Republic of China: German-equipped divisions massacred as warlords guarded the nation's borders

Chapter 209 The Madam's Tenderness and the Beginning of a Grand Blueprint

In the backyard of the Chen mansion, it was just getting light.

Shen Li was still closing in at the Shiliupu Wharf. The Military Intelligence Bureau was keeping a close watch on the Wubushe lead, and the fact that no bad news had come back meant that the situation was still under control.

Chen Zijun sat in the study and first glanced at the account book that Mo Huixin handed him.

He suddenly realized that, like those domineering CEOs of later generations, he looked at financial statements first thing every day when he went to work.

It feels a bit like a time-travel story.

Mo Huixin stood by the table and said softly, "Young Master, another batch has been seized."

Chen Zijun's lips twitched.

"These days, you can even make money killing traitors. Tsk, that's a Shanghai specialty."

Mo Huixin covered her mouth and smiled: "They put their own necks under the knife. If they hadn't done so many wicked things over the years, we wouldn't have found out about so much wealth."

Chen Zijun closed the ledger.

"Money is earned through bloodshed, it can't just sit in the warehouse and get moldy. Spend it when it needs to."

Soft footsteps came from outside the door.

Cao Qingdi was wearing a light-colored cheongsam with the sleeves rolled up to her wrists, and she still carried a faint smell of medicine. When she saw the thick ledgers on the table, her expression softened.

"Looking at money first thing in the morning? Little brother, you only slept for two hours last night."

Chen Zijun got up and went over to help her pull down her cuffs.

"Shen Li is catching snakes at the dock, and I'm waiting for news at home. I've got nothing better to do anyway."

Cao Qingdi gave him a reproachful look.

"You say you're just being casual, but your eyes are full of murderous intent. Come on, the new ointment in the lab is finished. I'll take you to see it, and you'll definitely be happy once you see its effects."

Chen Zijun immediately became interested.

"Sulfonamide ointment?"

"Yes. It's specifically for combat wounds. It can suppress infections from knife wounds, gunshot wounds, and burns."

The light was still on in the small laboratory on the west side of Chen's mansion.

Rows of glass bottles were arranged on a wooden shelf, and a white porcelain mortar contained pale yellow ointment. Two female assistants were recording data with their heads down. When they saw Chen Zijun enter, their hands trembled with nervousness.

Cao Qingdi said softly, "Don't be afraid, keep going."

Chen Zijun looked at the small jar of ointment.

"If this stuff could be supplied to the front lines in large quantities, it would be more important than any number of guns or cannons."

Cao Qingdi picked up the tweezers and took out a piece of gauze.

"Powder has its advantages, but conditions on the front lines are poor. If wounds are not cleaned promptly, the powder is easily washed away by blood. Ointment can adhere to the wound surface and provide continuous anti-inflammatory protection."

Her tone immediately became professional.

"I conducted three sets of experiments. The first set involved simple wound cleaning, the second set used ordinary disinfectant, and the third set used sulfonamide ointment. The third set had the lowest rate of suppuration and the fastest fever reduction. If the condition stabilizes afterward, it must be kept in the military medical kit."

Chen Zijun nodded.

"How much funding do you need?"

Cao Qingdi paused for a moment: "I didn't come here to ask for money."

Even if you didn't come to ask for it, I still have to give it to you.

Chen Zijun turned to look at Mo Huixin.

"Allocate £500,000 to Qingdi's battlefield medicine project. Triple the size of the laboratory, and build a separate factory for the ointment production line. Include raw materials, packaging, and military medical training."

The two female assistants gasped.

Five hundred thousand pounds!

This isn't just setting up a laboratory; it's throwing money at building a medical city!

Cao Qingdi was also stunned: "Five hundred thousand is too much."

Chen Zijun smiled.

"Not many. The cost of recruiting, training and equipping a veteran of a German-trained division is not low. It would be a real loss if they died in their hospital beds due to infected wounds."

He reached out and touched the jar of ointment.

"Qingdi, what you've made isn't just medicine, it's the second life of my Chen family army."

Cao Qingdi's eyes welled up with tears, and she said softly, "Then I will protect this life."

Chen Zijun looked at her bloodshot eyes and softened his voice.

"The medicine can be prepared slowly, but people can't be worn out from overworking. You're not allowed to stay at the lab bench tonight."

Cao Qingdi gave a soft hum: "Is this a military order, Young Marshal?"

"Yes. Military order."

"What if I don't listen?"

Chen Zijun took a step closer and lowered his voice.

"Then I, the young marshal, will personally carry you back to your room."

The two female assistants next to him immediately lowered their heads, their faces as red as if they had been heated by an alcohol lamp.

Cao Qingdi's face flushed slightly, but she didn't flinch. She simply said softly, "You're decisive and ruthless outside, but you're prone to acting like a spoiled child at home."

Chen Zijun took her hand.

"It's windy outside, so it needs to be warmer at home."

Half an hour later, the curtains in the bedroom were half-drawn.

Cao Qingdi sat by the couch, re-bandaging an old abrasion on Chen Zijun's wrist. It was from the ambush on Datong Road that night; the wound wasn't deep, but she examined it very carefully.

"You didn't even mention this injury?"

"A small cut."

Even small cuts can get infected.

Chen Zijun laughed and said, "With you here, what do I have to be afraid of?"

Cao Qingdi paused, then looked up at him: "Don't use yourself as a test subject."

Chen Zijun immediately raised his hand.

"I'll do as you say, madam."

A soft knock came from outside the door.

Mo Huixin's voice was gentle: "Young Master, Sister Qingdi, may I come in?"

Cao Qingdi packed up her medicine box: "Come in."

Mo Huixin entered the room carrying a stack of land deeds and gold certificates, her eyes showing some fatigue, but her smile was bright.

"My lord, in this second wave of the crackdown, all the cash, gold, real estate, and promissory notes have been tallied, totaling eight million pounds. The accounts are now cleared."

She placed the receipts on the table and said half-jokingly, "I'm starting to feel like having money is a problem. How are you planning to treat us?"

Chen Zijun's heart softened when he saw the faint blue circles under her eyes.

"Both of you, one guarding the laboratory and the other guarding the accounting office, deserve punishment."

Mo Huixin blinked: "What punishment?"

"You are forbidden from touching the accounts or medicine today. You must go to sleep quietly."

Cao Qingdi laughed out loud.

"That's a good punishment."

Mo Huixin pushed the account book forward.

"Before you go to sleep, young master, please let me finish. The money in the five southeastern provinces is increasing, with confiscated assets, profits from sulfonamides, air route security fees, and merchant group funds all tied up in the Chen mansion's name. This is not appropriate."

Chen Zijun's eyes flickered.

"What do you want to do?"

"Let's build our own bank!"

Mo Huixin nodded, her voice gentle yet carrying an iron will.

"This is not an ordinary bank. I want to build our own central bank. We will issue our own banknotes, centralize taxation, liquidate the finances of all provinces, and provide loans to railways, highways, hospitals, schools, and arsenals. Anyone who wants to cut off our financial lifeline will have to get past me first."

"Moreover, we have the British pound and gold as our dual anchors, so we are not afraid of any risks. This is much better than the military notes and bank notes issued by their warlords and banks. More importantly, we can also use this to accumulate heavy metals and lay the foundation for the country's finance and economy..."

Chen Zijun looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"Huixin, you're not just a bank, you're the money bag for the five southeastern provinces! You'll be the god of wealth in this land from now on."

Mo Huixin bluntly stated: "If the purse isn't in the hands of our own people, the knife handle will eventually be bent by others."

Cao Qingdi said softly, "I agree. The pharmaceutical factory will need stable funding in the future; we can't keep adjusting the accounts on a temporary basis."

Chen Zijun made the decision.

"Approved. The name will be Southeast Central Bank. You will be the president, reporting directly to me. The initial capital will be 15 million pounds."

Mo Huixin's fingertips trembled slightly.

"Fifteen million?"

"Add more if it's not enough."

Chen Zijun spoke in a very indifferent tone.

"I want all tax revenue, military expenditure, and construction funds from the five southeastern provinces to go through this bank. Anyone who dares to set up a slush fund or launder accounts for outsiders will be prosecuted for treasury treasury."

Mo Huixin's eyes lit up immediately.

"Don't worry, young master, I will settle the accounts thoroughly."

Chen Zijun looked at the map of Fuxing District on the table.

"Perfect timing, once the bank is built, the infrastructure funds for the Fuxing District will also go through you."

He laid out a new plan.

On the map, the former French Concession has been re-marked as the Fuxing District. Six red circles are distributed at the corners and intersections of main roads, and there are also dense lines underground.

Cao Qingdi glanced at it and asked, "What is this?"

"I need to prepare for future wars, not only on land and sea, but also in the air, so I plan to deploy anti-aircraft towers, and not just anti-aircraft towers..."

Chen Zijun tapped the first red circle.

"Six defensive fortresses. Above ground are anti-aircraft firing positions, and underground are reinforced concrete warehouses, aid stations, ammunition depots, and passageways. In peacetime they look like municipal buildings, but in wartime they become urban fortresses."

Mo Huixin said softly, "Use steel bars from Ma'anshan Iron and Steel Plant and the highest grade military concrete?"

Chen Zijun glanced at her.

She immediately understood.

"The new byproducts of Ma'anshan Iron and Steel Plant are new types of cement and high-quality steel bars, thick enough to withstand the impact of bombs weighing 500 or even 800 kilograms."

Chen Zijun continued, "Fuxing District is not just about bustling streets. I want to underground warehouses, and hide telegraph lines, telephones, water pumps, and hospitals underground. When the Japanese planes come, they won't be able to bomb it. When they come with artillery, they won't be able to destroy it."

Cao Qingdi's expression changed slightly.

Do you think they'll bomb the city in the future?

Chen Zijun remained silent for a moment.

Images of ruins, flames, and cries from later photographs flashed before his eyes.

He quickly suppressed his emotions.

"Yes. And it will be very ruthless."

The room fell silent.

Mo Huixin took a soft breath: "Then this project can't be delayed."

"Yes, funds are earmarked for this purpose!"

Chen Zijun picked up a red pencil and wrote down the budget next to the six fortresses.

"Phase one, three million pounds. Six forts, twenty-four main underground passages, and eight underground warehouses. Workers will be selected from the refugees recruited after the crackdown, with wages paid as usual and food provided. Military management and training will be provided. Once the project is completed, the troops will be reorganized into a garrison force as appropriate."

Cao Qingdi immediately said, "I will design the ambulance station. Ventilation, disinfection, and patient transport routes all need to be decided in advance."

Mo Huixin continued, "The bank is responsible for allocating funds and auditing. Anyone who dares to embezzle project funds will be forced to return even their ancestral grave deeds."

Chen Zijun smiled upon hearing this.

"Alright. One's in charge of lives, the other's in charge of money. I'll take charge of the cannons."

Mo Huixin's cheeks flushed slightly, but she couldn't help but tease, "Young Master's words sound like you're sending us all to the battlefield."

Chen Zijun looked at them.

"This is a battlefield. Some battles are fought with guns and cannons, and some are fought with ledgers and medicine bottles."

He pointed out the window.

"I set the rules in Shanghai. But whether this city can withstand future wars doesn't depend on a few harsh words. It depends on laying the foundation inch by inch every day."

Cao Qingdi placed her hand on the edge of the drawing.

"Then let's fight."

Mo Huixin also gently pressed down on the other side.

"I'll manage the money."

As Chen Zijun looked at the two slender hands pressing on the map, the coldness in his heart was suddenly warmed.

He wasn't alone in changing his fate.

hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

Shen Li pushed open the door and came in, his military uniform still covered in the morning mist from the dock.

"Young Marshal, the Five-Step Snake has been captured alive. Seventy percent of the blueprints have been recovered, and the remaining thirty percent were handed over to a second mate of a British merchant ship beforehand. The man has also been captured and is being interrogated."

Chen Zijun's eyes turned cold.

"it is good."

Shen Li then handed over another telegram.

"In addition, Mr. Liu from the Wusongkou Shipyard sent an urgent telegram. The armor and power testing of the first-class destroyers is nearing completion, and nearly ten have been built. His suggestion is that if funding can keep up, perhaps we could try building light cruisers."

Mo Huixin looked up.

Cao Qingdi also stopped what she was doing.

Chen Zijun took the telegram, and a slow smile spread across his face.

"A light cruiser?"

He looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky.

"Tell Grandpa Liu that it's no big deal."

"Tell him that a new light cruiser I ordered is arriving soon, and he'll be in charge of the refitting!"

"To the outside world, we'll say it's our first domestically built cruiser!"

"The ship's name is Zhen Dong!"

"The hull numbers will start from 16..."