Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 270 Decentralization of Powers
Yingzuo slamming his fist on the table was no different from slamming his fist on Liang Hongzhi.

A slap left Liang Hongzhi's face stiff.

Liang Hongzhi wanted to say something to ease the tension, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, making the situation somewhat awkward.

Liang Hongzhi glanced at Wang Kemin, wanting Wang Kemin to jump out as well.

Wang Kemin turned a blind eye.

His situation was fundamentally different from Liang Hongzhi's; Liang Hongzhi's territory was in Nanjing.

Once the Wang Jingwei government is established, Liang Hongzhi will have to get out of his office building, but Wang Kemin won't.

That's it.

Yingzuo Zhenzhao scanned the entire room, creating a deterrent effect. "I have already said that this is just Chongqing's slander against Mr. Wang, an attempt to affect the smooth convening of the conference and thus delay the establishment of the new government. Do not be affected by this matter any further; it is meaningless."

Mr. Liang, have I made myself clear?

"It was just a suggestion," Liang Hongzhi said self-satisfiedly, chuckling as he withdrew his head.

The Japanese were not affected by the incident at all and continued to support Mr. Wang without hesitation. This slap also made the others present see the situation clearly.

With the Japanese having set the tone, there shouldn't be any major mishaps in the overall direction; what remains is the struggle for the position of the new government.

Then let's start looting; every department is involved, it's all about profit.

A fierce verbal battle ensued.

The new government adopts a five-branch structure: the Legislative Yuan, the Judicial Yuan, the Control Yuan, the Examination Yuan, and the Executive Yuan.

Wang Jingwei was determined to become the Premier of the Executive Yuan.

The remaining four courtyards could not be divided equally among the three parties.

Everyone wants to control two courtyards to increase their influence.

Originally, Wang's side planned to take another one for himself, and the Legislative Yuan would give it to Chen Gongbo. This was prepared in advance. Wang Kemin would take two, and Liang Hongzhi would give one.

There was a huge argument going on on Liang Hongzhi's end.

Jiangnan is a major tax-paying region. Even if he agreed to hand over so much territory for merger, his former provincial officials would not.

Wang Kemin was equally fierce; someone who was practically on his deathbed was even more ruthless than the young when it came to vying for a position.

He immediately started talking about the Control Yuan and the Judicial Yuan.

It's as if people from the Wang Jingwei faction can only hold one Executive Yuan, and all the other branches have to be given to them.

But Chiang Kai-shek had one good point: he was a master of internal power struggles.

As Chiang Kai-shek's former adversary, the Wang Jingwei faction had also endured many trials and tribulations, accumulating experience that was more than enough to deal with ordinary people.

Minister Zhou took the lead and directly agreed to Wang Kemin's request for the proposals from two institutes, in exchange for the mayoral authority of several cities in North China.

With a move that was a strategic retreat, they directly attacked Wang Kemin's core strength.

That means Wang Kemin could not stay in Nanjing to work like the hostage.

If Wang Kemin remains in Nanjing, his leaderless North China faction will eventually be completely swallowed up.

Wang Kemin is unwilling to grant mayoral authority to several cities, as allowing others to interfere in his North China affairs would gradually diminish his influence.

finally.

Wang Kemin made a compromise: he didn't want any dean himself, but instead had his trusted subordinates take the weakest position, the dean of the Examination Yuan.

The North China Political Affairs Committee was established, with Wang Kemin serving as its chairman, to balance the levels of power.

Liang Hongzhi had to be in Nanjing, as it was his base of operations, so he did everything in his power to seize the position of President of the Control Yuan.

The Control Yuan has the power to supervise all officials, making it more powerful than the other agencies.

As for the remaining Legislative Yuan and Judicial Yuan, then one will be given to each of them.

Chen Gongbo took the Legislative Yuan.

Wen Zongyao, a close confidant of Liang Hongzhi, was taken over by the Judicial Yuan.

This guy would become Gu Yansheng's nominal boss.

In this way, all sides finally have their own territory.

For the Wang faction, it can be described as a great victory.

It seems that Liang Hongzhi has taken over two departments with real power, and his influence remains undiminished.

But I'm in Nanjing, and that's the biggest problem.

It's only a matter of time before Liang Hongzhi is dealt with.

Meanwhile, Wang Kemin established a political affairs committee, which still appears to be a dictatorship by Wang Kemin.

However, as long as it is a committee, people will have different opinions. Given time, under the influence of sugar-coated bullets, they will be divided one by one, and it will only be a matter of time before Wang Kemin's power is taken away.

The basic framework has been established.

The positions of the department heads were determined at the time of the Sixth National Congress, when some of the key figures in the Wang Jingwei faction were already in place.

Therefore, positions that already exist can be adjusted with compromises, but major changes are not allowed. There are a lot of deputy ministerial positions in peripheral departments where no one has a confirmed position, making them highly competitive.

The meeting lasted three days, with three days of scrambling and heated arguments. After repeated compromises, all the positions were finally filled.

The Qingdao conference concluded successfully.

"It's too much trouble."

At the celebration party, Minister Zhou came to talk to Gu Yansheng, shaking his head with a sneer, "These past few days have been so noisy that my ears have gone deaf."

Gu Yansheng wholeheartedly agreed, believing that only by establishing a new regime from beginning to end could one truly understand the complexity of the situation.

They talk about principles all the time, but all they think about is business.

To put it simply, it's about balancing the interests of all parties.

It's always about balancing, and then balancing again.

"Fortunately, it's over."

Minister Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and said with renewed vigor, "We will release a three-party press release tomorrow, and after that, we can arrange for people to go to Nanjing to contact various departments."

I estimate I'll need to travel between Shanghai and Nanjing, spending more time in Nanjing. If Liang Hongzhi causes trouble, others might not be able to handle it. Could you keep an eye on things in Shanghai for now?

Gu Yansheng still has negotiations to attend to, and Minister Zhou would like to bring Gu Yansheng with him, but the situation doesn't allow it.

Anyway, the tripartite agreement has been reached, so there's no major problem.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on Shanghai."

"Yes, let's drink."

Music was playing in the room, creating a jubilant atmosphere. Everyone present was a minister, deputy minister, or committee member, so naturally they were happy.

Unhappy people don't deserve to come here anyway, and their opinions are not important.

The following day, all three parties issued statements expressing their support for Mr. Wang's rule and their high expectations for the new government, while refuting the content broadcast by Chongqing Radio.

This is complete slander, Chiang Kai-shek's fear of peaceful nation-building, and utter nonsense!
Local radio stations in Qingdao broadcast the message, and Japanese newspapers and media followed suit, refuting it as a sinister attempt by Chongqing to undermine the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, calling such tactics utterly shameless.

They said their goodbyes, and those who were to take up their posts in Nanjing could go back and pack their bags.

Gu Yansheng and Wang Jingwei's faction returned to Shanghai together.

News arrived before people did; by the time they reached Shanghai, news of the successful conclusion of the trilateral talks had already reached them. This clearly meant something to the governments of various regions.

Fu Xiao'an was a shrewd man; he specially brought members of the municipal government to the airport to welcome him.

In the past, welcoming someone was just a formality, like welcoming Vice President Wang from Chongqing on an inspection tour. Now, welcoming someone is like welcoming one's superior.

After exchanging pleasantries, Kagesa spoke.

"Going to a meeting at the city government."

Upon arriving at the municipal government conference room, Kagesa first informed them of Japan's decision to support the smooth handover of the new government.

As the largest city in Shanghai, the special government of SH City requires the municipal government to set an example.

Fu Xiao'an immediately expressed his full cooperation. The heads of various departments also indicated that they would accept the leadership of the new Nanjing government.

Next, everyone went to their own sons; the future ministers of each department went to talk to their current directors to understand the situation.

Although Gu Yansheng didn't need to take this step, he still needed to arrange the personnel for his department.

Arrived at the judicial office.

As soon as Gu Yansheng entered the door, he saw a group of section chiefs lined up and waiting.

As soon as he arrived, everyone shouted in unison, "Welcome back, Director!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it sounded warm and friendly.

Gu Yansheng smiled. "Welcome back so I can promote you?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Wenyan stepped forward and said with a smile, "We heard the broadcast and saw you and others going to the conference room for a meeting today, so we thought you would definitely come, and we spontaneously decided to wait for you."

"Okay, let's go to the conference room." This saves Gu Yansheng the trouble of calling for someone.

Gu Yansheng strode in, with the others following behind. Upon entering the conference room, Gu Yansheng gestured for others to stop.

"Please sit down. You all know the good news, but the bad news you don't know is..."

The crowd's expressions gradually turned serious, and their bodies tensed up.

Gu Yansheng smiled, "No bad news for now."

"Hahaha." Everyone relaxed.

"Just kidding, it's all really good news." Gu Yansheng said cheerfully, "I've already spoken with Mr. Wang and the others. As the largest metropolis in Shanghai, the judicial work is very busy, and the pressure they will face in the future will be great."

Therefore, it is very necessary to elevate the judicial department to the judicial bureau and give it the same treatment as other departments.

In other words, everyone's positions will indeed need to be adjusted.

Everyone immediately broke into smiles.

Before Director Gu arrived, the Judicial Department was a remote department, and whatever the Japanese said was law; it was basically a department that cleaned up messes.

After Director Gu arrived, the Judicial Department truly became equal to other bureau-level departments, and under his leadership, its prestige grew increasingly stronger.

The section chiefs felt this most deeply.

In the past, when they were considered to be on the same level as the bureau chiefs, powerful section chiefs from other bureaus and units might not even give them a second glance.

Now, when I go out, the only difference between me and the section chiefs of other departments is the title; who would dare to underestimate my power?
Today, the title of "section chief" is truly coming to an end. From now on, please call me "director".

"I'm not being modest. I certainly deserve credit for turning the Judicial Office into the Judicial Bureau, but I can't take on the role of bureau chief. Section Chief Wen Yanwen."

Wen Yan stood up abruptly, basking in the envious gazes of everyone.

"Director."

"Starting today, Wenyan will act as the head of the Judicial Department and take charge of the affairs of the Judicial Department and the Department Reform Bureau. Wenyan, do you have any questions?"

"Thank you for your guidance, Director. I will do my best to live up to your expectations!"

Gu Yansheng nodded and glanced around. "Does anyone else have any objections?"

Whoever Gu Yansheng glanced at would stand upright with a clear and honest look in their eyes, indicating that they would never dare to have any dissenting thoughts.

Even the senior section chiefs didn't dare to have the slightest thought of competing with Gu Yansheng; to fight him would be like an old man hanging himself, tired of living.

"Hey, where's Xiaolou?"

Gu Yansheng didn't see Liu Xiaolou, even though he had just seen her.

"Here they come, here they come!" As Cao Cao spoke, the small building appeared.

Liu Xiaolou brought in coffee and placed it in front of Gu Yansheng.

Gu Yansheng took a sip of coffee. "Then let's vote by raising hands."

Swish, swish, swish, each one lifting faster than the last.

"Alright, unanimously approved. Director Wen will discuss the rest with you afterward. Meeting adjourned. Wen Yan, come to my office."

Gu Yansheng returned to his office, sipping his coffee, and sat down in his seat.

"I just adjourned the meeting without announcing any personnel appointments, and I could see they looked a little disappointed. I'll leave this matter to you."

Wen Yan knew that the director was leaving him the opportunity to win people over, so he thanked him directly, "Thank you, Director."

"Hmm." Gu Yansheng nodded and said, "Wenyan, you've been with me all along. I've been in the judicial department for as long as you've been there. If we're talking about experience as a lawyer, you have more than I do. I believe your ability to handle things is not a problem."

But I still want to remind you of something.

Haste makes waste. As a department head in Shanghai, you'll encounter too many things, and they'll be too complicated. You'll meet people from all walks of life.

With me at the Department of Justice, you don't need to worry.

However, even if the Wang Jingwei government is established, the Japanese will probably still try to interfere.

Remember, don't confront others head-on, and don't stand against anyone. In any situation, patience will help you achieve your goals.

"By leaving others a way out, those of us who have been labeled will avoid being killed."

Wenyan nodded seriously, "Don't worry, I have a wife and children, and I will think things through carefully. I'll remember that."

"it is good."

Gu Yansheng only gave a few words of advice, just telling him not to get assassinated by the Military Intelligence Bureau for trying to make a contribution.

If he's just coasting through life, Wenyan should be an expert in all sorts of things.

"When it comes to dockworks, you must find someone you trust to handle them. Don't be greedy. If things don't look right, you should back down. Call me if anything comes up."

"Yes, Director, I've saved up a bit more recently." Wen Yan smiled and took out the keys, handing them over.

Gu Yansheng nodded and said, "Okay, then you go and handle the affairs of the bureau first. Make changes to personnel and benefits as needed. Write a detailed report when you have time and hand it to me. I will do my best to help you get funding."

"Hey, okay."

"Call Xiaolou in."

Wenyan went out, and Liu Xiaolou came in.

"Director."

Looking at Xiao Lou's smiling face, Gu Yansheng sipped his coffee and asked, "Is everything here settled?"

Liu Xiaolou, "Someone with connections."

Gu Yansheng nodded without asking any further questions. "Then it's time for the handover. I'll take you with me when I go to Nanjing soon. The sooner I take you there, the better I can find you a good place to live. If I wait too long, all the good places will be taken."

"House allocation?" Liu Xiaolou's eyes widened and his voice rose. What is an unexpected joy? This is an unexpected joy.

"Yes, I have some villas. I'll try to get one for you."

"A villa???" Liu Xiaolou was in a daze. Was this something she could possibly obtain?

Villas certainly sound impressive. Although they are not as expensive as houses in Shanghai, their appearance, location, and living experience are indeed quite good.

Gu Yansheng only has a few close associates who he uses regularly, and if they are treated well, he can easily support them.

"It's just that it's quite troublesome to clean up. It's a three-story building, and it takes a long time to clean. I can't reimburse you for the nanny's fee; at most, I can give you a little more in subsidies."

“What’s this? I clean it myself!” Liu Xiaolou said, chest out. “I’ve loved cleaning since I was a child. Director, I clean your office every day, and I’m not tired at all.”

Gu Yansheng chuckled, "Alright, I'll call you when we go to Nanjing. After you finish dealing with things in your department, go back and pack your things. Oh, by the way, recommend a future secretary to Wenyan. Give him the candidate and let him choose for himself."

To put it bluntly, this is just a routine recommendation. If he doesn't like it, we can change it. We don't need to care about our opinions, otherwise he might overthink it.

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

After finishing his coffee, Gu Yansheng headed home.

In the evening, Ding Mocun called.

"A telegram has arrived from Hong Kong; there's news about Song Ziliang in Chongqing."

(End of this chapter)