20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 527: The Dilemma of the Hongmen Banquet
"The Hongmen Banquet is very dangerous, you absolutely cannot go!"

After drinking, the party ended and the meeting place was in the meeting hall of Anhui Hometown Association.

On the tea table were three things sent by Du Yong: one thousand silver dollars wrapped in red silk, wishing the Axe Gang good luck; a visiting card from Jiang Lianheng, returning the items to their original owner; and a special invitation to a meeting.

The first two things were easy enough, but the invitation was a bit surprising.

Li Zhengxi and Chen Lixian immediately concluded that this was a banquet held at Hongmen with ulterior motives.

Wang Laojiu frowned, looking dissatisfied, muttering to himself: "Why did they only return a visiting card? That kid Lou Jingyuan didn't even come to apologize! Du is taking my words for granted!"

Luotuo whispered to comfort him, "Brother Jiu, although Lou Jingyuan didn't come to apologize, we didn't just get the Jinyuan Wharf, we got the entire Shiliupu. This can be considered as... a step back, right?"

Wang Laojiu nodded, then turned to look at Jiang Lianheng, seeming a little embarrassed.

"The key is Brother Jiang's face..."

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Lianheng waved his hand.

"Brother Jiu, this is a small matter. They didn't agree to see me at the beginning, and they might not have left a visiting card. Now Du Yong has sent me a letter. Just show your attitude. The key is this visiting card. What do you think?"

"Brother, is there any need to think about this? We definitely can't go!" Li Zhengxi said hastily, "Even if Du Yong wants to touch the code, he has to come to our place. How can we listen to his arrangements?"

What Xifeng said certainly makes sense.

But why did Emperor Gaozu of Han sit down at Hongmen, and why did Guan Erye go to the meeting alone?

Could it be that they are all reckless and brainless?

When you are in the world, you can lose anything but not your momentum!

"If we go, it might be a trap; but if we don't go, the Axe Gang will surely become infamous, and not only will they be unable to control the docks, but we will also lose face."

Wen Tingge shook his head and sighed, "It's a dilemma. It's not easy to deal with it!"

"What are you afraid of? At most, I can just bring a few more brothers with me!"

Luotuo and the others said in unison: "If Du Yong dares to play tricks or use dirty tricks, I will chop him to pieces on the spot!"

Everyone was sharpening their knives and talking about it.

Seeing this, Xu Huaimin became a little restless.

"Ahem, my dear friends...can I say a few words?"

"Just say what you want to say!" Wang Laojiu looked at him sideways.

Xu Huaimin knew that his position was low and his words did not count, so he was particularly cautious with his words and weighed his words for a long time before he spoke.

"Brother Jiu, although I am not a man of the underworld, I am quite familiar with the rules of wharf grabbing in Shanghai. This invitation is actually not that complicated. It is just a 'tea talk'. These are all old rules!"

"Having a talkative tea?"

Jiang Lianheng and a few other northerners didn't quite understand, but Liu Yansheng seemed to understand it quite well.

The so-called "eating and talking tea" means that after the gang dispute comes to an end, everyone nominates an old and respected senior to act as a guarantor. Then the gangs gather together to negotiate face to face, define their sphere of influence, and resolve many disputes.

If we translate it into the language of the bandits outside the Great Wall, it would be called "using the whip to press the ground down."

The gangs from various mountains gathered together to draw boundaries and set rules.

If the statement was made in a different way, Jiang Lianheng and others would understand.

Although Liu Yansheng knew the situation clearly, he still had some concerns, so he asked, "Manager Xu, I understand the rules of tea, but the problem is that the gangs in Shanghai are fighting each other, and most of them are 'Green Gang family affairs'. We are going to negotiate with the 'Three Tycoons', who in the foreign land can suppress them?"

“Isn’t it already written here?”

Xu Huaimin picked up the invitation on the tea table and introduced: "The tea talk will be held in the Hongkou District of the British Concession. That is the base camp of the 'Yue Gang'!"

"Can the 'Yue Gang' suppress Du Yong and his gang?" Li Zhengxi asked.

"Well... that's not the case. In terms of strength, Shanghai is still dominated by the 'Three Tycoons'."

"Then why are you talking so much!" Chen Lixian retorted, "Besides, who knows if the Guangdong Gang has a crooked butt?"

Xu Huaimin nodded repeatedly, then pointed at the handwriting on the invitation and said, "If it were someone else, I wouldn't dare to say anything, but this 'Sanyouhui' restaurant is different. The boss there is called Yin Baokun, an old Hongmen!"

When everyone heard the word "Lao Hongmen", they were in awe.

No matter where they are, or whether they are in the black and white worlds, the Hongmen still has a lot of respect. The Qingbang cannot compare to them, and they are far behind.

Although in recent years there has been a common saying online that "the Qing and Hong gangs are inseparable forever", if you look closely at the root of the matter, the Qing and Hong gangs are simply not the same kind of people.

The Qing Gang started out by relying on the Qing Dynasty's canal transportation, and in their bones they were clinging to the powerful; the Hongmen Gang relied entirely on the slogan of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty, and in their bones they were resisting the powerful.

However, peace is the most valuable thing in the martial arts world. As the forces of both sides grew stronger and stronger, it was inevitable that they would intertwine with each other and gradually become relatives.

Now, times have changed. The Qing Gang is no longer the Anqing Gang, and the Hongmen is no longer the old Hongmen.

To put it bluntly, they are all quite despicable, but the Hong Gang has a long history and has produced several heroes, so they have been able to barely maintain their dignity and their eating habits are not too ugly.

According to Xu Huaimin's introduction, Yin Baokun was born into a "Red Stick" gang. He had been making his way in Shanghai more than 40 years ago. He first became famous in the Zhengjiamuqiao area of ​​Yangjingbang, where he worked as a scout for people. He was very prestigious because he was good at fighting and the "Guangdong Gang" was powerful at that time.

Later, the "Zhejiang Gang" rose, and the "Guangdong Gang" gradually turned from black to white. Since the fall of the Qing Dynasty, many Hongmen bosses abandoned the underworld and rushed to the government. Yin Baokun was old-fashioned and stubborn, so he did not seize the opportunity. In addition, he was getting older and was no match for the young. He soon retired and started a restaurant business.

In terms of power, he has no real power at all, but precisely because he has no real power, everyone loves him, respects him, and praises him.

Especially within the "Guangdong Gang", Yin Baokun is more like a "treasure to have an old man in the family" character, and he has a very good relationship with people.

Gradually, whenever there was a gang talk, they would ask him to come out and act as a guarantor, which was considered as a way for him to contribute his remaining energy to the younger generation.

"He has been in Shanghai for more than 40 years. How old is this old man now?" Li Zhengxi asked.

Xu Huaimin rolled his eyes and thought, "This year... I should be almost seventy, right?"

"He's an old man. I don't feel comfortable counting on him to provide a guarantee." Chen Lixian shook his head repeatedly.

"Oh my, Du Yong cares about his reputation, he won't mess around." Xu Huaimin comforted him quickly, "And we're talking about tea in Yin Baokun's place, if he takes action, it would be equivalent to offending the 'Yue Gang', don't worry!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's eyes immediately fell on his face.

Only then did Xu Huaimin realize that he had said too much.

He was very confident in what he said. If there was any trouble tomorrow, the Axe Gang would definitely use him to vent their anger.

Thinking of this, Xu Huaimin immediately stood up and said with a smile on his face, "I was just talking casually. It's up to you guys to decide whether to go or not. Um, can I leave now?" "Sit down!" Wang Laojiu shouted, and then turned to look at Jiang Lianheng, "Brother, what do you think we should do?"

"We must go, but we must deploy personnel in advance to ensure safety." Jiang Lianheng replied.

"Why do we have to go?" Li Zhengxi and Chen Lixian were puzzled.

Jiang Lianheng leaned back on the sofa, lit a cigarette and said, "From Du Yong's perspective, 'You have been making a scene to create public opinion and seizing the docks to incite people to stop. What is it for? It's all about face! Okay, now I'm giving you face, do you dare to take it?'"

Everyone looked at each other and nodded silently.

Jiang Lianheng went on to say, "We worked so hard to seize Shiliupu, but when it came time to discuss tea and demarcate the boundaries, we didn't even dare to show our faces. What would our brothers on the line think? Now we are showing our cowardice during the official game and dare not go to the table. If outsiders see us, they will think we have lost!"

Hearing this, Wang Laojiu laughed out loud: "Hahahaha, brother, I don't think as much as you think. I only have one thing in my mind - I can't let Du Yong think that I, Wang Laojiu, am afraid of him. Don't even mention Yin Baokun, even if it's the fucking Du Mansion, as long as he dares to invite me, I'll go!"

Since the leaders of both sides have reached a consensus, their brothers naturally have nothing to say.

So, everyone immediately selected their troops and sent out several brothers with quick feet and sharp eyes that night to set up signs around the main traffic arteries of the British and French Concessions and the "Three Friends Society" restaurant. Then they gathered all the ruthless brothers, sharpened their axes, loaded their guns, and prepared for battle.

While the Axe Gang members were busy preparing, Jiang Lianheng called the two Buddhist masters, Wen Tingge and Chuang Hu, to his side and whispered a few words to them.

"Wen Tingge, please work hard tonight and don't sleep."

"Boss, what do you want?"

"Go and keep an eye on Zhang Xiaolin's house. Go now and keep an eye on him until tomorrow's tea talk." Jiang Lianheng stroked his chin and said, "Among the 'three tycoons', the only one who really suffered was Zhang Xiaolin. His wife's nephew was beaten up by Xifeng, but nothing happened... This shouldn't be the case! The invitation didn't say he would go!"

Wen Tingge responded, "If there is any movement at Zhang Mansion during the tea talk, I will notify you immediately."

Jiang Lianheng nodded, and finally reminded: "Don't leave any trace, let's go!"

Wen Tingge left quickly.

Chuang Hu looked at his back, feeling uneasy. He looked up at Jiang Lianheng and asked, "Boss, then... am I going to Huang Mansion?"

"Go back to the Old Town Apartment!"

"Don't you want me to go to the Huang Mansion?"

Jiang Lianheng shook his head: "He is Lao Chai from the French Concession. It is impossible for him to bring him to the British Concession to act arrogantly. You go back to look after the house. The luggage is still in the apartment!"

Chuang Hu was overjoyed and immediately accepted the task, as if he was afraid that Jiang Lianheng would regret it the next second, and he ran out immediately.

Jiang Lianheng, Liu Yansheng and Li Zhengxi simply stayed at the Anhui Provincial Hometown Association Hall.

Everyone rested.

The night is long and dreams are many. At noon the next day, Jiang Lianheng and Wang Laojiu kept their appointment and went to the "Three Friends Association" in Hongkou District of the British Concession to talk about tea!
……

……

At twelve o'clock noon, there was a strong wind by the river and dark clouds covered the sun.

The "Sanyouhui" restaurant is located at the intersection. It has a Western-style exterior and Chinese-style decoration. On weekdays, there are people coming and going, and the scene is very lively.

Business today seems a bit quiet. The weather is certainly one reason, but more importantly, a diner just walked over, looked up, thought for a moment, and then left.

There was a shiny black car parked in front of the hotel. About 20 to 30 hooligans in black shorts were gathered around it. This scene alone was enough to scare people.

Du Yong arrived five or six minutes earlier, but did not enter the door. Instead, he stood beside the car, frowning and looking towards the south, looking forward to it.

Ye Chaosan and Rong Qingrui stood by and whispered, "Brother, can we go in first?"

"I'm the host, and guests are welcome. Please wait a moment!" Du Yong said slowly.

About the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, I heard a rumbling sound of footsteps from across the street. I looked up and saw thirty or forty members of the Axe Gang, surrounded by two rickshaws, running towards me quickly.

"That bitch!" Rong Qingrui sneered, "You came here in a rickshaw, and yet you made such a big scene!"

Du Yong said in a deep voice: "If they come by car, we don't have to be afraid of them."

Soon, members of the Axe Gang arrived and two rickshaws stopped in front of the "Three Friends" restaurant.

The car body tilted, Wang Laojiu and Jiang Lianheng walked forward, and Du Yong also came over with a smile.

"You two are Master Jiu and Boss Jiang, right?"

"Mr. Du!" Wang Laojiu clasped his fist coldly and then glanced at the disciples brought by Du Yong.

Jiang Lianheng looked at Du Yong with interest.

It is said that Du Yong behaves like a scholar, but today I realized it was all nonsense when I saw him. He has a pointed face and high cheekbones. No matter how you look at him, there is not the slightest trace of bookish air on his face.

Du Yong also looked at the other two curiously, then turned sideways and raised his hand towards the restaurant and said, "Master Jiu, Boss Jiang, it's windy today, please come in!"

"Wait!" Wang Laojiu looked around and asked, "Why aren't Inspector Huang and Mr. Zhang here?"

Du Yong explained politely, "Mr. Zhang has other plans today, so he specially asked me to come and entertain you two. As for Inspector Huang... he has been busy with police duties these days. As for the reason, I don't need to explain it any more, right?"

Although it was expected, Wang Laojiu still looked very dissatisfied. He curled his lips and turned around and ordered: "Lixian, take the brothers and wait outside!"

Chen Lixian and Li Zhengxi nodded and stayed outside to keep watch according to the established plan; while on Du Yong's side, of course, Rong Qingrui and his men were also on guard.

In addition, the few scattered tables in the "Three Friends" restaurant were also occupied by Green Gang disciples and Axe Gang members in disguise.

Both sides are well aware of this, but they don't speak out.

"Okay, then come in and sit down!"

As Wang Laojiu spoke, he walked into the "Sanyouhui" restaurant with his camel.

Du Yong still stood where he was, and said to Jiang Lianheng and Liu Yansheng, "You two, please come in first!"

Jiang Lianheng was not polite either. He walked up the steps, but when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, shook hands with Du Yong, grinned, and asked a question that left Liu Yansheng and Ye Chaosan a little confused.

"Mr. Du, are you feeling better?"

Du Yong remained calm, nodded and smiled, "Thanks to Boss Jiang, things have finally improved in the past few days."

Meticulous and careful - this was the first impression Du Yong left on Jiang Lianheng.

(End of this chapter)