HCB 114. Two foxes
114. Two foxes
When Zhou Hongyi and the other two returned to the police station, he immediately instructed Fusheng: "Hiding grenades in buns is such a damn creative method. From now on, whenever you go out to talk to someone, you have to put two in your pocket."
Fusheng thought Zhou Hongyi would scold him, but he was surprised to be praised instead, which left Agui completely bewildered.
"Hehehe~ As the saying goes, one should always be wary of others. Although I know that Chief Liu probably doesn't mean any harm to us, he will never willingly hand over his safety to someone else."
As Zhou Hongyi spoke, he lightly tapped his leather shoes, and a sharp blade suddenly extended from the soles of his shoes.
Fusheng clapped his hands in admiration, while Agui began to reflect on himself. How could he have given away all the knives he had? After following Zhou Hongyi for so long, he hadn't learned as much as Fusheng.
Having already completed the initial cooperation with the Axe Gang, Zhou Hongyi went even further in the following days. After all, he had already established his arrogant and domineering persona. Although his backer had fallen, his power was many times greater than before.
Zhou Hongyi used his position as police chief to gain control over the allocation of resources. In particular, after his former boss Feng Jinxiong took office in the finance office, the two had an unusually close private relationship.
Although Colonel Shimazu had passed away and Ding Mocun had gradually distanced himself from the Zhou siblings, the ties of interest between Zhou Hongyi and Feng Jinxiong had long been too powerful to be broken, and it could be said that neither could do without the other.
However, the roles of those who deliver the money have now reversed; it is now Zhou Hongyi who is taking the small yellow croaker to visit his old boss.
"Oh my, Director Feng, you look even better than before! It's true that you don't have to deal with so many troublesome things, and you seem to be getting younger and younger."
Feng Jinxiong changed into a gray suit, his hair was neatly combed, and his face was flushed. He chuckled and said, "Oh, Zhongliang, you're here. Come on, sit down. Hey~ you're wrong about that. Although I'm not as busy as I was at the police station, it's only on the surface. There are still endless official duties and documents to deal with."
Look at those departments, they're all lining up to ask me for money the moment they open their eyes. They need money here, they need money there—you don't know the cost of living until you're in charge! Only after sitting in this position did I realize how many places need money. Even the landlord's family has no surplus grain!
Zhou Hongyi was carrying a bag wrapped in oil paper, which looked like a snack that could be found anywhere in Shanghai. He approached Feng Jinxiong and stuffed the "snack" into his hand. The latter understood immediately, weighed it in his hand to check its familiar weight, and nodded in satisfaction.
"It seems that Zhongliang is doing very well in his current position. But I don't know if you know that Director Ding and Director Li of No. 76 seem to be having some disagreements. The last time I saw him, he didn't look too good."
Zhou Hongyi chuckled and said, "Don't worry, old leader. My brother-in-law is a very close colleague of Director Li. They just have disagreements at work, which is very common and doesn't affect our normal interactions."
"You see... the budget approved for our police station's winter uniform replacement is simply not enough. I was thinking of building a boiler in the station to burn our own charcoal, so everyone won't get their hands and feet freezing while sitting there in the winter. More importantly, as you know, the office equipment in our Second Precinct is quite old; the chair I was sitting in the other day even collapsed."
"Oh, really? That's a pity. Oh dear, Zhongliang, are you alright?"
"I wasn't injured, after all, I'm still young, but it's quite heartbreaking to think about. There are hundreds of brothers in our Second Division who work diligently every day, leaving early and returning late, but when they come back to the office, they don't even have a decent chair to sit on. Wouldn't this be a slap in the face to the government? And now that you're the chief steward of our government, shouldn't you share the burden for the government?"
Feng Jinxiong knew perfectly well what Zhou Hongyi was there for, but he pretended not to know. Zhou Hongyi, on the other hand, knew perfectly well that he was pretending not to know, but he also pretended not to know that the other was pretending not to know. The two of them played the game of officialdom perfectly, just like two cunning foxes.
“Zhongliang, you’re right. The conditions for everyone working hard on the front lines every day are indeed terrible. But the funding for each branch this winter has already been decided, and I can’t change it. However… there is a special support fund that we haven’t decided which unit to allocate it to yet.”
Zhou Hongyi leaned closer and whispered in Feng Jinxiong's ear, "Old leader, since you changed jobs, your journey home has become much longer. I appreciate your hard work and the difficulties you've faced, so I specially ordered a brand-new sedan for you from abroad. This sedan is a customized version; you can't buy one even if you have money. I had to pull a lot of strings to get one."
Its doors and windows are all bulletproof, and the seats inside are upholstered in top-grain calfskin—they feel incredibly comfortable to the touch. You'll be warm in winter and cool in summer, so your commute will be much more comfortable. More importantly, I think this car truly reflects your current status, sir. You should know that in the West, only presidents and royalty can ride in these limited-edition cars.”
Feng Jinxiong's eyes slowly widened, darted around, and he said, "Oh dear, isn't this gift too valuable? How can I be compared to the president or royalty?"
Zhou Hongyi shook Feng Jinxiong's hand and said, "Old leader, you don't need to belittle yourself. As long as you allocate this money, all the brothers in our Second Branch will be grateful for your kindness. Aren't you our president, our royalty?"
Feng Jinxiong grunted in agreement, then chuckled. The two foxes, one old and one young, seemed to understand each other perfectly through their laughter.
“Zhongliang, don’t worry. I’ve watched you rise from a regular officer to where you are today. We’re all on the same side, the core of the organization. Even if this money isn’t allocated to the Second Precinct, people will still gossip behind our backs. It’s better to just give it to you openly. Think about it, who has done a better job than our Second Precinct lately? Which district has a more stable security situation than our Second Precinct? Zhongliang, your contribution deserves a reward. I’ll take care of this matter. But that car… I don’t know how to drive.”
Zhou Hongyi patted his chest, deliberately walked to the window, looked down, and said, "Don't worry, old leader, I've prepared a driver for you. The car is parked downstairs, and you can ride in it when you get home tonight. Also, take the snacks back and enjoy them with your teacher's wife when no one is around. It's just a small token of my appreciation."
Feng Jinxiong was very satisfied with Zhou Hongyi and even pretended to say, "Oh, Zhongliang, you are so thoughtful. Your teacher's wife loves the pastries you send."
He said that, but Zhou Hongyi never actually sent him any snacks, let alone whether his teacher's wife liked them or not. However, their conversation took place against this absurd backdrop, and a transaction involving money and power was successfully completed.
Zhou Hongyi used gold bars and a car to obtain a grant from the Wang Jingwei regime. Naturally, he wouldn't use the money for boilers, office desks and chairs, or uniforms; money should be spent wisely.