stonecrandall Chapter 117 Ivan is about to die a great death
Chapter 117 Ivan is about to die a great death
"Liu-san!" A hearty laugh interrupted Yan Shuo's thoughts. Matsui Kenji strode over, holding a wine glass, his face flushed with alcohol and smugness. "You're such a good guy! I love friends like you! If all Chinese people were as sensible as you, the Imperial Army would have already achieved the Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere! Cheers!"
Yan Shuo immediately put on a fawning smile, stood up, and clinked glasses with Matsui: "Cheers, Matsui-kun! Congratulations on your promotion to lieutenant colonel, may your future be bright!"
Just as the two finished their drinks, Kong Yao leaned over, beaming, and smoothed things over: "Mr. Matsui and Mr. Liu are a perfect match! They've made a lot of money working together lately, and they're sure to be successful in the future! Congratulations!"
"Congratulations to you all!" Yan Shuo smiled and clinked glasses with Kong Yao, and the three of them drank together.
Matsui glanced downstairs and saw a group of army lieutenant colonels and colonels looking at him. He then said apologetically to Yan Shuo, "Liu-san, there are still guests over there. I'll go and greet them first. Please make yourself at home!"
"Please go ahead! We'll talk later!" Yan Shuo nodded, watching Matsui fawn over the group of army officers, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
He pulled Kong Yao to sit on the sofa, then casually put his arm around Xiaomi, who was standing nearby, and raised his glass, saying, "Brother Kong, let's have a drink alone!"
Xiaomi stepped forward at the opportune moment to refill their glasses with her graceful and efficient movements.
All the drinks at today's banquet were provided free of charge by Yan Shuo.
For him, this cost was negligible.
These drinks were all produced by Xiaozhi and were extremely expensive on the market. It was precisely because of these fine drinks that Matsui felt particularly proud and became even more satisfied with Yan Shuo.
Even Kong Yao was filled with envy. He felt bad about drinking this kind of wine every day, as a bottle cost over a thousand legal coins, which he simply couldn't afford.
"Brother Liu, with such a large sum of money, you must have made a fortune, right?"
Kong Yao leaned closer, his voice filled with envy, "Do you know of any good connections? Could you introduce me to some?"
Yan Shuo sighed helplessly, "There's no good way out. It's just relying on a small winery to sell cheap domestic liquor. These imported liquors are all transported from afar. They look expensive, but the base price isn't low either. There's hardly any profit to be made."
"Then why did you bring so many?" Kong Yao asked, puzzled.
"Matsui-kun is having a joyous occasion today, I can't possibly spoil the fun, can I?"
Yan Shuo shrugged. "We have to be quick-witted to survive under the Japanese. A slight mistake could lead to our utter ruin."
Kong Yao nodded repeatedly, his face full of worry: "That's right! The Japanese have taken the lion's share, and we can only get a little soup. We also have to pay tribute from time to time. Life is tough! I thought that following the Japanese would allow us to live a peaceful and comfortable life, but I never expected it to turn out like this."
"Let's not talk about these upsetting things, let's drink!" Yan Shuo interrupted him, raising his glass. "We have to drink our money back so it doesn't feel like a loss!"
The two drank another glass, and Yan Shuo changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious: "By the way, what about those films my company is making recently? Why haven't they been approved yet? The cinemas are all waiting to release them, and if it drags on any longer, we'll suffer huge losses."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Kong Yao's face as he lowered his voice and said, "Brother, please don't be offended. It's not that I'm not helpful; it's that girl Wan Fangfei who's causing trouble. She's a member of the publicity department and also the cousin of your company's general manager, Wan Liwen. The two of them have never gotten along. The more Wan Liwen earns, the more envious she becomes."
"Oh? These two sisters have this grudge?" Yan Shuo feigned curiosity.
"It's all because of a man." Kong Yao sneered. "You know Jiang Wenzhao, the cultural censor in the news department, right? He's a complete scoundrel, infamous in the Zhabei area, but he's got a good-looking face and has Wan Fangfei completely infatuated with him. But Jiang Wenzhao only has eyes for Wan Liwen and looks down on Wan Fangfei, so this girl vents all her resentment on the film censorship."
Yan Shuo raised an eyebrow, secretly sneering to himself that Jiang Wenzhao had managed to stir up such a storm.
He put down his wine glass, pretending to be angry as he stood up: "Whatever her grudges are, she's blocking our path to making money! If you don't do anything about it, you'll lose your share this month!"
"No, no, no! My dear brother, please calm down!" Kong Yao quickly grabbed him and said hastily, "I have a way, I have a way! I'll go see Mr. Maruyama this afternoon and help you smooth things over."
Yan Shuo's heart skipped a beat. Maruyama Shingo, the deputy director of the Japanese Army's Shanghai reporting department and head of the intelligence section, was a lieutenant colonel and not someone to be trifled with.
This man was not only responsible for collecting intelligence on anti-Japanese forces and turning traitors against the Japanese, but also secretly smuggled weapons and opium and had close ties with gangsters. Zhang Yaolin often came into contact with him.
Yan Shuo only nodded to him and deliberately kept his distance. He couldn't possibly win over everyone in the news department. The Japanese weren't stupid either; getting too close would only expose his true intentions.
Now that Kong Yao has brought it up himself, it has saved him a lot of trouble.
Yan Shuo immediately put on a smiling face and patted Kong Yao on the shoulder: "Brother Kong is the most reliable! I'll have someone send you two cases of top-quality foreign wine and two boxes of Ximei Huaxizi cosmetics to take to your sister-in-law. We can't let her lose face in the socialite circle."
"Good brother! You're a true friend!" Kong Yao was overjoyed, patting his chest to assure her, "Don't worry, I'll go and take care of Mr. Maruyama right now, leaving Wan Fangfei completely helpless and infuriating her!"
"Come on, cheers! May our efforts be successful!"
Yan Shuo raised his glass again, the liquid inside swirling, reflecting the unfathomable calculation in his eyes.
The singing downstairs continued to be melodious, while the socializing upstairs continued.
As night fell and the hustle and bustle of Yulouchun subsided, Yan Shuo returned to the base. He had just finished washing up when the phone on the table rang.
Picking up the receiver, Kong Yao's hearty laughter immediately came through: "Brother Liu! It's done! The entire film has passed censorship. With just one word from Mr. Maruyama, that girl Wan Fangfei didn't dare utter a single word!"
Yan Shuo leaned back in his chair, his tone calm yet polite: "Thank you for your hard work, Brother Kong. When you have time, I'll treat you; let's find a place to have a good drink."
"Alright! That's what I've been waiting for!" Kong Yao was overjoyed. He added a few more words of thanks for the drinks and cosmetics before hanging up the phone.
Yan Shuo put down the receiver, looked up at Xiaomi who was standing beside him, and asked in a somber tone, "What has Ivan been busy with lately?"
Xiao Mi immediately bowed and replied, her tone precise and crisp: "Captain, Director Ivan completed the production of four bombs in his private room today, all equipped with timers. According to our informant, he will most likely head to the Kagurazaka izakaya in the Japanese quarter, targeting a secret club behind it. That club has no name or sign; it appears to be a Japanese recreational area, but it's actually a brothel frequented by many white people, including Soviet Russians and Belarusians. It's said that many of the women there have been kidnapped. Ivan's actions are likely to rescue someone he cares about, and he plans to blow up the club."
"Are there any Chinese people in the club?" Yan Shuo frowned slightly and asked.
"Yes, there are fifteen people in total." Xiaomi quickly reported the details, "There is one older cook, two cleaning ladies, one male receptionist, seven female waitresses, and five new girls locked in the storage room, still being trained."