Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 285 Industry and Commerce
There are signs that the British and French attitudes have softened, which is a clear signal.

Once it softens, it'll be close to kneeling down.

Gu Yansheng summoned Gu Shuping, saying that this matter needed to be reported to the organization.

I told him what it meant.

"Go to the tailor shop and send this message to the organization. It's a done deal that Britain, the US, and France are betraying China's interests in exchange for the Japanese not taking action against them."

"Yes."

Gu Shuping arrived quickly and left quickly. With someone like him helping to pass on messages, Gu Yansheng needed to do much less preparation for the rendezvous.

I need to report this matter to Boss Dai. Although Boss Dai will probably find out in the next couple of days, knowing a day earlier will show that he is wholeheartedly devoted to the Party.

I picked up Shen Shuyun for dinner, and during the meal I explained the situation. I sent an extra message to Boss Dai, saying that the plan was already underway.

The newspapers in Shanghai will eventually reach the desks of the relevant figures in Chongqing. When Boss Dai sees the newspapers, he will know that Fu Xiao'an was the one who did it, and he will also know how he did it. This will earn him a place on his list of achievements.

After dinner, Gu Yansheng went to talk to Minister Zhou about this matter.

Who knew that pressuring Britain and France to close the passage would actually result in them helping with peace talks?

If Britain and France put pressure on Chongqing, it would change the course of the peace talks.

"If that's what the British mean, then the Americans probably mean the same thing. If they put pressure on each other, Chiang Kai-shek might actually agree."

Minister Zhou paced back and forth, deep in thought. He was getting a little anxious this time; a successful peace negotiation wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.

However, he still had to make a few sarcastic remarks: "You know, this old Chiang Kai-shek, he pretends to be so tough. Last time, your peace talks brought back this result, and I really thought he had a lot of guts and was prepared to live and die with this country. But believe it or not, once Britain and the United States intervene, his toughness won't last more than three days."

“I believe that,” Gu Yansheng laughed. “Without aid from Britain and the United States, how can he fight Japan?”

Are your people still in Hong Kong?

"Yes, it's always been kept in Hong Kong."

Minister Zhou raised an eyebrow at Gu Yansheng, "Our initial plan may be implemented. If peace talks begin later, you can decide whether to take action based on the situation. Peace talks absolutely cannot succeed."

Chiang Kai-shek was a very cunning man. When the situation of Chiang and Wang joining forces really came to a head, no matter how nice the words were, it was only temporary.

He will definitely take action against us when he has the time. There can only be one master in the world; this has always been the case.

The Japanese hoped that after the alliance, they could support Mr. Wang to seize power from Chiang Kai-shek. But who was Chiang Kai-shek? Power was his lifeblood.

The April 12th Incident saw that the Communist Party had become too powerful to be controlled, so they decided to purge the party, resulting in bloodshed.

The Communist Party still has public support, what do we have? We're still branded as traitors!

Gu Yansheng nodded firmly, "Don't worry, I know what to do. I will absolutely not let this happen."

"Good." Minister Zhou was very satisfied. He was also worried that Gu Yansheng was inexperienced and might be brainwashed by peace rhetoric, and actually believe that the merger of governments would bring peace and prosperity.

"There's something else I need to remind you of. If the negotiators kill a few, the two groups will immediately break off relations. But you have to be ruthless. Those who do the fighting must not be allowed to come back alive. Afterwards, you can give them more compensation and take good care of their families."

"You're ruthless, aren't you?" "I understand."

Gu Yansheng returned home, now waiting to see if there would be any news of peace talks.

As expected, just a few days after the UK, US, and France intervened, news came from Hong Kong that Chongqing wanted to restart peace talks.

The negotiation team flew to Hong Kong.

As instructed by Minister Zhou, Ding Mocun's men were brought along this time.

If necessary, Gu Yansheng's men would kill the Chongqing negotiation team, while Ding Mocun's men would be responsible for cleaning up the mess and silencing witnesses afterward under the guise of an investigation.

Two days later, negotiations began.

Upon arriving at the venue, Takeo Imai immediately sought revenge, mocking Song Ziliang: "Mr. Song, why the rush? You can postpone the negotiations if you wish."

Feeling humiliated, Song Ziliang sneered, "I wonder who it is that's desperate and insists on negotiating. If you're so capable, why don't you skip the middleman and just storm into Chongqing and negotiate directly with President Jiang? Do you have that ability?"

Takeo Imai's smile faded slightly.

"Alright, enough talk. Since we're all here today, let's have a serious talk." Zhang Yousan, the chief secretary of the meeting, stepped in calmly to smooth things over. "Mr. Imai, if we're going to negotiate, we should do so peacefully. I demand that the war in the Fifth War Zone be stopped first."

How could Takeo Imai possibly agree to such a request when he had the upper hand?

"We gave you a chance to cease hostilities last time, but you didn't cherish it. Now the Nanjing Command will not adopt this suggestion. If Mr. Zhang wants a ceasefire, he should think about how to quickly complete the negotiations, and then the war will naturally stop."

Zhang Yousan felt that the chances were slim, so he stopped dwelling on the point and said directly, "We came to negotiate with sincerity. Before coming to Hong Kong, the president held a meeting to discuss the ceasefire and peace talks, and collected the opinions of the generals. The vast majority of the generals had no objection to the peace talks."

However, they have strong opinions about your terms.

For a general, every inch of land must be fought for. Since ancient times, the generals of this land have regarded the loss of territory as a great disgrace, even if they did not lose it themselves.

Therefore, the withdrawal of troops from North China must be carried out, and you must provide a specific timeframe.

Manchuria, just do as we agreed. We agree in principle to your claim of occupying Manchuria, but you must adopt a tacit attitude in terms of the method. There will be no agreement. We will proceed separately after the peace talks.

As for the alliance between Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei, it's still the same: impossible. You must send the traitor Wang Jingwei away, spare his life, and preserve your reputation. This is already our compromise.

Imai Takeo was furious. "I see no sincerity in your conditions whatsoever. Didn't Britain, the United States, and France tell you how to negotiate?"

"There's no other way, these are the conditions. You need peace, and we need peace too. We haven't asked you to give up anything. It's you who are unwilling to compromise, not us."

"If we can't win on the battlefield, even Britain, the US, and France will have to give way to us. Your insistence on these trivial things is short-sighted and will only cause more of your soldiers to die!" Takeo Imai threatened.

"There's nothing I can do, you'll have to think about it."

Zhang Yousan has started to give up.

Takeo Imai, let’s talk again!

Zhang Yousan continued to slack off, saying, "There's nothing I can do; this is the bottom line."

Imai Takeo was a master of martial arts and a smooth talker, but his punches landed on cotton, which was very frustrating.

Snapped!
Takeo Imai slammed his fist on the table. "Is this your attitude towards negotiations? If this is your attitude, then there's no point in negotiating. You'll be in for a world of hurt, and you won't get such good terms then!"

The negotiations lasted for two hours but ultimately made no progress and ended in discord.

Imai Takeo felt like he'd been tricked again, and as soon as he left the venue, he went back and made a phone call to tattle on the situation.

Gu Yansheng returned to his hotel and leisurely enjoyed his afternoon tea.

He was just a witness sent by the Wang Jingwei faction and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Wang Jingwei faction is not yet on the table; they are just a dish on the table, so he has nothing to do with it.

Mei Siping strolled over for afternoon tea. Gao Zhongwu had run away, leaving only Mei Siping among the core members of the Wang Jingwei faction who were involved in the negotiations.

Mei Siping is now the Minister of Industry and Commerce. Given that Gao Zhongwu and Tao Xisheng fled abroad, Mei Siping did not run away, which proves his loyalty and ability to be of great use.

Therefore, he was given the powerful position of Minister of Industry and Commerce.

This is an incredibly wealthy location.

"Hey, Yansheng, what kind of tricks are Chongqing up to? The British and Americans are putting pressure on them, and Chiang Kai-shek is still acting like this?"

Gu Yansheng chuckled, "I'm not a mind reader. You've all met Chiang Kai-shek, but I've never even met him. How would I know what he's thinking?"

Actually, today's negotiations were quite interesting, although Zhang Yousan's slacking off made the whole negotiation rather dull.

But in reality, Gu Yansheng could tell that the mastermind behind this negotiation was indeed Chiang Kai-shek himself.

The Japanese will surely complain about the situation at today's meeting.

It goes without saying who they're putting on this show for.

Chiang Kai-shek was dissatisfied with Britain and the United States.

They're either asking for a small benefit, or they're asking for a huge one.

Either Britain and the US bleed money and continue negotiations, or Britain and the US force Japan to back down and withdraw from China. Remotely controlling Zhang Yousan to put on a show of deference—a master of micromanagement.

Seeing that Gu Yansheng didn't respond, Mei Siping changed the subject, "Yansheng, can you give me some advice?"

"You said."

"As you know, the people in our area are suffering and the economy is bad. Mr. Wang and Minister Zhou have high expectations of me and hope that I can improve the economy. But I am like a skilled cook without rice. I really don't know how to boost the economy in a short period of time."

The country is currently in dire need of funds, and I'm anxious too. Minister Zhou said you have many solutions; can you help me think of a way?

Gu Yansheng asked in surprise, "You expect me to come up with a solution to this?"
As you yourself said, the people are impoverished, and now it's wartime, the situation is already turbulent, and the Japanese are forcibly confiscating property from our territory. The common people can't even guarantee their basic needs for food and clothing. How can your business possibly thrive?"

"I know it's difficult, that's why it's so difficult. I'm so worried." Mei Siping said with a distressed expression. "But this matter still needs to be done, right? You have to help me think of a solution. Minister Zhou asked me to come to you. You have to come up with a solution for me."

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me." Gu Yansheng then thought about it, and his eyes lit up. "You know what, there really is a way to boost the economy in a short time."

Mei Siping immediately perked up, "What method?"

Gu Yansheng said, "Look, before the Battle of Shanghai, Shanghai's economy was actually quite good and thriving. Why is it not like this now? Because of the war, the Japanese plundered indiscriminately."

We can't change the war, but there are ways to deal with the Japanese plundering.

Before the new government was established, a large number of factories and trading companies were forcibly taken over by the Japanese.

Some of the items were unclaimed; they were confiscated because the factory owner might have run away or died.

Some of them already had owners, but now the Japanese are taking over most of the shares or seizing a portion of the harvest.

But now that a new government has been formed, shouldn't these things be returned?

"You mean, you want me to take back the shares that the Japanese forcibly seized?" Mei Siping's eyes widened in disbelief.

Huh? Oh my god?

Gu Yansheng nodded to give him confidence, "That's right, we must get it back."

"Heh, heh heh, you think too highly of me." Mei Siping rolled her eyes and laughed speechlessly.

Gu Yansheng said seriously, "I'm being serious."

Mei Siping clicked his tongue and said, "Minister Gu, even if I'm serious to the death, will the Japanese listen to me?"

"How will you know if you don't try? If you can't do it, let Mr. Wang ask for it." Gu Yansheng tapped the table, his expression one of disappointment and frustration.

"This thing should have been returned to us in the first place. As long as you take it back, all the tax revenue from this business will belong to us, and the tax revenue will increase several times over."

The key point is that the supplies are plentiful; even the Japanese have to pay money to buy things.

Having achieved this, our next step is to promote a stable environment where the Japanese will no longer forcefully demand things. We will take charge of their affairs, and our Ministry of Justice will investigate a few more typical cases.

Wouldn't that create a more vibrant business atmosphere?

Isn't this much more practical than struggling to set up several factories?

The key is that if you manage to get this, you'll be remembered in government history for a great achievement.

Mei Siping didn't care at first, but when he heard the words "history" and "to be remembered in history," he started to think about it seriously.

He asked suspiciously, "Do you think there's any chance this will succeed?"

“Absolutely.” Gu Yansheng said confidently, “Let’s try to get it back first. The Japanese definitely won’t give it to you if you go out on their behalf. So, think of a way to make things look bad, and then have Mr. Wang negotiate with the Japanese to get it back.”

If the Japanese still don't give it to us by then, we can say something tough.

For example, when he was collecting grain, we stopped cooperating. Of course, this wasn't an open refusal, but rather a matter of reasons such as the low tax rates, the rapid deterioration of the social environment caused by the repeated heavy grain requisitions, and the intense resistance from the people.

The Japanese also weigh the pros and cons.

It's not entirely impossible.

Mei Siping frowned and pondered for a while, then nodded in agreement. It should indeed be possible.

Gu Yansheng pressed on, "Back then, the opium tax belonged to the Shanghai Military Police Headquarters, and had nothing to do with the Nanjing Headquarters, let alone the Shanghai Municipal Government."

Why did this tax revenue come back later?
The Japanese forcibly conscripted people and issued military scrip, which led to the collapse of the military scrip system, resulting in economic deterioration and social disorder. The resistance was too fierce, with the Green Gang leading the uprising.

Because of this, the military police commander at the time was ordered to return to Japan, where he was either imprisoned or committed seppuku.

Turning around, the Japanese man forcefully spat out all the meat in his mouth.

"As long as you dare to dream and use the right methods, this can be accomplished, and you will be the new government's top financial contributor!"

“Okay!” Mei Siping didn’t hesitate. There were already examples, and this was her duty, so she had to do it whether she wanted to or not.

"You keep drinking, I'll go make a telegram and have someone investigate what's going on with these Japanese businesses occupying the premises. Let's get this over with quickly."

"Okay, hard work."

Gu Yansheng raised his coffee cup in a toast and smiled as he saw his guest off.

Make more friends, make fewer enemies, cause more trouble for the Japanese, and cause more trouble for the Wang faction.

Since I'm just killing time anyway, I might as well have some coffee.

They drank for two days straight, indicating that both sides had very high expectations for this negotiation.

In the past, given Chongqing's current state, Takeo Imai would have already told him he could go back.

But now, Takeo Imai hasn't left.

The Chongqing negotiation team also stayed.

That evening, the negotiation team from Chongqing arrived.

Regarding the terms, Zhang Yousan reiterated, "I can only offer these terms. If you're not satisfied, then there's no need for you to keep calling Britain and France endlessly."

This will save them from having to pass the word around, mentioning Hong Kong, Britain, and Chongqing.

I suggested that we let them talk it out themselves and have a three-way meeting.

"President Jiang, Mr. Wang, and your Japanese counterparts, how about the three of you choose a place, sit down, and settle everything in one go?"

This approach is somewhat novel. Takeo Imai felt that if they could reach an agreement themselves, it would save him from having to keep running around.

Just one question.

"Where should we choose the location? Hong Kong?"

"Impossible, it must be in the Kuomintang-controlled area. President Chiang could not possibly have left that area."

"Heh, so you mean to send Chief of Staff Seishiro Itagaki and Mr. Wang to your Nationalist-controlled areas? You're not thinking of wiping them all out, are you?"

Trust is very fragile.

Zhang Yousan sneered, "We wouldn't do something so low, but if you don't want to come, we can call it quits, but don't bring up the negotiation again."

We made demands, and you disagreed. We wanted negotiations with industry giants, but you refused to participate. It's you who lack sincerity, not us.

After thinking it over, Takeo Imai decided there was no need to argue and let Seishiro Itagaki decide for himself.

As for Mr. Wang...

Takeo Imai looked at Gu Yansheng and said, "Mr. Gu, you should ask Mr. Wang what he thinks and whether he is willing to participate."

"You should ask Chief of the General Staff Itagaki first, and then I'll ask."

"That works too. Wait for my message."

(End of this chapter)