North of Longhua Town, that is, Longhua Road, XH District, later generations.

The Songhu Garrison Headquarters is located here, as the seat of the highest military head of Shanghai during the period of the National Government, and the army under its command includes two parts: the Central Army and the local armed forces.

Among them were the 32nd Army, the 37th Division, the 5th Division, the 78th Division of the 19th Route Army, and the Shanghai Defense Regiment.

It is mainly responsible for the security tasks of the Songhu area, and its garrison area extends to Chuansha and Zhoupu in the east, Dachang and Zhenru in the west, Caohang and Chenjiahang in the south, and Baoshan and Yanghang in the north.

At this time, the road in front of the gate was parked with the most fashionable Stipec car, Bai Xiuzhu glanced at the gate of the headquarters through the window, and said to Zheng Jirong beside him:

"Uncle's personality is very old-fashioned, you must not talk nonsense after you go in, and."

"Alright, alright."

Zheng Jirong's expression was disapproving, if Bai Chongxi really had an old-fashioned personality, he would have killed the Axe Gang a long time ago, how could he use this as an excuse to extort military funds from Chen Chen.

He opened the car door, raised his hand to take Bai Xiuzhu in the passenger seat, and took out the banknotes of the two large suitcases prepared from the trunk.

Zheng raised his arm today, smiled at Bai Xiuzhu and said, "Let's go, Miss Bai." ”

Bai Xiuzhu couldn't help but glance at him when she heard this, but she still put her hand into the crook of his arm like a ghost.

"Stop!"

When the soldier in charge of standing guard in front of the door saw the two of them, he asked solemnly, "What are you here for?" ”

"Trouble brother announced", Zheng Jirong put down the suitcase and smiled, "The Axe Gang came to hand it in at the appointment"

"I'm Bai Xiuzhu"

Before he finished speaking, Bai Xiuzhu directly interrupted impatiently: "Your commander is my uncle, just go in and tell him that I'm coming." ”

Hearing this, the soldier looked Bai Xiuzhu up and down in shock, nodded his head, and rushed back to the sentry box, apparently calling the people in the headquarters.

Outside, Zheng Jirong said strangely: "You just said that your uncle has an old-fashioned personality, and you are so blatantly revealing your identity at the headquarters, aren't you afraid that he will be unhappy?" ”

"I only said that he was old-fashioned to you, but he didn't say that he was old-fashioned to me, and my niece was rightful to find her uncle, so what was there to be unhappy about."

Seeing that this girl didn't care, Zheng Jirong smiled helplessly, and when he was about to say something, the soldier had already walked out of the sentry box.

Saluted the two of them and said, "Miss Bai, please come in, the commander is waiting inside." ”

After a while, under the guidance of a non-commissioned officer, Zheng Jirong and the others passed through the Quartermaster Department, the Military Justice Department, the Interrogation Office, the Adjutant General's Office and other institutions, and came to the small building of the General Affairs Office.

At the main entrance, the north book [World Datong], the south book [the world is public], plus the piece of [Qingtian White Flag] erected next to the door.

Zheng Jirong always felt a little uncomfortable.

After walking through a long corridor, in front of an office door, the leading non-commissioned officer knocked on the door twice and respectfully shouted, "Commander, Miss Bai has arrived." ”

"Come in."

A deep and powerful voice came from inside the room, and the non-commissioned officer pushed open the door and led Zheng Jirong and the others in.

The entire office looks extremely simple, reflecting the rigor and pragmatism of a soldier, with a large desk taking center stage with books and documents neatly arranged on it, in addition to a simple wooden wardrobe and a set of welcoming sofas.

Zheng Jirong immediately set his eyes on the man who was smiling at Bai Xiuzhu behind the desk, about forty years old, with extremely elegant appearance and temperament, deep and bright eyes.

It is hard to imagine that such a man with an elegant temperament could be one of the warlord leaders in the south, and in the future he will also be the Minister of Defense of the National Government.

"Xiuzhu, did you encounter something?"

Bai Chongxi glanced at Bai Xiuzhu holding Zheng Jirong's arm, and asked his niece with a smile.

"It's okay", Bai Xiuzhu immediately let go of Zheng Jirong, walked to Bai Chongxi's side and said with a smile: "I just miss you, uncle." ”

She then said with some embarrassment: "Then I will introduce you to someone by the way." ”

"Oh?"

Bai Chongxi looked at Zheng Jirong, and then teased at Bai Xiuzhu: "This can't be a niece-in-law, right?" ”

"He"

Bai Xiuzhu was about to open her mouth to deny it, but after thinking of Zheng Jirong's ambitions and dreams, she followed up and changed her words: "Oh, uncle, don't ask about this, anyway, I came this time to introduce you to each other." ”

Zheng Jirong also stepped forward at this time to introduce himself: "Hello Minister Bai, Zheng Jirong is now the leader of the Axe Gang. ”

"The Axe Gang?"

Bai Chongxi said with a strange look in his eyes when he heard this: "I remember that the leader of the Axe Gang is not a person surnamed Chen?" ”

Zheng Jirong smiled and explained, "That Chen Gang Leader died of illness a few hours ago. ”

"Yes", Bai Chongxi looked at him and said lightly: "It's a pity, the Axe Gang still owes me a sum of military expenses to make amends." ”

When Zheng Jirong heard this, he pointed to the two suitcases under his feet and replied: "Minister Bai, don't worry, I have brought all the military funds that the Axe Gang needs to pay." ”

Looking at the two bulging suitcases, Bai Chongxi raised his eyebrows and smiled, he patted Bai Xiuzhu's arm beside him twice, "Xiuzhu, how about I ask you to take you on a tour of the headquarters." ”

Bai Xiuzhu glanced at Zheng Jirong when she heard this, and when she saw him nodding slightly at herself, she responded.

After her figure left the house, the smile on Bai Chongxi's face slowly retracted, he slowly lit a cigarette, and said indifferently: "Say, what do you kid want to do?" ”

Seeing that he was so direct, Zheng Jirong no longer beat around the bush, he took a few steps forward and approached the desk, and spoke: "What I want is very simple, I hope that Minister Bai can help the Axe Gang regain a foothold in Shanghai." ”

"Hahaha", Bai Chongxi laughed when he heard this: "It turns out that I am looking for a backer." ”

He raised his eyes to look at Zheng Jirong, "Is this why you came into contact with Xiuzhu?" ”

"It's not!"

Zheng Jirong immediately shook his head and denied: "When I met Miss Bai, I didn't know her family background, if she hadn't taken the initiative to mention it, I wouldn't have linked Minister Bai with her at all." ”

Hearing his words, Bai Chongxi nodded and said: "I'll just believe you, but there is one thing I'm very curious about, these gangs in Shanghai are either high-ranking officials or foreigners in the background, how did you think of coming to the military department?" ”

"Whoever sends money is a gift", Zheng Jirong said truthfully: "Instead of giving it to foreign devils and those corrupt officials, I would rather spend this money on the soldiers who went to the battlefield." ”

"The newspaper has been promoting the news of the Northern Expedition a few years ago, but so far this Northern Expedition has not started, I guess the Northern Expedition military budget is stretched should also be one of the reasons, although the money I sent is not worth mentioning compared with the Northern Expedition military expenses, but it can be regarded as a contribution to the unification of ZG, isn't it?"

"It's better to say than to sing", Bai Chongxi did not agree to his request after listening to it, but directly refused: "If you donate money and military expenses, I welcome you at any time, but let our military department be your backer."

Syllable!

Bai Chongxi slammed the table and shouted in a deep voice: "Do you think that I, Bai Chongxi, am also one of those flies?!" ”

Seeing this guy's angry look, Zheng Jirong did not panic in the slightest, but pulled up the chair in front of him and sat opposite him.

He didn't answer Bai Chongxi's words, but pointed to Shanghai Tang outside the window and said, "Minister Bai, do you know how many hi gangs, how many smoke houses and casinos there are in a Zhabei District? ”

Without waiting for him to speak, Zheng Jirong followed up and said: "Including the Axe Gang, there are a total of nine large and small gangs in the entire Zhabei area, twenty-four smoke houses, and fifty-eight casinos!" Among them, there are countless kiln tea rooms and wind moon fields. ”

"The daily profits of these establishments will not be less than 50,000 silver dollars, and aside from the properties of those gangs, at least one-third of these 50,000 silver dollars will be distributed to the hands of the Hi Gang and the patrol houses in the form of fees and protection fees."

"In other words, a single Zhabei District can generate 20,000 silver dollars a day, while places like Nancheng and the concession will only generate more fees per day."

"Before I came here, I sent someone to do a rough statistics, and now the daily fee for the entire Shanghai beach is about 200,000 silver dollars!"

"Among them, the concession alone accounts for 150,000!"

Speaking of this, Zheng Jirong paused, he looked at Bai Chongxi and said: "In other words, the entire Shanghai Tang gang, high-ranking officials and foreigners can sit and share the 200,000 silver dollars without doing anything every day when they wake up. ”

"One day is 200,000 days, ten days, a hundred days."

"Minister Bai", Zheng Jirong lit a cigarette and asked slowly to the man opposite, "Don't you really want to come in and share a penny?" ”

At this time, Bai Chongxi was completely shocked by Zheng Jirong's words, he knew that these gray industries in Shanghai were very profitable, but he didn't expect them to be so profitable!

The fee of 200,000 yuan a day is 2 million in 10 days, and 20 million in 100 days!

The military expenses he asks for from the Zhengfu every year are only a few dollars?!

However, although he was extremely shocked in his heart, his face did not show a trace of emotion, and after his fingers knocked on the table, he smiled without changing his face: "I have to say, your kid's words made me quite moved, but"

He spread his hands and smiled: "If I want to share this money, wouldn't it be good to go directly to cooperate with Lu Yuesheng and Zhang Wanlin?" Now in the Hi Gang in Shanghai, the two of them are the most powerful, and I can share more money when I cooperate with them, right? Why bother looking for you? ”

"Hahahaha."

When Zheng Jirong heard this, he laughed and said, "It seems that Minister Bai doesn't understand what I mean." ”

"Oh?"

Bai Chongxi raised his hand and asked, "I want to hear about it." ”

Zheng Jirong got up and walked to the window, and after exhaling a puff of smoke, he pointed outside with his cigarette butt and said: "Shanghai Tang, the largest metropolis in the Far East, is heroically prosperous, and the daily fee for such a treasure land is only 200,000 yuan."

He turned his head to Bai Chongxi and smiled: "Minister Bai, don't you think this money is a bit less?" ”

“.”

Bai Chongxi was stunned when he heard it, and he said with a strange face: "Do you have a way to collect more money?" ”

"That's right", Zheng Jirong looked at him and said seriously: "I have a new set of rules, as long as I follow my set of methods, the daily fee will be increased by at least half, that is, from 200,000 to 300,000!" ”

"What do you want to do?" Bai Chongxi said curiously.

Zheng Jirong didn't answer him when he heard it, but returned to his seat without saying a word, shaking the cigarette butt in his hand and spitting out smoke.

Bai Chongxi couldn't help but smile dumbly when he saw this, "Hahaha, don't worry, since you were personally introduced by Xiuzhu, I will naturally give her a face, as long as what you say is reasonable, you will be my Bai Chongxi's spokesperson in Shanghai in the future." ”

Hearing this, the corners of Zheng Jirong's mouth suddenly raised, and he looked at Bai Chongxi and said: "It's actually very simple, if I am asked to do it, I will re-establish a rule for the distribution of fees!" ”

"Re-erect? Will those foreigners and officials easily agree? Bai Chongxi was puzzled.

"Yes!"

Zheng Jirong affirmed: "As long as they get more money than before, what can't these guys who see money can't agree?" ”

He raised his fingers and said: "In order to prevent overcharging and wrong collection, all fees in the future can not be collected by anyone except the debt collector, even if they are foreigners." ”

"At the same time, the same type of field is charged uniformly, and all private fields, mobile fields, and relatives are closed one by one!"

"In addition, I will decide on the number of different types of venues to be opened in each district according to the interests of the citizens of each district and the amount of wealth."

"For example, in a rich area like Fahua District, you can open 20 casinos and 10 nightclubs, but Hunan District can't, it can open 10 casinos and 5 nightclubs at most."

"Why?" Bai Chongxi wondered,

Zheng Jirong explained with a smile: "The reason is that when there is a lot of demand on the spot, it will cause a lot of vicious competition, and even fight by force, so that not only will the money not be earned, but the land will be a mess." ”

"That's right", speaking of this, Zheng Jirong asked Bai Chongxi: "Has Minister Bai been to the HK area?" ”

"No, what's going on there."

"It seems that Minister Bai doesn't know yet," Zheng Jirong explained, "Hongkou is now full of warblers and station streets, if I can call the shots, I will send people to drive them all to the tea rooms in Nancheng and Zhabei as soon as possible." ”

Bai Chongxi frowned and asked, "What's there to do with this thankless job?" ”

"There are two advantages to this", Zheng Jirong replied: "First, there will not be so many immodest women standing on the street, which looks much more pleasing to the eye, which can be regarded as beautifying the city, isn't it?" ”

"Second, if there are more women in the teahouse kiln, then their business will be good, and we will be able to charge more fees justifiably at that time."

"According to my budget, if I can drive all the warblers on the beach to the official field, the monthly fee for these green places will increase by at least one-third."

"Of course, the last thing I want to mention is how to divide the money I said earlier."

He picked up the pen on the table and wrote four numbers on a piece of paper, 3, 2, 1, 1/2.

"In the future, the payment of the fee must not be arbitrary, but must be strictly implemented in accordance with this standard, thirty percent to foreigners and high-ranking officials, two percent to the district gangs, one component to the patrol police, as for this half percent, it is mine."

After Bai Chongxi heard this, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "Then it's only sixty and a half here, and there are still thirty and a half?" ”

"Hahaha", Zheng Jirong said with a smile: "Why does the minister ask knowingly, these thirty and a half are naturally the military expenses of the Northern Expeditionary Army!" ”

“.”

(End of chapter)