Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 233 (same)
Upon receiving the news, major newspapers mobilized immediately, taking photos and conducting investigations in the shortest possible time, before rushing back to their offices to hand over the information they had gathered to their editors.

While the editors were conducting their investigation, they were just making up news stories. Anyway, the content related to No. 76 was always the same few things, so they just used whatever came to mind.

The scheduled front-page news was replaced and the article was rushed to the printing plant for printing.

The printing machines kept running in the factory at midnight, and newspapers were printed one after another, still smelling of fresh ink.

The delivery trucks, which had been waiting by the factory, carried neatly arranged newspapers and delivered them to various corners of Shanghai as dawn broke.

A new day begins in Shanghai.

Newsboys waved newspapers and shouted their wares.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Breaking news! The No. 76 attacked a director of the Municipal Council last night and injured a British police officer!"

"Japan's invasion of the concessions is a foregone conclusion; the No. 76 executioners have already disregarded the concession regulations!"

"Sell newspapers! Sell newspapers!"

Teahouse.

Gu Yansheng looked at the report in the newspaper, which not only contained a description of the facts, but also the newspaper editor's scathing condemnation of such behavior, with very sharp words.

Other newspapers criticized, but the British newspapers vehemently condemned.

Gu Yansheng finished reading the newspaper and put it aside, then picked up his coffee cup and drank some coffee.

Ding Mocun really didn't hold back when he started hitting people.

The advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

The invasion of the concession by the No. 76 was not a recent event; it's just that in the past, the Municipal Council ostensibly maintained order, but secretly turned a blind eye.

Now that the British have been angered, No. 76 will actually become even more unscrupulous, but at the same time, the British will also cause some trouble for No. 76 to save face.

With the Military Intelligence Bureau currently being hunted down, many people would choose to seek refuge in the foreign concessions, giving them an extra day to react. With the help of the Municipal Council, their chances of survival are much higher.

The overall situation of the war is somewhat favorable.

Ding-ling-ling. Ding-ling-ling.

"Hello." Gu Yansheng picked up the phone.

Fu Xiao'an's angry voice came through the phone, "Have you read the newspaper?"

"The attack in the concession? I saw it."

"Aren't these guys at the Special Agent Headquarters just messing around? How are we supposed to negotiate with the concession if they keep doing this?"

Fu Xiao'an was furious. He had been making phone calls and pulling strings these past few days to get the propaganda slogans removed from the concession, trying his best to curry favor with the Wang Jingwei faction. Now it was all over.

Who in the concessions would agree to help them?

"If we can't talk about it, then we can't talk about it, Mayor Fu. There's no need to get angry so early in the morning, haha." Gu Yansheng chuckled.

Fu Xiao'an asked suspiciously, puzzled, "You know about this?"

"How would I know? I just found out from the newspaper. I was angry too, but after thinking about it, this might not be a bad thing after all."

"How can this not be a bad thing? You know how many phone calls I received this morning, all of them were people cursing me! Now it's not just about the slogans; I was also trying to attract some investment for the Chinese community, but now the British have backed out!"

"Calm down," Gu Yansheng said calmly. "You should think of it this way: you know how effective our efforts to please the concession have been."

The concessions are now on Chongqing's side. Even if we run ourselves ragged and explain everything, they'll only give us a small portion of the concessions, like sneaking around to give a presentation or posting a few slogans in some nook or cranny, like we're doing something illegal.

They disagree, but we can't afford to break off relations too easily.

But things are different now; the Secret Service has made us the villain.

Who will be the good person?
Everyone in Shanghai knows that the Special Agent Headquarters isn't under the jurisdiction of our municipal government, but rather the Military Police Command. Their crimes are none of our concern. But if the Special Agent Headquarters pushes the Municipal Council too far, Mayor Fu, we might not necessarily make demands of them.”

"Hmm~ That makes sense." Fu Xiao'an's tone softened. "I really hadn't considered this from that angle. If being soft doesn't work, then being hard might be a clever approach?"

“That’s right.” Gu Yansheng chuckled. “We’re government officials, we don’t need to beg the British like servants all the time, can’t we just stand up and eat?”

Fu Xiao'an hummed in agreement, then paused and said, "But if that's the case, and the British stubbornly refuse to accept the peace talks, then all the investment funds from those companies that we've attracted will be gone for good."

"That's the responsibility of the Special Agent Headquarters, not your fault, Mayor Fu. If the Xingya Institute asks, tell them to go to the Special Agent Headquarters."

Upon hearing this, Fu Xiao'an agreed without further ado, "Alright, let's leave it at that for now. We won't go to the concession; we'll just wait and see."

"Okay, see you later."

Gu Yansheng put down the phone and picked up a non-Shanghai newspaper from the side.

Many newspapers were collected from him every day, from Nanjing, Guangzhou, and all the major cities in the Japanese-occupied zone, and even a few from Chongqing. The timeliness could not be guaranteed, but by the time it reached him, it was the latest that Shanghai could get.

Opening a Nanjing newspaper, I saw a supplementary article featuring an interview with an official of the Nanjing Reformed Government.

The content was about asking for opinions on the current propaganda by Wang Jingwei's faction in Shanghai regarding peaceful nation-building.

Liang Hongzhi, the current chairman of the reformed government, said, "A few days ago I received an invitation from Shanghai to attend the 6th National Congress of the Kuomintang in August. The organizer is Mr. Wang. I will not go."

First, I don't have time. Second, in my view, Mr. Wang's peaceful nation-building is just old wine in new bottles. On the surface, it follows the Kuomintang's legal system, but in reality, it is dependent on Japan just like my own regime. No matter how much Mr. Wang stirs things up, he will only repeat the path of dependence that I have taken.

Under my rule, Nanjing, while not exactly a peaceful and prosperous place, is at least not as chaotic as Shanghai. Now, assassinations are happening in Shanghai every day. If Mr. Wang were to come to Nanjing, I'm afraid that danger would be brought to Nanjing.

Therefore, I hope Mr. Wang will stop worrying about Nanjing; this is truly for the benefit of the citizens.

There are many newspapers in non-Japanese-occupied areas that criticize Wang Jingwei, but this is the first newspaper in Japanese-occupied areas to openly oppose him. They really dare to speak out.

Gu Yansheng didn't know much about Liang Hongzhi, but since this man was able to become the chairman of the reformed government immediately after the Japanese occupied Nanjing, he must have had some connections with the Japanese.

The Japanese faced numerous difficulties in trying to integrate the Nanjing Reformed Government and the North China Provisional Government with Wang Jingwei. Wang Jingwei's influence was so great that he couldn't even affect Liang Hongzhi, and he was publicly refuted.

However, the Japanese mission must be completed. Once the Wang Jingwei faction returns, there should be a good show to watch.

at the same time.

A wave of protests erupted in the foreign concessions, protesting the illegal entry of the No. 76 agents and vowing to uphold the concessions' law enforcement authority.

All police officers canceled their leave and went out on the streets, fully armed and equipped, patrolling fiercely to see which 76th Division personnel would come to the concession to arrest the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Meanwhile, reporters gathered outside the Japanese consulate in Hongkou, demanding an explanation from the consulate: was it an invasion of the concession or a declaration of war against Britain?

And at this time.

A car drove into number 76.

The car was decorated with a Japanese flag, and the gatekeeper opened the gate without hesitation.

The car drove into the yard, the gate opened, and the person who got out surprised everyone at the intelligence headquarters.

Li Shiqun is back.

Moreover, Lieutenant Colonel Haruki specially sent it back.

Rumors circulated that Director Li was implicated in a case involving the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Who would have thought that Director Li would return safely in just one day?

Everyone thought of Ding Mocun and the rumors circulating in various offices yesterday, saying that Director Ding had reported Director Li.

Now that Director Li has returned safely, it seems things are about to get a little unsettled at the Special Agent Headquarters.

(End of this chapter)