20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 483 Taiping Group

Chapter 483 Taiping Group
"Taiping Group?"

After listening to Wang Zhengnan's introduction, Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but concentrate on thinking.

Anyone who has been involved in the arms business knows the famous name of the "Taiping Group".

This company is backed by the three chaebols of Mitsui, Okura and Takata. It is neither an official nor a businessman. In the past few years, at the instruction of the Japanese Cabinet, it fully supported the Anhui faction's Duan family and took advantage of the interval between the European wars to monopolize the entire Far East arms market in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. With the end of the European war, the great powers withdrew their attention to the East and immediately began to work on curbing the influence of the small East in the Far East.

After the Americans took the lead in formulating the "Far East Arms Embargo Regulations", in order to appease the emotions of the great powers and avoid bringing up the issue of returning Jiaozhou Bay during the peace talks, the Japanese had to temporarily suspend the Taiping Group's arms trade.

But the arms trade has never really been interrupted, the transactions have simply moved from being conducted openly to being conducted covertly.

Smugglers are common because the government is their largest customer group.

The major warlords were eager to sign secret purchase contracts with them in order to maintain their own strength, but there were no longer large orders of hundreds of millions or even tens of millions like before.

Especially for those inland warlords, it was extremely difficult to get a large number of arms. Many people even paid a deposit but ended up losing both the goods and the money.

In comparison, the three provinces of Kanto were less affected.

Goryeo was a puppet of the Japanese, the port of Luda was the Japanese territory, and the South Manchuria Railway was the Japanese property. It was easier for the Japanese to smuggle arms outside the Great Wall than to smuggle them into their own backyard.

Especially after the fall of the Anhui clique's Duan family, the Zhili and Fengtian families jointly ruled the country, and the little Japan began to fully support Fengtian and Zhang. Whether it was arms or loans, as long as Lao Zhang opened his mouth, everything could be discussed.

As one side gained strength, the other side lost strength, and the Fengtian clique's power suddenly increased.

But even so, the impact of the "Arms Embargo Regulations" still exists.

Marshal Zhang himself was more concerned about the construction of the Fengtian Arsenal than ever before.

The official arms exchanges were close, and the smuggling activities among the people were naturally innumerable.

Many Japanese ronin even carried a broken basket with two "Type 38 rifles" in it and dared to go to the landlord's house to sell them. The price was fair, and when you bought a gun, you could get a matching leather pendant for free.

The Jiang family has always been sporadically involved in the arms business, but the problem is that Jiang Lianheng has no shortage of supplies at the moment.

First of all, Marshal Zhang’s troops had to eliminate a batch of rifles every year.

Although these second-hand goods cannot be used in war, they are hundreds of times stronger than the privately made "Tudawu" by the people.

In order to sell these rifles, Marshal Zhang forced the landlords who owned three pieces of land to buy at least one second-hand rifle for self-protection on the grounds of "preventing banditry", otherwise they would be fined.

Relying on their connections in the military camp, the Jiang family was always able to get the best quality second-hand rifles first, and then resell them to landlords with their left hand or to bandits with their right hand - that's how their business came about.

Secondly, after signing the purchase contract with the provincial government, the major arms smugglers would inevitably want to make some extra money, so they would often take the initiative to find the Jiang family and ask if they needed a small number of pistols or rifles.

Relying solely on the arms business, Jiang Lianheng was able to sit in Fengtian City and remotely control the outlaws in Fengtian Province.

Which "bully" on the mountain dares to rob the goods guaranteed by the Jiang family?

If so, the Jiang family will spare no effort to support another faction and destroy and annex it; or use the Jiang family's influence in the Fengtian business community, join forces with the Chamber of Commerce to petition the provincial government and send troops to suppress the bandits.

By that time, even the most ruthless bandit leader would have to sneak into the provincial government and kowtow to the Jiang family.

Of course, as the saying goes: There is only one flower in the world, and Henglanrong is one family.

Jiang Lianheng never makes things difficult for his brothers on the front line.

As long as the man kneels on the ground, kowtows three times to him, and admits that he is the leader of the Fengtian underworld, all the previous unpleasantness will be forgiven.

Set the table, have a drink, and laugh away all grudges.

However, there is only one chance.

If you do it again, please come and see me with your head!

The more the Jiang family controls the smuggled arms among the people of Fengtian Province, the greater their influence on the local bandits, and the more secure the freight insurance business will be. The only concern will be inventory backlog, and it must not hinder the sales of Marshal Zhang's second-hand rifles.

Thinking of this, Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but ask: "Does this Yoshida Goro have any strength?"

Wang Zhengnan nodded. "He definitely has the strength. Among all the smuggled arms dealers in the private sector, he has the most guns. It is said that he can produce more than a hundred Type 38 rifles in stock."

"Considering the current situation, it is indeed not a small amount." Jiang Lianheng pondered.

"Well, the key is that if other foreigners want to smuggle arms, most of the goods will be seized by the Japanese once they arrive at the port of Luda or get on the South Manchuria Railway. It is obvious that they now want to monopolize the market," Wang Zhengnan explained.

Li Zhengxi curled his lips and said, "I feel that the German products are better, while the Japanese products are not as good."

"What you said is true. Even the beards in the mountains know that German products have pointed ends!" Wang Zhengnan said helplessly, "The problem is that there are no German products now. We have to look at Japanese products now!"

Jiang Lianheng raised his hand to interrupt, then turned to ask Nanfeng: "What is this person's credit?"

"The credit is absolutely reliable, but the reputation is not very good."

"What's the word?"

Wang Zhengnan thought for a moment and said, "Yoshida Goro is a businessman, a pure businessman, so he was often scolded by the Japanese. They all said he was a 'non-native'. Hmm... probably equivalent to a Japanese traitor in their eyes, right?"

Jiang Lianheng raised his eyebrows and repeated with some amusement: "Japanese traitor?"

"Yes! He used to be an employee of the Taiping Group. Although that company is a joint venture between the government and businessmen, I have heard from other Japanese that there are people in their army who are actually opposed to selling weapons to us, saying that this is aiding the enemy."

Jiang Lianheng smiled knowingly: "It's quite interesting."

Wang Zhengnan continued, "Anyway, this Yoshida Goro sells arms. No matter whether you hate the Japanese or not, as long as you can afford it, he will sell it to you. That's why the Kwantung Army called them 'Japanese traitors'."

"If the military is dissatisfied with him, can he still run his business?"

"There's nothing we can do. The chaebol behind the Taiping Group is too powerful. The military can't afford to offend them. We can only talk nonsense."

"Didn't you say that he is no longer a member of the Taiping Group?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

"But the relationship is still there." Wang Zhengnan said, "Brother, I actually think that he may still be working for the Taiping Group, but he is not a formal employee on the surface, so he can avoid risks."

Jiang Lianheng nodded, this explanation was very reasonable.

Then, he instructed Fangyan, "Bring Mr. Yoshida in, so I can see what a 'Japanese traitor' is."

Fang Yan responded and walked out of the meeting room.

After a while, a short Japanese man walked in quickly with a smile on his face.

Goro Yoshida was in his thirties, and apart from his height, he didn't look like a Japanese soldier at all.

He had none of the sinister and serious qualities of a traditional Oriental. His words and actions were quite lively. He kept shaking his legs while talking, and never stopped for a moment. One could even wonder if he was carrying some kind of immortal spirit. "Hello, Mr. Jiang!" Yoshida Goro walked to the desk excitedly.

Jiang Lianheng stood up and shook hands with him: "Mr. Yoshida, it's great!"

The two of them took their seats.

The Japanese words just now made Yoshida Goro feel very friendly, and he couldn't help but smile, but there was no extra greeting. As soon as he sat down, he immediately got straight to the point and said:
"Mr. Jiang, I know you are usually very busy, so let's get started and talk about business, shall we?"

"That's fine, you talk and I listen."

Yoshida Goro crossed his legs and said proudly, "I now have fifty Type 30 rifles and seventy Type 38 rifles, more than half of which are brand new. I also have some Murata rifles and Type 26 pistols, with a full range of bullets. In addition to rifles, I can also get a lot of detonators, harnesses, and explosives. I want to exchange these equipment for some money, so - I came to ask Mr. Jiang for help."

"Why do you have to look for me?" Jiang Lianheng asked knowingly, "If these weapons of yours are real, you won't have trouble selling them."

Yoshida Goro shook his head and said, "The retail cycle is too long. I may need to hire twenty or so ronin to help me sell it. The cost is too high and I don't want them to make all the money. I know Mr. Jiang knows a lot of bandits and landlords. You should be able to help me sell these arms as soon as possible."

Jiang Lianheng shook his head without even thinking about it.

"Mr. Yoshida, you think too highly of me. I can't handle more than 150 guns without 18,000 yuan. I don't have that much spare money to buy a large amount of arms and store them at home. It's true that I am a businessman, but I don't just do arms business."

Yoshida Goro laughed and said, "Of course, except for warlords, no one would take over so many rifles at once. But I don't want Mr. Jiang to resell them. I want you to help me be responsible for the distribution."

"Goods first, payment later?"

"Yes, Mr. Jiang should know that I used to be an employee of the Taiping Group. I have connections and can get brand new equipment from the arsenal at the factory price, and I can also get second-hand goods discarded by the army at the lowest price. You only need to help me distribute them. After the transaction is completed, you can extract 20% of the profit. This is the highest I can give. There are many people waiting for a share of the money on this line. I hope you can understand."

Jiang Lianheng had heard a long time ago that the Taiping Gang smuggled small amounts of arms, and not only could they buy on credit, they even accepted barter. As long as the value was equal, one could buy a "Type 38 rifle" with rice.

Yoshida Goro repeatedly emphasized: "I want to find a trustworthy Chinese to help me. If possible, I hope we can have a long-term cooperation."

The young man in front of him was no pushover. From his unhesitating proposal, we could tell that he was sincere and there was no room for bargaining in the conditions he offered.

Jiang Lianheng nodded and asked, "If it's a long-term cooperation, can you guarantee a continuous supply of goods? As far as I know, you don't seem to be an employee of Taiping Group anymore."

Yoshida Goro smiled and gave a seemingly plausible answer:
"Mr. Jiang, the current situation is that, except for the locals in Dongyang, no staff of the Taiping Group will admit that they are employees of the Taiping Group. If you are worried, I can introduce you to my connections; or, you can just sell it according to the spot goods."

"So, you have a strong backing?"

After Jiang Lianheng finished speaking, everyone started laughing.

Yoshida Goro said without any modesty: "Of course, from the port of Luda to the South Manchuria Railway, no one can seize my goods. In fact, if Mr. Jiang agrees to cooperate, if you want to smuggle any prohibited goods in the future, as long as you are willing to pay, you can borrow my transportation line. The price is absolutely fair."

Hearing this, Jiang Lianheng picked up a cigar from the table, stood up and handed it to the little Japanese in front of him, and said with a smile: "Mr. Yoshida, you are so sincere that I can't believe it."

Yoshida Goro immediately lit up his cigar and said, "Mr. Jiang, you are too modest. With your strength, you are enough to earn my sincerity. If it were someone else, I would probably have to reconsider the conditions."

"What if I sell your arms to those people who specifically fight against the Japanese?"

"It doesn't matter." Yoshida Goro shrugged and said half-jokingly, "Even if you sell the gun to another Ahn Jung-geun, as long as he can afford it, I have no objection."

Jiang Lianheng and Wang Zhengnan looked at each other and then said, "It seems that they are not wrong in calling you a 'Japanese traitor'?"

Yoshida Goro laughed: "They are just jealous! I am a businessman. An arms dealer who has never sold arms to the enemy country is not a real arms dealer."

"Hmm? So you don't believe in the so-called 'goodwill between the two countries'?"

"Humph, that's just self-deception. In fact, I hope that our two countries can go to war, or the North and South of your country can go to war, but I don't want you to lose as thoroughly as the Qing Dynasty. The more intense the war, the more business we will have, right?"

Wang Zhengnan is right.

Goro Yoshida is a pure businessman. He does not care about nationality at all, only interests. His only requirement is that the transaction be kept as confidential as possible, which happens to be in line with Jiang Lianheng's considerations.

As a result, the two sides reached a cooperation extremely smoothly.

"Mr. Yoshida, I have one last question." Jiang Lianheng said, "Do you know any other Japanese arms smugglers in Fengtian Province?"

"You want to monopolize?" Goro Yoshida immediately understood what he meant.

It is originally a smuggling business, so it is impossible to completely monopolize it. Jiang Lianheng just wants to make sure that he can occupy the majority of the market share.

Only in this way could he control the smuggling of arms among the people in a timely manner so as not to affect the sales of Marshal Zhang's second-hand rifles.

After all, if you block the government's financial resources, you will cut off your own livelihood.

Goro Yoshida not only understood this, but was also quite excited.

"Mr. Jiang, if you are willing to use your influence to occupy the civilian smuggling arms market, that would be the best. I can help you get in touch with the Japanese, and you will be responsible for helping me solve the problems of the provincial government. How about that?"

"I have no objection. We can do a few deals first to see the results. You can discuss future business matters directly with Nanfeng."

The two sides ended the meeting in a very pleasant atmosphere.

Jiang Lianheng is used to this.

In fact, it had been a long time since he had suffered a setback in negotiations in Fengtian Province.

After seeing Yoshida Goro off, Jiang Lianheng felt a little tired. He took a sip of tea and asked Fang Yan, "Are there any others?"

"Yes!" Fang Yan immediately took out his notebook and said, "Shopkeeper Shen from Rehe wants to open a medicine store in the South Market. He is not from the online market, but he wants to come and pay his respects and buy an insurance policy."

Jiang Lianheng waved his hand: "Just arrange for him to talk to Yan Sheng, is there anything else?"

"There's a gang in western Liaoning, calling themselves 'Sky-Drilling Eagle', who want to buy ten guns from us. They want top-quality ones."

"How many people are there on his mountain?" Jiang Lianheng asked bluntly.

Li Zhengxi continued, "The news online says that 'Sky Eagle' has about 200 people under his command."

"There are about 200 people, so there should be less than 100 people." Jiang Lianheng ordered Fang Yan impatiently, "From now on, if the number of Fengtian gangs is less than 500, they will be directly arranged to find Guo Yan; if the number of northern gangs is less than 1,000, they will also be directly arranged to find him. Don't waste time with 'Sky Eagle' and House Sparrow."

Fang Yan nodded and said, "Then there are only two people left."

"explain."

"There's a bearded guy named Sun Dayan who came from Jilin Province. He said he knew you before and wanted to come and pay you a visit."

"Hiss—Sun Dayan?" Jiang Lianheng frowned. "Why does this name sound familiar? What number did he report?"

"The name of the hilltop report is 'Yanwang Li'." Fang Yan replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Zhengnan suddenly had an idea and said hurriedly: "Brother, it seems to be someone under Li Zheng, the one with the mountain cannon!"

(End of this chapter)

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