As soon as Wan Mulin and Si Guangyuan arrived in Shanghai, they each made contact with their targets according to their pre-arranged division of labor.

Wan Mulin went to meet with Chen Hongchi, while Si Guangyuan, carrying lavish gifts, paid a visit to Su Yue, who had become the mayor of Shanghai, explaining the whole story and requesting an audience with Fujiwara Tomohito.

Previously, the two had gotten along quite well because of the rescue of Wan Mulin, mainly because Si Guangyuan was generous, which pleased Su Yue. So, Su Yue quickly made arrangements for Si Guangyuan.

When Su Yue asked Ning Zhiheng for instructions, Ning Zhiheng naturally went along with it and readily agreed.

Upon hearing the news, Si Guangyuan was overjoyed and did not want to delay for a moment. The next day, he went to visit Su Yue and presented him with the generous gifts he had prepared.

"Sir, thanks to your help before, Brother Mulin was able to escape safely. Brother Yuesheng has always remembered this. He specially prepared some gifts for this trip to Shanghai, and hopes you will accept them!"

After speaking, he presented the three gifts one by one and arranged them neatly on the table.

Ning Zhiheng stepped forward to examine it closely. One of the pieces was a Han Dynasty openwork jade pendant. The carving was vigorous and natural, with every detail clearly visible. It was in excellent condition. After only a short while, Ning Zhiheng was certain that it was genuine.

The other two pieces are calligraphy, both works by Huang Tingjian. One is the running script "Lu Gong Tie" and the other is the cursive script "Zhu Shangzuo Tie". However, they are not the regular script that Ning Zhiheng likes the most. Although Huang Tingjian's regular script is also very accomplished, his running script and cursive script are even more outstanding.

According to Si Guangyuan's previous account, Yue Sheng knew that Fujiwara no Tomohito loved Chinese calligraphy the most, so he tried his best to collect it. However, due to time constraints, he only found these two pieces of calligraphy. The remaining Han Dynasty openwork jade pendant, although also a treasure, was actually just an accessory to make up the number.

Ning Zhiheng took the "Lu Gong Tie" and admired it for a moment. He nodded and said, "This is an early work of Huang Tingjian. Its strokes are open and the characters are flat and wide. These are characteristics of his early imitation of Su Shi's calligraphy. Although its artistic achievement is not as good as his later works, it is still a rare masterpiece."

After saying this, he picked up the cursive script "Letter to the Venerable Monks" and, after admiring it, exclaimed: "The gathering and scattering of strokes, the free and unrestrained brushwork, the calm and elegant brushwork, the bold and unrestrained strokes, it is truly a masterpiece! Alas! It's just that half of it is missing, the collection is incomplete, what a pity..."

After speaking, he couldn't help but shake his head in regret. Such a masterpiece of calligraphy was far more valuable to Ning Zhiheng than a box of gold bars. The fact that such a good work was missing a part made Ning Zhiheng feel deeply sorry!

Seeing Ning Zhiheng's behavior, Si Guangyuan knew that he had given the right gift, and said with a smile, "It is indeed a pity, but this calligraphy work is an unusual antique, and there are very few left in the world now. We will pay more attention to it in the future. Please forgive us!"

Ning Zhiheng laughed and waved to Si Guangyuan, saying, "Mr. Si, you're too kind. I'm already very satisfied with this result. Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Yue."

He gestured for Si Guangyuan and Su Yue to sit down, then smiled and said, "Let's get straight to the point. Su Jun said you came here because of the conflict between Li Zhiqun and the Chongqing agents?"

Seeing that Ning Zhiheng had brought up the topic, Si Guangyuan quickly nodded and said, "That's right, sir. You're aware of the chaos in Shanghai these past few months. In the process of promoting the Central Reserve Bank of China's currency, Li Zhiqun and the Chongqing agents suffered heavy casualties. The situation is getting worse and worse. The financial order is in chaos, everyone in the money industry is on edge, many banks have been forced to close, and even businesses are experiencing cash flow problems. The market is turbulent and depressed. The losses on all sides are too great. If this continues, it will be a lose-lose situation, and no one will benefit. So, Brother Yue Sheng would like to ask you, sir, to say a word to restrain all parties, especially Li Zhiqun, and to call a ceasefire. Please grant my request!"

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng looked at Si Guangyuan with a meaningful expression. After a moment, he said indifferently, "Mr. Yue is far away in Hong Kong, yet he still cares about these trivial matters in Shanghai. If he really cares, why doesn't he come back? Sino-Japanese friendship and East Asian co-prosperity are all part of the same family!"

Ning Zhiheng's words were cryptic, and Si Guangyuan couldn't help but smile awkwardly. How could Yue Sheng dare to come back? Wouldn't that be walking right into a trap?

He said with a forced smile, "Brother Yue's health has been poor these past few years. He suffers from asthma and other ailments and has been staying at home to receive treatment and recuperate. Once he recovers, he will definitely come back to Shanghai to thank you in person."

At this point, he quickly changed the subject and returned to the main point: "Actually, this was also proposed by Chongqing. They are willing to make peace and guarantee to stop all retaliatory actions. Everyone is willing to take a step back. Now we are just waiting for Li Zhiqun's attitude. However, isn't this all just a matter of you saying a word!"

Ning Zhiheng smiled slightly and said leisurely, "I think the Chongqing government can't hold on any longer. Now the four major banks in Chongqing have stopped operating and can't even open their stores. The losses are far greater than those of the Nanjing Central Reserve Bank. At this time, it's difficult for me to unilaterally propose peace!"

This kind of pretense and evasion is clearly a direct attempt to solicit benefits!

Si Guangyuan quickly said, "Sir, you are wise. Of course, Chongqing's conditions are not limited to these. The cause of this conflict was the Nanjing government's promotion of the Central Reserve Coin. Now the Chongqing government has agreed that their four major banks can accept and exchange a certain amount of the Central Reserve Coin with restrictions, acknowledging its implementation. As for future cooperation, we can also discuss it in order to restore Shanghai's normal financial order as soon as possible."

"That's all?" Ning Zhiheng asked casually.

“Of course not!” Si Guangyuan said hurriedly, leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice, “As a way of repaying your kindness, Brother Yuesheng plans to transfer all the real estate he has left in the concession to you.”

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