by the weight of the two rewards offered by his boss. Either reward would be an irresistible temptation for the Kuomintang agents.

With those two combined, the secret agents in Beiping would probably have to dig three feet into the ground to find and kill them!

On the other side, in Beiping (Beijing).

Inside the district office meeting room.

The district office meeting room was filled with smoke, which kept drifting out of the windows.

From a distance, someone who didn't know better might think the district office was on fire.

More than twenty bosses dressed in silk mandarin jackets crowded on both sides of the conference room desk, their folding fans waving wildly, but they could not dispel the restlessness in the room.

The new director had only been in office for two days when he immediately summoned all of them, the "underground managers," and no one could guess what he was up to.

More than half an hour had passed since the agreed time, and they were getting increasingly impatient when the conference room door creaked open.

The noise instantly drew the attention of the bosses present, and Cao Weida, dressed in the uniform of a director, walked in with a cigarette between his fingers.

Instead of taking the main seat, he walked around the bosses with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over each boss, and lingering on an acquaintance for a moment.

That person was Ma Daxiang, the owner of Fushou Shop, who had been imprisoned by Cao Weida before.

He remembered that he had ordered the execution of Quan Youde, Ma Daxiang's brother-in-law.

Upon seeing the 'old acquaintance,' I couldn't help but smile and nod at him.

Ma Daxiang obviously saw Cao Weida as well. When he saw Cao Weida smiling at him, he quickly returned a fawning smile, but the smile was somewhat stiff.

Holy crap, it's this guy!
He couldn't help but shudder when he thought of his brother-in-law, Quan Youde, whose grave was now covered in three-foot-long grass.

Damn, this guy's ruthless!
We dare not offend them!
No matter what this gentleman asks for later, as long as it's not too outrageous, we must make our stance clear. Just as he was making this decision in his mind, Cao Weida walked to the head seat, sat down, and exhaled smoke rings that mingled with the smell of cigarettes on the bosses' clothes. He said:
"The people in the main seats are all 'capable people' from Beiping. You know how many opium lamps are lit in this city and how many are set up on the gambling tables. I know them even better."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ma Daxiang eagerly echoed, "Director is wise! Our business is all thanks to your care, Director, so we should express our gratitude!"

The other bosses: "."

The moment they opened their mouth, you couldn't wait to fawn over them. Are you a simp?!
Before anyone even said anything, wow, you're already demanding to be given gifts?!

If you want to show filial piety, then do it yourself. But to openly support it in such a public setting—are you trying to drag us down with you?!
You son of a bitch, you're definitely a shill!
Despite the hostility of the crowd, Ma Daxiang remained as steady as a mountain.

Hehe, go ahead and hate me, it's not like I'll lose a single piece of my flesh.
But if you react too slowly and Cao Wei Da remembers it, that would be bad.

Anyway, he has never shortchanged me every month, so if the meeting is to 'discuss' the issue of my allowance, it won't affect him at all.

"It seems Mr. Ma is quite 'wise and righteous,' worthy of praise." Seeing Ma Daxiang so quick to take sides, Cao Weida was amused.
"Alright, since Mr. Ma has expressed his opinion, then it's settled."

"Starting today, on the first of every month thereafter, each business shall hand over 50% of its previous month's profits to the district finance office. The opium dens will be accounted for, and the gambling houses will take a cut. If there are any discrepancies, I will have the detectives investigate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in uproar, with countless dissenting voices rising one after another.

"No, Chief, what? It's settled like that? We didn't agree to it!"

"Yes, yes, Director, we're just small businesses with a 50% profit margin. Aren't you forcing us to starve?"

"Exactly, that's right, how can they take such a cut?"

"That's too much. We also have to pay tribute to the Japanese intelligence agencies."

Apart from a very few who didn't want to fight, the rest of the bosses echoed each other, some saying that the price of opium had gone up, others lamenting the decrease in gamblers, and there was a chorus of complaints.

In short: I have no money!

Once the money is in their hands, they still have to give it back half of it. It's like cutting their flesh with a knife!
Seeing the chaotic scene that resembled a hornet's nest, Cao Weida's face darkened. He stubbed out his cigarette in his teacup with a 'sizzle' that startled everyone into silence.

Cao Wei Da's sharp gaze swept across the entire room, and he said coldly:

"You have to pay the tribute to the Japanese, but you don't want to pay my share?!"

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and slammed it on the table with a 'bang':

"This is a list of opium smuggled in by a certain opium den last week, and also a case file about a gambling den where cheating resulted in a death."

His gaze swept over the assembled business owners, his eyes narrowed, and he said in a chilling tone, "I won't say which ones specifically, you should all know the answer in your hearts. Tell me, should I report these things and send you to jail, or do you want to pay money to avoid trouble?"

To be honest, he couldn't care less whether these smokers and gamblers were alive or dead; they were all bad people anyway.

You could even say it would be better if these smokers and gamblers died; it's better for them to die than to ruin their families.

Perfect, using them to make a fuss is a way of putting their waste to good use.

As for wiping them all out, there's no need. This kind of thing can't be stopped anyway, since the biggest supplier behind them is the Japanese.

If Zhang San is gone, Li Si will come out; if Li Si is gone, Zhao Wu will come out.

Moreover, the current group of people are all well-fed. If a new group of hungry people were replaced, the harm would only be greater, and they would be even less obedient.

The people at the source are giving their full support, hoping that those below will clean up these shady dealings?

Forget it, you might get wiped out before you even finish cleaning up the mess.

The group of bosses who were swept over by Cao Weida's gaze all lowered their heads guiltily. Although they called themselves "bosses," they were all engaged in shady businesses and inevitably encountered some "reckless" people and things that couldn't be brought to the table.

Therefore, their business basically includes everything that Cao Weida just mentioned.

This also made them realize that this director held leverage over them, and that he was appointed by the Japanese.

If they really take it seriously, no one will get away with it!

At that point, it won't just be a matter of losing money to avoid disaster. They might be accused of "colluding with the Communists," and not only will their shops be confiscated, but they might also lose their lives.

Relying on the people behind them?

Even if they're incredibly powerful, can they be as powerful as the Japanese?!
(End of this chapter)