Because southern Jiangsu is located between Nanjing and Shanghai, its geographical location is extremely important. The Japanese have always wanted to make great efforts to wipe out the Chinese army in this area. So in the months following the end of the Battle of Wuhan, the Japanese garrison in Nanjing and Shanghai launched several joint operations to carry out large-scale mopping-up operations in southern Jiangsu, but with little success.
However, this recent operation has yielded significant results. For the first time, they forced all Chinese troops into the southern mountains and deployed heavy forces to set up numerous checkpoints, limiting the Chinese troops' range of operations. This is a huge improvement compared to previous victories.
Ning Zhiheng then asked, "Yoshioka-kun, according to you, the Chinese army has retreated into the mountains, so can the safety of the Beijing-Shanghai Railway be guaranteed?"
For a long time, railway transportation between Shanghai and Nanjing has been an important economic channel for Shanghai. However, after the outbreak of the full-scale Sino-Japanese War, the Beijing-Shanghai Railway suffered great damage and was unable to operate normally for the next two years.
The reason is simple: the Japanese regarded this railway as an important supply line for transporting troops and materials. The Chinese army would not allow them to have their way. So the New Fourth Army and the National Salvation Army fought many battles around the Beijing-Shanghai Railway. They dismantled the railway, attacked the Japanese army, and intercepted the Japanese army's strategic materials, which caused the Japanese army a great headache.
As a result, the Beijing-Shanghai Railway was repaired and patched repeatedly. Because the safety of the railway could not be guaranteed, the Japanese eventually simply stopped operating the Beijing-Shanghai Railway.
However, it now appears that the New Fourth Army and the National Salvation Army have been forced to move away from the railway line and hide in the southern mountains.
Ning Zhiheng immediately realized that the Japanese would definitely repair this important transport and supply line as soon as possible.
This railway greatly facilitated Ning Zhiheng's smuggling operations, allowing him to directly transport his goods to Nanjing. As the capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing's railway transportation far surpassed that of other Chinese cities, making it the railway hub of Central China.
Ning Zhiheng could use Nanjing, a railway hub, to transport his goods to various regions in North China, which was much more convenient than opening up land routes.
Masakazu Yoshioka and Zhiheng Ning were also quite familiar friends. When Takashi Katsuta moved to a new house, the two got along well and had a pleasant conversation.
Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's question, he immediately realized that he had already heard about it after returning. The Fujiwara Company was developing extremely rapidly and had become a commercial behemoth in Shanghai, with its business scope expanding and its volume of goods transactions being astonishing. It seemed that Chairman Fujiwara had a very keen business sense and had sensed the business opportunity from just a few words.
He replied with a smile, "That's right. The repair of the Beijing-Shanghai Railway is nearing completion. If all goes well, it will be open to traffic in twenty days. When that happens, our troops won't have to travel such a long and arduous journey to enter southern Jiangsu. Fujiwara-kun can also expand his company's business to the Nanjing area. This is a great thing!"
Akira Ogasawara, who was standing nearby, knew that the Fujiwara Company was doing very well and that many military personnel along the transportation line were benefiting from it. He had long wanted to get on board this chain of interests, so he took the initiative to say, "Fujiwara-kun, if the Beijing-Shanghai Railway opens, the Shanghai Railway Station will be in my jurisdiction. If there is anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but smile. He understood what Ogasawara Akira meant: he was willing to cooperate with him and become a part of the Fujiwara Company's smuggling network. After all, who doesn't like money?
Takashi Katsuta and Masakazu Yoshioka exchanged knowing smiles. Both of them were beneficiaries, and given their close relationship with Akira Ogasawara, they were naturally willing to have another ally in the military.
Ning Zhiheng immediately nodded in agreement, saying, "Mr. Xiaoli, we are from the same hometown. Drifting in this overseas land, we should of course support each other. I will have to rely on you from now on."
After saying that, he reached out his hand to shake hands with Akira Ogasawara, and they reached a preliminary consensus.
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