The Japanese army's front lines were tight and their control over supplies became more and more stringent. Naturally, those doing black market business were greatly affected.
"Ring ring ring ring ring!" The phone on the table rang.
Jiang Xinyu picked up the phone: "Hello, who is this?"
"Captain Jiang, this is Biaozi." Zhang Jinbiao's voice was on the other end of the phone.
"Are you in Yanjin?"
"Just came back yesterday."
"You are brave enough. Didn't I tell you that the wind is very tight during this period, so it's best to go out and avoid the limelight."
"Yuan Wenkui asked someone to give me a message. If he agrees to go to Japan to work as a supervisor, the matter of reselling scarce supplies will be over."
Jiang Xinyu's heart moved and he said, "Do you agree?"
"Business in Yanjin is not easy, and the trip to Japan didn't take long. I came back in half a year."
"Oh...then what do you mean by calling me?"
"Captain Jiang, Biaozi is not a person who forgets his roots. You have taken good care of me these years, so I bid farewell to you."
"when are we leaving?"
"The ship is at eight o'clock tonight, the Yoshino Maru."
Jiang Xinyu glanced at his watch. It was just after four o'clock and said, "Well, you can go to Hongfa Restaurant and wait for me now."
"What are you..."
"When you go out so far, you always have to have a drink at the Practice Bar."
"Okay, I'm not far from Hongfa Restaurant. I'll be there in ten minutes."
"good."
Twenty minutes later, in a private room of Hongfa Restaurant, Jiang Xinyu ordered a table of dishes and a bottle of Laobaigan wine.
Zhang Jinbiao said: "Captain Jiang, the food is too rich. Two people can't eat so much."
Jiang Xinyu unscrewed the wine bottle and said with a smile: "It should be more generous. This is your last hometown meal before going to Japan. There, besides rice balls, there is miso soup."
Zhang Jinbiao quickly grabbed the bottle and said, "How can I let you pour me wine? That's a violation of the rules."
As he spoke, he filled the two wine glasses with wine.
Jiang Xinyu raised his wine glass, clinked it with Zhang Jinbiao, and said, "I won't say much else. I wish you a smooth trip and an early return to Yanjin!"
"Thank you Captain Jiang, I'll do it, you can do whatever you want." Zhang Jinbiao raised his glass and drank it all.
After three rounds of drinking, Jiang Xinyu asked: "What kind of treatment will you receive as a supervisor?"
"The salary is fifty yuan, and there is paid leave and so on. I talked about a lot, but I actually didn't understand much."
"Fifty yuan is indeed a lot, and you are the only one overseeing it?"
"I heard that there are four or five others...Li Laoer from Dagu, Silly Zhuzi from Chaoyin Temple, and a few others, but I haven't seen them yet."
Jiang Xinyu understood immediately upon hearing this that the supervisors were all hooligans, obviously in order to be a bit of a deterrent to the workers. Zhang Jinbiao was also considered a tyrant in Hongqiao, so he was chosen by Yuan Wenkui.
Zhang Jinbiao took a sip of wine and said: "Captain Jiang, to be honest, if it weren't for business being difficult to do and Yuan Wenkui coming to visit, I wouldn't be willing to leave Yanjin!"
"Reselling supplies is not a big deal. If you don't want to go to Japan, I can ask Major Hattori to accommodate you."
"Over the years, I have been the one poking holes in the front, and you have helped me mend the holes in the back. Thank you, Biaozi."
Zhang Jinbiao stood up and bowed formally to Jiang Xinyu.
Jiang Xinyu waved his hand and said: "Biaozi, are you okay? It gave me goosebumps. Why don't you have a good drink?"
"You're right, I'm too pretentious, I'll punish you with one drink!" Zhang Jinbiao took the wine bottle and filled another glass.
Jiang Xinyu glanced at the suitcase on the chair and said, "Are you planning to get on the ship directly after drinking?"
"I'm afraid I'll get into trouble if I drink too much, so I might as well get on the boat directly."
"It's okay, I'll send you there in a minute."
After two hours of drinking, Zhang Jinbiao stood up unsteadily and said, "Captain Jiang, I have to go. It's not a good idea to miss the boat."
"Okay, I'll take you there." Jiang Xinyu stood up and greeted the waiter to pay.
Half an hour later, Jiang Xinyu's car drove into Baihe Pier.
The Yoshino Maru is nominally a merchant ship, but in fact it is a Japanese logistics supply ship. It does not fly the military flag to avoid being bombed by Japanese aircraft.
At this time, the springboard had been set up, and Wang Botang led two thugs from the Youth Gang to patrol the entrance.
Jiang Xinyu could only send it to the shore. Zhang Jinbiao put the suitcase at his feet, cupped his fists and said, "Captain Jiang, see you in half a year."
Jiang Xinyu nodded and said, "Bon voyage!"
Zhang Jinbiao picked up the suitcase and walked toward the Yoshino Maru.
Wang Botang came up to him quickly and said with a smile on his face: "My brother, all the supervisors have arrived, but you are the only one left. I wonder if something went wrong?"
Zhang Jinbiao pointed his thumb backwards and said, "Do you know why Brother Biao came late? Captain Jiang, please practice it!"
Wang Botang praised: "Captain Jiang served the wine himself and practiced it. Brother Biao is really shameless..."
Just as he was talking, a man ran down from the Yoshino Maru. Several people behind him chased him and shouted: "Stop him!"
Wang Botang pouted, and two thugs from the Qing Gang, one on the left and one on the right, twisted the man's arms.
"Brother Biao, I'm Sanhua, the one who sells roasted sweet potatoes in Hongqiao!" When the man saw Zhang Jinbiao, he shouted repeatedly.
Zhang Jinbiao looked at him and said, "You are really your kid, what are you doing here?"
Wang Botang said from the side: "Liu Sanhua, what's the matter with you? Didn't I tell you that you should stay calm when you get on the boat and don't run around!"
Sanhua bowed repeatedly and said, "Foreman Wang, I'm not going. I'll send you three oceans tomorrow."
Wang Botang's face darkened and he said: "Sanhua, do you think you are selling roasted sweet potatoes and you won't sell them if you say you won't?"
Several people on the boat had already chased him off the boat. Without any further explanation, they came up and dragged Sanhua back.
Sanhua shouted anxiously: "Brother Biao, Brother Biao, say something to me, I really don't want to go..."
Zhang Jinbiao and Sanhua always met each other at Hongqiao, and they often ate baked sweet potatoes for free. Relying on his status as a supervisor, he stepped forward and stopped several sailors.
"Foreman Wang, give me some respect. Since he doesn't want to go, let him go back."
Wang Botang said with a smile: "Brother Biao, it's not that I don't give you this face. It's not me who has the final say on boarding the ship. You have to ask the Japanese."
He walked over and said to Sanhua: "Besides, you signed the contract document and now you break the contract midway. You have to pay double the compensation. Can you afford it?"
Sanhua said in shock: "Double compensation? It's not written in the contract document..."
Wang Botang sneered and said: "That's because you didn't pay attention. If you don't want to go, you have to pay ten times the settlement fee!"
"Impossible, everyone said there is no compensation clause..."
Wang Botang waved his hand impatiently and said: "Take him on board and let him take a good look at the contract documents later!"