69novels Chapter 222 We must maintain our dignity!
Chapter 222 We must maintain our dignity!
Corpse?
Where is the body?
We are a civilized army, a kingly army!
Su Guiying glanced at him.
That look wasn't fierce.
But the young reporter felt a chill run down his spine.
"You're a newspaper reporter, not a bystander at a mass grave."
Su Guiying said calmly, "A corpse might give you a moment of pleasure, but an account book can silence you for three days. Take a picture of the box number, the seal, and the list."
The young reporter nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes."
She added another sentence.
"The headline can be harsh, but the evidence must be accurate. Whoever defends the Japanese for crossing the line and provoking us, I will post their payment records and a list of five-step snakes on Wangping Street tomorrow."
The faces of the newspaper shopkeepers standing nearby all turned pale.
This is not a threat.
Su Guiying really does have it.
The soft knife of the martial arts world cuts without drawing blood.
But when it hurts, it can make you close the door overnight.
The warehouse door was pulled open.
Rows of wooden crates were placed inside.
The labels outside were written very neatly.
Porcelain spare parts.
Cotton fabrics and miscellaneous goods.
Machine screws.
Li Mingyuan walked in with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, the customs accountant, and two foreign observers.
The accountant, wearing round glasses, used a knife to pry open the first box.
The cover was opened.
It's not porcelain inside.
They were bright yellow rifle bullets.
One box.
Another box.
The third box contained explosives and detonators.
The flesh on the face of Qian Shirong, the president of the chamber of commerce, twitched slightly.
"If this... if it were blown up on the dock, half the street would be gone."
Li Mingyuan said coldly, "That's why we need to seal it off."
The secretary in the black tuxedo said urgently, "The origin of these goods is unknown, and there's no proof that they're related to the consulate!"
Yang Yanzhao happened to walk to the warehouse entrance.
Upon hearing this, he raised his hand and had someone hand over a delivery order.
"The delivery stamp is from Dongying Trading Company."
Another one was handed over.
The customs declaration item is "porcelain spare parts".
Hand over another one.
"The warehouse lease is guaranteed by consular documents."
Three sheets of paper were laid out on the lid of the wooden box.
A gust of wind blew in from the warehouse door, causing the corners of the paper to tremble slightly.
The secretary in the black dress bobbed her Adam's apple.
The British observer looked down and stared for a long time.
Finally, he closed the notebook.
"This batch of goods definitely needs to be sealed up."
Yang Yanzhao looked at him.
Please sign as a witness.
The observer froze.
The American observer also stopped writing.
signature?
This is not something you can just glance at casually.
Signing a contract is tantamount to admitting that there are military weapons among the so-called commercial goods.
The secretary in the black dress turned her head abruptly.
"You can't sign!"
Yang Yanzhao's voice was not loud.
"If you do not sign, the Fujian Provincial Government will seal it up. However, the external records will state that the observers from various countries refused to witness the Japanese arms depot."
These words were like a needle pricking the faces of the two foreigners.
If we sign it, we'll offend Japan.
If we don't sign, tomorrow's newspapers will report that they saw weapons but pretended not to see them.
That's what it means to be decent—the dignity of a decent person!
When they opened it, everyone felt it was too hot to handle.
A moment later, the British observer gritted his teeth and signed his name.
The US observers also signed.
Qian Shirong immediately signed the document.
"Witnessed and sealed by the Xiamen Chamber of Commerce."
His pen tip trembled slightly.
Despite its shaky appearance, the name is written in a very large font.
Yang Yanzhao glanced at it.
"Chairman Qian, the Chamber of Commerce needs to send people to conduct an inventory check at the docks and warehouses."
Qian Shirong hurriedly replied, "Yes! I'll definitely give it to you!"
"And the price of rice."
Qian Shirong's heart tightened.
"Today's rice price is based on yesterday's book value."
Yang Yanzhao said, "Anyone who dares to inflate prices must be reported by the Chamber of Commerce first. If the Chamber of Commerce fails to report, the provincial government will investigate the Chamber of Commerce as well."
Qian Shirong's forehead was covered in sweat.
"Governor, rest assured, the price lists of all rice shops in Xiamen will be posted by tonight."
Li Mingyuan added a comment from the side.
"The postage can be posted, but the bill still needs to be paid."
Qian Shirong gave a wry smile.
"Commander Li, you're treating a businessman like a criminal."
Li Mingyuan looked at him.
"If you follow the rules, you're merchants. But those who profit from chaos and exploit others are criminals."
Qian Shirong fell silent.
Outside the warehouse, a gong sounded.
After the notice was posted on the street, the first tea shop took down its door panel.
The waiter carefully placed the tea canister back on the counter.
The Fujian New Army soldiers standing guard at the gate only glanced at it and did not go in.
The second fabric shop also opened.
A Japanese woman carrying a child walked to the registration booth, her hands trembling so much she could barely hold the pen.
When the registrar couldn't get through to them in Hokkien, they switched to Simplified Mandarin.
"Name, address, business name. Do you have weapons?"
The woman shook her head.
The child was so frightened that he started to cry.
A soldier next to him frowned, poured a small cup of water from his canteen, and placed it on the table.
He didn't speak.
The woman paused for a moment, then bowed slightly.
Not far away, a bound guard from a Japanese trading company cursed loudly.
"Cowards! You dare to touch Imperial warriors!"
The soldier pushed him toward the entrance of the police station.
"Those with guns, this way."
Registration for those without guns.
Arrest those with guns.
As the people on the street watched, the tension in their hearts gradually subsided.
This is not a chaotic army entering the city.
It's not about replacing one group of people with another.
Chen Jiajun was checking guns.
They're checking the accounts.
They were investigating the explosives hidden under the goods.
Beside the gatehouse, Su Guiying handed Yang Yanzhao a sample copy of the first edition of the newspaper.
The title is so black it's practically glowing.
Underground radio station in the foreign concessions exposed! Weapons hidden in porcelain box
The subtitle is even more ruthless.
Fujian Provincial Government Takes Over Public Security, Ordinary Overseas Chinese Register, Shops Remain Open for Business
Yang Yanzhao nodded after reading it.
"There are fewer bodies."
Su Guiying said, "Didn't Governor Yang forbid them from filming?"
"I mean, less is better."
Yang Yanzhao handed the sample copy back.
"Writing about corpses at this time is just playing the victim for the Japanese. Writing about boxes is the way to preserve evidence for us."
Su Guiying's lips twitched slightly.
"The young marshal once said that even artillery shells should wear suits. The governor is putting a tie on the boxes too."
Yang Yanzhao glanced at her.
"Director Su, a tie from the Republic of China era, if not worn properly, can strangle someone."
"That depends on who it is."
Su Guiying's voice was very soft.
Neither of them laughed.
But Li Mingyuan, who was standing next to him, felt a chill run down his spine.
These people all speak in a very refined and scholarly manner.
When they take action, each one is more deadly than the last.
Inside the police station, Zhou Heting finally finished writing his confession.
He threw down his pen and came out rubbing his wrist.
"Commander Li, would this be considered a work-related injury?"
Li Mingyuan was looking down at the warehouse inventory.
"Calculate."
Zhou Heting's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"I'll put this on your file."
Li Mingyuan said, "The file states that Zhou Heting, a staff officer of the newly formed First Division of the Fujian National Defense Army, was ordered to infiltrate the underground radio room of the consulate to cooperate in collecting evidence, and his performance was acceptable."
Zhou Heting was dissatisfied.
"Is the talent still acceptable?"
"You still want top marks?"
Li Mingyuan looked up.
"The top-performing student is really going to take two shots. Do you want to finish him off?"
Zhou Heting immediately pressed the bandage down.
"It's alright, it's alright. In this life, don't try to stand out too much."
The soldiers nearby finally couldn't hold back their laughter.
The laughter wasn't loud.
However, it lessened the stench of blood that had been lingering in the police station all day.
As evening fell, the streetlights in the Xiamen concession area lit up one by one.
The sound of pulleys echoed again on the dock.
Tea, cloth, medicinal herbs, and rice bags were stacked in designated areas according to the list.
The ammunition boxes were sealed with three layers of seals.
Seal from the Fujian Provincial Government.
Customs seal.
Chamber of Commerce witnessed the seal.
The container numbers were registered one by one.
When the reporters took photos, the flashbulbs went off, making the secretary in the black dress look deathly pale.
He stood to the side, wanting to speak, but not daring to.
Because every word will be written down.
Every single sheet of paper will be archived.
Yang Yanzhao stood at the entrance of the temporary takeover site, looking out at the street.
An old man selling porridge lit the stove again.
The flame was pitifully small.
But it's very stable.
Li Mingyuan walked to his side.
"Governor, today we registered 2,327 overseas Chinese, 41 shops reopened, and seized 27 boxes of rifle ammunition, 6 boxes of explosives, and one spare frequency manual. Rice prices at the docks are currently stable."
Yang Yanzhao gave a soft "hmm".
Registration will continue tomorrow.
"Yes."
"Tell the soldiers that when they patrol the streets at night, they are not allowed to drink alcohol, disturb the peace, or take even a needle or thread from the shops."
Li Mingyuan said, "The military order has already been issued."
Yang Yanzhao looked at the small stove.
"Reclaiming the concessions is only the first step. The real skill lies in ensuring that people dare to open their shops again tomorrow."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the telegraph operator came running from the street corner.
"Governor!"
He ran so fast that his hat was askew.
"Urgent report from the Taiwan Strait!"
Yang Yanzhao received the telegram.
There are only a few lines above.
Large fleet radios were detected in the Taiwan Strait.
The blue tide called out three times.
The ship is heading north-northwest.
A larger formation, suspected to be from Japan, continues northward.
The smile on Li Mingyuan's face vanished instantly.
Zhou Heting also poked his head out from the door of the police station.
"Blue Tide?"
He whispered, "Same as the one in the frequency book."
Yang Yanzhao looked at the seal that was not yet completely dry, and then at the darkening sea in the distance.
The sea breeze carried a damp, fishy smell.
The boxes in the concession had just been sealed.
The crates at sea are about to crash into us again.
He folded up the telegram.
"Send it to the young marshal."
"Let me add one more thing for the newspapers."
Li Mingyuan asked, "What do you mean by 'supplement'?"
Yang Yanzhao said calmly, "The call sign 'Qingchao' used by the underground radio station in Xiamen has been corroborated by the communications of the Japanese fleet in the Taiwan Strait."
He paused.
"Let them write it."
"The Japanese sense of propriety hasn't been fully revealed yet."