Chapter 64

Through Liu Rujì's brief explanation, Dong Ku learned that Liu Rujì's backer was actually a high-ranking Japanese military official, an important figure who promoted the Japanese military expansion in China, and a powerful and influential figure in the Japanese military hierarchy. Without Shunroku Hata, the Japanese military's ambitions and actions would not have been so early, and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident might have been delayed or not happened at all.

As for Liu Rujì, she probably did not know Shunroku Hata's rank. In Osaka, Shunroku Hata's wife, Mieko Hata, ran a Chinese restaurant and a Japanese restaurant. The Chinese chef was trained by Liu Rujì and sent a genuine chef to be the head chef there, indicating a very good relationship between the two.

Dong Ku pondered, analyzing that the safety umbrella here should be provided by Mieko Hata, and thus abandoned the idea of using Liu Rujì to track Shunroku Hata and assassinate him.

"Miss Liu, since you have such influence, I am even more confident in this international hotel. I will write up a plan and a contract, and we can discuss it in detail with you tomorrow." As he said this, Dong Ku got up to take his leave.

At this moment, Yan'er pushed the door open and handed Liu Rujì a piece of paper.

Liu Rujì took it and handed it to Dong Ku, saying, "It's a telegram from Uncle Shao, who couldn't reach you."

Dong Ku was not overly surprised. He didn't know if Shanghai could call here, and even if it could, it would be monitored. After all, Northeast China had already fallen to the Japanese, and Shao Pang using a radio was normal. On his side, Shanzi had already gone to survey the camp, so no one was responding to the radio.

He took it and saw that Shao Pang was worried about the grain supply for the factory. If the grain came from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, it could be supplied, but the warlords could not guarantee a steady supply of grain to Shanghai. Compressed biscuits and instant noodles required a large amount of grain, which was different from other things; it was a strategic material that warlords also valued.

Choosing Shanghai for the factory was because it had a seaport, making transportation convenient, and it had concessions, providing protection. Even if history followed its original course, the factory would be safe there.

But the grain supply was indeed a headache. If the factory were built elsewhere, the security would be compromised. Moreover, after 1937, if the Japanese advance into the pass was not delayed, the factory would be equivalent to building it for the Japanese.

Grain supply...

Dong Ku held the telegram in silence, the names of the biscuit factory and the noodle factory floating in front of his eyes.

After pondering for a while, Dong Ku took a deep breath. He couldn't build the factory domestically, so he decided to build it abroad. After all, the compressed biscuits were not for domestic or Japanese consumption but for the European battlefield to earn high returns.

Since that was the case, he might as well build the factory in Malaysia or Singapore. These places were close to Australia, and grain could be transported in small ships without passing through the Strait of Malacca. As for shipping, the Strait of Malacca would be safe until the Japanese occupied it, so there would be no problem during this period.

But this plan was quickly discarded by Dong Ku. The reason was that the Strait of Malacca was a contested area, and building a factory in Singapore would be unsafe.

As he thought, a place came to mind: Kuching. Kuching was closer to Australia, and the transportation of raw materials would be less stressful. Moreover, Kuching was a Dutch colony, and there would be no significant changes in the short term. Even if the war started, the Dutch would be preoccupied with their own affairs and would not pay much attention to the colony.

"It seems a big move is necessary," Dong Ku muttered to himself, carefully considering.

If the factory were built in Kuching, there would be a seaport to dock large cargo ships. With the Dutch presence being weak, having two thousand soldiers would ensure the factory's safety. If the Japanese came after 1941, they could still make a fortune during this time, and then they could decide whether to stay or leave.

Five years...

Dong Ku looked up and said to Liu Rujì, who was silent, "Miss Liu, please prepare some paper and a pen for me. I need to write a telegram to Mr. Shao and send it back to him."

"Sure," Liu Rujì agreed readily and asked Yan'er, who had not left, to prepare the paper and pen.

Dong Ku took the paper and pen, returned to the table, and started writing.

The telegram was straightforward. He told Shao Pang that the noodle factory could be built in the concession, and he was unsure if it would be popular, but building it in the concession would allow for a gradual approach. After all, not many people could afford white flour at this stage, and instant noodles were still a luxury. As for the compressed biscuits, he instructed Shao Pang to have the equipment bought from Germany shipped directly to Kuching and to build a factory there. He should recruit more than two thousand people domestically to serve as security, choosing friends from the underworld and students. He also told Shao Pang that he would provide a detailed plan and a map of the area to facilitate the purchase of grain.

The telegram, with Yan'er's departure, flew to Shanghai.

After Yan'er left, Liu Rujì looked at Dong Ku curiously and asked, "Mr. Dong, recruiting two thousand guards, are you planning to form a force?"

"Ha ha, Miss Liu, you don't know. Leaving the country, without sufficient military power, it's hard to protect the business. So, this is a necessity. After all, it's not in the country, and any unrest can be negotiated."

Liu Rujì understood a bit after his explanation. The security there would not be good, which was why a force was needed. She pondered for a moment and asked curiously, "Mr. Dong, the biscuit factory you mentioned to Uncle Shao, I don't see it being popular. After all, not many people eat biscuits. But the noodle factory, what kind of noodles need a factory to produce?"

Dong Ku smiled. "It's like this. The biscuits are compressed biscuits, intended for military supplies. The noodles are a type of noodle I ate in a small country, called instant noodles. These noodles are fried or dried semi-finished products. Soak them in hot water with seasoning packets, and they are very convenient and tasty."

"Oh?" Liu Rujì said with interest, "Can we build a factory in Japan for these noodles? With Mieko Hata, she can have a stake, and I believe the production environment will be no problem."

"Factory in Japan?" Dong Ku's eyes lit up. He hadn't thought of that. Bringing their invention back to them and making money from them, using formaldehyde to preserve the sauce packets, that...

Dong Ku thought for a moment and said readily, "Sure. But one point, this is handled by Mr. Shao. The factory and production are his responsibility. Your side can have a stake like Mieko Hata."

Liu Rujì smiled and shook her head. "No need for a stake. My intention is just to help Mieko Hata make more money so that I can have more freedom here."

"Alright..."

Before Dong Ku finished speaking, Yan'er pushed the door open again, holding a large piece of paper. She apologized and handed it to Liu Rujì.

Liu Rujì took it and smiled, "Mr. Dong, it's still yours."

Dong Ku took it and saw that it was another telegram from Shao Pang. It seemed he was using the radio as a wireless communication device.

Reading the content, Dong Ku couldn't help but admire Shao Pang. The Iron Monk had not yet returned from Germany, but Shao Pang had already recruited over three hundred familiar underworld figures and hired over three thousand students in several cities as factory workers. Dong Ku's telegram aligned with his thoughts. The telegram also asked what kind of weapons were needed, so he could start preparing.

Dong Ku replied simply and clearly, listing the equipment: grenade launchers, mortars, heavy machine guns, light machine guns, rifles, pistols, hand grenades, and anti-aircraft guns.

Liu Rujì looked at the telegram and said nothing, but she was genuinely impressed by Dong Ku's grand plan. Equipping two thousand people with these weapons would cost more than a few million, and the ammunition would be substantial, indicating a real intention to form a force.

However, though she didn't know much about military matters, she knew that in turbulent times, it was impossible to protect a business without a solid foundation. Even in her case, though it wasn't obvious, Uncle Cheng and others had guns, and there was a team of over thirty armed guards under Uncle Tie, just to ensure the business ran smoothly.

After the telegram was sent, Dong Ku waited for about ten minutes and, seeing no reply, got up to take his leave.

On the way, he bought a large stack of paper, fountain pens, and drawing pens. Back at the inn, he closed the door and started writing.

Working through the night and the next day, by the evening of the second day, he had finished all the plans, including a map of the underground warehouse and the maritime route, as well as a basic training program to ensure the guards were not just a loose group. The training was more rigorous than the current military training but not as intense as Liu Zhong's.

As for the underground warehouse, he believed that the all-nutrient compressed biscuits would have a good market once the war started. After all, there were no true compressed biscuits at this stage, and the concept of all-nutrient and dehydrated but nutrient-retaining technology did not exist. So, building an underground warehouse was to stockpile before the market took off.

Moreover, even if it couldn't become a strategic material, it would still be an excellent civilian product. In times of war, cooking was inconvenient, and a bowl of water and a compressed biscuit were much more convenient and nutritious. At that time, these things would be priceless, far more valuable than they were now.

Furthermore, he had designed the factory in Kuching to process flour on the surface and produce compressed biscuits underground. This way, some flour could be exported to disguise the operation or supply the instant noodle factory in Shanghai, avoiding unwanted attention.

While organizing these materials, he still thought about producing weapons. However, he couldn't find a suitable location. If built domestically, it could be hidden, but the scale would be limited, and large weapons like artillery and tanks could not be produced.

If built abroad, once a country noticed, the production base might not be under their control. After all, fighting a state machine was different from assassination or sabotage, and a few, or even a dozen, special forces could not protect it.

As for firearms, he thought that the Type 38 rifle with a telescopic sight would have a significant advantage on the battlefield. Shao Pang had mentioned that the Iron Monk was waiting in Germany for David John Blue to research the blueprints, and a prototype was already available. In a few days, it could be made, and in half a month, it could be returned, and in a month, it could be in hand.

Regarding the hotel idea, he always believed that luxurious dining was a good way to empty the pockets of Japanese military officers who might die at any moment, as well as the pockets of the opulent collaborators and the wealthy.

PS: Bowing in gratitude to Chen Daojun and Guo Muqing for their generous support. Thank you, thank you!

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