Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 282 Assets
“A gang leader from Suzhou, let’s go up and talk to him.”

Gu Yansheng patted Fu Xiao'an on the back and warmly led him upstairs.

He sat down and asked, "Has there been any change in the municipal government since the new government was established?"

"What changes could there be? Ordinary employees earn a pittance at work and don't really care who's in charge. You're saying that once Mr. Wang comes to power, Shanghai will no longer belong to Japan?"

Nobody is a fool. The forced requisition of grain began before the establishment of the People's Republic of China and has not stopped to this day. Why?
Is that the correct logic?

Gu Yansheng could only chuckle and nod in agreement, "That's true, but we should still be careful about our words and actions towards them in public, because loose lips sink ships."

"Anyone who has worked under the Japanese for so long and still doesn't understand this principle deserves to die," Fu Xiao'an scoffed. "To be honest, there have been some changes. After the handover, the regional economic division was abolished."

"Is it still the old system where each department manages its own affairs?"

"Yes, but if you ask for the reason, I don't think it's a simple handover issue. It's more like the Asia Development Institute knew that if the grain requisition continued, the economy would inevitably be unstable, and the data handed over by each region would look bad. So they simply dumped this mess on the new government, letting the new government solve the problems themselves, while they could hide behind the scenes."

This analysis makes sense. Although the Asia Development Institute forced them to implement quotas and contracts at the time, its actual purpose was to boost the economy and collect more taxes.

The Japanese policy changed when the decision to forcibly requisition rice was suddenly made.

The Asia Development Institute represented the will of the cabinet, and it could be said that the cabinet decided to seize profits in a short period of time, rather than develop Shanghai according to the original plan.

The reason for this short-sighted approach is likely related to the Japanese army's defeat in Mongolia, the near collapse of the domestic economy, and the 180-degree policy shift by the military.

"I heard you're planning to bring grain from outside into Shanghai?" Gu Yansheng asked.

"Where can we still get grain, brother?" Fu Xiao'an sighed. "Shanghai is the Paris of the East, a place where so many foreigners from different countries gather. It's a matter of face. Now that we've thrown away all face, do you think we'll still have any left in our pockets?"

"That serious? There's absolutely no grain left from last year's harvest outside, even worse than in Shanghai?"

"It's not that there's no grain, but that even if there is, we can't get it. The Japanese have been forcibly requisitioning grain for more than half a year now. Ordinary families with stockpiles have already emptied their savings, and ordinary merchants have long since sold off their quotas. Grain prices are soaring in the market, but as long as you have money, you can buy grain. So tell me, who has the remaining grain?"

Brother, where can I get grain from?

Gu Yansheng nodded, understanding. Those hoarding goods and profiting from the national crisis were still some traitors.

No wonder the traitors are even more hateful than the Japanese.

Gu Yansheng thought for a moment and then smiled, "That's a good thing."

"Good news?" Fu Xiao'an raised an eyebrow and asked in surprise, "What's so good about this? I'm the one who's getting all the blame in Shanghai right now."

Gu Yansheng laughed loudly, "Isn't having grain a good thing?"

If you don't have food, I really can't conjure it up, but you need to have food.
I am currently preparing to reform the national judicial system. Local factions have held local power for a long time. With the establishment of the new government, in order to ensure the smooth implementation of government orders, it is inevitable that a number of heads will be chopped off and blood will be shed.

"Why not start with these merchants? They're corrupt and greedy, colluding with officials. I'll uproot them completely and use the grain from their granaries to appease the people."

"Such a big move?" Fu Xiao'an hissed, his expression serious, and leaned closer to say, "Those who have grain in their hands now have a lot of people involved behind them. Brother, I have to give you a piece of advice: the local factions are not without power."

"What, do they dare to resist?"

Gu Yansheng actually liked it when the other party resisted; the more chaotic things got, the better.

"Don't try to persuade me. This is a mission; there's no other choice," Gu Yansheng said firmly. "This matter must be resolved."

Fu Xiao'an nodded, "Then I understand. So what do you mean by borrowing money?"

Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "I believe in the law and that there are always people who know what's good for them. I don't want to make things too ugly. If someone is willing to atone for their sins and return the money they made by profiting from others' suffering, then I can make a promise on behalf of the Ministry of Justice to give them a favorable sentence."

If he refuses, then give him a fair trial.

"How do you vomit?" Fu Xiao'an understood the key point.

Gu Yansheng didn't mince words, "I'll buy their assets at one-tenth of their value."

Fu Xiao'an's eyes widened and he gasped. Gu Yansheng was a smiling tiger, his methods were blacker than coal in a coal mine, and his heart was black too.

"I'm willing to relax the requirement of up to 30% for high-quality assets."

Gu Yansheng still smiled, "There's no other way. People eat and horses eat. Investigating so many things, it would be too much trouble to do it for everyone. I also need to replenish the case-handling funds, don't you think?"

"Yes," Fu Xiao'an nodded repeatedly. He had witnessed what it meant to seize by trickery and force. Compared to Gu Yansheng, he was still considered kind.

"Mayor Fu, now we're just waiting for your money. I originally had some money on hand, but with the opening of the new government, all the funds I borrowed were handed over to the Ministry of Finance, so I'm a bit tight on cash. Jiangsu has so much territory, and there's also Anhui. I spent a lot of money at the beginning, but give me some time to clear things up, and then I'll pay you back."

"Lending money is no problem, but you have to count me in. There are so many cities, surely you can accommodate me too?" Fu Xiao'an was tempted and, shameless, directly asked for benefits.

Gu Yansheng feigned indifference and thought for a moment before saying, "I can leave you a portion, but the amount of funds cannot be too large. It's not that I don't want to give you a chance, but the money we're short is only for the initial stage. Once the assets are resold later, we won't be short of money anymore. This business isn't just my business. If you take more, they'll have to take less."

“Of course I understand,” Fu Xiao’an advised, “But even if this action is fast, it will still take time, right? There are so many cities, one by one. By the time you finish Suzhou, the news will have already spread to North China. What if the rest of the people run away and take the assets with them?”
Should we proceed simultaneously, acquiring as many items as possible in a short period of time?

Oh dear, Gu Yansheng was originally planning to make a fortune from the dead, but judging from Fu Xiao'an's expression, it seems like he thinks it's not enough.

"So how much do you want to invest?"

"thirty million."

Gu Yansheng was filled with respect, "You have so much cash?"

Fu Xiao'an smiled modestly, "I made some money earlier, as you know. I'll find someone to raise a little more, and that should be about right."

He's still hiding it; Fu Xiao'an swindled another 15 million from Boss Dai.

Even 30 million wouldn't empty his cash reserves, let alone his other assets.

"Isn't this a bit too much? If you take this much, I won't know how to explain it to the others," Gu Yansheng advised.

Fu Xiao'an clicked his tongue and said seriously, "It's not much at all, not even enough. Don't forget, Jiangsu and Anhui are major grain-producing provinces. 3000 million is not enough to buy assets, let alone just the grain they have. The price of grain changes every day now. Once it's transported to Shanghai and sold, it's a huge sum."

Fu Xiao'an was now afraid that Gu Yansheng would not agree, so he said generously, "How about this, as long as you let me participate in this transaction, I will only charge you 700 out of the 1,000 you borrowed."

Since we've already said all that, the timing is about right.

Reduce the sauce over high heat.

"No, it's still a thousand, but I want 20% of the grain you collect." Gu Yansheng revealed his greedy nature.

Fu Xiao'an only thought for a moment before making up his mind, "Deal." "Prepare the money, and the operation in Suzhou will begin immediately."

"it is good!"

Gu Yansheng watched Fu Xiao'an leave from the window.

I've received my fee; now I just need to figure out how to make the creditor disappear.

Gu Yansheng called Chen Mo and asked him to come over so he could get some professional advice.

After Chen Mo arrived, he said, "I followed Fu Xiao'an. His daily routine is usually very regular: the municipal government, home, and the concession."

Let's not even talk about the city government and residential areas; they're too far away. Especially the residential areas—you own a house there, right next to a Japanese military camp, as you know very well.

A few days ago, the Shanghai authorities attempted to assassinate Fu Xiao'an by sniping him at the entrance of the municipal government building, but the attempt failed.

If there were no opportunities at home or in the municipal government, then the concessions were the only option left.

If Fu Xiao'an went to the foreign concessions on business, he would definitely stay at the International Hotel.

Because his bodyguards were in plainclothes and Fu Xiao'an's identity was rather special, the people in the concession, even though they knew he was a Japanese soldier, would not stop these bodyguards from entering, as long as they weren't wearing military uniforms.

Our Iron-Blooded Assassination Squad once considered killing Fu Xiao'an. To this end, I researched the International Hotel, which was backed by four major Chinese-owned banks.

Zhongnan Bank, Continental Bank, Salt Industry Bank, and Jincheng Bank.

They originally invested in building this building to serve as the headquarters for four banks in the concession, but for some unknown reason, it later became a grand hotel.

Because it aims to become a bank headquarters, it places great emphasis on security, making it virtually impossible for outsiders to infiltrate.

The underground is a treasure vault; you can't even get in by digging a tunnel or blowing it up.

It is also the tallest building in Shanghai; you can't jump from next door to its rooftop.

Therefore, if one wanted to assassinate Fu Xiao'an at the International Hotel, one could either enter through the main entrance and reach the floor where Fu Xiao'an was staying, or snipe from a distance and wait for the moment Fu Xiao'an got out of the car to kill him with a single shot.

However, his bodyguards became a major problem at this time. Fu Xiao'an was very afraid of death, and his men would surround him during his travels. The car would be parked at the door, and he would get in immediately, making it difficult to kill him.

He himself wouldn't stay at the International Hotel for long.

He came to the concession to do business, either to contact some foreign embassies or the Municipal Council. Those meetings were sudden and the schedule was beyond our control. They went directly inside, and our people couldn't get in.

If it was a meeting with a merchant from the concession, they would chat, have a meal, and then leave.

Even if we wanted to kill them, by the time we found out they'd finished eating, it would be too late to make preparations.

I understand. Next time I need to stay, I'll stay at the International Hotel; it might be safer than the Sassoon House.

Chen Mo smiled helplessly and added, "You don't know, back then, in order to kill Fu Xiao'an, I even sent someone to work as a waiter at the International Hotel, just to have a chance to get close to Fu Xiao'an. But Fu Xiao'an was too cautious. The Japanese military police were impervious to reason with him and didn't get a single chance. They couldn't get close at all and had to retreat."

"It's normal to be cautious. He's so old, and he's been through so much to get to this position. If he weren't cautious, this roly-poly toy would have been smashed to pieces long ago."

Gu Yansheng picked up his coffee and took a sip. "Li Shiqun also investigated him. It's much easier for the 76th Division to monitor him than for you, and they didn't find any loopholes in Fu Xiao'an's case."

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. "I remember you told me that Li Shiqun wanted to frame Fu Xiao'an as a member of the Kuomintang's Military Intelligence Bureau or a member of the underground Communist Party. Do you think we have a chance to use Li Shiqun to kill him?"

Gu Yansheng nodded and said with a faint smile, "I've also been considering this matter, but things aren't that simple. Li Shiqun used to suspect him, but didn't Fu Xiao'an report a major general? Now, even if Li Shiqun wanted to take action, he has no reason to do so. The Japanese won't believe him."

“That’s true.” Chen Mo frowned and muttered, “It is indeed troublesome. The only solution I can think of right now is for you to get information about Fu Xiao’an’s whereabouts and tell me in advance when he will appear at the International Hotel. I will then have someone lie in ambush on a nearby high point and try to snipe him the moment he gets in and out of the car.”

I don't think we'll have a chance to find other vulnerabilities. Ultimately, we'll have to take action.

Fu Xiao'an's bodyguards had been with him for a long time and were very familiar with him and the people he would associate with. When strangers appeared, they would be very vigilant and could not get close at all.

The Japanese military police were like that, and so were his own bodyguards—all veterans who had served him for over a decade, even two decades. Fu Xiao'an was not short of money and was generous to his subordinates; they couldn't be bribed.

Gu Yansheng knew that if the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai branch added another Iron-Blooded Assassination Squad, they must have tried every possible method. If it wasn't difficult, Boss Dai wouldn't have come looking for him.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "We've tried all the conventional methods, so let's not try them anymore. They're all risky. Right now, we need to change our approach. The first thing is to make these Japanese military police disappear and dismantle Fu Xiao'an's security forces from within."

"Disappear?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "What do you mean by disappear? Quitting and backing out?"

“That’s right.” Gu Yansheng nodded. “It’s possible. Fu Xiao’an was chosen by the commander of the Central China Expeditionary Army and invited to take charge of Shanghai. For safety reasons, a bodyguard was assigned to him.”

To put it bluntly, they were afraid that Fu Xiao'an, the figurehead who was supposed to be there for them, would actually die, and they were also worried that they would lose the hand that was used to make money.

But the situation is very different now. The Central China Expeditionary Army has withdrawn, and its commander has been transferred back to the mainland. The new commander is the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Expeditionary Army. Fu Xiao'an's influence in Nanjing is not as great as before.

Without the Wang Jingwei regime, the power reshuffle would have likely resulted in Mayor Fu Xiao'an being removed and replaced by a new commander.

However, the Wang Jingwei regime was established at this time, and the power of appointment fell into the hands of the Wang Jingwei regime. Fu Xiao'an performed his duties in a conventional manner, so the Japanese lost interest in replacing him.

It's better to leave behind someone they appointed, Fu Xiao'an, than to have all the leaders appointed by the Wang Jingwei regime.

Fu Xiao'an was like that, and so was I. I was actually a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was a kind of power struggle between Wang Jingwei and Japan.

Regardless of how the Japanese view Fu Xiao'an now, there is one thing the Japanese absolutely cannot accept: betraying their own people.

So, we can give it a try.

If something happens that causes the Japanese to lose trust, and if the matter of the Japanese military police acting as bodyguards is brought up again, let's see if the Japanese in Nanjing will withdraw Fu Xiao'an's bodyguards.

Li Shiqun had actually been thinking of the same thing, except he wanted to kill Fu Xiao'an, while I just want the military police to withdraw.

Chen Mo was puzzled. "But didn't Fu Xiao'an just strengthen the trust agreement? How could the Japanese suspect that a major general is a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau?"

Gu Yansheng laughed, "If the Military Intelligence Bureau doesn't work, there's the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS). If the CBIS doesn't work, there's the Communist Party. If all else fails, there's the Wang Jingwei regime."

"Wang Jingwei?"

"Ha, why would the Japanese protect him? Is it because he relies on the Japanese, or because he relies on the Wang Jingwei regime?"

"We relied on the Japanese."

“Yes.” Gu Yansheng nodded. “But if I remember correctly, what Boss Dai told me was that Fu Xiao’an reported the news that the Military Intelligence Bureau was going to assassinate Wang Jingwei to Wang Jingwei himself, not to the Japanese.”

(End of this chapter)