Chapter 12 Chapter One

In March of the twenty-seventh year of the Republic of China, the Battle of Taierzhuang broke out imminently.Li Zongren, commander of the fifth war zone, arrived in Xuzhou under the order of Jiang Zhongzheng, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Military Commission, to preside over the war. At that time, Japan's attempt to induce Jiang to surrender had failed, and on January 16 the Konoe cabinet issued a government statement that "does not regard the Nationalist government as an opponent."The Japanese invaders immediately adjusted their military deployment and adopted a posture of aggressive attack: In North China, the three legions led by Terauchi Shouichi concentrated their main forces in southern Shandong, intending to attack Xuzhou from the north and the south with the Japanese army going north from Nanjing, and then break through the Jinpu line. My group armies on both sides of the Longhai line will advance north and south with the Japanese troops of the Matsui Ishigun Division in the Central China Theater, and will attack Wuhan.

In order to thwart the attempt of the Japanese army, the headquarters successively mobilized more than 500,000 troops from Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Northwest, and Northeast from various theaters, and put them under the unified command of Li Zongren.Based on the Liao Lei Corps of the Guangxi Army, together with part of the Central Army, Li took advantage of the geographical obstacles of the Huai River, Fei River, and Hui River to prevent the Japanese army from advancing northward along the Jinpu Road; The Japanese army who invaded the west; Sun Zhen's army guarded Hanzhuang and Liguoyi on Jinpu Road; Sun Lianzhong's army guarded Taierzhuang to prevent the Japanese army from going south along Jinpu Road; and deployed Sun Tongxuan, Cao Fulin, and Shiyou's three ministries in Yunxian and Juye , Jinxiang line, to prevent the Japanese detour from Luxi to Xuzhou.After that, Tang Enbo's army was transferred to garrison Pi County and Tancheng as a maneuver to support the defenders from all walks of life.Its strategic gist is to prevent the Japanese army from breaking through the Jinpu line and defend the strategic city of Xuzhou.In terms of deployment, it imitated the pond tactics adopted by Germany during the First World War. It is planned to strike the Japanese army with annihilating blows near Taierzhuang outside Xuzhou City, and then press them into Weishan Lake to destroy them.

The central battlefield of the Anti-Japanese War moved to Xuzhou.In order to ease the pressure of public opinion at home and abroad, Jiang held a military meeting in Kaifeng in early January to punish the defeated general Han Fuju, saying: "In the future, if someone fails to fight and retreats hundreds of miles, he will be punished severely!" He published his speech of insisting on the war of resistance to the press, which won the appreciation of the British and American countries and the support of the Communist Party of China and the people of the whole country.Various places have dispatched labor corps and field service corps to the Fifth War Zone, and major newspapers are also keeping their eyes on the ancient city of Xuzhou.

On the morning of March 23, a part of the Sakagaki Division of the Japanese Army and the 31st Division of my Sun Lianzhong's Division met in front of Taierzhuang and exchanged fire, which kicked off the battle. On the same day, Li Xiongfei, special commissioner of the Factory and Mine Relocation Supervision Committee under the joint jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Military Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, and the Resources Committee of the Kuomintang government, arrived in Xuzhou from Hankou to meet with Zhang Da, the general manager of China Coal Mine Co., Ltd., the largest coal mining company in the war zone. People, to discuss the retreat of the company.

The next day, the senior staff of China Coal Mining Co., Ltd. gathered in Xiyan Town, where the company is located, to urgently discuss contingency measures... It is the misfortune of the Republic of China and the nation that Zhang Daren should be the president, but he did not.However, he founded China Coal Mining Co., Ltd. and became the chairman and general manager of the company, which is a blessing among the misfortunes of the company's subjects.Now, General Manager Zhang is sitting dignifiedly and calmly at the head of the conference table covered with green velvet tablecloth, staring at the company officials on both sides of the long table.General Manager Zhang’s face is the same as that of Generalissimo Jiang hanging on the wall. His muscles are tight, his eyes are majestic, and there is no smile. .Make you dare not speak loudly, or even dare to take a big breath.General manager Zhang has such a style.

It was almost noon, and there was no intention of ending the meeting.In the spacious and bright conference hall, the smoke of cigarettes and cigars was filled with smoke, thicker for a while, lighter for a while, eastward and westward, floating above more than 20 heads of different shapes and sizes.The curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows were all drawn, and the warm March sunshine almost monopolized most of the conference hall.Facing the sun, the officials half-closed their eyes and had the extravagant hope of taking a nap. However, they glanced sideways at General Manager Zhang's face and consciously dismissed the idea.Dozing off at such an occasion is undoubtedly a disloyalty to General Manager Zhang and a betrayal of the company. They know it.

The meeting was presided over by Zhao Minquan, chairman of the company's Xiyan Mining Area Office, a short, fat man in his forties, with a bald head and a pair of low-prescription gold-rimmed glasses on his straight nose. He speaks slowly, his voice is not loud but calm and thick, and he looks like a steady leader.Just now, he introduced the talks between Zhang Daren and Special Commissioner Li Xiongfei to the participants, and asked everyone to express their opinions and offer suggestions for the dangerous future facing the company. Chairman Zhao stood beside Zhang Daren like a wooden stake, his slightly protruding belly pressed against the edge of the table, his expectant eyes looked around the melancholy faces, and his fingers like small fleshy pillars tapped lightly on the table. Drum beat, quite naturally put on a relaxed look.

Qian Jun, director of the mining department and chief mine engineer, stood up, pressing his hands on the table.His voice is old and hoarse, like an old duck who has been sick for many days, stretching his neck with great effort to press out a sentence.From time to time, the two slightly swollen eyes glanced at his colleagues on the left and right, and then at Zhang Daren's face, a thin layer of sweat dripped from his forehead. "General manager, the national disaster is the top priority, it is a sentence we used to say, but now it really falls on our company. Since the 'September 18th' incident, the 'July 7th' incident, and not long ago Jinan and Tai'an fell, and the national army has not been able to curb the momentum of the Japanese attack. It seems that our company's fall into the enemy's hands is not a matter of possibility or impossibility, but only a matter of time. Therefore, we should face the reality, Accept Mr. Li Xiongfei's proposal on behalf of the Xiangchuan Party Consortium to jointly establish Xiangchuan Company, and the Assets Committee will assist the company in relocating inwards, so as to survive, and plan for great success in the future!"

After finishing speaking, Qian Jun took out a white silk handkerchief, pressed it on the tip of his forehead and nose, and hurriedly glanced at Zhang Daren, trying to see some reflection on the general manager's face with Chinese characters.However, he was disappointed, no, there was no expression on that face, neither appreciation nor disgust. Liu Renjie, the director of the sales department, stood up: "I disagree with Brother Qian. My company was merged into Xiangchuan Company, which undoubtedly brought about its own destruction, and was finally eaten by those gangsters! Li Xiongfei is a cunning guy, On the one hand, he pretends to be a representative of the state government, and on the other hand, he colludes with Xiangchuan Company to covet our company's property, with extremely sinister intentions. The current merger conditions are unacceptable. If our company's shares are not 49% but the other way around, it is 51%, and the right to operate the industry , Personnel rights are in the hands of our company, it can still be considered..."

Qian Jun smiled coldly: "This is wishful thinking." "Then, we don't have to withdraw! What we rely on is the rich land under our feet. There are rich coal resources buried under this land. It is known as the infinite coal field. The good quality of coal is universally recognized! Twenty At the end of the year, coal-producing countries in the world held a coal competition conference in Paris. The Xiyan coal produced by our company ranked among the best and was known as solid gasoline. Since then, it has become famous and sold to Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Xiyan coal is one of our Ace!"

Liu Renjie drank his saliva, and secretly glanced at Zhang Daren. Seeing some brilliance in Zhang Daren's gloomy eyes, he knew that he was in his arms. "Talk about the Japanese issue. My brother has been entrusted by the general manager, Zhang Gong, and has visited Japan three times in person. He has had a contest with the Japanese. As we all know, Japan's Showa Iron Works, Tokyo Gas Company, Yawata Steel Co., Ltd., and Hiroshima Gas Diangui Co., Ltd. is the main overseas customer of our company. In the spring of 20 years, the brothers went to Japan three times and met with Mr. Muto, the representative of the Japanese emperor. Wu's handwritten "Sino-Japanese Friendship, Coexistence and Common Prosperity" banner was presented to me Chinese company. Therefore, taking a step back, our company has fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the Japanese military will definitely not push us into a desperate situation. The Japanese are human beings, not beasts. Swallow it in your stomach? Hahaha..." Liu Renjie grinned widely. Colleagues, you look at me, I look at you, and you don't even smile. Zhang Daren's face was livid, and his two eagle-like eyes were firmly fixed on Liu Renjie's face, his eyes swishing coldly. Feeling that the atmosphere was not right, Liu Renjie had to back down, the complacent expression on his face faded, and his tone changed: "Of course, saying this does not mean that we should dare to be traitors. I, the Republic of China, is a world power, and I will definitely not tolerate the aggression of little Japan. We can neither move to the inland and be eaten by Xiangchuan, nor be unprepared. The Japanese occupied it. To prevent accidents, we can come forward and contact the British Drocker Company in Liujiawa, which is adjacent to our company. After the fall of Xuzhou, the British will manage it on our behalf." Zhao Minquan got up and praised: "Good! Brother Renjie, keep talking!" Liu Renjie spread his hands: "I haven't considered how to proceed, so I can only talk about it here." Zhao Minquan pondered for a moment, voluntarily gave up his role as the host of the meeting, turned to Zhang Daren, and said with a smile: "Helping someone from a third country to manage the company is one way. However, the British are unreliable. First, the British government is too weak. In July last year, a war broke out at Marco Polo Bridge. Japanese planes bombed the banquet hall of the British embassy, ​​seriously injuring the British ambassador. The British government has not made a strong statement, and it is even more unable to protect the property of its expatriates. Second, Drocker has always had bad intentions for our company, so we have to beware of them taking the opportunity to destroy our company at this time!" Zhang Daren asked calmly: "You mean—" "Help a German to take charge of the company. German Lihe Matheson was once one of our company's creditors. Da Weng must remember that Mr. Hoffman, the director of the Hankou office of the Matheson, had contacts with his brother." Zhang Daren nodded his head slightly, his protruding and bald forehead shone with a dazzling spot in the sun.This point is ambiguous, and it is not clear whether it is admiration for Zhao Minquan's idea, or just affirmation of the fact that Hoffman and Zhao Minquan have contacts. "Da Weng, I personally don't advocate moving inland and merging into Xiangchuan. Xiyan Coal is indeed the trump card in our hands, and we must not let it go easily. My brother believes that Xuzhou has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times, and the central government will never take it easy Abandoned. We should work hard based on this, so that the National Assets Supervision and Administration Commission agrees to suspend the relocation, and we will use this opportunity to quickly reach an agreement with the Germans in order to protect ourselves.” Zhang Daren nodded deeply, expressing his approval of Zhao Minquan's opinion.He lit a cigar and smoked it slowly. His two thick black eyebrows came together, and his dark eyes, sunken deep in the eye sockets, radiated a fierce light like a fighting lion, as if he was ready to pounce on the opponent in front of him at any time. Opponent, give it a solid lesson. There was a buzzing sound in his ears, Zhao Minquan was still talking, and someone interrupted from time to time, but Zhang Daren gradually couldn't hear what he was talking about, and couldn't hear it.He rested his heavy head on the back of the chair, his eyes resting on the cream-coloured ceiling.His heart has flown out of this smoky conference hall, and galloped into the grand world that belongs to him.He had to admit that his world was at stake.He knows the weight on his shoulders. In addition to being responsible for his life's career, he is also responsible for the board of directors, creditor banks, and the dignity of a nation. He was once hailed as a fierce lion by his peers in the industry, and he defeated many tough opponents with a steely will.Since its establishment in the tenth year of the Republic of China, the company has maintained a vigorous and vigorous spirit of continuous improvement. In eighteen years, its assets have expanded by twenty-five times. Revitalization, set up a bright and eye-catching banner. There is no match for the Zhangda people who are called lions.Zhang Daren is an industrial genius!He monopolized the power, combined the powers and responsibilities of the chairman and general manager, and managed millions of dollars in the palm of his hand.He is not only a desperate adventurer, but also a prudent miser; .Zhangda people will use rigidity to overcome rigidity, rigidity to overcome softness, and softness to overcome rigidity, and will remain invincible for a long time. However, when a cannon rang out from the Marco Polo Bridge, Zhang Daren was caught off guard and lost the newly built Dabei Power Plant; The company also withdrew to Hankou.On the way, the only three good ships were requisitioned for military use, one was bombed and sank, and the two returned to the Han Dynasty were also injured and could not be used. This cursed twenty-six years of the Republic of China! Frustrated, messed up, helpless!Zhang Daren was almost crushed by these sudden blows one after another.It really hurts, it's not an ordinary flesh pain, but a heart-rending pain that hurts muscles and bones.He felt panic like never before, in front of the war machine that was already running, he was so small and powerless, as if he might be twisted into the machine and turned into a pile of meat sauce at any time. He faces a formidable adversary: ​​war. He faces a crisis of doom: war. The 18-year short history of China Coal Mining Co., Ltd. and his personal struggle experience of more than 50 years have not provided him with the methods and means to defeat this opponent and eliminate this crisis. However, he refused to admit defeat.He must cheer up and do his best to keep Xiyan Mining, so as to keep his first and last capital firmly in these turbulent years, and fight desperately. At the beginning of the month, he arrived in Xiyan Town from Hankou, personally rectified the mining affairs, arranged shrinkage, tried every means to open up all joints, and rushed out the hundreds of thousands of tons of coal stored in the mine.Unexpectedly, the Taiwan War broke out suddenly, and the railway was busy with military transportation, so only half of the stored coal was shipped out, and the rest had to be left to fate.It's not that he hasn't thought about moving to the interior, but there is no place for him to settle down in the interior, and he is reluctant to abandon the rich coal field under his feet, so he has yet to make up his mind.A few days ago, Li Xiongfei arrived in Xu. On the one hand, on behalf of the state government, he urged him to retreat and explode the mines. On the other hand, on behalf of the bureaucratic interests of Xiangchuan, he proposed to jointly establish the Xiangchuan Company.He has no objection to the co-organization, but he cannot accept the condition that Xiangchuan holds 49% of the shares and the personnel and management rights!Li Xiongfei has no intention of giving in, apparently taking advantage of the crisis of the Chinese company to add insult to injury. In Li Xiongfei's view, Zhang Daren had no choice but to seek refuge in Xiangchuan.On the front, the Japanese are pressing harder and harder, and the fall of the mining area is only a matter of time; on the left and right sides are threats from the government and pressure from public opinion.If the Zhangda people refuse to retreat and give a good coal mine to the Japanese, the national government will not let him go, and will seize his property in Hankou, and public opinion will accuse him of being a traitor, and he will surely die with an eternal infamy No burial place.Li Xiongfei advised him to think about it. He was thinking——leaving Li Xiongfei's residence, he was thinking all the time, trying to find a third way.He thought of the Englishman Lester Drocker, the German Hoffmann, and the American Robert.After repeated screening, he ranked Hoffman from Lihe Yangxing first, which coincided with Zhao Minquan's idea.Now, he was still thinking, and asked the twenty or so brains that belonged to him to think with him.He needs these brains to run at high speed for the survival of the company like his own.What makes him superior to others is that he knows that he is not a saint, and that he can effectively use other people's brains. He scanned the crowd with majesty, forced the complicated thoughts out of his mind, tapped the table with two protruding fingers, and continued to listen to the fragmented thoughts expressed in language by the participants. He wanted to occupy and digest them. A gentleman in a top hat is stammering out a brilliant idea: "Brother, I think, oh, the company must not withdraw! The central government's determination to resist Japan has been determined, oh, the national army will win the battle! Little Japan is nothing special... oh, this... this... my company is a big enterprise, this... ...Oh, you must firmly believe in the party-state, firmly believe in one doctrine, one leader, one..." nonsense!Such brains produce no thoughts at all. Zhang Daren looked at the gold watch on his wrist, paused on the table with a teacup, and said irrefutably: "Don't get too far, doctrine, leader, we'll talk about it later! Today we're only discussing the company's contingencies!" The bearded man was taken aback, looked at Zhang Daren timidly, twitched the corner of his mouth, and sat down knowingly. "Who will talk about it again? Who has a better idea besides hiring third-country people like Hoffman and Drocker to manage the company?" The meeting place fell silent all of a sudden, and the participants exchanged inquiring glances, with no intention of talking further.Liu Renjie wanted to talk about the relationship with the Japanese again, but looking at the atmosphere, he felt that it was not appropriate to speak, so he turned his face to one side and smoked desperately. Zhang Daren snorted softly, with an imperceptible trace of contempt in his eyes.Facts have proved once again that Zhang Daren is much wiser, much greater, and much more outstanding than the gang of poor and rich people sitting here.He always wants to give full play to their intelligence, but they don't have much intelligence to display. This is really the misfortune of the country, the nation, and the misfortune of his Zhangda people! Think carefully and act decisively. Now is the time to act. The tragedy of last year must not be repeated this spring, and the Xiyan mining area must not repeat the mistakes of Dabei Power Plant!Don't hesitate or hesitate, this is a taboo for decision makers! Zhang Daren straightened his chest, stood up slowly, and announced in a dignified and deep voice: "We will start here first. In principle, the company will not merge with Xiangchuan, and will withdraw to the inland area. The company's future destination will be determined after discussion between Zhang and the board of directors. However, in view of the current situation, the mining area Production should be stopped immediately; the 24 labor contractors and the 9,000 kiln workers under them should be dismissed; all the workers in the machine factory and power plant, except for a small number of maintenance mines and machines, should also be dismissed!" Although it was expected, Zhang Daren's decision, especially the dismissal of the personnel, caused a certain shock to the participants. "Everyone here and the company's employees will be retained, and the original salary will be paid as usual. Even if Zhang borrows money from others, he will never treat everyone badly!" The hanging hearts were let go. Zhang Da accepted the silent tribute from his subjects generously, his expression changed from solemn and heavy to heavy and sentimental, and his tone of voice was full of emotion: "The company has been established for more than 18 years since the founding of the Republic of China. In the past 18 years, there have been ups and downs and difficulties. All of you present have worked together with one heart and one mind, and made the company have the scale it is today. Zhang, on behalf of the company and the board of directors, would like to express my sincere wishes to all of you. With sincere thanks." Zhao Minquan took the lead in applauding.There was a burst of applause in the conference hall. "Today, the company is once again facing a crisis of life and death. Zhang sincerely hopes that everyone will work together with the company again and help each other in order to tide over the difficulties and achieve prosperity again." After taking a sip of the strong tea, Zhang Da became passionate and impassioned: "Our company is the industry of the Chinese nation, and we must not fall into the hands of the enemy; our employees are the descendants of the Chinese nation, and we must not join the enemy, collaborate with the enemy, or become traitors. At present, our company's contingency policy is to maintain national self-esteem first. Under the conditions, we will try our best to protect the company’s property in Xiyan. Here, Zhang declares: All employees of our Chinese company are not allowed to cooperate with or contribute to the enemy, otherwise, they will be removed and never hired! At the same time, Zhang asks everyone, Restrain your words and deeds, don't make your own claims, don't divulge company secrets, and don't make speeches without authorization!" Zhang Daren ended his instruction with the doctrine of "Three No's". At this time, Zhao Minquan, who was full of smiles, stood up: "Da Weng, brother still has a few words to say." "Say it." Minquan tactfully said: "Since the fall of Nanjing in December last year, coal sales have been difficult, and the company's finances have been tight. Later, it was forced to default on the wages of the kiln workers. So far, it has been owed for three months, with a total of 420,000 yuan. If they are dismissed, the wages owed question……" Zhang Daren thought for a moment, then smiled and said: "It is difficult for the company, but it must be worthy of the majority of kiln workers. It is detrimental to the company's reputation to rely on not paying wages. The coal cannot be sold, and the money has to be paid. Let's pay half of it, and pay it all at once!" General Manager Zhang is always so understanding and generous. Zhao Minquan shook his head with a wry smile: "Da Weng, I'm afraid it won't work, right? Zhang Xiuqing, the kiln worker representative of the Communist Party, has repeatedly negotiated and demanded that the full salary be paid in one lump sum. In this troubled time, we must be more cautious!" Zhang Daren was about to answer, but Liu Renjie said first: "Brother Minquan, worry too much! Now that the Kuomintang and the Communist Party are cooperating, the Communist Party has publicly stated that they will not engage in the workers' and peasants' movement, and they will not be able to threaten us with a strike. I think it is acceptable to pay half the salary!" Zhang Daren cast a glance of approval at Liu Renjie, and sincerely said to Zhao Minquan: "For the vast number of kiln workers, we must be emotional and understand them with reason. When the country is in crisis, the company and individuals will suffer some losses. Tell them that the company has done its best to pay half salary, and Zhang believes them He understands the company's difficulties." Zhang Daren didn't want to get entangled in this issue any longer, so he raised his hand and made a gesture that people are used to, ending the meeting that lasted more than five hours. At this time, the sound of gongs, drums and slogans came intermittently from outside the company wall.Zhang Daren went to the window to take a second look, saw many flags fluttering in the wind, and suddenly remembered a big event: People from all walks of life in Xiyan Town are scheduled to hold a general mobilization meeting for anti-Japanese and national salvation this afternoon.The invitation had been delivered three days ago, and he had promised to attend, but in the rush he forgot! With an idea, he turned around and called Zhao Minquan, who was about to leave the meeting hall, and asked him to feel wronged, and immediately represented the company to attend the general mobilization meeting and make an impromptu speech.The Anti-Japanese War is the top priority of the national attention. China Coal Mining Co., Ltd., as the largest enterprise in the war zone, at least has a gesture of doing it.Zhang Daren understands. However, what is the future of the War of Resistance?How was the outcome of the Taiwan War?Zhang Da was not sure, he never blindly believed in miracles, but he sincerely hoped that Generalissimo Chiang could create a miracle for the 450 million Chinese people in Xuzhou in the Fifth War Zone.