Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 157 Burning the Warehouse
"That's great. It wasn't for nothing that I went to their door to play the villain and extort money from them."

Gu Yansheng smiled and said self-deprecatingly, "When I go door-to-door to sell bonds, not everyone is willing to pay. But I think that if someone pays the money, they will always feel unwilling. They won't just abandon such a large sum of money and run to Chongqing, right?"
If they all run away like this, then we'll have gotten the money.

Now I can give them some good news.

"You've worked hard," Minister Zhou comforted him. "We will definitely discuss the aid funds from the Japanese side, but there will definitely be many expenses in the early stages of the government's establishment. Your bond issuance is very important. This funding will help the government get through the early stages smoothly. The rest will be completely resolved once tax revenue increases."

"Well, there's another question. Those businessmen asked me when the bank will be able to open. First, they've only registered so far, since they haven't seen any bonds yet. Second, the opening and operation of the factory requires a preparation process."

If the central bank delays its decision, then they won't need to consider this matter in the near future.

Minister Zhou raised an eyebrow and looked at Gu Yansheng, saying, "This matter can be handled more flexibly. We can lend it to them first, just like bonds. We issue bonds and give them interest, and they lend us money and give us interest. Once the funds are circulating, there will always be an interest rate spread."

If we wait until the central bank opens the loan program to set up factories, it might take too long, resulting in a loss of tax revenue.

Now that they've started operating, and once they're profitable, we'll likely be able to collect the tax.

"So how exactly does this work?"

“Go contact Luo Junqiang and sign the agreement with them in the name of the Central Bank. Forget it, it’s too much trouble for him to go back and forth to Pudong. This guy is unlucky. Of all the places, why did he go to that godforsaken place, Pudong?”

Minister Zhou shook his head and sighed, "Yansheng, you'll have to work harder on this matter. You should handle it yourself. As long as they're willing to open a factory, let them do so. As for the interest, charge less, 5% per month."

If someone has exceptional qualifications, you can offer them a discount, as long as it's not lower than our bond's monthly interest rate.

Gu Yansheng frowned slightly. "Minister, it's not that I'm shirking responsibility, it's just that I'm not an expert in finance."

"No problem." Minister Zhou chuckled. "You can let the people from the municipal bank handle the specifics. Leave all the auditing to them. You don't need to worry about small amounts. Just ask about the larger amounts and do your audit."
"You have the investigation department; wouldn't it be easy for you to investigate whether these people's collateral assets are genuine?"

"Understood, I will definitely keep a close eye on the review process." Gu Yansheng nodded, then smiled frankly, "Then I'll have the advantage of being in a good position."

I recently conducted research in western Shanghai. The Japanese are urging us to boost the economy, and I've visited many businesses. They do need loans, but they're worried about the unstable situation. If they have loans, their financial pressure will be reduced, and they'll be in the same boat as us. I've also just finished fulfilling the Japanese's mission.

Minister Zhou laughed and said, "The Japanese are pushing too hard. Thirty percent in three months. Given the current situation in Shanghai, if I were a businessman, I wouldn't want to open a business!"

Actually, the Japanese know they have their own problems; otherwise, why would they support our peaceful nation-building? China, it's up to us to do it.

"Minister Zhou's words are insightful."

Minister Zhou smiled and said, "There's something you should pay attention to here. Since the central bank hasn't been established yet, you shouldn't go through the municipal banks for the loan agreement, so as to avoid getting into a mess with the Japanese."

I think you could set up a money exchange. The money we collect from bonds is already with you, right? You could lend it to them privately first, and then we can talk about it again once the central bank is actually established. Do you understand what I mean?

It's basically using the country's money to produce its own eggs.

Gu Yansheng nodded: "I know what to do."

“Okay.” Minister Zhou smiled even more broadly. “I will be going back to Hanoi in a couple of days. I’ll leave the Shanghai matter to you. If there are any problems, we can discuss them when I get back.”

Gu Yansheng frowned and said, "Isn't it too troublesome to run back and forth? Actually, Mr. Wang can come directly to Shanghai. The Japanese should be very concerned about safety. If it's because you don't have a place to stay, I can find a way to solve it. Shanghai or Nanjing is fine."

“You’re mistaken,” Minister Zhou scoffed. “The saying goes, ‘Kings don’t meet, they only meet kings.’ If Mr. Wang comes, who will talk to whom?”
Now it's our turn to send people to talk to the Japanese. I won't talk to Kagesa. I'm only in Shanghai to handle business. The specific negotiations will be handled by Gao Zhongwu and Mei Siping.

Kagesa is just a colonel. If I or Mr. Wang talk to him, then who will talk to the Japanese cabinet? Wouldn't that be lowering our status?

Therefore, Mr. Wang cannot come to Shanghai at this stage, and I should not stay in Shanghai for an extended period until the negotiations are fully resolved. He's really playing hard to get.

Originally, he only came to ask for a loan, but who knew he would also gain control of the finances? So Gu Yansheng was no longer in a hurry to pay tribute to Minister Zhou.

The days are long.

Go out to a municipal bank, take a stroll around, say a few words to the bank manager, and make your presence known—that's it.

Gu Yansheng returned to western Shanghai and asked He Yun to prepare some factory documents.

"So fast?" He Yun was shocked, gaining a new understanding of Gu Yansheng's current abilities.

"It's such a small matter. Things that the people below find difficult are decided by the people above with just a few words. Make the price higher. For example, your flour mill, although it was bought for 150,000, is devalued due to the Japanese management. It must be sold for 300,000, otherwise I won't approve it."

He Yun laughed so hard she almost choked. "You're asking for an extra 150,000 yuan for a factory? You're extracting years' worth of interest from it!"

Anyway, this extra money will definitely be enough to pay off the puppet government when it collapses.

"Setting up a money exchange is simple. When you're out for a stroll, just help me rent an office on Jesfield Road. You can just put up a sign."

Anyway, Gu Yansheng wasn't planning to lend money to anyone else right now, so he'd just make do with what he had for now.

As for how to increase the value of assets, He Yun is an accountant, which is her old profession.

With the funding issue resolved, the long-term tax revenue problem in western Shanghai will be solved.

As for the short term, Gu Yansheng would have to extort some money from the local underworld.

Huang Jinrong.

I heard that Huang Jinrong has been feigning illness and staying home for some time to avoid being confronted by the Japanese.

It would be difficult to hide his smuggling activities from Huang Jinrong; the docks must have been full of Huang Jinrong's informants.

Before engaging in smuggling, it's essential to eliminate any destabilizing factors in the area.

I need to find some time to give him a talking-to, so he doesn't cause me any trouble.

In the afternoon, Gu Yansheng was drinking tea at a teahouse next to the police station.

The police station didn't want to stay there, so they simply booked two floors and are now working directly in the teahouse.

As I was drinking tea, a burst of gunfire rang out outside, followed by a loud explosion. I went to the window and looked down at the street behind me. Thick smoke was billowing from a factory or warehouse-like building.

"Fire, fire!"

Mitsui's grain depot!
Gu Yansheng had been wandering around the area for the past few days and immediately figured out the actual use of the warehouse.

Courageous!

Behind Jesfield Road, they burned down the granary in broad daylight!

(End of this chapter)