You were allowed to marry into No. 76 family, and you were promoted to director?

Chapter 402 Looking for Death
"Even if you sold me, I wouldn't be worth that much money."

Yuan Feifei's lips twitched slightly:
“But stationmaster, if we don’t act now, the price will only go up. And since the higher-ups have given us this task, they will definitely allocate some funds to us.”

"Let's agree on this first. Once the funds arrive, we'll exchange money for goods."

Li Zhiguo shook his head, his eyes serious:

"Funding? The higher-ups readily agreed, but the approval was delayed for ages. By the time the money arrived, it was too late."

He paused, staring at a yellowed photograph on the table:

"Dao Ya is clearly controlling the supply to drive up the price. What she wants isn't money, but leverage. She's just waiting to close the net."

Yuan Feifei's heart tightened, and she whispered:
"Stationmaster, do you mean... she wants to use penicillin to trap all of our people?" The room fell silent for a moment, the pattering rain outside the window seemed to weigh down everyone's breath.

"Feifei, you really think highly of us, going to such lengths to set us up?"

"I think what Daoya is trying to catch isn't us, but the US, Britain, France, and other countries."

Seeing Yuan Feifei's bewildered expression, Li Zhiguo didn't want to explain further, but he definitely didn't want to fall into Dao Ya's trap.

He slowly stubbed out his cigarette, his gaze falling on the winding Burma Road stretching westward on the map:

"She deliberately spread rumors that she had stock, forcing all parties to focus on the small amount of stock in the old factory area, but in reality, none of us know how much stock she actually has."

"Whoever gets penicillin now holds the key to life. But once you get your hands on her stuff, you're at her beck and call."

Thunder rumbled across the sky, illuminating the wariness in his eyes. "We can't touch her. If we do, we'll become pawns on her chessboard."

If Dao Ya has enough penicillin supply, that's fine. But if not, Dao Ya is just trying to make a quick buck by using this batch of goods as a front. Once Li Zhiguo decides to buy from Dao Ya, he'll really be trapped by her.

Given the current situation, Li Zhiguo dared not gamble on how much stock Dao Ya had.

"Besides Dao Ya, where else can we buy the goods to complete the mission assigned by our superiors?"

Li Zhiguo raised his hand to rub his temples. It was too difficult. Every channel was like a pre-planned trap, and the slightest movement would alert all sides.

Looking at the intelligence he had reorganized today, Li Zhiguo sighed and said:
"Dao Ya intends to clean up the black market this time and put the entire black market in her hands. Tell me, why would a young woman like her try to play power games like a man? Isn't she afraid of being attacked?"

Yuan Feifei was speechless, completely unsure how to answer Li Zhiguo's question. If she could, she, Yuan Feifei, would also like to turn the world upside down with a flick of her wrist!

Evening, Paramount Ballroom on Baoshan Street.

Neon lights cast a hazy glow in the rain, while jazz music lingered lazily in the dance hall.

In the secret room beneath the hidden door of the bathroom, Sheng Manyi looked at Zhao Xuan, who was sitting on the opposite sofa, with a half-smile on his face, with great distress.

"Okay, I admit, I was a bit too absolute last time."

I just told Zhao Xuan that we can't meet in person to exchange intelligence or hand over work; we can only use secret methods such as code words.

But only a few days later, Sheng Manyi broke her promise.

"Oh, I didn't expect Miss Sheng to still remember what you said last time."

Sheng Manyi cursed Zhao Xuan in her heart for being a stingy person, but the situation was urgent and she couldn't care less about anything else.

"Okay, I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that last time. But Li Zhiguo definitely can't complete the task assigned by the higher-ups this time. We'll have to rely on ourselves."

"Say it!"

Sheng Manyi looked at Zhao Xuan with a resentful expression, took a deep breath, and said:
"About your sister-in-law, Dao Ya!"

"Dao Ya, what happened to her?"

Looking at this guy who was pretending to be ignorant, Sheng Manyi really wanted to punch him on the bridge of his handsome nose.

"This time, the higher-ups snatched a task from the Chairman: to prepare enough penicillin to support a large-scale battle, firstly to treat the wounded, and secondly to guard against the Japanese using the Sheshan virus to deploy on the battlefield."

"The Sheshan virus incident has attracted great attention from the top leadership of the Party and the State. Its lethality is too terrifying, so we have to take precautions."

"However, now almost everyone in Shanghai knows that all the penicillin on the market has been bought up by Dao Ya and she has it all in her hands."

"You could say that if you want to buy penicillin in Shanghai right now, you can only go to Dao Ya."

Zhao Xuan nodded slightly:

"As far as I know, this afternoon, the Military Police Headquarters purchased a batch of penicillin worth as much as 20 million yen from Daoya. Do you know what that means?"

Sheng Manyi's expression turned to utter astonishment as she stared at Zhao Xuan in disbelief:

"The Japanese bought a batch of penicillin worth 20 million yen from Daoya. Good heavens, how much penicillin does Daoya actually have? And isn't Daoya working for the Japanese? Shouldn't the penicillin she has, apart from what she bought on the black market, be provided by the Military Police Headquarters? Why are the Japanese paying for it?"

"You mean, Daoya has her own channels for obtaining penicillin, channels that even the Japanese military doesn't have access to!?"

Seeing Zhao Xuan smile without saying a word, Sheng Manyi revealed a look of surprise:

“I’ll take it as I guessed right. That’s great. Given your relationship with Daoya, as long as you give her a heads-up, don’t worry, we’ll purchase a batch of penicillin worth eight million silver dollars at market prices.”

Zhao Xuan took a sip of red wine, put down the glass, and smiled slightly.
“Miss Sheng, I haven’t received a single penny of salary since I joined the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS). Now you’re asking me to complete such an important mission? Is this how the CBIS operates?”

Sheng Manyi bit her lip, a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes:
"Zhao Xuan, don't give me that crap! I'm just following orders from my superiors. If you have a problem with that, go talk to them. I have no right or obligation to pay your salary!"

After saying that, Sheng Manyi sighed. She had asked Zhao Xuan for a favor tonight, so why couldn't she control her temper?

As the proprietress of the Paramount Ballroom, she believed that harmony brought wealth and that this was her way of making a living. She always greeted everyone with a smile.

But when facing Zhao Xuan, Sheng Manyi really couldn't suppress her anger. This guy was like her nemesis. She was most reluctant to have contact with Zhao Xuan, but Zhao Xuan had only been in the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics for a few days, and she was forced to meet with him twice.

Looking at Sheng Manyi, whose chest heaved with anger, Zhao Xuan said expressionlessly:
"You said you bought a batch of penicillin for eight million silver dollars. I just want to ask you, do you know how many eyes are watching the goods that Daoya has?"

“Once a large quantity of penicillin is sold to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), the Japanese will be the first to hold Dao Ya accountable.”

"So if you want eight million worth of goods, eight million dollars is definitely not enough. Dao Ya will also need to smooth things over so that the goods you buy can be shipped out smoothly, unless you only want to buy them and don't want to ship them out of Shanghai."

Sheng Manyi stared at Zhao Xuan in disbelief. He was too ruthless; his heart was too black.

The price of penicillin on the market has more than tripled, but the price Zhao Xuan quoted for Dao Ya was simply ripping off the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

In addition to the cost of purchasing penicillin, a large sum of extra money has to be spent on unblocking the mess, which is tantamount to taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

However, she also knew that Dao Ya controlled the key channels, and Zhao Xuan was the key to their contact with Dao Ya. At present, no one in the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics could replace his role.

After a moment of silence, Sheng Manyi slowly spoke:
"How much do you want?"

As soon as she spoke, she realized she had lost ground, while Zhao Xuan simply swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes calm as a deep pool.

“Miss Sheng, you’ve misunderstood that. It’s not about how much I want, but how much money Xiaoya should send out to ensure that the goods you’ve purchased can be transported smoothly.”

"Miss Sheng, one price, ten million silver dollars, and we'll definitely deliver the goods out of Shanghai for you. Fifteen million silver dollars, door-to-door delivery."

Zhao Xuan's voice wasn't loud, but every word was as firm as iron:

"Xiaoya definitely won't make a profit at this price; she's just paving the way for you. If you think it's too expensive, you can always look for something better. But I must warn you, if you miss this batch of goods, next time, you might not even be able to get it for 30 million."

Sheng Manyi's heart was trembling; she had never seen so much money in her entire life.
"Zhao Xuan, don't forget, you're also a member of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics!"

"That's right, that's why I'm sitting here listening to you and trying to help you figure something out. Otherwise, do you think you can get eight million worth of goods for ten million?"

Sheng Manyi shook her head with a wry smile:
"Alright, I'll report the situation. Whether the higher-ups will agree is beyond my control. But you must make sure Daoya prepares penicillin, which is currently worth eight million on the market. You can manage that, right?"

Zhao Xuan nodded:

"Sure, after all, you said I'm also a member of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics."

"However, the timeframe cannot exceed three days. You must give me an answer within three days, otherwise even if Xiaoya wants to help, she won't be able to hold onto her stock."

Sheng Manyi's fingertips felt slightly cold, but she still forced herself to remain calm and said, "I will give you an answer within three days."

She stood up to leave, but then turned back and said, "Zhao Xuan, if there's anything urgent, just come to me directly. You don't need to use those troublesome codes and secret phrases anymore."

Zhao Xuan paused, looked back at Sheng Manyi at the top of the stairs, but didn't say a word. After a few seconds, he started walking away.

Mountain City, the headquarters of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

It was late at night, but the Military Intelligence Bureau's office building was still brightly lit.

Inside Boss Dai's office, Shen Xing waited stiffly for Boss Dai to finish reading the telegram. A few minutes later, Boss Dai, his temples throbbing, put down the telegram and looked up at Shen Xing standing at his desk:
"So, the investigation by Young Tiger has confirmed that the reason why the virus leak at the Sheshan Research Institute caused the destruction of three companies of the Military Police Command and the destruction of the laboratory was due to operational errors by Kasahara Heiji and Karasawa Saburo during the experiment?"

Shen Xing lowered his head and replied:

"Yes, the intelligence reported by Young Tiger indicates that Kasahara and Karasawa, in order to speed up the experiment, arbitrarily increased the virus culture temperature, causing the strain to mutate out of control. The research institute's ventilation system was not shut down in time, and the virus spread to the military police station with the airflow."

"This information was confirmed by Young Tiger and the Special Higher Police's Technical Division when they entered the Sheshan Research Institute together. It can be confirmed that it is correct!"

"Also, Chief, Young Tiger is already a colonel. If this continues, I'm afraid that before we even win, that kid will have already become a major general in the Japanese army!"

Upon hearing this, Boss Dai's lips twitched. He understood perfectly well what Shen Xing meant.

Although neither of them believed that Zhao Xuan would betray the Military Intelligence Bureau, from Zhao Xuan's perspective, the Japanese had given him far too much.

Even now, Boss Dai still can't believe that a Chinese person could be promoted to colonel.

When Boss Dai saw this report while reading the telegram, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

But there was nothing Boss Dai could do. Even if he wanted to reward Zhao Xuan, Zhao Xuan was already a colonel, and if he continued to be promoted, he would become a major general. Boss Dai was still just a pseudo-major general, without any official rank, just holding the title of major general.

If Young Tiger is allowed to continue to be promoted, then after a victory, when Young Tiger returns, will the Military Intelligence Bureau listen to Young Tiger or to Boss Dai?
"Alright, I'll report this to the principal. Let him worry about it."

According to Boss Dai's estimate, this time it will most likely be another medal for Young Tiger. As for what kind of medal it is, it's hard to say. After all, it wasn't Young Tiger who burned down the Sheshan Research Institute; it was the Japanese who carelessly lost it.

Moreover, with the battle still undecided, the real people to be wary of are not those who have achieved great merit and threaten the leader, but those peers who are hiding in the shadows, waiting to reap the benefits.

Thinking of this, Boss Dai's eyes turned sinister:

"The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) snatched the mission to purchase the antiviral drug for the Sheshan virus. They didn't do anything when the Sheshan Research Institute was destroyed, but now that the Sheshan Research Institute is gone, they're jumping around!"

You should know that there's always a lot of profit to be made from purchasing supplies. The Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB) was on the front lines, but all the benefits were snatched away by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS).

This infuriated Mr. Dai.

Especially considering that Zhao Xuan had infiltrated the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) at his behest, the CBIS would definitely use Zhao Xuan for this penicillin purchase mission.

If Zhao Xuan hadn't joined the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), would the CBIS have dared to take on this mission?
The reason why the two Cs dared to make such a bold promise and pledge that they could definitely complete the procurement task was because Dao Ya was Zhao Xuan's sister-in-law!
The thought that Zhao Xuan had joined the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) under his orders, and that the CBIS had used this connection to snatch the mission, caused Boss Dai's heart to ache.
355
Mountain City, the military's National Defense Staff.

Military reports arrived like snowflakes.

The chief of staff was overwhelmed by these urgent military reports.

After receiving the news, Chiang Kai-shek soon arrived at the General Staff Headquarters.

"What's going on? Xiao Su, what's the situation now?"

Chief of Staff Xiao Su stood up with a solemn expression and looked at the Chairman who was walking quickly towards him, saying:

"Chairman, the Japanese 11th Army is continuously reinforcing its forces in Xinyang and Minggang. So far, the 3rd, 6th, 39th and 40th Divisions of the Japanese 11th Army have been assembled. Judging from their movements, the Japanese 11th Army is probably going to carry out a cross-regional operation, and the target is likely to be Tanghe, Tongbai and Suiyangdian."

After listening, the Chairman frowned, feeling as if he had seen the places Xiao Su mentioned somewhere before.

After thinking carefully for a while, the Chairman's pupils suddenly contracted:
"You mean the Japanese army plans to bypass our defenses on the Pinghan Railway? Are they crazy? Aren't they afraid of being surrounded and annihilated?"

Xiao Su was speechless upon hearing this. The Chairman was as confident as ever!

He also made dumplings. Now he only dared to tell the Chairman that the Japanese army's target was Tanghe, Tongbai and Suiyangdian.

Xiao Su estimated that the Japanese army's biggest target this time was likely Zaoyang!
Then the Japanese army would be able to directly threaten Nanguadian and Xiangyang. Once these two places fall, the Japanese army's next target would likely be Yicheng.

If Yicheng's defensive line is lost, we're doomed. The Japanese army's next targets will definitely be Jingmen and Nanzhang.

If these two places were gone, Xiao Su dared not think any further, because the next most likely location was Yichang.

The thought of Yichang without Xiao Su sent a chill down my spine.

Seeing Xiao Su's solemn expression, the Chairman also looked thoughtful.

He wasn't thinking about what Xiao Su had just said, nor was he expecting Xiao Su to answer his question. He was simply pondering where he had seen the Japanese troops gathering.

After thinking for a long time, the Chairman gave up. He would deal with whatever came his way. If the Japanese army wanted to penetrate deeper, they were just daydreaming. This time, the Chairman was very confident and determined to give the Japanese army a good beating.

四个师部就想着进攻由第2、第11、第29、第30、第33集团军的防线，这不是厕所里点灯，找死嘛！
Moreover, if, as Xiao Su said, the Japanese army advances from Minggang and Xinyang, they will definitely be encircled by the three major army groups.

With two army groups lurking on the flanks, what else could the Japanese be but courting death?
Thinking of this, the Chairman smiled:

"Alright, Xiao Su, don't be too nervous. Keep a close eye on the Japanese army's movements. I will also ask the Military Intelligence Bureau for assistance."

Xiao Su looked at the Chairman with a worried expression, his lips twitching repeatedly. Although he wanted to remind the Chairman not to be careless, seeing the Chairman's confident appearance, Xiao Su did not dare to say it. In the end, he could only salute and watch the Chairman leave the General Staff Headquarters with easy steps.

On the other side, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS).

After receiving the inquiry telegram from Shanghai, the head of the Telecommunications Department reported to Chen Li.

As Chen Li read the telegram from Shanghai, his temples throbbed.

"Ten million silver dollars, he dares to say that out loud? Isn't he one of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS)? Is this how he works for the CBIS?"

Standing to the side, Zheng Zangyun, the head of the intelligence department, glanced at the head of the communications department, who had quietly stood in front of the desk after delivering the telegram, then turned to Chen Li and said:
"Director Chen, I think that if ten million dollars can safely deliver the penicillin we need out of Shanghai, it's a sure thing."

"I have recently gathered a lot of intelligence. The price of penicillin in Shanghai is still relatively good, but outside of Shanghai, even in Nanjing, the price of penicillin has skyrocketed to six times its original price."

“Outside of Nanjing, the situation is even more terrifying; the price of penicillin has increased tenfold.”

"If we weren't so short of funds, we could buy penicillin in bulk from Shanghai. Once we leave Shanghai, we could just sell it off and make a profit!"

Chen Li raised an eyebrow. Is the price of penicillin really that outrageous now?

Even if penicillin is in short supply, its price shouldn't have risen so sharply, right?
Seeing through Chen Li's thoughts, Zheng Zangyun smiled and said:

"Director Chen, the reason why the price of penicillin has skyrocketed has to do with the emergence of the Sheshan virus."

"Now, almost everyone in Central China knows about the discovery of the new virus in Sheshan, and they also know that penicillin is the effective drug to overcome this virus. That's why the price of penicillin has skyrocketed."

"Director Chen, this is a rare opportunity. We might actually be able to make a fortune through Shanghai's channels, but the capital..."

Chen Li put down the telegram in his hand, rubbed his chin, and began to think.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtongju) alone could not possibly handle such a large batch. If the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Juntongju) were involved, Chen Li would absolutely not do it, and even his elder brother would not agree.

But if we don't involve the Military Intelligence Bureau, then we can only involve the bigwigs in the Political Department and the Military Department.

I'm sure they're very interested in this deal.

"Zang Yun, are you sure this is really feasible?"

Zheng Zangyun said with a smile:

"Director Chen, we can't do this now. We still need to complete the task assigned by the Chairman first and get our hands on the eight million silver dollars worth of penicillin."

"Anyway, with Zhao Xuan around, we have this channel in our hands. After completing the Chairman's task first, we don't even need to rush to find others to cooperate. Those people from the Political Department and the Military Department will come running when they smell the opportunity."

"I think we should still keep the initiative in our own hands. What do you think, Director Chen?"

Chen Li's smile gradually became distorted, and finally he threw his head back and burst into laughter.

“Yes, you’re right. Let’s do it this way. We’ll purchase this batch of penicillin for ten million silver dollars, just as Zhao Xuan said.”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zangyun turned to look at the director of the telecommunications department. The director quickly agreed and returned to Shanghai to confirm that the purchase of penicillin for tens of millions of dollars could be carried out.

However, at this moment, Chen Li was only thinking that since he had spent ten million silver dollars to buy penicillin, he could easily claim fifteen million when submitting the expense report.

Since the telegram from Shanghai was in his hands, Chen Li could simply pay 15 million silver dollars to have it delivered to his door for the sake of safety.

This way, he could earn five million from the price difference. Just thinking about it made Chen Li overjoyed.

By the end of April, the Japanese army had already revealed its true colors, and Shanghai had entered a state of wartime control.

However, this level of control is only aimed at ordinary people. For the wealthy and powerful in Shanghai, the control is actually a good thing, because they can go out and have fun late at night, and the public security has improved a lot.

At the Paramount Ballroom on Baoshan Street, Sheng Manyi mingled among the wealthy and famous people of Shanghai, finally retrieving a bottle of Burgundy wine. With her graceful figure, she arrived at Zhao Xuan's private room.

(End of this chapter)