In February 1939, Nanchang was in a tight situation and Changsha was in a tight situation.
The war situation across the country is tense.
However, for the Spring Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, no matter how hard life is, ordinary people will definitely celebrate the festival with a smile.
Those who are rich should hurry up and make new clothes for their children.
If you really don’t have any money, you can still have some fun by buying some melon seeds and peanuts.
Those refugees who ran to the public concession during the war finally managed to settle down.
alive.
Life is better than anything else.
As long as you can survive, there is always hope.
Maybe it will be transferred tomorrow, right?
The Spring Festival is another time for Meng Shaoyuan to spend money.
It needs to be managed everywhere.
The Ministry of Industry Bureau and the patrol room, including those small patrols.
Otherwise, why would people work so hard and obey your words to do things for you?
Everyone has standards.
How many general directors, how many directors, how many division directors, how many detectives, and how many patrol officers are in the Ministry of Industry Bureau.
There won't be any mess.
The money given out for filial piety was all allocated from the profits of smuggling to Shanghai.
How much profit did Meng Shaoyuan make from smuggling? Because Lu Yixuan and Xu Chengbo helped him make several accounts, there is never a clear figure.
However, according to more reliable reports, Meng Shaoyuan and Angus International Co., Ltd. colluded with each other, used threats, intimidation, and kidnapping, and relied on the full support of the patrol room to solve several cases in one year from 1938 to 1939. The main competitor controls more than half of Shanghai's smuggling market, and its territory is still expanding.
Take the Benma International Bank, a joint venture between French and German businessmen, as an example. This foreign firm, which mainly specialized in smuggling weapons, encountered a nightmare three months in 1938.
Someone proposed a full acquisition of Benma International Co., Ltd., but the company's board of directors flatly rejected it.
Subsequently, the headquarters of the foreign bank was attacked by a bomb. Fortunately, it happened late at night and no one was injured.
Then, a few days later, while Boris, the chairman of the foreign bank, was out, his car was attacked by gunmen.
The gunman was obviously just threatening and did not hurt anyone. He just punched a few holes in the car.
Boris decided to persevere.
He hired a lot of bodyguards to compete with the opponent.
However, his son was kidnapped.
The kidnappers did not make any demands and only left a note:
Leave Shanghai!
Members of the board of directors of foreign banks all suffered the same fate.
This forced Boris to ask the Ministry of Industry for help.
I originally thought that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau would lend a helping hand to me without hesitation.
However, what he didn't expect was that Moyes, the president of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, told him:
"Mr. Boris, you have offended someone you shouldn't offend. This person is an angel and a devil. When you obey him, he is an angel. When you go against his wishes, he is a devil!"
Police Commissioner Sinclair responded this way when asked for help:
"His supporters are all lunatics. They have no scruples and dare to do anything. When Huang Jinrong and Du Yuesheng were around, although they also kidnapped foreigners, they still had concerns. But your opponent is different. What about him? He dares to kidnap anyone and assassinate anyone. Even the arrogant Japanese are afraid of him. So I agree with you accepting the other party's conditions."
They never named "this man."
After three months of struggling, the directors, including Boris, collapsed and decided to give up.
Angus International Co., Ltd. fully acquired Penma International Co., Ltd. and quickly took over all their businesses.
When leaving Shanghai, Boris vowed never to return to the city in his lifetime.
Benma International Co., Ltd., which was established in the Shanghai Public Settlement in 1917, ended its adventure in China.
Joey Freemont, the chairman and general manager of Angus International, also made a lot of money after accepting Meng Shaoyuan's shareholding and fully cooperating with him.
Therefore, Meng Shaoyuan not only has the nickname "Shanghai King", but also has another title:
Smuggling Emperor!
Starting from 1939, Meng Shaoyuan not only focused on Shanghai, but also began to set his sights overseas.
When his partner, former Police Commissioner Daniel, returned to the UK to continue helping Meng Shaoyuan purchase advanced equipment, Meng Shaoyuan also asked him for one thing:
Buy real estate for yourself in the UK and the US for investment.
He set his sights on doing business overseas.
Britain would soon be bombed, but as long as those properties were there and rebuilt after the war, their value would rise rapidly, and then there would be another chance to make a fortune.
As for the United States?
Ten years after the economic crisis caused by Florida's housing bubble, real estate is beginning to revive, making this a great opportunity to invest.
In Meng Shaoyuan's eyes, it's not just today.
Of course, the main purpose of his visit to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau today was to communicate with these foreigners.
Moyes and Sinclair collected their own checks with satisfaction, and then sorted the checks due to other directors one by one.
"Cigar, my friend." Moyes felt that he was lucky to know Meng Shaoyuan.
After two more years of work, he could retire honorably.
Meng Shaoyuan was not polite. He took a stick from the cigar box, cut it, and lit it: "Look, it's another New Year, and it's your harvest season. Several of my men were caught by you. I think they is innocent."
"Ah, there are always people who are arrested by mistake. There are always some novice patrol officers who don't understand the rules." Sinclair smiled: "You can give me the list later, and they will be free in the afternoon."
"Thank you, my friend." Meng Shaoyuan sat down and said, "I don't need to hide anything in front of my friends. The war with the Japanese has started again. I think you are also having a headache during this time, right?"
Sinclair shrugged: "There have been too many casualties, Meng, you know, we are always on your side, no matter what you do we support you. The problem is, the Japanese put a lot of pressure on us , we have to consider the big picture.”
"You have your difficulties, I understand them very well." Meng Shaoyuan nodded and said: "I don't need you to help me deal with the Japanese before the New Year comes, but I would like to ask you to do something for me."
"Please say, Meng, your business is our business."
"In the next few months, we will do our best to suppress Ji Yunqing and Wu Sibao." Meng Shaoyuan sneered: "I will scan all their stalls and casinos every day."
Moyes frowned: "Ji Yunqing became very arrogant after he completely defected to the Japanese. The dividends that should have been given to us in the past are gone. I talked to him, but he said that business has not been doing well recently and he will not let us go at all." In the eyes.”
Sinclair also added: "And his subordinate Wu Sibao didn't take the patrol room seriously at all. He clashed with the patrol officers many times, and even a shooting incident broke out."
"Then, give them a good beating." Meng Shaoyuan said calmly: "Let them know that order is required in the public concession. The power of the patrol room alone is definitely not enough, so I will allocate manpower to help you."
"How can I help?"
"For example, when Wu Sibao's people clash with your patrolmen again, a string of bullets will fly out from God knows where and kill them. For example, when they walk halfway, the car will suddenly explode."
Meng Shaoyuan sighed: "God knows what else will happen. This is Great Shanghai."
Moyes and Sinclair laughed.
Sinclair waved his fist: "Then, I can tell you clearly that even if one of their people spits on the ground, they will be arrested for obstructing hygiene!"
Meng Shaoyuan wanted this effect, and what he feared most was the collusion between officials and bandits.
Bah, bah, do you think you have become a bandit?
"One more thing." Meng Shaoyuan said immediately: "New Year's Eve will be in a few days. Your detectives at the Jing'an Temple Police Station have been working hard for a year. Shouldn't they take off on that day?"
Have a holiday?
Meng Shaoyuan wanted to take action at Jing'an Temple on New Year's Eve?
Jing'an Temple? Capture the house?
Sinclair thought for a while and was shocked.
Is the target Chen Lu?
"Hey, Meng." Sinclair said carefully: "I heard that a big shot lives there. If something happens to him suddenly, it will cause an uproar. We will also be under pressure to solve the case."
"Many things will be arranged." Meng Shaoyuan said nonchalantly: "Time can dilute everything. Some traitors will die when they die. Will you stay in Shanghai for the rest of your life? Mr. Moyes, you will leave. Mr. Sinclair, you I will leave too. Wouldn’t it be nice to return to my home country with a full wallet to enjoy my retirement life?
I still say the same thing, I will never treat my friends badly. Daniel, the former police chief, bought a large estate in his hometown and is still doing business with me. I have no objection to you making money from me. I am the God of Wealth to all of you, right? But the prerequisite is that you need to become my friend. "
"Hey, Sinclair." Moyes said, "Have you forgotten, this is Shanghai, let the Chinese handle the Chinese affairs. I think Meng will definitely arrange things properly."
"Of course I won't object." Sinclair said easily: "It's just that I think there is anything else you dare not do?"
"Yes, there are many things I dare not do." Meng Shaoyuan stood up and put the cigar in the ashtray: "For example, I dare not betray my motherland and my nation. Mr. Sinclair, you As a British person, when your motherland encounters war, I think you will make the same choice as me, fearlessly and fight for the country."
Will Britain suffer war? Who would wage war against the Holy British Empire?
Sinclair felt that Meng Shaoyuan was really alarmist when he said such things.
Britain is always safe, always!
