Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 288 Negotiation
"This plan is quite ambitious." Shen Linshen thought about it carefully. In North China, it might really be necessary for gang members to make a breakthrough.

Wang Kemin had deep roots in North China, and it was hard to say how deep the waters ran. He needed gang members to mingle among all sorts of people to help him gather information and scout ahead.

“Sending people over there will definitely cause a reaction from the local gangs. Wang Kemin might find out. What reason do you plan to use?”

"The entire Wang Jingwei government system wanted to open up the situation in North China and get involved in North China. Minister Zhou has told me this many times. The reasons are absolutely sufficient. Even if Wang Kemin knew, it wouldn't really matter."

“Then there’s no problem. But the success or failure of this matter depends mainly on Chen Mo’s ability. I’ve heard that the Japanese have captured quite a few underground Communist Party members in North China during their anti-Japanese war. The situation there is not simple.”

This task must be issued to Chen Mo in the name of the organization, and how it is carried out is entirely up to Chen Mo himself, depending on his personal abilities.

“He has his advantages. He comes from the Iron-Blooded Assassination Corps, pays attention to details, and has intelligence from the Military Intelligence Bureau to assist him. I believe in his abilities and it is definitely worth a try.”

Gu Yansheng had confidence in Chen Mo's abilities.

This wasn't just his confidence in Chen Mo; Boss Dai had confidence in him too, since Chen Mo was Boss Dai's handpicked candidate.

The Military Intelligence Bureau has had several mishaps, but Chen Mo has remained as steady as a rock, which demonstrates his competence.

“Okay, I agree with you. I think we can let Chen Mo give it a try.” Shen Linshen agreed with Gu Yansheng’s opinion. The only problem was whether Chen Mo could control the Green Gang.

However, even if it couldn't be controlled, then nothing would happen afterward, and there would be no loss.

"Send a message to the organization, submit the task plan, and ask them to approve and improve it."

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away."

Gu Yansheng then talked to him about transporting supplies, including plundering Japanese grain ships. This matter required the cooperation of the New Fourth Army and also needed to be reported to the organization for a decision.

If the organization thinks it's difficult to rob Japanese people, then robbing only Fu Xiao'an is fine too.

After saying goodbye to Shen Linshen, Gu Yansheng went to see Minister Zhou to watch a play and have tea. Sharing is worse than enjoying alone, so they chatted about women, the war, and troop deployment.

Unfortunately, Minister Zhou's mind wasn't on chatting; he was thinking about women all the time.

Cultured men can't be too direct when it comes to sleeping with women; that's pointless. Minister Zhou liked women who were talented; he enjoyed watching others sing.

Afterwards, Minister Zhou went to sleep with a woman, and Gu Yansheng excused himself, saying he had something to do.

The progress of the Reserve Bank has been much smoother recently. France has been forced to back down, as Germany has taken over its territory. The interim government has no real control; whatever the Germans say goes. Germany has a good relationship with Japan, so the progress of the Reserve Bank is going without any difficulty.

Britain is not putting up a strong fight, and its diplomatic stance has softened. It is even prepared to reluctantly accept the situation with the Reserve Bank.

Minister Zhou has been having a smooth run of success lately and is in a very good mood.

Return to the teahouse.

Ma Shiqi reported, "Minister, there was a call from Nanjing just now. It was Takeo Imai looking for you. I told him you were out and that I would pass on the message. He said he would come to Shanghai soon and asked you to prepare to go to Hong Kong."

"Negotiations again?" Gu Yansheng frowned slightly.

It's not that we can't negotiate, it's just that the timing is bad. He really doesn't want to leave Shanghai right now.

However, one is often caught up in the complexities of the situation and has no choice but to continue serving the Japanese.

"Okay, I understand. While I'm not in Shanghai, send a telegram every day as usual. Keep a close eye on things."

I reported this to Minister Zhou.

The next day, Gu Yansheng and Imai Takeo flew to Hong Kong.

Chongqing is under considerable pressure. The border blockade has led to a particularly pessimistic sentiment in the domestic resistance against Japan. The number of officials who have defected to the Wang Jingwei regime in Chongqing these days is a testament to this.

Officials from Chongqing arrived first at this negotiation meeting.

Upon seeing the man, Takeo Imai immediately mocked him, "Mr. Zhang, you've arrived quite early today. I used to have to wait for you to arrive. It seems we're not far from becoming friends."

Zhang Yousan said calmly, "I've always considered you a friend, Mr. Imai, but I never expected you to think we're not friends yet. It hurts me to hear that."

Takeo Imai's lips twitched. "Speak up. Since you called us here, did you already have any expectations? Otherwise, today's meeting is just a waste of time."

"What expectations?" Zhang Yousan feigned ignorance.

Takeo Imai chuckled, "That's unnecessary. The North China garrison, the recognition of Manchukuo, and the formation of a coalition government—Mr. Zhang, when you return this time, President Chiang won't give any new instructions, will he?"

“Yes.” Zhang Yousan nodded. “President Jiang instructed that the conditions remain unchanged. If you can accept them, we will organize a meeting between the two parties.”

Takeo Imai's face darkened instantly. He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and demanded, "Are you trying to mess with me? Do you think this is the same as before? How could you even say something like that?"

Zhang Yousan shook his head. "First of all, I'm not playing you. I'm here to negotiate on behalf of President Jiang with great sincerity, but this is his bottom line, that's a fact. Secondly, the negotiations are not as easy as you think."

Mr. Imai, so far, there are people within the military who have strongly rejected peace talks. Do you know what that means?

This means that if the president forces peace talks, it could very likely result in a split within the military.

This doesn't even take into account the extent of the trauma inflicted on the people by negotiating with your army, or the immense pressure the president has to bear.

You killed hundreds of thousands in Nanjing alone. Think about it. Now that we've stopped fighting and made peace, what will those people think?
Can this memory be erased?
We're willing to do this; isn't that a sign of sincerity?

Takeo Imai calmed down a bit, but still kept a straight face. "The people can be fooled. If we spread more propaganda, and if we make peace and improve their lives, they will naturally forget the unpleasant things."

As for the military, to say it's divided is probably not entirely accurate. Everyone knows that Chiang Kai-shek's domestic policy abilities were first-rate.

Zhang Yousan chuckled, "So many people have gone to the Wang government, why do I feel like you're mocking the president?"

Change your perspective.

Currently, Hitler's iron heel has trampled across Europe. In Asia, once Japan withdraws from the Chinese battlefield, these resource-rich islands in Asia will fall into Japanese hands.

Development is the only way forward.

Otherwise, if we continue fighting like this, forget about the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Once they're done fighting and the British and Americans are free to deal with it, will Japan still be able to take over these islands?
Mr. Imai, think more about the future. There's no point in dwelling on these things. The real solution is for us to join forces to develop Asia and counterbalance Europe and America.

“This is not what we expected,” Takeo Imai shook his head.

Zhang Yousan sighed deeply and said sincerely, "This is really the last condition. If you agree, we will sign a peace agreement; otherwise, we can only continue fighting. I will leave now, and my words represent the president."

Zhang Yousan was a very skilled negotiator, turning the tables on Imai Takeo and making him frown in a dilemma.

"I'll pass on your feedback to my superiors, and we'll talk again tomorrow."

"Of course," Zhang Yousan said with a smile as he stood up. "Then I'll wait for your good news."

Today's negotiations did not go as expected. After thinking for a moment, Takeo Imai asked, "You just said that there are people opposing you within your military. Who are they?"

Zhang Yousan considered that with so many defectors, it was impossible to keep it a secret, so there was no harm in telling them.

"One group was the Communists, and the other group was Feng Yuxiang, the leader of the Northwest Army."

“It’s him,” Takeo Imai recognized.

This Feng Yuxiang is no ordinary man. He is the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly and has a very high seniority in the military. If he opposes, Chiang Kai-shek will have to think twice.

"If our negotiations succeed, how does President Jiang plan to deal with these people?"

“The Communists were going to wipe them out anyway. As for Feng Yuxiang,” Zhang Yousan paused and said, “he met with misfortune and died unexpectedly.”

Takeo Imai raised an eyebrow and pressed his advantage, "That's a good point. It shows your President Jiang's sincerity in the negotiations. You have to agree to one condition: if our negotiations are successful, you must kill Feng Yuxiang before the contract is signed. That's true sincerity."

"I can report it, but I can't guarantee it."

"Alright, with this sincerity, I can speak on your behalf to the headquarters."

How did things start to move in the direction where peace talks are really going to succeed?
Gu Yansheng initially thought that Chiang Kai-shek was playing some kind of tactic, but judging from the situation, he didn't think there was any tactic involved.

He had told Boss Dai about the Japanese wanting to leave the battlefield and head south.

Chongqing's tough stance is understandable, since the Japanese are the ones who are anxious right now. At most, some civilians in Chongqing will starve to death, but the officials won't go hungry. Holding out for a few more months shouldn't be a problem.

However, while the conditions are harsh and the Japanese would not agree, judging from Takeo Imai's attitude, it seems not impossible.

what?
Gu Yansheng was somewhat surprised.

Are the Japanese really that anxious now?
Once outside, Gu Yansheng asked Imai Takeo, "Mr. Imai, the headquarters won't agree to these conditions, will they? How am I supposed to explain this to Mr. Wang?"

Takeo Imai laughed and said, "Mr. Gu, don't be so nervous. Chongqing's tough stance has indeed exceeded my expectations. The headquarters has made contingency plans for their reaction."

I can tell you definitively that we will definitely support Mr. Wang, regardless of the conditions set by the Japanese and Chongqing governments. The coalition government clause will not change. As you saw in the previous negotiations, Chongqing only feels uncomfortable with Mr. Wang's presence, but as we've already discussed, it's an internal matter—this is something they themselves have stated.

So it's definitely not that we can't talk about it. Negotiation is about pulling each other back and forth; if we take a step back, they take a step back too.

Gu Yansheng nodded. "That's good. I hope Japan can understand that Chiang Kai-shek's thoughts are not so simple. If a coalition government is not formed, the Japanese Empire will lose all the gains it has made over the years."

"Of course we understand. Don't worry, I'll go to the consulate to send a telegram first. Mr. Gu, please wait patiently."

"it is good."

The talks continued the following day.

A brief tug-of-war.

Takeo Imai also presented his final condition: "I consulted with the headquarters, and Chief of Staff Itagaki instructed that the Sino-Japanese War was a mistake and should never have started. Now, he is willing to make efforts for peace."

The agreement agreed to relinquish the garrison in North China, but on the condition that Chongqing immediately issue a declaration abandoning the policy of resisting Japan and tolerating the Communists after the signing of the contract. At the same time, our side would also issue a declaration of troop withdrawal and peace.

"The recognition of Manchukuo can be postponed, but the establishment of a coalition government must proceed."

Zhang Yousan had a contingency plan and replied directly: "Thank you, Chief of Staff Itagaki, but the establishment of a joint government is out of the question. I'll give you a compromise: Japan will abolish the Wang Jingwei regime and disband all its personnel. As for the specifics of what will happen in the future, we'll leave that to the tripartite talks to resolve."

After some discussion, the plan was pretty much finalized, as everyone knew the conditions were roughly the same.

"Then let's set a time." Takeo Imai didn't want to argue any longer. Itagaki was willing to give up even his troops, his only demand was to complete the peace talks as soon as possible so that he could free up his resources to go south and seize them.

"The meeting is tentatively scheduled for late July in Changsha. If the traitor Wang is unwilling to come, he doesn't have to. Chief of Staff Itagaki can come first to discuss peace."

Both sides agreed, and all that remained was to go back and report for instructions.

Takeo Imai added, "For safety reasons, you should send someone of high standing to meet our negotiators in Hankou."

"What do you mean by 'having weight'?" Zhang Yousan asked with a smile.

"Zhang Qun, Kong Xiangxi, or He Yingqin, these people are all suitable."

Takeo Imai was referring to the names of important figures.

"I can ask for permission."

"Okay, if there are no problems, let's get together again on July 20th to finalize the itinerary."

The negotiations concluded, and both sides returned to report.

Upon returning to Shanghai, Gu Yansheng immediately reported to Minister Zhou.

"Is Chiang Kai-shek really going to negotiate peace?" This was completely unexpected for Minister Zhou. He frowned, still unable to understand. "The Japanese would agree to these conditions offered by Chiang Kai-shek? What are they thinking if they don't set conditions at a time like this?"

Gu Yansheng could understand Minister Zhou's anger; if they really went to peace talks, it would make them look particularly foolish for siding with Japan.

“I’ve been thinking about this issue the whole way here. I guess it’s because it’s been dragging on for too long. Itagaki is getting impatient. With the cabinet reshuffle, maybe the higher-ups have some issues with him,” Gu Yansheng said, trying to save face for him.

"The former prime minister may have promised him some benefits after the negotiations were completed, but now that the prime minister has changed, what if the current prime minister doesn't acknowledge those things? Itagaki is also panicking. He's been away from the central government for too long, and with the change of leadership, he's lost all his acquaintances. Who will speak up for him?"

Minister Zhou thought for a moment and nodded. If it were Itagaki, this might actually be possible.

What you said is probably true.

Taking a deep breath and calming down, she asked, "What do you think?"

Gu Yansheng did not hesitate. "According to the schedule, they are to meet on July 20th to arrange a tripartite meeting. If they want to kill the negotiators, they have to do it after the meeting ends on that day."

However, killing at this time would inevitably attract attention, and all those present would be suspected by the Japanese.

I have a better plan. Since they want to meet for a three-way meeting, and the meeting is to be held in Hankou, we can create chaos during the meeting, such as hiring a gunman to shoot or causing an explosion.

Even if no one was hurt, just the commotion alone would make them, given their status, choose to stay away. This would increase their distrust, and the matter would be half ruined.

This way, the time span is long, and many people know the truth, so it can't be blamed on us.

"Let's do it your way." It was obviously a good idea. Minister Zhou thought for a moment and said, "But we still need to ask Mr. Wang for his opinion on this matter."

"This person"

Minister Zhou had obviously intended to analyze Wang Jingwei's character, but ultimately did not continue. He shook his head and said, "I'm afraid he will agree. Judging from the tone of the Chongqing negotiators, they are very hostile towards us. We have to blame the Japanese for not being tough enough; the talks have been a mess."

A coalition government is not unacceptable, but it should definitely not be the current situation where we are being manipulated by others.

If they went to Chongqing, Chiang Kai-shek would look down on them every day.

“I’ll go to Nanjing and talk to him in person.”

"Okay, then I'll wait for your news."

Gu Yansheng returned to the teahouse and arranged to meet Gu Shuping.

He recounted the contents of the talks in Hong Kong, and then said, "Go to the fisherman's place and tell the organization this news. Also, ask the organization whether I should intervene to sabotage the peace talks."

"Yes."

Gu Yansheng was still pondering whether to spread the news through the newspaper. This way, Feng Yuxiang would have to choose a side, and uniting all forces that could be united would also be a gain.

The next day, Gu Shuping sent a message.

"The organization replied that a dedicated person is handling the matter, so we will remain calm and take no action. They commended us and expressed their gratitude for your efforts."

Gu Yansheng smiled. Since that was the case, he would just deal with Minister Zhou.

During the waiting time, he ignored everything else and focused solely on figuring out how to make money.

When Minister Zhou returned, he came to talk to him about this matter, and the three parties held talks. Wang Jingwei was eager to make his move.

If peace talks are actually held and a coalition government is formed, his peaceful nation-building can be touted as his own achievement, as long as he does a lot of publicity.

He can use his power to bury the truth, and he will be the hero who ended the war and go down in history.

Gu Yansheng guessed Wang Ni's thoughts, and it seemed there was indeed nothing wrong with them.

Of course, Minister Zhou scoffed at this.

His thoughts became simpler: in the Wang Jingwei regime, he was the second-in-command.

When the coalition government was established, Wang Jingwei was the second-in-command. It was considered a great favor by Chiang Kai-shek to have him ranked as the twentieth person in the government.

Before his defection, he was the propaganda minister; after defecting, he might return and still be the propaganda minister.

Wasn't this act of treason wasted?

Zhou Ni craved power even more.

Gu Yansheng, as his confidant, assured him that the matter would not succeed.

On the 18th, a news item appeared in the concession's newspapers and on the radio.

President Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing decided to negotiate peace with the Japanese in exchange for ceding Northeast China and stationing troops in North China.

What Chiang Kai-shek thought when the news broke is unknown, but Shanghai was in an uproar.

The restaurant was buzzing with comments and insults about the incident!

How difficult was the Battle of Shanghai back then?
People who didn't experience the battlefield firsthand shouldn't know, but the people in the foreign concessions were just a wall away from the Battle of Shanghai. They witnessed firsthand the entire process of the National Revolutionary Army soldiers fighting hard on the battlefield!
The famous Sihang Warehouse was where soldiers were trapped. People from the foreign concessions risked their own lives to deliver supplies to the soldiers inside, even under the threat of Japanese sniper fire.

Who's afraid of death?
Who was asked to go and die?

But everyone else went on their own!

No farewell! Cutting their own fingers with a knife and pressing their fingerprints on a petition—that's considered sacrificing themselves for their country!

Even a common man is willing to risk his life, so how could Chiang Kai-shek, as the head of the Nationalist government, dare to take the lead in talking to the Japanese about surrender?
How can this be fair to the many souls who died on the battlefield of Shanghai? How can this be fair to the many unwilling citizens in Nanjing?
"Could Chiang Kai-shek really sleep soundly in the dead of night?"

"Trying to make a deal with the Japanese? What a fucking bastard!"

"Are we just going to abandon so much land and people in the three northeastern provinces like this?"
To hand over to the Japanese as slaves—if anyone from Ningbo is capable of such a thing, they should dig up Chiang Kai-shek's ancestral graves!
Let him know that if he dares to sell out Northeast China, the people of Ningbo will grind his entire family to dust and see how he will face his ancestors!
"You son of a bitch!"

(End of this chapter)