20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 562 Senior
French Concession, Du Mansion.

His eyes fell on the coffee table, and he saw a blood-stained left ear and a crumpled bank note.

The blood in the ear had already drained out, and now it was slightly indigo-colored, looking like dead ash.

Du Yong sat quietly beside the floor lamp. When he saw these two things, he looked embarrassed and his face turned pale, but he was still able to control his temper.

Even in front of his trusted subordinates, he did not lose his composure, nor did he criticize Ye Chaosan for his poor performance.

Now that things have come to this, it is no longer up to him to decide whether to fight or make peace.

Since Jiang Lianheng and Wang Laojiu, these two ruffians, would not allow him to watch the show, there were only two paths left for him to take.

Either take the beating in silence or join the game.

After much thought, I feel that neither of them is the optimal solution.

Ye Chaosan was still in shock and was sitting on the sofa opposite, chattering non-stop, repeating what he had seen and heard in the Anhui Province Association Hall.

"While he was talking, he suddenly pulled out a gun and shot Rui Ge to death. He was totally unreasonable and even said he wanted to buy a few lives from the Du family first..."

Du Yong held his chin with one hand and remained silent. He seemed to be listening, but also seemed to be turning a deaf ear to what was said. His mind had already drifted away to other places.

He didn't care how brutal Jiang Lianheng's style was, how cruel his methods were, or how reckless his actions were.

None of this matters.

He only cared about one thing: what was Jiang Lianheng's background.

Anyone who dares to commit crimes in the foreign land cannot be without a backer, and this backer must be extremely powerful, or even able to influence the current situation.

When Du Yong thought of Jiang Lianheng's hometown Fengtian, he already had some guesses in his mind, but he was still not sure, or it was hard to believe.

"Brother, Jiang Lianheng is really too arrogant. If they do this, even if I don't want to fight, I have to fight back now, right?"

Ye Chaosan was so excited that he couldn't help rubbing his hands together and said, "No matter what his background is, Shanghai is ultimately the territory of the Green Gang. Both the black and white gangs are the old man's disciples. There is no reason for us to be afraid of them."

This is no exaggeration.

As long as the "three big bosses" of the Green Gang can work together, no other gang in Shanghai can match them.

Not to mention the underworld gangs with backers, even those former officials who have now resigned from office would be blackmailed and exploited by the three of them if they wanted to settle down in the foreign concessions.

Ye Chaosan firmly believed that as long as he united the police power of Ma Pi Huang Jinyong and the military connections of Marshal Zhang Xiaolin, together with his elder brother Du Yong's connections and brains in the political and business circles, he would be able to sweep across the entire foreign concessions.

The small Axe Gang is nothing to be feared; as for Jiang Lianheng, he can be easily destroyed with a little help.

However, Du Yong remained silent and did not respond immediately.

On the contrary, when he heard the word "old man", a hint of displeasure flashed across his face. His expression was so subtle and fleeting that it was difficult to detect.

After pondering for a while, Du Yong suddenly stood up slowly, with a gloomy face, walked to the window, and looked into the distance at Zhang Mansion next door.

It was quiet in Zhang Mansion, and the cold moonlight sprinkled on the stone road in the courtyard.

Except for two windows in the servants' room which were still lit, the entire mansion was immersed in the gloomy autumn night.

Looking up, I saw the moon at its zenith, a waxing crescent moon, just when I was seeking perfection.

It is a great regret in life that something is almost full but not yet full.

Du Yong stood alone under the moonlight, frowning and tapping the windowsill with his fingers, as if he was thinking about something.

"Brother, are you really going to take the beating?"

Ye Chuosan was a little worried, so he quickly got up and walked over.

Seeing Du Yong turn sideways and shake his head, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Brother, Zhang Xiaolin and his men recently recaptured Shiliupu and are very excited these days. As for Jiang Lianheng's matter, do you want me to notify them and ask them to be on guard recently?"

Du Yong was silent for a moment, and finally waved his hand and said, "Forget it. Don't tell anyone about your attempt to negotiate peace with the Axe Gang."

"No?"

Ye Chuosan was stunned for a moment, and then began to worry vaguely.

"Brother, if we don't explain Jiang Lianheng's behavior to Zhang Mansion in advance, there might be trouble!"

"No need. I have tried to persuade them before, but they insisted on fighting, which is why it has come to this. If you talk too much, others will get annoyed."

Du Yong's tone suddenly became unusually firm, which surprised Ye Chao three times.

But if you think about it carefully, there seems to be nothing wrong with this move.

After all, most of the Qing Gang disciples knew about Zhang Xiaolin's character.

This person is not only capricious and violent, but also refuses to listen to advice. Once he has made up his mind, no matter who tries to persuade him, even if they talk him into submission, no one can change his mind. In the end, not only will he not get any good results, but he will also dislike others for meddling in his affairs.

After all, Du Yong privately sent people to negotiate peace with the Axe Gang, but the negotiation failed and he ended up losing a brother. Such a shameful thing should naturally be kept as low-key as possible.

Ye Chaosan didn't think much about it, and then said: "Brother, you should at least explain it clearly to the old man, right?"

"There's no need to talk to the old man."

Du Yong turned around, left the window, sat back in the rocking chair, and quietly lit a cigarette.

Ye Chaosan didn't understand what he meant, so he hurried over and leaned over to ask, "Brother, according to Jiang Lianheng's style, once a fight breaks out, there will be a lot of noise. Add to that the 'Trouble in Heaven' hired by the Guangdong Gang, and I'm afraid there won't be peace for some days. Lao Chai is my man, how can we not use him at this time?"

"I didn't say no."

Du Yong took two deep puffs of his cigarette and apparently only said half a sentence.

It is impossible for the gang fights in Shanghai not to involve the Chinese and foreign police. He just doesn't want those old guys to be prepared too early.

Now, many members of the Axe Gang have been arrested. If the suppression continues, this fight between the gangs may become a one-sided situation.

But this was not Du Yong's vision. He wanted to be the outsider who balanced the power of both sides. Unfortunately, Jiang Lianheng had already noticed it and forcibly dragged him into this chaos.

Seeing that there was no follow-up, Ye Chaosan immediately realized that he had said too much, so he just stood there obediently and said no more.

Immediately, Du Yong raised his hand and whispered, "Ye Zi, tomorrow morning, take your men to the arsenal and get a few more pistols. Try to get one for each of the brothers guarding the house. But don't be too exaggerated. Keep a low profile first."

Ye Chaosan responded and then asked, "Brother, do you need to ask a few more brothers to come over to look after the house?"

Du Yong hesitated for a moment, and finally shook his head and said, "Too many people will make it look conspicuous. Just notify them first and ask them to be on standby at any time."

Afterwards, the two of them discussed secretly for a while under the lamp.

Du Yong naturally gave many instructions and Ye Chaosan obeyed without hesitation. As he was talking, a dull bell suddenly rang faintly in the mansion.

After a while, the housekeeper of the Du Mansion came over in a hurry and said, "Master, there's a phone call from the study for you."

"Who's looking for me so late?" Du Yong stood up and asked curiously as he walked towards the study.

The housekeeper followed behind and explained in a low voice: "In reply to the master, it was Master Li Wu from the Ning Gang."

"Didn't you say you had anything to ask me?"

"No, I just asked you if your master is asleep."

Du Yong nodded, and then unconsciously quickened his pace.

The Master Li Wu mentioned by the housekeeper is no ordinary person. In terms of the relationship with the Green Gang, he is one of the few "big" elders of the Green Gang. Du Yonghe should call him "Master".

However, Master Li Wu became rich not because of his membership in the Green Gang.

On the contrary, the Li family has been wealthy for generations and has been prosperous for a hundred years. It is a blessing for the Qing Gang that he is willing to use the Qing Gang's generation name, but it may seem condescending.

Uncle Li Wu was born into a prominent family called the "Ning Gang". More than ten years ago, he traveled to Vladivostok in Kanto to form a Chinese merchant gang. The leader of the escort group of this Chinese merchant gang was none other than the great poet Zhang, who came from a family that built railways for the Russians.

In the year of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty, Li Wuye responded to the call of the South and recruited soldiers in the Guandong border area. He spent a huge amount of money to win over many mountain bandits. He then sailed south and arrived in Shanghai. He paid for the military pay of the revolutionary society out of his own pocket and made great contributions to the cause of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty.

After the liberation of Shanghai, Mr. Li Wu was awarded the rank of major general and worked as an official in the government office. Later, for various reasons, he decided to resign and go into business.

As it turns out, he is indeed more suited to business.

It was precisely because of the rise of the "Ning Gang" headed by him that the "Yue Gang" originally entrenched in Shanghai gradually lost its former glory, and he was therefore elected as the chairman of the "Ning Gang" Shanghai Association.

Nowadays, countless military and political leaders in Jiangzuo have had more or less interactions with Master Li Wu.

Since such a person called him personally, Du Yong naturally had no reason to neglect him. He immediately walked quickly into the study and picked up the phone.

"Hello, Master Wu, I'm Yong."

Hearing that Uncle Li Wu had returned to his hometown to worship his ancestors some time ago, Du Yong hurriedly greeted him.

Soon, his expression suddenly changed, and a hint of confusion and surprise flashed across his brows.

"Oh, yes, yes, there is such a person recently."

Du Yong slowly sat down at the desk and then waved to the door.

Seeing this, the housekeeper and Ye Chuosan tactfully closed the study door, leaving him alone in the room.

Du Yong turned on the lamp and asked quietly, "Fifth Master, please allow me to ask you one more question. Who is this Jiang Lianheng to you?"

"Well, actually, he is not my man. I have an old subordinate. He sent a telegram to ask me to help take care of him and talk to him. I heard that there is a misunderstanding between you two?"

The voice on the other end of the phone was a bit noisy, and it seemed that Mr. Li Wu had just returned to Shanghai from his hometown.

Du Yong laughed dryly twice and said helplessly: "This... is indeed a bit of a misunderstanding."

Upon hearing this, Master Li Wu couldn't help but pause and asked, "Ah Yong, if that's the case, then you should tell me the truth. Can the misunderstanding between you two be resolved?"

"Fifth Master, I want to tell you the truth, but I can no longer make the decision on this matter."

"Well...it can't have developed to the point of life and death, right?"

Du Yong did not answer directly, but changed the subject and suddenly asked: "Fifth Master, do I know the old subordinate you just mentioned?"

"It's none other than Zhang Xiaokun, the former head of the Restoration Army Cavalry Regiment." Master Li Wu laughed, "Do you have any impression of him?"

That tall guy who doesn't look very serious?

Du Yong's heart trembled, but he said: "I have heard of him, but he may not have heard of me. In this case, he is in Fengtian now?"

"I just found out about this." Li Wuye explained, "According to what he said in the telegram, he should have gone to join Fengtian and Zhang Fei. This is not surprising. The Zhili clique doesn't like him. In the current situation, he has no other place to go except the Fengtian clique."

At first glance, it seems that Zhang Xiaokun has reached the end of his rope.

But Du Yong did not dare to take it lightly. No matter how poor Zhang Xiaokun was, he was still an army general. He had once served as the military attaché of President Feng in Beijing and was a full-fledged military officer. Why would he be willing to send a telegram to support Jiang Lianheng?

After thinking for a while, Du Yong finally said, "Fifth Master, you are a senior who has seen the world and has been to Guandong. I am unsure about something now, and I hope you can give me some advice..."

……

……

The stars moved in the night sky and in the blink of an eye it was already the second half of the night, the time when people were exhausted and had the deepest dreams.

Inside the Episcopal hospital in the American Concession, the corridors of the building were brightly lit, but no one could be seen. Occasionally, a nurse on duty would walk back and forth, and although she was tiptoeing, her footsteps were still very harsh.

On the third floor of the hospital, in the ward at the end of the corridor.

The room was dark, with only a beam of light coming through the square window on the door, falling on the bed.

After a moment, the blue curtains moved suddenly, and it seemed that something fell to the ground and slowly approached the bed stealthily.

"Brother Wen?"

I could tell it was Chuanghu's voice.

He was wearing a nightgown, half-knelt down, touched the bedside, and gently pushed the person on the bed.

"Brother Wen? Brother Wen... Hey, Wen Tingge!"

I called out softly several times, but the person on the bed didn't move and didn't respond.

Chuanghu couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Oh my god, he's really unconscious. He hasn't woken up yet?"

He wanted to turn on the light, but was afraid of alarming the nurse on duty, so he took out a box of matches from his arms, muttered and chirped for a while, and finally struck a match with a "click".

"Brother Wen?"

Chuanghu gathered the flame in his hand and slowly shone it towards the head of the bed.

When he was about to take a closer look at Wen Tingge's condition, he just took a glance and suddenly felt his heart tremble. He was so scared that he almost shouted out on the spot.

But under the weak flame, a thin face was seen, deeply sunken into the pillow. At this moment, it was staring at Chuang Hu with its eyes wide open...

(End of this chapter)