Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 277 Personnel
The observations caused Lin Weiyong to suffer a heart attack.

The number of visitors hasn't stopped all night.

They talked so well during the day, but at night they showed their true colors.

They said they stood with Dean Wen and that they would stand with Chairman Liang through thick and thin.

"That's all fucking bullshit!"

Two people even bumped into each other while delivering gifts and started arguing on the roadside about who should go in first. How shameless!

With so many people around, Lin Weiyong was starting to feel uneasy, unsure if the gifts he had given were enough.

He stared at the villa, frowning and lost in thought.

In the villa.

Gu Yansheng hosted them for the entire night.

Wen Zongyao's subordinates were quite wealthy.

The gifts given vary in amount, but gold and US dollars are necessities, and in addition, some worthless antiques and ginseng are also given.

Since we don't know what Minister Gu likes or dislikes, we can't go wrong by sending him a little bit of everything.

In terms of value, the lowest is 200,000 silver dollars, and the highest is around 800,000 silver dollars.

For a deputy minister, it's not much. Even with the worst methods, he can recoup his losses in two years.

However, it takes some effort to get this money. There's only one vice minister position, and taking the money without doing anything is likely to get you struck by lightning.

At 11 p.m., the sound of a car came from the doorway, and a moment later, Shen Shuyun walked in.

"If you insisted on coming, you could have left earlier during the day. There was no need to stay so late," Gu Yansheng reprimanded, watching the guard put down his luggage and leave.

Shen Shuyun chuckled and said, "What does it matter if someone picks me up? I wanted to come see you as soon as possible. I don't have much to do in Shanghai anyway."

"There's a late-night snack in the kitchen. Would you like to take a shower first?"

"Okay."

"Let's go upstairs."

Gu Yansheng led her upstairs and into the bedroom.

Shen Shuyun pointed to the room and mouthed the words.

Gu Yansheng nodded, "It's safe."

Shen Shuyun immediately said, "Director Dai sent a secret telegram, requesting to meet with you. You can decide the time, and the location will be in Hong Kong."

"Director Dai wants to see me?"

The fact that Boss Dai requested a meeting was somewhat unexpected for Gu Yansheng.

The fact that we are meeting now, after the new government has been established, means it is related to the new government's future plans, and most likely it is an attempt to win them over.

The Japanese were determined to establish a Wang Jingwei regime, which greatly enhanced Dai's status as a minister.

It's quite possible that this meeting was intended to further court him.

Judging from the fact that Mr. Dai was willing to meet in person, he has given the company enough trust.

Otherwise, if Gu Yansheng had sided with Wang Jingwei's faction, played both sides, and taken Li Shiqun with him, the consequences would have been dire.
In Japan, it shouldn't be a problem to have His Majesty the Emperor present the award.

"When do you think would be a good time? I'll let him know and we can discuss it," Shen Shuyun asked.

“I don’t have a reason to go to Hong Kong recently.” Gu Yansheng doesn’t travel as freely these days. “Ding Mocun told me that since Gao Zhongwu ran away last time, the Japanese are afraid of another escape and have increased their supervision of the new government members. Now all officials from Chongqing are on the border control list and can’t leave without a legitimate reason.”

Although people like Gao Zhongwu, who have the help of the Green Gang to forge documents, can still get out, Gu Yansheng obviously doesn't need to take that risk, since he's not really trying to escape.

"What should I do then? Should I reply inappropriately?"

"No need for that. Just reply with four words: 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'"

He knows about negotiations. He wants to meet, and he can easily create a timeline for my visit by arranging negotiations. He can then take the lead, and my trip will be perfectly legitimate. We shouldn't waste our time and energy on that.

The Japanese want to negotiate, but Chongqing isn't very willing.

Shen Shuyun nodded, "Okay, then I'll reply like that."

The night passed.

The next day, Gu Yansheng began to handle the matter of increasing the number of positions.

The procedures still need to be followed.

The Central Executive Committee is about to have a meeting, so I'll just mention it there.

First, drive to the Ministry of Finance to find Minister Zhou.

"Hey, Minister, I brought you some gifts."

"What gift?" Minister Zhou asked with a curious smile.

"Move in."

Gu Yansheng had two boxes carried into the office, then waved for them to leave.

"I plan to add one or two vice ministers to the Ministry of Justice. Well, some people couldn't wait last night." Gu Yansheng opened the box, which contained gold and silver jewelry, medicinal herbs, and antiques.

It's not good to keep everything to yourself; if you share some, you won't be at risk of being bitten back.

"A deputy minister? What's going on?" Minister Zhou asked while looking at the contents of the box.

Gu Yansheng then explained the game of strategy involved: "If we want to break the deadlock, it will be too slow for us to do it on our own. We should offer some bait and let them fight amongst themselves. That will make them collapse much faster."

"Using one tiger to devour another." Minister Zhou nodded in understanding instantly. "If they betray us, then Wen Zongyao's leg will be crippled."

"They couldn't walk much anyway; the tiger was a hungry tiger, and the wolf was an old wolf."

"Hahaha, what are you planning to do about it?"

“Promote them, they can be used by us. It’s better than investigating their corruption and bribery. If we investigate corruption, they will be united again. The key is that it takes time.”

I don't think it's necessary to deal with them now. The main targets should be Wen Zongyao and Liang Hongzhi; cutting off their hands and feet is much more important.

Minister Zhou hummed in agreement and nodded thoughtfully. "Besides, a large-scale investigation into corruption would cause widespread panic. Now that the new government has just been established, it's better to proceed cautiously. I'll speak for you at the meeting later. Let's go to the meeting."

The Central Executive Committee meeting convened by the government is the highest-level meeting.

Adding a deputy minister is a minor matter for this kind of meeting, but whether it's a minor matter or not depends on how others perceive it.

Wen Zongyao and Liang Hongzhi objected.

The reason is that there have always been two deputy ministers, and there is absolutely no need to add another one. It would easily lead to infighting, reduce power, and make the original deputy minister feel neglected.

The objections were ignored. Gu Yansheng's own department was given a deputy minister position, and Minister Zhou's Ministry of Finance was given an additional departmental salary. Neither of them objected. What good would it do if they did?

The vote was taken by a show of hands, and it passed directly.

Wen Zongyao and Liang Hongzhi were so angry that they kept their faces dark throughout the meeting.

The meeting continued, and as the topics were discussed one by one, one of the issues related to Gu Yansheng was the preparation for the Central Reserve Bank.

First, they discussed the name of the banknotes. They talked for more than an hour about what to call a banknote. In the end, Minister Zhou made the final decision: the name would be "Zhongchu Juan" (中储卷), meaning "Central Reserve Bank Exchange Note".

"Issuing the currency is easy; we just need the Bank of Japan to make the master copy for us. The problem is how to get governments around the world to recognize our money, especially in the Shanghai concessions, so that we can exchange currency normally with them and circulate it in their systems. That's the key issue."

Minister Zhou posed a difficult question: "Otherwise, there won't be much difference between this money and military scrip, and you are all aware of the implementation of military scrip."

This is a problem that no one else can solve; only the Ministry of Finance can resolve it.

After the meeting, Minister Zhou called out to Gu Yansheng, "We may have to make another trip to the Shanghai International Settlement. I will talk to the Bank of Japan, but you will have to speak to the British, American and French banks in the Settlement."

"It's not that easy," Gu Yansheng said frankly about the difficulties. "The UK and the US are still aligned with Chongqing. Chongqing's currency can be exchanged with theirs. If they could also exchange our money, it would be tantamount to acknowledging the establishment of diplomatic relations, but in reality, it hasn't." Minister Zhou was aware of the difficulties and frowned, saying, "Let's think of a solution."

Gu Yansheng nodded, "Okay, think of a way. Give me a day, and I'll make arrangements for the people in the ministry beforehand. We need to send people out from North China and Jiangsu, otherwise it will take too long for us to come back."

"Okay, then I'll go to Shanghai the day after tomorrow."

Gu Yansheng bid farewell to Minister Zhou and drove back to the Ministry of Justice.

The government has a high-level meeting today, and the people from the Ministry of Justice who are sending money are eagerly waiting. Although they know the process may not be quick, what if it happens?
What if it really happens?

"Xiao Lou, call Lin Weiyong over."

"Yes."

A short while later, Lin Weiyong walked into Gu Yansheng's office, very humble, and said with a smile, "Minister, you wanted to see me?"

"sit."

Gu Yansheng gestured for him to sit on the sofa, then sat down himself, delivering a powerful blow with his opening statement, "I propose you as Vice Minister. The Central Executive Committee meeting today has already approved it."

Lin Weiyong's mouth can form an O shape!
An undisguised excitement appeared on his face, and his hands trembled slightly.

In terms of seniority, he was indeed the most experienced, but he had never studied abroad, and his resume was no match for Shao Jingming from the Criminal Division.

Now, it's truly his turn.

Lin Weiyong stood up abruptly, bowed deeply, and solemnly declared, "Thank you for your guidance, Minister. I will do my utmost to serve you and live up to your expectations."

"Okay." Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "It was indeed a bit complicated to recommend you. At the meeting, some people preferred Shao Jingming, but I thought you could do a good job, so I recommended you along with Minister Zhou and Mr. Wang, and that's how you got this position."

"Thank you, Minister!"

"You know your responsibilities: personnel and external communication. North China and Central China. Central China is a bit easier, since you also handle personnel matters. So I'm going to hand over North China to you. You should first reorganize the judicial systems in Jiangsu and Anhui. You know what the purpose is."

"Yes, I understand!"

"Okay, go ahead. I'll issue a formal document later. Just wait a little longer."

"Okay." Lin Weiyong stood up, bowed, and said with a smile, "Then I'll take my leave. Goodbye, Minister."

"Well, let's go."

Gu Yansheng waited for him to leave before calling the next person.

"Xiao Lou, call Shao Jingming over."

"Ok."

"Minister," Shao Jingming said.

"Director Shao, please sit down." Gu Yansheng also invited him to sit down and said frankly, "The higher-ups prefer Lin Weiyong as the candidate for the new vice minister."

Shao Jingming's face turned ashen instantly, unable to hide his disappointment: "It's fine."

Gu Yansheng said, "What's so good about it? Disappointment is only human nature at times like this."

Having said all that, Shao Jingming wanted to know the truth, "Does the minister think I'm not suitable?"

Gu Yansheng shook his head, "To me, you are all the same. I don't know any of you, so there's no question of closeness or distance."

However, some people believe that your position as Director of the Criminal Division proves that you receive more attention from certain individuals; otherwise, why would you be given this position?
Now that the new government has been established, there are already two former deputy ministers. With you added to the mix, is this Ministry of Justice part of the Judicial Yuan or part of the new government?
Have I made myself clear enough?

Shao Jingming understood, but still frowned and asked, "Then why is Lin Weiyong allowed? What's the difference between him and me?"

Gu Yansheng let out a deep breath. "I have no objection to being conflicted about this; there are many considerations involved. Now, regarding you, I only want to ask you one question: Do you still want to be the deputy minister? Or are you not planning to be promoted?"

"Is there still a chance?" Shao Jingming asked, puzzled.

"Of course there is." Gu Yansheng laughed and said, "Think carefully about what I just said. Whether the Ministry of Justice is the Ministry of Justice of the Judicial Yuan or the Ministry of Justice of the new government depends on what? It depends on what surname it belongs to."

You're out of luck with this newly appointed vice minister, but there are still two vice ministers left, and it's not impossible to replace them, especially Vice Minister Hu. He's getting old, so it's not a bad thing for him to retire early.

Of course, even if Vice Minister Hu steps down, there will be many candidates. How will the selection be made? It still depends on what surname he has.

"Your surname is Liang. Whether you want to be surnamed Wang or not, you need to show others your achievements and demonstrate that you are willing to be surnamed Wang."

"What were your grades?"

"Take over North China."

At just over thirty years old, far from the peak of his career, Shao Jingming had no choice but to go. He made it very clear that if he didn't go, he would eventually lose his position as director.

"Minister, I'm willing to go."

"That's good."

Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "Although Wang Kemin from North China is thick-skinned, the rectification of the judicial system, under the guise of unifying the judiciary, is not entirely uninvolved. Wang Kemin will not openly oppose the Nanjing government."

"If you go, finish the job, and get the credit, the position of Deputy Minister will be yours."

"Then what title should I use? Director of the Criminal Division? Will Wang Kemin not give me any face at all?"

"I've thought about this for you, but the director level might not be enough."

Didn't Wang Kemin establish a North China Political Affairs Committee? You will join the North China Committee as a special judicial commissioner from Nanjing stationed in North China, and become a standing committee member. That way, your rank will be raised.

"And you represent not only the Ministry of Justice, but also Nanjing, and Mr. Wang. Wang Kemin will certainly give you face."

Shao Jingming nodded. The path had indeed been paved for him, and there was a possibility that this matter would succeed. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then I need to take some people with me."

"Sure, you've been in charge of the Criminal Division for so long and have a lot of experience. You can bring it along if you think it's necessary."

Gu Yansheng was very generous. He didn't expect this person to achieve anything in North China. He just wanted him to cause some trouble for Wang Kemin, disappear from his sight, and avoid having to return the money.

If he can really get things sorted out, bring back some achievements, and get rid of a vice minister, then he will genuinely support him to take the position.

After finishing his communication, Shao Jingming moved on to the next person.

With one director promoted and the other sent abroad, two powerful directorships were left vacant.

The two positions are not just two positions, but rather, if one moves, everyone moves as well.

A peripheral director is promoted to a director with real power; a division chief is promoted to a director; and a section chief is promoted to a division chief.

Aside from the positions of these two directors, the newly added deputy director will also have to be bossed around by some section chiefs.

Then everyone can get promoted.

Although they didn't get the deputy ministerial position after giving money, their chances were slim anyway, so it was just a gamble.

Now, two director positions have been reshuffled, and everyone is moving to better positions.

Gu Yansheng negotiated with the directors and section chiefs who had given him money, and the result was satisfactory.

Even the section chiefs have been reassigned, but a powerful section chief position has been reserved for Li Shiyu, and Chen Gongbo has been given face as well.

The law enforcement division is a powerful department.

For now, the Ministry of Justice's powers can be reshuffled in this way.

With four million dollars, that's all they can do.

The personnel department will finalize the list and issue an announcement.

Some are happy, some are sad, but most are pleased because it's a promotion.

Even if the two vice ministers were unhappy, Gu Yansheng didn't care.

The Ministry of Justice and Administration only needs one voice.

The next day, Gu Yansheng took Shen Shuyun to Shanghai.

(End of this chapter)