"Then let's build such a fortress!" Xie Jinyuan was very interested.
Yan Yan also nodded and said: "Chen Mingde, please make a design plan and make a cost budget based on the two fortresses!"
"What? Two?" Chen Mingde said, "Chief of Staff, do you mean that the east tower and the west tower are designed separately? Although this can achieve a backup effect, when one fortress is destroyed, the other fortress can still play a role, but In fact, there is no need for this, because the overall fortress is stronger and can withstand the bombing of 1,000 kilograms of aerial bombs."
"That's not what I meant." Yan Yan said hurriedly, "Of course there is no need to divide the Sihang Warehouse into two fortresses, the east and west."
"Don't separate?" Chen Mingde said blankly, "Then why did you ask me to make a cost estimate for the two fortresses?"
"Don't worry about it. Just do the design and cost, and then come up with a bill of materials." Yan Yan said, "Use good building materials, and increase the quantity and budget. Don't save."
"Yes, we have money." Xie Jinyuan also added boldly.
However, after Chen Mingde turned around and left, Xie Jinyuan changed his story.
"Chief of Staff, are you planning to sell off the supplies stored in the Sixing Warehouse?"
"I have to remind you that these supplies are the property of Jincheng, Continental, Salt Industry and Zhongnan Bank. What we can sell is only a small part of the 88th Division's condolences."
"The shareholders of the four banks will not agree to the forced sale of other supplies."
"Would the shareholders of the four banks not agree?" Yan Yan asked, "Does it matter whether they agree or not?"
The shareholders of the four banks are Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols, with Chairman Standing as their backer. Most people really dare not touch them. For example, Sun Yuanliang, who has lived in the Sihang Warehouse for so long, does not dare to touch these supplies.
But Yan Yan didn't care about the Chairman of the Standing Committee, so he dared to touch these materials.
"That's right." Shangguan Zhibiao also rarely agreed, "If it weren't for us, these supplies would have been cheaper for the devils. The devils can get the supplies, but we can't? There is no such reason."
"That's right, let's just pretend that the Japanese took it away. Let's take it from the Japanese again."
Yang Deyu, Zhu Shengzhong, Lei Xiong and others also expressed their support.
"The shareholders of the four banks want to ask for the return of supplies. Let them come to me." Yan Yan snorted and asked, "Captain, do you have anyone who is reliable, smart and good at doing business?"
"There really is one. Go and call Xu Shengping."
Instructing Lei Xiong to call someone, Xie Jinyuan continued: "This Xu Shengping is the quartermaster of the 1st Battalion. He is from Zhejiang Province. His family is in the tea business. He is very smart, but his hands and feet are very clean."
After a while, a lieutenant officer wearing myopia glasses came to the regiment headquarters.
"Commander, are you looking for me?" The lieutenant stood at attention and saluted Xie Jinyuan.
"The chief of staff is looking for you." Xie Jinyuan pointed at Yan Yan and said.
"Chief of Staff?" Xu Shengping turned around and looked at Yan Yan blankly.
The fact that Xie Jinyuan joined the Songhu Independent Regiment is only known to a few company commanders such as Lei Xiong, Deng Ying, Kang Di and Shangguan Zhibiao, so Xu Shengping is confused. When will Yan Jun become the chief of staff of the regiment?
Yan Yan didn't explain, and said, "You may have to take off your military uniform."
"Why?" Xu Shengping was immediately unhappy when he heard this, "Who do you think you are?"
Yan Yan was not angry at all, and explained patiently: "Because you can't do business in military uniform."
"Business? What business?" Xu Shengping asked anxiously, "I am the quartermaster of the 1st Battalion of the 524th Regiment."
"From now on, you are no longer the right person." Yan Yan solemnly said, "From now on, you are the director of the Songhu Independent Regiment's public concession office, and you are also the general manager of Songhu Foreign Bank."
"What..." Xu Shengping was confused, where is this going?
After Yan Yan finished explaining, Xu Shengping understood what was going on.
Xu Shengping said solemnly: "There is also Chief of Staff Yan in the group. I will obey the order."
"Okay, then you go and hand over the supplies to Wu Wenshu first." After saying that, Yan Yan turned to Wu Jie and said, "Wu Wenshu, except for leaving the necessary military supplies, all the other supplies will be handed over to Director Xu."
"Yes!" Wu Jie immediately took Xu Shengping to the west building to hand over the supplies.
Watching Xu Shengping and Wu Jie leave, Xie Jinyuan said again: "Chief of Staff, you asked Chen Mingde to design and build a fortress, and you sent Xu Shengping to set up an office in the public concession to open a foreign bank. You really intend to fight the war in Songhu for a long time. ?”
"Yes." Yan Yan said, "Songhu is the richest city in the entire Far East. Its level of wealth is even higher than Tokyo. More than 40% of the national government's tax revenue depends on Songhu. Such a rich and prosperous international metropolis is given to the little devils. Have you ever thought about it? No, how much money can the Japanese make from here in a year? How many armies can this money support?"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of Yang Deyu and others suddenly became solemn.
Everyone knows that Chairman Standing Committee’s millions of direct descendants of the Central Army are entirely supported by the Jiangsu and Zhejiang plutocrats.
Most of the money of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols comes from the income of Songhu. Songhu is a real cornucopia!
Yan Yan added: "So our Songhu Independent Regiment must be like a nail pierced in Zhabei, pierced in the center of Songhu. We must make the Japanese feel pain all the time, make the Japanese lose blood all the time, and more importantly, make the Japanese feel pain all the time. The Japanese paid a huge price but could not get a penny from Songhu, and it eventually became a junk asset!"
"That's right!"
Lei Xiong said: "But it is not easy to achieve such a goal? A fortress alone is not enough. Where do the troops come from? Where do they get supplies? Most importantly, how do they raise ammunition? If these problems are not solved, Our protracted war of resistance in Songhu can only be a castle in the air."
Yang Deyu said: "There is no problem with the source of troops. In the past few days, dozens of young people have swam across the Suzhou River every night to defect to our Songhu Independent Regiment. There will only be more such patriotic young people in the future, not to mention the tens of thousands of wounded who are about to Being transferred to the concession, as long as we can be nailed to Zhabei, we won't have to worry about not having to replenish our troops."
"Where are the supplies?" Shangguan Zhibiao spread his hands and asked, "Brothers have to eat."
Lei Xiong said: "Right now, there is only one battalion of men and horses, and supplies are easy to solve. But in the future, if the team expands, and there is a regiment or even a brigade of men and horses, the supply problem will be a big problem. This can only be obtained by selling the supplies of the four major banks." Money, and Lao Xu opening a foreign bank in the concession to make money, I’m afraid I can’t support so many people.”
Turning to Xie Jinyuan with a stern look, he asked: "Captain, I remember there is a consolation committee?"
"Yes." Xie Jinyuan nodded, "On the day the Battle of Songhu broke out, all walks of life in Songhu formed the Anti-Enemy Support Association. The Anti-Enemy Support Association is divided into three committees, namely the Comfort Committee, the Rescue Committee and the Relief Committee. The condolence committee is responsible for raising condolences for the frontline soldiers."
Yan Yan asked again: "Who is the chairman of the condolence committee?"
"Ye Daoming." Xie Jinyuan said, "This person is also the vice president of the Songhu Chinese Chamber of Commerce."
Yan Yan pondered for a moment and then asked: "Captain, in your name, I invite President Ye to come to Sihang Warehouse to discuss raising funds for the Songhu Independent Group. What do you think?"
"You can try." Xie Jinyuan said, "But it may not work."
Shangguan Zhibiao said: "Okay, even if the supply problem can be solved, where can we get the ammunition?"
"There's nothing to say about ammunition. If we don't have Zhang, butcher, will we have to eat pigs with hair on them?" Yan Yan snorted and said, "If you have money, buy it from the concession. If you don't have money, rely on seizures on the battlefield."
"Seized on the battlefield?" Shangguan Zhibiao, Lei Xiong and others looked at each other.
"Yes, seize it. Of course, it is best to buy it from the concession if possible."
But these words were serious, because he knew that the concession would last until the end of 1941 at most. When the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of the Pacific War, the public concession and the French Concession would immediately fall.
By that time, let alone ammunition, even supplies would no longer be available from the concession.
But even so, there is nothing to be afraid of. The conditions of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army are worse than those of the Songhu Independent Regiment, so don't they still fight the Japanese? And it can get stronger the more you fight.
Therefore, as long as the mind does not slip, there are always more solutions than difficulties.
As long as someone has a gun and the support of the people, there is no task that cannot be completed, no enemy that cannot be defeated, and no difficulty that cannot be overcome. The main goal is to never give up!
