It turns out that Zhou Fushan came to Fujiwara Tomohito's door this time because his efforts to persuade the Shanghai financial community were not progressing well, so he sought help from Fujiwara Tomohito.

Shanghai boasts a highly developed financial sector, ranking first in Asia. Foreign banks, state-owned banks, numerous private banks, and various financial companies are scattered throughout Shanghai.

However, Zhou Fushan has been in contact with many people in the financial sector during this period. Whether they are from banks, securities companies, or investment companies, they all expressed great concern and distrust about the introduction of the China Reserve Coin.

It should be understood that the Central Reserve Coin was mainly used to undermine and replace the economic status of the legal tender. However, the legal tender still had the support of the Chongqing government and the British government. Even though it was continuously depreciating, it still had some trust in the minds of the people. But the Central Reserve Coin did not even have the necessary national strength support. It was backed by a completely empty Nanjing government.

As a result, once the China Reserve Bank coin is released into the market, it is easy for restrictions on its exchange to arise, making it difficult to promote the China Reserve Bank coin.

Those companies without a strong background are easier to deal with; at worst, we can use our power to intimidate, coerce, and entice them to submit.

However, those with powerful backgrounds cannot be dealt with using these methods. Zhou Fushan tried his best to persuade them, but to little avail. They are now taking a wait-and-see approach, especially the major foreign banks, which have made it clear that they will not accept the exchange of China Reserve Bank currency. As for the four major banks of the Chongqing government, they have made it even clearer that they will never accept China Reserve Bank currency into the financial system. Therefore, Zhou Fushan is at a loss.

In the end, he had to find another way, planning to start with the business community, get Shanghai businessmen to accept the Central Reserve Coin first, and then gradually influence the financial sector to change the existing situation and achieve the goal of gradual promotion.

Everyone knows that the most influential company in Shanghai's business community is the Fujiwara Company, whose chairman, Fujiwara Tomohito, is known as the underground emperor of Shanghai. He not only dominates the business world but also holds a pivotal position in the upper echelons of Japanese society. Without his approval, this matter simply cannot be accomplished. Therefore, he decided to seek the approval of this powerful figure to pave the way for the issuance of the Central Reserve Bank of China currency.

However, since Mr. Fujiwara had never dealt with the Nanjing government, he found it difficult to approach him. So he went to great lengths to find Su Yue, the secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government, and spent a lot of effort and offered many benefits before he finally persuaded Su Yue to accompany him to pay his respects.

Zhou Fushan spoke up, "Dai Zhi, you are a close friend of Mr. Fujiwara. You must put in a good word for him this time. This is a matter of great importance to the nation. Once it is accomplished, I will definitely recommend you to Mr. Wang. The position of Mayor of Shanghai is yours for the taking!"

Hearing Zhou Fushan's words, Su Yue was also uncertain. If there were no benefits, he would naturally not act as an advocate for Zhou Fushan. However, he was indeed unsure, so he could only reply, "Brother Zhou, I will do my best, but whether I can persuade Mr. Fujiwara ultimately depends on you."

Zhou Fushan nodded upon hearing this. He could persuade Su Yue with benefits, but he couldn't offer enough incentives to convince Fujiwara Tomohito in any aspect. Therefore, he was not confident about this visit and could only take it one step at a time.

Just as they were discussing, footsteps sounded outside. The two quickly got up and saw Fujiwara Tomohito walking in slowly.

"Mr. Fujiwara!"

"Fujiwara-kun!"

The two quickly stepped forward and greeted him.

Ning Zhiheng waved his hand, gesturing for them to sit, and said with a smile, "Haha, Mr. Zhou, Mr. Su, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. Please sit down, please sit down!"

The three of them took their seats. Zhou Fushan first took an antique-looking scroll from the guest table next to him, held it with both hands, and handed it to Ning Zhiheng.

"It's my first time visiting. This is a painting I specially selected for you, sir. Please accept it!"

Ning Zhiheng smiled slightly. It was well-known that he enjoyed collecting calligraphy and paintings. In recent years, Fujiwara Tomohito had been a well-known big spender in the Shanghai antique market, and people would use these items as a stepping stone to get in touch with him. Zhou Fushan was no exception.

He reached out and took the scroll, smiling as he said, "You're too kind, Mr. Zhou. I'm the kind of person who can't wait to see something good, so I'm here to take a look first!"

“Sir, you are a master; we were just about to invite you to appreciate my work!” Zhou Fushan said with a smile.

Upon opening the scroll, Ning Zhiheng's eyes lit up. It was a painting of galloping horses, depicting a black steed galloping at full speed, its body robust and agile, exuding the charm of the Tang Dynasty.

"This is a Tang Dynasty painting!"

Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but gasp softly, then quickly bent down and peered closely at the object.

Tang Dynasty paintings are ancient and few have survived to this day, each one a treasure. In this painting, the horse is spirited and full of vitality. The lines are delicate and vigorous, outlining the horse's strong physique. The black horse body is paired with a vermilion brocade saddle, which further shows its spirit. The composition is well-balanced, the structure is rigorous, the brushwork is steady, and the spirit is extremely vivid.

On the left is the painter's inscription, as well as colophons and seals from famous collectors throughout history. This is a work by Han Gan, a famous painter of the Tang Dynasty. He was best known for his horse paintings, and each one is a rare masterpiece. He was already famous in the Tang Dynasty and was one of the representative figures in the art world.

"This is an authentic work, priceless!" Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but exclaim repeatedly.