115: Feeding steamed buns to dogs

Lu Fan's hand holding the teacup paused slightly, but he quickly dismissed that thought.

He was currently representing British nobility; Yamamoto wouldn't dare break the contract even if he were given ten times the courage.

Then his mind shifted: Was the war about to start? Were funds being diverted to the military?

He asked nonchalantly, "Oh? Is President Yamamoto facing some difficulties?"

Yamamoto Yushin sighed, looking embarrassed. "To tell you the truth, most of our firm's liquid capital..."

"...was recently borrowed by the Youxin Foreign Firm for... well... some short-term investment turnover."

"Currently, the funds on our books are indeed a bit tight, not enough to support another transaction of the same scale."

"It is by no means an intentional delay; it is truly... beyond our current capabilities," he said, appearing quite apologetic.

Lu Fan understood instantly; so the funds had been borrowed by the Youxin Foreign Firm.

What the hell do I care if the japanese are having difficulties? Not only will I not help, but if there are no difficulties, I'll create some.

If I'm not having a good time, no one else will either.

He set down his teacup, his tone firm and non-negotiable. "President Yamamoto, a contract is a contract, and the spirit of the agreement must be upheld."

"The delivery times for subsequent batches must be strictly followed. Financial difficulties are not our responsibility."

Yamamoto Yushin's face turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Louis-san... this... this..."

Lu Fan's tone softened slightly as he changed the subject. "However, considering our good working relationship..."

"...the payment method can be slightly adjusted. Besides US dollars, your firm can also use the equivalent value in gold, silver, or... or Chinese antiques and artworks of sufficient value to pay for part of the goods."

"Antiques? Artworks?" Yamamoto Yushin's eyes lit up; this seemed like a viable solution.

It was common for their trading company to collect antiques in China, and he indeed had some good pieces in his possession and within his channels.

Seeing his interest, an imperceptible curve formed at the corner of Lu Fan's mouth.

Lowering his voice, he offered a piece of advice. "President Yamamoto, I have a suggestion that might solve your urgent problem."

"Chinese antiques are difficult to distinguish between real and fake; it's common even for industry insiders to be deceived..."

They were both old foxes; it was enough to leave it at that without saying anything more explicit.

Lu Fan's meaning was clear: simply find some high-quality fakes to replace the authentic pieces they had collected from various places.

By passing off the fakes as the real thing, they could pocket the originals for themselves.

As Yamamoto Yushin listened to Lu Fan's "wicked scheme," his eyes grew wider and his breathing became shallow!

This operation... carried significant risk, but the rewards were immense.

He could swap the originals for fakes and then use the fakes to settle the debt.

The portion of the payment used to settle the debt would naturally fall straight into his own pocket.

If they did this a few more times, his family would have wealth that wouldn't run out for generations.

And it sounded... surprisingly feasible?

Especially in a place like China, where the skill of imitating antiques was superb!

The look he gave Lu Fan was filled with shock, admiration, and a hint of excitement at having found a kindred spirit.

"Louis-san! You... you are truly..." Yamamoto Yushin was so excited he didn't know what to say, and he bowed deeply.

"Your words have awakened me from a dream! I know what to do now!"

"The subsequent transactions will definitely be on time. As for the payment method, we'll do as you said—gold plus antiques. I'll go arrange it immediately!"

At this moment, his mind was entirely consumed with how to quickly gather high-quality fakes and execute the swap.

At the same time, he was immensely grateful for Lu Fan's constructive suggestion.

"President Yamamoto overpraises me; I didn't say anything!" Lu Fan picked up his teacup and smiled calmly.

He took a sip of tea and gave Zhao Chengqiang a look, who then set down two cartons of Flower Liqun cigarettes.

"President Yamamoto, a small gift as a token of my respect. I'll take my leave now!" Lu Fan stood up and left briskly.

Yamamoto Yushin watched the departing figure, his eyes deep with thought.

With his personal greed ignited, the shackles of the Empire in his mind began to loosen quietly.

In the afternoon, at the Shanghai Salt Affairs Supervision Office.

The office of Director Sun Bogui was thick with the smell of alcohol. Having eaten and drunk his fill, Sun Bogui leaned back in his large grandmaster chair.

His small eyes darted around as he sized up Lu Fan, who had just pushed open the door, making no effort to hide the greed and calculation within them.

"Deputy Chief Lu, what a rare guest..." Sun Bogui said in a slow, drawn-out voice, leisurely sipping his tea.

Lu Fan got straight to the point, ignoring the other man's posturing. "Director Sun, let's not beat around the bush."

"A friend of mine wants to rent the government boats under the Jiangnandao Salt Affairs for some business."

Sun Bogui's small eyes narrowed, a flash of wariness crossing them before melting into a slick smile. "Deputy Chief Lu, using government boats for private business is a major taboo."

Lu Fan knew instantly that Sun Bogui was waiting for a better offer, so he switched to his smooth-talking mode.

He proactively handed him a cigarette and began to flatter him. "Director, well... the salt business is difficult, and government funding is limited. The brothers need to eat, don't they?"

"By being 'flexible' and running a small side business to supplement income, the Director is merely looking out for everyone's welfare. It must be understood."

"Deputy Chief Lu, you truly understand the salt business..." Sun Bogui's eyes were full of approval.

Lu Fan took the initiative. "Director, I'm also doing this as a favor for someone else. What do you think would be an appropriate fee?"

At this point, Sun Bogui's greedy nature was fully exposed. "Deputy Chief Lu, in this day and age, what is the most expensive thing? Risk!"

"The brothers are working with their lives on the line. There's the resettlement fees, hardship pay, the cost of greasing palms at every level... and then there's the wear and tear on the boats, the labor... furthermore, diverting so many boats will delay salt affairs..."

Lu Fan watched his performance quietly; this long-winded speech was clearly leading up to an exorbitant demand.

Sun Bogui's mouth was full of bureaucratic jargon, making his empty nonsense sound like something elaborate.

Finally, he showed his hand, holding up three fingers in a blatant solicitation of a bribe. "30,000 silver dollars for one month."

"Resettlement fees, hardship pay, and palm-greasing fees—along with boat maintenance and labor—will be paid by you separately."

Good grief, he wanted 30,000 silver dollars without lifting a finger. He really was treating Lu Fan like a fat sheep to be slaughtered.

Lu Fan's expression became visibly serious.

"Deputy Chief Lu, 30,000 is already the internal discounted price," Sun Bogui's voice suddenly rose.

But he immediately forced it back down, putting on an even more miserable face. "Deputy Chief Lu, you don't know how expensive it is to manage a household."

"There are so many people to take care of from top to bottom! 30,000... isn't even enough to fill the gaps! And the risk..."

"Deal!" Lu Fan said, settling the matter instantly.

Sun Bogui's heart skipped a beat, his breathing grew rapid, and the fat on his face trembled as his greed almost overflowed.

But on second thought, a sense of regret bubbled up in his heart.

Since he agreed to 30,000 so readily, maybe 50,000 could have been negotiated.

"Director, this is the deposit, and also a token of my respect for you!" Lu Fan reached out and pushed a Little Yellow Croaker in front of Sun Bogui.

Sun Bogui snatched the Little Yellow Croaker with incredible speed.

Patting his chest, he said with spit flying, "Deputy Chief Lu, every operational boat in the Jiangnandao Salt Affairs..."

"...will be at your friend's disposal starting today. They can carry whatever you say and go wherever you say! No questions asked!"

What risk? What rules? In the face of cold, hard cash, it was all nonsense!

Lu Fan watched Sun Bogui's ugly display of greed—looking as if he wanted to kneel down and lick his boots—and sneered in his heart.

Take it... just take it...

My money isn't that easy to take.

In the words of Sixth Brother, the buns I use to feed dogs are all laced with Seven-Step Heart-Breaking Powder.

Once I get through this crisis, I'll make you spit back everything you took from me.