dhibooks Chapter 234 Let's talk...
Chapter 234 Let's talk...
"Keep sending them. If they're willing to jump into the pit, should I stop them from burying them?"
At this point, Chen Zijun paused and added another sentence.
"The copy will be sent as usual, plus the customs and insurance companies."
Hans was taken aback.
"Even insurance companies are joining?"
Chen Zijun smiled.
"What they fear most is an unstable shipping lane. Don't the Japanese like to bring up international shipping lanes? Then let the people who care most about shipping lanes keep an eye on the Iwami every day."
Shen Li took notes, unable to suppress the smirk on his face.
The young marshal's move was truly cunning.
As long as Shinichi Terauchi continues to exploit the situation, Chen's army will continue to send out coordinates, times, and artillery positions. Eventually, even the foreigners' own insurance premiums will have to be increased first for him.
Chen Zijun raised his hand and pointed to Zhou Qiheng's three points.
"Alright, these little Japanese naval bastards at sea have no traditional spirit at all. They're so cowardly. I was hoping their captains and gunners would do something like insubordination and fire directly. It seems these naval idiots are still too weak. They're really cowards. Let's leave it at that for now at sea."
"Let's go over the rules on land again. Take out the six rules from last night. Today, we'll not only write down what we can't do, but also what the consequences will be if we do it."
Shen Li immediately laid out paper. "Young Marshal, please speak."
Chen Zijun's voice was very steady.
"First, troops using the route must report their unit number, troop strength, route, and date three days in advance. Any changes must be reported again. Because of the urgency of the war, reports must be submitted at least one day in advance so that we can coordinate."
"Second, when crossing the border, you are only allowed to use the designated transportation routes. You are not allowed to deviate from them on your own, and you are not allowed to send troops to enter the prefectures and counties without authorization."
"Third, food, horse feed, medicine, coal and water can all be purchased from the logistics department of the Southeast Army, but there are limits, and payment must be made in cash, in foreign currency, gold and silver dollars. No credit will be accepted."
"Fourth, no one may enter railway stations, warehouses, hospitals, docks, telegraph offices, arsenals, or important coastal defense sites without authorization."
"Fifth, no one may set up radio stations privately, issue military orders privately, or privately contact our military officers, chambers of commerce, local governments, or local militias."
"Sixth, no taxes, conscription, laborers, cart pullers, or apportionments shall be levied; violators shall be immediately blocked off from roads and detained."
When Shen Li wrote the last sentence, his pen tip became heavy.
"Cut off the road and detain people..."
"Young Marshal, isn't this a bit too harsh...?"
Chen Zijun glanced at him.
"You have to be ruthless. People in the Republic of China era were masters at exploiting loopholes."
"You try to reason with him, but he uses righteousness to pressure you."
"You build a relationship with him, and he takes advantage of that to steal from your warehouse."
"If the rules don't specify the consequences, they'll just think you're being polite."
"Besides, the Western Route Army has already reached Wuhan, while their Eastern Route Army is still in Jiangxi. It's not us who's worried right now, it's Chang Guangtou!"
At that moment, another telegram was brought in from the table.
Southeast Central Bank.
Mo Huixin's writing remains dense and steady.
Shen Li had only read two lines when his expression turned serious.
"Young Marshal, Sister Huixin has broken down the accounts in detail."
"If the Zhejiang-Jiangxi transportation line is opened, and military trains can be deployed 10% of the time, the speed at which civilian grain is transported to Shanghai will immediately drop by 20%."
"If the purchase of grain and fodder on demand is allowed for a scale of 10,000 people, the price of rice in major cities such as Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and Huzhou will definitely rise within three days."
"If drug allocation and bridge overloading are further relaxed, hospitals and railways will also face strain."
Chen Zijun took the telegram and scanned it line by line. A slow, suppressed smile played on his lips. That's right.
War is never something that can be accomplished simply by shouting a few words about a northern expedition.
Guns and ammunition cost money. Military rations cost money. Horse feed costs money. Railcars, bridges, dockworkers—all of these cost money.
Not to mention that the Southeast is currently keeping an eye on the Japanese fleet while maintaining coastal defense preparedness in five provinces.
At this point, who would dare to claim the importance of an alliance and try to take away the foundation that Southeast China has built up over many years at market price?
Dream on!
Chen Zijun looked up.
"Reply to Sister Huixin."
"Make a list of all the limits on grain and fodder, railway load capacity, bridge capacity, and hospital capacity. Since they want to discuss the charter, let's turn the charter into an account book."
Shen Li grinned.
"yes!"
Telegraph room of the Southeast Central Bank in Shanghai.
Under the lamplight, Mo Huixin had three tents laid out beside her.
One book contains information on rice and grain, another on railcars, and the third on the details of the inflow and outflow of government bonds in the special account.
She raised her hand to brush a stray hair from her forehead, her voice soft.
"Check it again."
"Let's lower the limit for military trains on the section from Hanghangcheng to Quzhou by another half a percent. Those are provincial railways built a few years ago, and they haven't undergone our upgrades, so their transportation efficiency might be much lower..."
The accountant was taken aback.
"President Mo, any lower and it will be too tight."
Mo Huixin did not look up.
"Be lenient in your assessment of the enemy, but strict in your treatment of them. Don't you, as a seasoned accountant, understand this principle? It's better to plan for the worst-case scenario than to wait for something to happen and then try to fix it!"
"If the Northern Expeditionary Army comes, then it won't just be our Southeast Front Army on the battlefield. If we are tied down on land and our coastal defenses are also drained, when things get really tough, it will be even worse than it is in the tents."
The accountant immediately lowered his head.
"Yes."
A telegraph operator hurried in and said, "Miss Mo, the military and political reception office asked again. The southern representative said that as long as a general amount is given, the details can be discussed later."
Mo Huixin smiled gently.
"Shall we discuss it later?"
"Once the troops have crossed the bridge, boarded the vehicles, and entered the station, who will still be willing to discuss things with you at length?"
She picked up her pen and wrote a line on the paper.
Grain can be sold and roads can be borrowed, but there are limits on quotas, routes, time limits, and goods; none of these four can be omitted.
After she finished writing, she handed the paper over.
"Send it to Fuzhou, and simultaneously to Lieutenant Hu."
"Make another copy for Lanzhi, and tell her that I'm watching the accounts, while she's watching the people. This whole group is going to be killed tonight."
In the city of Shanghai, night had just fallen.
Su Guiying had already cast the net as Mo Lanzhi had requested.
Tea servers, coachmen, accountants, waiters, newsboys, and even cigarette vendors outside the docks—each has their own eyes.
The entourage that Zhou Qiheng brought could still act politely in the meeting room, but once the negotiations ended and they left the meeting room, their rough edges were revealed.
One went to ask about the military train schedule at the station, while the other went around inquiring about loading and unloading at the warehouse.
The man in the gray jacket went around to the back alley of the bank and, under the guise of buying cigarettes, stared at the special account for the coastal defense bonds for a full hour, lost in thought.
Su Guiying sat on the second floor of the teahouse, her fingertips lightly tapping the table.
Where are they?
The subordinate replied in a low voice.
"I just came out of the back alley and headed towards the entrance of the International Settlement. On the way, I brushed past a man in short clothes. The way he did it was obviously to pass a message."
Su Guiying narrowed her eyes.
"Don't rush to arrest them. Follow them first..."
Fuzhou, temporary coastal defense command center.
Chen Zijun had already read Mo Huixin's second telegram. There was another one, forwarded from the Shanghai reception office, in which Zhou Qiheng formally stated his position. He said that the Northern Expedition was for the sake of the whole country, not for the sake of a single army or region. If the Southeast were to be subject to quotas, routes, and time limits everywhere, it would be a loss of the spirit of a revolutionary alliance.
After Shen Li finished reading, he was so angry that he laughed.
"Young Marshal, he's not just asking to pass through. He's trying to recruit us!"
Chen Zijun nodded.
"Reply to him."
"With national affairs at hand, the Chen family army will not obstruct the Northern Expedition. However, the five southeastern provinces are not only under the jurisdiction of the National Revolutionary Government, but also the territory defended by the Southeastern Army. Grain, roads, bridges, ports, forts, warehouses, and hospitals all have their owners, their accounts, and their defenses. Anyone who wants to go through with it should do so according to the established procedures."
"Anyone who wants to use the phrase 'national unity' to offset costs should first erase the hostility of Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Hunan towards the Chen family's trade, railways, military supplies, and personnel exchanges."
Shen Li's eyes lit up.
"Young Marshal, that's a well-placed decision!"
Chen Zijun sneered.
"Anyone who talks to me about nationwide uniformity... well, then I'll have to talk to them about equal treatment..."