The next morning, people came to pay their respects at Ning Zhiheng's residence. It turned out that Zhou Fushan and Wen Hao had come together.
The two of them appeared together in front of Ning Zhiheng, which surprised Ning Zhiheng quite a bit. You know, when Wen Hao first came to Nanjing, Zhou Fushan made things difficult for Wen Hao in many ways because of No. 76. It wasn't until Wen Hao got on the good side of Imai Yuji that Zhou Fushan stopped. But now it seems that the two of them get along quite well.
In the study, the two men presented their gifts, which were naturally precious antiques that they had painstakingly collected. Ning Zhiheng accepted them all without hesitation, and after admiring them, he was naturally satisfied and beaming with joy.
The three sat down again, and Ning Zhiheng asked with a smile, "Wen Jun, I thought you and Imai-kun would come together. Is he very busy with work?"
Wen Hao quickly explained respectfully, "Section Chief Imai is indeed a bit tied up, because a grand banquet is being held at the consulate tonight, attended by high-ranking officials and celebrities. The security level is very high, and it is all handled by the Special Higher Police and the Military Police Command. So Section Chief Imai and Commander Koda are currently arranging security work."
"Oh! I see!" Ning Zhiheng nodded, then looked at Zhou Fushan. "I didn't expect you and Mr. Zhou to be such good friends."
Wen Hao knew that Mr. Fujiwara wanted to clarify the relationship between him and Zhou Fushan, and that there were certain things that should and should not be said, and that he should be mindful of his words. He couldn't help but nod inwardly, thinking that Mr. Fujiwara, having been in a high position for a long time, had his own set of rules for dealing with people.
"Actually, Minister Zhou and I have always gotten along well. There were some misunderstandings before because of Li Zhiqun. Now that I work at the Control Yuan, Minister Zhou has always taken good care of me. When he knew I was coming to visit you, he came with me!"
I understand! The two of them formed an alliance because they both harbored hatred and hostility towards Li Zhiqun. Wen Hao even tried to win over Zhou Fushan and express his goodwill towards him.
Ning Zhiheng glanced at Wen Hao, then turned to Zhou Fushan and said with a smile, "It seems that Mr. Wen's work at the Supervisory Commission is going very smoothly. Thank you for your help, Mr. Zhou!"
Zhou Fushan replied with a smile, "You're too kind. Minister Wen is shrewd and capable, and his performance at work is impeccable. I was just doing him a favor; it's all what I should do!"
Ning Zhiheng nodded in satisfaction. Zhou Fushan was Wang Tianhai's confidant and the third most powerful figure in the Nanjing government. Wen Hao's alliance with him meant he wouldn't be isolated or ostracized like Li Zhiqun. This showed that Wen Hao was far superior to Li Zhiqun in terms of interpersonal skills in officialdom.
As for Zhou Fushan, Ning Zhiheng had long intended to win him over. Ning Zhiheng was also familiar with Zhou's historical background. In his early years, Zhou was a member of the Red Party, but when the revolutionary situation deteriorated, he betrayed the revolution and turned to the Kuomintang. When the Japanese gained power and the Kuomintang was in a bad situation, he followed Wang Tianhai and surrendered to the Japanese, becoming a major traitor.
This person can be described as fickle and lacking in principle. He acts solely for his own benefit and has no faith or stance whatsoever. Even now, he has no loyalty to Wang Tianhai or the Japanese. Such a greedy and shameless politician can be easily won over with the lure of benefits, so he might as well be used.
Ning Zhiheng smiled and said to Zhou Fushan, "Mr. Zhou and I are old acquaintances. We're all family here, so we should get to know each other better in the future."
Hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Zhou Fushan was overjoyed. He and Fujiwara Tomohito had only had a brief encounter in Shanghai. He went to Fujiwara Tomohito for help and used Fujiwara Tomohito to set Li Zhiqun up. Now that he had gained Fujiwara Tomohito's affirmation, their relationship naturally took another step forward.
"I am deeply honored by your favor, sir. I will certainly seek your assistance frequently in the future!" Zhou Fushan said respectfully.
Ning Zhiheng continued, "Mr. Zhou, how is the operation of China Reserve Bank going? As the president, you should inform me promptly of any news. I heard that you intend to change the exchange rate of the China Reserve Bank currency, which has only been issued for a few months. Is that true?"
Zhou Fushan quickly explained, "This wasn't our decision, but rather the idea of the Japanese experts. They believe the previously set exchange rate was too low, benefiting the Chongqing government. But don't worry, it hasn't been finalized yet. If there's any news, I'll definitely inform you in advance!"
"Great!" Ning Zhiheng said with a smile. "By the way, Li Zhiqun is doing a great job promoting the Central Reserve Bank currency in Shanghai. How will this affect you and Wen Jun?"
Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng mention this matter, the two men present immediately perked up. Their visit to Fujiwara Tomohito was largely for this reason.
Wen Hao spoke first: "It has indeed had a great impact. Since Li Zhiqun returned to Nanjing, he has become extremely arrogant, taking advantage of this achievement. He has been recruiting police officers, strengthening equipment, expanding the strength of the police department, and even eyeing our territory of No. 21. Even the words of Section Chief Imai are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. However, General Kagesa trusts him more and more, and Section Chief Imai is powerless to do anything about it."
Zhou Fushan quickly added, “Sir, if you don’t kill the snake, it will surely harm you. We failed to kill him in Shanghai, and now that he has recovered, he has found another way to make money through smuggling. He is wealthy and powerful and is not under my control at all. He has repeatedly made things difficult for me in government meetings and has a terrible attitude, which has put me in a very difficult position. I have been tolerant of him for the sake of the overall situation, but this is not the solution!”
Seeing the two men vying to complain, Ning Zhiheng knew that they had been under considerable pressure from Li Zhiqun recently. Li Zhiqun's smuggling business was very profitable, which pleased Yingzuo Yushu, making him even more supportive of Li Zhiqun. This made Wen Hao and Zhou Fushan feel threatened, which is why they came to him seeking his support.
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