Espionage: I Have Photo Editing Software

The atmosphere in the private room turned cold.

Seeing this, Bai Yuhua spoke up:

"Mr. Wei might as well listen to the terms before making a decision."

Matsumoto Shigeharu chimed in, "Ten sets of photos, five thousand yen. Mr. Wei, even for a top international photographer, that's enough for an appearance fee!"

"Oh..." Wei Renming thought for a moment, "Where will the photos be published?"

Matsumoto Shigeji replied without hesitation:

"Newspapers in the Shanghai area include the Shanghai Daily, Shanghai Daily News, Shanghai Daily News, Dong-A Ilbo, and Hua Bao, while magazines include Shanghai and Nature. Newspapers from other regions will also reprint this article. This move is intended to promote cultural exchange between China and Japan, and Mr. Wei should not resist it."

Is it communication or intrusion?

Wei Renming knew exactly what was going on.

"The newspapers and magazines Mr. Matsumoto just mentioned seem to be pro-Japanese, which might limit their readership and hinder communication, right?"

"Oh? What suggestions does Mr. Wei have?"

"Why not hold a photography competition where both China and Japan can submit their work? That would truly be a form of exchange," Wei Renming suggested with a smile.

Matsumoto Shigeji pondered for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Excellent suggestion. I will personally sponsor this photography competition in its entirety."

Since it's a competition, there must be judges.

Whoever provides the funding becomes a judge.

Wei Renming naturally understood this principle.

"Didn't Mr. Matsumoto invite me to photograph kimonos? How about we limit the theme of the photography contest to traditional clothing?"

"Did Wei agree to film?" Matsumoto Shigeharu asked.

"It would be difficult to refuse such kindness, and to do so would make me seem ungrateful," Wei Renming said with a smile.

"Great!" Matsumoto Shigeharu pumped his fist. "I'm willing to contribute 20,000 yen to host this photography contest."

"There's something I need to explain in advance."

"Speak freely, Mr. Wei."

"This competition will not have judges, and all entries will not be ranked. Competition first, friendship second. Since the September 18 Incident, anti-Japanese sentiment in China has been high. If we were to rank the entries, it would likely deviate from the original purpose of holding this competition. What do you think, Mr. Matsumoto?"

"I completely agree. However, I have one request."

"Oh?"

"Wei Sangxu submitted a photo of himself in a kimono."

"Well..." Wei Renming looked troubled.

"I know this is difficult..."

"No, I'm not in a difficult position."

"So, what Wei Sang means is..."

"You need to pay more!"

Matsumoto Shigeharu was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Wei-san is truly a remarkable person!"

Wei Renming smiled and said, "I'll agree to it for 10,000 yen."

"Mr. Wei, you may not know this, but the one thing I have plenty of is money!"

Matsumoto Shigeharu's father, Matsumoto Kozo, was the president of Kyushu Electric Railway Co., Ltd., and his mother was the fourth daughter of Matsukata Masayoshi. His family was very prominent.

"Tomorrow I'll start advertising GG in all the major newspapers; I guarantee it'll be a huge success!"

Wei Renming picked up his wine glass and said with a smile, "Then I'll be watching!"

The two then finalized some details about the photography competition.

Matsumoto Shigeharu suddenly said, "Wei-san wouldn't be using a false identity to submit a paper on behalf of China, would he?"

"Why use a fake identity when you're submitting an article?" Wei Renming laughed.

"Wei-san, that's not very kind of you," Matsumoto Shigeharu said, displeased.

"I don't need to submit any additional articles, but I'll pay you extra!" Wei Renming added.

"Fifteen thousand yen." Matsumoto Shigeharu said nonchalantly.

"It's a deal!"

"Wei Renming, please don't go back on your word!"

"Of course! I swore a solemn oath never to lie!" Wei Renming said confidently. "Besides, every photographer has their own style. If I were to secretly participate in the competition, I certainly wouldn't be able to hide it from Mr. Matsumoto's discerning eyes."

What style?

I have photo editing software, and I can change my style all the time.

"Come, drink this cup to the brim." Matsumoto Shigeharu smiled sincerely. "Next up is a geisha performance, please enjoy it, Mr. Wei."

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Wei Renming and Bai Yuhua got up to say goodbye and left the restaurant together.

"Is Miss Bai determined to work for the Japanese?"

"It's just a business collaboration! They're offering a high price, why should I turn them away? Besides, I'm not the only star in Shanghai who's worked with the Japanese. And they're all doing just fine, aren't they?" Bai Yuhua said nonchalantly.

Wei Renming didn't say anything more, hailed a rickshaw, and left.

Bai Yuhua also got into the car and left.

After the two left, Yamagami Ryosuke came out from the next room and said respectfully, "Matsumoto-san, thank you for your help."

Matsumoto Shigeharu said with an arrogant expression, "I do want to befriend Wei-san, and helping you is just a side thing."

"In any case, Wei Renming has agreed. Once the photos are published, Chinese public opinion will surely gravitate towards him," said Yamagami Ryosuke.

Matsumoto Shigeji said calmly:

"Weisang is one of the world's top photographers. If his talent could be put to use by the empire, he would shine not only in China but also in Europe and America. It's best to avoid using intrigue and trickery."

Ryosuke Yamagami bowed his head in agreement, "If there are no rankings, the Chinese will not have any resistance, which is a good thing."

Matsumoto Shigeharu said, "That's right. China only has long robes and short jackets. Compared with the exquisite traditional clothing of our Yamato people, the difference is obvious."

"As long as Chinese people can accept our clothing and like our culture, they will not resist us."

Subtle influences are more lethal than bullets.

Wei Renming's suggestion has provided us with a new perspective.

Ryosuke Yamagami's opinion of Wei Renming rose to a new level.

July 18th, evening.

Shanghai News Censorship Office.

"Director Chen, these are the manuscripts submitted for preliminary review by various newspapers." Xue Wan placed the manuscripts on her desk. "Matsumoto Shigeharu wants to hold a Sino-Japanese fashion photography competition and sincerely invites photographers to submit their work. This matter has been mentioned in the manuscripts of newspapers large and small in the Chinese-speaking areas. I imagine the newspapers in the concessions are in the same situation. What do you think the Japanese are up to?"

"They're just trying to undermine us culturally!" Chen Kecheng asked doubtfully after reading the manuscript, "The competition doesn't have judges, and the entries aren't ranked? What are the Japanese up to?"

"Should we reject the manuscript?" Xue Wan asked.

Chen Kecheng shook his head and said:

"On the surface, this is a normal cultural exchange between China and Japan. What grounds do we have to reject it?"

Moreover, it's no use for us to reject it.

Newspapers in the concessions would also publish it.

Furthermore, this Matsumoto Shigeharu is no ordinary person; we must be extremely cautious, otherwise it could easily lead to a diplomatic incident.

"So, we just let it go?"

"Report this to your superiors and follow their orders," Chen Kecheng said.

The order came quickly from above: keep a close watch, but do not interfere for the time being.

The next day.

Thanks to Matsumoto Shigeaki's money-making abilities, major newspapers in Shanghai published news about the Sino-Japanese photography competition.

Regardless of age or gender, anyone with photographic works can submit their work to major newspapers. Outstanding works will be exhibited in magazines such as "Liangyou" and "Shanghai".

Immediately, people from all walks of life paid close attention.