20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 537 Aftermath
British Concession, Hongkou District.

At the Sanyouhui restaurant, Yin Baokun sat at the table by the window, his face gloomy and silent.

There were only a few bowls of tea on the table, and no fruits or snacks. Beside the old man were a few men in their prime, some of them ferocious, some of them gentle and refined. Each of them was well-dressed and had an extraordinary demeanor. They were all leaders of the "Guangdong Gang" and were successful in both the black and white worlds and in all walks of life.

But the old man was unhappy, so these young people had to keep quiet, smoking, looking up at the sky, thinking about something, with different expressions on their faces.

After a while, a young man in shorts came running in, bowed and clasped his fists to the crowd:

"Uncle Kun, we found out that the person who led the attack was 'Baima Chaosheng', Zhang Xiaolin's people..." He hesitated for a moment and added, "Boss Du doesn't seem to know about this matter."

Yin Baokun slammed the table and glared, shouting, "His and Zhang Xiaolin's families are next to each other. How could he not know about such a big thing? I am old, not stupid!"

The old man was so angry that he was shaking all over.

Seeing this, the guy didn't dare to reply rashly.

Everyone looked at each other and was about to speak when Yin Baokun asked again, "How are Jiang Sheng and Wang Sheng doing?"

Hearing this, the young man first stole a glance at the man with gold-rimmed glasses, and after getting tacit approval, he whispered back, "Wang Laojiu has returned to the guild hall, Mr. Jiang has not been found, and several people died at the scene, including Liu Yansheng and..."

Before he could finish his words, Yin Baokun stood up with a slam on the table. Suddenly, he felt a black screen in front of his eyes. He staggered two steps. Others hurried to help him. When he stood up, he trembled and blamed him: "What is he, what is Zhang Xiaolin trying to do? Does he know the rules of the underworld? This is... This is not taking me seriously at all!"

A sullen-faced man in the audience immediately echoed, "Damn it, Zhang Xiaolin can be as arrogant as he wants, but what's the point of using Uncle Kun as a show? Do you really think we're eating for free?"

"Brother Hei, you can't talk like that!" The man with the gold-rimmed glasses said slowly, "All is fair in war. If talking about tea can bring eternal peace, then we don't need to support so many brothers, right?"

"Bullshit, if he wants to cheat, don't take us with him! If this gets out, what will happen to Uncle Kun's reputation? How will we survive in the underworld in the future?"

"Well, I always advise Uncle Kun that when you get older, you should just be an elder and not bother with those youngsters. Otherwise, this day will come sooner or later!"

"Four Eyes, are you from our Yue Gang or their Qing Gang?"

"The underworld is united, and the Green and Red are inseparable. Why are you asking this?" The man with gold-rimmed glasses asked aggressively, "Are you going to stand up for those northerners and become enemies with the Green Gang's 'three tycoons'?"

Hei Lian was speechless - even if he had this intention, other "Guangdong Gang" leaders would never agree to disrupt the current balance in Shanghai.

The man with gold-rimmed glasses turned to look at the old man and smiled respectfully, "Uncle Kun, as far as I know, Du Yong really didn't know about this matter. Although Zhang Xiaolin took action, it was a dispute between him and the Axe Gang. Why should we get involved? Besides, the tea talk is about Shiliupu. Now Shiliupu is peaceful, so it doesn't count as breaking the rules."

Yin Baokun turned his head and glared: "The Jianghu is chaotic. If everyone does what he does, is there still morality?"

The man with gold-rimmed glasses said calmly with a smile, "Uncle Kun, the world has changed. If we want to be righteous, we must also consider the pros and cons! To put it another way, if Zhang and Du can do things cleanly, who would want to be righteous for the dead?"

Yin Baokun had nothing to say.

After all, the old man has no real power.

The young people at the table respect him and call him "Uncle Kun"; if they are disrespectful, they call him an old man in his twilight years.

After thinking it over, Yin Baokun had no choice but to shake his head and said, "I don't care about anything else. First, Liu Sheng is my 'Yuanmen brother' and he knows the rules and etiquette. You have to go to the government office and make arrangements to get his body out. Second, I once bailed out the Axe Gang. Now that you don't agree to stand up for them, you should at least come to their house to apologize and explain the whole story to them!"

"Of course!" everyone responded in unison.

The man with gold-rimmed glasses stood up and saluted, and hurriedly comforted him, "Don't worry, Uncle Kun, I'll get someone to do it right away."

Yin Baokun sat down dejectedly, propped his head on his shoulders and waved his hands: "Alright, alright, let's all go. No one should come to see me again today."

Upon hearing this, everyone left their seats, leaving the old man alone in the private room, looking bored and thoughtful. It seemed that he was planning to help, but he was powerless.

The leaders of the "Guangdong Gang" left the restaurant, exchanged a few polite words at the door, and then dispersed one after another.

The man with gold-rimmed glasses walked to the corner of the street and told his trusted men, "I'll go to Zhang's mansion to inform them. You guys go to the county police station to find Captain Jiao and bring out the body of Liu Yansheng."

"What about Wang Laojiu?" asked the guy.

The man with gold-rimmed glasses smiled mysteriously and said, "You have already delivered the letter, but you didn't see Wang Laojiu because the Axe Gang didn't receive it."

Seeing that several of his confidants didn't understand, he shook his head in disappointment and asked, "Who is Wang Laojiu?"

Several people looked at each other and whispered, "He is such a reckless man, he doesn't give anyone face!"

"That's right, he's a desperate man, he's impatient." The man with gold-rimmed glasses suddenly turned his head to look at the window of the restaurant, and said meaningfully, "Uncle Kun is old but his heart is young. We should take this opportunity to let the old man have a good rest."

When the guys heard this, they were stunned. Although they hadn't recovered from the shock for a while, they had already guessed that this was a game within a game!

Come to think of it, if Zhang Xiaolin only knew how to work hard and recklessly, how could he easily become one of the "three tycoons" of the Green Gang?

Behind all those seemingly arrogant, impulsive and unconventional behaviors are nothing but dirty and filthy deals that have not yet been exposed to the world.

After wandering around the martial arts world for decades, no leader was given the top spot for free, and Zhang Xiaolin was no exception...

……

……

It was morning, and the weather was clear and crisp in autumn.

The door of the Anhui Hometown Association Hall was closed. Wang Laojiu sat in the backyard, looking sinisterly at the two Axe Gang brothers kneeling in front of him.

Last rainy night, it was these two men who risked their lives to carry Wen Tingge away from Zhabei Railway Station.

That night, after they arrived at Suzhou River, Wang Laojiu and Chen Lixian went ashore when they reached the middle section and carried Wen Tingge into the hospital in the American Concession. In order to avoid being questioned by the hospital, they quickly found an opportunity to escape. They had planned to take a boat to the mouth of Suzhou River to meet up, but unexpectedly they discovered many Green Gang spies on the way, so they had to hide for a night until the foreign concessions gradually became busy again, and then they asked the Axe Gang members who were pulling rickshaws to tip off and take them back to the embassy.

It was thought that the two brothers were in great danger, but unexpectedly, after being captured by Green Gang spies at the mouth of Suzhou River, they were released unharmed one night later.

Thinking of last night's assassination and the fact that everything was calm in Shiliupu, Wang Laojiu couldn't help but become suspicious and felt that something went wrong on his side.

The two brothers were also at a loss, swearing and swearing in an attempt to prove their innocence.

"Master Jiu, we don't know why the Qing Gang let us go. We really have nothing to do with this. If you tell us any lies, we will be struck by lightning..."

Seeing this, Chen Lixian hurriedly whispered, "Master Jiu, they were both among the earliest brothers. They can't be traitors. In my opinion, it is likely that Du Yong and Zhang Xiaolin deliberately let them go to sow discord and disrupt the harmony between our brothers."

Wang Laojiu pondered in silence.

The counter-espionage plan is vicious and is not just about the two brothers in front of us.

Compared with "Jiang Gan stealing the book", this counter-espionage strategy is more sinister. Its cleverness lies in the fact that the other party clearly told Wang Laojiu that they were using a counter-espionage strategy.

Moreover, the assassination has already happened, and all signs indicate that there is indeed a high possibility that there is a traitor in the Axe Gang.

Now, the Qing Gang has released the two men, leaving Wang Laojiu to guess: Are they spies?

Regardless of whether Wang Laojiu believes it or not, kills them or not, in order to ensure caution, it will be difficult for these two core backbones to be reused in the future.

When suspicion arises, people’s hearts will be divided!

Wang Laojiu didn't have much property to begin with. Compared to the wealthy Green Gang disciples, the Axe Gang members often had to be self-reliant. Without any interests binding them together, they could only huddle together for warmth. Once their hearts turned cold, they would disperse.

After all the calculations, it was actually a conspiracy.

Even in a small gang, the people are restless and prone to fall apart at any moment, let alone a country?

Wang Laojiu felt that it was not easy and could not help but shake his head and sigh. After thinking for a while, he did not easily deal with the two brothers. Instead, he asked, "Did you not see Brother Jiang last night?" "No." The two said in unison, "Li Zhengxi did not get on the boat at all. When we arrived at the mouth of Suzhou River, we did not see Boss Jiang along the way, but..."

"If you have something to say, just say it!"

"But we saw an empty boat halfway. There was a fishing light on the boat, but no one was there. We don't know what was going on."

"The boatman isn't here either?"

"No."

Wang Laojiu could not help but frown, leaned forward, and suddenly asked, "Lixian, is there any news about Brother Jiang and Xifeng?"

Chen Lixian shook his head: "I haven't found it yet. I've already told the guys at the rickshaw company and asked them to help ask the boatmen in Shanghai."

Wang Laojiu nodded helplessly and sighed, "If I had known this would happen, I should have sent more people to escort them. I shouldn't have trusted Du Yong and Zhang Xiaolin, a bunch of scumbags. And that bastard Lao Guang, I think he's just pretending to be confused!"

"Master Jiu, although our Shiliupu was not lost, several brothers died after all. Du Yong and Zhang Xiaolin must avenge this vengeance, and so must Yin Baokun!"

Chen Lixian's words immediately gained unanimous approval from the Axe Gang members.

Everyone shouted at once: "Master Jiu, a good blacksmith must be strong himself. If we want to open a shop in Shanghai, we still have to rely on ourselves in the end. Boss Jiang's tricks are just icing on the cake. Fists are the real deal!"

"Right! Who cares if he's from the Green Gang or the Yue Gang? We won't give face to anyone. We'll kill that old man first, and then we'll wipe out the Du Mansion!"

The crowd was excited and furious. Wang Laojiu was naturally not afraid. As the gang leader, he had no reason to be afraid in this situation. He immediately gave a loud order:

"Brothers, keep an eye on your own place, prepare your weapons overnight, and go to Yin Baokun to ask for an explanation first!"

Unexpectedly, just as he finished speaking, a brother from the Axe Gang rushed in from outside and reported in a hurry: "Master Jiu, I just got the news that the stabbing at the train station last night caused too much noise. The county and suburban troops stationed in Shanghai, the French police station, and the International Settlement police station have all sent more people and are patrolling the streets!"

When everyone heard this, they felt disappointed.

The two circles and three parties could turn a blind eye to the fighting between gangs at the docks, but the outbreak of a gunfight at Zhabei Railway Station was a serious public security scandal, and both the Chinese and foreign parties would not allow riots to break out again in Shanghai in a short period of time.

Soldiers are soldiers, and bandits are bandits.

Although Wang Laojiu was fearless, under such circumstances, he could not lead a large group of people to attack the British Concession.

The Axe Gang members looked at each other, feeling hesitant, and said awkwardly, "How about... wait until the storm has died down?"

"Wait for the fucking news!" Wang Laojiu slammed the table and yelled, "If we can't fight, I'll just assassinate him!"

……

……

At dusk, the Anglican Hospital in the International Settlement.

The corridor was bustling with people, doctors and patients, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

A middle-aged man wearing a brown windbreaker and a top hat walked into the hall, looked around, and seeing that no one was bothering him, he quietly walked to a corner of the corridor and slowly climbed the stairs.

The third floor is full of intensive care units, and the corridor is much quieter. Occasionally, there are a few female nurses and patients' family members, who are either taking care of the patients' excrement or delivering medicine or injections. They all seem to be in a hurry and whispering.

The man walked slowly through the corridor, lingered in front of each ward door, looked inside through the glass window for a moment, and then moved to the next ward.

After a while, he slowly came to the door of the ward at the end of the corridor.

When I looked inside, I saw that it was a single room. At the moment, there was a patient lying on his side on the bed with his back to the door, receiving an infusion. There were two scarlet spots on his back.

The man in the windbreaker did not hesitate. He quietly turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. A pungent smell of disinfectant immediately hit him in the face.

The curtains were drawn and it was dusk, so the room seemed especially dim.

The man in the windbreaker walked to the bedside, looked down at the injured person on the bed for a moment, then reached out his hand and felt the other's breath.

Just at this moment, there was a sudden noise behind me.

"Are you his relative?"

The nurse came over with a tray of bottles and cans in her hands and placed it on the bedside table. She said with a little surprise, "I don't know where the two people who brought him here last night ran away. They did leave a lot of money, but I don't know who he is. Are you his relative or friend?"

The man in the windbreaker turned around and did not answer. Instead, he asked, "How is this man's injury?"

The nurse immediately became wary and asked with a frown, "Who are you and why are you asking this?"

"I'm a detective from the police station." The man in the windbreaker took out the ID he carried with him.

After checking, the female nurse was shocked and asked hurriedly: "Is he the criminal?"

The man in the windbreaker smiled and said, "He is my colleague."

"Oh my, that's it! I was so scared! No wonder he had gunshot wounds on his body. Could it be because of what happened at Zhabei Station last night?"

"Sorry, I can't reveal too much right now." The man in the windbreaker put his ID back into his pocket and pointed at the bed. "Can he be saved?"

"The doctor said he is no longer in danger of death, but it's hard to say whether it's lucky or not!"

"why?"

The nurse explained: "One bullet hit the shoulder blade, and the other hit the spine. Because the bullets hit the spine, his internal organs were not injured and there was no internal bleeding, so he was saved. However, he will most likely be paralyzed in the future. You'd better ask his family to come and see him as soon as possible."

"He has no relatives in Shanghai." The man in the windbreaker said calmly, "I'm afraid the elderly at home won't be able to accept it. Let's wait a little longer."

"I see. That's true."

Although the female nurse was young, she had seen the joys and sorrows of life and the fickleness of human nature in the hospital, so she was naturally accustomed to such things. Some patients were the backbone of their families, and it was not uncommon for the whole family to fall ill if one person fell ill.

The man in the windbreaker then asked, "When will he wake up?"

"I dare not talk about this kind of thing. I have to arrange for him to eat liquid food tonight!" The nurse suggested, "How about I take you to see a doctor and let him talk to you?"

The man in the windbreaker shook his head and took out a small card from his pocket.

"You know, my job is special. When he wakes up, just call the police station and look for me."

As he spoke, he suddenly paused, and his tone became serious: "You know what the police station does, right? Perform well and don't be careless."

The female nurse nodded quickly and said timidly, "Don't worry, I'll take care of him here."

"By the way!" When the man in the windbreaker walked to the door of the room, he suddenly turned around and reminded quietly, "During this period, if anyone comes to visit him, remember to inform me at any time."

The female nurse accompanied him and said quickly, "Okay, I understand!"

The man in the windbreaker nodded, looked over the female nurse's shoulder, glanced at the injured person on the bed, then turned and left.

Just as the two were saying goodbye at the door, Wen Tingge lay on his side on the bed with his back to the door. His tightly closed eyelids suddenly moved slightly, almost imperceptibly...

(End of this chapter)