In the second half of 1947, the government issued an order to fight the rebellion, the civil war was officially in full swing, eight million soldiers ate horses, the daily consumption was astronomical, most of the factories around the country were suspended, the government tax revenue dried up, only the indiscriminate issuance of paper money, plundering the people's property, for war expenses, hyperinflation caused prices to rise sharply like wild horses, even the workers of Jiangbei United Machinery Company could not eat.

Under the leadership of the underground party, the workers of the United Machinery Company and the ironworks went on strike, holding signs saying "Eat" and holding sit-ins at the factory gates, forbidding anyone to enter the factory area.

The strike is like a prairie fire, quickly spreading throughout the North Thailand, Mayor Xiao Lang is at a loss, he said to his subordinates, don't say these workers, even I want to strike, prices are soaring, people have three meals a day is a problem, this seat is the crater.

When the news of the strike reached the provincial capital, Chen Zikun was furious, and immediately ordered Chen Shou and Zeng Jiao to quell the strike and resume production as soon as possible. ”

Chen Shou and Zeng Jiao disagreed, both the horses want to run fast and the horses do not eat grass, it is impossible, to quell the strike, it is necessary to use force, the two mobilized more than 1,000 military and police to prepare armed bomb pressure, and were persuaded by Xiao Lang, saying that the workers really can't eat to make trouble, it is better to block than to sparse, in case of injury to people's lives, it will be more difficult to end the intensified contradictions.

"Okay, I'll give Mayor Xiao face, don't drive them away with guns, give me a thousand wooden sticks in the woods outside the city, and beat them with sticks." Chen Shou's mind is full of violent means.

Xiao Lang shook his head helplessly: "If the big stick is beaten, it will still be a dead person." ”

Chen Shou spread his hands: "I can't beat them, I can't scold them, do you want me to kneel down and beg them to return to work." ”

Zeng Jiao said: "I have an idea, the fire brigade doesn't have a water cannon, use that, it's good to use." ”

It is much more civilized to beat people with water cannons than to use bayonets and big sticks with gun butts, and Mayor Xiao also agreed, so the military and police began to deploy, and Mayor Xiao no longer asked.

Zeng Jiao said to Chen Shou: "Lao Xiao was here just now, there was something inconvenient to mention, the workers made trouble, it was *** instigated in it, I have asked the intelligence department to investigate, and there is an instructor surnamed Yang in the machinery company who is the leader." ”

Chen Shou said: "Then you have to catch it and shoot it quickly, you can't delay for a moment." ”

Zeng Jiao said: "I still need you to explain this matter, the detective team is already on the way at this time." ”

……

At the gate of the machinery company, there were more and more striking people, blocking traffic, and the momentum was huge, Yang Shugen and several organizers of the trade union were holding a meeting in a nearby house to discuss the next move, and suddenly a worker nicknamed Xiao Radish ran out of breath and said that the iron factory trade union wanted to discuss matters with Mr. Yang.

"Where's the man?" Yang Shugen asked.

"It's in the dormitory." Little Radish's eyes wandered.

Yang Shugen did not suspect that there was fraud, explained a few words, and followed the little radish away, due to the strike, there was no quiet roar of machines in the factory area, only the footsteps of two people.

"What about people?" The poplar roots were a little suspicious.

"Right ahead." Little Radish Road.

Yang Shugen stood vigilantly and said, "I'll go back and get something." ”

As soon as he turned around, a spy dressed as a worker was already standing not far away, lifting his coat to reveal the handle of his gun.

Looking at the front again, the three spies walked out slowly: "Teacher Yang, come with us." ”

"You traitor!" Poplar root angrily scolded the little radish.

Little Radish was ashamed and speechless.

Yang Shugen was tied up by the spies and escorted to the car not far away, and suddenly a red figure rushed out, put down a spy with a rolling pin in his hand, kicked over one, and shouted: "Hurry up!" ”

The person who came was Ma Chunhua, she forced the spies to retreat like a tiger going down the mountain, and the poplar roots ran away.

Although Ma Chunhua is brave, she is a woman after all, her fists are invincible with four hands, not to mention a spy who is armed to the teeth, there was a gunshot behind her, followed by the sound of a pop falling to the ground, Yang Shugen's heart stinged, and he didn't look back.

"Catch him, catch him......" The mournful shout echoed in the factory area.

At the gate of the factory, the suppression of the military and police began, three red fire trucks drove nearby, the water cannon was connected to the fire hydrant, and the high-pressure water hose hit the striking masses, don't look at the water column, the power is terrifying, the middle-aged people can be sprayed down, the formation of the workers soon dispersed, at this time the armed traffic police took the opportunity to kill, with batons to drive the workers, sirens and screams sounded together, a large number of workers were arrested.

The strike was brutally suppressed by the North Thai authorities.

Yang Shugen revealed his identity, and after the organization's decision, he no longer engaged in work behind enemy lines, and returned to the liberated area to become a leader of the land reform work team, with the rank set at the regular platoon level, and led the team to the grassroots level.

Ma Chunhua was seriously injured and arrested by the enemy in order to cover his comrades-in-arms and was imprisoned in Beitai Model Prison.

……

In the provincial capital, at the official residence on Fenglin Road, Chen Zikun is holding a meeting, and in addition to military and political officials, there are also experts in economics and finance, as well as the new director of the Jiangdong Pacification Office, Lieutenant General Chen Qilin.

The topic is financial reform, inflation has reached the point where it is unbearable, employees have to use sacks to receive salaries, a sack of money cannot be exchanged for a sack of rice, and there are people in paper mills who buy banknotes to crush pulp and remake paper, and the profit from selling them is higher than the face value of banknotes.

"If this continues, I'm afraid the mint will go bankrupt first." The current situation is a hundred times more difficult than during the Anti-Japanese War, the people's livelihood is withering, the war is raging, a large area of the country has been reduced to a communist area, students march all day long, workers often go on strike, the radio reports good news but not bad news, and the national army always wins and advances, but everyone knows that it has already lost troops and lost dozens of divisions of men and horses.

Gong Zijun is the general manager of the Jiangdong Central Bank, and he has more say in financial matters, he crossed his legs and smoked his pipe and said: "The Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance have been studying the currency reform, and I believe that it will be introduced soon, Jiangdong has no need to issue its own banknotes, after all, it is not back then, and issuing banknotes without authorization is against the central government, but I am afraid that if it is not printed here, I will have to go to prison." ”

Chen Qilin deeply agreed: "It is useless for our province to issue new banknotes, the whole country is a game of chess, and Jiangdong bills cannot replace the legal currency, but will lead to a fire, further deteriorating the province's economy, and the gains outweigh the losses." ”

Chen Zikun thinks it is very reasonable, now is not the period of warlord melee, Jiangdong is located in East China, and Shanghai and Nanjing are very close, the issuance of their own banknotes is to make it clear that they are working against the central government, that is not looking for death, and even if it is issued, can it be exchanged for so many fiat currencies, even if the exchange in the province is finished, the law of expelling good money with bad money, the depreciation of fiat currency in other provinces is bound to pour in in large quantities, destroying the financial order of the province, Jiangdong tickets can not save Jiangdong, and can not save China.

"That's it, let's discuss the matter of paying wages in kind, I heard that in the areas mastered by ***, millet is used instead of wages, which is a good way." Chan said.

Gong Zijun said: "Is that the supply system, it is feasible, but where can we find so much millet, the vast rural areas that produce grain are occupied by the People's Liberation Army, although transportation and trade have not been interrupted, but people do not collect fiat currency, what do we use to buy grain?" Arms? That's a real enemy. ”

Liu Ting, who served as the minutes of the meeting, interjected: "There is one thing that everyone ignores, profiteers hoard, artificially create price increases, and speculate on the prices of grain, cotton yarn and other necessities for life to make huge profits. ”

Chen Zikun said: "This is easy to do, profiteers will not be pardoned, but I want to ask, have you participated in the hoarding of materials?" ”

Everyone looked embarrassed.

Chen Zikun said: "Prices are skyrocketing, it's okay to stock up on some things, as long as you don't go too far, don't talk about you, I have thousands of gallons of gasoline at home." ”

After the meeting, Chen Zikun returned to the study, lay on the chair and closed his eyes to recuperate, Liu Ting came over to help him rub his temples, and said softly: "You subordinates, you have a lot of materials to hoard, automobiles, munitions, steel, grain, and oil are all in large quantities, and half of them are responsible for the price of high prices." ”

Chen Zikun sighed and said: "Leeks are cut stubble after stubble, Jiangdong relies on these people to maintain it, I will do all of them, the military, government, economy and finance will be paralyzed, and I can't do it......"

Liu Ting stopped talking.

There was a knock on the door of the study, Chen Bei walked in, and when he wanted to speak, Chen Zikun said impatiently: "If you have something to say, just say it, otherwise you will think about it again." ”

Chen Bei was about to speak, when suddenly the phone rang, and Liu Ting took it and said, "Shao Qiuming, the president of Jiang University, has been on a hunger strike for three days, and he is about to die." ”

Chen Zikun said: "Principal Shao is over 70 years old, and he has no food. ”

Liu Ting said: "I participated in an event organized by progressive literati and refused to eat flour aided by the United States. ”

Chen Zikun stood up: "Let's go, go and see." Taking Liu Ting out of the study, Chen Bei opened his mouth and still didn't say it.

Chen Zikun drove to visit Shao Qiuming, and asked Liu Ting on the way what activities President Shao had participated in, and Liu Ting said that he was protesting against the US policy of supporting Japan and refusing to receive the declaration of US aid flour.

"Don't eat the food that comes to you, this is the style of the literati." Chen Zikun said, "But it's not good to starve the old man, since he doesn't eat American flour, then send him some millet from Jiangbei." ”

Liu Ting said with a smile: "Good way, let's buy some millet and send it, driver, stop the car in front of the rice shop." ”

Chen Zikun looked at Liu Ting's small Kun bag, and said suspiciously: "Did you bring any money?" ”

Liu Ting said: "At first glance, you are a person who does not worry about eating and drinking, I don't know the market market, I didn't bring money, but I brought this." As he spoke, he took out a bank slip from his bag, which was a financial industry loan transfer form, on which the amount of 10 million yuan was filled in with an ink pen.

"It's popular to use this now, and it's the equivalent of a cashier's check." Liu Ting said.

Liu Ting went to the rice shop with the allotment slip, but after a while, she came back empty-handed, and said: "The price of rice has risen again, and this money can't buy much, do you have anything valuable?" ”

Chen Zikun said: "This is the only valuable thing on me. "Lift your clothes to expose M1911A1 pistol under your armpits.