Chapter 143: Think You Outnumber Us?
Rui Qingrong’s gaze sharpened, and he growled toward Song Zushan: “Boss Song, when did Phoenix Cry Pavilion become your territory?”
“I’ve heard that Xiao A Qiao’s skills are pretty good, so Boss Song must have experienced them firsthand.”
“We’re all men, so why not share?”
“Hahaha.” The underlings behind Rui Qingrong burst into raucous laughter upon hearing this.
Song Zushan shook his head and said: “Old Fire Crow, everyone on the streets says you’re just a toad that climbs shoes—not biting, but annoying—and they’re not wrong. You really do spew shit from your mouth.”
Rui Qingrong’s face turned icy, and he said sharply: “Boss Song, what do you mean by that?”
“What do I mean? I just don’t like the look of you and want to take you on.”
“Hahaha, just with you few?” Rui Qingrong laughed heartily: “Boss Song, I’ve heard you’re pretty tough in a fight. I’ve got about fifty men here. If each of you can take on ten, then fuck me.”
“Is that so?” Song Zushan lightly snapped his fingers.
With a clatter, a group of men wearing black short jackets, with red bands tied on their right arms, rushed in.
“Old Fire Crow, have you smoked too much opium and fried your brain?”
“This is the French Concession, and you’re trying to outnumber me here in the French Concession.”
“I’ve got two hundred men here. If you think that’s not enough, I’ve got several hundred more outside.”
Rui Qingrong’s face changed drastically: “Boss Song, Xiao A Qiao isn’t under your protection. Don’t meddle in this.”
“I like meddling. What are you gonna do about it?” Song Zushan sneered: “To tell you the truth, I’m here for you today. You won’t leave the French Concession alive.”
“Wait a minute,” Rui Qingrong hurriedly said upon seeing this: “Boss Song, we’re from the same sect. Fellow sect members fighting each other is a big taboo in the Green Gang.”
“Hahaha,” Song Zushan laughed loudly: “Does Old Fire Crow still care about that? Everyone on the streets knows you fled from Ning City to Shanghai, and it was Boss Ji Ji Yunqing who took you in as a disciple and gave you a chance to rise.”
“But as soon as you had a bit of power, you turned around and joined Boss Du, helping Boss Du swallow up Boss Ji’s opium business.”
“A turncoat like you who eats from one bowl and flips it over still wants to talk loyalty with me? Are you worthy?”
“What are you waiting for? Get him…”
“Kill.” Song Zushan’s underling leader shouted loudly, grabbing an axe and charging forward.
Song Zushan bent down respectfully toward Chen Yang sitting to the side: “Boss, you go take care of your business. I can handle things here.”
Chen Yang nodded slightly and walked to Xiao A Qiao: “Big Sister, there’s nothing good to watch with men fighting. I’m Chen Yang. I came uninvited, so please don’t mind, Big Sister.”
“Is there a quieter place here? I have some business to discuss with you.”
Xiao A Qiao bowed slightly: “Mr. Chen, please follow me.”
The two walked up the stairs one after the other, paying no attention to the bloody scene below.
In the innermost secret room on the third floor of Phoenix Cry Pavilion, the soundproofing was excellent. Once the door was closed, it completely isolated the outside clamor.
Xiao A Qiao locked the door from the inside, lightly pressed her finger on a spot on the door frame, and a hidden compartment popped open, revealing a copper switch.
She rotated it half a turn, and several wall lamps in the room lit up with soft orange light.
Chen Yang sat by the rosewood round table, wiping his glasses with a silk handkerchief.
Without the lenses blocking, his eyes appeared exceptionally sharp.
“Rui Qingrong moved faster than I expected.” Chen Yang put his glasses back on, his voice calm as if discussing the weather.
“I thought this guy could hold out for at least a few more days, but he dared to act so soon.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll cover all the losses tonight.”
Xiao A Qiao took a bottle of brandy and two crystal cups from a hidden cabinet. The liquor poured into the cups with a crisp sound.
“Mr. Chen is too polite. Phoenix Cry Pavilion isn’t that rich, but I can afford the renovation costs.”
With that, Xiao A Qiao pushed one cup toward Chen Yang and said without hiding anything: “Mr. Chen, you’ve been eyeing Old Fire Crow for more than a day or two, haven’t you? Are you after his territory in Zhabei?”
“You’re really going big. You just took Boss Zhang’s territory, and now you’re swallowing Old Fire Crow’s in Zhabei. Two-thirds of Shanghai’s territory is yours now. You’re more glamorous than any of the Three Tycoons.”
Chen Yang took the wine cup but didn’t drink right away. His fingertip circled the rim slowly: “You handled things downstairs beautifully—saving face without letting it get out of hand.”
“From your performance just now, I think we can cooperate.”
“Ten years in the jianghu aren’t for nothing.” Xiao A Qiao took a sip of wine, then suddenly changed the subject: “Mr. Chen, let’s not beat around the bush. You didn’t come here today just to rescue me, did you?”
Chen Yang chuckled lightly, pulled a kraft paper envelope from his inner pocket, and pushed it toward her: “Take a look.”
Xiao A Qiao pulled out the documents inside, and her pupils contracted sharply.
It was a yellowed newspaper clipping from Republic Year 7《 Fengtian Daily》. The headline was “Anti-Japanese Patriots Lin Couple Assassinated,” and the photo showed a man and woman lying in a pool of blood, exactly like her memory of her parents.
“You investigated me?” Her voice suddenly cooled.
“Just a routine background check by the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee.” Chen Yang’s tone softened: “Miss Lin, everyone says you grew up in Shanghai’s mayor… wait, Shanghai, sold to a brothel by your opium-smoking father while underage, but luckily taken in by the Green Gang Da Zi Generation elder Master Fusheng.”
“Later she died in gang fighting, and you used your extraordinary wisdom to hold onto Phoenix Cry Pavilion.”
“But I don’t believe an opium-smoking father could raise a child as outstanding as you. That story might fool Green Gang hooligans, but dodging the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee’s investigation is harder.”
“I had the Intelligence Department thoroughly investigate your background.”
“The Intelligence Department started with your opium-smoking father and took a few days to confirm you were abducted by him from the train station at age twelve.”
“Following that lead, plus your clothing and accent back then, we determined you probably fled from the North.”
“Of course, we couldn’t pinpoint your identity right away—until we found a man, the rickshaw puller Jinshui who lived next door to your family back then.”
“Do you remember? You told him back then that your father was Lin Shiwei in the photo.”
“Of course I remember. If not for Brother Jinshui, I might have starved to death long ago.” Xiao A Qiao’s fingers unconsciously traced the blurry outline on the newspaper: “Mr. Chen, you really have a way. Yes, my father was Lin Shiwei, an intelligence liaison for the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army.”
“So, are you here to arrest me now?”
“Arrest you? Why would I arrest you?”
“Sato Kenichi, head of the Kwantung Army secret agency.” Chen Yang leaned forward and said slowly: “He’s the killer who murdered your parents, but besides him, there’s another key figure.”
“The intelligence officer who betrayed your parents back then, codenamed Wild Boar, Zhou Mingqi.”
“While investigating your background, we accidentally discovered this Zhou guy has changed his name to Zhou Lang and is currently in Shanghai.”
Chen Yang pulled an action record from his pocket and spread it on the table, densely packed with times, locations, and people. “Every Wednesday and Saturday late at night, he goes to a Japanese bathhouse called ‘Sakura Soup’ in the HK district.”
“Only two bodyguards with him, usually staying three hours, leaving before one o’clock.”
“Thank you for this generous gift, Mr. Chen.” Xiao A Qiao showed a charming smile, instantly reverting to the shrewd boss lady. “Now, let’s talk about your ‘Moonlight Sand Club.’ How exactly do you want me to cooperate?”
Chen Yang was slightly stunned: “How did you know?”
Xiao A Qiao clinked her wine cup against Chen Yang’s: “Shanghai’s not that big or small. In our line of work, we have ways of knowing when somewhere gets new things.”
“Mr. Chen went to so much trouble to set up this club with such a big commotion—it’s hard to escape our notice.”
Chen Yang instantly realized: it was Moonlight Sand’s renovation workers.
It wasn’t that his secrecy was poor; the renovation team Lin Xueyi hired all had deep ties to these people.
Normally, such club renovations are handled by locals with experience.
And top-tier experienced renovation masters serve places like Phoenix Cry Pavilion, Night Shanghai, Paramount Ballroom.
So Xiao A Qiao naturally knew what Chen Yang wanted to discuss.
“Miss Lin really has some skills.”
“Since that’s the case, I won’t beat around the bush.” Chen Yang took a roll of blueprint from his briefcase and spread it on the table.
The drawing was a detailed floor plan of a three-story Western-style building, with red pen marks on modifications for each floor.
“HK district Sichuan North Road 1288-1293, six houses in total. I’ve bought them through a shell company, nominally under your full operation.”
He pointed to circled areas on the blueprint: “These spots need changes—a secret room behind the second floor restroom, third floor private room walls made into rotating secret doors, basement with added soundproofing.”
Xiao A Qiao studied the blueprint carefully, then suddenly picked up a pencil and crossed out a spot: “This point’s too obvious. Better to hide it in the fireplace chimney flue. Shanghai winters are cold; fireplaces won’t raise suspicion.”
“And the secret passage should connect to the kitchen. Grease smoke can cover many traces.”
A flash of surprise in Chen Yang’s eyes: “You can read architectural structures?”
“Learned a bit.” Xiao A Qiao brushed it off lightly and continued: “What about personnel? With all this, your targets aren’t ordinary people. Mediocre girls won’t attract your guests.”
Xiao A Qiao emphasized “guests” deliberately, clearly knowing Chen Yang’s purpose.
Secret rooms and hidden passages clearly weren’t for ordinary guests.
Chen Yang nodded slightly: “Personnel are being arranged. Besides selecting from Japan homeland, we’ve recruited a batch of top performers from major Japanese dance halls in Shanghai’s Japanese residential area. Now it depends on whether you, Big Sister of Phoenix Cry Pavilion, have the skills to train them into what I want.”
“That’s not a problem.” Xiao A Qiao nodded: “Then, next we should talk about splitting the money.”
Chen Yang looked at Xiao A Qiao with interest: “Miss Lin should have a number in mind. Why don’t you say it.”
Xiao A Qiao said: “First, this is just a cooperative relationship. If anything goes wrong midway, I can exit anytime.”
“Second, you can’t interfere with my management. If you do, I exit immediately.”
“Third, I want a share of your business. Not much—a base salary of one hundred silver dollars. If monthly revenue is below ten thousand silver dollars, I take nothing. But if it exceeds ten thousand…”
“However, for every extra zero in revenue, my salary gets an extra zero.”
