20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 496 No Face at All
The next morning, everyone left the apartment building one after another and went their separate ways.

Yasipsen was the first to go out. As soon as it was light, he, accompanied by Xifeng and Chuanghu, went to the leased land and suburban factories to recruit people.

He had worked as a manager of a foreign company for more than ten years and had dealt with arms dealers, so he had accumulated a lot of business connections. Long before he set off for Shanghai, he had already made appointments with acquaintances to help him make connections. With a clear goal in mind, the job was naturally easy to get done.

Not long after the Germans left, Jiang Lianheng and his two companions also set out to visit the "three tycoons" in Shanghai.

Call a rickshaw, drive into the French Concession, and take in the bustling city scenery.

When Fengtian was opened as a port, there was a clear regulation that shops with less than three floors were not allowed to be built. This was considered the commercial threshold for entering the commercial port.

But when we arrived at the foreign concessions, we found that it was not uncommon to see four- or five-story buildings on both sides of the street.

The road is wide but still seems very congested, with huge crowds of people shuttling back and forth, cars honking, bicycle bells dinging, shops lining the streets, and small vendors swarming like crucian carp.

It’s a pity that, in the final analysis, Shanghai’s prosperity is the prosperity of foreigners.

The various taxes and levies on the leased territory have meant that the more prosperous the business here is, the more money the foreigners will make.

The rickshaw dodged left and right on the road, moving forward steadily and at a constant speed.

The driver was in his fifties, wearing a tattered hat, and also spoke with a foreign accent. He wiped his face with the towel on his shoulder from time to time.

When he first got in the car, Jiang Lianheng chatted with him briefly.

When the old driver heard that they were going to the Huang family mansion, he was stunned and turned around to confirm, "Are you going to Inspector Huang's house?"

Jiang Lianheng nodded and asked him, "Do you know him?"

"Of course I know him." The old driver suddenly became respectful. "But I have to say one thing first. You are not allowed to park in front of Inspector Huang's house. I can only take you to that place."

"That's nothing, let's go." Jiang Lianheng got on the rickshaw and asked with a smile, "Are you from another place too?"

"Ah, from Fengyang."

"Feng Yang?"

Jiang Lianheng might not know other places, but he would definitely know Fengyang.

The storytellers in the teahouse always mention Fengyang, which is the hometown of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty!

Jiang Lianheng asked curiously, "You are so far away from home, pulling a rickshaw in Shanghai. Are you here to stay with your relatives?"

"Alas, we are all poor relatives, so who can support whom?" The old driver said self-deprecatingly, "I used to be a worker in the factory, but later I was kicked out because of my age. There is nothing I can do if I go back home, so I have to make a living here!"

Jiang Lianheng nodded and said nothing more.

The old driver was concerned about the traffic on the road and kept pulling the rickshaw without any effort, and he had no energy left to chat.

After walking for a while, we turned off the main road, crossed several alleys, and finally got away from the hustle and bustle of the city and arrived at a secluded and leisurely place.

The old driver slowly tightened the brakes, and the two rickshaws behind him stopped one after another.

"Boss, walk a few more steps forward and you will reach Huang Mansion. It's not far." The old driver raised his hand and pointed deep into the alley.

Jiang Lianheng looked in the direction.

To be precise, this is already the Huang family mansion, but it is still some distance from the main gate.

Liu Yansheng and Wen Tingge came over and took a look at the courtyard wall. They couldn't help but sigh in admiration: "In the French Concession, where every inch of land is worth a lot of money, there is still such a large house. Inspector Huang is really not simple!"

“It’s easy if you have money.”

Jiang Lianheng showed no envy at all, spoke coldly, and walked forward.

Seeing this, Liu Yansheng and Wen Tingge hurriedly followed.

Just like the Jiang family mansion, there were also several bodyguards in black shirts with open shirts standing at the door of the Huang Mansion. They were all arrogant and looked down on others.

"Where are you from? Why are you walking around? What are you doing?"

Although the bodyguards did not question him harshly, their behavior and expressions showed that they were superior.

Jiang Lianheng certainly didn't want to bow down to these people, so he turned his face away and ignored them.

Liu Yansheng quickly took out the visiting card from his arms, walked forward with a smile, and said, "Brothers, we are from other places and want to meet Inspector Huang and pay our respects at the dock. Please help pass it on. Thank you very much."

The Huang Mansion was often visited by distinguished guests, so the bodyguards certainly did not dare to act on their own. They took the visiting card and glanced at the three people before turning around.

"Wait here for a moment."

After saying that, the bodyguard turned around and walked into the Huang Mansion. Not long after, he walked out again and stood at the gate, with his hands behind his back, as if nothing had happened. He was silent and didn't say a word.

Liu Yansheng frowned, stepped forward and asked, "Brother, what's going on in there?"

"I'm just delivering a letter. How would I know what's going on inside?" The bodyguard's tone was obviously more aggressive than before. "Boss Huang has to meet so many people every day. If you want to wait, then wait. If you don't want to wait, then leave. You're asking me all kinds of questions. Aren't you annoying?"

Hearing the noise, Wen Tingge walked over quickly, pulled Liu Yansheng aside, and asked in a low voice: "Brother Liu, how did you write the visiting card?"

"What else can I write?" Liu Yansheng shook his head. "The boss said that we can't reveal the truth before the 'three tycoons' agree to cooperate. Otherwise, if the news leaks out, we can't be called spies. The visiting card only says that we are businessmen from Fengtian and want to discuss cooperation with Inspector Huang."

"That's probably not enough." Wen Tingge said helplessly, "If you mention Marshal Zhang, maybe they will invite us in now."

This is true.

Although Feng Zhang's power was limited to the three provinces of Guandong, Rehe and Chahar, and the Beijing-Tianjin area, and did not extend south of the Yellow River, no matter what, Zhang was a frontier official who could stir up the political arena and take the lead in forming a cabinet. He was one of the core members of the Beiyang government and was by no means an ordinary local warlord.

Even if the envoy sent by such a high-ranking official cannot reach a cooperation agreement, there is no reason to make enemies for no reason and turn the person away.

The problem is that this identity cannot be exposed easily.

"So what did they say?" Wen Tingge asked.

Liu Yansheng sighed and said, "You said you want to wait, then wait. I think there is no hope. Where is the boss?"

The two turned around and saw Jiang Lianheng smoking at the opposite corner, so they hurried over to report the situation here.

"What are you waiting for?"

After hearing this, Jiang Lianheng looked unhappy. He flicked the cigarette butt from his fingertips and said coldly, "If you really want to meet, would you let us wait outside the yard? If not, then let's go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of laughter suddenly came from the Huang family mansion.

The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged man who looked like a butler, leading a thin man in his thirties, wearing a long gown and a mandarin jacket, walking out of the mansion. When they reached the gate, they bowed and said goodbye to each other with smiles on their faces.

I only heard the middle-aged man rushing out the door and ordering: "Go, drive the car over and take Mr. Zhiqing back."

Several bodyguards immediately put on flattering smiles, nodded and said, "Okay, Brother Zhiqing, wait a moment, I'll be right over."

"It should be the housekeeper of the Huang Mansion." Liu Yansheng said hurriedly, "Boss, how about I go over and ask again?"

Wen Tingge nodded and agreed, "We didn't explain our purpose clearly, so it's normal that they don't want to see us. We should go ask them again while the butler is here."

Seeing that Jiang Lianheng did not comment, Liu Yansheng walked over quickly.

Just at this moment, the car from the mansion drove out, and the butler saw the guest off to the car, waving goodbye with a smile.

"Sir, are you the housekeeper here?" Liu Yansheng shouted as he walked.

Unexpectedly, the bodyguards of Huang Mansion immediately came over to block him, pushing and shoving him, saying intimidatingly: "Fuck you, you little jerk, what are you yelling about? If you dare to make trouble here again, I will catch you and take you to the police station immediately, do you believe it? Go away, run away!"

Liu Yansheng was not a thug to begin with, and now that he was outnumbered by the enemy, he did not dare to act rashly. So he stayed where he was and waved towards the door again.

He was sure that the housekeeper heard his voice and noticed the movement here, but the other party turned a deaf ear to him. After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhiqing, he immediately turned around and walked straight into the Huang family mansion without even turning his head. Liu Yansheng was considered to have a good temper in the Jiang family, but seeing this scene, he couldn't help but feel angry.

The car from Huang Mansion drove slowly past Jiang Lianheng.

He subconsciously glanced at the thin man in the car. When the other man noticed his gaze, he turned his head slightly and nodded through the car window.

When I came to my senses again, Liu Yansheng was already walking towards me with his head down.

"Boss, forget it, let's try someone else."

"Have you learned your lesson this time?" Jiang Lianheng snorted, "Yan Sheng, you can't get a deal if you push too hard. They haven't even let us into the courtyard, so what's the point of talking?"

"I just want to try my best. If the 'three tycoons' agree, our job will be easier." Liu Yansheng muttered to himself.

Wen Tingge was quite indignant: "This 'loophole' is so rude. If you want to meet, then meet. If you don't want to meet, then forget it. Why are you leaving us here in the cold?"

"Boss, I think it's best not to be impulsive." Liu Yansheng did not act on impulse. "Let's go ask Du Yong and Zhang Xiaolin. They are insiders, so there may be a chance. After all, if we can meet one of the 'three tycoons', we can meet all three. When we are away from home, we have to ask for help."

Jiang Lianheng pondered for a moment.

Although he felt extremely suffocated, after thinking it over carefully, he nodded and agreed.

So, amid the sneers of several bodyguards, the three of them left the Huang mansion, called a rickshaw, and headed towards the residence of Du Yong and Zhang Xiaolin.

The Du family mansion and the Zhang family mansion are adjacent to each other, and there is a moon gate in the middle, but both families have high walls and large courtyards, and the main entrances of the mansions are still a short distance away from each other.

Jiang Lianheng and two other people arrived at the Du mansion first.

The bodyguards here are all dressed in blue shirts and cloth shoes, not so ruffian-like. They never yell at people passing by the door. Although they act like decent people, their cunning eyes show their greed for light, and you can tell at a glance that they are undoubtedly punks.

The yard is covered with green trees and filled with the chirping of birds. If you didn’t know better, you would think it was the residence of a scholarly family or a high-ranking civil servant!
Liu Yansheng delivered the visiting card as usual, and then the three of them waited outside the courtyard gate.

This time, the reply came quickly.

As soon as the bodyguard walked out of the mansion, he smiled and bowed to the three people, speaking Mandarin in a very polite manner.

"Oh, Mr. Jiang, I'm so sorry. Boss Du is not feeling well and is not able to meet with guests recently. However, my boss Du said that he is grateful to Mr. Jiang for coming from afar, but his family's business is too complicated and he really doesn't have the energy to discuss cooperation. He can only wish you good fortune from afar."

The words are nice, but unfortunately they are all bullshit.

I really have been feeling unwell recently, I should have told you in advance, is it worth it to go through all this trouble?
No matter how polite a refusal is, it is still a refusal, and if someone is grateful for it, then they are a born coward.

Liu Yansheng wanted to make another appointment on another day, and vowed that this cooperation was not an ordinary business and that Boss Du would definitely benefit greatly.

However, the bodyguard of the Du Family Mansion simply closed his eyes, shook his head repeatedly, and refused: "No need, no need."

"Then can we come back another day and meet Boss Du?" Liu Yansheng tried his best to argue, "Some things can only be explained to Boss Du in person."

The bodyguards chuckled softly, and at first glance, they seemed very patient, but in fact, they concealed a bit of contempt.

"Haha, Mr. Liu, we have heard words like this countless times. Everyone wants to meet Boss Du in person, and everyone says the same thing as you."

"No, we can talk to Boss Du——"

"Take care, Mr. Liu. I won't see you off."

There was no way out, and Liu Yansheng ended up being frustrated again.

Although I wasn't as angry as before, I still felt uneasy inside and my face looked gloomy.

Jiang Lianheng's face turned pale and he said nothing.

In fact, it is not uncommon for people in the underworld to be turned down occasionally when they go to pay a visit. However, the Jiang family was used to being domineering outside the Great Wall, and they suddenly lost face in the foreign land. They could not swallow the anger in their hearts no matter what.

If he swallows his anger once, his prestige in Fengtian will be damaged if the news spreads.

"He's just a man who takes advantage of others' situation." Jiang Lianheng muttered, "It's fine if the boss can't see me, I won't say anything, but he won't even let the second-in-command see him?"

"Boss, why don't you go to the Zhang family mansion?" Wen Tingge said in a deep voice, "It's just a few steps away anyway, it's not far."

Liu Yansheng quickly agreed, "Boss, these three are the most famous people in the French Concession, and this last one doesn't matter."

So, Jiang Lianheng and others came to the gate of Zhang's mansion not far away.

The bodyguards here were all wearing black shorts and bell-bottom pants, with a foreign hat on their heads. Some of them had their hands on their hips, while others had their hands behind their backs. They all gathered at the door and strolled around.

Looking at their posture, it seems that if they meet any living person, they will go up and give him a few beats, otherwise their lives will be wasted!
Liu Yansheng walked over and handed over the visiting card. The leader with a crooked mouth glanced at it and ignored it.

After a moment of hesitation, Liu Yansheng suddenly realized what had happened. He quickly took out some money from his pocket, put it behind the visiting card, and handed it over.

That's right. The leading bodyguard finally took the visiting card and turned around and walked into the mansion.

Compared with the previous two bodyguards, this bodyguard came out the fastest. In less than half a minute, he brought back Boss Zhang's reply.

"Go away, stop standing at the door and run away!"

He waved his hands, swore, and shouted as if he was chasing away beggars.

Liu Yansheng and Wen Tingge could not tolerate this scolding. They were all working together online, so everyone had some blood in their veins. It was just that they were on someone else's territory, so they suppressed their anger and tried their best to avoid disputes.

However, according to the rules of the underworld, if you hand in a visiting card, you won't see each other again, no grudges in the past, no enmity today, and what kind of logic is it in spite of all the shit you say?
Wen Tingge couldn't help but respond: "Brother, keep your mouth shut. We are here to pay our respects, and there is no need to be scolded by you."

"Brother Wen, forget it." Liu Yansheng hurried over to dissuade him.

Unexpectedly, the bodyguard of Zhang Mansion suddenly laughed after being retorted.

"Hey, you country folk come to Shanghai to beg for food, you're not even a shill, you're yelling in front of Marshal Zhang's door, if you yell again, I'll drag you to the Huangpu River to plant lotuses tonight, do you believe me? Do you want to give it a try?"

It’s not hateful to be scolded.

What’s hateful is that even though I knew the other person was scolding me, I didn’t understand what he was scolding.

Wen Tingge was so angry that he didn't dare to act rashly. He turned around to see his boss's reaction.

But Jiang Lianheng had a blank expression on his face, and looked dazed. With his sleeves rolled up, he walked slowly to the bodyguard of Zhang Mansion. He looked left and right, as if he was looking for a wife. He examined the man carefully for a long time before he stopped.

Then he stood up again and tilted his head to look at the Zhang Mansion's foreign-style house, courtyard walls and gardens.

He looked so listless, like a big boss who had never seen the world.

Several bodyguards frowned and shouted, "Hey, you little jerk, you're looking around. What are you looking at? Don't you understand what we're saying? Get out! Get out!"

Jiang Lianheng seemed to have just woken up from a dream. He nodded repeatedly with his sleeves rolled up, pretending to understand, imitating the other party's accent and said with a smile:
"Oh, Marshal Zhang's family is quite classy! He's well-known, well-known! That... I remember that I'm here to beg for food. Where should a beggar pay respects?"

The bodyguards were all confused and stunned for a moment before they remembered to curse.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Go away, you stinky beggar, go wherever you want, run away!"

Jiang Lianheng smiled and nodded, turned around and left.

"What are you two waiting for here? Are you really waiting to 'plant lotus flowers'?" The bodyguards pushed them forward and threatened, "Run away!"

Wen Tingge looked at Jiang Lianheng's back, and then at Liu Yansheng.

"Brother Liu, the boss is...leaving now?"

Liu Yansheng recalled Jiang Lianheng's actions just now, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. He said hurriedly:

"It's bad, Brother Wen, hurry up and come with me to persuade the boss!"

(End of this chapter)