Newborn 1927

With sufficient reinforcements, the troop expansion proceeded smoothly. Yang Jiefang's guard company was also expanded into a guard battalion, filled entirely with new recruits, with not a single prisoner of war among them. These new recruits came from impoverished backgrounds and were all beneficiaries of the rent and interest reduction policies.

Gao Huilan's women's special forces unit was also expanded, finally reaching full strength at the battalion level; in addition, Gao Ming's company was also expanded into a battalion. Gao Huilan now directly controlled two battalions, but she was still not satisfied. She infiltrated Qingdao multiple times, and with Zhao Yuanbao's cooperation, successfully turned some personnel in the security brigade and the air force squadron against the enemy. Zhao Yuanbao had contacted these people before, but he was only an intelligence team leader and his status was not high enough to successfully turn them against the enemy. Gao Huilan directly contacted these people as the wife of the young commander, and with the remaining power of defeating Fang Yongchang, the turning work went very smoothly. If Gao Huilan wanted, she could fly that passenger plane to Yantai now, and even take Qingdao in one fell swoop. But she wanted more, and for now, she wanted to maintain the status quo.

Initially, Zhang Zuolin assigned a Flying Leopard squadron to Zhang Zongchang, who then expanded it into the Flying Eagle and Flying Tiger squadrons. Later, he recruited eighteen trainees from the Nanyuan and Luoyang Flight Schools, and after training, formed the Flying Tiger and Flying Dragon squadrons. At this time, Zhang Zongchang commanded twenty to thirty aircraft, primarily German Ronker planes, with some French Bled planes and other aircraft.

Gao Huilan was actively working to recruit more pilots and steal more aircraft. Yang Jiefang, knowing this, didn't stop her and even instructed Chu Shiwu in Jinan and Zhao Yuanbao in Qingdao to cooperate. Gao Huilan was extremely ambitious; she even wanted to recruit the First Fleet of the Beiyang Navy stationed in Qingdao. Yang Jiefang was happy to see this happen and allowed her to temporarily garrison Jimo to continue her recruitment efforts.

The expansion and reorganization of the troops naturally couldn't be completed in a day or two. It wasn't until the end of December that all units finished their reorganization and training before moving to their new defense zones. The First Division's headquarters was located in Pingdu County, with its units stationed in Changyi, Shouguang, and Guangrao, north of the Jiaoji Railway. The Second Division's headquarters was located in Rizhao County, with its units stationed in Zhucheng, Anqiu, and Linqu, south of the Jiaoji Railway. The Third Division advanced into southern Shandong, with its headquarters tentatively located in Linyi. Its units would be stationed in Ju County, Yishui County, Mengyin County, Fei County, and Tancheng County, which had not yet been occupied. These areas still required Zhao Changming to lead his troops to fight their way through. The Fourth Division was responsible for remaining in Yantai.

Yang Jiefang established political training departments in the headquarters of each division, which were under the management of the political department. Xu Yuezhi trained a group of political workers and assigned them to various companies as cultural instructors, who were actually responsible for ideological and political work. These cultural instructors were directly managed by the division's training department, and the regiments and battalions had no right to punish them directly.

The territory has now expanded, encompassing a total of thirty-two counties, both already occupied and soon to be occupied. To facilitate governance, Yang Jiefang decided to adopt the concept of prefecture-level cities, similar to those of later dynasties. The thirteen counties east of the Jiaolai River were divided into two prefecture-level cities: the eastern one was placed under the jurisdiction of Yantai City, with Jiang Qingfu as mayor; the western one, comprising Yexian, Pingdu, Jimo, Zhaoyuan, Laiyang, and Haiyang counties, was newly established as Pingdu City, with Wu Miao, the former county magistrate of Pingdu, promoted to mayor. Wu Miao was originally the deputy county magistrate of Laiyang County, but was later transferred to Pingdu County as magistrate. During Yang Jiefang's garrison in Pingdu, through careful observation, he found Wu Miao to be capable and of decent character, and decided to promote and give him an important position.

In the following cities, Yang Jiefang had no choice but to appoint relatives and friends, as those close to him were often more loyal, and in this chaotic world, loyalty was more important than ability. Two more prefecture-level cities were established in the thirteen counties west of the Jiaolai River in the original Jiaodong Circuit. The first was Rizhao City, governing Rizhao, Zhucheng, Jiaoxian, Gaomi, Anqiu, and Linqu counties, with Mu Shiping from Qixia County as mayor. Yang Jiefang planned to leverage the Mu family's influence to develop Rizhao City into a new port city. Weixian was renamed Weifang City, governing Changle, Yidu, Linzi, Guangrao, Shouguang, and Changyi counties, with Jiang Tingqi from the Jiang family as mayor. As for the six counties in the Yimeng Mountains that had not yet been occupied, Linyi City was established, with Kong Shiye as mayor. Although some regional divisions were unreasonable, they were to be managed as best they could for now. The original Jiaodong People's Government was renamed the Ludong People's Government. However, Yang Jiefang lacked capable administrators and had to manage both military and political affairs.

Just then, Sun Yaochen recommended someone to Yang Jiefang. This person was Li Boyan, a primary school classmate and close friend of Sun Yaochen. Upon hearing that Li Boyan was a top student at Jinan University in Shanghai, Yang Jiefang personally met with him. Yang Jiefang quickly calculated the time and realized the problem. Upon meeting him, he immediately asked, "Mr. Li graduated from Jiangshan Higher Primary School, so you're practically my senior. I'd be very happy to have you work for me. However, judging from the timeline, Mr. Li doesn't seem to have graduated yet, does he?"

Li Boyan nodded and said, "Yes. To my shame, I was expelled from school and had no choice but to come out and find a way to make a living." Yang Jiefang asked curiously, "Why is that?" Li Boyan explained, "In April, the situation in Shanghai was turbulent. In a moment of impulse, I went to the streets to protest and wrote some articles criticizing the current situation, which naturally displeased the authorities. I was originally going to be imprisoned, but the school intervened and expelled me on the condition that the situation be calmed down. I ran into walls everywhere in the south and couldn't stay there any longer, so I had no choice but to return to my hometown to try and find a job."

Yang Jiefang's intuition told him that this man was most likely a Party member. And Sun Yaochen, so unassuming, was also most likely a Party member. He came from Jinan and might have connections with the Shandong Provincial Party Committee. If he questioned them directly, they certainly wouldn't admit their identities. He'd keep them around and observe them first. Yang Jiefang said, "I happen to be short a secretary. If Mr. Li doesn't mind the low position, he can be my secretary for now! Mainly to help me handle some administrative matters." As for Jiang Xiaojun, the confidential secretary, she could only transmit documents; she was really incapable of handling administrative affairs. Li Boyan readily accepted and immediately stayed.

After finishing his work, Yang Jiefang led his headquarters back to Yantai, where the focus remained. Upon returning, he was informed that Nakamura Yoshio and Henry were already waiting for him. Yang Jiefang had won a decisive battle, expanding his territory and increasing his army, which would inevitably increase his demand for weapons. This proved to be true. To alleviate logistical pressures, Yang Jiefang had been standardizing weaponry for his regular troops. Increased procurement from them was therefore inevitable.

Henry secured another order and left happily. Yoshio Nakamura, however, was not satisfied with this small arms deal; he now valued Yang Jiefang's abilities in the financial field even more.

Nakamura Yoshio said, "Yang-san, you had my brother-in-law, Jiang-san, sell the collateral to our 21st Bank, and we got 730 million yen in return." Yang Jiefang laughed, "Then congratulations on making over 200 million!" Nakamura Yoshio replied, "Our bank has decided that, after deducting 30 million in operating costs, we will transfer the remaining 200 million yen to you without taking a single penny." Yang Jiefang was greatly surprised and said, "This is what you should have earned, why are you transferring it to me?" Nakamura Yoshio replied, "We are allies, and as allies, this is what we should do." Yang Jiefang certainly didn't believe such nonsense, and just looked at him quietly without saying a word.

Yoshio Nakamura then added, "I heard you're planning a big project to be implemented in the United States. As allies, I think we should work together on this project." Yang Jiefang immediately understood that this big project was their real objective. In Yang Jiefang's eyes, one billion was just a small project; how big would a big project have to be? It was impossible for Nakamura and his group not to be tempted. Naturally, they looked down on this mere two hundred million yen.

Yang Jiefang laughed, "Brother Jiang is enough to implement the American plan. Your involvement won't make the project bigger; it would be superfluous. How about we go somewhere else? Like Britain or France. They are the second largest economies after the United States." Although somewhat disappointed, Nakamura Yoshio still asked, "What are your plans?" Yang Jiefang replied, "We'll use these two hundred million yen as capital to implement my plan in Europe. If we make a profit, we'll split it 50/50. What do you think?" Nakamura Yoshio pressed, "What kind of plan is it?" Yang Jiefang smiled at him, and Nakamura Yoshio quickly realized what he meant and asked, "What do you need us to do?"

Yang Jiefang said, "I've already had someone take this plan to Europe. However, this person isn't a professional in finance, so we need to find an assistant to manage it. Since you're willing to participate, I don't need to look for anyone else." Nakamura Yoshio immediately said, "We will definitely send a professional financial team to Europe to ensure the plan's smooth implementation! We will also supply the weapons you need in sufficient quantities at the lowest possible price." Yang Jiefang said, "These are details. The steel plant we're jointly establishing is the foundation of our cooperation, so please expedite its construction. Also, the purchase of mines along the South Manchurian Railway needs to be expedited." Nakamura Yoshio immediately replied, "Don't worry! We will definitely fulfill our responsibilities as partners."

After seeing Nakamura Yoshio off, Yang Jiefang immediately summoned Jiang Tingxuan and said, "The original plan was for you to leave for the United States after the New Year, but now I can't wait any longer. Hurry up and prepare to leave as soon as possible." Jiang Tingxuan asked, "What exactly is your plan? I don't even know." Yang Jiefang replied, "I'll write it down as soon as possible, making sure you can understand it. Go and prepare!" Jiang Tingxuan had no choice but to quickly hand over her work and prepare for her departure to the United States.

Yang Jiefang's plan was simple, frankly worthless, but at that time, no one had ever done it before. It involved establishing an investment and wealth management company, partnering with some small and medium-sized banks, and selling wealth management products. The goal was to lure depositors with high interest rates. Interest would be paid annually, while the principal would only be withdrawn after several years; if the interest wasn't withdrawn annually, it would be added to the principal for the following year. The bank would receive a commission of about ten percent for each wealth management product sold.

Upon seeing the plan, Jiang Tingxuan exclaimed in shock, "Isn't this just robbing Peter to pay Paul? What will you use to fill this hole when you have to pay back the principal in a few years?" Yang Jiefang replied, "This hole doesn't need to be filled. When the world collapses, even the biggest hole won't matter. After you get the money, you should exchange it for as much gold and silver as possible. Even if you can't exchange it, you should deposit it in a reliable large bank."

Two years later, the Great Depression erupted, and over 10,000 banks in the United States collapsed. These banks failed, and depositors lost everything, yet they couldn't find Yang Jiefang to blame. Simply put, the high-yield investment products were a scam. Yang Jiefang himself had a finance background. There's a saying in the financial world that captures the essence of finance: those who play the financial game are all swindlers. No matter how noble their reasons or how legal and compliant their operations, their essence is to swindle other people's money into their own pockets.

After writing down the plan, Yang Jiefang first showed it to Jiang Tingxuan. Once Jiang understood it, he mailed it to Cheng Jiaju, who was in Germany. He would send a telegram to Cheng Jiaju in advance, instructing him to remain in Europe and make preparations. Yang Jiefang was still uneasy about the cooperation with the 21st Bank and believed it was best to have his own people maintain control.

Before Jiang Tingxuan could even depart, Xie Baozhang brought good news: the matter of building the aircraft carrier in the United States had been settled. Through the mediation of Xie Baozhang and Sa Zhenbing, and with the continued pressure from the United States on Japan, Japan finally made concessions and agreed to allow the United States to build an aircraft carrier for China. With the key issue resolved, it was now up to Yang Jiefang to take charge. He decided to entrust the relevant matters of building the aircraft carrier to Jiang Tingxuan for handling; the necessary expenses would also have to be earned back in the United States.

Then, Yang Jiefang inspected the Yantai heavy industrial zone again to learn about the construction progress. The earliest constructed plants, the Yantai Fertilizer Plant and the Yantai Machinery Processing Plant, were about to begin production. Senior technicians brought in from Germany were training Chinese workers. A vocational skills training school was also established in Yantai specifically to train various skilled workers.

All the guns and artillery damaged in this battle were transported to the Yantai Machine Processing Plant for repair. This also provided trainees with practical training opportunities. Once a group of skilled workers was trained, they would begin establishing an arsenal to design and produce their own weapons. Yang Jiefang eagerly anticipated the arrival of Professor Fogg and the Krupp family.

All of this hinges on the steel mill's ability to produce enough high-quality steel. Therefore, the Yantai Steel Plant is the key. Yang Jiefang, still distrustful of the Japanese, naturally thought of the Hanyeping Company again. He then sent a telegram to Bao Ziqiang, inquiring about the progress there.

Yang Jiefang's inquiry was merely a routine one, but Bao Ziqiang had to take it seriously. He hadn't been idle during this time, paving the way for future developments. Yang Jiefang had long ago told him that Chiang Kai-shek would eventually return to power. If he didn't cultivate relationships now, when would he? Through Huang Jinrong's introduction, Bao Ziqiang was awarded the title of Major Advisor for thwarting a "Communist conspiracy." After stabilizing the situation in Shanghai, Bao Ziqiang dispatched Jinqianshu and Huangquan to Nanjing and Guangzhou respectively to establish new intelligence groups.

Bao Ziqiang hadn't paid much attention to Sheng Enyi lately. After some questioning, he discovered that the spendthrift hadn't gambled for some time. A tally of the IOUs Sheng Enyi had written at various casinos revealed that he owed a total of over three million yuan in gambling debts. Bao Ziqiang was immediately delighted; this spendthrift had even managed to rack up such a huge amount of gambling debts. He decided not to wait any longer and took the three million yuan in IOUs to the Sheng family to find the spendthrift.

The Sheng family was, after all, a prominent and wealthy household, and not just anyone could enter. But faced with a gangster boss from Shanghai, how could the Sheng family's servants dare to stop him? Especially knowing that Bao Ziqiang had come to collect gambling debts, they dared not offend him even more, and hurriedly invited Bao Ziqiang into the living room.

Sheng Enyi often had an irregular sleep schedule. Bao Ziqiang arrived a bit early; the spendthrift was still fast asleep. The servants didn't dare to force him to get up, so they could only offer him a seat and tea, stalling for a while.