Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 236 Recruitment
Only Gu Yansheng was qualified to be a traitor; otherwise, given the conditions offered by the Japanese, Gu Yansheng would have had to run away with his bucket.

I don't know how Wang Ni managed to adjust his mood; he actually managed to be happy.

He was completely out of his mind.

After finishing his meal, Gu Yansheng went to see Shen Linshen and told him the latest news.

"Wang, the traitor, actually agreed to these conditions?" Shen Linshen frowned, finding it hard to believe. There's a limit to treason.

He could have easily given up his position as vice president of Chongqing. Even though he was suppressed by Jiang Zemin, he was still a vice president, and his reputation and status remained.

So now we have to be mere dogs for the Japanese?

These conditions are utterly disrespectful.

Aside from making money, I really can't think of any other benefit.

The money he made might not even be as much as Gu Yansheng's.

That's too high a price to pay.

"What is he after?" Shen Linshen really couldn't figure it out even today.

He used to think that Wang Jingwei might genuinely believe in peaceful nation-building and the propaganda of the Japanese, which is why he insisted on coming out of the Japanese-occupied area to become the president.

But given the current conditions, peaceful nation-building is no longer an option; it's just a pure puppet state. Why can't the traitor Wang choose to give up?

"What he really wants is to be the CEO; it all boils down to power."

Gu Yansheng explained, "His seniority is even greater than Chiang Kai-shek's, but Chiang Kai-shek has a strong desire for control. As the vice president, he has no one in Chongqing who can be bossed around, so he is resentful."

Leaving Chongqing, one could say it was due to political disagreements with Chiang Kai-shek. But this time, after negotiating with the Japanese, he refused to budge from those terms and chose to continue. That speaks volumes.

“I think he’s seriously ill and has lost his mind.” Shen Linshen shook his head. “He might as well stay in Chongqing and fight with Chiang Kai-shek for power.”

Gu Yansheng chuckled, “It’s said that the greatest enemy of a politician is age. Wang Jingwei is 57 this year, but Chiang Kai-shek is only 53. How can he afford to wait? If he were 47 this year, he might not have come out of Chongqing.”

"Sigh." Shen Linshen sighed. "Let's not talk about him anymore. I will send out the intelligence as soon as possible. The organization has set up an intelligence station in Hong Kong. Do you have time to go to Hong Kong? Mr. Wu's idea is that if you are free, set a time, and he can arrange his schedule to see if we can meet and talk."

"I'm too busy right now. I have to go to Nanjing. Let's talk about it when I have time." With so much going on in Shanghai, Gu Yansheng couldn't just take leave and go to Hong Kong for fun. He couldn't find an excuse, so he had to wait a while.

Shen Linshen nodded upon hearing this, "Alright, then I'll handle it. You obtained the contents of these agreements from Zhou Ni, so they can't be made public through official channels. I think the organization needs a way to make them public to demoralize Wang Ni. You can keep an eye on these details."

Gu Yansheng nodded thoughtfully, "I understand. I'll keep an eye on it and let you know if there's any news."

The following afternoon, Gu Yansheng and Minister Zhou went to Nanjing to host a banquet for Ren Yuandao. Ding Mocun also accompanied them, and he was in charge of security. He could also take the opportunity to inspect the Nanjing branch of the 76th Division.

In order not to arouse Liang Hongzhi's suspicion, their trip was ostensibly to visit the traitors who had just settled in Nanjing.

Privately, Ding Mocun's people in Nanjing had already contacted Ren Yuandao and arranged a time to meet.

After exiting the train station, staff from No. 76 picked me up, and the car drove directly to Yihe Road.

"It's been a long time since I've been here. The streets of Nanjing look much more desolate now," Minister Zhou remarked as his car sped along the road.

"Nanjing's economy was not good, and it was not taken seriously at all in post-war reconstruction. Look at Shanghai, it had concessions, and as an international metropolis, it was commercially prosperous and had many more opportunities to make money than Nanjing. The lives of its citizens were just so-so."

Needless to say, Nanjing was in even worse shape. It was one thing for the Japanese to be indifferent, but Liang Hongzhi was a mere figurehead, failing to develop the economy; he certainly bears the primary responsibility for this desolation.

Gu Yansheng was adept at talking badly about people behind their backs, and everyone was happy when he attacked Liang Hongzhi.

"We'll develop it then!" Minister Zhou declared with great ambition.

When the car arrived at Yihe Road, Minister Zhou asked, "How much money did you spend on buying a house here?"

"Not many. The average price of a house on Yihe Road is about 1200 yuan. I have prepared twenty houses."

"So cheap?" Minister Zhou exclaimed in surprise. "A house on Yihe Road is only worth this much now?"

“It’s more than that now. This was the price at the end of last year, when I bought it.” Gu Yansheng smiled. “If you want to buy now, it will probably cost twice as much, and there won’t be any houses that good to choose from.”

"You bought this house here last year?" Minister Zhou astutely grasped the key point.

Gu Yansheng nodded. "When I was a lawyer, I had some savings, so I thought about investing in real estate to make some money to supplement my family's income. At that time, I happened to hear about Mr. Wang's declaration of peace and nation-building in Hanoi, and that Mr. Wang sent people to Shanghai. I thought that once Mr. Wang's government was established, wouldn't the housing prices in Nanjing rise?"
So, I chipped in with some friends and bought a bunch of luxury apartments on Yihe Road.

Minister Zhou listened in stunned silence, then laughed and said, "When the news first came out, you dared to make such a bet? Weren't you afraid that if we couldn't reach an agreement with the Japanese, all these houses would be stuck with you?"

Gu Yansheng laughed and said, "I believe Mr. Wang will definitely come, but I'm not just gambling. A garden villa on Yihe Road costs 800 yuan, and an ordinary two-story house in downtown Shanghai also costs 800 yuan. Even if I don't make a profit, I won't lose money, right?"

"That's true." Minister Zhou nodded, his gaze still filled with admiration as he looked at Gu Yansheng. "Mo Cun, did you see that? That's what it means to have sharp eyes. With such vision and action, if he doesn't succeed, who will?"

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Ding Mocun laughed and said, "I knew long ago that Brother Gu had a good eye. Minister, your ability to analyze the development of a matter as a lawyer is no less than that of a trained special agent."

Furthermore, special agents have limitations in their thinking, but lawyers have seen far more and encounter all sorts of strange and unusual cases, so it's no wonder that these elite lawyers charge high fees; they are indeed highly capable.

"With Yansheng's eye for business, you'd be destined to make a fortune as a businessman, even if he didn't become a lawyer or an official." Minister Zhou chuckled. "That's true. You must have made a lot of money on those houses, right?"

Gu Yansheng shook his head, "I was originally going to make a big profit, but since Minister Zhou asked me to arrange accommodations for these people, it's not easy for me to make money. So I've decided not to make any profit and will sell everything to the future Ministry of Finance at the original price."

Gu Yansheng's noble character moved Minister Zhou once again. "Are you willing to give it up?"

"unwilling."

"Hahaha, if you really think about it, it's my fault. I shouldn't have let you handle this. Now you're embarrassed to sell at a high price. But wait, when I said I wanted to buy Shanghai, wasn't it you who suggested buying Nanjing?"

"These are two different things. If Nanjing is cheaper, then I should buy in Nanjing."

“Alright.” Minister Zhou patted Gu Yansheng on the shoulder. “It’s not easy to negotiate the price with you. I will take these houses on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, and I will compensate you in another way afterward.”

"No need to explain that," Gu Yansheng waved his hand.

"Let's go take a look at my old house and see who lives there now. Hopefully, we can buy it."

Located next to Yihe Road, at No. 8 Xiliuwan, this was Zhou Ni's former residence in Nanjing.

The car pulled up to the gate, the horn honked, the gate opened, and the car drove straight in.

Minister Zhou grunted and looked at Gu Yansheng, "Don't tell me you've already bought it?"

Gu Yansheng nodded. "Of course, everyone else's accommodations have been arranged, so how could we not arrange accommodations for Minister Zhou? Not only yours, but Mr. Wang's original house has also been bought back and thoroughly cleaned. Director Ding arranged for someone to clean it."

Gu Yansheng also mentioned Ding Mocun's contribution, which made Ding Mocun feel comforted and praised Gu for his righteousness.

Minister Zhou smiled with admiration. In terms of competence, Gu Yansheng was truly outstanding in every way.

After looking around the house, the group went to find Ren Yuandao for dinner.

We arranged to meet at a restaurant by the river, where we could enjoy some fresh river fish, as the shad was at its fattest and most delicious at this time of year.

Ren Yuandao was born in 49. He graduated from the Baoding Military Academy and surrendered to Japan immediately after the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan. He can be said to have no backbone.

Therefore, the Japanese trusted him and gave him military power.

Gu Yansheng sat down to chat for a while, and then someone arrived.

A man wearing round glasses and with a refined appearance walked up the stairs. He was slightly stocky, and his suit was full of weight.

Ren Yuandao doesn't look like a soldier; he looks more like a slightly overweight scholar.

"Minister Ren," Minister Zhou greeted him with a smile.

Ren Yuandao's current official position is Minister of the Pacification Department of the Nanjing Reformed Government.

"Minister Zhou, it's an honor to meet you." Ren Yuandao stepped forward with a smile and shook hands with Minister Zhou as if they had known each other for a hundred years, even though they had never met before.

Let's introduce ourselves. Gu Yansheng and Ding Mocun were already familiar to Ren Yuandao, so he became acquainted with them even faster than Minister Zhou.

"Please take a seat."

"please."

Minister Zhou chatted with Ren Yuandao, first talking about the past. Ren Yuandao had considerable experience; he was the commander-in-chief of the Hankou Student Army in the first year of the Republic of China and the chief of staff of the Shanghai National Revolutionary Army in the third year of the Republic of China.

Once we start talking about the Xinhai Revolution, the sense of unfamiliarity disappears.

Then proceed step by step from the situation to the current state of affairs.

Ren Yuandao was a fence-sitter who surrendered to the Japanese as soon as they arrived, but he was first-rate at currying favor with the local lords.

There's no need for much hesitation in choosing between Liang Hongzhi and Wang Ni right now; they must have already made up their minds before coming here.

In addition to the grain and cotton yarn that Gu Yansheng had stockpiled in the SH municipal government warehouse, there was also the newly brought one million.

With military funding and supplies in place, what else is there to be confused about?

After a few drinks, Ren Yuandao agreed to side with Minister Zhou.

Without anyone noticing, Liang Hongzhi's corner wall was dug up.

"Come on, let's raise our glasses and cheers!"

"cheers."

"This matter does not need to be exposed for the time being, Minister Ren, you understand what I mean."

(End of this chapter)