Chapter 153: 152, Gang Leader Wang’s Assassination Experience, Fang Wen’s Combat Car Strikes
“Opening a casino? General Manager, don’t you think my line of work is disgraceful?” Zhao Jiu said in surprise.
Although he was in the gang world, he had self-awareness and didn’t mind how others saw him.
But he never expected the boss of Taishan Airlines to suggest opening a casino to him.
To his question, Fang Wen replied: “Good or bad depends on the person. Some casinos can ruin families, force people to sell their wives and children to pay debts, while others have rules and limits. I see that you have rules and conscience.”
Hearing Fang Wen say this, Zhao Jiu couldn’t help but feel proud. He didn’t care how others saw him, but General Manager Fang’s praise was an exception.
“That’s right. My dad was a gambler who lost everything and disappeared. I don’t know if he jumped into the Huangpu River. The day I opened Fugui Casino, I set rules for myself: earn the money that should be earned, and never go too far in anything.”
“Yeah, if you don’t do it, someone else will. It’s better if you do it.” Fang Wen replied with a tongue twister, then said seriously: “I’m preparing to open a big casino company in the United States. I need a manager to stay there permanently, responsible for daily operations. The location is in Nevada, where gambling was legalized the year before last. They’re building a gambling city in the desert, specifically for gambling, entertainment, and leisure.”
“A city specifically for gambling?” Zhao Jiu was extremely surprised. He suddenly realized that this was exactly the place he wanted to go the most.
But Zhao Jiu knew his own weight.
He opened Fugui Casino in the Zhabei area of Shanghai, and besides his own capital, it was mainly thanks to his Green Gang identity. He relied on big shots to step in and settle problems with all parties, plus payoffs to everyone, to achieve what he had now.
If he went to the United States, he would have nothing, and the language barrier would make it impossible to carry on.
He explained all his concerns one by one.
Fang Wen, driving the car slowly, explained: “In the United States, I’m opening a casino company. I’ll recruit a group of English-speaking Chinese to help you, and there will be American employees too. You’ll mainly manage the casino internally. As for marketing, logistics, other entertainment industries, and hotel management, we’ll hire from society.”
What Fang Wen explained was the business ecosystem in the United States, where corporate management had permeated every aspect, unlike the human relations and worldly affairs in China.
As long as the systems and management are sound, a company’s operations basically won’t have problems.
On top of these guarantees, plus Fang Wen’s future vision, it was a project very likely to make money.
Of course, Fang Wen wouldn’t say these things to Zhao Jiu.
He just wanted one more trustworthy person to go there and help watch over his industries, so that if any problems were found, they could be solved in time.
The car continued to drive slowly on the road, and Zhao Jiu fell into a dilemma.
On one hand, there was the fairly comfortable environment, the casino that was starting to prosper, the daily flattery from his little brothers, and the women who came and went frequently.
On the other hand, the new opportunity brought by the favored child of heaven he recognized, participating in building a casino kingdom in a new desert city.
Comparing the two, one was the present, the other the future.
Choosing the present probably wouldn’t change.
He didn’t dare have any ideas about the positions of the two Green Gang big shots, Huang and Du.
Choosing the future might allow him to carve out a piece of sky.
He was a daring adventurer and also a daring gambler.
“General Manager, I’ll go with you.”
“Good. This time into the city, I have one more thing. Take me around the city, notify those friends who went to the Northeast with us, I have something to discuss with them.”
“Where to talk?” Zhao Jiu asked.
Fang Wen handed a note to Zhao Jiu. “The place provided by Gang Leader Wang. Notify them to come here.”
Then, under Zhao Jiu’s guidance, the car drove to one location after another.
Each time, the car stopped by the roadside, and Zhao Jiu got out to notify.
Taking this opportunity, Fang Wen also learned about the recent situation of the treasure hunting group members.
They were all doing very well. In this luxurious place of Shanghai, they all had their own residences and enjoyed comfortable lives.
Who could have thought that a year ago, these people were still struggling for livelihood, full of dangers.
After notifying everyone, Fang Wen drove with Zhao Jiu to the secret meeting place.
It was a riverside warehouse, on the upper reaches of the Huangpu River, far from the concession and the Japanese, counting as a safe place.
The car stopped outside the warehouse, and Zhao Jiu got out first to check inside.
Fang Wen stayed in the car, using mechanical perception to scout the surroundings.
After merging with the car, the observation range doubled, and he also discovered some clues.
What Shanghai had the most of were spies. There were two around this place, observing secretly.
Their identities were hard to determine; they could be gang members, Japanese, forces from the concession, informants from the security bureau, etc.
At this time, from the warehouse side, Zhao Jiu waved to signal that inside was fine.
Fang Wen put on his hat, pulled down the brim, raised his collar to cover his face, opened the door and got out, walking straight into the warehouse.
As soon as he entered the warehouse, he saw Gang Leader Wang with several subordinates inside, and he went straight over.
“I saw two guys secretly surveilling this place outside, one at the corner across the street, and another in the alley on the left opposite the street.”
Gang Leader Wang was very familiar with the terrain around here and immediately sent subordinates to check.
After a while, two secret agents were caught and brought back.
Facing these two, Gang Leader Wang showed a cold expression and drew a small axe.
“Daring to probe the Axe Gang, you have to follow our rules: one small finger per person.”
The two men’s faces changed drastically. They wanted to beg for mercy but were gagged, their hands forcibly pressed on the table, and an axe chopped down.
This was the true face of the Axe Gang. To stand in Shanghai, you had to be ruthless.
The two secret agents lost their little fingers and completely submitted, confessing everything in detail.
These two weren’t even from the same group.
One was from the Green Gang. As the largest gang in Shanghai, the Green Gang had many subordinates and various livelihoods; this one was specifically an informant gathering news.
But this time, he had offended the Axe Gang, and that little finger was lost in vain.
The other had a big background: a member of the Revival Society’s Shanghai Station.
Gang Leader Wang sneered: “The Green Gang one is fine; it’s them who broke the rules. The Revival Society one came for me. General Manager, don’t worry.”
Fang Wen was inevitably surprised: “What does the Revival Society want with you?”
“Two years ago, I did a big business on Mount Lu, almost succeeded.” Gang Leader Wang replied.
Zhao Jiu, who had just pacified the Green Gang informant, came over and heard Gang Leader Wang’s words, asking in surprise: “What big business?”
No need for Gang Leader Wang to say, the Axe Gang members all knew about it and chattered about their boss’s exploits.
Two years ago, the confined Hu Hanmin sent someone to find Gang Leader Wang, offering 200,000 silver dollars to buy Chiang Kai-shek’s life.
In June, Chiang Kai-shek happened to go to Mount Lu to escape the summer heat. When the news reached Gang Leader Wang, he immediately prepared to act.
At that time, the Axe Gang split into two teams.
One team guarded the airport, the other went straight to Mount Lu.
The airport team didn’t wait for him; Chiang Kai-shek changed to a warship.
The team led by Gang Leader Wang hollowed out a ham to pass the guards’ check at the mountain foot, disguised as tourists to go up the mountain, then ambushed on the mountain waiting for the chance.
Later, when Chiang Kai-shek’s group went mountain climbing and sightseeing, they launched the assassination.
At that time, intense gunfights broke out on both sides, with casualties on each, and finally they had to abandon because the defending troops at the mountain foot were about to arrive.
The Axe Gang members’ recounting made Zhao Jiu listen intoxicated. So Gang Leader Wang was so formidable, daring to assassinate the National Government’s top figure, even if unsuccessful, it was unmatched.
He chatted with the Axe Gang members about the details back then, wanting to know more.
Meanwhile, Fang Wen walked aside with Gang Leader Wang to talk.
“The one sent this time might be related to another assassination of mine.” Gang Leader Wang said.
“Who else did you assassinate?” Fang Wen couldn’t help admiring this man, the assassination king who had been causing trouble from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China.
Gang Leader Wang glanced around and said in a low voice: “That year after we returned from Mount Lu, we were blaming ourselves for the failed assassination. Then someone from the south came with a new job. Sun Ke sent Ma Chaojun to Shanghai to find me to assassinate Song Ziwen, to stop the new fiscal policy. I arranged a team to guard at the Shanghai train station. Two targets came out dressed the same, and it didn’t succeed then; his secretary Tang Yilu took the bullet instead. But no one knew it was related to me, so it was dropped.”
Pausing, Gang Leader Wang continued: “Later, Dai Li from the Revival Society action group sent people to investigate and found the two informants we bought. This time, the Revival Society must have traced it to me.”
So that’s how it was.
Fang Wen recalled Gang Leader Wang’s end; he seemed to die miserably.
It seemed before the War of Resistance broke out, he was assassinated by Military Statistics Bureau people.
He reminded tactfully: “Gang Leader Wang, you need to be careful. Why don’t you go to the United States with Zhao Jiu?”
Gang Leader Wang refused without hesitation. “No, my life is in China. As long as I’m here, those people will at least fear assassination and not dare act recklessly.”
Fang Wen was moved in his heart. Regardless of whether the assassinations were good or bad, this displayed national righteousness was the backbone of China.
Without his assassinations, without articles daring to denounce on newspapers, without patriotic students’ street demonstrations and lectures, without Communist Party members fighting for workers’ and peasants’ interests, this world would have been chaotically irredeemable long ago.
And precisely because of their existence, the Tanggu Agreement would leave the last shred of face, refusing to mention giving up Northeast sovereignty.
The two spies were taken away.
Axe Gang people guarded outside.
Treasure hunting group members arrived at the warehouse one after another.
Fang Wen got straight to the point.
“There was a little accident. Today, the matter to discuss with everyone needs a quick decision, so I won’t beat around the bush. This trip is to finalize the establishment of the pension investment fund.”
Pension investment fund was something the treasure hunting group members had never even heard of.
Fang Wen didn’t wait for their questions and explained directly.
“I’m planning a trip to the United States. There’s a gambling city under construction there. I want to use Taishan Airlines’ funds to invest in building a casino. I also want to ask here if you’re willing to participate. If yes, put half of your pensions into the pension investment fund. The investment dividends earned will increase your assets, extend your retirement years, and benefit your families.”
Everyone still didn’t quite understand. Although Western business theories were already popular in China, the corporate annuity model was still completely unfamiliar in China in 1933.
Fang Wen had to explain in a way they could understand more easily.
He thought for a moment and simply said this.
“30 years of dividends, the first fifteen years unchanged. The latter 15 years of gold, if you’re willing, hand it to me to manage, let the money make money, better than putting it in a money house for others to borrow and eat interest.”
Gang Leader Wang understood first: “Why didn’t you say so earlier? It should be like this. Take half of that gold batch for you to do business; I absolutely trust you. What do you all say?”
The others voiced agreement one after another.
“Yeah, Taishan Airlines achieved this in 2 years, enough to prove everything.”
“I was just about to ask if it could be handed to the General Manager to handle; now it’s perfect.”
“I have no objection. I trust the General Manager.”
With everyone’s agreement, Fang Wen’s trip was fulfilled.
He bid farewell to Zhao Jiu and left.
In the car, Zhao Jiu couldn’t help asking.
“General Manager, don’t you have another sum of money? Using that money is enough to build the casino; you don’t need us to participate in investment dividends at all.”
“That sum of money absolutely cannot be used recklessly.” Fang Wen rejected Zhao Jiu’s idea without hesitation.
He knew clearly in his heart.
Taishan Airlines and the profit sharing from the two treasures were his money, also the main funds for this investment.
The treasure hunting group’s pension annuity was a supplement to the investment.
In the future, he might even get investments from the United States side, or even list the casino.
But there was still one huge sum of funds he absolutely wouldn’t use: half of the gold from the Northeast Young Marshal’s Mansion, the special fund for resisting Japan.
That money couldn’t be touched or lost; it must play a role at the critical moment.
Shaking off his thoughts, he started the car: “I’ll take you back. Prepare these few days; wait for my call.”
The car drove on the street, but gunfire came from behind.
Zhao Jiu, turning to observe, said: “It’s from the warehouse side.”
Through mechanical perception, Fang Wen saw more clearly than Zhao Jiu.
More than twenty plainclothes men with submachine guns shooting at the warehouse.
Weren’t those guns the batch of Thompson submachine guns brought by the American gang and robbed?
With ample firepower, the people inside the warehouse were suppressed and didn’t dare poke their heads out to shoot.
Seeing that group of plainclothes about to approach the warehouse under firepower cover.
Fang Wen turned the car around, accelerated to rush over, and shouted at the same time.
“Zhao Jiu, to the back seat.”
While Zhao Jiu crawled to the back seat, Fang Wen pulled out a lever under the seat.
Immediately, a rotating turret popped up from the back seat.
“Turn it clockwise.”
Zhao Jiu understood clockwise, gripped the rotating turret, and turned it hard.
As he turned, an aircraft machine gun rose from the back of the car.
“No way, General Manager, you installed this thing on the car.” Zhao Jiu exclaimed.
This was the Vickers-Macmillan aircraft machine gun, model MG 16.
Once an ornament on the f.220 airplane, useless there, Fang Wen had it removed and modified to install on his combat car.
MG 16 fired 7.62x63mm rounds, 600 rounds per minute, not great among aircraft machine guns.
But on a combat car, absolutely perfect!
