Upon hearing Yuji Imai's question, Wen Hao did not hide anything. He nodded and said, "Section Chief, as you know, the operations of No. 21 are expanding more and more, and funding is becoming increasingly difficult. Even the Zhenhua Academy we started earlier is struggling to survive. So I'm preparing to raise some funds, which is why I'm thinking of trying to find a way in the business sector."
The "Zhenhua Academy" that Wen Hao mentioned is actually the militarized force he established. Its nature is exactly the same as that of Juchuan Academy established by Ding Mo. Both are directly under the command of Wen Hao's elite armed forces. This force is well-equipped and well-trained, and Wen Hao has invested a great deal in it.
Furthermore, the expansion of the 21st has been extremely rapid. In just six months, it has already established two divisions, one in Yanjiaqiao in the east of the city and the other in Chaotian Palace in the west. The scale is quite large, and the required funding is by no means small. This has immediately put Wen Hao's funds in a tight spot.
The funds allocated by the puppet government were naturally limited. Given Zhou Fushan's character, he was never one to talk back. So, the Twenty-First Bureau had always followed the same path as the Seventy-Sixth Bureau, living off the land and water, and maintaining itself through extortion of wealthy merchants or criminals, as well as some gray income. Of course, Imai Yuji provided Wen Hao with strong support in terms of supplies, weapons, and management authority.
But that was still far from enough. Wen Hao thought he should just run a business and make a profit himself. But he didn't know anything about business, and he didn't have any business talent under him. So he thought of using someone else's resources to make money.
He used various means of coercion and enticement, and even directly robbed people, to seize and control some businesses and shops in the east of the city in a short period of time. He formed a business association called "Xingzhong". Although in name they were all other people's businesses, in reality they were all Wen Hao's property.
Although his methods were crude, the results were obvious. He quickly got the funding he needed, which gave Wen Hao a taste of success. So, during this period, he prepared to take action again and expand the scale of the Xingzhong Business Association.
When Yuji Imai heard Wen Hao speak frankly, he frowned and said with some displeasure, "I know you are indeed having financial difficulties, but you have made too much of a fuss. The president of Nanjing Fujiwara Company, Yoshitomo Kamo, contacted me a few days ago, saying that you intend to acquire Huaji Rubber Company and force that Boss Luo to hand over the company's shares."
"Did you know? Huaji Rubber Trading Company is now a subsidiary of Fujiwara Company. President Kamo came to me and asked me to warn you not to bother Boss Luo anymore."
Upon hearing this, Wen Hao couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Huaji Rubber Company was one of the top rubber trading companies in Nanjing, with extremely high profits. In Wen Hao's eyes, it was an absolute treasure trove.
The major shareholder of the company, Boss Luo, used to rely on the background of the reformed government. Now that his backer has lost power in this government reorganization, the rubber company has become a big piece of fat meat that many hungry wolves have their eyes on.
So Wen Hao began to plan and finally found the weakness of Boss Luo, the major shareholder of the company. He carefully designed a trap to lure him in and force Boss Luo to sell his shares in the company. Just when it seemed that things were about to go smoothly, Boss Luo simply turned to the Japanese and put his connections in front of Imai Yuji. Now, it was likely that all his plans would fall apart.
"Section Chief, this is a rare opportunity. If we can take it over, we'll have at least half of Nanjing's rubber industry under our control. The benefits are enormous. It would be a real shame to let it go like this. As for Fujiwara Corporation, we'll give them all the benefits they're entitled to. Can we become their clients? Perhaps you could discuss this with President Kamo again?"
Wen Hao was really reluctant to part with the fat that was about to be swallowed, thinking that Imai Yuji would support him one more time, but Imai Yuji's face immediately darkened.
This time, Boss Luo was able to persuade the president of Fujiwara Company to speak up, which was obviously not as simple as it seemed on the surface. He must have secretly promised a lot of benefits. Given Fujiwara Company's style, Huaji Rubber Trading Company is probably already in their pocket. Wen Hao is blinded by the profit in front of him and actually wants to compete with Fujiwara Company. He is simply greedy and blinded by greed!
"I'm warning you, don't even think about messing with that Boss Luo anymore. Fujiwara Company is known for its domineering style in the business world; once they've set their sights on an industry, they're not going to back out."
Also, President Kamo asked me to tell you that in Nanjing's business community, no other commercial organization is allowed to threaten Fujiwara Company's position, and your Xingzhong Chamber of Commerce has already attracted his attention.
Fortunately, I've already made it clear to him that the Xingzhong Chamber of Commerce won't expand any further; it will at most maintain its current size. You need to know when to stop and not be too greedy, otherwise he'll definitely turn his attention to you. You know the background of the Fujiwara Company; if he really complains to Mr. Fujiwara, then things will be troublesome!
Yuji Imai truly gave Wen Hao his full support; otherwise, he wouldn't have secured such conditions for Wen Hao, at least guaranteeing the immediate interests of the Xingzhong Chamber of Commerce.
Upon hearing what Imai Yuji said, Wen Hao knew that there was absolutely no hope for this matter, and even his plan to continue expanding Xingzhong Chamber of Commerce had failed. He couldn't help but lament inwardly. However, the situation was beyond his control. Even though his strength had greatly increased, he was still aware of the gap between himself and the behemoth that was Fujiwara Company. If he really angered the other party, a single word from Mr. Fujiwara could bring him back to his original state, or even lead to his utter ruin.
Wen Hao nodded helplessly and replied, "Yes, I understand. I will not act rashly again!"
Yuji Imai knew what Wen Hao was thinking and that he was unwilling. Just to be on the safe side, he said again, "You need to know what's going on. Mr. Fujiwara is in Nanjing now. These days he has been frequently interacting with Commander-in-Chief Nishio and General Itagaki and other high-ranking military officials. I think he seems to be planning to stay in Nanjing for a long time. You need to know your limits. I can talk to President Kamo, but I can hardly speak to Chairman Fujiwara. If something goes wrong, I can't protect you!"
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