Espionage: You're tasked with spying, but you'll blow up the Special Higher Police?

Zhou Hongyi added in his mind, "I couldn't be happier." At that moment, he activated his Eye of Insight, a barely perceptible glint flashing in his eyes.

Hasegawa appeared more tense, suspicious, and angry than yesterday. His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes occasionally flashed with wariness. These fluctuating emotions allowed Zhou Hongyi to uncover more secrets.

"That bastard! The cargo he was transporting wasn't just penicillin and weapons; he was also transporting some chemicals. Are these Japanese devils planning to develop chemical weapons near Shanghai? Damn it!"

Zhou Hongyi soon discovered a shocking inside story, and a surge of anger welled up in his heart.

Hasegawa noticed the change in his expression and asked with concern, "Sasuke-kun, what's wrong? You don't look well."

Zhou Hongyi bowed apologetically and said, "Oh, it's just that the wound is throbbing in waves, but it's not a big problem."

Upon hearing this, Shimazu quickly gestured for his beloved student to sit down and talk.

“Sasuke, the reason I called you here today is to find out more about that assassin. After all, you were the first to notice his unusual movements, and you were the one who directly fought him and killed him. But we didn’t find any useful information on his body, and the pistol he used could be bought anywhere on the black market.”

Shimazu's voice was deep and serious. He stared intently at Zhou Hongyi, as if trying to find the answer in his expression.

Zhou Hongyi sat up straight and said very politely, "Teacher, according to my deduction, this assassin should be from the Kuomintang Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. Moreover, this assassination was also a spur-of-the-moment decision. I found that his original target was actually Miss Manyu from the Paramount Ballroom. He must have seen you and Mr. Hasegawa before he took action, and then changed his target on the spur of the moment."

"The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS)? A spur-of-the-moment decision? Whoa!"

Shimazu squinted his small eyes, gritted his teeth, and sneered, "Recently, the Special Higher Police have been focusing their efforts on suppressing guerrillas and the underground forces of the Red Party, and have indeed relaxed their crackdown on the Kuomintang. I didn't expect them to be so bold. But why did they want to assassinate Miss Manyu?"

Zhou Hongyi continued, "Based on my observations and what he said before he died, it seems that the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics assassins disapproved of Miss Manyu's close relationship with you, Teacher, and wanted to make an example of her to intimidate those political and business figures who had good relations with us, attempting to create an atmosphere of terror."

"Damn it! These Kuomintang assassins are too arrogant! Hasegawa-kun, don't worry, I will definitely pass on the orders to have the Special Higher Police's agents intensify their crackdown on the relevant organizations, and I will not let them affect your work."

Hasegawa bowed and said, "Then everything is in your hands, Colonel Shimazu. Also, Sasuke-kun, I heard that you are also very interested in doing business. A couple of days ago you even took over a Western antique shop, and you even went to the Paramount to investigate, wanting to invest."

Zhou Hongyi narrowed his eyes, his face still smiling, but inwardly he cursed. Those damned Japanese devils, all smiles on the surface, but secretly they've thoroughly investigated me.

Fortunately, he did all these things openly, without hiding them from anyone. This was the persona he deliberately cultivated: a love of money. A person who is both arrogant and greedy is someone the Japanese can easily manipulate. As the saying goes, the greater the desire, the easier it is to control; if one is without desires, the other party will be more afraid.

"I'm so ashamed to admit that I've made you, teacher and Mr. Hasegawa, laugh at me. I do intend to open a dance hall. After all, I visited many similar places when I was studying abroad, and I have many of my own ideas. I want to apply some advanced Western management concepts here, and I believe it will definitely get good feedback. The two songs I wrote for Ms. Manyu yesterday were an experiment, and the results proved that my idea was correct."

Hasegawa, as a purchasing specialist at the Ministry of Finance, is very knowledgeable about business matters. Yesterday, he and Shimazu heard the two new songs and saw Zhou Hongyi's twist dance in the private room on the second floor. While feeling novel, they also felt that there was a considerable business opportunity.

"Hehehe, Shimazu-kun, your student truly lives up to his reputation as one of the Sanada Ten Braves. He's not only skilled in martial arts but also in literature, and he can even write songs and lyrics. His business acumen and vision are also exceptional. I think he's the most suitable candidate to be our business spokesperson," Hasegawa said with a smile, a hint of calculation in his eyes.

"A commercial spokesperson?"

Zhou Hongyi raised an eyebrow and saw this round-headed, lewd fat man, with another entry popping up above his head—[Little Days Sakura Merchant Guild].

This was another purpose of his trip: to establish a business organization here that could rival the local chamber of commerce. After all, Shanghai was home to numerous powerful local forces, including large gangs, foreigners in the concessions, and local gentry and warlords, all of whom controlled and divided up almost all entertainment venues.

Although Xiao Rizi secretly controls the puppet government, these forces outwardly submit to him, and he cannot openly rob them, as that would violate the persona they have created for themselves.

Their solution was to re-establish a chamber of commerce that was entirely biased towards them. This chamber needed a non-Japanese agent in Shanghai, and they had their sights set on Zhou Hongyi for that role.

"Sasuke-kun, if, and I mean if you owned a nightclub similar to the Paramount, what changes would you make to make it stand out from the crowd and become a sensation among its peers?"

Upon hearing Hasegawa's question, Zhou Hongyi knew that the other party was testing him. Hasegawa's thoughts were now laid bare before him. If he followed Hasegawa's line of reasoning, he would be able to secure the position of director of the Chamber of Commerce, or even the chairmanship.

"Mr. Hasegawa, if I really had a cabaret similar to the Paramount, I would start and make changes in several aspects. First, I would innovate the performance style and content. In addition to traditional song and dance performances, I would also introduce magic, acrobatics and other performance styles to create a comprehensive stage performance."

Secondly, themed performances and shows are planned based on different holidays, seasons, or popular cultural elements. For example, a couples-themed performance can be launched on Valentine's Day, and an ocean-themed performance can be launched in the summer to enhance the fun and novelty of the performance.

Regularly maintain and update the facilities within the venue to ensure safety and comfort. Establish a membership system, offering members privileges such as points, discounts, and priority booking to attract customers and increase repeat business. Regularly launch promotional activities, such as birthday specials, holiday packages, and group-buying discounts, to attract more customers.

Finally, and I think most importantly, is the celebrity effect and social responsibility. The celebrity effect is relatively easy to manage; we can hold concerts and meet-and-greets regularly, and promote ourselves through newspapers, magazines, posters, and other channels to increase our brand awareness. But social responsibility…”

Zhou Hongyi paused suddenly, looking at the two Japanese soldiers who were listening intently.

"Sasuke-kun, please continue," Hasegawa said impatiently.

"So-called social responsibility means actively participating in public welfare activities to enhance our social image and brand value. For example, holding charity performances to raise funds for vulnerable groups such as children and the disabled in impoverished areas, and providing free food for disaster victims. Only in this way can we establish a good reputation and image among the people of Shanghai, which will be more conducive to the management of our Imperial Army."

Zhou Hongyi spoke fluently, bombarding Hasegawa with all sorts of fresh and out-of-the-time terms, leaving the self-proclaimed business genius completely bewildered. Hasegawa even felt like a clueless apprentice in front of Zhou Hongyi.

"This...impressive, impressive! No wonder you are Shimazu-kun's prized student, a top graduate of West Point! Your business ideas are completely ahead of their time. Excellent, I am very satisfied!"

Hasegawa finished speaking and nodded to Shimazu, as if he had made some kind of decision.

Shimazu didn't respond immediately, but chuckled and said, "Well? I didn't lie to you, did I? Sasuke-kun is absolutely capable of this position. It's just that he still has a gunshot wound, and the details of the Chamber of Commerce still need to be finalized. Sasuke-kun, you should go back and rest for the next few days. We'll let you know when Hasegawa and I are ready."

Judging from Shimazu's biography, Zhou Hongyi realized that the old man had a trick up his sleeve. Even though he was Shimazu's direct student, there was still an extra layer of scrutiny due to the issue of bloodline.

But that doesn't matter. Even without the Japanese's business association matters, he was confident that he could raise a lot of money in a short time. After all, in this era, Shanghai is full of gold; it just depends on whether you have the ability to pick it up.