stonecrandall Chapter 77 Masataka Kameda Arrests Communists
Chapter 77 Masataka Kameda Arrests Communists
"Mr. Liu, I've long admired your name." Ji Chuan extended his hand, his tone polite yet firm. "I've heard from Boss Hu that Ximei Trading Company has a young financial officer with extraordinary abilities who has made the company a great success. Meeting you today, I can see that he is indeed a young hero."
Yan Shuo grasped his hand, his face displaying just the right amount of surprise and humility, as if he were truly meeting Liu Jie for the first time. He smiled and said, "Captain Ji, you flatter me. I'm just doing odd jobs for Mr. Lucas to make a living. Captain Ji, on the other hand, is quite famous in Shanghai. It's my honor to have you take notice of me."
The two sat down, and Hu Erkui quickly called the waiter to serve tea. He then sat aside discreetly, sipping his tea without saying a word.
Yan Shuo picked up his teacup, gently blew on the floating leaves, and got straight to the point: "Captain Ji, Boss Hu said you wanted to meet with me. What brings you here?"
Ji Chuan put down his teacup, leaned forward, and smiled even more broadly: "I wouldn't call it giving you advice, I just want to make friends with Mr. Liu. As you know, business in Shanghai is tough these days, there are checkpoints everywhere, and you have to bribe people everywhere. I still have some influence at No. 76, so if Mr. Liu encounters any trouble in his business in the future, just let me know."
He paused, then changed the subject: "Of course, I'm not helping for nothing. I've heard that Mr. Liu has many good connections and his business is huge. I thought it would be better to share the joy than to keep it to myself, so why not include me in the conversation and we can make some money together? What do you think, Mr. Liu?"
Yan Shuo feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow: "Captain Ji is joking. Mr. Lucas has dealt with Director Ding and Deputy Director Li of your bureau in the business of the Western American Trading Company. They even had dinner together last time through the introduction of a director of the Municipal Council. Your bureau already has a stake in the trading company. What, Captain Ji, are you unaware of these things?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Chuan's smile faded slightly, and a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "Mr. Liu is referring to the business on the surface. But I've investigated, and I suspect Mr. Liu has quite a few other connections behind the scenes, don't you?"
He stared at Yan Shuo, his tone suddenly turning sharp: "For example, the goods heading towards Shancheng. Although they changed hands several times in between to cover their tracks, the source was all handled by Mr. Liu. Am I right?"
Yan Shuo sneered inwardly, but his face remained calm, even showing a hint of confusion: "Captain Ji, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. I'm just a financial officer for a foreign company, only in charge of the accounts. How would I know about any private channels? You've probably misunderstood."
"Misunderstanding?" Ji Chuan scoffed, pulled a stack of photos from his pocket, and slammed them on the table.
The photo shows several trucks loading and unloading goods late at night. Although the photo is blurry, the logo of West American Trading Company can be vaguely seen.
"Mr. Liu, aren't these photos enough to illustrate the point? If I hand these over to the Special Higher Police, do you think the West American Trading Company can still maintain its foothold in Shanghai? Mr. Lucas, I'm afraid he'll have to pack his bags and leave too?"
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Hu Erkui quickly tried to smooth things over: "Mr. Liu, Captain Ji means well. He just wants to cooperate with you and make money together. We're all trying to make a living in Shanghai. If we help each other out, we can go further."
Yan Shuo picked up the photo, glanced at it, and casually tossed it on the table. A smile finally appeared on his face, tinged with sarcasm: "Captain Ji, indeed, impressive methods. However, since you know I can smuggle goods into Shancheng, you should know how risky this channel is. The checkpoints along the way, the patrols of the Japanese and puppet troops, and the exploitation by various forces—all of these cost money. You want a share? Fine. But I have a condition."
Seeing that Yan Shuo had relented, Ji Chuan's gloomy expression dissipated, and he smiled again: "Mr. Liu, please speak. As long as it's within my power, I will do my best."
"It's very simple." Yan Shuo leaned forward, looking sharply at Ji Chuan. "I need you to issue me a special pass number 76. All goods I handle, whether they go through Japanese-occupied areas or concessions, must be exempt from inspection at checkpoints along the way. In addition, I need you to help me with the checkpoint procedures for leaving the country. Whether it's a car or a ship, as long as it's my goods, it must have a green light all the way."
He paused, then added, "Of course, you'll get your share too. I'll give you 20% of the profits from each shipment. How about it, Captain Ji? Is this deal worthwhile?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Chuan fell into deep thought.
A 20% profit margin is no small amount.
Yan Shuo's conditions were not difficult for him.
As the leader of the action team, he could still manage to obtain the special pass for No. 76.
As for exemption from inspection at checkpoints, as long as he gives the word, his subordinates naturally won't dare to make things difficult.
Hu Erkui quickly chimed in, "Captain Ji, this is a great deal! Mr. Liu's channels are guaranteed to make a profit. With Mr. Liu's goods, your life will be much easier from now on."
After weighing the options for a moment, Ji Chuan finally made up his mind.
He extended his hand to Yan Shuo and said, "Alright! Let's do as Mr. Liu says! It'll be a pleasure working together!"
Yan Shuo grasped his hand, a bright smile on his face, but his eyes were icy cold.
Ji Chuan thought he had caught him red-handed, but little did he know, this was exactly what he wanted.
With No. 76's special pass, his supply transport will be much smoother.
As for Ji Chuan, he was just another pawn in his game.
Once it's used up, its time to die will come naturally.
"It's a pleasure to work with you!" Yan Shuo said with a smile.
As Yan Shuo emerged from the Taifeng Hotel, the evening breeze caused the hem of his suit jacket to sway slightly.
As he got into the car, his mind was still replaying the details of his meeting with Ji Chuan, Ji Chuan's greed, Hu Er Kui's ability to get along with everyone, and how big a fish he could catch with the bait he had thrown out.
As soon as the car turned a corner, a commotion of voices suddenly erupted ahead. Then, a few scattered gunshots pierced the night sky, some near and some far, like a string of firecrackers exploding in the street.
Yan Shuo frowned, immediately stopped the car, opened the door, and strode quickly toward the chaos.
The crowds rushed about like a tide, their footsteps making a "clattering" sound on the bluestone pavement.
Yan Shuo reacted quickly, grabbing a middle-aged man who was frantically trying to escape. The man, wearing a blue cotton jacket, struggled violently, his face filled with terror: "Don't pull me! What are you doing? You're killing me!"
"What happened up ahead?" Yan Shuo's voice deepened, his eyes filled with an undeniable sense of pressure, and his fingers tightened slightly, making the middle-aged man's arm ache.
The middle-aged man was intimidated by his imposing manner and dared not resist any longer. He shouted urgently, "Arrest him! Arrest him! I don't know who they are, I only heard them shouting 'Arrest the Communists'! Let me go now, or I won't be able to escape!"
"Arrest Communists?" Yan Shuo released his grip, his heart skipping a beat.
The middle-aged man felt as if he had been granted a pardon, turned around and disappeared into the crowd in an instant.
Yan Shuo quickly scanned his surroundings, his gaze landing on a quiet alley not far away.