"Fighting the flood in July. You guys have been praising the army on the news. Now that August is here, your rectification is getting more and more aggressive …"
The rain stopped shortly after nightfall, and the cool wind brought a damp smell from the courtyard. Yu Hezhong sat down in the study and talked about this matter with the smell of alcohol in his mouth. This was probably a topic of conversation during social engagements at night. Shi Shi rolled up her sleeves and poured him a cup of tea. "What do you mean?"
"… Your manager came to see me yesterday." Yu Ho-chung picked up the teacup. "It has something to do with this."
After the Huaxia military reorganized the government, the Bamboo Ji Store was split up. Many of the shopkeepers entered the Ministry of Commerce and became senior managers. Their titles were changed, but in Chengdu's non-Chinese military circles, many people still referred to certain officials as shopkeepers in order to show that they had a wide circle of friends and had a friendship with someone.
Shi Shi looked at him with a smile. Yu Hezhong paused for a while and said, "Because of this incident, the delivery of the goods to General Liu and even the next batch might be affected. It's said that the delivery will be delayed for a month or two. You know that General Liu and the others have started fighting. It will be troublesome if this matter is delayed. "
"This time, the rectification affected the entire 7th Division, from top to bottom, including Lu Qiaoshan, who was just promoted. Now, everyone has come back for a review. Brother Yu, every time the Huaxia military conducts a rectification, there will be no ambiguity. "Shi Shi said," But how did it affect your side? "
"… This time, the Seventh Division is investigating the issue of taking bribes from foreign merchants. Now that the people on the trade routes have been arrested, of course, the deal that was supposed to be done has been delayed."
"But the deal with General Liu is the bulk of the Huaxia military's foreign trade. The Ministry of Commerce and the 7th division should have sent people to take over the deal. It shouldn't affect the whole process. I seem to have heard about this during the meeting. "
"…" Yu Ho-chung was silent for a moment. "The 7th division is not the only one that was investigated …"
"Huh?"
Shi Shi frowned. The room became quiet. Yu Ho-chung took a sip of tea and put the teacup down.
"Hey." He patted his thigh and smiled bitterly. "Don't you know what happened to General Liu? From the southwest to Ezhou, and from Ezhou to the southwest, it was a long journey. Your Huaxia Army has been conducting regular military exercises every year, and there are also people in the Seventh Division who are taking advantage of them. As for General Liu … "
He waved his hand in the air, "The goods that were supposed to be delivered this time had already left the Sword Pavilion, and were about to arrive at Hanzhong. After a thorough investigation, I discovered that a few of your people had gone down, and we … bastards took the risk out of desperation to set up a fire dragon barbecue. Fortunately, your side was sufficiently vigilant, and managed to suppress it. But the other side said that the goods were no longer matching. You guys want to get to the bottom of this, so you stopped halfway … "
Shi Shi thought for a moment. "I haven't heard of this."
"After all, you're in the Publicity Department. If you don't ask around, it won't reach you."
"What's the problem?" Shi Shi looked at him gently. "How much did you take?"
"I don't. Shi Shi, you know me. I'm not ambitious, and I'm not very good at these things. I'll die sooner or later if I'm involved in the matter of exchanging military supplies. I know the severity of the matter, but … General Liu arranged for me to contact you guys here. Of course, I'm responsible for the whole thing. "
"Then … the specifics …"
"Nearly two thousand miles of trade route, all kinds of people took advantage of us, and shoddy goods were passed through. In fact, General Liu knew about these things. In the past few transactions, about 20% of the goods were exchanged for shoddy goods, and the 20% of good goods were mostly sold to Dai Mengwei at a high price. The ones who took advantage of this were mainly Yan Daolun and his gang. I was at the forefront, but I didn't know most of the things. In fact, I didn't know how they did it, but sometimes they would give me a sum of money for my hard work. Shi Shi, this … is not something that I don't want. "
He looked sincere. Shi Shi smiled. "I know. Anyway, it's Liu Guangshi's money that you lost. It's fine with me."
"No one dared to touch the ores, ironware, and gold and silver that were sent to the southwest. We all know that you guys are strict. But now that the matter has been exposed, you guys can't make the best of it and send the remaining 90% over first … In fact, if General Liu was here, he would definitely take the 90% first … "
"I don't think the Ministry of Commerce can be blamed for this. They can't think too highly of people when doing business. If the 90% was sent over carelessly, General Liu would take the goods first, and then come back to say that the Huaxia Army was short weight, and it would be hard for us to argue. Moreover, the entire Huaxia Army isn't afraid of arguing, and the people in charge are probably going to suffer. This is also their difficulty. "
"I understand, I understand." Yu Ho-chung nodded. "So now, the goods will be delayed for a month or two. General Liu is fighting at the front, and if he finds out, he will most likely be angry. The problem on our side is that we have to give him an explanation. When I met with Yan Daolun today, their idea was to hand over a few scapegoats to General Liu. It was these people who secretly exchanged the goods, and even after the incident, one of them wantonly destroyed the goods, causing the Huaxia Army to have no choice but to delay the goods … Actually, I'm a little hesitant about whether I should endorse them on this matter, so I came over to ask Shishi to give me some advice. "
"If you don't endorse them, you will also have to take responsibility," Shi Shi said.
"Yes." Yu Ho-chung nodded, and then said, "However, I don't think General Liu will put too much responsibility on me. After all … I'm just …" He waved his hand, as if he wanted to say that he was just a cover, and that he only got this position because of his connections, but in the end, he couldn't say it.
Shi Shi looked at him for a while, and then sighed. "Big shots don't think like this."
"I know that too, so …" He was slightly put in a difficult position.
Shi Shi laughed. "Tell me, what bad ideas did you come up with? Anyway, it's to trick Liu Guangshi, so what's there to be embarrassed about?"
Yu Ho-chung also laughed helplessly. "General Liu is very familiar with the officialdom and military matters. It's fine to throw out a few scapegoats and let General Liu confiscate their homes, but Yan Daolun and the others said it, so it's inevitable that General Liu still has a grudge in his heart. So … they know that I can contact you privately, so they want you to help move another line of communication in private. Of course, it won't be too difficult for you, but when the Huaxia Army investigates the whole matter, just mention a few names. If there are Huaxia Army signatures on it, General Liu will definitely believe it without a doubt. "
After saying this, he looked at Shi Shi sincerely. Shi Shi also looked at him for a while, and then said softly, "Where's the list of names? Let me see who the unlucky bastards are. "
Yu Ho-chung heaved a sigh of relief and took out a small piece of Xuan paper from his sleeve. Shi Shi took it and looked at it with a half-smile, then put it in her pocket.
She sat there in silence for a while, then picked up the teacup and took a sip, then smiled. "Brother Yu, actually, for official purposes, of course I will pass on this message. You see, it's for official purposes, so I will pass on the message. Because at the end of the day, General Liu is the one who is at a disadvantage, not our Huaxia Army. Of course, I won't say what the outcome will be, but if it's just a small act of endorsement, especially to help Yan Daolun and the others, I think the higher-ups will help. Of course, the specific answer will only be given to you in two days. "
"Of course." Yu Ho-chung smiled. "No matter what, I came over and said this, so I can actually explain it to Yan Daolun and the others."
Shi Shi nodded and smiled. "But personally …"
Hearing this, Yu Ho-chung lowered his head and reached for the teacup beside him, raising it as if to cover himself. "Personally, I know, I know. Sigh, Shi Shi …"
Shishi's eyes narrowed, and the corners of her mouth curved into a crescent moon. "Personally, Brother Yu, I actually want to say, sister-in-law and nephew, shouldn't you bring them to Chengdu? You've been separated for more than a year. What's the point of not returning home?"
Shi Shi wanted to persuade him, but seeing that he wasn't willing to listen, she changed the topic. When Yu Ho-chung heard this, he was slightly stunned, then sighed awkwardly. "Actually, you know your sister-in-law and the others, they don't have much knowledge. All these years, they've been cooped up at home, sewing and embroidering. I have too many events to attend in Chengdu. If they really come, I'm afraid … it's inevitable … that they'll be … uncomfortable … "
"Brother Yu, you can't bear to part with your two confidantes, right?" Shi Shi looked at him. Although there was a hint of reprimand in her words, her tone was still gentle. She wouldn't force him to do anything overbearingly.
"…" Yu Ho-chung was silent for a moment. Then, he picked up the teacup and said, "Sigh. Actually … Shishi … Actually, you also know that when I was young, I was a little ambitious, but … Let's not talk about the times or anything, in short, I wasn't able to achieve anything great. After the Central Plains fell, I wandered for half of my life. Then, I came to Chengdu and met you … Shishi, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but the past year might have been the happiest year of my life … "
He paused for a moment. "How could I not know what you are talking about when you speak of a private matter? Whenever there's a problem, the Chinese army will rectify it. It seems unreasonable, but everyone in the world can see that you're capable of doing things. On General Liu's side, everyone benefits whenever there's a problem. When there's a problem, they're half-hearted. I know that's not good, but … Shishi, I'm not prepared … "
Shi Shi looked at him. "You're not prepared. In fact, you're forced. "
"I understand." Yu Ho-chung nodded. "But … Shishi, I've been very happy for the past year … I really feel … Sigh, Sister, don't force me … Besides, I can at least help you now … Don't force me …"
"Alright." Shi Shi nodded. She took the teacup from his hand and poured hot tea for him. "Liheng is right. If it's possible, who wouldn't want to be a salted fish for the rest of their lives?"
"A salted fish?"
"Sprinkle salt on it, make it hard, and hang it under the eaves. Be it the wind or the rain, it's fine. It's just hanging there, not having to care about anything. How happy is that? When I was in Bianliang, I thought that after I got married, I would also be a salted fish for the rest of my life. "
Yu Ho-chung couldn't help but laugh at her teasing. The atmosphere between them became harmonious again. After a while, Yu Ho-chung thought for a while.
"There's something. Although I know the situation here, I think I should tell you in private."
"Hmm?"
"Whether you can do it or not, according to the rules, Yan Daolun will reward you with a large sum of money. I know you won't want it, but he will definitely give it to you. So I'm stuck in the middle. Don't say anything … Let's pretend that you don't know about this. I might be able to help you keep the money and help you do some small business. Anyway, you can pretend that you don't have it. But maybe … if you need to spend some money in the future … I might not necessarily give it to you because it's not yours. But if I have money, maybe I can lend it to you for emergencies … "
He looked at Shi Shi seriously. Shi Shi also looked at him cautiously for a while.
"What small business? Brother Yu, which business have you been busy with recently? "
"It's all legitimate business. The Huaxia Army has approved it." Yu Ho-chung said, "Of course, I didn't do it myself. I also teamed up with a few reliable people, including General Li and Rulai Li. It's mainly about building a factory outside the city. I know that the Huaxia Army really wants others to come here to build factories. Everyone can get rich together and become more and more prosperous. That's why I'm doing this. In addition, I have connections with Yan Daolun and the others. General Liu and the others on the front line all give me some face. Well, when people from the outside come in, these connections can be used. Don't worry, they all signed a big contract. It's written in black and white. I know it won't cause any trouble. In fact, the people outside also know that the group of people who invested money in the first place have all made a lot of money … "
He lowered his voice and began to ramble confidently about the way to make money in this area. Compared to taking advantage of the military equipment trade, building a factory in Chengdu was something that the Huaxia Army vigorously promoted, so there was nothing to worry about.
Hearing the three words "Rulai Li", Shi Shi couldn't help but close her eyes. She pursed her lips into an arc, and her whole face looked charming and complicated. Yu Ho-chung hesitated slightly at the end. Shi Shi opened her eyes, pursed her lips, and nodded. "Okay, go ahead. I've put all my money in. I'll report it to the higher-ups. It'll be fine. "
Yu Ho-chung looked at him and then nodded heavily. "That's right. This is also helping the Huaxia Army. You can donate it in the future."
"Well, that's right. Make money." Shi Shi nodded and stretched out her hand to the side. "Yeah!" This was an action that Ning Yi taught her. If he was present, he would also stretch out his hand to hit her. However, Yu Ho-chung didn't understand this method. In the past year, he had actually become more and more reluctant to be too close to Shi Shi, so he shrunk back in confusion. "What?"
"You're a country bumpkin." Shi Shi rolled her eyes.
"I'm old after all, and I'm not too familiar with the trendy people in the city."
"Haha."
"Hehe."
This was a common way of talking among young people in Chengdu recently. After saying this, both of them laughed.
After chatting for a while, Yu Ho-chung got up and said goodbye. Shi Shi sent him to the door of the courtyard and promised to give him a message as soon as possible. Yu Ho-chung left with satisfaction. Turning around, Shishi let out a heavy sigh with mixed feelings. Then, she ordered the orderly to go out. "Go get Hou Yuanyong."
The orderly left and rode his horse to an office of the intelligence department. After a while, Hou Yuanyong rode her horse over. He entered the study in the courtyard and met with Shi Shi. Shi Shi handed him the name list left by Yu Ho-chung. "Just as you reminded me two days ago, Yu Ho-chung came to find me today. There's a move." She conveyed the plans and intentions of Yu Ho-chung, Yan Daolun, and the others.
Although the main work had been transferred to the publicity department, because of the existence of Yu Ho-chung as a special middleman, Shi Shi had been maintaining contact with the intelligence department through Liu Guangshi. After all, as long as there was something on the other side, Yu Ho-chung's first reaction would naturally be to talk to Shi Shi in private.
"It's best if Yan Daolun and the others can personally deal with this matter," Shi Shi said. "If we have something on them, we'll basically be able to grasp the manpower that Liu Guangshi left here."
Hou Yuanyong nodded. "Next … leave the communication with that Brother Yu to us. We'll make things difficult for him and then have him ask Yan Daolun to come and make the deal in person."
Shi Shi nodded. "Okay."
After the handover, they did not talk about anything else. After Hou Yuanyong left, Shi Shi sat in the study and thought for a while. In fact, there were still some questions and clues about the whole matter. For example, why did the delivery had to be delayed by one or two months? She could vaguely sense some clues, but it was not convenient to confirm it with Hou Yuanyong.
She could only talk to him privately when she went to see Ning Yi tomorrow.
The night outside the courtyard was clear and bright. On the second day, it started to rain again ….
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