People in the Republic of China era began to rise from industry.

Chapter 166 A Call from a Colleague, Foundation

Although Ma Jizu appeared very resolute when he made harsh remarks to Kimura.

But deep down, I was still very uneasy.

That's the equipment of three divisions. Even the oil extraction rights at Yumen Pass were only offered by the Japanese for 20,000 rifles and 200 machine guns.

So he left the garrison headquarters and hurriedly returned to the Ma family compound, going straight to the backyard.

I'm going to ask my father for advice.

At this time, Ma Qingyuan was still breastfeeding and was rarely seen handling official business in his study.

However, they continued to enjoy themselves.

On his left and right sides, a plump woman was kneeling on the ground, massaging his legs.

"Father."

"Still haven't caught them?"

"No."

Ma Jizu looked dejected.

"Hehe, the Northwest is so big, it's not that easy to get someone out of there."

Ma Yuanqing smiled and comforted her, then gently waved his hand, and the two women beside him got up and left the study.

After the door closed, Ma Jizu asked, "But Father, if we can't catch Lin Yi, will the Japanese still give us what they promised?"

Why shouldn't we give it to them?

Ma Yuanqing looked at his only son with a smile, "No matter what, Lin Yi is just a businessman."

"The Japanese are making a big deal out of it, but in the end, they're mainly after oil."

"If you really just want to kill Lin Yi, you could just offer a bounty. Why choose to do it in our Northwest and offer this price?"

"So as long as they want to continue cooperating, regardless of whether they can capture Lin Yi or not, they will definitely have to deliver what they promised us."

"Really?"

When Ma Jizu saw Ma Yuanqing nod, a smile finally appeared on his face.

Since Father is so sure, it must be true.

Once he felt completely at ease, he then revealed the threat he had posed to Kimura.

Ma Yuanqing was extremely satisfied with how he handled the matter: "That's how it should be done. We have the initiative, and we must be firm in our stance."

"If we can't get any benefits under these circumstances, won't we be led by the nose by them in the future?"

"Father, are we still going to arrest Lin Yi?"

"Of course we have to catch them. Now that we've come this far, we must make sure there are no regrets..."

"report!"

A report came from outside the door, interrupting Ma Yuanqing's words.

Ma Yuanqing said "Come in," and his adjutant pushed open the door and came in.

"Commander-in-Chief, a telegram from Chen Bonan of Guangdong Province."

"Chen Bonan...the Director of Civil Affairs in Guangdong Province?"

Ma Yuanqing was somewhat surprised, and Ma Jizu, who was standing next to him, also looked very curious.

From all corners of the country.

As for Chen Bonan, the father and son had only heard of his name; they had never even met him, let alone interacted with him.

"Exactly this person."

The adjutant nodded, unfolded the folder in his hand, and said, "Chen Bonan said in the telegram that he would not comment on who would be given the oil extraction rights."

"I just hope that the Commander-in-Chief will think twice before acting on the issue of Lin Yi."

He added that Lin Yi was not only his close friend, but also highly respected in the business community.

"If he were to encounter any misfortune in the Northwest, it would likely damage your reputation as Commander-in-Chief."

Upon hearing the telegram read aloud by his adjutant, Ma Yuanqing first frowned, then laughed in exasperation.

"Has it damaged my reputation?"

"Just because he's a small-time businessman?"

After asking two questions in a row, Ma Yuanqing laughed and said, "He's not worthy!!"

The adjutant remained silent, but Ma Jizu, who was standing to the side, said, "Father, it seems that Lin Yi should still be in the Northwest. Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to ask Chen Bonan to speak on his behalf."

"Makes sense."

Ma Yuanqing nodded: "Then send more people immediately. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must dig him out."

"Damn it, he's threatening me now! I'll see how I crush him!"

After saying this fiercely, Ma Yuanqing added, "We're offering a reward of 10,000 yuan for anyone who reports the whereabouts of the fugitive Lin Yi, regardless of their official rank."

"If you can capture or kill the person, the reward is 100,000 yuan, and those with military rank will be promoted two ranks!"

"Damn it, I refuse to believe he can fly away!"

"Yes, I'll make arrangements right away."

Ma Jizu rushed out to make arrangements. His adjutant glanced at Ma Yuanqing and cautiously asked, "Commander-in-Chief, should we reply to Chen Bonan?"

"Screw him, I have no connection with him whatsoever!"

"Yes."

The adjutant responded and quickly walked out the door.

It's obvious that Commander-in-Chief Ma has been provoked.

Indeed, they are all respectable people, yet they dared to secretly threaten the Commander-in-Chief for the sake of a businessman. It's no wonder the Commander-in-Chief was furious.

He muttered to himself as he walked back to the front yard.

Before he could even step into his office, an intelligence officer rushed over.

"Lieutenant Ma, Liu Yuanfu from Sichuan Province is calling!"

"……who?"

"Liu Yuanfu from Sichuan Province!"

...In the morning, Chen Bonan, Liu Yuanfu, Li Delin, and Long Dengyun sent a telegram.

Even Zhang Yi'an, who was recuperating in Tianjin, and Yan Baichuan from Shanxi Province, sent telegrams one after another because of Lin Yi's matter.

At first, Ma Yuanqing was just annoyed. He thought they were a bunch of good-for-nothings. They were supposed to be local warlords, yet they were advocating for a mere merchant.

But by the time the fourth telegram arrived, he was already frowning.

After arranging everything and returning to the Ma family compound, Ma Jizu realized that the matter was getting serious.

"Father, this guy surnamed Lin is really something else."

"Could it be that so many people really have connections with him?"

Ma Yuanqing stared at him for a moment and said, "How did you find out before that he was really just a businessman?"

"Yes, he's a businessman."

"His most impressive title is the president of the Textile Federation, and the rest is that he has a wide variety of businesses under his name."

"What textile factory, what alkali plant, what steel plant, and they're even planning to build a car factory."

"In short, the business is diverse and very large."

Ma Yuanqing squinted and thought for a moment, then his gaze sharpened: "Do you know what kind of steel mill it is?"

"It seems to be some kind of special steel. I heard Mr. Lin mention it when I was inspecting the iron mine at Xingxingxia."

Ma Yuanqing: "..."

That makes sense.

He knew about special steel.

In recent years, he has been trying to transform his ordnance repair shop into an arsenal to produce weapons himself.

However, progress has been minimal.

Besides the difficulty in obtaining those mechanical equipment, another reason is that special steel is not only a controlled material, but also a scarce material.

Transporting goods from the coast to the northwest over a long distance presents numerous difficulties.

The only way this guy surnamed Lin could have cultivated relationships with so many high-ranking local officials is through special steel!

Having figured this out, Ma Yuanqing rubbed his forehead, then looked at Ma Jizu, who still looked bewildered, and said with exasperation, "I told you long ago, you should spend more time reading books or newspapers."

"You just won't listen!"

"Look at your stupid face!"

After cursing fiercely, Ma Yuanqing felt a headache coming on.

If he had known that Lin Yi possessed special steel, he would have seriously considered cooperating with the Japanese.

Ma Jizu was completely bewildered by the scolding, and had no idea what he had done wrong.

He grinned and, forcing a smile, asked, "Father, are we still going to arrest Lin Yi?"

"What do you think? We've come this far, there's no going back!"