After a long pause, Ning Zhiheng finally spoke up: "I understand Mr. Wang's sincerity. Mr. Zhou, please rest assured, although Fujiwara Company has a little reputation in Shanghai and has many business partners, those are all commercial matters. I will not be responsible for their reckless behavior. You don't need to worry about me, just go ahead and do your thing."
"Very good!"
"Thank you, Fujiwara-kun!"
Zhou Fushan and Su Yue were overjoyed. The business community in Shanghai was not difficult to deal with. Those tough guys who stood out were only backed by Fujiwara Tomohito. Without his support, they were just a bunch of trash. If the Nanjing government really used its methods, it wouldn't be a big problem.
At this moment, Su Yue was naturally extremely grateful to Fujiwara Tomohito. Since the two met, Fujiwara Tomohito had been sincere and helpful to him in both business and career. As a friend, this was truly the epitome of kindness and loyalty.
Zhou Fushan was even more satisfied. It was clear that Su Yue was highly regarded by Fujiwara Tomohito, who was willing to stand up for Su Yue. He had found the right person to ask Su Yue for help this time. He should strengthen his contact with Su Yue in the future and maintain a good relationship with him.
However, Zhou Fushan still hoped that Fujiwara Tomohito would step forward and say something, as this would make things proceed more smoothly. So he pleaded again, "Sir, these people have some influence in the business world. If we force them, it won't look good for anyone. If you just raise your voice, this matter can be easily resolved..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ning Zhiheng interrupted him: "Mr. Zhou, I've already made the biggest concession by letting you do this. As for myself, I will never show up. In fact, you and I both know why the Central Reserve Coin was issued. It's a form of plunder, and I have to avoid suspicion."
The foundation of the Central Reserve coin is simply too weak. If I were to endorse it, but it ultimately fails, the financial loss would be a minor matter; the reputation of the Fujiwara family cannot be damaged in the slightest.
Japanese nobles value their reputation above all else, especially top noble families like the Fujiwara clan, which has a history spanning thousands of years. To maintain their current status, protecting their reputation is of paramount importance. Once Ning Zhiheng spoke, Zhou Fushan dared not say another word.
Zhou Fushan knew when to stop. He had already gained a lot by obtaining Fujiwara Tomohito's promise today. Everything else was secondary and would only require a little more effort. He immediately said respectfully to Ning Zhiheng, "Understood. With your support, sir, everything is not a problem!"
Ning Zhiheng waved his hand and said with a smile, "We're all friends, this is nothing. However, Mr. Zhou, these merchants who are associated with the company are, after all, my business partners. You can use any means necessary, but it's best not to cause any deaths, otherwise it won't look good for me."
"Of course, of course!" Zhou Fushan readily agreed, but then he seemed to remember something and looked at Ning Zhiheng as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but find it amusing. This Zhou Fushan was cunning and shrewd, his official manners were ingrained in his bones, and he was a master of theatrics. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, just say what you have to say!"
Zhou Fushan immediately perked up and quickly said, "Sir, what is your opinion of Li Zhiqun?"
"Li Zhiqun?" Ning Zhiheng looked at Zhou Fushan in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
Zhou Fushan continued, “My work in Shanghai has been progressing slowly this time, not only because of the lack of credibility of the China Reserve Coin, but also because of a very important reason: there are petty people hindering me. As soon as I arrived in Shanghai, someone in the financial sector spread rumors that after the China Reserve Coin was listed, it would be exchanged for legal tender at a ratio of one to fifty, which caused panic. I tried my best to explain, but the effect was minimal.”
Currently, the most widely circulated currency in China is still the legal tender. The issuance of the Central Reserve Bank of China (CRBC) is intended to undermine the legal tender and ultimately replace its financial status, thus unifying the financial currency system.
Therefore, determining a fair exchange rate became of paramount importance. It is undeniable that after more than three years of full-scale war between China and Japan, the legal tender had depreciated significantly. If the exchange rate was set too high, the Nanjing puppet government would be unable to bear the actual difference, and the losses would be too great.
However, if the price is set too low, the plundering will be too heavy, causing significant losses to the people and plunging the economy of the occupied areas into chaos, which could even trigger a chain reaction and lead to collapse. This is not something that the Japanese and the Nanjing government want to see.
Therefore, the Japanese side and the Nanjing government conducted long-term negotiations on this matter. The Japanese side initially proposed a 50-to-1 exchange rate, that is, 50 yuan of legal tender for 1 yuan of Central Reserve Bank notes. This was, of course, in order to plunder the wealth of the people to the greatest extent possible and achieve the goal of using war to support war.
The Nanjing puppet government naturally could not agree to this. Initially, they proposed a flat exchange rate, that is, one yuan of legal tender would be exchanged for one yuan of central reserve currency. However, the Japanese thought the exchange rate was too high, so they eventually made a concession and agreed to set the exchange rate at 100 to 77, that is, 100 legal tender would be exchanged for 77 yuan of central reserve currency.
"Actually, our bottom line is two to one, that is, two yuan of legal tender can be exchanged for one yuan of China Reserve Bank coin. However, some people are now spreading rumors that it is fifty to one, which is obviously a deliberate attempt to cause panic and undermine people's confidence in China Reserve Bank coin."
Ning Zhiheng looked at Zhou Fushan with surprise, and asked thoughtfully, "Are you saying that Li Zhiqun is the one spreading rumors? Shouldn't this be the work of the Chongqing government?"
The Chongqing government was naturally most concerned about preventing the establishment of the Reserve Bank and the issuance of the Central Reserve Coin. What benefit would Li Zhiqun gain from interfering in this?
Zhou Fushan snorted, gritted his teeth, and said fiercely, "That's what I thought at first too, but after investigating, I found that this rumor was actually related to Li Zhiqun. That bastard is actually interfering, it's simply unreasonable. Mr. Fujiwara, I suspect that Li Zhiqun has a secret connection with the Chongqing government!"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
