After taking in so many supplies all at once, Chen Yang gave Lin Xueli a meaningful look.
This eldest brother of his was usually quiet and unassuming, unlike Lin Xueyi, who handled matters so rashly.
But he was definitely no simple man. Chen Yang was certain that among the partners he had mentioned, their uncle Lin Zonghan was absolutely not included.
In other words, he was also secretly developing his own strength.
In a daze, Chen Yang thought of all the Hong Kong and Taiwan dramas he had watched in later generations, filled with grievances and feuds among wealthy families, with all their rights and wrongs.
But struggles in reality were far crueler than those in television dramas.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Yang suddenly smiled and said, “Big Brother, did you receive some sort of news, which is why you’re thinking of stockpiling large quantities of supplies at a time like this?”
“You said you studied the Osaka Chamber of Commerce’s sales of supplies over the past half year. You could have gone straight to Tanaka Ichiro and discussed it with him face-to-face.”
“Yet you want to go through me in secret. That means this matter of stockpiling supplies has to be carried out privately and confidentially. No one else can know.”
“It seems the person Big Brother has latched onto truly holds no small amount of power and status.”
Lin Xueli was stunned at once.
He had not expected that without revealing anything, merely saying a few words, Chen Yang could judge useful information from them.
No wonder Father liked this kid so much. He was indeed frighteningly clever.
After a moment of silence, Lin Xueli said slowly, “There are some things that even if you guess them, I won’t admit to.”
“Chen Yang, right now I just want to know the answer. Can you give me all these supplies or not?”
Chen Yang sized Lin Xueli up, then suddenly smiled. “Big Brother, if you want them, of course I can help you.”
“However, as for the price.”
Lin Xueli hurriedly said, “The price is naturally no problem. Name a figure. As long as it’s reasonable, we absolutely won’t bargain.”
Chen Yang said unhurriedly, “I don’t want silver cash or fabi. I only want gold.”
“Let me remind you in passing: if your intelligence network is useless, you might as well disband it. Four or five hundred tons of supplies? Heh. I can give you an accurate number. The supplies in the Osaka Chamber of Commerce’s warehouse right now aren’t a few hundred tons, but around one thousand seven hundred and forty tons.”
“With my authority, the most I can give you on all categories of supplies is a ten percent discount. If you want to take them all, then one ton of gold. And I want gold issued by the Shanghai Gold Administration Bureau, the kind bearing international transaction markings, not the large gold bars circulating on the market.”
“One ton of gold?” After hearing Chen Yang’s price, Lin Xueli silently began calculating whether this deal was worthwhile.
At present, one large gold bar on the Shanghai market was worth three hundred silver dollars. One large gold bar weighed ten taels, and during the Republican era the sixteen-tael scale was in common use. According to the Gold Administration Bureau’s weight standard, that was 312 grams. Three large gold bars amounted to 936 grams.
One ton of gold was one thousand kilograms of gold. Converted, that came to nearly a million silver dollars.
Of course, it might be even more than that, because the Gold Administration Bureau’s gold price fluctuated with the market. Now that large-scale war had broken out in China, gold prices had been soaring all along.
Calculated according to the current floating market rate, this nearly one million silver dollars would probably require over one million silver dollars to obtain.
One thousand seven hundred and forty tons of supplies for over one million silver dollars. If it had been last year, that would have been expensive. But now, with beacon fires everywhere and supply prices constantly rising, Lin Xueli pondered for a long while, then gritted his teeth and said, “Fine, no problem. I need two days to raise the money. We’ll make the transaction before the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.”
Chen Yang chuckled. “Big Brother, the French really are rich. They can gather a million silver dollars in just two days.”
Lin Xueli’s expression changed drastically in an instant, and he blurted out, “How did you know?”
Chen Yang said gently, “Isn’t that simple? You said yourself that Chinese firms are boycotting Japanese supplies.”
“And you make your living in the French Concession. Being able to push Uncle aside means the other party’s strength should be a level above Uncle’s.”
“As far as I know, Uncle already counts as a top-tier merchant in Shanghai. There aren’t many people more formidable than him, and in the French Concession, such merchants can be counted on one hand. At first, I thought it was some Shanghai Green Gang big shot.”
“But I immediately realized that wasn’t right. From your attitude toward Second Brother just now, it’s clear that in your heart, you look down on these Green Gang people entirely.”
“If it isn’t the Green Gang, yet they can still command wind and rain in the French Concession, then the answer is obvious. Big Brother, the person you’ve connected with should be a director of the French Concession Municipal Council. Apart from the two Chinese directors, the French Concession Municipal Council has a total of nine seats. Let me guess who it is you’ve latched onto.”
“Don’t, don’t. I admit you’re impressive, so stop guessing.” In just a few short sentences, his whole background had nearly been exposed. Lin Xueli immediately became flustered.
Although he had known Chen Yang had always been monstrous, he had not expected him to be monstrous to this extent. Lin Xueli asked himself and was certain he had not said a single irrelevant word, yet Chen Yang had easily stripped away his secrets.
Fortunately, this was his own younger brother. If it were someone else, he would not be able to sleep at night.
“Chen Yang, you must be tired too. Rest for a while first. Tonight, Father has arranged a banquet to welcome you.”
“I’ll be going first. I’ll give you a reply regarding the funds within two days. Also, you absolutely must not tell anyone else.”
“All right. You don’t need to teach me the principle that affairs are accomplished through secrecy.”
No. 1066 Jinxian Road, French Concession, a garden villa.
This was the private residence of Pi Shaona, one of the directors of the French Concession Municipal Council.
The directors of the French Concession were among the highest authorities in the French Concession.
In the earliest days, the French Concession had only five directors: one general director, usually concurrently held by the consul of the French Concession consulate.
Below him were one deputy director and three directors.
The deputy director’s main duty was to assist the general director in managing the affairs of the Municipal Council.
As for the three directors, they were respectively responsible for finance, public welfare, and policing.
The French Concession was established in 1849, nearly a hundred years ago.
Originally, the French Concession was simply the territory where the French conducted their activities. In 1853, when the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement broke out, Liu Lichuan, leader of Shanghai’s famous Small Swords Society, also led his subordinates in revolt in response to the call.
Multiple forces in Shanghai went to war, plunging the city into chaos. Large numbers of Chinese civilians entered the concession seeking protection. After deliberation, the French Municipal Council decided to open the concession and allow Chinese civilians to enter.
It was precisely the arrival of these civilians that made the French Concession the most prosperous area in Shanghai.
As the population surged, the number of Municipal Council directors also increased from three to six.
By now, in addition to the French, the Municipal Council had specially established two Chinese director seats to manage affairs jointly.
These two Chinese directors were the renowned Boss Du and Boss Zhang of the French Concession.
Inside the study on the second floor, Pi Shaona held the document delivered by the Municipal Council, his expression dark and terrifying.
This was a joint petition signed by the foreign merchants of the French Concession.
Ever since the Battle of Shanghai broke out, the Japanese had quickly gained control over most of Shanghai.
Although the French Concession was not under Japanese jurisdiction, their Marine Corps Command had indulged their fleet in intercepting merchant ships from various countries heading for Shanghai in the outer seas.
It was not only the navy. The Japanese Gendarmerie Command had also dispatched patrol boats to detain vessels under all sorts of pretexts.
The wharves directly administered by the French Concession, such as Shiliuhang, Yangjingbang, and Xinkaihe, had all been subjected to groundless inspections by the other side.
Judging from the report, from last October until now, the Japanese had detained at least several hundred tons of supplies.
Among them were no lack of important materials such as rubber, ore, and medicine.