February 6, 1940, the Jiaxu day of the Yimao year of the lunar calendar.
On this day, after the resignation of the British Sir Claes, Kai Ziwei, also from the United Kingdom, officially took office as the general director of the Shanghai Public Settlement Bureau of Industry.
When he heard the news, Meng Shaoyuan smiled.
He even opened a bottle of wine to celebrate.
Of course, he couldn't remember the name of every general director of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau, but he could not remember the last British general director of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau very clearly.
Unlike other British people, he seems to be born to be the enemy of the Japanese. It can even be said that he hates the Japanese deeply.
All the grievances between him and the Japanese, and even the fact that he was later shot by the Japanese, were accumulated from the first day he became the general director.
The Military Command Bureau has just passed through the dark period after Klaas took office, and will soon usher in the happy period after Kai Ziwei came to power.
On the first day that Kai Ziwei came to power, he personally signed an order to re-appoint Sinclair as the Commissioner of Police of the Ministry of Industry.
With Kai Ziwei's acquiescence, Sinclair also signed his first order after his reinstatement:
Immediately release all captured military personnel, including Song Deng.
At the same time, they gave No. 76 a stern warning:
If another violation of concession laws occurs, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau will not ignore it.
The changes are so fast, it seems like everything changes overnight.
On February 7, the morning of the Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve, Kai Ziwei made an appointment with Meng Shaoyuan, general manager of Litong Company.
"You are not a general manager." Kai Ziwei said straight to the point: "Your true identity is the director of the Shanghai District of the Military Command Bureau. You are the National Government's largest spy chief in Shanghai."
"Then what?" Meng Shaoyuan asked with a smile.
"Shanghai is a mixed bag of people belonging to the military, the Central Unification, the Workers' and Peasants' Party, and the Japanese. It has simply become a wet market." Kai Ziwei said with a serious expression: "I need to restore order in the public settlement, and I need your help to restore public order. Order in the concession!”
I need your help to restore order in the public concession!
Just such a sentence shows Kai Ziwei's attitude.
"That's my honor." Meng Shaoyuan said calmly: "I have the ability to do so. I command thousands of military agents, not counting guerrillas and peripheral personnel. I also have a large number of Youth Gang disciples under me, who are from all walks of life. With my people! When Claes was here, I could bring chaos to Shanghai overnight. But now that you are the general director, I can restore order in Shanghai as quickly as possible!"
He didn't hide anything anymore.
"Then, it's settled." Kai Ziwei was not polite: "I hope the previous unpleasantness will disappear. Of course, your identity is still the general manager of Litong Company. The public concession refuses the activities of armed personnel like you."
"Of course." Meng Shaoyuan smiled brightly: "I am a serious businessman. Ah, by the way, I also brought you some gifts. Can I let my people bring them in?"
"I don't take any bribes."
"Where are you thinking, Mr. General Manager, I am an upright person. I will never bribe others with money."
Meng Shaoyuan asked Li Zhifeng to bring in two oil paper bags and opened them: "Look, serious pork head meat and peanuts. I had my people queue up for a long time to buy them. It's the Chinese New Year, so it's not easy to buy."
"I don't eat this kind of thing."
Kai Ziwei shrugged.
"You have to try it." Meng Shaoyuan pointed to the pig head meat: "If we want to become friends, we must first accept each other's preferences. A pack of pig head meat, a pack of peanuts, paired with a bottle of wine, perfect."
Then, he took the hat from Li Zhifeng: "There are still a few hours, and the New Year is coming. The Chinese New Year is as important as your Christmas. Happy Spring Festival, Mr. Chairman."
"Happy Chinese New Year, Mr. General Manager."
Watching Meng Shaoyuan leave, Kai Ziwei hesitated for a long time, then picked up a small piece of pig head meat with his hand, mustered up the courage to put it in his mouth, chewed it for a while, and said to himself:
“It seems to taste pretty good!”
…
"Are you all ready?"
"Everything is ready!"
Meng Shaoyuan got into the car: "Start!"
"Bang bang bang."
At this moment, a man not far away suddenly rushed up and fired three shots at the car.
Then, the man immediately fled in panic.
There was a car waiting for him nearby. The killer got into the car and disappeared in a flash.
"Don't even move!"
Li Zhifeng got out of the car again and stopped the military agents who wanted to swarm us: "Abide by the laws of the concession! Leave it to the Ministry of Industry Bureau to handle it. The general manager is fine!"
This incident is called the "Jiaxu Shooting Incident"!
Meng Shaoyuan, the arrogant head of the Shanghai District of the Military Command Bureau, was assassinated. Fortunately, all three shots hit the car, and Meng Shaoyuan was safe.
…
Kai Ziwei was shocked.
Just after he took office, he had a pleasant conversation with Meng Shaoyuan. As a result, Meng Shaoyuan was shot outside the Ministry of Industry Bureau building.
Kai Ziwei was a little scared.
just in case……
The consequences would be disastrous, and this would lead to the craziest revenge from the military!
"Meng Shaoyuan abided by the laws of the concession. All his people were outside the restricted area of the Ministry of Industry Bureau building. He only brought two bodyguards with him, so this gave the killer an opportunity!"
Sinclair quickly made a report: "According to our on-site investigation, the murderer was very well prepared. When retreating, the car had been waiting in advance. One of our patrol officers saw the license plate, and it was 7282!"
Kai Ziwei frowned: "What does that mean?"
"This is registered under the name of a pharmacy, and we can confirm that this pharmacy belongs to No. 76!"
"Crazy, this is simply too crazy." Kai Ziwei's face turned livid: "I just took office, and such a despicable assassination happened. Do you want to start a full-scale war in the public concession?"
"It should be a show of force." Sinclair said calmly: "I still say what I said, no one from the military command entered the restricted area. Even after the shooting, Meng Shaoyuan's bodyguards did not allow them to come forward with weapons."
"Check, give me a thorough investigation!" Kai Ziwei said decisively: "Start from that car and that pharmacy! Mr. Police Commissioner, you are personally responsible!"
"yes!"
…
"Who fired the shot?"
"The 'hemp seeds' of the Guards Corps are made."
"He, this kid won me a lot of money last time playing cards, right?" Meng Shaoyuan sneered.
In that card game, he, Meng Shaoyuan, tried his best to cheat, but he couldn't stop Ma Cheng from turning out to be a con man.
"Yep."
Li Zhifeng immediately looked flattering: "This kid dared to win the officer's money. No, he dared to damage the officer's car and make him pay for it."
"I said Li Zhifeng, you are getting better and better." Meng Shaoyuan smiled happily.
"That's what the commander taught me."
Lu Chengtian, who was driving, sighed in his heart.
Look at what this officer has done to a good man.
Lu Chengtian sneered:
"Sir is wise!"
