20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 534 Zhang Du
"Boom boom boom!"

French Concession, Du Mansion.

The house was dark. The old housekeeper hurried up the stairs with his coat in hand. He came to the bedroom door on the second floor in the dark, knocked twice, and called softly, "Master? Are you asleep?"

"what happened?"

The response from the bedroom was a bit lazy, as if the person had just gone to bed, and the tone was very impatient.

The old housekeeper leaned sideways by the door and said hurriedly, "Master, something has happened. It's a big deal."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of slippers tapping on each other could be heard in the house.

Then, a golden edge suddenly lit up in the gap under the bedroom door, and a dim yellow light appeared on the old housekeeper's face.

Du Yong, wearing a white singlet, stood at the door and asked attentively, "What's the matter?"

The old butler came forward and whispered a few words anxiously.

After hearing this, Du Yong's eyes widened and he asked in surprise, "What are you talking about?"

"Master, this is true!" the old housekeeper stressed again and again, "Someone just came to deliver a letter, and the Zhabei Railway Station is in chaos now!"

"Come on, follow me to the next door!"

Du Yong casually picked up a black short coat and put it on his shoulders, then led the old butler and walked downstairs.

Halfway through the journey, he shuddered again, as if he suddenly remembered something, so he quickly turned around and said, "Forget it, I'll go over by myself. Go call Ye Chaosan and Rong Qingrui first and ask them to bring a few more people over to be prepared."

The old butler took the order and naturally did not dare to delay for a moment. He immediately ran to the living room and asked for a phone call.

As soon as Du Yong pushed open the door of the mansion, his disciples came over with umbrellas to see him off.

The rain has just started and it's not heavy yet.

Several people hurriedly passed through the Moon Gate, but unexpectedly, when they arrived at the gate of Zhang Mansion, they were blocked by a Qing Gang disciple.

"Boss Du... the Marshal has gone to bed." The man smiled awkwardly, "The Marshal has instructed that no matter what happens, we have to wait until tomorrow to discuss it."

But how could Du Yong be turned away by a younger generation?
He just raised his hand to push the young man aside, took big steps, and forced his way into Zhang Mansion.

The Qing Gang disciples did not dare to stop him, so they followed Du Yong like little dogs, almost begging him, "Boss Du, Boss Du, the Marshal has really fallen asleep, why don't you come back tomorrow?"

Of course Zhang Xiaolin didn't sleep.

At this moment, he was sitting upright on the single sofa, crossing his legs and smoking a hookah.

Seeing Du Yong coming to him, he was not surprised. He just raised his eyelids slightly and said to his disciples in a deep voice: "Everyone, leave!"

Hearing this, everyone hurriedly left, as if they were afraid that if they stayed for another second, they would be involved in the disagreement between the two brothers.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang and Du were the only ones left in the room.

After a moment's silence, Du Yong straightened his jacket on his shoulders, walked slowly to Zhang Xiaolin and sat down slowly.

"Brother Xiaolin, it's such a big thing... why didn't you discuss it with me in advance?" He asked patiently, trying to use a gentle tone, and smiling.

Zhang Xiaolin's eyes fell on the hookah, he took two puffs, and said quietly: "Ayong, there's no need to bother you with such a small matter!"

Du Yong's breathing was heavy, and his eyes were already filled with reproach: "But, didn't we already agree that we should first restore order at the docks and stabilize the Axe Gang, and then slowly find a way to deal with Wang Laojiu?"

"What else is there to think about!" Zhang Xiaolin snorted coldly. "That Jiang Lianheng is trying to be clever in front of us, doing all these things. He wants to take advantage of us and leave. It's not that easy. What does he think of our Qing Gang?"

"Brother Xiaolin, Jiang Lianheng is just a passer-by in Shanghai. He doesn't live here and poses no threat to us. Why should we make a mortal enemy of him?"

"You are right, he is just a passer-by, and he dares to jump around in front of Allah. Where can I put my face?"

"This Jiang Lianheng is a person with background and power in Fengtian!"

"Fengtian? Does Fengtian have any say over Shanghai?"

Du Yong was speechless, thinking for a while, and finally said: "Brother Xiaolin, in troubled times, things are unpredictable. More friends mean more paths."

"Hmph, what future does a beggar have!" Zhang Xiaolin didn't care and turned around to blame, "Ah Yong, why do you always boost others' ambitions and destroy your own prestige? Don't say that I don't give you face. If that Jiang guy can save his life and kneel down to worship me as his old man, I can let him go."

Du Yong shook his head and sighed, not knowing what else to say.

Zhang Xiaolin kept muttering to himself: "I asked someone to find out about him. He is a ghost. How can he be called a ghost if he is not dead?"

"Then he'd better be dead."

"Don't worry, I've already informed the government, Chaosheng will personally lead the team to handle it, there's no doubt about it."

"But...what about Uncle Kun?" Du Yong asked, "We just had a tea talk this afternoon, and now you're turning against me like this, how am I supposed to explain it to you?"

"What do you want to tell me?" Zhang Xiaolin asked back, "Did I send people to rob the Shiliupu Wharf? No! What can Yin Baokun say? I have been in the foreign land for so many years. When did I have to look at his face?"

What a sophistry!
"Brother Xiaolin, aren't you deceiving yourself?" Du Yong shook his head and sighed, "Although Uncle Kun has no real power, he is also a veteran of the Guangdong Gang. If you suddenly turn against him like this, you will offend more than just one person. The Guangdong Gang will have complaints."

"Snapped--"

Zhang Xiaolin slammed the table and stood up, curling his lips and said in a cold voice: "What about the Guangdong Gang, Zhejiang Gang, Anhui Gang, and Jiangbei Gang? The world of the foreign land is dominated by the Green Gang. The Green Gang is the Sanjin Company, and the Sanjin Company is the Green Gang!"

This may sound arrogant, but it is an indisputable fact.

The so-called "Guangdong Gang" is actually just a colloquial name. In essence, it is still a guild of fellow townsmen and cannot be considered a real gang.

What's more, the Green Gang disciples come from all corners of the country and are spread all over the foreign lands. Many of their fellow guilds are influenced by the Green Gang. Although they cannot be said to obey orders blindly, they definitely dare not act rashly.

In other words, all the gang disputes in Shanghai are, at their root, "the Green Gang's family affairs", with the Axe Gang being the only exception.

The Sanjin Company's underwriting of local products involved the vital interests of many powerful warlords and had long since become "too big to fail."

Therefore, although Zhang Xiaolin is crazy, he does have the capital to be crazy.

However, the two brothers have different personalities and aspirations. Although they have a life-and-death friendship, it is inevitable that they will gradually diverge.

Du Yong was about to speak when Zhang Xiaolin immediately interrupted him.

"Ah Yong, please stop talking. I know what's on your mind. I'll just remind you of one thing - once you're in the martial arts world, you'll be in the martial arts world for life!"

The corner of Du Yong's mouth twitched in response.

Zhang Xiaolin went on to say, "Don't think about those unrealistic things anymore. I am a gangster, and I can't return. I can have the status I have today by fighting and killing, not by talking about tea. You want to be a councillor, you want to be a county magistrate, you can think about it, but don't forget that those officials are friends with you not because you are smart, not because you know how to behave, and not because you know how to do business, but because you are a tycoon of the Green Gang!"

Du Yong's face turned pale and he sat there like a rock.

Of course he understood these principles, but understanding them did not mean that he would give up this fantasy.

Zhang Xiaolin had the upper hand, so he sat down slowly and said leisurely: "The world of Jianghu is dangerous, and success or failure depends on your means. If Yin Baokun has anything to say, let him tell me! You can lose anything but your face. If Jiang Lianheng is allowed to leave like this, who will be afraid of us in the future? How can a gang that no one fears make money?"

There are less than a thousand cups of wine every confidant, but a few words are not speculative.

The two men's thoughts and ideas are too different to be able to talk to each other. If they continue arguing, it will inevitably hurt the harmony between the brothers.

The rain outside the window was getting heavier, the wind was howling, and thunder was rolling.

Du Yong simply stood up slowly, clasped his fists towards Zhang Xiaolin, and said calmly: "Brother Xiaolin, I'm going back first."

At this time, Wu, the housekeeper of Zhang Mansion, suddenly ran in hurriedly, stood in the hall, bowed and said: "Master, Yan Chaosheng was arrested by the officials." "Got it, I will send someone to pull him out in two days." Zhang Xiaolin asked calmly, "Jiang Lianheng and Wang Laojiu have been cleared, right?"

"No, no...someone just came to tell them that they ran away." Butler Wu bent down very low and replied cautiously.

"what?"

Zhang Xiaolin frowned, slammed the table, and asked sternly, "Mother Ce, these good-for-nothings, more than a dozen of them have set up an ambush in advance, can't you get rid of those little bastards?"

Butler Wu wiped his sweat and said, "I heard from the person who came back to report that someone fired a gun in the station."

"A hidden gun? Is there a traitor?"

"Master... I don't know much about this either. Anyway, I heard them say that someone opened fire in the back and the lights in the station went out. We didn't have time to..."

"Then ask Lao Chai to chase after him!"

"I chased him, but didn't catch him. It seems he ran to the American Concession."

"Asshole!" Zhang Xiaolin cursed, "How could he not catch up? I think Captain Jiao is just working without putting in any effort!"

Butler Wu didn't dare to respond, but instead said, "Master, calm down. Yan Chaosheng and his men did not gain nothing. They also shot several people at the station!"

"Bullshit! They just cleared out a few scoundrels, and you still expect me to praise them?" Zhang Xiaolin ordered quickly, "Go find the informant in the concession, send out all your spies to search, especially keep an eye on the Anhui Hometown Association. They are now lost dogs, we must not let them get away!"

"They won't run away." Du Yong suddenly interrupted, "At least Wang Laojiu will definitely not run away. They are desperate criminals and will only fight with us."

Zhang Xiaolin laughed out loud: "It's better if they don't run away. If they have the guts, come and fight. Don't try to be clever this time. Let's fight head-on. I don't think they dare!"

Just as he finished speaking, a thunderclap suddenly sounded in the night sky!
Lightning flashed across the sky, strong winds brought heavy rain, and the chandelier on the ceiling flashed twice, flickering alternately in the hall. Several people could not help but look up.

After a moment of trance, the light of the light bulb finally gradually stabilized.

The treetops and power lines outside the window swayed in the wind.

Du Yong wanted to say something else, but when he saw Zhang Xiaolin's determined look, he was too lazy to persuade him anymore. He just said "Take care, Brother Xiaolin" and hurried back to his mansion.

Zhang Xiaolin was also not very happy when he saw Du Yong's worrying look. He immediately sat on the sofa, glanced at Wu Guanjia, and cursed:
"What the hell are you waiting for here? Go and notify the people in the American Concession!"

Butler Wu left quickly.

……

……

International Settlement, on Suzhou Creek.

Jiang Lianheng sat in the black-sailed boat and sailed downstream towards the river mouth.

The old boatman, wearing a straw raincoat and a straw hat, sat at the stern, face to face with him, carefully operating the oars. The hull was swayed from side to side by the wind, and occasionally hit the shore, making a "clack clack" sound.

Jiang Lianheng's mind flashed with the image of Liu Yansheng running for his life, limping, stumbling, and finally falling down.

Today, those noisy and chaotic scenes are gone.

The surroundings became quiet, and Jiang Lianheng finally got a moment to catch his breath and sort out what had just happened.

There is no doubt that this was an assassination attempt that was ambushed in advance. Only with more than a dozen killers lying in ambush in advance could they leave no trace.

He was already in a situation where he was doomed to die, but he was lucky enough to survive, firstly because of Chuang Hu's pearl necklace, and secondly because someone broke the platform light in time, buying him time to escape.

who is it?

The first person that came to Jiang Lianheng's mind was Yin Baokun. After all, the old man was the guarantor. It was possible that he had noticed something was going on after the party, but was afraid to become an enemy of the "three tycoons", so he helped secretly.

But this statement was too far-fetched and was quickly denied by himself.

Moreover, instead of guessing the people who are helping you, it is better to find a way to get rid of the people who are harming you as soon as possible.

Jiang Lianheng remained silent for a long time, never saying a word, and seemed to be hesitant.

Seeing this, the old boatman didn't dare to ask any more questions and just rowed quickly.

“Boom—boom—boom—boom!”

The rain suddenly got heavier, and the water drops hitting the roof of the sloop sounded like the gunfight just now.

Halfway through the journey, Jiang Lianheng seemed to have finally made up his mind, and said in a deep voice from inside the boat awning: "Boatman, dock."

"Ah? What did you say?" the boatman turned his head and asked loudly.

"Ashore!"

"Dock? Aren't you going to the river mouth? Why aren't you going again?"

"No, I'm going back to do something."

The old boatman leaned over and looked deep into the dark awning, as if he was spying into a wild animal's cave, and asked cautiously: "It's raining so hard, do you want to wait a while before getting off the boat?"

Jiang Lianheng shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, but no, I'm in a hurry."

The old boatman did not try to persuade her much, and seemed eager to get rid of the passenger with bleeding ears and a gun in his hand as soon as possible.

He swung the oars and with great effort, slowly and clattered the black-sailed boat towards the river bank, and finally it came to a steady stop.

Jiang Lianheng crawled out from under the awning and stepped onto the shore. In just a moment, his whole body was soaked by the rain.

He pulled a crumpled bill from his pocket and leaned over to hand it to the boatman.

"No, no!" The old boatman laughed foolishly and didn't dare to take it. "We haven't reached the river mouth yet, so I'll give you a ride for free."

"You are so generous, man. Can you do me another favor?" Jiang Lianheng put away the money and asked calmly.

The old boatman nodded and said, "Oh, what can I do for you? Tell me."

"If anyone asks about me, don't tell them I got off the boat here, okay?"

"I thought it was something else. It's just this matter. It's easy to talk about. I won't tell anyone about it. No one will ask me about it."

"Thank you very much."

"You are welcome."

"boom--"

The old boatman was startled for a moment, then he leaned back and fell into the water with a splash.

The rain was heavy and the Suzhou River was flowing rapidly. The old boatman's body soon floated towards the Huangpu River.

Bean-sized raindrops hit the surface of the river, splashing a large area of ​​fine water, and the entire Suzhou River seemed to be boiling.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Jiang Lianheng fired three more shots at the old boatman's body, then lowered his gun, stood on the shore and looked around, then suddenly turned around and disappeared into the dense rain like a ghost...

(End of this chapter)