Canteen System Assistance Notes

"The board's intelligence is both accurate and fast. They previously predicted that in August, the Americans would announce a freeze on US dollar funds in China and Japan, prohibiting further transactions. This means those who previously accumulated large amounts of US dollars will face the risk of having their dollars become mere figures in their accounts."

Sitting in the Buick Oakland, Nick began to analyze it in his mind.

Imperialism isn't monolithic, and neither are Japanese businessmen. Shanghai's foreign exchange chaos is a boon for speculators and banks, but it's not good news for the US Treasury, which is pushing for loans. The Japanese government is demanding that Japanese businesses in China exchange their dollars for yen, but the Japanese businesses themselves are unlikely to be willing to do so.

If the United States really freezes the foreign exchange market in Shanghai, even if it is just a temporary freeze, given the current rumors of war between Japan and the United States, many Japanese companies will panic-sell dollars, and many local speculators in Shanghai who usually follow the lead of the Japanese will definitely follow suit.

"Rather than leaving all this French currency transferred from the base area in the bank and waiting for it to become worthless, it's better to seize the opportunity and exchange it for US dollars early. Then use it to purchase machinery, equipment, weapons and ammunition to fight those Japanese scoundrels on the battlefield."

These Japanese scoundrels have at least six or seven million dollars in their accounts. Add to that the speculators' follow-the-trend selling, and the total market capitalization for this round of trading is at least tens of millions of dollars. With enough business intelligence, shouldn't we force a price down and take a big bite?

Manager Gu made up his mind that at tonight's salon party, he must carefully inform the comrade in charge of the contact about the "Moyu Company's" strategy of selling high and buying low, and ask him to contact comrades on other business fronts in Shanghai to take action together - this round of action is bound to attract the attention of the Japanese, but if the United States and Japan really go to war, the concession will definitely be occupied by the Japanese army and will no longer be safe.

Anyway, I've already taken care of all the traces... Let's set a small goal first, five million dollars!

Chapter 542: Small Goals Bring Big Trouble

Moyu Investment's timing was impeccable. In August, the US threatened to freeze foreign exchange transactions across East Asia, freeze Chinese and Japanese funds in the US, and revoke Shanghai's free port status. Because the yen they received for handing over foreign exchange to the Japanese government was too low, a group of Japanese businessmen in Shanghai, determined to protect their own interests, sold off US dollars in Shanghai continuously over a few weeks, totaling over $8 million.

As predicted by a certain expatriate executive at "Moyu Investment," the rest of Shanghai's speculators were following the lead of Japanese companies, adept at chasing rising and falling prices. When Japanese companies panicked and sold, they too were terrified and rushed to sell foreign currency, clearing out the fiat currency.

But what is the actual situation?

While the US ultimately froze funds from China, Japan, and other Asian countries, China was able to continue using the US dollar for transactions in the US, leveraging numerous "favorable policies," "privileges," and "presidential approvals." Only Japan was sanctioned for infringing on US interests in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Shanghai's status as a free foreign exchange port remains, and its efforts to maintain stability in the city's foreign exchange market through financial support continue.

All in all, apart from a few procedures and some superficial work, everything is almost normal.

However, before those who were dumping US dollars in the market could react, "Moyu Investment", under the coordination of the CCP's business and intelligence systems, had already acquired chips together with the Siming Bank's Shanghai branch, the Wanchai United Bank system, and the overseas investment China Resources system, which were controlled by our party. They converted hundreds of millions of yuan in legal tender obtained, seized, and exchanged by our party, our army, and the civil affairs systems of various bases into nearly six million US dollars. The cost was about 6% lower than before this wave of market, which means that they had exchanged an additional approximately 35 US dollars.

If we add the high interest rate differentials caused by the devaluation of the French currency and different exchange rates after the Anti-Japanese War, the Eighth Route Army earned an additional US$205 million from purchasing foreign exchange while consuming the same amount of French currency.

这可是1941年代的美元啊，35美元等于1盎司(28.349克)黄金的美元，是正儿八经的高价值"美金'∵!这多出来的205万美元，约摸等于1945年计价下的4架半B29轰炸机;而600万美元总额，大约就是100架P40"战斧"式战斗机（非果脯采购价)!

Well, compared to the 42 billion yuan of legal currency materials that the Military Control Commission legally smuggled from the occupied areas in 43 and 200, it was just a drop in the bucket.

But after all, this money was earned from Japanese businessmen and speculators in Shanghai, so it can be considered as

This was a major victory for the Eighth Route Army on the economic front.

But these weren't peacetime, and seizing market opportunities was only the first step to success. Holding onto the fruits of victory on an isolated island behind enemy lines, especially in late 1941, was no easy task. In the savagely chaotic city of Shanghai, even the truth couldn't be hidden.

As the panic subsided, many quick-witted speculators began to buy dollars at low prices, causing the foreign exchange to appreciate rapidly. At this time, the Japanese and speculators, realizing that they had been taken advantage of, finally reacted and wanted to buy back the dollars.

Where can we find so many US dollars on the market at this time? As the legal tender continues to depreciate, even British and American banks are unwilling to continue to use the distorted market exchange rate to settle foreign exchange. Not only have the legal tender and yen in the hands of the Japanese shrunk a lot, but even if they want to exchange them for US dollars at a discount, there are not so many left.

But how could these Japanese, in a place like Shanghai, "adhere to market rules" and "accept defeat"? Unable to defeat them in the market, and even in the "offline business war," they couldn't? Leveraging the pressure of the Japanese garrison, these Japanese companies quickly began to ally with a group of frustrated speculators and resort to unconventional tactics.

Because they had not yet declared an all-out war with Europe and the United States, they could not openly cause trouble in the concessions. So they used the boss of the Magic City's underground world - the pseudo Magic City Special City Government, to instigate many ruffians and special agents to carry out kidnapping, threats, and extortion, blackmailing the group of speculators who had profited from the market, forcing them to cancel the transactions and sell the purchased foreign exchange back to them at a low price.

In this precarious situation, even though arrangements had been in place since August 1941 for destroying materials, evacuating institutions, transferring assets, and removing foreign currency, China's commercial system and underground front in Shanghai were still significantly impacted. Many comrades and underground Party members were forced to evacuate amidst numerous challenges, surveillance, tracking, and even gunfire, resulting in several casualties.

Fortunately, through the coordination of Mr. Hu Yongqi, an underground member of our party and the new director of the Shanghai branch of Siming Bank, Mr. Martin Nicholson, the US Treasury Commissioner stationed in Shanghai, protested and provided shelter to several "US-funded enterprises" including "Moyu Investment", which made the Japanese and puppet forces restrain their overt actions.

However, even this brief period of peace was short-lived: at the end of November 1941, Martin Nicholson, the U.S. Treasury Commissioner who had at least ostensibly provided protection, suffered a sudden myocardial infarction and passed away. With the erosion of this "tiger skin," the situation faced by the members of the organization who remained on the last stand and had not yet evacuated took a sharp turn for the worse.

"Manager Gu, the company's calling. There are a few thugs outside the Guohua Building. They're just hanging around doing nothing. Last night, the second-floor window was broken with a marble, and a threatening letter covered in chicken blood was thrown in. There aren't many employees left, and I'm afraid our security team can't control them."

"Yiseala punishes Sao, Jingliang Yaoqi Ga San (We are few in number now, so we will try our best to avoid conflict), Yidan Diwu Poxunbu Wang, Xiu Gangsi transfers the building's Gu Xisan line, Hai Yila is afraid to come over (You call the police station and say it's Mr. Gu from the Guohua Building who is looking for you, and ask them to send someone over.)"

Boss Qing, the ship our employees were on was inspected by the Wang Puppet Government's navy. The Dutch captain protested, and the ship and crew were detained at Sanjiangkou, unable to dock at Wusongkou. Now the shipowner is asking us to get a refund.

"Don't retreat yet, this group needs to leave as soon as possible. I'm still feeling down, but I'm going to have to wait and see. (Ask them if they have any other ships, as long as they're not going to Japan.)"

Gu Weicheng, also known as Gu Nick, the executive manager of Moyu Investment, was so thirsty that he had to stand up to work.

There were not many people left, and he was unwilling to risk creating a horizontal

In order to avoid contacting and causing trouble for comrades in the underground party, he had to deal with many things personally.

Now he was just squatting in the small chapel of the American Country Association on the edge of the International Settlement with a few assistants, coordinating with employees of the U.S. Treasury Department and church staff in the chapel to arrange the funeral arrangements for Special Envoy Martin.

"Dear Joan, we're holding off on announcing Mr. Martin's death for your safety. There are rumors circulating that Japan is about to go to war with the United States, which is why those damned villains are so furious." He gulped down a few sips of his drink and comforted Martin's family in English. "If we release the news rashly, I'm afraid we'll be besieged immediately..."

"I suggest that we wait until we're on board and then have Father George perform the ceremony for Mr. Martin. That way, seeing that everyone is safe, he can rest assured and go to heaven..."

At this moment, an assistant hurriedly opened the door of the chapel, walked over and whispered a few words in Manager Gu's ear. As this person finished his narration, Gu Nick's eyes suddenly widened, revealing a rare hint of panic.

But this panic was quickly suppressed, and he cursed inwardly: "Wen Sanbo No. 76 is so funny? (Wen San was captured by the little scoundrel No. 76?) That damn Wang Zhaoming!" The sudden news made him frown, and Gu Weichen walked back and forth in the small chapel.

"Master Isaig's Frame... vomit, vomit!" (In this situation... we can't delay, we can't delay!)

"Wow, Yao Haidu is blinded by a stick! (No, I need to ask the 'big boss' for help!)"

Chapter 543: "Professional" Foreign Aid

No. 76, the minion of the Wang Puppet Regime, the mad dog of the devils, and the stubborn disease of the Magic City.

Under the guise of an intelligence agency, they used No. 76, Jisifei Road, in the west of Shanghai, as their base. They carried out terrorist activities according to 50% of the Japanese orders, while the remaining 50% was used for their daily tasks - robbing banks, kidnapping prostitutes, snatching cars on the street, stealing cultural relics...

For example, because a bank refused to comply with their extortion demands, they kidnapped the bank manager at gunpoint and opened fire in the business hall. To carry out the Japanese order to "quietly drive out the K-shop," they surrounded the hostel's dormitory and slaughtered the entire family of the employees. Another example was seeing a nice car at a meeting place and shooting the owner. They also engaged in a car race and gun battle with the Concession Police Station, which ultimately required the intervention of Japanese military police...

It is even said that the so-called agents of No. 76 would stop a tram in the street, order all passengers to take off their suits, and then walk away with a pile of extorted suits. They really treated Shanghai as the "San Andreas" city in the Grand Theft Auto game.

In short, in the Magic City, a land that includes the national forces represented by Japan, the Communist Party, the Kuomintang and various concessions, this group of bastards who live under the protection of the Wang Puppet Government are not an intelligence agency or a regime violence organization at all. They are basically a licensed criminal organization.

Therefore, being targeted by them, regardless of whether there is Japanese instigation behind it, is not a good thing!

If it were still the stable period of the isolated island concession, the most Moyu Company could do was spend a little more money, mobilize their connections, use the forces of both the black and white sides of the concession, or even negotiate with the Japanese to rescue the person from that hellhole on Jessfield Road. That way, although the person would inevitably suffer great punishment, at least he would get out alive.

But it was already the end of November 1941, December was just around the corner. The Japanese were becoming increasingly aggressive in their actions in Shanghai, and tensions between Japan and the US were growing increasingly intense. Furthermore, the higher-ups were assessing the situation with extraordinary seriousness. The Shanghai Party organization simply didn't dare gamble with Unit 76's civility—it was better to hope that the Japanese would suddenly raise their red flags and declare themselves on an unimagined path than rely on their compliance with legality and procedural justice.

We must rescue people, and if we do not move, it will be fine. If we move, it must be dramatic: we must carry out this rescue operation with lightning speed.

The Demon City underground organization's action team should have been responsible for this operation. As a covert unit with a long history, the Demon City Action Team's comrades were adept at switching identities between cities and operating discreetly. They had performed numerous missions such as escort, transportation, and extermination of traitors. Logically, they could be entrusted with this mission without any problems.

However, according to the results of preliminary investigation, Comrade Wen San, the secretary of the general manager of "Moyu Investment" and an underground party member, was transferred by Wang Puppet spies along with several other hostages to the base camp at No. 76 - the den of evildoers deep in the west of Shanghai, No. 76 Jessfield Road - and was not imprisoned in the several hiding places under their control.

There are deep walls and high courtyards here with strict defense. There is also a Japanese military police office next door, where a Japanese military police detachment of more than ten people is stationed. The "Shanghai West Special Police Station" is also near No. 76. There is a police station at No. 92 Jessfield Road, which has a police armed force called the "Long Gun Team" specially used to suppress mass activities. It is said that there are more than 50 long guns.

This situation was not something the Magic City Action Team could handle. If they attacked rashly, they would probably just be "delivering food." However, our Party and Army's calls for support were not like the Japanese, who would request "tactical guidance." Faced with something that was truly beyond their capabilities, Liu Shaowen, the leader of the Magic City Action Team, quickly contacted the New Fourth Army Pudong Detachment operating in Pudong through reserved channels and successfully communicated with the New Fourth Army Headquarters.

Our action team can't beat you, but don't I know how to mobilize people?

"So how did you get here so quickly? I remember we just sent the news to the underground military depot the day before yesterday, right?"

At a meeting point near the Shanghai-Hangzhou line in Shanghai, representatives of Shanghai's underground party organization greeted a group of ordinary-looking individuals whose every move resembled that of ordinary people. As soon as they entered, their ordinary aura vanished. The leader waited for several "followers" to quickly check the area. After confirming it was safe, he replied in his usual, unassuming tone.

We didn't cross the river directly, but came from western Zhejiang. If speed is a priority, we might as well take the train around. He rubbed his face and said casually, "As for why it's so fast, young comrade, we've been working together for almost half a year. You're still asking us this?"

"Ah? Half a year? Ah—you are... the little boss?"

The contact person immediately realized that since 41, they had been coordinating with the New Fourth Army's urban work group to evacuate important personnel and important documents and archives from the Magic City. Aside from a few minor blunders, there had been basically no major problems. Throughout this series of operations, the comrades in charge of contact all called themselves this.

What reassures the underground organization in Shanghai the most is that as long as these materials or personnel reach Shanghai's port, Fengxian County next to Shanghai, or even the Huangpu River, they will be able to safely evacuate this chaotic "devil's land". The "little bosses" are so powerful that they can even cover for large quantities of highly sensitive materials such as Mr. Shu Ren's collection of books and manuscripts to leave Shanghai smoothly.

According to some rumors, the "little bosses" can even use Japanese cargo ships to transport arms for them! I don't know if it's true or not...

"Hush, comrade, we still need to focus on the current action."

The visitor smiled knowingly and gestured for silence. Immediately, he pulled out a box of plasticine and began to mold various "little figures" representing his targets. There was already a complete topographical map with detailed legends, depicting everything around 76 Jetsfair Road in the "Evil Land."

"Your intelligence work is excellent! Come, tell me about your plan first."

"That's no problem, Captain Qian. Our initial plan is..." The comrade in charge of the contact quickly got into the role. He quickly gave the New Fourth Army comrades a brief introduction to the situation around Jessfield Road, the number of the enemy, possible deployments and habits of action. He also explained the situation of the surrounding buildings and showed several available retreat routes.

In short, the biggest problem now is the weapons of the 929th Lancers and the agents in the 76th. Our action team has obtained the internal structure diagram of the building, but those agents are numerous and have strong firepower, almost all of them are fast-moving machine guns and large-scale guns; the 92nd Lancers are all equipped with German carbines and a Czech machine gun. They enter the battlefield of 50 to 60 meters and suppress us.

The power is very strong."

"So in a sense, this is a problem of insufficient firepower."

The New Fourth Army representative nodded. Urban warfare, especially in the Magic City, was hampered by the inability to disassemble and transport artillery. However, there was no need to worry; we had considered this possibility before we arrived. He placed a small suitcase on the table, opened it, and pushed it to the underground party contact across the street.

"For heavy firepower, other comrades will prepare according to the plan; for light firepower, we will also be prepared.

"We must ensure that our comrades will not be oppressed and beaten by that dog spy."

This time, the "little boss" touched the short and compact "submachine gun" in the box, and the 3-round magazine, telescopic steel stock and the beautiful "Made by ArmaLite" stamp were clearly visible.

Chapter 544: The Siege of the Demonic City

(Update)

The Magic City, west of Shanghai, is also known as the evil land, and Jessfield Road passes through it from east to west.

Compared with the current prosperity of Shanghai with its "high-rise buildings and heavy traffic", or even compared with the image of Shanghai in most film and television works with its "cement streets, three-story buildings and shop signs", Shanghai's west side is more like an "urban-rural fringe" in contemporary China.

Large tracts of farmland and wasteland stretch across the area, with a large number of residential houses and "front shops and back yards" clustered along the street, forming a typical strip-shaped settlement - No. 76 is located in such an area.

However, due to the institution's truly infamous reputation, it was considered a "keep away from strangers" type of place, and all the families living nearby had already managed to move out. The only remaining residents were a few shops closely associated with the Wang Puppet regime, a police station, and a Japanese military police station used to monitor No. 76.

After all, no one wants to walk through the gate of a devil's den every day, especially when the thugs hanging around outside the gate will force you to bow to the gatehouse on the main road.

However, the agents and thugs of Unit 76 really enjoyed this M-like majesty. One day in early December, they were out hunting on the streets, wandering around, looking for a target of interest. Soon, someone spotted a very beautiful American sedan painted in dark blue.

"Oh! This car is so stylish!"

Without even checking to see if the car was Japanese, or even considering the owner's background, the thugs from No. 76 swarmed over the vehicle. They forced open the car door, yelled at the owner, fired randomly, threatened him with the keys, and laughed heartily at his fleeing form.

They started up the beautiful Buick Oakland and headed back toward No. 76.

However, the car was clearly a bit of a jerk. As the spies approached No. 76 and passed the bamboo archway in front of their own house, the car's American engine suddenly roared, and it went astray. Then, as the spies got out to investigate, the car burst into flames, terrifying them enough to abandon the car and flee.

The wooden chassis of the Auckland sedan and the gasoline inside quickly exploded, starting a massive fire. By the time the fire department arrived in their fire truck, the flames, fueled by the wooden car and gasoline, had already engulfed the Chinese-style gatehouse at No. 76, consuming it with billowing black smoke and a roaring sound.

The fire was so fierce that the fire brigade's manual pumps could not suppress it at all. The agents who ran out to put out the fire could only watch from afar. By the time the subsequent motorized pumps arrived at the scene, the bamboo and wooden archway of No. 76 had been burned to the point of being on the verge of collapse. Finally, it collapsed with a loud bang under the impact of the water column.

Well, at least the fire didn't burn inside, causing any damage to the buildings and trees inside. Tong Keming, who had replaced Li Shiqun, the former director of No. 76, looked at the ruined gatehouse with anger. People these days are a bit superstitious, and Tong Keming is no exception. Having his family's gate destroyed by fire is truly an unlucky thing.

He severely punished the spies who went out of the "GTA" and sent someone to find a construction team, forcing them to repair the gatehouse within ten days. As a result, a construction team got a legitimate reason at No. 76 and gathered near the gatehouse of No. 76.

Rebuilding a bamboo archway is achievable with a dozen laborers and other workers. But with such a tight deadline, they'll have to work overnight—overtime pay? Do you dare ask No. 76 about that?

Faced with this naked threat, the contractors and workers in charge of the project had no choice but to swallow their anger and work in two shifts all night long. Although Shanghai already had a curfew system at that time, no one was allowed to go out on the streets at night except for special exceptions. But No. 76 was naturally one of the "special exceptions". After the foreman of the construction team spent money to smooth things over, they naturally got the permission to work at night.

Soon, a lot of bamboos imported from Zhejiang Province to the Magic City Concession were transported across the Qiantang River by a barge and then unloaded by the stevedores at Wusong Port; some strange "musical instruments and tools" were also unloaded from the Magic City train station and brought to some hidden buildings.

Finally, all the stuff was loaded onto a four-wheeled cart and several two-wheeled rickshaws, ready to be transported to the construction site. Unfortunately, the construction team's usual Ford truck broke down that day. To avoid delaying the construction of No. 76, the foreman had no choice but to contact the fire department in the French Concession and rent their fire truck to transport the goods. Now that the Chinese authorities had surrendered, their fire department had transformed into a car rental company, which was quite convenient.

“Stop! Stop!”

Today, No. 76 was unusually quiet. The police officers who usually came for routine patrols or a distant look were nowhere to be seen. The two pseudo-spies from No. 76 started shouting loudly—anyone could tell they were bored and irritable. They were supposed to be out drinking and gambling tonight, so who the hell wanted to watch a dozen shirtless men erect a memorial archway?

"Stop that jerk! Stop the car and check!"

The convoy stopped, and the foreman on the lead car walked over with a smile on his face and expertly handed over two paper bags. "My dear brothers, please help me, please help me."

Seeing the foreman they'd been seeing for the past few days, and the two pseudo-spies' eyes lit up when they saw him with two heavy paper bags. They didn't even bother to notice why the foreman wasn't wearing his usual short work jacket. Instead, they coughed twice and pulled flashlights from their waistbands: "Come down, for a routine inspection!"

"Brother, brother! The bamboos on this cart are all needed!" When the foreman heard this, he knew that something bad was going to happen today. These two guys were going to blackmail him again. He could only plead humbly, "Brothers, these bamboos are the same as the ones piled over there. The uncles who came a few days ago have all checked them out. There is no problem, no problem... How about you, in a few days, please come to our local restaurant and prepare some light wine..."

"Go west, go west! You bastard, you bastard! How can they be the same as us?"

Suddenly, the pseudo-spies, speaking with righteous indignation, had made up their minds. They pushed the foreman aside and drove the workers off the cart. They shone their flashlights all over the cart—honestly, there wasn't much to see. Besides the tool boxes and tool bags containing the construction tools, there were only neatly arranged bamboos.

It was even said that in order to prevent the bamboo from falling apart during transportation, the loaders used metal frames to secure the bamboo... Hmm? Metal frames? When did metal frames become necessary for transporting bamboo?

One of the pseudo-spies was startled, then looked down and saw the rubber tires on the trailer. The rubber tires of ordinary trucks and rickshaws are all round, but the tires of these trucks were flattened where they pressed against the ground, with bulges on the sides, and they were hard when kicked.

Ouch, this car is so loaded!

But before he could react, he suddenly felt a chill on his waist. In a flash, before he could even register a response, someone covered his mouth. Then, a pain so intense it was unbearable for a human being to endure spread. The evil pseudo-spy didn't even have time to straighten himself before his vision went black and he passed away.

"Okay, let's move!"

Chapter 545: 82 vs. 76

This must be a large-scale operation, both the underground party representatives and the New Fourth Army representatives thought so.

It’s just that there may be some subtle differences in the definition of “large-scale” between what the underground party comrades considered and what the New Fourth Army representatives considered.

As the action leader pressed the throat microphone to broadcast the voice, the "workers" of the Fifth Detachment of the New Fourth Army Special Forces Battalion, who had practiced on the map dozens of times, quickly opened the tool kits, suitcases and large satchels in the car, and pulled out a row of short and powerful all-black submachine guns from the bottom of the car, baskets and interlayers.

After a chaotic clattering sound, several men, with their backpacks pulled back and strapped on, and their ammunition pouches strapped to their sides, charged towards Post 76. Meanwhile, two teams quickly climbed the scaffolding used for construction, setting up rifles with scopes at high altitude, quickly transforming themselves into observation posts and firing points on the commanding heights.

Bang!

Da da da!

The assault team's AR-1 submachine guns and the security team's ZH+-29s rang out simultaneously. In the distance, the armed sentry on the roof of the main building No. 76 and the guard who was grabbing the phone in the sentry box fell down together. Following closely was a noisy voice and the sound of frying beans.