Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 245 Negotiation
on the plane.

Gu Yansheng was reading the newspaper.

The Japanese representative was Suzuki Takumi, a lieutenant colonel under Itagaki. According to him, Itagaki sent him to serve as the military attaché at the consulate in Hong Kong for the purpose of negotiations.

The commercial plane carried not only their main group but also other people, so we won't discuss the business at hand.

Gu Yansheng was passing the time by reading the newspaper, and Suzuki Takuya was watching Gu Yansheng pass the time, since they were sitting next to each other.

"Mr. Gu seems to have been reading American newspapers. Are you interested in America?"

"Financial news: Germany's blitzkrieg against Poland has led to a series of defeats for the Polish army. The entry of Britain and France into the war has caused financial unease, with fears of a full-blown European war and even World War II. As a result, the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the United States has fallen from 150 points at the beginning of the year to 130 points now."

Gu Yansheng put down his newspaper, looked at him, and asked, "Mr. Suzuki, do you think the US stock market will rise or fall a week from today's Dow Jones index of 130 points?"

Taken aback by the sudden question, Suzuki Takuya hesitated for a moment before guessing, "It'll probably drop? The European competition shouldn't be over so soon."

Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "I'm bullish." Then he continued reading the newspaper.

Suzuki Takuya couldn't understand, "You just said that war would cause financial instability, so why are you still bullish?"

Gu Yansheng turned the newspaper over and continued reading: "Has the United States entered the war?"

"No."

Is American industry valuable?

"valuable."

"Since the US hasn't entered the war, and American industry is still valuable, the European war has been going on for several days now, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been falling for several days. The panic has subsided, so do you think it should rise or fall?"

Suzuki Takuya didn't understand the stock market, but he felt that Gu Yansheng's analysis was very logical. "Mr. Gu's words make a lot of sense. I didn't expect Mr. Gu to have such a deep understanding of stocks. I admire him."

Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "The stock market is a barometer of the economy. Behind the stock price is the attitude of capital towards the situation. If they feel it is dangerous, they will withdraw their investment, and the stock price will fall."

They buy when they think they can make money, and as the stock price rises, they vote with their money.

If you look at the Polish stock market at the end of August, you will find that it is down, because German capital had already withdrawn its funds from it in advance.

Just like if Japan and China suddenly went to war, Japanese conglomerates would receive advance notice and withdraw funds from the stock market, except that the other side wouldn't know at the time.

Suzuki Takuya nodded thoughtfully. "So, according to Mr. Gu, if the US stock market rises next week, it proves that the US will not go to war."

“That’s right.” Gu Yansheng nodded affirmatively.

While this is true, if you use this to judge whether there will be a war, you will suffer a great loss sooner or later.

"Mr. Gu's perspective on the situation from the perspective of the stock market is very interesting."

Suzuki Takuya stopped asking; he wasn't interested in stocks. He waved his hand and said, "Waiter, a drink, please."

"Ok."

However, Gao Zhongwu, sitting behind him, suddenly interjected, "Mr. Gu, what do you think will happen to the Shanghai stock market?"

Gu Yansheng turned to look at him. Gao Zhongwu had been half-dead since they first met, clearly depressed after suffering a blow. Unexpectedly, he was now interested in the stock market and took the initiative to speak.

"Mr. Gao is interested in the stock market?"

"I only pay attention occasionally," Gao Zhongwu said with a smile. "I used to study economics, so I've also traded stocks. I found Mr. Gu's remarks very insightful, so I'd like to discuss them further."

With no hope of promotion, thinking about investing in stocks is a good idea.

Gu Yansheng nodded and said frankly, "Capital never stops. The sudden changes in the situation in Europe will cause funds to withdraw from Europe. After they leave Europe, they will look for new places to make money. Shanghai is a very good place, so I am bullish."

"But aren't China and Japan also at war? Will funds come in, considering risk aversion?"

"It is precisely because of the Sino-Japanese War that funds will come to seek refuge."

The European war and the Sino-Japanese war are not the same; one has just begun, while the other has been going on for several years.

The companies listed in the concessions were, firstly, foreign-owned companies that did business in China and Asia and had healthy revenues; secondly, the prices already fully reflected the pessimistic expectations of the war, and the prices were very cheap at the time.

When foreign capital seeks safe haven and chooses to invest in global stock markets, where do you direct it?
If they can't go to Europe, they'll invest in the US, regardless of whether they invest in the US or not. Won't some of that money flow to Asia?

Isn't that Japan and China?
If the war situation between China and Japan stabilizes or a peace agreement is reached, that would be an incredibly positive development. Business would be much easier, and wouldn't stock prices rebound sharply?

Gao Zhongwu nodded thoughtfully, "Mr. Gu's words were truly enlightening."

Upon hearing the word "Japan," Suzuki Takuya's interest was piqued again. "Mr. Gu, do you think the Japanese stock market will also rise?"

"It's very likely."

"Then can't the funds not be used to buy? There are many international restrictions on Japan now."

"Capital doesn't necessarily listen to the government. Any conglomerate with a lot of money supports a large number of employees, and they spend money on food, drink, and other necessities. If you ask them not to make money, wouldn't they be losing money? Some of that money is borrowed from banks, and it all comes with interest."

Gao Zhongwu picked up the conversation and answered Suzuki Takuya's question, then discussed stocks with Gu Yansheng.

Gu Yansheng never expected that he could become acquainted with Gao Zhongwu in this way.

Let's just chat casually then.

As they chatted, the two agreed to go back and try their luck with stocks, promising to treat Gu Yansheng to dinner if they made any money.

Waiting for the plane to land.

At Hong Kong Station, the military attaché of the Japanese Consulate in Hong Kong arranged for someone to pick them up at the airport.

The Peninsula Hotel has been arranged for me to stay.

Suzuki Takuya saw them to the door and then had to go through the handover process. The new military officer had arrived, and the old one would be leaving after handing over his duties.

Suzuki Takuya said, "Mr. Gao, Mr. Mei, please rest today. I will send someone to deliver the car tomorrow. I'll leave the search to you."

“Okay, Mr. Suzuki, don’t worry. I know a lot of people in Hong Kong and I’ll be able to find a suitable person to act as an intermediary very quickly.” Mei Siping used to be in charge of publicity and had contact with people from all walks of life in Hong Kong.

"Alright, I'll go now. I have some official business to attend to. Mr. Gu, you should rest now. See you tomorrow."

"it is good."

Hong Kong is no stranger to Gu Yansheng.

When the organization arranged for them to go to Shanghai, they transited through Hong Kong. The lawyer at the time said that he had toured Hong Kong, and to avoid any loopholes, he did indeed tour Hong Kong.

Assign rooms to the subordinates.

Gu Yansheng and his group naturally had their own rooms, but their bodyguards couldn't do that. It was too expensive for them to have their own rooms, and if they needed to give orders, they might not be able to react in time. It would be better for three or four people to squeeze into one room.

The subordinates had no complaints about the accommodations, as the hotel was excellent. For bodyguards and secret agents, such accommodations were already quite good.

I'm really excited to be in Hong Kong; it's the first time for many of us.

They looked around the room, touching things here and there, chatting while looking at the scenery outside the window.

"This place is really nice."

"The accommodations arranged by the Japanese were quite nice."

"Was that arranged for you? That was arranged for the master."

"Yes, we benefited from this, haha, but why are the Japanese so stingy? They won't even provide us with food."

"Maybe the hotel offers it as a gift?" "That's true."

"No, there isn't any. You'll have to pay if you want to eat there." Gu Yansheng said as he walked into the room, "Put your luggage away and let's go out to eat."

"Yes."

When it comes to food, Gu Yansheng is not stingy with money. The bodyguards are his own people, so even if they don't stay in nice places, they should be fed well. He doesn't care about the money.

Anyway, the Wang faction will foot the bill.

"Section Chief Yan, have you been to Hong Kong before?"

"No."

"Rent a car, and tomorrow you can take two people around to get familiar with the place."

"Okay, Director."

He'd treat his men to a meal and then go to sleep.

The next day, after seeing Yan Dongqing off, Gu Yansheng took his family's bodyguards to the bank to open a bank account.

Having many subordinates has one advantage: they can help carry luggage. You can hand a few suitcases to your subordinates, and the people accompanying you won't know that these are his money boxes. Otherwise, it would be too strange for one person to carry several suitcases.

The bank chose Citibank and HSBC, opened an account with each, and had its subordinates open a safe deposit box at each bank, so that it could handle all kinds of situations.

After depositing the $300,000, we headed home.

In the evening, Gao Zhongwu, who had been busy all day, returned home first.

"Have you made contact?" Gu Yansheng asked.

Gao Zhongwu sighed deeply and shook his head. "The Asia Division used to be stationed in a bookstore in Hong Kong. I went to see it today, but the bookstore is no longer in operation. It has now become a restaurant. I asked the owner, and he said that it moved away not long after I left."

I also checked several other hidden outposts, and without exception, they had all moved to different locations.

"It's normal to change locations," Gu Yansheng asked. "But what about their social status? Have you inquired about it?"

“They’re all gone now. One by one, they either resigned or left without a word.” Gao Zhongwu loosened the lining of his suit jacket and stretched his neck. “I’m thinking they might have been recalled to Chongqing for questioning. My departure may have caused trouble for these innocent people.”

It's surprising that they even know how to reflect. That makes sense, but it's troublesome that we can't find the right person. The task still needs to continue.

"Have a drink of water and rest. Have you eaten? If not, go grab a bite. We'll discuss this together when Minister Mei comes back. Judging from Minister Mei's demeanor yesterday, he seems quite confident."

That's all we can do. Gao Zhongwu went to eat first.

Gu Yansheng waited a while, and Mei Siping returned shortly after.

"Minister Gu."

"How is it? Don't tell me you haven't found a single person. Gao Zhongwu is back. Everyone he knows has moved away. Now it's up to you."

"They moved everything?" Mei Siping was quite surprised, raising an eyebrow as he said, "I'm a bit better off than him. I found the people, but they're unwilling to help."

"Why? Are you afraid of taking responsibility?"

"Pretty much. I contacted a few people, but they either said they weren't qualified to contact Chongqing, or they said they wouldn't help with the contact. They were afraid that if news of our contact got back, it would cause trouble. Besides, they didn't think Chongqing would negotiate, so they told me to give up."

Even worse, some of them tried to kill me. You could say these people have such a narrow mindset, such a limited perspective, and they don't even know how to consider the bigger picture.

I used to be so good to them, they're such ingrates.

"You're even complaining now?" Gu Yansheng frowned and said, "Gao Zhongwu is no good, and neither are you. So what are you planning to do next?"

"Let's look again." Mei Siping's face was also gloomy. This matter was not going as smoothly as expected. "I still have some people I can contact. I'll look again tomorrow."

A little while later, Gao Zhongwu returned after eating. The two stared at each other, Mei Siping with wide eyes and Gao Zhongwu with narrow eyes.

Gu Yansheng was surprised to see these two brilliant and promising talents. In terms of position, these two held quite high positions in Chongqing, yet after so many years, they hadn't made a single friend willing to help them.

Was it because the people of Chongqing were too determined to fight against traitors, or because these two men were simply unpopular?

The search took a week.

In the afternoon, Gao Zhongwu finally brought some good news.

"Found it!" Gao Zhongwu knocked on Gu Yansheng's door and said excitedly, "I remembered that I had contact with a professor at the University of Hong Kong before. He introduced me to someone, Song Ziwen's younger brother, Song Ziliang. He runs a transportation company in Hong Kong. Through him, we can contact Song Ziwen and Madame Chiang. This is promising!"

Gu Yansheng's spirits lifted. "Have you made contact?"

"We just made an appointment through this professor. We're having dinner together at the restaurant downstairs tonight, in about an hour and a half."

"Finally, some good news. Otherwise, the Japanese would think we weren't really trying to help them find him." Gu Yansheng smiled. They had made contact with the person, so at least they could finish their mission. Whether the negotiations went smoothly or not was not important to him, but having this person was what mattered.

“Call the Japanese and ask them to come over. It doesn’t matter if they show up or not. The main thing is to let the Japanese see that we are indeed doing things.”

“Okay, I’ll make the call.” After Gao Zhongwu finished the call, he told the Japanese to come over quickly, and then said to Gu Yansheng, “Minister Gu, why don’t you come with us tonight? With Song Ziliang’s status, he is already the person in Hong Kong who is closest to the central government. If we still can’t reach an agreement, I really don’t know who else to turn to.”

"Okay, let's meet them together then."

Song Ziliang arrived two hours later.

After introducing themselves, they took their seats in the private room.

A simple exchange of pleasantries, or rather, a smiling exchange of pleasantries from the Wang faction, followed by Song Ziliang's cold shoulder.

Song Ziliang said, "I won't eat. Eating depends on sincerity. I'm only here today because of Professor Wang, and it has nothing to do with Chongqing."

I recall this isn't the first time you've wanted to negotiate. Although I'm not involved in politics, I can still help you spread this message.

The premise boils down to two words: sincerity.

"You're the Japanese military attaché in Hong Kong, so you're the highest-ranking official from the Japanese General Staff in Hong Kong?"

Suzuki Takuya nodded. "You could say that."

Song Ziliang smiled slightly, "Since that's the case, then you have the right to decide. I want to see your sincerity and then pass on your message. You shouldn't object, right?"

"What sincerity do you mean? Mr. Song, please speak freely, as long as I can do it."

“It’s a piece of cake, you can definitely do it. Pick any one of these people and kill him right now, and I’ll talk to you.”

Gao Zhongwu and Mei Siping, who were initially faking smiles, could no longer manage to laugh.

Suzuki Takuya frowned slightly and said, "Mr. Song is asking too much of me. I can't do that. They helped me, so I have no reason to kill them."

"So you're still not sincere? You just don't want to talk anymore?" Song Ziliang said bluntly, tapping his fingers on the table. "That bastard Wang from Shanghai is starting some new government. Logically speaking, hasn't he given you what you Japanese want?"
You Japanese should be satisfied.

Now you want to negotiate? What, you've found these people unreliable?
If it doesn't work, just kill it!

I didn't even ask you to kill that dog, I only asked you to kill one of my men, and you wouldn't even do that. How can I believe you want to negotiate, and not that you're playing some kind of trick on me?

"Mr. Song," Suzuki Takuya wanted to explain.

However, Song Ziliang ignored the explanation, slammed his hand on the table to interrupt, and said coldly, "Don't waste my breath on me. I won't believe a single word you say until you show sincerity. Don't waste my time either; my time is very precious."

I'm giving you thirty seconds. You decide whether to kill or not. If you don't want to kill, then get lost.

After saying that, Song Ziliang raised his wrist to check his watch.

(End of this chapter)