Espionage: I Have Photo Editing Software

In the evening, at the freshman salon.

The salon is located on North Sichuan Road, not far from the Marine Corps Headquarters. It's very popular and bustling every night.

Upon entering the salon, one finds a Japanese-style garden, behind which lies a bar, a dance floor, and rooms for brothels.

Wei Renming was not qualified to come here for entertainment.

Fortunately, he is rich, speaks Japanese, and has the mountains and clear water nearby. As long as he keeps a low profile, no one will bother him.

The three of them booked a private room and began drinking and chatting.

"Here, take this." Wei Renming took out a bunch of keys.

"What is this?" Shimizu Taro asked.

"Are you really planning to live in a dormitory for the rest of your life?" Wei Renming asked with a smile.

"Sigh, I can't afford it," Shimizu Taro said, shaking his head.

"I bought you a two-story house on Tongzhou Road. It's not very big, but don't mind," Wei Renming said.

"This is too valuable, I can't accept it!" Shimizu Taro was surprised by Wei Renming's generosity.

Tongzhou Road is located in the International Settlement. Although the location is a bit remote, a two-story building there would cost at least 10,000 French dollars.

Wei Renming grinned mischievously, "When you moved out of Ramos's apartment yesterday, were you secretly cursing me?"

"How could that be?" Shimizu Taro lied without batting an eye.

"Am I the kind of person who would kick someone when they've crossed a river? As the saying goes, even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains. I originally planned to give you this little building as a way of repaying your life-saving grace. I never expected you to change your mind. Anyway, since I've already bought it, I'll just give it to you," Wei Renming said with a smile.

"I misunderstood Wei-san." The last bit of resentment in Shimizu Taro's heart vanished.

"We're family, no need for formalities. Take the house, or I'll turn on you." Wei Renming shoved the keys into Shimizu Taro's hand without further ado.

"Thank you," Shimizu Taro said, moved.

"Shimizu-san, I'm so envious of Wei-san's affection for you," Yamagami Ryosuke joked.

"If you save my life, I'll do the same for you," Wei Renming said with a smile.

Ryosuke Yamagami avoided eye contact.

"Was that to save you, Shimizu Taro? He was clearly spying on you."

He couldn't say these things to anyone else.

"I promise I'll save you if I get the chance in the future!"

He was genuinely envious and jealous.

"You jinx!" Wei Renming raised his glass. "Come on, let's toast to our friendship!"

"Cheers!"

After the three finished drinking, Wei Renming got down to business.

"I've decided that our company will mainly deal in pharmaceuticals, through both legitimate channels and smuggling. Mr. Yamakami, tell me about your situation."

Ryosuke Yamagami said:

"Two routes are available."

One option is to transport the imported goods to Qinhuangdao and then by rail to Shanghai. I have several fellow townsmen in Qinhuangdao, so the goods can be unloaded at the port with only a small inspection fee. However, the railway connection is not yet fully operational, which carries some risk.

Secondly, the most time-saving and labor-saving method is to ship directly to the waters near Shanghai, load the goods onto small boats, and smuggle them to Wusongkou or Chongming Island for unloading. However, I have no connections in this regard.

Wei Renming turned his gaze to Shimizu Taro, "What about you?"

"This method of smuggling is very common. Many Japanese residents and Koreans do it, but they are often arrested by customs ships, which can easily lead to the loss of goods," said Shimizu Taro.

"So, the second option is not feasible?" Wei Renming frowned.

"Have you two heard of Liu Yancheng?" Shimizu Taro asked.

Wei Renming thought for a moment and said, "I've heard of him. He's the deputy section chief of the Jianghai Customs Anti-Smuggling Section."

"The head of the anti-smuggling department is Smith, but he's just a figurehead and doesn't actually do anything. Liu Yancheng is in charge of the department. As long as we get on his good side, no matter how much cargo we smuggle, it won't be a problem." Shimizu Taro knew a lot.

"What's his reputation like?" Wei Renming asked.

"Greedy, but trustworthy! Many smugglers use him to transport goods. The fee is one-tenth of the original customs duty."

"So tall?"

"If I step in, the price can be reduced by half." Shimizu Taro appropriately demonstrated his value.

"Do you have something on him?" Wei Renming asked casually.

"I have evidence that he colluded with some smugglers," Shimizu Taro said calmly.

Ryosuke Yamagami said, "If that's the case, why give him money?"

Wei Renming shook his head and said, "We have to pay for this! We're not doing this one-off deal, it's a long-term business. Although Liu Yancheng is a deputy section chief, he can't control everything; he has to bribe his way up and down the hierarchy. He can pay for us once or twice. But if it happens too often, he'll definitely start having ulterior motives. There's no need to take unnecessary risks just to save a little money."

"Okay. I'll ask him out tomorrow!" Shimizu Taro said.

"This needs to be done quickly." Wei Renming pulled a stack of documents from his briefcase. "This is the share transfer agreement. Please sign it."

"I am unworthy of this honor, and truly ashamed." Yamagami Ryosuke declined a few words, then readily signed the document.

Shimizu Taro glanced through it briefly and then signed his name.

Wei Renming said solemnly, "From now on, we're in this together, sharing both glory and misfortune. We must discuss everything together and never let brothers fight amongst themselves."

"Great! We'll make tons of money and eat tons of meat!"

After a satisfying meal, Qingshui and Shanshang stayed overnight, and Wei Renming paid the bill before returning to Yueshaofang.

The next day.

He went to Fortune Trading Company.

The company is located in Hongkou District and currently has only seven employees, all of whom are Chinese.

The person who serves as the manager is named Lu Xiao, who is in his thirties and is a professional manager.

This person has no background and is easy to control.

"Has the purchase order been submitted?"

"We've already contacted the pharmaceutical company in Germany, and we'll arrange shipment as soon as payment is received." Lu Xiao handed over the reply telegram.

"The initial order shouldn't be too large. Let's start with 10,000 fiat currency to test the waters. Once the distribution channels are established, we can buy more."

"Boss, don't worry. The price of smuggled goods is much lower than that of the market price, so there's no shortage of buyers. We can sell as much as we have." Lu Xiao, who was earning a high salary that he couldn't get outside, didn't care whether his boss was running a legitimate business or a smuggling business.

"Of course I believe in your abilities, but it's best to be cautious."

After giving instructions, Wei Renming rushed to the Photographers Association.

Two months after the association was established, Chen Liangli resigned from his position citing poor health.

In reality, he was forced to leave.

All of this was orchestrated by Wei Renming.

Because of this, Eisuke Morita even sent a telegram to praise him.

The association now has more than 70 members, of whom only about 20 are Japanese photographers; the rest are Chinese photographers.

Many pro-Japanese and Japanese-language newspapers frequently publish photos of association members, offering substantial fees for the photos, which is one way to attract members.

But on that day, when Wei Renming arrived at the association, he received a telegram from the Japanese Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

Wei Renming's eyes flickered after reading the telegram.

"In two weeks, you're inviting association members to Manchuria to photograph its snowy landscapes? Are you finally revealing your true intentions? Since you've invited me, I'd better make sure I get my hands on some good shots! I hope you won't regret it later!"