November 4th, 1937, 7:00 PM:

At this hour, Shanghai was already bathed in the glow of evening lights, fully immersed in its nightlife.

In the warehouse that Director Pan had someone rent, over twenty people emerged from the sewers, the true force come to transfer the gold, currency, and documents that Lin Fan and his men had acquired.

After Lin Fan reported his transaction with Du Yuesheng to Director Pan, he entrusted Director Pan to deliver all the IOUs taken from the three banks to Du Yuesheng.

Then, he instructed him to open a bank account, so Du Yuesheng could deposit money into it based on the proportion of debts collected.

Director Pan asked with a smile, "How about a 30/70 split based on the numbers on the IOUs?"

Lin Fan replied with a smile, "That won't do, it's too high!

These IOUs are worthless to us.

There aren't many people in Shanghai who can collect these debts.

He's the only one we can barely cooperate with.

The organization takes ten percent, and he gets the remaining ninety percent.

With this kind of partnership, I believe Du Yuesheng will do his best to collect.

Also, the idea I gave Du Yuesheng, using small savings accounts to withdraw money from the three Japanese banks.

The organization can actually consider that as well."

Director Pan nodded with a smile, tacitly agreeing to Lin Fan's suggestion.

He pointed to the boxes full of gold still being transported, "What do you plan to do with these?"

Lin Fan smiled, "I've already given each member of the Special Operations Company some money for emergencies.

I also had Li Xian leave some reserves for the Special Operations Company.

The purpose of leaving these reserves is to prepare for when we're operating outside and need to buy food from the people or ask for directions, things like that."

Director Pan said with a smile, "Understood! I understand!

Money isn't everything, but without money, you can't do anything!"

Lin Fan pointed to the boxes in the warehouse:

"All this gold, currency, and the money recovered from those IOUs.

All of it will be handed over to the organization for arrangement.

Neither I nor the soldiers of the Special Operations Company have any objections."

Director Pan Hannian greatly appreciated the Special Operations Company's attitude:

Such selfless dedication was the attitude the organization valued most!

At 10:30 PM, the warehouse was still brightly lit.

On the surface: the transfer of goods in the warehouse continued.

Those carts transporting goods seemed to be having a bad day; two of them had already been overturned by rickshaws driving too fast.

Fortunately, no one was injured, but when they gathered the scattered goods, they found that one item was missing.

It was obvious that one of the three tycoons had snatched it; who knew which of their men had picked it up.

Zhang Xiaolin looked at the cotton yarn his men had managed to retrieve, "Are they really just transporting these things?

Are they smuggling anything else?"

"No! We've already gotten close."

"Have you been inside their warehouse?" Zhang Xiaolin asked, displeased.

"We can't get in! Those people are guarding it with machine guns!"

In the warehouse they were discussing: while everyone was busy, someone delivered a letter.

The envelope had the words: "For Shuang Mu!"

Lin Fan never expected Du Yuesheng's message to arrive so quickly.

The message stated that at 5:00 AM tomorrow, a cargo ship named "Rihomaru" would be leaving Huishan Port, laden with goods.

The information was very detailed, listing even the loading manifest of the ship.

Lin Fan saw that it was carrying two tons of gold, ten tons of silver, two thousand tons of copper, three thousand tons of steel, and two hundred tons of aluminum.

In addition, there were three hundred boxes of unknown cargo.

The letter even included a rough map of Huishan Wharf, with a red circle around Pier 3, labeled: "Rihomaru!"

Lin Fan knew that the unknown cargo must be the various cultural relics, paintings, calligraphy, gold, and silver ornaments that the Japanese army had plundered.

The message had arrived so late, but Lin Fan didn't want to miss such an opportunity.

One thing Lin Fan was very clear about was that the Japanese Tenth Army would be landing in Hangzhou Bay tomorrow.

Starting this afternoon, the Japanese navy had greatly reduced its patrols and blockade of the Huangpu River.

Most of their naval forces had been transferred to the Hangzhou Bay area.

Tonight was the best time to act!

While the busy transfer work continued, the Special Operations Company's battle plan was being formulated inside the warehouse.

Director Pan was also present.

Lin Fan read aloud the intelligence provided by Du Yuesheng, to accommodate the illiterate squad leaders.

Now that everyone knew the intelligence, the squad leaders said nothing except one word: "Do it!"

Anyway, they felt that as long as they followed Lin Fan, they just needed to do it.

As for everything else, they'd figure it out as they went!

Lin Fan said to Director Pan, "This afternoon, the Japanese steam launches and such have all left the Huangpu River.

They've gone to assist the Tenth Army's landing.

Our Special Operations Company will go and seize that ship tonight and head up the Yangtze River.

Now, there are three problems: First, the crew needed to sail the ship.

Second, how to disguise the ship!

Third, how to make sure the ship doesn't attract attention."

Director Pan thought for a moment, "I can find a way to handle the crew!

Currently, only foreign cargo ships sailing to the upper reaches of the Yangtze River are exempt from Japanese inspections."

His words immediately reminded Lin Fan, "Find some American flags to hang at the bow of the ship."

The soldiers of the Special Operations Company all laughed.

Lin Fan was a little worried, "If we fly the American flag, shouldn't the captain and such also be American?"

Director Pan said dismissively, "That won't be necessary.

Many ships in our country now pay the Americans to buy protection from them.

You're just disguising it; just hang the flag so the Japanese can see it from a distance."

Lin Fan passed the photo of the Rihomaru around for everyone to see, "Find a way to change the name!"

The dozen or so literate people sitting together took the picture and passed it around, looking at it.

Each of them began to rack their brains.

When Feng Junya reached for it, Chen Sichuan laughed, "Those who can't read don't need to look, right?

It's no use looking!"

Feng Junya angrily snatched it over, took only one glance, and smiled, "This is so simple; what's there to think about?

Isn't the character in front just the character ‘jiu’ (old) with a line added?

The character in the back needs this added."

He drew a hand radical crookedly on the ground.

Director Pan listened to Feng Junya's suggestion, "’Jiu Zhi Hao’ (Old Execution Number)! What's the meaning of that?"

Lin Fan's eyes lit up, "That's it! We don't know what it means.

Those who see the name will add their own meaning to it.

The main thing is that it's the simplest.

The easiest to do!"

What Lin Fan said made sense! Anyway, they were just going to use the ship for a short time and didn't really need to use it for transportation.

And so it was decided.

Feng Junya said triumphantly to Chen Sichuan, "See? That's how you should learn characters!"

Director Pan looked at Lin Fan, "What do you plan to do with the ship and the goods on it?"

Lin Fan smiled, "We're only responsible for snatching them from the Japanese, to prevent them and the raw materials they're transporting from being shipped to Japan and turned into planes and cannons to come back and fight us.

As for what to do with them?

It would be a pity to sink all these good things into the river.

That's not our style."

When Lin Fan said this, Li Xian and Director Pan both laughed.

They were laughing at the beginning of this Songhu battle when Chiang Kai-shek, in order to intercept the Japanese warships stranded in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, had actually ordered his own ships to be scuttled to block the waterway, hoping to ambush the Japanese.

As a result, twenty-five of the National Army's ships were scuttled, and the senior advisor to the Vice President of the National Government turned around and revealed the plan to the Japanese.

The Japanese warships then changed course and ran away, and the ships that had sunk into the river could never be refloated to fight again.

Lin Fan paused slightly before continuing, "I suggest that the organization sail this cargo ship all the way to the rear.

Make good use of these raw materials to produce the weapons and ammunition we need ourselves."

Director Pan was interested, "You mean not to hand it over to the National Government?"

Lin Fan said firmly, "Don't hand it over to them! While many national enterprises in Central China are retreating to the Great Rear Area.

The organization should also contact some enterprises to set up factories and settle down in our base areas.

We must have our own production system; these materials can be used entirely by our own arsenals.

At the same time, we can also use this cargo ship to help those enterprises that want to retreat to the Great Rear Area.

This can kill two birds with one stone: First, it can get us closer to those industrialists.

At this time, it must not be easy to rent a ship.

After all, the most developed areas of the country are relocating to the Great Rear Area.

Second, the cargo ship can also earn some funds for the organization while it's running.

In the days to come, the whole country will enter a difficult period.

We must be prepared for hard times!

If funds are plentiful, we can also buy some equipment ourselves.

Being able to control the production of key equipment ourselves.

Is definitely better than having it controlled by others."

Director Pan was attracted by Lin Fan's wild ideas, "Which base area should we set up these factories in?"

"Sichuan!" Lin Fan said without thinking.

"In Sichuan, we have a very good mass base; that's the first point.

Sichuan is easy to defend and difficult to attack; throughout history, Sichuan has always been the last to be subdued by the rulers.

The Japanese are coming on strong now; if we don't choose our base area well.

We're likely to face a second relocation."

Director Pan thought, "Sichuan is too remote; there isn't much industry to speak of.

Wouldn't it be too difficult to start from scratch if we moved there abruptly?

The industrial base of the three towns of Wuhan is good; what if we were near Wuhan?

Or in the Guangdong area; it's coastal and convenient for international contact."

Lin Fan objected, "Guangdong is coastal; the Japanese navy is strong. If we win this battle or hold the current situation.

The Japanese won't expand the scale of the war.

But, as long as they see the truth of the National Government's weakness, no matter what the senior Japanese officials think.

The middle and high-ranking Japanese officers in this land will not stop their invasion.

Overthrowing superiors is a traditional Japanese practice.

After the Songhu battle, the Japanese will immediately attack Nanjing, and then they will want to cut off the National Government's contact with the international community; Guangdong is bound to be lost.

Therefore, it's not safe to build an arsenal in Guangdong.

Not to mention the three towns of Wuhan; that place is even more of a priority for the Japanese to manage."

Director Pan said with some difficulty, "Sichuan's foundation is too poor; even if safety is guaranteed.

A clever woman can't cook without rice!"

Lin Fan smiled, "It's true that Sichuan is remote now, and it's true that its foundation is poor, but it's not lacking in resources.

The entire Yangtze River basin is rich in water resources.

The territory is also very rich in mineral deposits; oil, coal, iron, everything.

If we really want to build a factory in Sichuan, try to prepare small hydroelectric generators.

This can save energy."

Director Pan was somewhat surprised, "I only know that Sun Yat-sen always wanted to build the Three Gorges Dam.

I do know something about Sichuan's abundant hydropower.

Are coal, iron, and oil deposits in Sichuan really there?"

Lin Fan said, "They really are! In the next couple of days, I'll mark out the locations of those mineral deposits that I remember."

Director Pan was even more surprised this time, "You know?"

Only then did Lin Fan realize that the common knowledge he knew from later generations had not yet been discovered by anyone.

He quickly said, "When I was in Germany, I paid attention to this kind of information about China.

The great powers have been organizing geological surveys all over the world for many years.

If you're determined, you can always find some clues.

Plus a little bit of expense, and you can get detailed information."

Lin Fan's explanation convinced everyone present!

Director Pan began to plan at this time: A cargo ship with a deadweight of six thousand tons would need at least a dozen crew members!

During this period, due to the war, many cargo ships were sunk by Japanese planes.

Crew members were easy to find, and it so happened that the organization was also uniting forces to resist Japan together.

There were quite a few crew members among these people.

The suggestion Lin Fan made about buying an American flag; if they weren't going to do it, they wouldn't say anything, but since they were going to do it, they would do the whole set.

They would directly buy a set of cargo ship registration documents from the Americans; this was not difficult, it just required money.

Just like Fang Hongjian's Ph.D. diploma from Clayton University.

As for renaming the cargo ship, all they needed to do was prepare the paint.

Now that the plan had been made, they immediately began to act.

Huishan Wharf and Jiangwan Airport were in the same direction, and the actual distance between them was not far.

Lin Fan frowned as he looked at the map: How to get there?

Li Xian offered an idea, "I have a way, but it's a bit smelly."

The squad leaders present all said, "We're not afraid to die, what's there to be afraid of the smell?"

Li Xian said with a smile, "You said that yourselves!

No matter how fierce the fighting is, there's one industry in Shanghai that won't be affected.

That's the boats that transport 'night soil.'"

Lin Fan didn't understand what "night soil" was!

Ji Wudi chuckled, "The stuff you have to poop out every day."

Only then did Lin Fan realize that the ancients, in order to avoid the unsavory, had actually used such a good name to replace the term for that pile of... stuff.

Li Xian continued, "'Night soil' can't be processed at all in the city, but when transported outside the city, it's excellent fertilizer for crops.

Therefore, this industry was born: people in the city pay people to transport this stuff out of the city.

People in the countryside pay to buy this manure to fertilize their fields.

This is a business that earns both ways; each street has a dedicated 'manure boss' who collects it uniformly.

They enter the city every midnight and leave the city before dawn.

They don't appear on the city's calling card.

But the city can't do without them no matter what.

We'll use 'night soil' boats to approach Huishan Wharf.

The weapons can also be placed in the dung holds."

This was a good idea!

As long as they could approach Huishan Wharf without attracting attention, it was a good idea.

But this kind of boat couldn't be found right away; according to Lin Fan's idea, it was best to use the original crew.

He would have to find Little Du about this.

When looking for Little Du at a time like this, he couldn't go empty-handed.

Director Pan said seriously, "I'll have someone send the things over to them.

The last time you bought the watches, it was through my introduction.

There shouldn't be any problem sending the information over this time."

Looking at the time, Director Pan said, "When my people deliver the things at 11:30, they'll call back immediately.

Then you can talk to Mr. Du."

Lin Fan nodded.

Director Pan quietly left through the sewers.

The soldiers of the Special Operations Company also stepped up their preparations for tonight's operation.

In the afternoon, as soon as Lin Fan left Du's mansion, Du Yuesheng began to take action.

He very secretly spread the word that Du's mansion had placed some important documents in the vaults of the three banks that had been robbed.

He was willing to pay to redeem these documents.

At the same time, he sent people to inquire about all the news regarding the three banks whose vaults had been robbed.

At 11:15, five rickshaw pullers pulled five carts full of twenty boxes to the entrance of Du's mansion.

They said that someone had paid them to deliver them to Mr. Du, along with a letter.

At Du Yuesheng's signal, Wan Molin opened the envelope. The contents were simple: "To Mr. Du: I was shocked to hear that I mistakenly took Mr. Du's information. I am now returning it intact!

I only ask for one tenth of the profits!"

Attached was a US Citibank account number.

Wan Molin quickly stepped forward to open a box and check the contents, but did not speak.

He just nodded, unable to conceal the joy on his face.

He immediately ordered the boxes to be carried into the study and gave the five rickshaw pullers two silver dollars each as a reward.

This was a huge sum of money.

The rickshaw pullers were all grateful and tearful, all saying that Mr. Du was a good person!

May good fortune be with him!

Back in the study, Du Yuesheng watched as his butler opened the boxes he had just received, checking the contents one by one.

Seeing Du Yuesheng enter, Wan Molin smiled, "Mr. Du, most of these are IOUs, and there are also some account books and deposit slip stubs."

Du Yuesheng smiled, "This person is trustworthy and content.

He only wants one tenth of what we collect.

When the time comes, we'll deposit it into that account according to their request."

Not long after he finished speaking, he received a call for help from Lin Fan, asking to borrow ten boats for transporting manure and the people to sail them.

Du Yuesheng smiled, "Mr. Lin, the boats are easy to arrange. The people are difficult to borrow; these people can all be traced.

If the boats are stolen, that can be excused, but what about the people?

Even if these people hide in the countryside, the matter is too big.

The countryside is no place to hide either.

Use your own people!

I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the boats."

"At two o'clock, go directly to Garbage Bridge; there are many such boats parked in that location.

The boats with red silk ribbons tied to the bows are yours."