20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 518 Momentum [Update]

Public opinion kills without bloodshed.

The newspaper industry in Shanghai is prosperous, with daily newspapers, evening newspapers, weeklies and magazines of all sizes numerous and numerous.

Competition in the industry is fierce. Professional journalists rack their brains every day to collect gossip from the public, add fuel to the fire, and "polish" it a little to make it sensational and inciting, only then are they willing to publish it to increase sales.

Nowadays, people's customs are gradually becoming more open, and journalists dare to write and comment. They are best at writing in the style of the Spring and Autumn Annals, making innuendos and accusations that are hard to guard against.

Du Yong sent people to various newspapers, intending to stop the rumors as soon as possible, but it was easier said than done. There were so many newspapers, and he couldn't just go to each one of them and use threats and bribes.

Everything should be done in moderation. If you really do that, it will only make things more obvious.

Moreover, Du Yong was a person who had always been accustomed to pretending to be cultured and was quite polite to literati. He always liked to create a false scene of "chatting and laughing with great scholars" in his own mansion, in order to deceive people and win some praise.

He was somewhat hesitant about using force against scholars.

However, by the time the Du family's disciples arrived in the French Concession, two evening newspapers had already published the relevant news "truthfully".

Although no names were mentioned throughout the article, one could tell at a glance that it was Sanjin Company.

Why so fast?

Because the article was written in advance, as soon as the news came from here, someone immediately submitted an anonymous article, and did not ask for any royalties, and was even willing to publish it at their own expense, which made the two editors-in-chief very happy - where can you find such a good thing?

In addition, at noon today, the Bund News also published a "under-the-table novel" entitled: "The old man in Huangshan knocks on the mountain to shock the two evil spirits, and the dragon crossing the river captures the three monsters."

The content of the novel is bizarre and absurd, and seems to be full of innuendos, yet it leaves readers confused. It was not until rumors spread that the Sanjin Company's local products were robbed that many readers suddenly realized - this is not a "secret novel" but clearly a "prophecy novel"!

Good things don't go out, bad things pass thousands of miles.

For a time, everyone spread the news by word of mouth. Not to mention the ordinary people, the rich and powerful young men in the Great World, New World and other romantic game venues had already known about it before daybreak.

There is no solution to the conspiracy, so come prepared.

As the saying goes, when the fake is made to appear real, the real becomes fake.

It was just a pipe dream for Du Yong and others to chase and intercept them again. It was totally impossible.

……

……

French Concession, Anhui Association Hall.

There were crackling noises coming from the backyard, including the sound of wooden boxes breaking and the sound of firewood breaking when the campfire was burning.

The orange-red flames reflected in the eyes of Jiang Lianheng and Wang Laojiu, burning fiercely. The white painted words "Sanjin Company" gradually turned into ashes in the flames, just like the rumors spreading wildly in the market, no one knew where they came from and where they were going.

The members of the Axe Gang were busy dismantling the empty cargo boxes - if they were not empty, how could the carriage have run so fast just now?
The entire cargo box does not have to be burned, just remove the board with the words "Sanjin Company" on it.

After a while, Liu Yansheng and Chuanghu came over with three newspapers.

"Boss, the news has spread." Liu Yansheng handed the newspaper to Jiang Lianheng, "This is just the beginning. By tomorrow morning, there will definitely be more people talking about this matter. The dancer in the big world is also helping to spread the news."

Chuang Hu seemed unhappy and a little regretful: "Alas, I never thought that among all the excellent works in my life, this hurried work would become popular. If I had known this, I should have used the pen name 'Chuangxiaping'."

He had been complaining like this all the way, and even Liu Yansheng was tired of hearing it.

As the old saying goes, a good article is a natural creation, and it is the result of a master's hand.

The more effort you put into your writing and the more meticulously you polish it, the more difficult it will be to write and the more difficult it will be for readers to read.

The so-called Tao follows nature, but in fact, he is attached to appearances!

Jiang Lianheng was too lazy to listen to Chuanghu's nagging. He took the newspaper, glanced at it quickly, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.

Everything went as expected and he was quite satisfied with it, but Wang Laojiu beside him frowned and looked a little confused.

"Brother Jiang, we have done what you said, but I still don't understand. We have gone through so much trouble, but in the end, it was just a show, and the 'three tycoons' were not hurt at all. Is it worth it?"

"It's worth it!" Jiang Lianheng said firmly, "Fame and fortune, these two things can never be completely separated. For people of the rank of the 'Three Tycoons', fame is sometimes more important than profit."

Wang Laojiu was a little hesitant.

Although Jiang Lianheng always calls him "Ninth Brother", they are actually the same age and their knowledge and experience are not that different.

When it comes to underworld tactics like cheating, deceiving, and robbing, Wang Laojiu can only be considered "half-eyed" in front of Jiang Lianheng. It is not an exaggeration to call him a senior and give him a few words of advice.

Although Wang Laojiu joined the League in his early years and established his own military government in Anhui Province, it sounds impressive and glorious, but in fact, during that turbulent period, anyone who was a member of the League could form a gang and declare the restoration of the province and claim to be the leader of the provincial government. The key is to see whether they have real power. To put it another way, an opportunist like Zhang Da Shiren could take advantage of the cause of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and get the rank of Army General. If Wang Laojiu was really capable, why would he fall to this?

Of course, he is an "anarchist". He has his own ideas and his own doctrines. He also has a strong appeal and cohesion among his fellow countrymen in the province. Over the years, he has also participated in politics and government affairs as a local representative.

Jiang Lianheng didn't understand what was going on in the government, but when it came to wandering around the world and joining gangs, Wang Laojiu really had to listen to his advice.

After thinking it over, Wang Laojiu couldn't help but ask, "But... Brother Jiang, the Axe Gang's robbery was fake. Can't the 'Three Tycoons' just clarify it?"

"Don't worry, they can't clarify this kind of thing." Jiang Lianheng was very sure, "If the 'three tycoons' really intervene in public opinion, others will only think that they are guilty and dare not say it openly, but spread it behind the scenes; if the 'three tycoons' let it go, the rumors will spread more and more, and the false will eventually become true. It is difficult to grasp the balance in the middle."

After all, there is only one most difficult thing in the world, and that is to prove your innocence.

"Brother Jiu, just wait and see. Those three old men have been busy recently." Jiang Lianheng laughed.

Wang Laojiu shook his head: "That can only fool ordinary people. The real insiders will know the truth tomorrow."

"That's true, but this play of ours was originally performed for Kong Zi to see, and we want this momentum." Jiang Lianheng said, "Brother Jiu, your hometown association is still too small. There are so many Anhui workers in Shanghai, you have to gather them all here, and then you can be considered a force. So tonight, in the final analysis, is actually an 'advertisement'."

"But this is fake!" Wang Laojiu is a bit stubborn.

Chuanghu took over the conversation and said jokingly, "Master Jiu, look at what you said, the advertisement is fake in the first place!"

Wang Laojiu was speechless, and after thinking for a long time, he said, "If you want to fight, then fight. I am not afraid of the 'three tycoons' or 'eight tycoons'. Opium is harmful to people, so it is good to destroy it. If you plan carefully, you can rob it."

"No, no, no, Brother Jiu, even if you can rob, you can't!" Jiang Lianheng said hurriedly, "I've checked the local products of Sanjin Company. They involve too many people. Many people rely on this business for their livelihood. If you cut off other people's wealth, they will cut off your livelihood. In addition, if you do that, you will be isolated by everyone in Shanghai, and you will not be able to gain a foothold in the future. That's why you have to destroy their reputation but not their profits."

Other local merchant gangs would not care about the face of the "three tycoons". As long as the goods were there, there was no need for them to offend the Axe Gang in order to vent their anger on behalf of the Sanjin Company.

Jiang Lianheng saw very clearly what could be moved and what could not be moved.

In the eyes of people online, the Axe Gang used the smallest cost to give the "Big Three" a slap in the face.

Jiang Lianheng continued, "Brother Jiu, you must fight for fame first and then for profit. The Axe Gang is not well-known, so no one will pay attention to it. As long as the momentum is big enough, big shots will naturally come to you, support you, and let you do some dirty work."

"What should we do next?" Wang Laojiu asked, "Just sit there and wait?"

Jiang Lianheng shook his head, then stretched out four fingers and said word by word: "Shock, color, sharp, wind!"

"What do you mean?" Wang Laojiu didn't understand.

Having said that, this is the formula that Uncle Six taught Xiaodao back then.

Whether in the underworld or in the government, if you want to set up a scheme, you can't do without these four key points.

Shock - The Sanjin Company is unloading goods on the beach of the French Concession. The Axe Gang, with their real and fake forces, are causing chaos in the city. The "Three Tycoons" have to deal with it and clarify the current situation with their customers.

Color - "Lubai" in front of the Great World, directed and performed by itself, with dirt and clods from the Huangpu River mixed with real things, presenting a ridiculous drama for no reason.

Wind - Rumors were rampant in the market, and the Axe Gang took advantage of this reputation to spread it, and had their own "loopholes" to spread false information and exaggerate it, which helped the Axe Gang to win over the workers of Anhui Province and destroy the arrogance of the "three tycoons".

Sharp - it's time to get serious.

Jiang Lianheng said solemnly: "The Green Gang's 'Three Tycoons' are so famous, they definitely didn't get it for nothing. We can only take advantage of the tiger's nap and go over to tease him. We must strike before they come to their senses."

"Jinyuan Wharf?" Wang Laojiu understood.

"Yes, take action first, then file a lawsuit."

"It's impossible to sue. Whether it's the British police station, the French police station, or the government office in the old city, they all have connections with the "Three Tycoons" to some extent. They can't help us. The government office, huh, how can you get in if you have a reason but no money!"

"Not necessarily." Jiang Lianheng explained, "Brother Jiu, this depends on how many Anhui workers you can gather. I am in Fengtian, what can I use to argue with the foreigners? I have to use my status as the leader! Brother Jiu, if the Axe Gang can unite the Anhui workers, the foreigners will have to respect you."

Wang Laojiu was a revolutionary and believed in Kropotkin. He naturally understood the potential of united labor mutual aid, but the problem was -

"We can't go to each factory and force my fellow villagers to join the organization, right?"

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said, "Brother Jiu, have you forgotten that Lou Jingyuan fired all the Anhui workers at the dock because he was worried that we had an insider?"

Wang Laojiu seemed to understand something, and then he grinned and said, "While the Axe Gang is gaining momentum, it's time to stand up for our fellow villagers. This fight needs to be a big one!"

----

PS It’s been a long time

(End of this chapter)