Chapter 380: Trust from the Generalissimo

"Good!"

Lin Dingli did not suspect this older brother of his; he got up and called Luo Youzhang.

"It's done!"

"Come, let's drink!"

……

Lin Family Village.

This village-in-the-city, which did not look very large, was dilapidated on the outside, and its crisscrossing deep alleys were like a labyrinth; once an outsider stepped in, they were highly likely to get lost.

"Old Luo, didn't Brother Li tell us to go to the warehouse to transfer the grain?

"Why, why are we winding through the village instead?"

Wang Kun sat in the passenger seat, looking completely bewildered.

Gu Youniu sat in the back row, looking around with curiosity.

"Why ask so much? You'll know when the time comes." Luo Youzhang curled his lip and replied coldly.

The car soon drove into the Lin family ancestral hall.

An old man with white hair and a beard was waiting at the entrance of the hall, leaning on a cane.

The three of them got out of the car.

The old man asked with great vigilance: "Youzhang, why did you bring strangers here?"

"Zai Gun had an accident, didn't he?

"Officer Lin is afraid that if this batch of grain is kept any longer, there will be trouble, so it must be shipped out immediately.

"Start loading."

Luo Youzhang ordered.

"Is the convoy ready?" the old man asked.

"Ready, it's right behind." Luo Youzhang nodded.

"Good!

"Beat the drums." The old man turned and ordered a burly man behind him.

The burly man walked to the large drum in the ancestral hall, picked up the drumsticks, and began to beat it with a thumping sound.

The once-quiet village instantly became lively.

Soon, a dense crowd gathered in front of the ancestral hall.

Gu Youniu and Wang Kun looked at each other.

This ancestral hall was not very big; it didn't look like it could hold ten thousand tons of grain.

"Every household, start bringing out the grain."

Just as the two were confused, the villagers scattered in a rush.

The scene that followed opened Gu Youniu's eyes.

He saw the able-bodied men of each household carrying out bags of grain and flour from their homes.

Gu Youniu had an epiphany.

It turned out that Lin Dingli and the others had not stored the grain in a warehouse.

Instead, they had broken the bulk into small parts and distributed them to every household in Lin Family Village.

No wonder Jianfeng and the others could never find the warehouse where the grain was hoarded.

This was a clever move.

They worked until dawn, and dozens of tons of grain were all loaded onto the trucks.

"Old Lin, thank you for your hard work.

"Keep the remaining grain well-stored and wait for the next transport instructions."

Luo Youzhang finished checking the accounts and signing them, then climbed into the car, yawning incessantly.

"Sigh, when the hell will this ever end?

"With thousands, tens of thousands of tons of grain, it won't be finished in a month or two; no more good sleep for me from now on."

Luo Youzhang cursed and gestured for the driver to start the car.

The car drove to the back street.

A group of people blocked the main road ahead.

Under the glare of the headlights.

The man in the lead wore sunglasses and a trench coat, a cigarette hanging coolly from the corner of his mouth.

Seeing Luo Youzhang.

The scar on his face danced with his smile.

"Damn it!" Luo Youzhang's heart went cold.

"Who is he?" Wang Kun asked.

"He's the one who killed Third Brother," Luo Youzhang said.

"Damn.

"How did he know we would be transporting grain tonight?

"We have quite a few men, should we..."

Before Wang Kun could finish, he saw the crowd part, and Hong Zhiyou, dressed in a white suit, walked out, his gold-rimmed glasses shining brightly in the headlights.

"Hong Zhiyou?" Wang Kun recognized him.

"He is Hong Zhiyou?"

Luo Youzhang was terrified and tactfully turned off the headlights.

"Let's go, let's go meet him."

The three of them got out of the car.

Luo Youzhang performed a gang salute: "Mr. Hong, I have heard that you have deep ties with Old Zhai of Xiangdao, the Zhigong lineage of Mr. Sande overseas, and General Ge Zhaohuang of Yuezhou.

"Since we are all old friends of the Hong Sect, we are not outsiders; I ask Mr. Hong to show some leniency."

"That is not impossible, Master Luo, please." Hong Zhiyou raised his hand.

"Master Luo." Wang Kun whispered.

"It's fine."

Luo Youzhang took a slight breath to calm himself and followed Hong Zhiyou to a deserted corner nearby.

"Master Luo.

"Last night, my men didn't send you on your way along with the others; you are a smart man, you should understand why." Hong Zhiyou handed him a cigarette and asked with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Luo Youzhang took it, leaned into the flame, took a puff, and said.

"I am working for Jianfeng.

"But I have always been on good terms with gangs; in the past, I started out relying on the Cao Gang, so I don't want to be ruthless with you people.

"I must seize the grain.

"This is Jianfeng's order; I cannot show leniency there.

"However, I can go easy on you, Master Luo.

"You come back to the Wanbei Station with me, write a guarantee to Comrade Jianfeng, let us lock you up for a few days, hand over a few subordinates who don't usually listen to you, and then have your family scrape together some money to find Station Master Wu to redeem you.

"Of course, you might have to suffer a bit of physical pain."

"What do you think of that?"

Hong Zhiyou smiled and beckoned with his hand.

Luo Youzhang understood and handed the cigarette over.

Hong Zhiyou lit the cigarette at his fingertips with the flame, exhaling a thin wisp of smoke elegantly:

"You could also choose the other path: public execution.

"Jianfeng failed in his 'tiger-beating' campaign in Shanghu.

"He hates hoarding and speculation to the extreme; it is impossible for you to walk away without losing a single hair.

"How you choose is up to you."

"Are you sure you won't sell me out? And execute me along with the rest?" Luo Youzhang's face twitched as he spoke.

"If you truly understood me, you wouldn't ask that," Hong Zhiyou said.

Except for Tang Si Mao, whom he had secretly double-crossed.

As for the others, he always kept his word.

"Alright.

"If you help me, what's in it for you?" Luo Youzhang had naturally heard of this "God of Wealth's" reputation, but he was still somewhat puzzled.

"I know your Dazhu Gang is very successful in the underground.

"Especially over at the Keelung docks, there are quite a few people running smuggling ships.

"I have a soft spot for those who run the waters.

"Furthermore, I am just a man with two shoulders carrying one head; I don't want to risk my life with you for a few pennies of salary.

"The rose's in her hand, the flavor in mine.

"In case we have a chance to cooperate in the future, Master Luo won't treat me badly, will he?"

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"You want the Keelung wharf?" Luo Youzhang asked.

"It's not that I want it."

"It's us!"

"Since you like selling rice so much, go back and repair and build up the warehouses at the wharf."

"I'm going to take you to play a big game."

Hong Zhiyou patted him on the shoulder and said.

"W-why me?" Luo Youzhang had not expected happiness to come so suddenly.

Although he was a veteran of the Dazhu Gang.

Because it was Lin Dingli who dealt with high-ranking officials like Peng Mengji, he was, in the final analysis, just a lackey doing the dirty work, and he was even far inferior to Lin Zai within the gang.

"Fate, perhaps." Hong Zhiyou thought about it seriously for a moment, raised his eyebrows, and replied.

"The Wanbei Station will put you on trial when the time comes."

"Remember, absolutely do not bite Peng Mengji."

"Insist that it was Lin Dingli who did it."

"Also, report all the leaders in the Dazhu Gang who don't submit to you, and I will wipe them out for you in one net."

"That way, once you come out, you will be the only person in charge of the Dazhu Gang."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"But wouldn't my reputation be ruined?" A trace of worry appeared on Luo Youzhang's chubby cheeks.

When you're out on the streets, the most important thing is your reputation.

If you are labeled as someone who betrayed your gang members, it would be hard to command respect even if you sat in the position.

"You, Fatty Luo, suffered cruel torture and did not yield."

"It was Wang Kun and Lin Dingli who exposed you and those people."

"What does it have to do with you?"

Hong Zhiyou asked rhetorically.

"Mr. Hong, today I have truly seen what it means to be from a big place."

"It was my shallowness."

"I will listen to all your arrangements."

Luo Youzhang chuckled.

At the same time, he noticed the thumb ring Hong Zhiyou was wearing on his left hand.

The rumors were true.

This guy really did get the thumb ring of Master Sande from Du Xinwu.

If he could call for support in the future, and the money followed, he would be the true leader of the Hongmen at home and abroad.

"Good."

Hong Zhiyou walked back with him.

"Fatty Luo, since we can't reach an agreement, don't blame me for being impolite," Hong Zhiyou shouted loudly.

"You surnamed Hong, this batch of grain was hoarded by me, it has nothing to do with the brothers, if you want to kill or punish, come at me, if I frown, I won't be surnamed Luo," Fatty Luo shouted aggressively, playing his part well.

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."

"Comrade Jianfeng has ordered that anyone who hoards supplies shall be arrested."

"Men, arrest them all."

Hong Zhiyou raised his hand and ordered.

Swish, swish.

Ma Jun, the deputy captain of the Wanbei Station, and his men swarmed up and surrounded Fatty Luo, Wang Kun, and the others.

"Ma Jun, are you crazy? You're arresting me?" Wang Kun shouted.

"Captain Wang, I'm sorry."

"You're here flipping rice, eating and drinking well every day, while the brothers can't even afford their performance bonuses or rice."

"You walked this path to the end yourself, don't blame us."

Ma Jun had long been fed up, and said coldly.

"Son of a bitch, you're ruthless."

"Brothers, fight them!" Wang Kun drew his gun and roared.

He shouted a few times.

He discovered that everyone was trembling with fear, and no one stepped forward.

"Take them down."

Hong Zhiyou curled his index finger, and the crowd immediately rushed forward to take down Wang Kun and the others.

After the people were taken to the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

Hong Zhiyou returned to his office and dialed Peng Mengji's phone:

"Officer Peng, you can make your move now."

Security Headquarters.

Peng Mengji and Lin Dingli had been drinking all night.

By the second half of the night, neither could hold on, and they lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.

Ring-a-ling.

At dawn, the phone rang.

Both of them sprang up from the sofa almost at the same time.

Peng Mengji pulled himself together and quickly answered:

"It's me."

"Good, I understand."

"Is the cargo all sold out?" Lin Dingli asked impatiently.

"Yes, the cargo is all sold out," Peng Mengji nodded.

"That's great."

"If this order is all sold, we'll make at least thirty or forty thousand US dollars," Lin Dingli said with great joy.

Peng Mengji didn't respond and walked toward the door.

He knew Lin Dingli was a ruthless man, so it was better to stay far away.

At the door, he waved his hand, and the adjutant and several guards rushed into the office with murderous intent.

"Old Peng, what, what is the meaning of this?" Lin Dingli realized something was wrong.

"Brother, hoarding civilian supplies is a serious crime."

"Comrade Jianfeng has ordered that Lin Dingli is suspected of reselling supplies and disrupting the economic order; the evidence is conclusive, so you are to be arrested."

"Take him down."

Peng Mengji ordered with an expressionless face.

"Fine."

"So after all this time, you're playing this game with me? You want to get promoted and get rich, so you sell out your brother first, right?" Lin Dingli shouted with hatred.

"The law of the land is merciless."

"You're on your own," Peng Mengji sneered.

The anti-corruption campaign in the Wanbei grain market was a success.

Jianfeng immediately ordered the major newspapers to feature it as a front-page headline.

At the same time, Wang Kun and the others were taken directly to the street for a public trial and execution, and a large number of Dazhu Gang leaders were arrested; while the evil trend of reselling supplies was severely curbed, the public security in Wanbei also improved significantly.

Half a month later.

Shilin Official Residence.

Jianfeng walked into the hall with a steady gait and high spirits.

The Generalissimo was chatting with the Lady.

"Father, Mother."

Jianfeng bowed respectfully.

"Sit."

The Generalissimo smiled slightly, his eyes full of approval.

"This grain security battle on Wan Island was fought very beautifully."

"Now, from the north to the south in every county and city, prices have fallen by nearly two times compared to before, and the people of Wan Island can eat again."

"I see that Chen Cheng's land reform is going well."

"As long as we stabilize prices and get through this bottleneck, the economy will be able to stabilize."

"I see that Hong Zhiyou is a talent who can be used; you must reward him, promote him, and use him well!"

The Generalissimo instructed repeatedly.

"Yes."

"This man is indeed learned and talented; Mr. Yang Zhuocheng, the designer of the Yuanshan Hotel, also speaks highly of him. He is also quite capable at soliciting investments and sponsorships, and has helped Kong Er a great deal."

"He should be commended."

The Lady also said with a gentle smile.

"Yes, Hong Zhiyou is indeed talented, and he has always been diligent and attentive in his work."

"His current military rank is Major."

"How about I promote him by one rank to Lieutenant Colonel?"

Jiang Jianfeng thought for a moment and said.

"No."

"That is too low; you cannot retain talent that way."

"Hong Zhiyou building the hotel and stabilizing prices are both matters of great benefit to us. If you do not give him a status, it will be difficult for him to accomplish great things in the future."

"First, award him a Fourth-Class Cloud Banner Medal, then have the Central Daily News stir up some public opinion, have Wu Guozhen and the others publicly promote the importance of economic stability, and commend Hong Zhiyou more at the government level."

"Once he has the reputation, the rest will be easy to handle."

The Leader personally instructed him.

"Father, would that not be against the rules?"

"Back when Zhang Lingfu fought the Battle of De'an, he only received a fourth-class medal."

"Hong Zhiyou is only a Major..."

Jiang Jianfeng said, feeling somewhat troubled.

"Rules?"

"Rules are set by people. Nowadays, people's hearts are restless; those who are loyal may not be capable, and those who are capable may not be loyal."

"Hong Zhiyou has done some good, practical things in the past and continues to do so now."

"One cannot simply compare him to military achievements."

"The more we are in times like these, the more we must promote and reuse loyal and capable people, even if it means breaking the rules."

"Shen Zui was promoted to Major General and Director of the General Affairs Department of the Juntong Bureau at the age of twenty-eight."

"Hong Zhiyou is also a young hero. He has merit in solving this major case; while he lacks the seniority for Major General, a Colonel rank is perfectly fine to arrange."

The Leader said.

At the mention of Shen Zui, the Lady's face showed displeasure.

"Yes!"

"I will handle it according to Father's instructions," Jiang Jianfeng said.

The three chatted for a while longer.

Seeing that Jiang Jianfeng had no intention of leaving, and the Leader did not issue an order to dismiss him, Lady Jiang understood and stood up to leave.

"Sigh."

"I am afraid Yuezhou cannot be held. Soon, a large number of troops and civilians will retreat to the island, and the existing food supply will likely not last long."

"The Lady has talked to the Americans about aid."

"Du Lumen's focus is now entirely on Europe and the Ghost Island; he is very cold toward us."

"Relying solely on talk will not yield any results in the short term."

"A person cannot go a day without food."

"I think we can no longer hold onto illusions; we must make preparations for both scenarios."

"It would be best if we can get the aid."

"If we cannot, we must find another way."

The Leader said in a deep voice.

"Does Father have any brilliant ideas?" Jiang Jianfeng knew that since he had brought it up, he must already have a plan.

"Hong Zhiyou once helped Fu Zuoyi acquire a batch of cheap bullets and firearms from the Ghost Island."

"You have a good personal relationship with him; ask him to think of a way to see if he can purchase a batch of grain from the Ghost Island at a low price to solve our urgent needs."

The Leader stood up and walked to the balcony.

"Father, it would be more appropriate for the Lady to handle such matters," Jiang Jianfeng said.

"Foolish."

"If this matter is handed to the Kong and Song families, they will surely collude with the Japanese and the Americans to drive up the price and empty our treasury."

"And even if they buy the grain, it is hard to say how much will be left."

"Will they not engage in those wretched tricks of mixing in sand or using rice bran as grain again?"

"They have done it plenty of times in the past."

"Every time, they just bring out two scapegoats to take the blame."

"In the past, our hands were tied, and we had to turn a blind eye to many things, but how can we repeat the same mistakes now?"

"Is the lesson of losing the mainland not painful enough?"

"Let me put it this way: I would rather Hong Zhiyou eat the money than give it to them."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

The Leader struck the floor hard with his cane, his eyes filled with forbearance and anger.

"Does Father mean that the Lady has brought this up?" Jiang Jianfeng said in a deep voice.

"Of course."

"She wanted to bring Kong Lingkan back to be the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, but I rejected it."

"Jiang Jianfeng, you should consider cultivating your own base of support."

"Especially people like Hong Zhiyou."

The Leader said earnestly.

"Father, I can send Hong Zhiyou to try."

"However... to be honest, Hong Zhiyou is very wealthy and has the talent of Fan Li."

"But this is also what I am worried about."

"I am afraid that once he goes, he will never return."

Jiang Jianfeng said, full of worry.

"Is Wu Jingzhong not still on the island?"

"One must be suspicious when employing people."

"But sometimes one must be flexible; whether this can be accomplished is another matter."

"If you do not give him a chance, it will always be just empty talk."

"The situation is beyond our control; just treat it as trying to cure a dead horse as if it were alive."

The Leader was a bit tired and waved his hand.

"Yes, after I hold the commendation ceremony for him, I will officially put this matter on the agenda." Jiang Jianfeng accepted the order and left.

Three days later.

Bashengyuan, conference hall.

After awarding the medal and granting the rank of Colonel, Jiang Jianfeng called Hong Zhiyou into his office and mentioned the matter of transporting grain from the Ghost Island.

"Director, is it... is it really the Leader who personally appointed me?"

Hong Zhiyou feigned extreme excitement and reverence.

"Yes."

"Father originally wanted to promote you to Major General, but your seniority is still shallow, and furthermore, you already have a record of three consecutive promotions; I fear it would be difficult to convince the public if you were promoted three more times."

"He truly values you."

"However, after you return this time, I will certainly request a merit award for you."

"After another two or three years, it will be only natural to promote you to Major General."

Jiang Jianfeng said righteously.

"Your subordinate thanks the Leader and the Director for your cultivation. In this life, I will surely focus my will, defend the Leader, and be loyal to the Party and the State." Hong Zhiyou swore and saluted solemnly.

Seeing his eyes red and his body trembling, Jiang Jianfeng nodded with great satisfaction:

"Do your job well."

"I will inform Station Chief Wu; you should set off for the Ghost Island tomorrow."

"Remember, you must go in secret."

"The Kong family is also watching this matter; if you go to the Japanese side, I fear they will inevitably try to interfere."

"Do not be careless."

"If you need manpower, just ask."

"Director, too many people will only cause trouble; I can arrange it myself," Hong Zhiyou said.

"That is also fine."

"Then let Wan An go with you so there can be some mutual support." Jiang Jianfeng looked at him and smiled.

"That would be wonderful. Attendant Wan is highly skilled; with him there, I will feel at ease."

Hong Zhiyou 'happily' agreed.

(End of chapter)