Chapter 553: The Withering of the Flower of the Empire Five
On March 23, the China Reserve Bank suddenly changed the exchange rate between legal tender and China Reserve Bonds from one to one to 100 French currency for 77 yuan in China Reserve Bonds, and announced that it would be officially abolished on the last day of March.
The equal value usage regulations kicked off the expulsion of legal tender.
The entire Shanghai stock market fell into a frenzy of using legal currency to exchange for China Reserve Bonds. It was impossible not to exchange them, and then prices skyrocketed. After the people in the Shanghai City exchanged their China Reserve Bonds, they went crazy to buy supplies. It was obvious that everyone was interested in this.
There is absolutely no confidence in the currency issued by Zhongwang Weizhengfu.
Foreign expatriates in the public concessions are also panicking. Since the Ministry of Industry and Commerce does not allow foreign rice to enter the concessions, the price of black market rice reached 300 yuan per stone on the 14th and 600 yuan per stone on the 15th, which was directly higher than that of ordinary rice.
Nearly five times the price.
Chen Mingxiang held a sumptuous banquet at Villa Mara, with pure French meals and Bordeaux red wine, to receive Riddle and Mingside, the former British and American directors of the Concession Industry Bureau.
As for their purpose of coming to him, Chen Mingxiang knew it very well. They must be seeking his help because of food.
According to the current situation, these British and American expatriates are not experiencing a decline in their quality of life, but are facing a huge threat to their survival!
Look at these former administrative officials of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce who are still well-dressed. Their faces are very haggard, and their postures are a little hasty in front of the fine wine and food. Their usual gentlemanly demeanor is gone. From this detail, it can be seen that their lives are very difficult.
The Ministry of Industry Bureau of the Concession was forcibly occupied by the Japanese army. These so-called directors became the backbone of thousands of expatriates in the public concession. They had the responsibility to obtain assistance for the expatriates in their country and help them survive.
"Mr. Chen, you have helped us a lot. It is really helpless to ask you to lend a helping hand again this time. When the Japanese army first occupied the concession, they sold some cheap rice to British and American expatriates. But now, from every week
Sales dropped from five days to three sales a week!”
"Many families have encountered insurmountable difficulties in their survival. We applied for food assistance from the Japanese Army's Ministry of Industry Bureau, but were rejected. The answer they gave was that the food supply in the entire Shanghai city was very tight and they were unable to provide special care.
.”
"We have also looked for a lot of previous relationships, but they all said that they can't protect themselves. It seems that in Shanghai, you are the only real friend we have." Riddell said with a wry smile.
These words are true. According to the standards of the Japanese army, the rice purchased by many families is simply not enough to meet the minimum needs.
One person is only allowed to buy five liters of rice a week. You can go to rice stores to buy it on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sales are stopped on Wednesday and Sunday. About 0.7 liters of rice per day, one pound of rice.
Weight.
Oh, this refers to affordable rice priced at NT$6 per liter, which is rice priced at NT$160 per liter. By the way, children under the age of fourteen are not eligible to buy rice.
This quantity was barely enough to sustain survival, and it was definitely not enough for families with many children. However, the Japanese army changed the sales period to three days, and it was not enough for everyone to maintain the most basic survival guarantee.
Why are you so cute?
Chen Mingxiang was also a little stunned. Britain and the United States are now at war with Japan, so you have become expatriates from a hostile country. Japan is extremely merciful by not killing you!
"I do have channels to transport some food from outside, but I can't solve this problem. First of all, I don't have much food. Secondly, I have to supply military supplies to the Military Police Headquarters and Marine Corps Headquarters. What I can bring out is very
There are more than 7,000 British and American expatriates in Shanghai. I am helpless!" Chen Mingxiang shook his head and said.
He doesn't mind helping these British and American expatriates, but the problem is that there are more than 7,000 people. According to round numbers, one kilogram of rice a day is still seven thousand kilograms. More than seventy kilo of grain, which is more than two thousand kilo a month.
Transportation is also a big problem!
What's more, in the eyes of the Japanese army, this was a crime committed against the wind. Although this trivial matter did not cause him any harm, it still left a bad impression and would interfere with his latent mission.
"You don't need so much. Young people can still be patient and save some food. They are mainly the elderly, women and children. The number will not exceed 2,000. According to 0.3 liters of rice per person per day, it is about five taels.
That's enough, one thousand kilograms of rice." Mingside said.
"One thousand jins a day is 30,000 jins a month. Fifteen tons of rice is not a lot. But the problem is that the delivery process will be troublesome. If the Japanese army knows this news, it will have a great impact on me.
The danger." Chen Mingxiang said.
"Mr. Chen, you also know that this quantity is really not large, and it is not worth much. Considering your status in the Japanese army, it is just a small matter. Of course, we will be responsible for the cost of managing it, and we will not let it go.
You're at a disadvantage," Riddle said.
Even if a pound of rice is based on the current market price, it is only five yuan. This is still the black market price. Thirty thousand pounds and 150,000 yuan is really not a lot. For the Military Police Headquarters and the Marine Corps Headquarters, then
It's also a trivial matter not worth mentioning.
This is often the case. If we investigate seriously, no matter how much rice is imported into the concession, it violates the Japanese military's ban. But if we ignore it, it is nothing.
"Okay, let me give it a try. The superficial figures given to the Japanese army are 10,000 jins of rice and 10,000 jins of cornmeal, which is cornmeal. This is easier to accept. You can collect some valuables. I only need to ask the superiors to say something, and the following will naturally
Turn a blind eye," Chen Mingxiang said.
The relationship between the two parties has developed to this point, and they can only bite the bullet and get things done. Don't underestimate the food problem. He may get more gratitude than he keeps those valuables.
When people taste hunger, as long as they can stay alive, that is the ultimate goal. Chen Mingxiang, who lends a helping hand, is equivalent to a lifesaver.
"Team leader, this time we finally see his true face online!" said the agent sitting in the car.
"Remember his appearance. This is very important information. We will follow him quietly and wait until we are near the contact point before calling in manpower to round up the people inside." Ichikawa said.
Su Chengsheng informed the special agent who was tracking and monitoring him in the Special Section 1, saying that he was going to start contacting the top line. Nanzo Yunzi was very concerned about this matter and directly sent the operation team leader Ichikawa to personally lead the team to ambush around Su Chengsheng's residence, and it was far away.
The purpose of distance observation is to find this upline and contact point.
Sure enough, the next day, a young man dressed in ordinary clothes came to Su Chengsheng's house. He only stayed for three minutes and then left. He also took a basket of fruits and looked very sophisticated.
