Chapter 391: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 401: Such Good Snow, Such a Good Omen!

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

As soon as he approached the study, that German Shepherd became extremely excited.

Its front paws clawed desperately at the study's redwood door, barking incessantly at those inside.

Chen Minren stepped forward and waved his hand.

Two military policemen kicked open the study door.

The German Shepherd leaped in with a single bound, barking madly at a hidden compartment on the bottom shelf of the bookcase.

The military policemen acted swiftly, directly removing the baffle to reveal stacks of neatly arranged "National Salvation" bonds.

They were precisely the bonds printed with Youth Army illustrations, with face values ranging from fifty yuan at the lowest to one thousand yuan at the highest, several thick bundles.

Seeing this, Wang Baiwan, who had been extremely nervous, breathed a sigh of relief after thinking it over.

These things were at most his own financial products; put nicely, buying these National Salvation bonds could be said to be contributing to the country.

"Commander Chen, this... buying and selling bonds isn't illegal, what are you trying to do?"

"Manager Kong of the Bank of Communications also said that anyone who buys these National Salvation bonds is supporting the War of Resistance; I just bought a bit more, keeping them for appreciation, isn't that legal?"

Chen Minren pulled out a stack and flipped through it casually.

These several bundles of bonds were of a huge amount, with face values of at least over one hundred thousand.

But after being speculated on by interested parties, when Wang Baiwan resold them, it would be far more than one hundred thousand.

In the end, all the money was spent on these false bubbles, ending up in the pockets of the interested parties behind the scenes.

Chen Minren weighed the National Salvation bonds in his hand and sighed:

"So many bonds, Boss Wang is truly wealthy."

"Buying and selling bonds is indeed not illegal."

"But I am curious, Boss Wang, where did this batch of goods come from? I work at the provincial government, and I remember the banks haven't started large-scale distribution yet."

"Give me a channel, so I, your brother, can also make a fortune?"

Wang Baiwan was about to bluff when a loud bang suddenly came from the direction of the rear garden.

Immediately after, a military policeman covered in dust ran quickly from the direction of the cellar.

"Report to the Commander! There's a situation inside the cellar!"

"Inside, there is a set of precise mimeograph equipment and a copper engraving plate!"

Hearing this, Wang Baiwan was completely stunned, when did he have these things?

"What? What equipment? I only have grain and old wine in my cellar!"

Wang Baiwan quickly followed the military policeman running to the cellar, while Chen Minren followed leisurely behind.

Inside the cellar, the oil lamp swayed.

Behind a pile of wine jars, there actually sat a mimeograph machine, and in a small wooden box beside it, a delicate copper plate lay quietly.

There was still some ink on the copper plate; Chen Minren took it and pressed it onto paper.

The pattern printed on the paper turned out to be a nearly completed National Salvation bond; at the bottom right corner of the bond, there was also an image of a Youth Army soldier holding a gun.

A military policeman searched out two large sacks from the corner, filled with bundles of bonds.

Chen Minren said coldly: "Boss Wang, I said where did you get so many bonds, it turns out you printed them yourself?! Print as many as you want?!"

Wang Baiwan's face turned ashen: "Th-th-th... who secretly put so many bonds in my home cellar?!".

Chen Minren ignored him: "Counterfeiting bonds, destroying wartime financial order, according to wartime regulations, this is a capital offense."

"Now the evidence is conclusive, Wang Baiwan, you not only hoard goods and drive up grain prices, but also privately forge notes, disrupting finance; this is intentionally leaving the soldiers at the front without food to eat."

"Someone! Drag Wang Baiwan away, seal up the Wang Family Compound!"

"Pass the order down, due to Wang Baiwan's suspicion of financial fraud, all grain stores under his name in Xinyang are to be taken over by the Military Police Command effective immediately."

Wang Baiwan was dragged out by two military policemen like a dead dog, his shrill screams echoing in the residence.

At the same time, in Xinyang's eastern suburbs, inside the residence of the great landlord Maodetang.

Maodetang was narrowing his eyes, sizing up Liu San kneeling before him.

Liu San coughed incessantly, his voice weak, almost pleading as he said:

"Master Mao, please have mercy, lend me this life-saving money."

Maodetang slowly exhaled a smoke ring and pointed to the contract already written on the table.

"Liu San, it's not that I'm ruthless; these days, even landlord families have no surplus grain."

Tears flowed from Liu San's eyes: "Master, can the interest be lowered?"

"I heard the bank's loan interest is only eight li, but your five percent interest... how can I ever pay it back?"

Maodetang snorted coldly and knocked his pipe against the table.

"Can't pay it back? Didn't your father leave you twenty mu of land when he was alive? Anyway, since you sold even your plow ox for medical treatment, you can't farm these twenty mu either; just sell them directly to me, take the money and recover from your illness properly, your wife and children can still have food to eat."

Liu San was stunned: "But the price you offer is too low; selling my father's land at a bargain, how can I do that?"

"Then I'll lend you the money, five percent interest, not a single cent less!"

"You say bank interest is low, then go borrow from the bank, see if you can get a loan."

Liu San pondered again and again, trembling as he picked up the writing brush, weighing his options left and right.

Noise came from outside the Ma Family's main gate.

Chen Minren led a squad of military policemen and directly stormed into the front hall.

Maodetang was startled: "Commander... Commander Chen? How do you have time to come to this poor place of mine?"

Chen Minren ignored him, saw someone kneeling on the ground, and directly picked up the contract on the table to glance at it.

"Five percent interest? Boss Mao, your business is more efficient than a banker's."

Maodetang gave a dry laugh: "It's just civilian lending, isn't it illegal? We're doing Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai here—one willing to hit, one willing to take it."

Chen Minren took out a confession bearing a red handprint from his bosom and waved it before Maodetang's eyes.

"Usury is indeed not illegal, and I can't control it, but you've broken the law in other matters!"

"Wang Baiwan has already confessed that you conspired to incite peasants to revolt and to make counterfeit bonds—you're involved too."

"You planned to riot in front of the Provincial Government and incite the masses, isn't that so?"

Maodetang's complexion turned deathly pale; he hadn't expected 'Inciting Peasants to Revolt' to be exposed so quickly, but what about those counterfeit bonds?!

"It's a frame-up! Commander! Wang Baiwan has gone mad, he's spouting nonsense!"

"How dare I incite any riot? I'm just a farmer..."

"And what counterfeit bonds? I don't understand any of that..."

Chen Minren didn't listen to his defense at all, waving his right hand forward.

"Seize him!"

"Inciting the masses, attempting to overthrow the government."

"Counterfeiting National Salvation Bonds, disrupting market finance."

"Oppressing the villagers on a daily basis, bullying men and dominating women."

"These few hats, not one will escape!"

"Take him away! Confiscate all property, awaiting liquidation by the Special Commissioner's Office!"

Maodetang cried out that he was framed, but was struck on the back by a military policeman with a rifle butt and was directly taken out the door.

In the front hall, only Liu San remained, still dazed.

Liu San looked at the crumpled usury contract and suddenly didn't know what to do.

Maodetang, the only one willing to lend him money, was now nowhere to be found.

Chen Minren asked about his situation, sighed, and finally pointed to the military vehicle outside.

"Follow our troops."

"The military doctors of the Military Police Corps will regularly conduct free medical consultations; you're lucky to have run into me, I'll take you back to see a doctor."

"The doctors inside have pulled lives back from the battlefield; they're far more reliable than those quack doctors you found."

Liu San was stunned, stopped crying, "Really free?"

Chen Minren adjusted his military cap: "Hurry up, don't dawdle, this big manor has already been confiscated by me."

"I don't care for your few medicine fees; go back and spread some propaganda about the Youth Army, count it as your medical fees."

Those not very enthusiastic words gradually made Liu San believe that Chen Minren wasn't coveting his land and wealth.

At this moment, Xinyang West, Communications Bank Building.

The last snow of winter fell from the sky, goose-feather snow swirling down from the leaden sky.

In the VIP office on the third floor, the charcoal fire in the fireplace burned brightly.

Kong Lingda stood by the window, reviewing a newly issued document, his expression growing more excited the more he read.

"Good snow, a good omen!"

"This snow is a National Salvation Bond; let's go to the Provincial Government now and report the good news to Chairman Jiang!"