Phi-Fic Chapter 1226 The Box Is Still Here
Chapter 1226 The Box Is Still Here
The Japanese army immediately sounded the alarm. The marines from the surrounding Western countries initially watched the commotion, but they soon discovered their own problem: all the crates were still there, but the contents were gone.
The crates were originally full, so the ones at the top were very compacted. But after they became empty, some parts became precarious. When they went inside to inspect them, an empty crate fell from above, injuring two soldiers.
The group was dumbfounded. Injuring soldiers wasn't a big deal; after all, these ordinary soldiers were nothing compared to the contents of the box. The real problem was, where did the contents of the box go? Why was it an empty box that fell down?
The group frantically opened all the boxes around them, only to find nothing but the broken box. They also couldn't figure out how the thief had entered, and there was no sign of damage to any of the surrounding doors.
Had the devil broken in and stolen the goods? This rumor quickly spread among soldiers from all nations. Many officers returned to their posts, ordering all soldiers to remain still and to quickly seal off the entire warehouse. They simply couldn't believe that so much could be stolen in an instant.
Several inspection teams hadn't detected anything unusual an hour ago. However, those people only went in for a quick look around; they didn't open the boxes to check the contents. Many people have said that it's possible these things are already gone, and our inspection methods are simply flawed.
But then someone else immediately stepped forward. Yesterday afternoon, I delivered several truckloads of supplies. All the items inside were in open crates; at least 70 soldiers and staff members saw them. Today, all those crates are empty.
This means that the warehouse was intact yesterday afternoon. Now it's completely empty. However, news has also come from the Japanese army that their several large warehouses are also completely empty. Besides ammunition and energy supplies, there were even a large quantity of various scarce goods, and it's unknown where they went.
However, the Western ministers were not so convinced. They believed that only the Japanese had the capability to transport these items. After all, the Nationalist government had already retreated to Chongqing, so they couldn't be blamed for this. Moreover, the Japanese often cried wolf, and they were the ones who sounded the alarm this time. It was possible that they wanted to cover it up, to make us see that they had also suffered losses, and to exclude themselves from the perpetrators.
Western countries dispatched special inspection teams from their countries by plane to investigate this matter. They had never suffered such a loss before; this was no small sum of money. According to previous government work reports, this amount of money was enough to cover 10% of their annual tax revenue—a considerable sum, including both government and private funds.
Many prominent foreigners in Huangpu panicked at this time. They crowded outside the bank, demanding to cash out what they had deposited. However, the bank had received orders from above to transfer most of the contents of the vault to the dock and quickly transport them back to China. What could they possibly give them now?
Even reputable large banks were in a real bind. In the end, they could only offer a guarantee that if the goods couldn't be produced, they would compensate the people according to the goods' true value, which finally allowed the people to return home. These large banks couldn't afford to lose money either; although they lost a considerable amount of money here, their reputation was the most important factor.
If banks lack trustworthiness, news of this will quickly spread back to their home countries. Fueled by these businessmen's pronouncements, a bank run will soon occur. At that point, these banks may not be able to continue operating. While the losses here are significant, they are still within a manageable range.
These bankers could only grit their teeth and write down the bill, but then they demanded that the local concession government thoroughly investigate the matter. Whether it was the Japanese or other notorious thieves, there had to be an explanation. So much money had been stolen; could they just dismiss it as something mysterious?
If that's the case, then it's absolutely impossible. We must get to the bottom of this. Japan has also sent a special liaison officer; they know they are the prime suspects, so they must cooperate fully with Western countries to show them that this matter has nothing to do with us.
Japan's wings are not yet strong enough. Although it keeps proclaiming itself a world power, it probably can't even articulate exactly why it is. While it has straightened its back in its dealings with Western countries, those countries can still contain its development. Otherwise, why would these countries launch a sneak attack in the near future? Why not just openly wage war?
This shows that our strength is still insufficient, especially at this stage. However, our efforts to cooperate with the Japanese have been met with indifference. Western investigators are the first to suspect these Japanese, after all, they are currently the most powerful faction in Huangpu.
Just as the two sides were locked in a fierce struggle, Li Shaoyi returned to the same hotel, which was exactly the same as before. No one could believe that all the goods in so many warehouses at the dock had ended up in this man's hands, and not a single piece of them had been leaked out.
However, as Li Shaoyi entered the hall, he overheard the discussions around him. Many people were talking about what happened at the docks, seemingly having suffered considerable losses themselves. This was quite normal; people in the concession preferred dealing with foreign banks because they were considered safer. Now, this situation seemed to have brought them much-needed security.
According to Li Shaoyi's original plan, it should have been destroyed by aerial bombs in the end. Unfortunately, he did not have the means to carry out the operation at that time. The foreigners and Japanese were gathering too quickly. If he were to plant bombs, he would likely be left there. He might as well leave them with an empty warehouse.
Anyway, blowing up that place or leaving an empty warehouse seems more bizarre now than leaving an empty warehouse. You can use your imagination to fill in the blanks.