great-warnovel Chapter 236 Sister Huixin's Calculation Can Outwit Five Divisions
Chapter 236 Sister Huixin's Calculation Can Outwit Five Divisions
The three secret agents from the Military Intelligence Bureau have left.
The female clerk standing to the side whispered, "Director, this Lu Shaoting is quite bold. We just managed to uncover his telegram last night, and he dares to go out and answer calls tonight."
Su Guiying picked up the tea, took a sip, and the tea was already a little cold, but she didn't care at all.
"Being bold is not surprising."
"In our line of work, who isn't daring? What's scary is a wicked heart."
"This kind of person is the best at using public image for private gain. They're always talking about the Northern Expedition, but then they're busy helping Chang Ping steal grain from granaries, wagons, and ports. Do they really think the Southeast is an unlocked rice bin?"
She put down her teacup.
"Go, put two more pairs of eyes on the freight department at Shanghai South Railway Station. Since he's eyeing the railway, he'll eventually try to take advantage of the station." When someone gets to that point, it's not just about getting to the bottom of things, but about getting to the bottom of things.
Southeast Central Bank, secret room.
Mo Huixin wore a moon-white long dress today, with neatly gathered cuffs. She didn't go to the front hall, but went into the secret chamber early in the morning.
There was no one else in the room except for two old accountants, a telegraph operator, and a table covered with freight rate sheets, grain price sheets, and railway dispatch documents.
Beside her lay a string of abacuses, the beads clicking and clattering like falling rain.
An old accountant looked up and said, "President, three more grain merchants came to inquire about prices this morning. They all said similar things. They said that if the Northern Expeditionary Army passes through, they will need to prepare a large amount of rice and asked if it is possible to lock in the current price of a batch of grain in Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou."
Mo Huixin didn't look up. "Which three?"
"Yifeng, Changcheng, and Detai are all, on the surface, local grain stores."
"But Chang Cheng has always had dealings with the old banks in the International Settlement. Two years ago, De Tai even advanced money for a group of compradors in Nanshi."
Mo Huixin then stopped, and the abacus beads clicked softly as they returned to their place.
"Wow, that's fast. The negotiating table is still discussing the terms of passage, and people in the market are already using the Northern Expedition as a pretext to lock in prices."
Another experienced accountant frowned and said, "President, could this really be a pre-purchase of military supplies? After all, Representative Zhou did mention purchasing on demand last night."
Mo Huixin smiled, but the smile was very faint.
"If it were truly a pre-purchase for military supplies, they should have inquired about the quota, payment method, and delivery time. Asking about a fixed price before even discussing delivery means they're not here to buy grain. They're trying to lock in the price and then force us to offer discounts."
As she spoke, she pulled the three pieces of paper together, saying, "On the one hand, they were shouting about the righteous cause of the Northern Expedition at the negotiating table. On the other hand, they were preemptively securing grain prices, wagons, and transportation capacity in the market."
"This is not a procurement."
"They're trying to use political influence as a cover for business contracts."
The telegraph operator couldn't help but gasp.
"These people are really dirty!"
Mo Huixin gently adjusted the abacus.
"I'm not afraid of being dirty. What I'm afraid of is being stupid. A dirty and stupid person is most likely to make a mess of things."
She picked up her pen and wrote a line of small characters on the side of the account paper: "Pre-order inquiry, price not accepted for now; also note the recent credit lines of three banks, and check their transactions with the old bank."
After she finished writing, she put down her pen.
"Send it to Fuzhou. Also give Lanzhi a copy. Tell her that when investigating people, don't just focus on Lu Shaoting. There are probably people waiting for information behind these grain merchants as well."
Just then, someone knocked softly on the door. The person who came in was the deacon from the front hall of the Southeast Central Bank. "President Mo, Representative Zhou has sent someone to inquire again. He said that if the quota is set according to the regulations, how many wagons, how much grain, and how much medicine can be provided? It would be best to give them a rough estimate first so they can send a telegram to the south later."
Mo Huixin didn't even raise an eyebrow after hearing this.
"Reply to him."
"In the Southeast, rules matter more than numbers."
"A quota is a quota, and a supplementary schedule is a supplementary schedule."
"First, report the number of people, the route, and the date, then discuss how many truckloads of grain and medicine will be delivered."
"Anyone who tries to claim the train station and granary as their own backyard by spouting the phrase 'the military situation is constantly changing' should look for something else. We in the Southeast don't serve that, nor can we afford to!"
The deacon acknowledged and withdrew.
The two old accountants exchanged a glance, neither daring to utter a word.
They all noticed.
President Mo usually speaks softly.
But when it comes to the bottom line of money and grain accounts, their edge is sharper than anyone else's.
Fuzhou, temporary coastal defense command center.
The telegrams arrived one after the other.
After Shen Li finished opening the first letter, he opened the second one.
His eyebrows rose higher and higher.
"Young Marshal, Director Su has made contact with someone. Last night, Lu Shaoting went to the back gate of the old bank in the International Settlement and met with Chang, a former courier. The man even borrowed his newspaper card."
"Sister Huixin has also gotten to the bottom of things. Three grain merchants came early this morning to inquire about pre-orders and price lock-in, all using the excuse that the Northern Expeditionary Army is making temporary purchases."
Chen Zijun leaned against the table and laughed after listening.
"Well, this is turning the banner of the Northern Expedition into a business. It really fits the stereotype of the Republic of China!"
"They verbally offered to allow passage, but secretly controlled the grain supply, while keeping an eye on the railcars and the port."
"Chang Guangtou's scheme isn't just targeting my livelihood; he wants to take the pot lid too!"
"It has to be Sister Huixin! She alone is worth five divisions!"
Hans stood to the side and shrugged.
"Young Marshal, this is no longer just a political test."
"In Germany, this would warrant a court-martial!"
Chen Zijun nodded. "I know. The problem is, if they want to stop me, they'll have to see if their reach is long enough."
He folded the two telegrams together and flicked the corner of the paper with his finger.
"Reporting to Sister Huixin, don't rush to act against those three grain merchants. First, investigate their financial records and warehouse receipts."
"Reply to Sister Lanzhi and Sister Agui, don't cut off Lu Shaoting's connection. Give him a way out and let him continue climbing."
"The most valuable thing about this kind of person isn't when they first reach out, but when they think they're about to get their hands on something."
Shen Li grinned.
"Young Marshal, are you about to reel in the fish?"
"Otherwise what?"
Chen Zijun looked up at him.
"They've already cast their fishing hooks into our pot. We have to give them a bite in return."
Just then, there was another burst of hurried footsteps outside, and the coastal defense observers rushed in.
"Young Marshal, the Iwami veered slightly off course again this morning, but still didn't cross the line. The two light cruisers are taking turns swaying outwards, as if they're testing our observation frequency."
Shen Li sneered, "These Japanese navy idiots really think they're just strolling around the docks!"
Chen Zijun simply waved his hand.
"As usual. Continue to issue updates."
Hans was delighted to hear this.
"Young Marshal, you've turned their military operations into a navigation bulletin board."
Chen Zijun said calmly.
"Since they dare not fire, they can stand on the sea as a signpost for me!"
Southeast Military and Political Reception Office, Shanghai.
Zhou Qiheng no longer carried the intimidating air he had yesterday. He sat by the window, his expression noticeably more somber.
Hu Qiankuan picked out the most crucial part from the telegrams sent back from Fuzhou and placed it in front of him.
"Mr. Zhou, this is a new version of the passage regulations. It's more detailed than last night's, and it's also more efficient than the last one."
Zhou Qiheng took the book and read it page by page. The more he read, the more his brows furrowed. When he saw that all members of the delegation needed to register their travel routes, telegram exchanges, and daily stops, his fingers paused for a moment.
"Lieutenant Hu, isn't this going too far? We're here to discuss passing through on the Northern Expedition, not to be treated like prisoners."