Rui Qingrong had operated in the French Concession for years. His legitimate businesses were theaters, restaurants, and sand quarries, but behind the scenes, he ran opium dens.
The profits from opium dens far exceeded what most people imagined, but maintaining that kind of business required a powerful organization.
He had a group of killers and Green Gang thugs who had followed him for over a decade.
Although Chen Fan already had Long Si, Brother Bao, Ma Xiaotian, A Xiang, and several groups from the docks under him, if he went to all-out war with Rui Qingrong, he would be lucky to withstand the first two waves, let alone win.
Besides, he could not drag the trading firm and theater into an open gang war.
If he did, the authorities would investigate, and the Japanese would take notice too.
After turning it over in his mind, he could see only one way forward: get a shipment of arms to protect himself.
But that brought another problem. Shanghai's black market never lacked guns, and money could buy them, but if he bought them there, those dogs would definitely get wind of it.
Someone like Rui Qingrong could certainly afford to keep dogs. If he had time to prepare, Chen Fan's few dozen men would have no advantage in a confrontation.
So the arms supply channel had to remain secret. After thinking it over for a long time, Chen Fan finally decided to try his luck with Yamada Ryosuke.
But getting in touch with Yamada was no easy matter either. He was a major at the Shanghai Gendarmerie Headquarters.
A major might not sound like a high-ranking officer, but if not for their previous deal, Chen Fan would not even have been qualified to meet him.
With no other choice, Chen Fan went to A Xiang to ask about the previous goods transaction.
A Xiang soon tracked down the middleman from that deal, Fatty Wu...
Fatty Wu knew how to play along too, readily agreeing to have his younger cousin pass on a message.
Shanghai, North Sichuan Road, the Shanghai Gendarmerie Headquarters building.
It stood some distance from the Hongkou Naval Landing Force Headquarters building...
Yamada Ryosuke's office was on the east side of the second floor. Fatty Wu's cousin, Translator Liu, left the office after delivering the message.
Yamada Ryosuke was somewhat surprised. He had also been keeping an eye on Chen Fan lately.
The fellow had performed well in their previous transaction, but Yoshino was more cautious and did not dare tie their supplies business directly to Chen Fan.
He wanted Yamada to keep observing him and determine whether Chen Fan really was suitable as their business partner.
He had not expected Chen Fan to approach them himself this time.
After considerable thought, Yamada decided to tell Yoshino about Chen Fan's request for a meeting.
In their team, Yoshino was the main person in charge, and all their connections ran through him.
The Logistics Affairs Dispatch Section at the Military Police Headquarters.
When Yamada pushed the door open and entered, Yoshino was bent over his desk, writing the January supplies dispatch summary report.
Yamada repeated Translator Liu's message to Yoshino.
Yoshino stopped working and took a soft pack of Sakura Brand cigarettes from his trouser pocket.
Sakura Brand cigarettes were supplied exclusively to imperial servicemen and had a milky flavor when smoked.
Yoshino lit a cigarette and took a drag.
In truth, he was anxious too, but he could not show it. Over just these past two months, he and Shimura had worked together to skim a considerable amount from the supplies the military police confiscated and allocated.
These included grain, cotton cloth, rubber, medicine, and some light industrial goods...
All of these sold well in Shanghai. As the stockpile grew, he was eager to move it.
But for safety's sake, he had kept searching for a suitable intermediary. Still, he had to admit that newcomers like Chen Fan, who could get straight to work and arrange both the supplies and their transport without a single loose end, were rare.
Those merchants either had ties to Shanghai's gangs or lacked experience.
Yoshino was running a smuggling business. Even with established channels of his own, he could not guarantee that nothing would go wrong on the other party's end.
Now that Chen Fan had approached them himself, it gave him a little hope.
"Yoshino, I think Chen Fan is still a useful connection."
Yamada said slowly, "We've approached quite a few people over the past two months, but we gave up on all of them in the end. You know why."
"There are plenty of unfamiliar faces in Shanghai, and plenty of people doing business."
"But an unfamiliar face who can also mobilize Shanghai's network and handle things without leaving any loose ends is truly rare."
"Taken separately, those conditions aren't much, but put together, they eliminate ninety-nine percent of people."
"I know, but... forget it." Yoshino Tomokazu waved a hand and said, "Don't make this decision yourself. I need to see my uncle."
Yamada frowned. "Didn't you say you wouldn't involve him in the actual transactions?"
"Not involving him doesn't mean I can't ask his advice." Yoshino Tomokazu took a hard drag. "My uncle has spent over a decade in the army. He knows better than we do how much trouble can arise at each level."
"Better to have him call in a favor and ask a question than go to him after something goes wrong."
Although Yamada thought it was somewhat unnecessary, he did not object again.
He knew Yoshino Tomokazu had always been cautious. Otherwise, he would not have held such a crucial post in the dispatch section more securely than anyone else...
"All right, then make it quick. That shipment is a hot potato. Every extra day we hold on to it makes me feel unsafe."
"I won't sleep easy until it's turned into gleaming yen."
With that, Yamada bowed slightly and left the office...
After work, Yoshino Tomokazu took a bottle of sake and knocked on the door of Yoshino Takehiko's quarters.
Yoshino Takehiko was reading a letter at the time. It was from Mikuko, saying that the money sent home last time had arrived and their eldest daughter's marriage had been arranged...
The groom's family was very pleased with Sakurako, but the betrothal gift list they had drawn up was rather costly. She had found it difficult to refuse and could only use some of the family's old possessions to cover part of it.
Another large portion had gone to their son for living expenses. They were ready to depart, and their son was very excited, saying that he could be promoted to first lieutenant after returning...
Yoshino Takehiko read the letter with little expression on his face, but his brow remained furrowed.
The five thousand silver dollars Yoshino Tomokazu had given him had run out less than a month after being sent home. He truly struggled to imagine how bad inflation in the homeland had become...
Knock, knock. Hearing the knock, Yoshino Takehiko rose to open the door. When he saw Yoshino Tomokazu standing outside, he quickly invited him in.
The two sat on opposite sides of the table. Yoshino Takehiko casually folded the letter and tucked it inside his clothes.
"You haven't come at this hour just to pay your respects, have you?" As Yoshino Takehiko spoke, he took two teacups from the table and filled each with tea.
Yoshino Tomokazu set the sake beside the table and said quietly, "Chen Fan, the man who traded with us last time, sent someone with a message asking to meet Yamada. I thought it over and decided I should still ask for your opinion."
Yoshino Takehiko frowned. "You mean the merchant who bought the cotton cloth last time? What, have you stayed in contact?"
"No, we haven't. But we've approached quite a few people over the past two months, and almost none of them were better suited to be our business partner."
Yoshino Tomokazu sighed. "Shanghai is a mixed bag. Those who know their way around have too many connections, while unfamiliar faces can't get into Shanghai's distribution channels and move the goods quickly."
"Chen Fan used to live in Shanghai, but he was driven out after offending Du Yuesheng."
"He spent the past three years in Jinling..."
Yoshino Takehiko suddenly interrupted. "Can you be sure all of this is true?"
Yoshino Tomokazu froze for a moment, then immediately replied, "Uncle, I can vouch for all of this."
"A lot of people know about their affairs in Shanghai."
"As for Jinling, to be honest, the empire was far too ruthless."
"Almost the entire city became a ghost town. Inoue contacted the newly arrived Uchida and had him conduct an investigation."
"Last month, they found some files at the police station there-records of this fellow fighting on pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River."
"According to those records, this fellow really can fight. He took on seven or eight men alone every time, and over a dozen on one occasion."
"He's as good with his fists as he is with his head. I think that fits his image as an independent traveling merchant very well."
"Ruthless, vicious, and clearheaded..."