usatvline Chapter 1794: New French Currency
Chapter 1794: New French Currency
Chapter 1794: New French Currency
"Special Commissioner Cheng, let me introduce you," Cai Zhengze said, "This is Mr. Kogoro Imamura, the military advisor of the Locust Army."
"Mr. Imamura, this is the special envoy from Nanjing, Councillor Cheng Qianfan," said Cai Zhengze.
"So it's Consultant Imamura." Cheng Qianfan nodded slightly and saluted, "I've heard a lot about you."
"Counselor Cheng, thank you for your hard work." Kogoro Imamura nodded with a faint expression.
Cai Zhengze watched coldly from the sidelines. The Japanese were said to have complaints about Nanjing sending special envoys to participate in the mopping-up operation. After mediation and consultation, the Japanese reluctantly approved the list of special envoys.
The Japanese were not very willing to let Mr. Wang firmly control the army.
Ever since Kogoro Imamura moved into the 15th Regiment, he has been meddling in everything, which makes Cai Zhengze quite dissatisfied. However, he doesn't know what to say, so he has to keep it to himself.
……
Cai Zhengze hosted a banquet to welcome Imamura Kogoro and his group of Japanese.
After lunch, Cheng Qianfan strolled around burping.
He walked to the door of a room.
"Platoon Leader Wang, give me a pack of three gun batteries." Cheng Qianfan handed over a banknote.
"Oh, Senator Cheng, how can I take your money?" Platoon Leader Wang quickly handed over a pack of cigarettes, but he refused to take the money from Cheng Qianfan for the cigarettes.
Seeing this, Cheng Qianfan took the money, opened the package, took out a cigarette, and saw Platoon Leader Wang diligently struck a match to light the cigarette.
……
"Platoon Leader Wang, how is business?" Cheng Qianfan asked casually after taking a puff of his cigarette.
This platoon leader Wang was a distant relative of Cai Zhengze, and with the help of Cai Zhengze, he secretly opened a "small shop" in the regiment headquarters, selling cigarettes, alcohol, candy, etc. This naturally should not be allowed, but everyone, including the regiment commander Cai Zhengze, turned a blind eye to it.
It is said that Platoon Leader Wang's mother had helped his distant relative Cai Zhengze before, and Regiment Leader Cai was grateful and repaid the favor.
"Not bad." Platoon Leader Wang was flattered and took the cigarette handed to him by Councillor Cheng. He lit it, took a puff and said, "Due to the war, everyone bought more cigarettes."
Just at this time, an officer came to buy cigarettes. Seeing Senator Cheng there, he saluted hurriedly, then bought the cigarettes and left quickly.
Cheng Qianfan didn't care. He knew that these officers and soldiers kept their distance from the special envoys from above.
……
Afterwards, I met a few more officers and soldiers who came to buy cigarettes.
At first Cheng Qianfan didn't care, but at this moment, his eyes narrowed and he noticed a detail.
The officers and soldiers who came to buy cigarettes all paid with legal tender. There was nothing wrong with this, although he also learned from Chu Mingyu that the Wang Puppet Regime was preparing to issue their own legal tender. However, the Wang Puppet Regime's currency had not yet been officially issued, so the legal tender was still the currency in circulation in the occupied areas.
What really caught his attention was that the legal tender used by these officers and soldiers to pay was brand new.
"It seems that it's time to get paid." Cheng Qianfan pointed at the French currency in Platoon Leader Wang's hand and said.
"It was just distributed before we went to war, all new money," said Platoon Leader Wang. He then looked around and said in a low voice, "This time they also paid back some of the wages we owed. Everyone said it was the grace that the special commissioner asked for from above for us."
"We can't let our brothers go to war with guns on an empty stomach." Cheng Qianfan said calmly, "It's our duty."
……
Back in the room, Cheng Qianfan called Haozi in.
"Brother Fan."
"Haozi, I have something to entrust to you." Cheng Qianfan said.
"Brother Fan, please give me your instructions."
Cheng Qianfan took out a dozen Japanese yen from his wallet, handed them to Haozi, then waved and whispered something to Haozi.
"I understand." Haozi nodded and said.
……
That evening.
Haozi found Brother Fan, looked around carefully, and then handed the banknotes he had exchanged for Japanese yen to Brother Fan.
"You're not suspected, right?" Cheng Qianfan asked Haozi.
"No, I just have some Japanese money that Brother Fan gave me. I don't have much French currency on hand, so I want to exchange it for some French currency." Haozi said, "Those pacification officers and soldiers like Japanese money very much and are willing to exchange it."
"How many people did you find?" Cheng Qianfan asked again.
"Four people." said Haozi.
Cheng Qianfan nodded, and he took Haozi back to the room and carefully observed the French currency in his hand under the oil lamp.
"Brother Fan, is there something wrong with these legal tenders?" Haozi asked doubtfully.
"I don't know." Cheng Qianfan shook his head.
Although the legal currency is still circulating in the market, the Wang Puppet Regime has already announced that it will abolish the legal currency. Therefore, it is not strange that the officers and soldiers of the puppet army use the legal currency to buy things. However, it is somewhat abnormal that the Wang Puppet Regime uses the legal currency to pay the puppet army's salaries.
Therefore, Cheng Qianfan’s first reaction was to find this matter strange.
……
Cheng Qianfan looked around and found that these legal tenders had one common feature: they were all new banknotes. There was nothing unusual about them.
Seeing Brother Fan staring at the French currency left and right, Haozi asked with a smile, "Brother Fan, do you suspect that this money is fake?"
Counterfeit money?
Cheng Qianfan's heart moved when he heard this.
The Wang Puppet Regime created fake legal tender to pay military salaries?
It sounds incredible, but when you think about it carefully, it doesn't seem so impossible.
Cheng Qianfan took a French coin in his hand and stroked it carefully.
These fiat currencies feel fine to the touch.
According to his understanding of legal tender, the printing factories of legal tender issued by the National Government were the British De La Rue Company, Ward Road Company and the American Bank Note Company. The anti-counterfeiting measures of these banknotes were mainly watermarks and secret marks. Some American banknotes had red and blue silk threads sandwiched in the portrait area.
Cheng Qianfan looked carefully under the light and found that these legal tenders were all real, not counterfeit.
This relieved him.
……
These legal tenders are all real, not counterfeit.
If his previous guess was true and these were all counterfeit money, then that would be a big problem and he needed to report the matter to Boss Dai immediately.
Putting down the French currency in his hand, Cheng Qianfan shook his head slightly, thinking that he was too sensitive.
"Okay, you can go out now." Cheng Qianfan said, "Build good relationships with the officers and soldiers of the Pacification Army and see if there is any useful intelligence."
"clear."
After Haozi left, Cheng Qianfan collected the French currency on the table and prepared to put it into his wallet.
Then he frowned again.
He thought about it over and over again, but still felt that there was something he couldn't figure out.
Again, Wang Tianhai's regime had already issued an announcement to abolish the legal tender, so how could it use the legal tender to pay the salaries of the pacification army?
Where did the Wang regime’s legal tender come from?
He studied the fiat currencies again, and then he noticed a detail.
In addition to being new banknotes, these legal tenders have one thing in common, which is that they are all legal tender issued by the central bank.
Legal tender is issued by four banks: the Central Bank, Bank of China, Bank of Communications and Agricultural Bank of China.
Cheng Qianfan thought about it carefully. It seemed reasonable that these military salaries were paid together and the legal tender came from new banknotes issued by the same bank.
But he always felt that there was something strange and something he couldn't explain.
Cheng Qianfan put the French currency in his wallet. Since he had no clue for the time being, he decided to let the matter go.
……
The next morning, after Cheng Qianfan went to the toilet, he wandered around Qingpu Town.
The common people in the town had already fled, and only a few scattered soldiers were seen. When they saw Senator Cheng, they all saluted hurriedly.
Cheng Qianfan wandered around and came to a house in a secluded place.
To be precise, it was the ruins of a house. During this mopping-up operation, the Japanese army implemented the policy of burning, killing and looting by the Japanese army in North China, and all the houses in the anti-Japanese base areas and guerrilla zones were burned down.
Therefore, except for the houses temporarily requisitioned by the Japanese and puppet troops, the rest of the houses along the way were burned down by the Japanese and puppet troops in the past few days, and there were ruins everywhere.
……
"Counselor Cheng." Kogoro Imamura walked out from the ruins of the wall.
"Counselor Imamura."
The two looked around vigilantly to make sure no one was paying attention.
"Lieutenant Colonel Ota was very dissatisfied with the progress of Cai Zhengze's troops," said Kogoro Imamura.
"Where are Mr. Ota's troops now?" Cheng Qianfan asked in a low voice.
"Shapu Village is more than thirty li away from here," said Kogoro Imamura.
"According to Cai Zhengze, they were invincible throughout their march, and the enemy fled at the sight of them." Cheng Qianfan said, "However, this does not seem strange. Perhaps the enemy in Qingpu fled in advance, and they were not able to engage in battle."
"No, something is a little strange." Imamura Kogoro shook his head and said, "All the guerrillas in Qingpu Town have fled. Not only the Red Party guerrillas, but even the villagers have evacuated. This is not normal."
"Uncle Kogoro suspected that military intelligence had been leaked?" Cheng Qianfan frowned and said, "So the Chinese in Qingpu fled in advance."
……
"Whether it was an intelligence leak or not, it is still unclear." Imamura Kogoro shook his head and said, "But it is a fact that the guerrillas and villagers here began to evacuate before the mopping-up operation began."
"Did you notice any unusual movements in Cai Zhengze's troops?" asked Kogoro Imamura.
"In Cai Zhengze's words, the enemy fled at the sight of the enemy. In my opinion, their soldiers are more like tourists, eating and drinking to their heart's content every day." Cheng Qianfan snorted coldly and said, "The Pacification Army is not very willing to fight, and they seem to be very happy that there are no enemies."
Kogoro Imamura did not care about Miyazaki Kentaro's contempt and complaints about the Pacification Army. The Pacification Army's combat effectiveness and willingness to fight were not high, which was a basic norm. If the Pacification Army were as brave as the Imperial Warriors, it would be the Empire that should be worried.
"Kentaro, don't look at the Pacification Army with tinted glasses." Imamura Kogoro said sternly, "Cai Zhengze's troops still have a certain combat capability. In fact, when the Pacification Army was in a desperate situation, their combat effectiveness was still commendable."
Prior to this, a regiment of the First Army of the Pacification Army was surrounded by the Loyal and Patriotic Army. After a day and night of fierce fighting, it not only broke out of the encirclement but also defeated part of the Loyal and Patriotic Army.
……
"Hayi." Cheng Qianfan nodded and said, "Uncle Xiaowulang, do you have any tasks for me to do?"
"You are in Cai Zhengze's unit, so you must be vigilant." Imamura Kogoro said sternly, "There is intelligence that the Red Party's New Fourth Army is planning to instigate a unit of the Pacification Army to rebel."
"Is it Cai Zhengze's troops?" Cheng Qianfan was shocked and asked.
"It cannot be confirmed. For now, the only intelligence we have received is that the Red Party is trying to instigate the Pacification Army to rebel. We don't have any further information." Imamura Kogoro said, "However, our focus now is on the 21st Regiment."
He glanced at Miyazaki Kentaro and continued, "Cai Zhengze, as the Chinese say, is a man of great affection and loyalty. His superior, Hu Delin, once saved his life. Hu Delin is now in Nanjing, and he is a senior general whom Wang Tianhai values very much. Therefore, the possibility of Cai Zhengze betraying Hu Delin and mutinying is low. Therefore, we tend to judge that Cai Zhengze's troops are still relatively reliable at present."
"But this is just our judgment after all, so you should pay more attention on your side. Once you find any abnormal situation, report to me immediately and I will notify the Ota Battalion." Kogoro Imamura said.
"I understand." Cheng Qianfan nodded, looked around, and left quietly.
……
Cai Zhengze Youth League Headquarters.
"Brother, what are you still hesitating about!" Cai Zhengqi looked at his cousin and said, stamping his feet.
"Zhengqi, I understand all the reasons you said." Cai Zhengze sighed and said, "It's just that if I revolt, it will be difficult for Commander Hu to deal with it."
"Brother, it's already this late, and you're still thinking about Hu Delin." Cai Zhengqi said anxiously, "Hu Delin is a traitor, and he's trying to get you to be a traitor too. This isn't helping you, this is harming you!"
"Zhengqi, don't be anxious. Let me think about it again." Cai Zhengze shook his head and said.
"What else do you want?" Cai Zhengqi said angrily, "Look at what the Japanese are doing now. The people have all fled, but they still refuse to give up and let us burn down all the houses. It's almost winter, and the people are going to freeze to death!"
Cai Zhengze remained silent.
……
"Brother, don't be stubborn anymore!" Cai Zhengqi advised, "Being a traitor will make you infamous forever. You said it yourself, you won't even be able to enter the ancestral tomb after you die!"
"Zhengqi! You! Eh!" Cai Zhengze sighed, "Don't force me. Let me think about it again."
"What are you thinking about? The situation is urgent!" Cai Zhengqi said angrily.
"Zhengqi, this is what I think." Cai Zhengze was silent for a long time before he spoke, "Even if it is the case, we don't have to follow the Red Party. We can go to Chongqing."
Cai Zhengqi was shocked. He didn't expect his cousin to say this when the time came.
"Brother, has Chongqing also contacted you?" he asked cautiously.
"Not yet." Cai Zhengze shook his head. "But I am still worried about the Red Party. I know Chongqing. As long as we raise the flag, Chongqing will definitely offer us high positions and generous salaries."
"Brother!" Cai Zhengqi continued to persuade.
Just at this moment, the sound of hurried running was heard outside the house.
Both of them changed their expressions.
The two men had a secret conversation in the room and had ordered their men not to get close, with guards placed dozens of meters away.
Then there was a knock on the door.
"Who?" Cai Zhengze asked.
PS: Please subscribe, ask for rewards, ask for monthly votes, and ask for recommendation votes, thank you.
It’s the first day of the month, please guarantee the minimum monthly ticket, thank you.