Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 152 Separation
"An underground arms factory? You really dare to dream of that." Gu Yansheng cast an admiring glance at Old Shen.

Putting everything else aside, his sheer audacity is extraordinary.

Shen Linshen remained calm: "I'm not just acting on a whim. The biggest problem facing the troops in southern Anhui right now is weapons and ammunition, followed by food."

Because the Third War Zone had not been distributing ammunition to us, the organization had actually discussed whether the troops in southern Anhui could set up their own underground arsenals. The result of the discussion was that the conditions were not sufficient and it would be very difficult.

As you can see, the Japanese will seize any opportunity to launch a sweep. The troops in southern Anhui may not even be able to stay in the mountainous area where they are now, let alone maintain a stable underground arsenal.
If they operated in a county town, they would be followed even for buying cotton yarn, so I can imagine how they would obtain the raw materials needed to make weapons.

The situation is different in western Shanghai. According to the Japanese, you officials have absolute power in your own fiefdoms and can freely allocate manpower. We have much more room to maneuver here.

Firstly, the raw materials are much easier to obtain than in southern Anhui. Secondly, if the Japanese were to inspect, you would know immediately.

"Have the organization send people to western Shanghai. They don't need to know you're involved. Just order them to choose a location in the suburbs of Shanghai to set up an underground arsenal. Ninety-nine percent of them will choose western Shanghai. Then we'll secretly provide assistance, managing it like a transportation depot. I think it's feasible."

Gu Yansheng nodded, looking puzzled. "What you said is all correct, but the Japanese Type 38 rifle only costs 80 silver dollars. Is it necessary for us to produce them ourselves?"

"80 silver dollars? Are the Japanese crazy?" Shen Linshen's composure vanished; he was dumbfounded and stared wide-eyed, asking, "Is this price accurate?"

Gu Yansheng burst into laughter.

Shen Linshen blinked. "What are you laughing at?"

"Isn't it funny that members of our party, who were called 'poor devils' by various forces on the Chinese battlefield, are cursing the Japanese for being desperately poor?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Linshen thought about it and realized that he had indeed gotten a bit carried away. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Is this true? It doesn't sound like it to me. Really only 80 silver dollars? That's too cheap. The Japanese Type 38 rifle is an absolutely top-notch gun."

"I didn't believe it at first either, but Zhang Xiaolin told me the news. The city of Shanghai is full of special agents, so there is no market for big guns. Further out to Hangzhou, Suzhou and southern Anhui, there are other troops guarding those places. The Japanese soldiers here in Shanghai have no battles to fight, and they have no profit at all."

When they first entered Shanghai, they could still rob ordinary people, but now ordinary people have no money left.

So it might be expensive in other regions, but in Shanghai, the Type 38 rifle is really that cheap.

"Tsk." Shen Linshen had an indescribable expression and was speechless for a moment. After thinking for a while, he smiled and said, "If rifles are this cheap, then it's really worth buying. Using Japanese Type 38 rifles to fight Japanese people, that's an interesting thing. What do you think we should do?"

Gu Yansheng had called him over because he had already thought about this matter. "Go buy the guns from Sassoon. Tell him directly that these are the guns the New Fourth Army wants. Have him find a British ship to deliver them to southern Anhui. If he's willing to transport them, give him a 20% discount."

If you don't want to transport them, let our people open a trading company in the concession, buy the guns and store them in the concession warehouse, have the trading company seal the boxes, and I'll find Gu Zhuxuan's people to transport them out. The list will only include opium and Western medicine. Once the goods arrive in western Shanghai, you've cooperated with Gu Zhuxuan before, so you'll know how to transport the goods there. Practice makes perfect.

I'll handle any other emergencies.

Shen Linshen nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "I can arrange the personnel, but will there be any problems with Sassoon?"

"It doesn't matter. At most, it's just a matter of losing money once. Sassoon and Li Shiqun are now blood enemies, and his normal business in Shanghai is ruined. He doesn't need to care about the Japanese at all. It doesn't matter who he sells to."
A single trial, if it works, can save us a lot of trouble.

"Okay, I'll arrange for someone to make contact right away."

After Shen Linshen left, Gu Yansheng still had to look for Lu Bowen, and he didn't know if Lu Bowen had returned yet.

Finding Lu Bowen is much simpler; just call him.

An hour later, Lu Bowen arrived in western Shanghai, looking travel-worn.

"You've worked hard, Boss Lu," Gu Yansheng joked.

“I’m clearly a businessman serving you, Director Gu, how dare I talk about hardship?”

Lu Bowen took a sip of tea, sat down on the sofa, and said excitedly, "This time I took a group to Jiangsu and we had a very successful trip."

I visited the main grain-producing areas in Jiangsu. There were too many places to see them all, but I got a basic understanding of the grain situation in Yancheng and Huai'an. Grain from these two places is transported to Suzhou via Nantong, then to Shanghai, or directly by ship to Shanghai.

I've rented a shop in Suzhou and opened a trading company. I've also kept four people in the other three locations, so we've set up the entire supply chain for transporting grain from northern Jiangsu to Shanghai, and we even have our own warehouses.

Furthermore, I've also made some inquiries about connections in Suzhou's official circles. Thanks to you, Director Gu, two grain merchants in Suzhou, hearing about my background in Shanghai's officialdom, have proactively offered to help me secure a larger share of grain during the May harvest. This ensures the flour mill won't have to worry about grain supplies in the future.”

“Okay, this trip has been quite long and arduous, and it’s very important.” Gu Yansheng told him about the New Fourth Army’s food shortage. “The New Fourth Army in southern Anhui will probably be short of food for a long time. I also think the guerrillas around Taihu Lake will be short of food. Your food will be very useful then.”

Lu Bowen slapped his thigh and said, "Suzhou is not without grain reserves. I will find a way to solve the grain problem for the Taihu Guerrilla. You arrange a meeting place with them, and I will make another trip to Suzhou to have someone deliver the grain to them, as long as they can send someone to receive it."

Gu Yansheng shook his head: "You can prepare the grain, sell it, and even participate in smuggling to make money, but you can't do anything related to the Communists. Although your current subordinates are all brothers who have been imprisoned by the Japanese, they are not members of the organization after all, and their reliability is hard to say."

"Just focus on your business dealings and make money. Keep your actions and business separate." This has nothing to do with whether Suzhou is Gu Yansheng's territory or not. Since the organization has assigned Shen Linshen from the transportation station to him, Gu Yansheng has to separate the roles of the two people.

Moreover, more and more people will know that Lu Bowen is his, and Lu Bowen is a figure in the public eye, so this point cannot be allowed to go wrong.

“If you have grain, I will find someone else to buy it. You are a merchant, and the highest bidder wins. Even if the Japanese ask you to buy it, as long as they pay, you should sell it. Don’t worry about your identity.”

The advantage of having you here is that I know for sure that this shipment isn't a bait set up by the Japanese, so I can buy with confidence and eat with peace of mind.

The New Fourth Army in southern Anhui lost two groups of underground couriers and porters—seven people in total—because they couldn't find trustworthy merchants and resorted to buying cotton yarn on the black market. Your existence was crucial.

Lu Bowen was quite disappointed that he couldn't participate in such a wonderful thing as delivering grain to the New Fourth Army, but he felt that Gu Yansheng's words made sense.

His men didn't get involved, so he and Gu Yansheng were both safe.

“Okay, I’ll go with your plan. I’ll set off tomorrow to check out the production areas in Anhui: Wuhu, Bengbu, and Anqing. I plan to connect Shanghai to southern Anhui via the route through Jiaxing, Huzhou, Xuancheng, and Wuhu.”

“This is necessary.” Gu Yansheng nodded. The station must be developed. Although they cannot be communists, they still have to smuggle. Otherwise, what’s the point of being an official?

As for who bought the smuggled goods, that's none of their business. Even if people find out, it's not a big deal. These days, who doesn't smuggle things?

"By the way, what did you call me here for?" Lu Bowen realized that he had been talking about his own business for a long time and had almost forgotten about Gu Yansheng's important matter.

"The original plan was for you to open two flour mills, a car repair shop, and a cotton yarn textile factory in western Shanghai, but it seems you don't have the time now."

"Comrade Gu Yansheng, you want me to start four factories all at once?" Lu Bowen's eyes widened, his mind buzzing. Gu Yansheng wasn't treating him like a human being; he was treating him like a donkey.

"Time is tight and the task is heavy. Making money for the organization is of utmost importance. I trust your business acumen, don't I?" Gu Yansheng smiled at his surprised expression. "I have no choice. I also need to achieve good results. What's the point of hiring someone from the Green Gang if I don't hire you?"

Lu Bowen frowned and swallowed hard, feeling immense pressure. "A flour mill is easy to understand, but I don't understand car repair shops and cotton yarn factories. What's the point of opening them?"

"We've established a smuggling route in western Shanghai. Cargo transportation is inseparable from cars. With a repair shop, we can secure the source of cars, and it's also convenient to load our own vehicles with cargo."

The cotton yarn factory is even simpler. There's a nationwide shortage of cotton yarn; once the supply lines are established, sales are guaranteed, and profits are assured. Besides, cotton yarn is a controlled commodity; if it's on a ship and you say it's smuggled, no one will suspect a thing. And because it's bulky, you can also smuggle other things underneath, like firearms and ammunition.

Lu Bowen rubbed his forehead, thought for a moment, and said, "How about I go to southern Anhui later? You said the New Fourth Army is short of food, can I go later?"

"It's no problem, it won't take much time, I'll take care of all the formalities for you."

Go to the foreign concessions, spend some money to find two experienced foreign engineers, Germans or Americans, to accompany you around western Shanghai. The factories are all ready-made; I'll circle whichever one you like, and you just need to think of a name for it.

Then, following the engineer's advice, order whatever machines are needed, and use second-hand ones if available. Once the order is placed, you go to Anhui, and He Yun will handle the rest of the handover.

Leave everything else to me.

If you need any other resources, just ask, and I'll ask the Japanese for them. I'll make sure they bleed a little too.

"You came to western Shanghai to do legitimate business, providing a large number of jobs, boosting the economy, and contributing tax revenue. They can't help but take care of you."

It's great to have someone protecting you. Not only are you allowed to acquire land, but you also get money. All he has to do is maintain the image of Boss Lu. Lu Bowen thought about it and realized that this matter was really not difficult at all.

"Okay, then I'll hurry up and go to the concession to find someone right now."

After arranging things for these two, Gu Yansheng only had one thing left to do in his business in western Shanghai: medicine.

Other items that need to be smuggled out of Shanghai can be smuggled out, but drugs and medicines don't need to be; that's a business that has obtained an official Japanese license.

As long as we can get quinine.

The Green Gang smuggled drugs out of Shanghai, and the drugs followed the shipments to all Japanese-occupied areas. This matter will have to wait until the Shanghai gangs have cleaned up the drug dealers in various places.

The business in the Nationalist-controlled area was entrusted to Ding Mocun.

The only area under Yan'an's control requires some thought on how to avoid sending people in.

The New Fourth Army also needs to arrange a stable route.

Gu Yansheng thought for a moment and then drove to find Qi Wuzhou, the owner of Jiuzhou Pharmacy.

(End of this chapter)