Chapter 49: Planning for the Future

Hong Zhiyou entered the Station Master's office.

Wu Jingzhong was in a great mood: "Zhiyou, you have rendered a great service this time.

"From the things confiscated from the *Yamato Maru* and Yang Guoqing in the warehouse, you should have Zecheng take you to pick one item.

"Pick whatever you want, take whatever you like."

"Station Master, if antiques, calligraphy, and paintings fall into my hands, they'll just be wasted.

"If you really want to reward your student, give me some more health-nourishing tonics; those things are actually useful."

Hong Zhiyou did not stand on ceremony and said with a smooth smile.

"That's easy to arrange. Come to my house for dinner tomorrow night." Wu Jingzhong agreed readily.

"Understood!"

He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back:

"That dog traitor Mu Liancheng has quite a lot of good things.

"I had intended to use the momentum to raid the naval warehouse tonight to avoid any complications.

"Heaven knows why Marshall's son-in-law and his party didn't go to the embassy but are lingering at the Marine Corps base, claiming they want to investigate the previous theft of American equipment.

"They have no business playing the role of a roadblock.

"Aren't they just being idle?"

"Teacher, I saw Mu Liancheng packing crates today," Hong Zhiyou said.

"He is planning to run.

"In that case, you'll have to work a bit harder, running between the Yong family and the Mu family, and have your little girlfriend keep a close watch.

"Once the matter is settled, I will personally remove her 'hat' 【label】."

Wu Jingzhong said.

"Teacher, how about I don't go to the Yong family?

"I can manage to scrape together some small change, but things like catching Red agents that cost people their heads..."

Hong Zhiyou said, feigning difficulty.

He really didn't want to wade into these muddy waters; it was easy to get shot in the back.

"It was my miscalculation regarding Mu Liancheng; you really shouldn't be involved in the Yong family's affairs.

"In a few days, Boss Dai is sending Wang Puchen to Beiping to serve as Ma Hansan's deputy.

"He specifically requested Wang Puchen to pass through Jinhai.

"This man was Boss Dai's classmate in high school back in Jiangsu and Zhejiang; the Boss trusts him very much.

"With an imperial envoy sitting in command,

"the arrow is on the string and must be fired.

"Whether we expose our backsides or our faces, it all depends on this one shot.

"You must go to the Yong family!"

Wu Jingzhong rubbed his brow, giving the order with a heavy head.

"Alright," Hong Zhiyou accepted the order.

"A fair lady is a gentleman's desire.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself.

"Women, once they are in bed, are just fish on the chopping block; you can take whatever you want from them.

"What intelligence or information can't you get?"

Seeing his hesitation, Wu Jingzhong comforted him with a smile.

"This student will do his best," Hong Zhiyou accepted with a smile.

"By the way, Commander Chen's guns and artillery have arrived, but they are all damaged goods.

"Go to the Army Hospital again tomorrow.

"Director Ding Defeng will give you a batch of medicine; reach a deal with the Yong family as soon as possible to hook the big fish and thoroughly destroy the Red agents' transport line."

Wu Jingzhong instructed solemnly.

"Understood," Hong Zhiyou nodded.

"Ah, I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."

Wu Jingzhong slapped his thigh and stood up happily to leave.

You bastard, you're sleeping soundly because you're raking in gold and silver.

What about me?

Diving headfirst into a Red agent's nest—the devil would be the only one able to sleep.

Hong Zhiyou walked toward his office.

Yu Zecheng flashed over from the side of the corridor and gripped his hand:

"Zhiyou, thank you so much today."

"Old Yu, you're too polite.

"Actually, you know very well that the Station Master calls the shots in Jinhai; even if Mao Sen came personally, he wouldn't dare do anything to you.

"You, you just think too much and are too cautious."

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"It's better to be cautious.

"I'm not going back tonight; I'm sleeping in the office," Yu Zecheng said.

"Why?" Hong Zhiyou was puzzled.

"The Station Master is too stingy.

"The things he let me pick aren't worth much; they don't even cover Mao Sen's capital."

"True, Mao Sen is afraid of being held accountable by Boss Dai, but shooting people in the back is an old tradition of the Military Statistics Bureau.

"Are you sure Mao Sen won't be in a fit of rage and find someone to put a bullet in me?"

Yu Zecheng gave a bitter smile.

Hong Zhiyou knew he was acting.

It was true that Mao Sen had suffered a small loss and was humiliated, but he wouldn't be stupid enough to touch Boss Dai's bad side at a time like this.

Yu Zecheng was pretending to be afraid.

It could also be considered a roundabout way of currying favor with Wu Jingzhong.

After all, the Station Master was making a fortune.

The "culprit" who rendered the service had a target on his back.

It was understandable to be a bit shaken.

But Wu Jingzhong could see his loyalty and attitude in handling the matter.

Sigh, Old Yu really has it tough day after day.

Infiltration is not easy.

"Fine, avoid the limelight for a few days!

"Enough talk, I'm so sleepy I can't even keep my eyes open; I'm going to sleep."

Hong Zhiyou waved his hand, turned, and entered his office.

Late at night.

Liu San walked out of the Xiuchun Pavilion, drunk.

Just as he turned into an alley, a black shadow flashed out and smashed a club onto his head.

"Ugh!"

Liu San groaned and passed out.

When he woke up,

he was already in a dark, secret room.

"Are you Liu San?" a burly man with a scar asked coldly under the dim oil lamp.

"Yes!

"Who, who are you?" Liu San was terrified.

"What is Ma Kui looking for you for?" the scarred man asked.

"What Ma Kui? I don't know him," Liu San stammered, feigning ignorance.

The scarred man pulled a short knife from his waist, grabbed Liu San's ear, and sliced it off in one stroke.

Blood gushed out.

Liu San let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.

"Are you going to talk?" The scarred man was ruthless and concise, grabbing his other ear.

"I'll talk, I'll talk."

Liu San was so scared he wet his pants and confessed honestly:

"Ma, Ma Kui asked my father to monitor Yong Jianqiu.

"Yong is an important Red agent in the Jinhai underground; through him, we can catch the big fish."

"Who is your father?" the scarred man asked.

"The Yong family's butler, Liu Fu," Liu San blurted out everything.

"Is there anything else you haven't confessed?

"Think carefully, think clearly." The scarred man's knife pressed against Liu San's neck.

"Yes, yes.

"My father discovered the secret passage the Yong family uses to contact local committee members.

"It's in a teahouse."

Liu San dared not hide anything and spilled everything.

"Anything else?" the scarred man asked.

"No more," Liu San said.

"Pfft!"

Liu San was dead.

The next day.

Hong Zhiyou went to the Hongfa Teahouse at noon.

"Secretary Hong, this is yours."

As soon as they met, Long Er took off his sunglasses and handed over a box.

Inside were fifteen large gold bars and several rolls of US dollars.

"Second Brother, why so much?" Hong Zhiyou was overjoyed.

"This is just the beginning.

"This is from Yang Wenquan's arms deal, plus the dividends from my Cao Gang last month.

"I said it before, we are brothers; my life is yours.

"You must have a share of the Cao Gang's money.

"In the future, if we work together, you have the methods and I have the muscle; we won't have to worry about not making money."

Long Er laughed.

"Thank you, Second Brother," Hong Zhiyou toasted him with tea instead of wine.

"By the way.

"Your share of Zhang Si's assets hasn't been liquidated yet; recently, US dollars and gold bars are tight in the market, so it's not easy to exchange.

"I'll give it to you later, or we can exchange it for real estate."

Long Er paused and said.

"Forget about real estate; I only want gold bars.

"No, US dollars would be best.

"You can go to Vice Prefect Qian to exchange; he has plenty of US banknotes.

"As for antiques, cars, houses, and the like, I don't care if the valuation is a bit lower; I just want to liquidate them."

Hong Zhiyou waved his hand and said.

Gold is hard to carry when running away later; US dollars are more convenient.

Crucially, exchanging them with Vice Prefect Qian—

when I get the Station Master to clean him out later, I can recover some of my own losses.

A win-win situation, no loss.

"You don't want real estate?

"Right now, those merchants and officers are all scrambling for the Western-style houses on the Five Great Avenues.

"Especially those people from the Beiyang cabinet; they only recognize this, and it's very valuable. You can make a lot by flipping it, why don't you want it?

"Little Brother, you're in such a rush to liquidate—you aren't planning to run away, are you?"

Long Er asked curiously.

"You could say that.

"Second Brother Long, have you ever thought about the future?" Hong Zhiyou nodded meaningfully.

"What's there to think about? Holding onto the Cao Gang's little plot of land is enough to spend for three lifetimes," Long Er picked up some food and said casually with a laugh.

"The Red agents are fighting the local tyrants and dividing the land; once the Party-State falls, the first ones to be liquidated will be people like you!

"When that time comes, don't talk about money; you won't even be able to keep your head."

Hong Zhiyou led him toward his own plan.

"That won't happen.

"The Party-State has excellent weaponry and a million soldiers.

"Plus, we have the support of Xue Yue, Chen Cheng, and those Americans.

"Hu Zongnan has the border region surrounded so tightly now that, not to mention fighting, if we just drag it out for three or five years, we can starve them to death.

"How could the Party-State possibly lose?"

Long Er scoffed, unconvinced.

"One shouldn't think things are too rosy; one must have a backup plan.

"I heard that US dollars and gold bars circulate very well in Xiangdao and Aodao, and it's a place where dragons and snakes mingle—a breeding ground for gangs.

"You should send some people over to lay a foundation; it would be best to open a land and water shipping company.

"In the future, if there's a change, we can transfer our assets at any time.

"When that time comes, with six thousand Cao Gang disciples and weaponry, we can carve out a territory in a slightly remote walled village.

"We can advance to dominate a region or retreat into the Nanyang.

"Why not learn from Li Jun?"

Hong Zhiyou plotted.

The fall of Jinhai was not far off; he had to convince Long Er to engage in "major development."

Early Xiangdao and Aodao—

if you have a group of brothers carrying firearms, you can dominate the underground world; at the very least, if you become a local tyrant like those in the Kowloon Walled City, life would still be quite comfortable.

(End of Chapter)