Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 258

"There's one more thing I need Mr. Gu's help with," Sato continued.

"Please speak," Gu Yansheng said politely.

"I heard that the military is now pushing hard for the establishment of the Wang Jingwei government, and even the specific time has been set? Is your trip to Beiping to discuss related matters with the North China Provisional Government?"

"Mr. Sato is very well-informed; this is indeed true."

"That's right. After the new government is established, it will definitely need to purchase military supplies and equipment. I hope Mr. Gu can help persuade the Wang government to use our Mitsui procurement channels for equipment purchases."

"so."

Mitsui was very quick to consider the business implications. After thinking for a moment, Gu Yansheng said, "I am certainly willing to help Mr. Sato, but I am not in charge of this kind of business, so I am afraid I can't be of much help."

Sato smiled and said, "Mr. Gu is too modest. As far as I know, you hold a significant position in the Wang Jingwei faction, and your importance even surpasses that of some of the original veterans of the Wang Jingwei faction. You are one of the four key figures who went to Beiping."

With your recommendation, I believe I can persuade them to purchase our goods instead of Mitsubishi or other arms manufacturers.

Gu Yansheng will definitely maintain his relationship with Mitsui.

After a brief moment of hesitant thought, he said, "When it comes to making a specific order, I will do my best to speak up for Mitsui."

Sato smiled broadly, "Mr. Gu, it's been a pleasure working with you. Please wait a moment."

Sato got up, walked to his desk, took a box out of the drawer, came back to sit down, and handed it to Gu Yansheng.

"This is..." Gu Yansheng asked in confusion.

Sato raised his hand. "Open it and take a look."

Gu Yansheng opened the box, and the contents inside were particularly dazzling—it was actually a golden pistol.

Gu Yansheng looked away and asked.

Sato smiled and said, "A fine sword is presented to a hero. This is a sample from our Mitsui Arsenal. It's a matter of reciprocity. I hope Mr. Gu likes it."

Such vulgar things, trying to bribe Gu Yansheng with petty favors.

All I can say is that he has a really good eye for people.

The next day, Gu Yansheng went to No. 76 to show off.

He slammed the box onto Ding Mocun's table.

"What is this?" Ding Mochun opened the box in surprise, then his eyes lit up as he took out the gun and played with it. "Gold? That's quite a generous gift, brother. I really didn't expect you to give me this gift. You're too kind. I can't accept a gift without doing something for it. Tell me, what do you need me to do? As long as it's within my power, I'll do it for you."

"What are you thinking?" Gu Yansheng rolled his eyes, crossing his legs. "Sato gave it to me last night."

Ding Mocun's face turned wooden. "I knew there wouldn't be such a good thing. I even bought you the coffee machine, and you wouldn't even give me a bowl, let alone a fake one. How could you possibly give me a golden pistol?"

Ding Mocun had a sour face, full of resentment.

Gu Yansheng wasn't happy to hear that. "Didn't I make you any money?"

"You've made a profit." Ding Mocun joked, then put the gun back, glancing at it a few more times with lingering reluctance. "You're quite generous. I still remember how arrogant Sato was when we first met him. Now he's giving you gifts. His attitude has changed quickly."

"Have you taken care of things with Sato?"

"It's all settled." Gu Yansheng let out a long breath. "It took me a lot of effort and I pulled a lot of strings to make this happen. Now, I'll leave the rest to you."

Gu Yansheng explained the situation, mainly because the Burmese side had crossed the Japanese border and also needed the support of the Kuomintang army, which required the intervention of the CC Clique.

"Once this line is established, our smuggling operations will be much safer in the future."

Ding Mocun understood, "The matter itself isn't difficult, but they'll definitely take a cut."

"You go and negotiate, try to drive the price down as much as possible." Gu Yansheng didn't mind CC taking a share of the profits; those who try to take everything for themselves usually don't end up well.

"Okay, leave it to me. I'll communicate with them as soon as possible. It's really beautiful."

"Stop staring, your eyes are sunken in. If you make money, just play a game yourself, it's not like it weighs more than two pounds."

"How can something given by Sato be the same? Look, it even has the Mitsui logo on it. Would you dare to make this kind of thing in a private factory?"

Ding Mocun argued forcefully, because he truly liked her.

Then it was ruthlessly taken away by Gu Yansheng.

Back at the teahouse, Gu Yansheng read the newspaper.

The capital in the concessions has now turned against them. After going long on cotton, the newspapers in the concessions are vigorously promoting the actual value of cotton yarn and the necessity of raising prices.

The businessmen in the Chinese newspapers were indeed getting restless, and reporters interviewed them about their opinions on the skyrocketing price of cotton yarn today.

The businessmen complained that it was too expensive, completely unprepared for the price.

But when the reporter asked them if they would buy it, they said they would.

The seller guarantees smooth transportation, which involves shipping the fabric from Shanghai back to their local area, then processing it into clothing, and finally selling it. All these transportation, production, and sales processes take time.

If they want to sell their high-priced clothes at the right time, they need to decide now whether or not to stock up, otherwise their factories and shops may have to close down this year.

Their reaction was reflected in the financial section of the newspapers, which showed that cotton yarn futures prices remained high and stock commentators were also praising this year's cotton yarn market, urging everyone to participate quickly.

This series of feedbacks will eventually be reflected in the stock price, causing it to rise again.

The situation looks very promising, but the least reliable thing is public opinion. Gu Yansheng has to ask Lu Bowen whether spot trading is really a good thing.

Call Lu Bowen and ask him about the spot market.

How's our cotton yarn production going?

“Not bad.” Lu Bowen’s smile was not just good, it was radiant. “Although there are some people from the concessions causing trouble, spreading rumors that merchants should purchase cotton yarn from the concession cotton factories, and even that India has had a bumper cotton harvest and that they have already purchased cotton from India to process in Shanghai, etc., Fu Xiao’an’s control is very timely, so it does not delay our business.”

"What's the deal with the factories in the concession you mentioned?" Gu Yansheng asked casually.

"That's right. In the past, the cotton yarn produced by the factories in the concessions was of good quality, and because they had some disagreements with the Japanese in the Chinese-controlled areas, their goods were sold not only for daily use in the concessions, but also overseas, such as to the United States and Europe."

They sell to good locations, so their prices are high, and they don't compete with factories in the Chinese-controlled areas.

But the price of cotton yarn here has gone up this year, hasn't it? And by quite a bit, so the price of cotton yarn in the concession seems quite reasonable.

The quality was good and the price was cheap, so some people promoted it to merchants to buy from factories in the concession area.

Gu Yansheng thought there was nothing wrong with it, "How did Fu Xiao'an handle it?"

Lu Bowen chuckled lightly, "This matter doesn't need his handling at all. It's all just a rumor. The factories in the concession sign order contracts with foreign countries every year. They can't possibly sell any goods at all. At most, they'll sell a little bit of loose stock. Otherwise, they'd have to pay the foreign companies a penalty for breach of contract."

Who would be willing to forgo a long-term, profitable business to do a one-off deal with you?

So to clarify, there's absolutely nothing to worry about.

Gu Yansheng nodded. "What about Indian cotton?"

"That makes it even simpler. Isn't he in charge of trade between the Chinese-controlled area and the concessions now? You have to get Indian cotton off the ship, right? If he wants to prevent Indian cotton from entering Shanghai, then he can't get it in."

"You can enter the concession. But if he wants to prevent the cotton yarn from leaving the concession, then he won't be able to leave either."

This is similar to what Gu Yansheng thought; he would do the same thing, it's simple and convenient.

He suspected that someone was trying to spread rumors to drive down the stock price, which sounded like something that foreign capital was doing. They probably didn't believe the stock could rise this much and didn't want to cut their losses.

"I called you here because I have something to discuss," Gu Yansheng said, getting down to business. "I recently landed a deal to produce quinine for the Japanese. I've told you about it before; I want you to start a pharmaceutical company."

Gu Yansheng explained what had happened: "My plan is that, given the excellent production line and processes, we can send people there under the guise of supervision to learn pharmaceutical production techniques from experienced people in Chongqing."

You could recruit some medical students from schools who are willing to travel to the Kuomintang-controlled areas for extended periods, offering them higher salaries. Then, you could also look for experienced individuals in the community.

We'll treat this as training our own reserve personnel. If the organization ever needs them, we can call them back. It will still be the same company, the same people, and we'll have the complete experience in drug production.

Don't worry about their beliefs, and don't tell them anything else. They're just ordinary office workers; as long as it works, that's fine.

“This is feasible,” Lu Bowen said earnestly. “Pharmaceutical production personnel will definitely be needed in the future. I will go to the school to recruit people whenever I have time, and try to recruit people within the twenty days when you are delivering the goods.”

"Okay, I'll leave it to you."

If it doesn't involve religion, recruiting people shouldn't be difficult; it's a piece of cake, something to be arranged casually.

Two days later.

Gu Yansheng and Wang Rusong, the director of the tax bureau, went to the municipal government to attend the Xingya Institute's briefing.

"Hey, Yansheng." Ling Xianwen had already arrived. He raised his hand to greet Gu Yansheng as soon as he saw him. "Come, come, I have something to ask you. It's not easy to see you these days. I called you a few days ago and found out you went on a business trip. I heard you went to Beiping?"

Gu Yansheng walked over and said with a smile, "Yes, I'll accompany Mr. Wang to Beiping to discuss the merger."

The finance bureau chief next to him sat up, pulled out a chair, and said with a smile, "Don't stand there and talk. Brother Gu, please sit down. You, step back a bit and make room. You're Minister Gu now, so you have to lift your butt up a bit."

Upon hearing this, the bureau chiefs around him began to move over one by one, without any complaints; that's just how things are here.

Now that Minister Gu and Mr. Wang are close, their statuses have changed, and we will have to rely on Minister Gu to take care of the municipal government in the future.

You can admire, but you can't be jealous. Jealousy is suicidal.

"Is it necessary? I can just put a chair next to me." Gu Yansheng smiled.

The finance bureau chief pressed down on Gu Yansheng's shoulder, "Sit down, and tell me quickly, what's the current situation between Mr. Wang and the Japanese?"

Then let's talk. Gu Yansheng has been very polite. Sitting here is not beneath their dignity. It's more important to reveal some information.

If it weren't for their special relationship, Ling Xianwen would have had to stand up for himself.

After a brief conversation, Shizue Tsuda entered and went straight to the head of the table.

"Everyone is here. The economic situation in Shanghai has indeed improved recently. Compared to the last gathering, based on my observation of your performance over the past few months, you have all made great progress. Now, let's begin the report."

Ling Xianwen took the lead, and they went around in turn. Gu Yansheng was the second in line.

"Mr. Tsuda, I've been quite busy lately, and I was on a business trip a few days ago, so I haven't had a chance to look at the specific data. The development of western Shanghai should be quite good right now. Let Director Wang explain the details for me."

Gu Yansheng deliberately acted sloppily; he had the confidence to do so because he had achieved results.

Good grades won't last forever; it's time to quit.

Wang Rusong stood up and reported the intelligence: "Mr. Tsuda, under the leadership of Director Gu and myself, our Shanghai West District has made significant progress. According to the statistics of the past few days, the tax revenue growth rate is over 60%. Here is the detailed list."

"Wow." A 60% increase! This is a very impressive result. Apart from Fu Xiao'an, who knew beforehand and remained quite calm, everyone else immediately started praising it.

Wang Rusong responded with a smile, his face beaming.

She was pleased by her colleague's praise, but Tsuda Shizue immediately joined in with her own praise.

"The results in the western part of Shanghai are quite outstanding. Director Gu and Director Wang, your efforts have fulfilled the promises made at that time."

When Shizue Tsuda praised him, Wang Rusong straightened his back, his face glowing with pride—a moment of great pride in his life.

"Thank you for your praise. I will certainly continue to work hard and strive to reach even greater heights!"

Gu Yansheng didn't speak, but Tsuda Shizue still had to say a few words of encouragement, "Director Gu, you did a good job."

Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "Actually, I haven't been managing it much lately. I've just been executing the plan that was set up at the time. It was expected. When you came to Shanghai to take charge of the Asia Development Institute, you said that you emphasized eight words: appoint people based on merit and govern by doing nothing. I think that makes a lot of sense and it was very inspiring. So, under the leadership of Director Wang and me, it's roughly the state you described. The results are indeed good. Facts have proved that what you said was indeed right."

This flattery pleased Tsuda Shizue so much that she burst into laughter, a rare occurrence for her.

One by one, they reported their findings. The middle-ranking people's performance was mediocre. The data from last time was obtained through exploitation. They had to pay for everything, including groceries. Some people had already been squeezed dry. Even though they had made other efforts in the past few months, they were still struggling.

But the starting point for exploitation was set too high last time, and this time the retribution has come.

Shizue Tsuda's expression was not happy at all; this was completely different from what he had expected.

"I thought this year would be a year where you all would surprise me, but your data is so bad. And you, it's even worse than last time. What happened?"

The person giving the report couldn't explain it, rambling on and on, and broke out in a cold sweat.

As the report continued, fortunately, Fu Xiao'an finished the presentation, and the results improved significantly, which made Tsuda Shizue's expression look better.

He scanned the crowd, his words sharp and stern, "I now seriously doubt whether any of you are actually putting your heart into your work."

Director Gu is far busier than you are, juggling the affairs of the new government, yet his jurisdiction still achieves such excellent results. And what about you?

waste! "

He scolded everyone until they bowed their heads.

Tsuda Shizue coldly swept her gaze over these useless bureau chiefs, "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. Now, issue the order: during the autumn harvest season, military rations must be requisitioned from grain-producing areas."

It must be submitted once a month.

You can divide the specific amounts yourselves.

But I must remind you, grain isn't available every month, so you'd better hurry. It's harvest season now, the time when grain is plentiful. The more you harvest now, the easier it will be to meet your monthly quotas later.”

"What is the specific amount?" Fu Xiao'an asked first.

Shizue Tsuda said, "I calculated that the entire region, including Shanghai, needs to supply 100,000 tons of rice and wheat a year, which averages out to about 9,000 tons per month."

"One hundred thousand tons?!"

I was just thinking how lucky Tsuda Shizue wasn't angry, but now her eyes are practically bulging out of their sockets.

He immediately panicked.

"Mr. Tsuda, how could Shanghai possibly produce 100,000 tons of military rations? Last time, when Director Gu carried out forced requisition, only 20,000 to 30,000 tons were requisitioned, and Shanghai was already facing food shortages. If this 100,000 tons were to be requisitioned, wouldn't all the people of Shanghai starve to death? What would happen to the economy then?"

"That's why I told you to collect the grain separately, don't rush it." Tsuda Shizue said expressionlessly, "The grain must be collected. You can figure out other methods yourselves. I don't care about the process. I will send someone to the city government to collect it in a month. But the economy cannot be disrupted, and tax revenue can only be more, not less. Do you understand? If you understand, meeting adjourned."

"Damn it!" As soon as Tsuda left and the door closed, someone started cursing.

"One hundred thousand tons? Are you kidding me? Even if you searched every single house in Shanghai, could you find one hundred thousand tons of grain?"

(End of this chapter)