20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 461 Old Gun Club

As soon as these words were spoken, several people immediately understood Jiang Lianheng's intention.

Yu Dehai tilted his head slightly, hesitated for a moment, and asked: "Boss Jiang, what you said is too broad. Does any kind of news count?"

Jiang Lianheng nodded and emphasized: "Especially those little devils who bought the information."

"Does buying news about foreigners count?"

"It doesn't matter."

Hearing this, Yu Dehai responded and walked to the desk in a daze. Just as he picked up the pen, he suddenly remembered something. He turned his head and stammered, not daring to say it clearly. He had to stand there pretending to be stupid and chuckled twice.

Jiang Lianheng saw it clearly, and before the boy could open his mouth, he immediately gave him a reassurance.

"Don't worry, I won't take your information for nothing. I'll buy it with money. Just name your price."

"Well, that's not what I meant." Yu Dehai timidly stretched out his hand and slapped it, "Then...how about five dollars?"

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said, "I'll give you seven yuan. Take your time to write. Then buy some good food and drinks. Don't treat yourself badly."

Yu Dehai was delighted and immediately gave a thumbs up to him, flattering him: "Boss Jiang is very generous, otherwise how can we say that you are a big businessman!"

"Don't rush to praise me. I still say the same thing: don't treat me as a fool."

Hearing this, Yu Dehai subconsciously rubbed the right half of his face, and the pain in his cheek, which had just subsided, seemed to be burning again.

"No, no. Don't worry, Boss Jiang. If anyone gives us the courage, we won't dare to act like a coward in front of you again. But... there is one thing I must explain in advance."

"You said."

Yu Dehai was afraid that he had not considered everything carefully, so he hurriedly added: "I don't know all of those who bought the information. Some of them I have only met once, but I only know where they are, not their names. There are also a few who I have met, but I didn't make any deals because others got there first."

Jiang Lianheng frowned and asked in a low voice: "From what you said, there are quite a few people doing this business?"

Yu Dehai waved his hand and said, "I haven't heard of it before. But starting this year, there are more and more foreigners here, asking about everything. Some people ask, others talk, and slowly it becomes a business."

"After saying so much, you're just a traitor!" Li Zhengxi suddenly sneered.

"Brother, you... what you said is a bit insulting. How can I be considered a traitor? I don't work for them. I sell news about the Russians and the Japs. Besides, it's not a national event, it's just business, it's all business, you're being too serious."

Yu Dehai did not seem to have a deep understanding of what this business actually meant.

Of course, it is also possible that this is just an excuse he uses to convince and comfort himself.

Jiang Lianheng knew this very well - everything can be called intelligence.

When spies try to gather information about the enemy, they are never limited to military and political news. They also cover geography, customs and products, business trends, public opinion trends... Even news like natural disasters such as floods and droughts, and pork price increases will be secretly marked in red and used to infer the current situation.

It’s just that some information requires money, while some information is given for free.

The methods of spying are often not that mysterious. Nine out of ten times they are just to please the other party, mostly focusing on the words "money and sex".

Yu Dehai worked as an employee in the loan company of the "Big Bearded Gang", and the information he was able to sell was probably related to the trends in the business world.

Jiang Lianheng pushed the two pieces of paper on the table over and proposed again: "I'll raise your price to ten dollars. You can also write down other 'insiders' you know. The more you write, the more I'll give you."

"If we only know where they are but not what they are called, does it count?"

"Yes, as long as the situation is true."

After hearing this, Yu Dehai's mouth curled up, his eyes curved, and he immediately started to make calculations in his mind.

Seeing that no one offered him a seat, he didn't choose. He just stuck out his butt, leaned over the table and started writing. He was as if assisted by God. In less than two cigarettes, he had completed two "lists" with one purchase and one sale.

"Boss Jiang, can you take a look?"

Yu Dehai handed it over with both hands, smiling flatteringly and waiting to receive the money, and added casually: "I just remembered these before I saw you. If I accidentally missed anyone, I will tell you later."

Jiang Lianheng took the two "lists" and glanced at them quickly, only to see that the names and code names on them were of different lengths, covering all kinds of names.

There are local businessmen, foreigners, and several businesses inside and outside Harbin Road, but the number is not as many as imagined.

Yao Jiulin, Zhu Zaitian, James, Fan Sibai, the boss lady of Yachiyo Okiya, the bearded man from the Soskin Chamber of Commerce, the doorman of the cinema...

It is foreseeable that there will be a lot of fake names on this list, even some Japanese people pretending to be Chinese, but starting with this as a secret investigation and proceeding step by step is always better than being completely in the dark and groping in the dark.

"You are quite capable!"

Jiang Lianheng folded the two "lists" and put them carefully into his arms. Then he winked at Chong Chuanghu and paid the bill.

Ten dollars in cash, safe in pocket, Yu Dehai was happy.

"Boss Jiang, you are too flattering. I just like to ask around. If someone is willing to pay for it, I will just make some extra money to support myself. If there is any major national event, a small person like me cannot find out about it. I can just find someone on the street. Just tell me what you need."

"How long have you been in this business?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

"It didn't take long, actually. It only started in the fall of this year. The main reason was that I didn't know that such a small thing could be exchanged for money!"

"No wonder, that's what I said."

Jiang Lianheng muttered to himself and couldn't help but glance at Yu Dehai.

This guy has just entered the business and has not yet truly realized that he is dancing on the edge of a knife and fighting for food in the tiger's mouth. Little does he know how dangerous this business is. There is no chance to make mistakes and repent, and life and death is only a matter of thought.

Fan Sibai is a professional intelligence dealer. He will never reveal the source of information easily. He knows very well that "protecting others is protecting yourself."

In comparison, this guy wrote down the situation of both the buyer and the seller on paper just for ten dollars.

Such people are destined not to live long.

Yu Dehai failed to hear the hidden meaning in the sentence and continued to ask: "Boss Jiang, what did you say just now?"

"Nothing." Jiang Lianheng smiled and shook his head, then stretched out his hand and said, "Mr. Yu, then we can have a pleasant cooperation?"

After the transaction was completed, Yu Dehai was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he asked, "Hey? Boss Jiang, are you still going to buy the female Maozi?"

Everyone frowned slightly and asked on the spot: "Does this have anything to do with you?"

"Yes, I have!"

Yu Dehai quickly put ten dollars in cash into his pocket, patted his hands twice, and said, "Really, really, I have connections. The goods are much better than those in Shuangcheng Huazifang. The goods they have are all kidnapped and robbed by Hu Zi. The goods I introduce to you are all high-end and high-quality."

"Are you a wanderer?" Jiang Lianheng asked. "No."

"Then where did you get the connection?"

"Well, buying foreign girls? What does this have to do with wandering around?" Yu Dehai said hurriedly, "You don't think that only bandits and human traffickers sell foreign girls, do you?"

Jiang Lianheng and the others looked at each other and asked doubtfully, "Could it be that the Russians are also selling it?"

"Of course. Human traffickers are not our specialty. The Russians also cheat and kidnap their own people. Besides, they have connections on the railway, so there is no need to worry about being discovered. The foreign girls under their command are all young and beautiful!"

Yu Dehai immediately put on the manners of a real estate agent and confidently introduced the "market price" of foreign girls.

"There's a civil war going on in the north, and it started at the beginning of the year. After the Russian emperor abdicated, a lot of white-haired people came here. I heard that many of them are nobles who were robbed over there and were cheated when they came here. They couldn't make a living, so they sold their children. Now it's fashionable for rich families to buy a white-haired woman as a wife. I've seen two of them, and they're really good-looking. If Boss Jiang is interested, I'll take you to see them."

"Is it far from here?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

"It's not far, we can just walk there." Yu Dehai flattered, "Boss Jiang, you have such a big business, so you must have two foreign girls around you, not to mention that they can give birth to two big fat boys for you, and then you can take them out wherever you go, and that will be great!"

After hearing this, Jiang Lianheng did become a little more interested, so he looked around and asked, "Then... shall we go over and take a look?"

Needless to say, Chuanghu was the first to nod in agreement.

"Boss, I think it's okay. After all, we are already here, and we can't go back with regrets!"

Jiang Lianheng nodded heavily, with a sigh: "Hu, you are the one I like the most. I love you for a reason. So - what does Shopkeeper Xue mean?"

Xue Yingqing originally had no intention of doing business with strangers, but when he heard Yu Dehai say that the seller he introduced had official connections with the Middle East Railway, he became tempted and wanted to go and find out the situation.

After all, although the situation of the Russian civil war is still unclear, Harbin, as a tributary of the Chinese Eastern Railway, is still decided by the white-haired people here on all major and minor matters.

If they take the lead and turn a blind eye, there won't be much risk in this business.

After thinking about it, Xue Yingqing asked: "Where is the place you are talking about?"

"Go west from here, not far away, there is an 'Old Gun Club', right there."

Jiang Lianheng and Xue Yingqing had some impression of the club. When Sheng Baoku took them around the Pier District, they passed by the door several times but did not go in.

However, the club didn’t seem to be called “Old Gun”; there was just a small pistol painted on the lower right corner of the sign.

Yu Dehai introduced: "The club is quite big and is considered a time-honored brand in Harbin. I heard that it was opened by a retired military officer. It is said that his ancestor was a big landlord. At the richest time, he had hundreds of serfs. The owner seems to be called Chekhlov."

"As if?" Xue Yingqing was a little dissatisfied. "Do you have connections or not?"

"Yes, yes, they have loaned money to me before, and I know the 'sitter' there, but I have never spoken to their boss."

Jiang Lianheng thought for a moment and asked, "Is this man related to the 'Big Beard Gang'?"

"How did you know that?" Yu Dehai was extremely surprised. "As far as I know, he is a member of the 'Big Beard Gang'! Otherwise, why do people say that you, Boss Jiang, are so powerful? You really know everything, even more than I do!"

Jiang Lianheng did not accept the offer, but turned his head and looked at Xue Yingqing, thinking: No wonder Sheng Baoku didn't take them in several times after passing by.

Moreover, according to Lao Qian, the "Bearded Gang" are scattered all over the world, and although they have changed their surnames, they have always maintained a close but distant relationship with the local people, with a kind of romantic and just-in-time attitude. It is not surprising that they do this business.

After hesitating for a moment, Xue Yingqing finally nodded: "It's not too late now, let's go and take a look."

"Okay, okay, Boss Jiang, Shopkeeper Xue, the rest of you should hurry up and pack your things. I'll lead the way for you!"

Having just earned ten dollars in cash and about to earn some pay for a job, Yu Dehai was so happy that if you saw his beaming face, you would think he was going to talk about finding a wife.

It's windless and not too cold tonight.

After leaving the Madiel Hotel, Jiang Lianheng and others, led by Yu Dehai, simply walked to the "Old Gun Club".

Walking west for about a cup of tea, we saw a three-story Western-style building standing across the street. The building was not very tall, but it covered a large area. It controlled the entrance of an alley on both the north and south sides.

The sign was surrounded by two circles of red and blue neon lights, which were flashing and changing in the night. There was a long string of foreign words written in the middle, which I couldn't understand, but looking at the small pistol drawn in the lower right corner, I knew that the few people had come to the right place.

Two ferocious-looking Russians were standing at the door, with gentlemen and ladies shuttling between them.

Waves of orchestral music mixed with laughter slowly drifted in.

Yu Dehai turned around, exhaled a puff of air, and said to the others, "Boss Jiang, we have to go in through the back door and go straight to the second floor to check out the goods."

Jiang Lianheng and others nodded, followed him around the club, and came to a narrow black door.

There was only a smoking Russian guarding the door. Yu Dehai walked up to him, muttered a few words, then raised his hand and pointed at the crowd. The Russian glanced at him vigilantly, nodded, flicked the cigarette from his fingertips, turned around and opened the back door of the club.

"Boss Jiang, everything is settled here, please come in!" Yu Dehai greeted.

During these three days, several people have already discovered that all Chinese who are successful in the underworld can speak a few words of Russian.

Jiang Lianheng was not surprised by this. Just as he was about to step forward, Li Zhengxi took a step aside first.

"Brother, can I go ahead?"

Jiang Lianheng did not stop him, and Tou Daozi stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Xifeng.

Seeing this, Yu Dehai smiled and comforted them: "Don't worry, these are all serious businessmen, nothing will happen."

The situation was exactly as he said. Jiang Lianheng walked in through the back door, went up the narrow, dim staircase to the second floor, and when he opened the door, he saw a scene of singing and dancing, and beautiful women.

According to Yu Dehai, the club originally did not allow Chinese people to enter, but due to the fierce competition in the past two years, there were not as many customers as before, so the restrictions were gradually lifted.

Jiang Lianheng and the others were standing far away from the center of the dance floor, close to the edge, and could only see the group of foreigners drinking and chatting happily from afar.

From time to time, bursts of shrill laughter broke out in the crowd. I don’t know which Russian was drunk on vodka and made a fool of himself.

Yu Dehai stood in front of several people, tiptoed, stretched his neck to look around, searched around, and finally his eyes lit up. He immediately shouted a few words to the waiter not far away, then turned around and smiled at everyone.

"Boss Jiang, my friend is here. Let's find a private room later. Take a look at the foreign girls here. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Jiang Lianheng and others nodded.

Chuanghu was at the back. He was short to begin with, and was now completely blocked by several people. He was jumping up and down, squatting down and pulling at other people's trouser legs, which made him very anxious. He quickly asked:

"Hey, what's going on? Can you let me take a look? What is this place? A brothel? Can any kind-hearted man lend me some light?"

Yu Dehai turned around and said with a smile: "The foreign girls here are not called prostitutes, they are called socialites, and they are all people from the upper class!"

(End of this chapter)