Chapter 427: New Ideas

The red dot is actually inside a factory building.

The sign hanging outside shows that. The factory is called Junsheng Coal Trading Company.

Coal trading?

That's rare. It's not found in the south.

The coal used in Jinling, Songhu and other places is transported from the north.

It seems that some of it comes from Tianjin?

Yes. That's right.

At that time, Qinhuangdao did not yet have a port and did not handle much coal.

Most of the coal shipped by sea was loaded in Tianjin. After the Japanese invaded and occupied Shanxi Province, they took control of a large number of coal mines and also needed to ship them from Tianjin.

Coal, cotton, iron ore, grain, etc., were all resources that the Japanese desperately plundered.

Tianjin therefore became an important node.

From the perspective of simply transferring war resources, Tianjin was more important than Shanghai.

Why?

If Tianjin were to collapse, the Japanese invaders in North China would be in a difficult situation.

It would be difficult to obtain enough weapons and ammunition from the country to replenish their supplies. At the same time, the various resources plundered from North China could not be transported back to the country effectively.

Unfortunately, the strength of the Fuxing Society in Tianjin was very weak and had almost no impact on the war situation.

I don't know what I can do.

If conditions permit, I should do some preliminary work. Wait until the full-scale war against Japan begins, and the Eighth Route Army enters North China, and then cooperate with the underground party?

'Who are you looking for?'

There were guards at the entrance to the coal trading company.

However, looking at Zhang Yong and the others' menacing arrival, and the fact that everyone was carrying guns, they couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

Had they encountered bandits? Had bandits entered the city in large numbers?

And why were they so brazen?

'Where is your boss?' Zhang Yong was gentle and refined.

I am a scholar by nature.

I'm not pretending.

As long as you are also refined and don't raise your hands, I am very talkative.

'Yes, he's inside...'

'Open the door.'

'Yes...'

The guards obediently opened the door.

Their intuition told them that if they refused, they would definitely be beaten up.

There were dozens of people on the other side. Rounding up, there were more than a hundred. How could they possibly withstand them? After opening the door, they hid on the side and shivered.

Zhong Yang and Ouyang Sheng broke the way.

Soon, the boss of the trading company realised that something was wrong. There were so many people...

was about to shout abuse, but then realised something was wrong.

Damn it!

Why are there guns everywhere?

And why are so many people wearing Mao suits?

Shit!

Has our identity been revealed?

Are they here to arrest us?

Without thinking, the boss turned around and ran.

He was aware of the danger, but he reacted quickly. He immediately ran to the coal pile in the back.

Behind the trading company was a large open area. There was a large pile of coal in the open area. This was for retail sales. The wholesale coal was not here. And it couldn't be stored here either.

'Chase!'

Zhang Yong waved his hand.

The more people, the better.

With just a gesture or a glance, someone would charge up the hill.

Especially the veterans who had just eaten and drunk. This was their first time participating in a capture. It felt very fresh. At the same time, they wanted to show off.

One by one, they charged up like cheetahs.

Zhang Yong unexpectedly discovered that Bond actually ran very fast. He also had strong climbing skills. He actually climbed directly up the coal pile and then flipped over.

Oh, this guy is very light. His feet didn't even sink into the coal pile.

The others were also competing fiercely.

'Nangong, come back!' Zhang Yong suddenly shouted.

Don't all run away.

I need to keep a few people by my side.

Otherwise, if someone attacks me later, won't I be in big trouble?

Although I can monitor all the Japanese invaders within a radius of 350 meters, I can't withstand an attack by a traitor or something!

The Japanese spies must be captured.

I can't afford to die myself.

Otherwise, it will affect the overall situation...

'Yes!'

Nan Gong Hanqing hurriedly withdrew.

Zhang Yong stood behind the coal pile and couldn't see the capture situation inside.

But he wasn't worried.

With so many people, how could they fail to capture a Japanese spy?

Ridiculous!

If the Japanese spy escapes, he will eat all these coal piles.

The map shows that the red dot is running in front, and a bunch of white dots are chasing behind. The distance between the two sides is getting closer and closer.

Eventually, the white dots completely engulf the red dot.

See?

I told you he wouldn't escape.

How many Japanese spies have managed to escape from him?

In the past, the guys from the Miyamoto family were too good, and I didn't have any experience. So I let that old beggar from the Miyamoto family escape a few times.

But then there were none left. Even if they're from the Miyamoto family, they have to stay.

Stretch your arms.

Take a look around.

Suddenly, I feel that this place is not bad.

It's spacious enough.

It's spacious.

And there's so much coal. No, it's a mountain of coal. I don't think we'll ever be able to burn it all.

Winters in the north are still very cold. Without enough coal to keep warm, it would be hard to survive the winter. Nowadays, electricity and gas are luxuries.

Coal is the most affordable. Every household prepares some before winter.

Generally speaking, an average household may need to prepare about 2,000 jin of coal for a winter.

How many jin are there here?

I'd say it's more than 20 million jin...

Maybe there's even tens of thousands of tons in one mountain of coal...

Is tens of thousands of tons a lot?

Not really.

In the year 2022, China's annual coal production will reach 4.5 billion tons. Just think about what that means...

'Captain, we've got him!'

'Good!'

Zhang Yong nodded.

This Japanese spy doesn't seem to be a big fish!

He can't hold his nerve.

He ran when he saw me coming. He must have wanted to be caught.

Soon, the boss was brought up. He was covered in bruises.

Haha. These roughnecks.

They beat up anyone they catch. They're not civilized.

Luckily, it was all from punches. He'll survive. And we won't have to pay for medical bills.

'What's your boss's name?' Zhang Yong's smile was cold.

'You, you...' The boss was still in shock. He was frustrated and desperate. At the same time, he was still holding onto some hope.

Perhaps the other person is simply seeking revenge. Or maybe it's a kidnapping.

As long as they don't know that I'm a hidden Japanese, I'll be fine. Money is just material possessions...

'My name is Chen Hu,' Zhang Yong began to talk nonsense again.

The name Liu Heizi could no longer be used. The Japanese spy agency knew all about it.

Then he changed his name. He would not say that he was Zhang Yong.

Nor would he say that he was from the Fuxing Society.

'You, you, what do you want?'

'Alms!'

'I, I, I...'

'Let's go inside and talk.'

'You, you...'

The Japanese spy's heart was racing.

It turned out that the other party really didn't know that he was Japanese. And they weren't there to arrest him.

They were just there to beg for money.

But, isn't your approach a bit too much? Do you need to bring so many people and so many guns when you go begging?

I don't think Yuan Wen would go out and about with such a big entourage.

He is the number one boss in Tianjin!

You're carrying an entire army with you!

That's a lot to take in. I feel like I'm going to faint. Okay...

Enter the office.

Press the boss down on the stool and tell him to sit still.

Zhang Yong sits down.

'What is your last name, boss?'

'I... my name is Geng Mingjun.'

'Oh, it's Boss Geng, I'm sorry.'

'You...'

Geng Mingjun stammers.

He realised that he might have been too happy too soon.

The other person's gaze seemed to be telling him unmistakably that someone else had known his secret for a long time.

'Well...'

'Just get to the point, Boss Geng.'

'I have a few thousand dollars in my safe. Please accept it, Boss Chen.'

'Really? Then I'd be very grateful.'

'I'll go get it.'

'Please!'

Zhang Yong waved with a smile.

Geng Mingjun stood up weakly and went to open the safe.

After a moment's hesitation, he did indeed take out a stack of banknotes from inside. They were all from the Baoshang Bank. The denomination was 100 silver dollars. There were about 34 of them.

He tried to close the safe, but Zhang Yong stopped him with a hand gesture. 'No rush.'

'Well, there are no more banknotes...'

'There are other things! I've seen them all!'

'Well...'

'Come here!'

Zhang Yong's smile faded.

Geng Mingjun then realised that he had made a stupid mistake.

The others may not be after the silver notes. They have discovered that there are more important things inside the safe.

For example, some bills.

Some documents relating to dealings with the Japanese. Passes, and so on.

Some special permits are very important.

Without these special permits, the transport ship cannot even set sail.

If it does, it will be sunk by the Japanese warships. Or it will be captured.

Outside, the Bohai Bay is controlled by the Japanese.

Japanese warships are cruising around.

At the mouth of the Bohai Bay, in the port of Lushun, the Japanese had stationed their naval fleet.

Near the dock at Taku in Tianjin, the Japanese also had warships.

Subconsciously, he turned around, trying to close the safe again. But he froze again.

He heard the sound of a bolt being pulled. It was the Browning pistol being loaded.

The reason pistols like the Browning were called 'drawers' was that they were loaded by pulling the slide.

His heart sank.

He turned around.

He obediently sat back down.

It's over...

Zhang Yong walked over and took a look.

Haha. There are gold bars. Without thinking, he immediately and quietly swallowed them.

Apart from the gold bars, there didn't seem to be anything else of value. So he came back.

Zhong Yang led the others over and took everything out of the safe and placed it on the marble coffee table.

The marble coffee table was very large and just happened to be able to hold everything.

Some documents and passes also fell on the coffee table. They were very conspicuous.

Many of the documents had Japanese stamps on them.

Japanese Military Police Headquarters...

Japanese Maritime Affairs Office...

Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare...

It was a dazzling sight. There was a fist-sized pile of relevant documents alone.

Geng Mingjun was extremely nervous.

If the other party pursued the matter of how these documents came to be in his possession, there was no way he could explain.

Ordinary people could never have obtained these documents.

Only Japanese people who pass themselves off as Chinese can do it. And that's an important guarantee that they can make huge profits.

Fortunately, Zhang Yong doesn't seem to be very smart.

Zhang Yong glanced at him and said, 'You still have the ability to do business with the Japanese?'

'Me, yes, yes...'

'Then I'll also invest in the shares.'

'What?'

'I'm going to be your boss.'

'What?'

'I like this place. I'm requisitioning this place.'

'What?'

Geng Mingjun was dumbfounded.

He thought the other party wasn't very smart. He didn't expect

that he was going to swallow him whole!

Zhang Yong was serious. He was going to settle the veterans here.

Back to 49 Shihu Street. It wasn't impossible. But it was best not to put all your eggs in one basket. You couldn't let the enemy see the whole picture at a glance.

You had to have some hidden forces. Even if you couldn't completely hide them. It was better than exposing them all.

'No...' Geng Mingjun weakly refused.

Zhang Yong waved his hand.

Everyone else retreated outside the office.

Geng Mingjun subconsciously felt that something was wrong. But he dared not move. He could only sit obediently.

'You are Japanese...'

'I am not...'

'Is your superior Kazuhiko Wachi or Shigeru Shigematsu? Or someone else?'

'...'

Geng Mingjun was silent.

Zhang Yong silently looked at the other person.

Suddenly, he heard Geng Mingjun mutter, 'Matsui...'

Zhang Yong's eyes lit up.

Matsui Mansion?

That means Matsui Yoshinori.

He actually works for the Matsui residence in Beiping?

Good guy.

It's a cross-regional operation!

Haha.

He leaned close to the other person's ear and said slowly, 'Or maybe it's Matsui Yoshinobu?'

'No. No...' Geng Mingjun cried out reflexively. Then he realised that he had been found out. His reaction was obviously that of a cat whose tail had been stepped on!

He had been exposed.

The other person had known his background all along.

He had even mentioned Matsui Yoshinori's name. There was no point in continuing to resist.

Unless he wanted to get beaten up.

Then he was killed and buried directly in the coal pile. No one would ever know.

It turned out that the Japanese spy had guessed correctly.

Zhang Yong had just seen so many coal piles, which looked like small mountains. The first thing that came to mind was to bury someone.

If the Japanese spy was killed, bury him in one of these piles, and you don't even have to dig a pit.

Is this a coal pile?

It's a coal mountain!

It's over 50 metres high. That's equivalent to a dozen storeys. The base is irregular. Basically, it can be considered round. The radius is over 100 metres. What is this if not a mountain?

If you bury a few people inside, who can find them?

Why don't we bury this guy first, and then find a new boss?

His gaze fell...

'No, no, I'll talk, I'll talk,' the Japanese spy suddenly crumbled.

He sensed murder in Zhang Yong's eyes.

His strong desire to survive made him make a wise choice.

Zhang Yong's murderous intent gradually subsided.

Okay. Cooperation.

Since others are willing to cooperate, he will spare his life.

After all, he is a kind person...

'I'll wait for your questions. Answer honestly. Don't lie. And don't embellish.'

'Yes.'

'How many years have you been in hiding?'

'Seven years.'

'Have you always been affiliated with the Matsui Residence?'

'No. There was no Matsui Residence before. It was Ito Masao before.'

'Do you have any contact with the Kempeitai headquarters here?'

'No.'

'And with the Dan Agency, Lan Agency, and Take Agency?'

'No.'

'Then with what agency do you have contact?'

'The Moon Agency.'

'Huh? As in the moon?'

'Yes.'

'Ah, the Moon Agency...'

Zhang Yong nodded thoughtfully. Another new term!

Moon Agency...

It doesn't seem to be plum, orchid, bamboo or chrysanthemum? Nor is it paulownia, nanmu, sandalwood or locust tree?

'Who is the head of the agency?'

'It's His Excellency Matsui Yoshi...'

'Oh, the Matsui residence, the Moon Agency...'

Zhang Yong let out a sigh of relief.

It turns out to be one group of people with two different names.

That explains why there is a Moon Agency.

It seems that the Matsui residence has jurisdiction over a large number of Japanese spies, and its reach extends to Tianjin.

Then he suddenly thought of something else.

'What is the name of the agency at the Shigeru Mansion?'

'Huh?'

'Isn't there an agency at the Shigeru Mansion in Tianjinwei?'

'I don't know.'

'Oh. What is your job description?'

'To make money.'

'Just to make money?'

'Yes. To provide funding for the Matsui Mansion.'

'I see.'

Zhang Yong felt ashamed.

It seemed that he had forgotten his old trade a little.

Isn't this common practice in Shanghai and Nanjing?

The Japanese military authorities don't have much funding to allocate to various secret agencies, so they all have to find their own ways to get funding.

If you have money, you do it.

If you don't have money, don't do it.

Therefore, the primary principle of every secret agency is to get money.

Without money, what can you do?

Using Japanese spies to pretend to be Chinese and then make a profit. At the same time, infiltrating into the Chinese business community is their tried and true method.

Since this method was popular in the south, they naturally copied it in the north.

Unfortunately, after arriving in Tianjin, I have not followed this rule.

I have really lost my old trade.

In Beiping and Tianjin, there must be many Japanese spies like Geng Mingjun.

There must be a large number of Japanese spies posing as Chinese businessmen in many business groups or chambers of commerce. While making a profit, they are also monitoring all economic secrets.

Someone like Geng Mingjun, who has been in the coal trade for seven years, can't keep any secrets.

He might even be a small boss himself. And he has a lot of underlings.

With the support of the Japanese invaders behind him, he will definitely climb the ranks step by step. Eventually, he might even control a large part of the coal trade.

Haha.

I have a new idea.