Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 208 Unpacking

If there were ears inside the walls, wouldn't that mean the Japanese would know everything they were doing in the house?

You know exactly what time I go to bed and what noises I make in bed, right?
Minister Zhou and Wang Ni exchanged a sudden glance, recalling the meeting where they had discussed government personnel matters. "A list of organizational structures?"

If there had been wiretapping, the Japanese would have been exposed to everything about the new government's organizational structure, Gao Zhongwu and Mei Siping's negotiation reports after arriving in Shanghai, their summaries of opinions, and their plans for the next round of negotiations.

Damn it!
Wang Ni gritted his teeth in hatred, "If the Japanese really resort to such dirty tricks, then they are too shameless and disrespectful to people."

What time is it, and you're still talking about respect?

Although it's called a negotiation, we're really opponents, so it's understandable that we'd use every means possible.

Minister Zhou frowned and said, "I have a house in the concession. We'll find a reason to move. We'll say that it's inconvenient to stay in Hongkou for long before the negotiations are completed. We need to maintain distance so that people don't think we can't live without them. That's our stance."

Wang Ni's tone was heavy, "Move, we have to move! Just thinking about it now makes me not want to live in that house for another second."

"Just bear with it. If we leave abruptly, the Japanese will investigate where things went wrong. Let's pretend we don't know and save face for each other. By the way, do you own a house in Shanghai?"

"No."

Minister Zhou thought for a moment and said, "There are villas on Yuyuan Road in Shanghai, close to the concession, in a good location. The Special Agent Headquarters is located there now, so we can have the Special Agent Headquarters send some people to provide us with protection."

Yansheng, what do you think of that place?

"A very good choice."

Yuyuan Road is also known as Traitor Road, and it's no wonder that everyone lives there.

"Safety comes first. Shanghai is not safe right now, so it's better to have the protection of the Secret Service headquarters."

"Well, let Shuhui accompany Bijun shopping tomorrow, and maybe we can buy a house," Minister Zhou asked Wang Ni.

Wang Ni didn't care about this. "Let them choose for themselves. Anyway, it's better than where we are now."

I'd be fine anywhere as long as I don't live here. The thought of listening devices makes me sick; it's like bugs crawling into my clothes, making me itchy all over.

I'm so annoyed!

Minister Zhou said with a faint smile, "Yansheng, you should also get one. It'll be convenient for us to be neighbors and discuss things. The purchase price can be covered by the bond funds."

"I have one too, is this appropriate?" Gu Yansheng declined.

"Isn't it only right for the new government to provide its officials with adequate housing? It can't be that the Japanese have already given you villas, and we're even more stingy than the Japanese," Minister Zhou said righteously.

When the topic of funding came up, Minister Zhou suddenly asked, "Did the Japanese ask you to pay them any funds?"

"No, not at all." Gu Yansheng shook his head.

Minister Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled at Wang, saying, "The fact that the Japanese were able to let us raise funds and didn't intend to take them back proves that, at least during my last visit to Shanghai, the Japanese genuinely wanted to negotiate. The change of heart is just a recent event."

Wang Ni thought it made sense and nodded, saying, "The most likely explanation is that there is personnel turmoil in the Japanese cabinet and someone is stirring up trouble again."

"Whether they stick their necks out or not, they'll still get stabbed. Since the Japanese want to delay, we won't give them that chance. We'll show a tough stance and force them to make a choice!"

The next day, early in the morning, at HSBC Bank.

Gu Yansheng asked He Yun, the accountant of the money shop, to help withdraw some money to cover the expenses of these people coming to Shanghai.

While I was at it, I went to the Sino-French Bank next door to open the safe that Wenyan had opened for me.

After handing over the key and seal, the person on duty led Gu Yansheng to the vault door, turned the round switch, and opened the heavy, specially designed door, revealing rows of sealed safes before Gu Yansheng's eyes.

The person on duty took the keys to the number registered by Gu Yansheng. He used one key for himself and the key given to him by Gu Yansheng, inserting both into the two holes to unlock the two locks on the safe. After confirming that everything was correct, he bowed and left.

"I'll wait for you outside. Call me if you need anything."

"it is good."

After he left, Gu Yansheng stepped forward and pulled out the safe's drawer. Wen Yan had told him that it contained quite a lot of things, mostly jewelry and antiques.

Considering that Wen Yan couldn't have embezzled much money during his tenure, and that Gu Yansheng had nowhere to put the jewelry, he hadn't come to collect it.

However, the people who came from Hanoi this time all brought their female relatives, and these items can be given away as gifts when the time is right if needed.

"So greedy."

Why get so much ginseng and deer antler?

Gu Yansheng opened the drawer, and a quarter of the cabinet was piled up full of cash, including legal tender, Hong Kong dollars, US dollars, and all kinds of foreign currencies.

The stacks of banknotes were neatly arranged. The total amount wasn't too large, but considering the length of time Wenyan had been in office...

Gu Yansheng knew that customs officials made money, but Wen Yan had only been in office for a short time and had skipped the novice stage to enter the master stage, which Gu Yansheng had to be impressed by.

Go ahead and be greedy.

Why would he want so much ginseng and deer antler? He has no use for it.

What kind of medicinal herb is this? It smells rather strange.

Aphrodisiac herbs?

"Didn't I already tell him to keep this for himself?"

Wen Yan is indeed not young anymore. The person who offered the bribe took advantage of this fact, hoping to please him and help him regain his former glory. The gift was appropriate, and Gu Yansheng could understand it.

But why would Wenyan leave so much for him?

Gu Yansheng chuckled, put down the medicinal herbs, and grabbed a few chains next to him. When he was studying antiques, he had also dabbled in the materials of jade, and he could distinguish the basic materials of jade.

Pearl necklace, agate necklace, jade Guanyin, jade bracelet.

Gu Yansheng noted down what items were included, took out a bracelet and a pendant, put them in his pocket, and packed the rest into a box to take with him.

He went out and exchanged suitcases with He Yun. He took the suitcase He Yun was carrying, while He Yun disposed of the money in the suitcase he was carrying, and stored the other items in a Citibank safe deposit box.

After making a trip to the municipal government, Gu Yansheng returned the seal and keys to Wen Yan.

"The key is finally back," Wenyan said with a smile. "If you hadn't come, I would have had nowhere to put it."

Opening a bank safe deposit box in a leased area is not cheap these days.

"If that's not enough, open another one."

"That's such a waste." Wenyan was used to being frugal and couldn't bear to spend the money.

"Sir, are you satisfied with the contents of the box?"

"Keep these aphrodisiacs for yourself; I won't need them."

Wen Yan smiled and said, "I know you don't need it, but this is the time for reciprocity. Does anyone actually need it? I checked with a herbal medicine merchant, and they are all top-quality, good stuff."

How effective was it for you?

"Of course it works," Wen Yan replied casually, then became serious in a second, "It works well, that's what the herbalist said, I haven't used it myself yet."

"Ah."

To prevent Wenyan from continuing to covet money, Gu Yansheng went to find Shen Shuyun and brought her back to his office.

He took out the bracelet and pendant and gave them to her, saying, "These are for you, wear them."

(End of this chapter)