Chapter 17 Section 17 "If you have something to do, go to Mr. Du!"

Many facts prove irrefutably that in early 1924, Du Yuesheng was already the well-deserved leader of the Shanghai Youth Gang. Like the mafia leaders all over Italy and the United States, his tentacles have extended and are extending to various fields, and he has become an out-and-out gangster godfather in Shanghai. At this time, there is a popular saying in Shanghai: "If you have something to do, go to Mr. Du!" In the spring of 1924, a flood occurred in Zhejiang. Sun Baoqi and others who worked as apartments in the concession were unwilling to be lonely, and took the opportunity to launch a "relief meeting for villagers and disaster relief".

Sun Baoqi, courtesy name Muhan, was born in Zhejiang, and was a prominent official in the former Qing Dynasty.In the era of the Beiyang warlords, he served successively as minister, chief minister, and prime minister abroad, and he was considered a celebrity in Shanghai.However, after the establishment of the "Association for Rescue and Relief for the Villagers", it was accepted.Sun Baoqi worked hoarsely for more than a month before he received a donation of thousands of dollars. The "Disaster Relief Meeting for Rescuing the Villagers" started vigorously and ended coldly. Sun Baoqi felt that he couldn't bear it, and he frowned and sighed all day long.

"Let's find Mr. Du." Someone suggested to him. "Mr. Du? Is it Du Yuesheng?" "That's right. Mr. Du is anxious for the public good. If Mr. Mu steps out, let's not say too much, Mr. Du will definitely donate generously." "Will he really do this?" Sun Baoqi was dubious. "Why not? Now in Shanghai, anyone who has any difficulties will go to Mr. Du." So, Sun Baoqi prepared three "big earth" made in India weighing 20 taels each, and took a bus to visit Du Mansion at No. 216 Huageben Road. When Du Yuesheng saw this "Prime Minister Sun" visiting in person, he couldn't help being startled.He has never met him before, so what is the purpose of this visit?Du Yuesheng didn't dare to neglect, and immediately ordered someone to warmly welcome Sun Baoqi into the living room.

After some greetings, Sun Baoqi sat down, and asked for advice as if he didn't care: "According to the current market, I wonder how much each Indian land is worth?" Du Yuesheng said: "Currently, the ban on smoking is very strict. Datu has disappeared for a long time, and there is no market." "Where the hell is it, I have three here." As Sun Baoqi said, he ordered his attendant to get it from the car immediately, put it on the table, and said with a smile: "I heard that it was 200 taels of silver, but now that it has increased several times, it is only a thousand taels of silver." .”

Du Yuesheng quickly said, "Such a good thing probably costs more than 1,000 yuan, maybe 2,000 yuan." Sun Baoqi was a little proud, and said: "I heard that Mr. Du sometimes likes 'fragrance'. The ancients said: 'The sword is given to the martyr, and the pink is given to the beautiful woman'. Let's dedicate it to your step." "Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it." Du Yuesheng said quickly, "Let me buy it at the price and give it to the Shiepang Hospital to help the sick and benefit the old man." Sun Baoqi hurriedly said: "Then, let's donate to the charity!" He quickly took out the donation book and spread it on the table.

Du Yuesheng ordered the secretary: "Write 10,000 yuan and write a check to Mr. Mu." After receiving the check, Sun Baoqi was very grateful and left excitedly. Unexpectedly, after getting into the car, the driver said to him: "Prime Minister Sun, Mr. Du has already sent these three big dogs back and put them on the back seat of the car." In the spring of 1924, in addition to dignitaries and celebrities, the people who went to see Mr. Du included some ordinary people. In an alley across the road from the concession, a family of residents surnamed Wang lived. Unfortunately, their home was burglarized, and two boxes of clothes were stolen, some of which were family heirlooms.

Residents surnamed Wang were in a hurry, and they also "went to find Mr. Du". Residents surnamed Wang certainly know Mr. Du's reputation, but residents surnamed Wang find it hard to say whether he will help those surnamed Wang. When he found Du Yuesheng around the bush, Du Yuesheng smiled and said, "Let me figure out a way." Early the next morning, the man surnamed Wang got up to go shopping. When he opened the door, he saw a roll of paper under a stone.When I picked it up, I saw a stack of pawn tickets and dozens of dollars. He didn't know what was going on, so he didn't bother to buy vegetables, so he ran to the pawn shop with the pawn ticket. As a result, all his stolen clothes and family heirlooms were there. He used the money to redeem all the clothes and family heirlooms. .

At this time, most of the workers in the French Concession were Chinese, but their wages were pitifully low.The French employees in the hydropower company have a monthly salary of at least 200 yuan, while the average monthly salary of Chinese workers is only 12 yuan.Although the company has always agreed to the workers' demands for better treatment, it has never fulfilled them. In mid-March 1924, the workers of the hydropower company went on a general strike, demanding to fulfill their promise to increase wages.The French side not only ignored it, but closed the factory the next day and refused workers to go to work.

The French Merchant Water and Electricity Union then decided to go on strike, and formally proposed an increase in wages of 8 yuan per person per month and the abolition of the fine system as conditions for resuming work. The French merchants refused to accept it. He Fenglin, the envoy of the Songhu Guards, invited the labor and capital to mediate several times, but the French side refused to participate, and their attitude was extremely arrogant.A few days later, the French business side announced that all striking workers would be fired, and a group of Belarusian workers and new workers were hired to take over. The conflict between the two sides intensified.

In order to win the strike, Du Yuesheng's apprentice in the trade union said: "Let's go to Mr. Du, he will definitely make us win." Du Yuesheng was really straightforward. After receiving the workers' letters of appeal for help, he immediately ordered the housekeeper: "Mo Lin, send the 20,000 yuan to the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and let them support it. Just like what I Du Yuesheng said, no wage increase, absolutely no wages." Do not return to work." As soon as Wan Molin left, Shen Shumei, the agent of the French capitalist and the comprador of the French Merchant Hydropower Company, followed him. He said, "Mr. Du, this labor unrest is getting bigger and bigger. Please try to stop it no matter what."

Du Yuesheng hurriedly said: "Mr. Shen, don't worry, I will not ignore this matter. You go back and tell Consul General Gan Gelin and Director Fei Woli, just tell me what Du Yuesheng said, workers and workers are workers. If you don't work, you will never do it. " The strike was initially limited to the maintenance department. Since the French instructed the Vietnamese police to shoot and kill a worker who was going to a meeting on Huacheng Road, the workers in the transportation department also participated in the strike. Open, running water is not available, and the French Bastille Day carnival scheduled to be held on July 14 has to be rescheduled. On July 21, French patrols shot and killed workers who were meeting at the hydropower union club, killing and injuring more than 20 people on the spot.The tragedy sparked outrage among workers across the city, and other unions jumped into action in support of the strike.A wave of strikes began to sweep through Shanghai. The situation is getting worse.The French Consul General Gan Gelin and the Patrol Director Fervorley asked Du Yuesheng to come forward and try to prevent the labor unrest from continuing, but they refused to accept the demands made by the workers.In order to make the French let go, Du Yuesheng called his apprentice Lu Jingshi and others and said: "You go to organize a 'strike support association' to deal with related matters. You must let the French pay workers more wages, and let the workers go to work quickly." However, the French took a very tough attitude and completely ignored the demands made by Lu Jingshi and others. They declared martial law in the French Concession, sent more armored vehicles to patrol, and continued to arrest workers who led the strike. Still to no avail. The strike lasted until mid-August. As the supply of water and electricity in the French Concession became more and more tense day by day, the tram traffic was cut off, and garbage piles were everywhere. The French authorities could no longer hold on, so they had to go to Lu Jingshi: "We are willing to increase wages for workers. 2.4 yuan per person per month. However, the 45 people who led the strike and riots must all be fired.” When Du Yuesheng heard the news, he said: "This is what I want, the damn Frenchman, if you don't give him some color, he won't know that there are us Chinese on the beach. Jingshi, go and talk to those bosses. Say, get back to work immediately." "What about the 45 workers who were fired?" "It's good to fire these foremen! Otherwise, they will think that they are the boss in Shanghai Beach. Just do as the French want." Lu Jingshi's mouth twisted: "No, Mr. Du, these 45 people are all leaders and activists. Once they heard that they were fired, they would not ask the workers to return to work anyway, and the workers would not agree to return to work." Du Yuesheng thought for a while, "Okay, you go and tell those 45 people that they must agree to resume work. As for work, I will be responsible for arranging them to join the trade union, and I will pay the wages." The striking workers finally agreed to return to work.However, at the time of signing, there were some waves. The worker representative said: "Please release the 45 arrested workers before resuming work." The French said: "These guys are all a bunch of troublemakers. Letting them out at this time is tantamount to letting the tiger go back to the mountain. You resume work first, and we will decide according to the situation after the resumption of work." "No, it must be released before resuming work!" "No, we can only decide after resuming work." The two sides fought from morning to noon, but did not argue for the reason. As a result, the word was not signed. In the afternoon, Du Yuesheng personally drove to find the head of the trade union, and said, "Isn't everything settled? Why didn't you sign it?" "Mr. Du, 45 of our brothers were arrested by them during the strike. We asked to be released first, but the French insisted on resuming work and then depending on the situation." "That's okay, can they not let people go?" "What can't the French do? There are dozens of people locked in there. After returning to work, they will threaten us and do whatever they want! Besides, these dozens of brothers were arrested by them for the common benefit of everyone. They were arrested, and now our wages have increased, but how can we bear to see them still suffer?" Du Yuesheng nodded frequently: "Okay, okay, there is love and righteousness. I will go to Consul General Gan Gelin and Director Fei Woli and ask them to release him." When they came to the consulate general and met Gan Gelin and Fei Woli, Du Yuesheng said, "I'm here to ask for their release." Gan Gelin said: "Can you guarantee that these people will be honest and not cause trouble after they go out?" "We've made them suffer a lot these days, and when they get out, they're going to retaliate against us by inciting workers to strike," Fevori said. "I don't think it has anything to do with this matter. Since most people have agreed to resume work, there is nothing they can do. Besides, there is me." "Mr. Du, can you guarantee that they will be honest when they come out?" "I can guarantee it. If they come out and make trouble again, I am willing to pay double the damage." So, the French immediately agreed to let them go.The strikers all returned to work the next day. However, for the 45 people that the French side wanted to fire, Du Yuesheng sent them away after paying two months' wages. Therefore, these people refused to accept it and went to Du's mansion to reason. Wan Molin said: "Mr. Du said that he will pay you wages, but hasn't he already paid you?" "It's only been posted for two months, why don't you post it now for no apparent reason?" "Mr. Du didn't say that he would continue to pay. Two months is not enough? Think about it for yourself. If you don't go to work all day, your salary will be spent for nothing. Is there such a good thing in the world?" "This……" "Go, go, the French don't want you, and if you look for other jobs, why hang yourself from a tree?" The workers had received two months' wages from Du Yuesheng for nothing. Now that they heard what Wan Molin said, they felt that it was not good to say anything more, and left in resentment.