Chapter 22: Everyone Has Their Own Plans
“It’ll be ready right away, it’ll be ready soon.” The man in black clothes signaled Xiao Ma to continue inspecting the goods, while he cupped his hands toward Chen Yang and said: “I am Guo Kui, under Boss Jin of the Green Gang Juyi Hall. Top of the head is Tong Zi, feet step on Jue Zi, bosom holds Wu Zi. Brothers give face and call me Master Kui. May I ask how to address you?”
Master Kui, a third-rate hooligan pretending to be a big shot in front of me.
Chen Yang said impatiently: “We’re not marrying into each other’s families, why ask so many questions?”
“I’m here to sell goods. You check if there’s any problem with the goods, you receive the goods, I receive the payment, it’s that simple.”
“You don’t need to know anything else.”
Guo Kui apparently didn’t expect this reaction after introducing himself…
Boss Jin, Jin Dayou, is also a prominent figure in Shanghai.
The highest ranking in the Shanghai Green Gang nowadays is the Da Zi Generation’s Zhang Renkui, Old Master Zhang.
Jin Dayou is one of his disciples, higher in seniority than the two Chinese Directors in the French Concession.
Judging by Chen Yang’s current behavior, he seems completely unaware of how deep Boss Jin’s strength runs.
In other words, this guy is really a novice.
But a novice managing to get medicine from the Gendarmerie Headquarters clearly defies common sense.
In this situation, either he’s badass, or his dad is badass.
Guo Kui originally planned to chat him up upon approach, hoping to gauge his depth from a few words.
But Chen Yang had no intention of giving him the opportunity, wearing an expression that kept people a thousand miles away.
Chen Yang looked at the man sorting the medicine boxes nearby and said: “Boss Guo, you’ve already inspected the goods. If there’s no problem, let’s make the transaction.”
“Okay, okay, okay.” Guo Kui quickly agreed.
He commanded his brothers to load the medicine onto the car and send it to the warehouse. Guo Kui smiled at Chen Yang and said: “Boss, the goods are fine.”
“According to the rules of the trade, I can’t give you the money directly; it has to go through one hand.”
“You go wait at Boss Xu’s stall now, and the payment will arrive on time within half an hour.”
“By the way, if there’s more business like this next time, remember to come to me.”
“Our Boss Jin has plenty of everything—money and men.”
“You just give an address, we’ll bring the money to transact, and you won’t have to spend extra for no reason.”
Ho, the deal isn’t even done and he’s already trying to poach the client. Sure enough, whether past life or this one, these gray business folks love to play the cross-the-river-and-demolish-the-bridge trick.
Chen Yang smiled: “Thanks for the promotion, Boss Guo. If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll definitely come to you first.”
Guo Kui repeatedly expressed thanks, then led a group of underlings in grand fashion to escort Chen Yang to the door, and thoughtfully prepared a rickshaw for him to send him to the Sixteen Rows Wharf Warehouse.
Chen Yang didn’t refuse, cupped his hands to them, got on the rickshaw, and headed toward the Sixteen Rows Wharf.
Xiao Ma watched the increasingly distant rickshaw, leaned close to Guo Kui, and whispered: “Master Kui, Xu Biao has put out the word inviting everyone to share the fish. Are we still doing it?”
“Do what? I don’t want to go see the ancestors so early.” Guo Kui looked toward the direction where the rickshaw disappeared and said gravely: “Xiao Ma, tell Shen Liuan to be smart. Don’t get involved in the matters at Xu Biao’s stall. Deliver the money and leave immediately, not a second longer.”
“Understood, I’ll go say it now.” Xiao Ma nodded, hesitated for a moment, then asked: “Master Kui, should we inform Boss Xu?”
“In case he really makes a move.”
Guo Kui sneered: “Then there’ll be a good show. The Sixteen Rows Wharf is a piece of fat meat. Without the face of Boss Cao and Boss Du, a fool like Xu Biao wouldn’t have this fortune.”
“How many merchant ships come to the Sixteen Rows Wharf in a day? Just the head tax is enough to eat well. Most importantly, the wharf there can still move goods.”
“Those eyeing that fat meat aren’t just us.”
“If he dies, who that place belongs to is up in the air.”
Shanghai, French Concession, Sixteen Rows Wharf.
This is the largest wharf in the French Concession; big means plenty of oil and water.
Originally, this was the territory of Ye Zhuoshan, one of Boss Du’s Four Great Vajras.
After Shanghai fell, Boss Du thought of developing in Hong Kong Island. Ye Zhuoshan, one of his confidants, volunteered to go to Hong Kong Island first to set things up.
One emperor, one court; with Ye Zhuoshan gone, plenty of people wanted to move on this wharf.
Even Boss Zhang had strong interest in it.
However, in the end, Boss Du reached an agreement with Green Gang Da Zi Generation elder brother Boss Cao, entrusting the territory to him.
Of course, Boss Du had thought it through carefully.
First, Boss Cao wasn’t as strong as the other Da Zi Generation elders; the only capable one under him was Xu Biao.
Second, Boss Du kept a backup plan. If Ye Zhuoshan didn’t do well in Hong Kong Island and wanted to come back, he could step in to reclaim this territory.
The rivers and lakes often says people leave and tea cools, but that depends on who leaves. At least Boss Du’s face still can’t be challenged in the French Concession.
Nine o’clock at night, the wharf was still brightly lit.
A rickshaw passed through the workers’ sheds where wharf coolies gathered and arrived at a night market entrance on the side of the wharf.
The rickshaw puller stopped the cart steadily, nodded and bowed to Chen Yang: “Boss, the place you’re looking for is the small building at the deepest part of the night market. Sorry, the roads inside are narrow, inconvenient for entering and exiting, so I’ll drop you here. Is that okay?”
“If you think it’s not, I’ll pull you inside.”
Chen Yang didn’t bother arguing with a rickshaw puller over this, handed him two silver dollars, and walked inside on his own.
The night market was bustling with voices, meat fragrance wafting everywhere, and even the cooks stir-fried with heavy flavors.
Wharf workers did hard labor, so the cooks here naturally prioritized their needs, making dishes heavy on oil and salt, focusing on large portions and filling.
Following the address Lin Xueyi had left before, Chen Yang walked to the end of the night market and stopped in front of a small building.
The small building was wooden, three stories up and down, with several men in coarse short jackets gathered chatting on the ground floor.
The biggest revenue from this stall under Xu Biao was income from exploiting laborers, simply put, like later-era labor dispatching, taking head tax.
The gangs of this era were far more ruthless than later companies.
They usually ate from both ends.
That is, not only exploiting laborers’ money, but also collecting from merchants.
Of course, the big share had to be handed up to their superiors; they just took a small cut.
This was the so-called rules of the rivers and lakes.
Only this night market was different; it was his own little piggy bank, so he paid special attention, usually arranging underlings to patrol outside and drive away drunk troublemakers.
Seeing this group of men in rough short jackets, Chen Yang instantly understood why Lin Xueyi had approached him to propose the materials business.
This gang looked really poor.
Chen Yang walked up, cupped his hands to them: “Excuse me, I’m here to see Boss Xu. Please pass the word.”
