Chapter 2: Arrive in Xianyang First to be King

Wu Jingzhong did not understand automobiles, but he had been immersed in antiques for many years.

Lu Qinzhai was a major dealer who spanned both East and West; the curios that passed through his hands were all fine goods.

"What do you think?"

Wu Jingzhong set down the porcelain vase, his gaze restrained, his smile amiable and warm.

Old fox!

Hong Zhiyou said in a low voice: "Back when the Generalissimo was fighting Commander Yan, Kang Zuowen once provided military grain; he counts as a friendly merchant."

"Yishengyuan is also a long-standing brand among the grain firms in Jinhai."

"Kang Zuowen is a local tyrant; his brother-in-law is Deputy Adjutant Pang of the 94th Army. He is well-connected in the black market and familiar with the foreigners."

"If the Kang family takes over, there shouldn't be much of a problem with the grain logistics."

"He has the reputation, the word-of-mouth, and the strength."

"Your subordinate feels it is feasible."

"Hmm, then let's do it that way." Wu Jingzhong nodded with considerable appreciation.

Why did he spend all day holding a porcelain vase, looking it over in front of his subordinates, pointlessly letting people say he was neglecting his proper work?

That was all a form of enlightenment.

A new monk has a hard time chanting scriptures.

He couldn't very well go and tell everyone one by one that he liked antiques, and that they should be sensible—if there were good things, they should be handed over or extorted as appropriate.

This had to be realized by the subordinates themselves.

Yet this bunch of blockheads stood around saying "Station Chief" this and "Station Chief" that, without any of them being particularly sharp or catching on.

Otherwise, why would he have insisted on transferring Yu Zecheng from far away in Shancheng?

Hong Zhiyou had been at the station for some time now.

Wu Jingzhong's assessment of him was:

He had the brains, but lacked the guts.

He had the intentions, but lacked the action.

He hadn't expected that today he would suddenly catch on, giving him a huge, pleasant surprise.

"Station Chief, then I will go to the Kang family to finalize this," Hong Zhiyou said as he stood up.

"Wait!"

"Don't be in such a rush to handle that; go to the train station to pick someone up!" Wu Jingzhong smiled and handed him a letter of appointment.

"Yu Zecheng, proposed Chief of the Confidential Section..." Hong Zhiyou looked up at the Station Chief, feigning confusion.

Wu Jingzhong smiled and pointed at him:

"Secretary Hong, your job is to handle affairs for me and accompany those wealthy ladies to play cards and dance."

"This person is my student, a veteran of the Qingpu Class."

As he spoke, he squinted his eyes upward:

"Young people shouldn't push themselves too hard. The Confidential Section has a lot of work; you should ease up. In all things, one must balance work and rest."

Hong Zhiyou understood instantly that the Station Chief wanted him to pave the way for the newcomer, Yu Zecheng.

"Understood, many thanks for the Station Chief's consideration."

"Section Chief Yu is a senior; your subordinate will spare no effort in cooperating with Section Chief Yu's work."

Hong Zhiyou said, appearing enlightened and respectful.

"Hmm!"

"By the way, take this."

"Station Chief Ma from Beiping sent me some lingzhi and deer antler powder, good for tonifying the kidneys and strengthening Qi. They love to drink this, but I'm getting on in years and don't need it."

"Accompanying women is a bitter chore."

"Chat well, talk well, understand?"

Wu Jingzhong opened his drawer, took out an exquisite little jar, and handed it to Hong Zhiyou.

"Thank you, Station Chief."

"Your subordinate will certainly do his utmost to remain loyal to his superior, and for..."

Hong Zhiyou bowed ninety degrees, his eyes reddening with gratitude.

"Alright, alright, the Jinhai Station isn't holding a '41 Conference,' and I am not Boss Dai; there's no need to shout slogans."

"Go quickly, don't miss the time!"

Wu Jingzhong smiled and waved his hand.

"Yes!"

Hong Zhiyou took the order with red eyes and left.

"Interesting," once the person had left, Wu Jingzhong smiled with satisfaction.

He had plenty of this kind of tonic at home.

He had intended to wait until Yu Zecheng arrived to encourage him to take down Mu Liancheng's niece.

He hadn't expected Secretary Hong to fire the first shot.

Then there was no help for it; whoever achieved merit first would get the reward.

After all, who would complain about having too many money-bringing boys?

"First arrive in Xianyang to be King, later... together enter Xianyang to support Laozi in the court."

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but hum happily, his fingers quickly dialing a number:

"Hello, does your younger brother have any friends at the auction house in Yuezhou—no, in Xiangdao?"

"Have him ask about a pair of enamel pieces from the Yongzheng era..."

Hong Zhiyou drove to the train station.

It was clear that Wu Jingzhong was satisfied with his performance.

His future was promising.

Glancing at his watch, he walked toward the exit.

Soon, he saw Yu Zecheng.

He had a well-proportioned build, a side-parted hairstyle, a fair complexion, and eyes that were not large but bright and steady.

There was absolutely none of the fierce, murderous aura of "Is this melon ripe?"

If he changed into a long gown, he would look a bit like a schoolteacher.

Who could have imagined that the slightly effeminate Comrade Old Yu could single-handedly assassinate Li Haifeng?

"Senior Yu, I am Hong Zhiyou, secretary of the Jinhai Station; I have long admired you," Hong Zhiyou said, stepping forward to greet him.

"We will be colleagues from now on; just call me Old Yu."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Hong Zhiyou packed the luggage, and the two got into the car.

"Is Brother Hong from Shancheng, or..." Yu Zecheng smiled, probing for his background.

"I am from the Southeast Sino-American Class, just graduated. There is an American base here in Jinhai, and they need people who know foreign languages for liaison, so Station Chief Wu picked me," Hong Zhiyou proactively revealed to Old Yu.

"So that's how it is; I hope for your kind guidance in the future," Yu Zecheng nodded.

The two chatted about some light topics.

Upon arriving at the station, after Yu Zecheng had his first moment to close the door and present his treasures, the Station Chief called Lu Qiaoshan and Ma Kui in for an introductory meeting.

Hong Zhiyou waited for a while at the office registration desk outside the Station Chief's office.

He was not called to participate in the meeting.

It seemed that if he wanted to become Old Wu's trusted aide, he would have to bring in more wealth.

He returned to his office, called Mrs. Kang, and went straight to the Kang residence to collect the goods.

Once at the Kang residence, having obtained the authority to handle the matter, Hong Zhiyou simply put the last few lucrative spots—the docks, the textile mill, and so on—up for bid, and had Mrs. Kang organize a gathering to round up those wealthy merchants in Jinhai who were interested in "having a sip of the soup."

Antiques were preferred, but gold bars and US dollars were also fine.

Mrs. Kang was naturally happy to be of service.

Being able to obtain this "Imperial Sword" from the Jinhai Station would be of great benefit to the Kang family's status in the business circle.

Kang Zuowen was very sensible and found an excuse to leave, leaving the two of them alone.

Hong Zhiyou could not refuse such hospitality; he embraced Mrs. Kang and "conspired" for a while, and only left after he had eaten his fill.

"I don't have the backing of being the Station Chief's student like Old Yu does."

"If I want to gain complete trust, I must take down Mu Liancheng, and of course, Wanqiu."

"Old Yu has Zuo Lan and Cuiping; there is no reason for Wanqiu to be ruined by that stutterer Xie again."

"Of course, I must mind the boundaries here; I cannot steal the spotlight from Old Yu, the money-bringing boy."

"Otherwise, he won't be able to make it in the Jinhai Station, and this melon won't be able to be eaten further."

Before leaving the Kang residence, Hong Zhiyou found a roadside tea stall to ponder his next plan.

He had to fly together with Old Yu!

This melon seemed rather difficult to chew.

Fortunately, the gold mountain that was Mu Liancheng was large enough; a full boatload and several rooms of treasures should be enough for him and Old Yu to burn incense and worship Buddha, and save up the family fortune to go to the Nanyang to become plantation owners in the future.

He paid for the tea.

He found a place to call his old classmate, the American Anderson, and made an appointment at the Tongfu Hotel on Huaishan Road.

The bluestone pavement of Huaishan Road was lined with grey-tiled old houses and shops.

This area was quite bustling, filled with porters, peddlers, physicians, and restaurants, among which was Shopkeeper Qiu's Xuanji Pharmacy.

They arrived at the restaurant's private room.

The handsome, tall, blonde American Anderson was smoking a cigar.

"Hong, long time no see. You didn't even look me up when you came to Jinhai; that's not very friendly," Anderson said in fluent Chinese.

This was thanks to Jiang Yiying having cracked the Japanese telegram regarding the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.

Furthermore, the civil war was imminent.

The Americans had established an intelligence hotline with Boss Dai.

Anderson was among the first batch of exchange students to come inland for training; during the special training class, Hong Zhiyou had excelled in foreign languages and had a very good relationship with these exchange students.

"Jinhai was liberated not long ago, and there is an endless pile of messy business to attend to."

"I'm looking to ask you about someone: Mu Liancheng," Hong Zhiyou said, getting straight to the point.

……

(End of chapter)