Ning Zhiheng nodded. Gu Feng had thoroughly investigated and explained all the anti-counterfeiting features and methods of the China Reserve Coin. As a result, there was no difficulty in preventing counterfeiting.
Master Yang continued, "However, the only difference is that our machinery is more advanced than theirs, and it is superior in terms of clarity."
"What?" Ning Zhiheng frowned, his face immediately darkening as he looked at Huo Yueze beside him. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
The banknote printing machine that the intelligence department purchased from abroad at a high price is the most advanced model in the world at present, and the printing quality is absolutely not a problem, but it has become a defect.
Huo Yueze quickly explained, "We've already adjusted."
When Master Yang saw Ning Zhiheng's unfriendly expression, he was also startled and quickly explained, "It's all my fault for not explaining clearly. The problem has been solved. We have adjusted the machine and parameters. I can guarantee that the finished products printed now are exactly the same as the banknotes printed by the Yokohama Specie Bank. If I didn't know beforehand, even I would have a hard time identifying them."
Huo Yueze chimed in, "We've checked everything. You could say ours is even more real than the real thing. In fact, we'd say it's the real banknotes. The entire process is exactly the same, even the serial numbers are printed according to the provided sequence. I can guarantee that the Japanese won't be able to detect anything with this level of forgery."
Huo Yueze was absolutely confident in this, mainly because the preparations for this counterfeit Central Reserve Bank coin were very thorough, and all the details that could be considered had been taken into account. It could be said that using such technology to print Central Reserve Bank coins was a waste of its potential.
Seeing that everyone was full of confidence, Ning Zhiheng was quite satisfied. Accompanied by the group, he inspected the entire banknote printing factory before concluding his inspection and leaving the underground banknote printing factory.
Inside the car, Ning Zhiheng said to Huo Yueze, "Three days from now, the Nanjing Central Reserve Bank will be officially established, and the Central Reserve Bank coin will be officially issued. Currently, our most important task is printing the Central Reserve Bank coin. The printing process needs to be accelerated. As the saying goes, 'When the machines start, gold flows in!' This will be our biggest source of revenue in the future. You must personally oversee this work!"
The intelligence department's previous revenue came from smuggling. While the profits were enormous, the expenses were also huge. A large portion of the revenue was used to bribe high-ranking officials on both the Chinese and Japanese sides, as well as to pay salaries to personnel involved in the business. The department also bore the corresponding risks.
However, printing Central Reserve Banknotes is different. There is almost no loss or input in the process. The only input is the cost of raw materials. After a trip to the printing workshop, they become real money banknotes in circulation. With the help of the Fujiwara Company's huge commercial network in East and Central China, they can be easily distributed. It can be said that it is a truly profitable business!
Moreover, as the scale expands, the revenue from printing Central Reserve Bank coins will account for an increasingly larger proportion of the intelligence department's fiscal revenue, even several times that of smuggling business, which forces Ning Zhiheng to prioritize this work.
Huo Yueze was aware of this as well, and immediately nodded, saying, "Please rest assured, I have mobilized all intelligence and operational resources to fully commit to this work, and I will definitely ensure safety."
On January 6, 1941, the Nanjing Central Reserve Bank was established as scheduled, and its Shanghai branch also officially opened for business in Shanghai.
As president of the Central Reserve Bank, Zhou Fushan returned to Shanghai to lobby various parties and ordered all businesses, department stores, and major trading companies in the city to accept the Central Reserve Bank currency. Anyone who dared to disobey would be arrested and severely punished.
This iron-fisted approach was quite effective, and the China Reserve Coin gradually entered the Shanghai market. However, as expected, the financial sector in Shanghai held a negative attitude towards the issuance of the China Reserve Coin and resolutely resisted it.
The day after the establishment of the Nanjing Central Reserve Bank, major newspapers in the Shanghai International Settlement published statements calling on all sectors of industry and commerce to support the legal tender and for all industries to refuse to accept the Central Reserve Bank's currency.
The two major banking associations in Shanghai unanimously decided to resolutely refuse to do business with the Shanghai branch of the Nanjing Central Reserve Bank. For a time, whether the Shanghai financial community could accept the Central Reserve Bank's bonds became a barometer for its successful promotion to the greatest extent.
Zhou Fushan tried everything he could, but ultimately made no substantial progress. So he turned his attention to the four major banks of the Chongqing government, demanding that they exchange China Reserve Bank notes and establish bank accounts.
This was, of course, wishful thinking on his part. The Chongqing government's four major banks clearly rejected the request, which greatly displeased Zhou Fushan. He immediately used the power of the Japanese military to force the four major banks to withdraw from the International Settlement and withdraw from Shanghai's financial sector.
Under pressure and for security reasons, the four major banks—the Bank of China, the Bank of Communications, and the Farmers Bank—moved to the French Concession. Only the Central Bank, as the largest bank of the Nationalist government, decided to remain in the International Settlement to avoid showing weakness to the Nanjing government and to save face. The two sides were deadlocked for a time.
Zhou Fushan's efforts to promote the Central Reserve Bank of China currency in Shanghai were thwarted. After nearly a month of back-and-forth struggle, he had no choice but to give up, and the task was naturally handed over to Li Zhiqun.
In the office of the Chongqing Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters, several high-ranking officials were urgently discussing the matter.
The Director began by saying, "As everyone knows, the Nanjing government is actually forcing our four major banks to withdraw from Shanghai's financial sector. This is simply intolerable! The Chairman has ordered the Military Intelligence Bureau to do everything in its power to stop this, regardless of the cost or the means, and to prevent the implementation of the Central Reserve Bank currency!"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com