Espionage codename: Shen Gongbao

"Oh, the third floor is Director Ding's private rest area. Apart from Shen Yue, hehe, ordinary people are not allowed to go up there."

"Just tell me."

"Director Li personally found the building and secured the land, but people have been occupying this and that, treating No. 76 like their own home."

"What the hell?!"

Wu Sibao didn't seem to care much about the guards, and he spoke very loudly.

Li Shiqun used his crude and loud mouth to openly provoke Ding Mocun and suppress Ding's prestige at No. 76.

"Okay, then I'll go over and say hello first." Afraid of causing trouble by saying too much, Wang Xuesen quickly went to Ding Mocun's office to report.

"Knock knock!"

He knocked gently on the door.

"Come in!" Ding Mocun's voice rang out.

Wang Xuesen walked in, and Ding Mocun, with a cigarette between his fingers, stood up and laughed heartily, "Xuesen's here."

"Director." Wang Xuesen bowed respectfully.

"sit!"

Ding Mocun led him to sit on the sofa: "Your father and Mr. Zhou are close friends. We are family. Coming here is like coming home."

Wang Xuesen poured him tea, clasped his hands together, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your kind offer, Director."

"Xue Sen"

"You can worry less about the confidential matters; you need to focus your efforts on the accounting department."

After taking a sip of tea, Ding Mocun began discussing official business.

"Please enlighten me, Director," Wang Xuesen said.

"Look, this is the report handed over by Director Xiao from the General Affairs Department."

"Last month, I added an eight-man guard, and the General Affairs Department approved it, but the Accounting Office cut the guard's salary on the grounds of tight funds."

"Now I'm paying for everything myself."

"How can I, a director, command respect if I can't even pay my subordinates' salaries?"

Ding Mocun's displeased complaint was also an attempt to use Wang Xuesen's words to relay a message to Zhou Fohai and Li Shiqun.

"Director, I'm new here and there are many things I don't understand. May I ask if you should contact Mr. Zhou if there's a funding shortage?" Wang Xuesen asked, puzzled.

"You still don't understand what I mean."

"There is no shortage of funds."

"What's lacking is the virtue of some people. Ye Yaoxian is just a puppet. The financial power is all controlled by Li Shiqun's wife, Ye Jiqing," Ding Mocun said with a headache.

"Take a look."

"The action team's first battalion of bullets and ammunition was supposed to be replenished, but it's been two months and there's still no word."

"Wu Sibao's lousy guard team, a bunch of gate-guarding dogs, have so many bullets they could use them to hunt wild boars in the suburbs, is that even right?" Ding Mocun became more and more angry as he spoke.

"The director means... that I should go to the accounting office to urge them to pay the outstanding funds." Wang Xuesen suddenly realized.

"Oh, how can you beg like that?"

"As the deputy director of the accounting office, allocating funds is within your job responsibilities," Ding Mocun said.

Yes, yes.

"Captain Lin is in charge of the operation. Without guns and bullets, the action team is like a tiger without claws. We need to hurry up with this." Wang Xuesen nodded repeatedly.

Ding Mocun waved his hand: "Go ahead."

Wang Xuesen stood still.

If he remembered correctly, Ding Mocun was completely sidelined and squeezed out of No. 76 by Li Shiqun in the early 40s.

It was late August of 1939, and Ding was already in such dire straits that he could no longer even make decisions for his guards.

Keep in mind that he still held two trump cards in his hands: Lin Zhijiang and Tang Huimin. They weren't evenly matched, but they shouldn't have ended up in such a dire situation.

Therefore, apart from Ding's extremely clumsy skills in managing people, the core reason is probably still "money" and powerful backers.

Wang Xuesen originally intended to sit back and watch the two tigers fight.

Looking at it now, this wasn't a fight between tigers.

It's a fight between a tiger and a pig.

If Li Shiqun had taken a few more glances, he would have completely taken control of No. 76. The enemy's harmonious atmosphere was a sign of Shen Gongbao's defeat.

How can you muddy the waters if you don't cause trouble?

Wang Xuesen knew very well that in this world, only those with money in their pockets had a voice.

Once Li Shiqun takes control of No. 76, his own room for survival will shrink.

We need to get Old Ding back on his feet.

Old Ding lacks prestige and ability, yet he still enjoys acting recklessly and inciting hatred, and he is also obsessed with beautiful women. He is simply a born high-quality "puppet".

If I can get rid of Mao Ziming and Tang Huimin, take over the positions of secretary and director of the confidential office, and then seize control of the finances, I can truly split No. 76 in two and divide this evil organization.

They could both accomplish Dai Li's mission and obtain enough money.

Even after the restoration, they would have a place to stand, and at least they wouldn't be "abandoned" by Dai Li at will.

"Is there anything else?" Ding Mocun asked, frowning, seeing that Wang Xuesen was not moving.

"Director Ding, there's something I'm not sure if I should say," Wang Xuesen said slowly, sounding hesitant.

"You say it," Ding Mocun said.

"I believe that even if I can secure funding, it will only be a temporary solution and not a long-term solution."

"Shanghai is a place where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold."

"You don't lack luxury homes."

"But what about your and your aunt's expenses, hiring maids, security guards, and the children's expenses, etc."

"Not to mention bribing the Japanese and those above."

"This cost a fortune."

"Your salary isn't enough to live on!"

"To put it bluntly, even if you let Xiao Yicheng secretly manipulate the finances and do something trivial, it would be easy for Li Shiqun to find fault with you."

"The key is that it can't accomplish anything significant."

Wang Xuesen sat down, leaned forward, and whispered.

If he remembers correctly, Li Shiqun seized upon Ding Mocun's embezzlement of funds and repeatedly slandered him to the military police and Wang Jingwei.

All I can say is that Ding Mocun is indeed both stupid and incompetent.

Even with the bowl not in his hand, he still went out of his way to eat.

Isn't this just sending it over for someone to smoke?

"Do you mean the same thing they do, that I should kidnap and extort merchants like Li Shiqun did?"

"I haven't stooped that low."

Ding Mocun sneered.

Wang Xuesen's expression turned serious: "Whoever uttered such words should be shot!"

"In China today, everyone knows that the Japanese and Mr. Wang sincerely invited you to be the director of No. 76, which is because they respect your qualifications and character, Uncle Ding."

"You're like a giant banner, a signboard for Number 76!"

"Wouldn't sending you to kidnap like Li Gou be betraying the trust of Mr. Doihara and Shimizu Tozo?"

Wang Xuesen cursed indignantly.

Ding Mocun, always eager to save face, immediately patted the back of his hand with a relieved expression: "Xuesen, you're absolutely right. The question now is, where will the money come from?"

"If I could get my hands on money, why would I need to put up with Li's attitude?"

"director."

"Li Shiqun and Wu Sibao and their gang have now caused widespread anger and resentment within the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce."

"As you know, my father-in-law, Su Quanshan, has some influence in the Chamber of Commerce."

"They intend to form a new chamber of commerce alliance and sincerely rely on the Japanese to preserve their businesses. You need to be able to serve as the chairman of the board of directors of the chamber of commerce."

"They're willing to give you a 1% commission."

"Just think about it, this is an asset that could rival the wealth of a nation. One percent of it would be more than enough to pay the salaries of a few security guards, or even to build ten more guards."

Wang Xuesen offered his advice.

Ding Mocun's eyes gleamed, then he said helplessly, "The suggestion is good, but the problem is that Li Shiqun and Ji Yunqing might not give me face. I'm stuck here, aren't I? It's all because these scumbags are holding me back."

"director."

"Wasn't the Mei Agency just established?"

"I remember you had a relationship with Mr. Doihara. Both Haruki Yoshitane and Kagesa Yoshiaki were his students."

"Okay, you introduce me to them, and my father-in-law and I will talk to them."

"The deal is done. You can just take a nominal position. After all, you are the director, the face of No. 76."

"In terms of intelligence, Li Shiqun has already formed a preconceived notion."

"It's perfect that we can break through the Chamber of Commerce and regain Qingqi and the others' trust. Whether our subordinates succeed in negotiating or not, it will only benefit you."

Wang Xuesen offered his advice with empathy.

……