Chapter 41: Setting Out on One's Own

Chapter 41: Setting Up Shop

Money can move gods; surely, it could move the Japanese.

Xu Ruiyang had discovered that the best way to deal with the Gendarmerie Headquarters was through direct material interest. This was not to say that every Japanese operative could be bought, but there were few who could remain unbowed in the face of wealth.

However, the Japanese military exercised strict control over the outflow of materials from Shanghai, intending to impose an economic blockade on the Nationalist-controlled areas in the Great Southwest. Shipping goods to those areas was incredibly difficult. Without the explicit permission of the Japanese special service agencies and the Gendarmerie, any seizure would lead to disastrous consequences for him.

As the saying goes, profit stirs the heart. There were plenty of people smuggling goods between Shanghai and the Nationalist-controlled areas, but they all operated in the shadows, and the risks were immense.

Xu Ruiyang did not want to operate that way. He planned to obtain special authorization to conduct his smuggling activities openly and legitimately. He just hadn't yet figured out how to convince the special service agencies and the Gendarmerie to grant it.

He had spent over an hour at the Shanghai Gendarmerie Headquarters—a courtesy extended only because Saburo Miura was feeling generous. Afterward, Xu went directly to the Shanghai Police Department to meet with Chief Lu Ying.

Lu Ying was a graduate of the second infantry class of the Baoding Military Academy. He had once served as a Lieutenant General Chief of Staff for a Nationalist army during the Northern Expedition, later holding positions such as the Chief of the Investigation Division for the Shanghai-Woosung Garrison Command and Commander of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau’s Investigation Corps.

After the Battle of Shanghai ended, he participated in the formation of the Shanghai "Avenue" Government. Following the establishment of the puppet Reformed Government, he was appointed Chief of the Shanghai Special Municipal Government Police Bureau, and this year, his title had changed to Police Chief.

"Brother Ruiyang, I received notice from Lieutenant Colonel Haruki yesterday that you had arrived in Shanghai. I have prepared your credentials, uniform, and a car. As for your sidearm, go to the General Affairs Division’s equipment section and pick out one that suits you," Lu Ying said. He was an old fox, his demeanor warm and inviting.

"Chief Lu, I am a newcomer here and completely in the dark. Being young and lacking experience, I hope you will not hesitate to teach me. I look forward to your guidance, and please accept this small token of my appreciation," Xu Ruiyang said with a smile, handing over a second envelope. He intentionally left the flap open, revealing five hundred US dollars inside.

It was fortunate he had made that deal with the American spy back in the Northeast; otherwise, he would have lacked the means to build rapport with these Japanese puppets. In dealing with them, this was the most direct and effective method.

However, Xu Ruiyang was well aware that although Lu Ying was the Police Chief, the real power lay with the Gendarmerie Headquarters and the special service agencies. Lu only had a say in minor daily affairs like public order, patrols, anti-smuggling, and civil cases—much like the situation with the police in the puppet Manchukuo. Relying on him for protection would be a waste of time, which was why he had only given him five hundred dollars.

"You are too kind, Brother. Thank you. If there is anything I can help with, don't hesitate to ask. In truth, the situation in Shanghai is no different from the Northeast; the Japanese make the big decisions. My signature as Chief doesn't carry weight unless they agree to it first."

"The Army Ministry’s special service agency stationed in Shanghai has sent a Supreme Advisor, Saburo Suwa, to our department, along with three instructors: Matsujiro Nagata controls the General Affairs Division, Keio Shakatoku handles the Health Division, and Seiji Nishimura manages the Judicial Division."

"Then there is Kiyoshi Tsukamoto, the Police Section Chief of the Gendarmerie Headquarters. He oversees the Inspection and Administrative Divisions, commanding all local substations and direct police units. But the Gendarmerie Headquarters runs roughshod over everything, interfering in all matters. Even the advisors from the special service agency dare not oppose Tsukamoto," Lu Ying explained.

"Chief Lu, what is the current status of the Special Police Corps I am to take over?" Xu asked.

"The Special Police Corps was actually a department within the Municipal Police Bureau before February 1st. After the recent reorganization, it became a special detachment of the Investigation Corps, with forty-three personnel currently on the books. However, Lieutenant Colonel Haruki’s intention is to reform the Special Police Corps into a dedicated unit for dealing with the Chongqing government's spies and the underground communists."

"You may have heard whispers that the Japanese intend to bring Mr. Wang out to form a new government. The police system will inevitably undergo changes. Everything currently in place might be replaced, which I believe is a great opportunity for you."

"Since the Japanese want to use you to build a new police apparatus, you should simply detach the department entirely and not operate out of the Police Department building. Look at Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun at No. 76 Jessfield Road. The Police Department has too many 'mothers-in-law' and the relationships are too complex—you can't afford to offend anyone. Isn't it more comfortable to have your own turf?" Lu Ying suggested.

Seeing that the young man was generous and had a good attitude, Lu offered this rare bit of advice. Of course, he also wanted to prevent another faction from gaining a foothold in his police department—a faction controlled directly by Sadaki Kagesa and Kageyoshi Haruki—but the suggestion was indeed beneficial to Xu Ruiyang.

"I am not familiar with the Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun you mentioned. Lieutenant Colonel Haruki once hinted at them, but I would love to know the inside story," Xu Ruiyang said with a smile.

"Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun are both defectors from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, as well as the underground party. The so-called 'No. 76 Jessfield Road' is the station for the Investigation Corps under the Western Shanghai Gendarmerie; it is a special service organization controlled by Lieutenant Colonel Haruki, established late last year."

"I don't know them well either. I only know that Li Shiqun was the first to contact the Doihara Agency and gained the favor of Lieutenant Colonel Haruki, who was an assistant to General Doihara at the time. Ding Mocun arrived later, but he has much deeper seniority."

"In the 23rd year of the Republic, Chairman Chiang established the Military Investigation Bureau. It had three divisions: the first was Xu Enzeng’s Party Affairs Investigation Division, the second was Dai Li’s Secret Service, and the third was Ding Mocun’s Postal and Telegraph Censorship Division."

"On the surface, Ding Mocun is the boss of No. 76, but in reality, Li Shiqun holds the real power. His wife, Ye Jiqing, is even more formidable than he is—beautiful, but utterly ruthless," Lu Ying said.

When Xu Ruiyang left, he carried his police uniform and credentials. At the equipment section, he selected an eighty-percent-new American-made Browning pistol; he guessed it was a piece captured by the Japanese military and then allocated to the police. He planned to officially report for duty at the Police Department the day after next.

The puppet Reformed Government’s police uniforms were largely the same as those of the Chongqing government. He took two sets of service uniforms: black, with three gold stripes on the cuffs and three gold stars. The shoulder patches were gold-plated copper plates with a square outer frame and a circular inner, bearing the name of the Shanghai Police Department.

He returned home near noon to find Wu Yaqing busy in the kitchen boiling dumplings, a sight that gave him a sense of domestic warmth. Since his parents passed away, the only person who had eaten with him regularly was Feng Qidong.

"Did you make these?" Xu Ruiyang asked as he entered the kitchen.

He was a Northerner and loved dumplings, but Wu Yaqing was born in Shanghai and did not have that habit; she must have learned to make them specifically for him.

"The cook and I made them together. I know you like meat, so these are lamb-filled. I’m having the vegetarian ones—my mother can't stand the smell of lamb, so she didn't help," Wu Yaqing said with a smile.

"This afternoon, I’ll take you out to shop for clothes and daily necessities—pajamas, toothpaste, toothbrushes, cosmetics. We should buy plenty and keep them at home so we aren't scrambling when we need them," Xu Ruiyang said with a twinkle in his eye.