Uncle Shazhu, a simple-minded man in a courtyard house, persuades people with reason.

The next day during break, He Ping'an, a college student and father, was showing off his niece's cuteness to everyone when he suddenly exclaimed "Wow!" which caused the whole class to burst into laughter!

He Ping'an wasn't embarrassed at all, and casually pointed: "Then let's ask Bai Ling, the one who's laughing the loudest, to lend a hand and help make some formula!"

In the teacher's office, He Ping'an lowered his voice: "Tell Lao Luo I have important information. Same time, same place tonight, I'm going to see him!"

After finishing his business, another leisurely day began. As for the grain he had promised He Daqing, what connections did he have? Fortunately, there were many kind-hearted people in the black market; a quick search would be enough to feed his family for three years. In chaotic times, this was one of the few good things left!

That night, at midnight, the streets of Beiping were dotted with streetlights, and the occasional gambling addict was gone. Even the homeless were huddled in corners to rest. He Ping'an hurried to Jing'an Bookstore, climbing over the wall as usual.

Originally, only Luo Chengjun was there, but unexpectedly, Bai Ling was also there. He greeted her with a smile, only to be met with a glare from the pretty girl. Hmm... well, he'd gotten the short end of the stick from another pretty girl.

"Hey... you only have eyes for Bai Ling. Can't you see me, a living, breathing person? And can you stop always relying on your skills to climb over walls?"

A few jokes can bring comrades closer together; this is something Luo Chengjun is very good at.

After chatting for a while, Bai Ling went out to guard the gate. He Ping'an recounted his elder brother's information in detail, including his speculations.

After He Ping'an finished speaking, Luo Chengjun remained sitting quietly for a while. He only came to his senses when the cigarette in his hand burned out and the butt burned his fingers.

"What are your thoughts?"

"I naturally agree with my elder brother's guess! Moreover, I even suspect that the KMT's maneuvering is nearing its end. It won't be long before a major conflict breaks out!"

With his excellent history grades standing by, He Ping'an answered with unusual firmness. Of course, he couldn't say he was from a later era and well-versed in history. He had to find some plausible reason...

"Everyone knows the uses of penicillin. Such a large-scale purchase means there's no other option but to take a big risk."

As for why there have been recent actions, it's simple—don't be fooled by the fact that Beiping is the center of North China. In the eyes of the Kuomintang, Nanjing and Shanghai are considered first-rate in terms of importance, while Beiping, given the current situation, can only be considered second-rate.

Thus, the wealthy merchants of Beiping who were able to obtain information were essentially just following behind the bigwigs and getting a share of the spoils.

By working backward from the result to deduce the process, and then analyzing the available intelligence, He Ping'an's reasoning was plausible. He simply wanted to persuade Luo Chengjun to report it; whether Luo Chengjun believed him or not was irrelevant.

"Old Luo, do you really need to consider this? Do you think the underground Communist Party comrades in Nanjing and Shanghai couldn't have gathered this intelligence? This is just supporting evidence; it's not as important as you think!"

The words had hit the nail on the head, and Luo Chengjun, who was stuck in a mental rut, blushed for once, realizing that he hadn't thought of that at all.

"I'll report this later, including your guess! Now that I've said my piece, aren't you leaving?"

Enraged, He Ping'an clicked his tongue twice, but for the sake of his future plans, he magnanimously kept Luo Chengjun's rudeness in mind.

"Old Luo, is Beiping Station still short of funding?"

"Ahem... What kind of trouble are you trying to cause now? Let me tell you, Comrade He Ping'an..." Upon hearing He Ping'an's words, Luo Chengjun subconsciously recalled the incident involving Ma Hanshan not long ago.

"This is a legitimate business..." He Ping'an pulled out a rudimentary business plan from his pocket, spouting a string of plain language. He looked exactly like a modern-day conman trying to build cars with a PowerPoint presentation!

Luo Chengjun stared at He Ping'an for a long time, as if he were looking at a monster. He was extremely grateful that he had managed to bring him into his camp back then. It was always better to harm the enemy than to harm one's own comrades.

In fact, He Ping'an's plan was very simple, which can be summarized in one sentence: a honey trap, using someone else to make money!

Since the wealthy merchants of Beiping wanted to engage in hoarding and speculation, they would indulge them. They would spread false information to lure the merchants into their trap. Once the merchants had raised enough money, He Ping'an would then "rob the rich to help the poor."

If things had ended there, Luo Chengjun wouldn't have been so dismayed. The key point is what happened next: He Ping'an actually suggested using the wealthy merchants' money to buy genuine penicillin from abroad. By then, war had broken out, and they could then sell the penicillin back to the wealthy merchants at a high price.

"Compared to you, the three tycoons of Shanghai are just elementary school students. None of the capitalists are as ruthless as you!" After uttering a harsh remark that was neither an insult nor a compliment, the wounded Luo Chengjun immediately chased him away.

Having finished explaining the situation, He Ping'an didn't bother to stay any longer. This time, he didn't climb over the wall; he was going to take Bai Ling home.

Under the dim streetlights, two long shadows, one tall and one short, stretched out. Bai Ling, with her hands behind her back and her fingers twisting together, looked exceptionally shy and adorable.

"Old Luo... he seems a bit downcast?"

He Ping'an, who was admiring the beautiful scenery, was taken aback by what he heard and blurted out a lie:

"Luo Yonghao is getting old and can't keep up with the thinking of young people in the new era!"

To be honest, this wasn't entirely unfounded. He Ping'an genuinely felt that Lao Luo was a bit old-fashioned. What's wrong with doing business? Who says Communists can't do business? If you don't swindle the money of wealthy merchants, is there no law?

At most, they would use the intelligence network of the underground Communist Party in Beiping to figure out the distribution routes of the wealthy merchants, and then operate independently, bypassing the merchants! A closed-loop industrial chain—who hasn't done it this way in later generations?

With intelligence from the underground Communist Party and the armed forces of the action team, He Ping'an was confident he could achieve a regional monopoly on penicillin, starting from Beiping and radiating to several surrounding major cities. He couldn't guarantee much more, but he was certain he could do so!

Monopoly has always been the most profitable business model. Even something as simple as carrying manure can become a fortune in Beiping (Beijing) if you can maintain a monopoly!

As for learning from the "Infiltration Brother," he imports penicillin from Mexico, repackages it in the US, buys low and sells high, and passes off inferior products as superior ones. How many families who can afford penicillin are friends of the Communist Party?

In the Northwest, the night owl received another telegram from Beiping. In the telegram, Luo Chengjun briefly recounted the events of the night, adding at the end... "I personally agree, please give instructions from the Central Committee."

The bigwigs naturally saw the enormous profits that the plan's success would bring. However, this matter wasn't like the last time where they simply handed over the money; it required further discussion.

"That's how it is... If our comrades in the underground Communist Party in Beiping succeed, it will be a huge subsidy to our central government's finances. At the same time, we will have a sufficient supply of penicillin to treat our soldiers' wounds!"

"I agree!" When it comes to military matters, the honest man is the first to speak up.

"I agree! That monopoly is something that would be difficult to achieve by relying solely on Beiping..."

All five people expressed their opinions in turn, and the vote was unanimously approved!

In just two months, He Ping'an caused trouble at two meetings with bigwigs, which can be considered a small achievement.

An extended telegram traveled thousands of miles to reach Luo Chengjun's pen.

"Intelligence has been received. The underground intelligence personnel in Beiping should be commended! Regarding the penicillin matter, the Central Committee has agreed in principle, and Comrade He Ping'an may be given full responsibility! Furthermore… the telegram mentions a monopoly; if necessary, guerrilla forces around Beiping can be mobilized. Please be cautious!"