Chapter 33: My Lord, Times Have Changed
The big man smiled awkwardly and didn’t dare to respond. There weren’t many secrets in Shanghai’s black market to begin with.
These speculators, more or less, had all received the news about a batch of medicine worth 150,000 US Dollars.
Xie Yuankui clasped his hands behind his back and paced around the room.
“Is the news reliable?” Xie Yuankui pondered for a moment before looking at the big man and saying, “Could it be that someone deliberately released false information to set us up?”
The big man said in surprise, “Elder Brother, do you mean that this news was deliberately released by that guy surnamed Lin to make the gangs interested in Sixteen Rows Wharf fight among themselves?”
“Unlikely. This news came from inside Sixteen Rows Wharf.”
“It’s said that the guy surnamed Lin spilled it after drinking too much.”
“Elder Brother, we’ve dealt with the guy surnamed Lin more than once. Back when Xu Biao was around, this guy surnamed Lin was just a runner, and after mixing around for over a decade, he still amounted to nothing.”
“Everyone says he’s pig-brained, but he has a bit of loyalty, so others still respectfully call him Fifth Brother.”
“Otherwise, this guy would have been kicked out of the stall long ago and left to fend for himself.”
Xie Yuankui nodded frequently as he listened. This Lin Xueyi indeed had no real abilities.
He’d been working under Boss Cao for twenty years or so, and he was still at the level of a hoodlum, unable to even reach the mid-level.
No one knew what dogshit luck he had this time for that gang to push him up.
However, in the eyes of people like Xie Yuankui, this Lin Xueyi being pushed up was obviously to take the fall.
Xu Biao died under unclear circumstances, and Sixteen Rows Wharf was a juicy piece of fat meat. Whoever sat in Xu Biao’s position would become everyone’s target.
Only someone like Lin Xueyi, whose brain wasn’t too sharp, was suitable to be pushed out to take this hit.
“Then we’ll wait two more days.” Xie Yuankui was silent for a while before finally making up his mind.
But for safety’s sake, he still instructed, “Arrange a few people to keep an eye on the activity at Sixteen Rows Wharf and see if there are any problems.”
“Right, go greet Ishikuro Tora and have him pick a few quick-handed, decisive men.”
“Sixteen Rows Wharf must be controlled in our hands. We absolutely cannot let others pick the peach.”
“Yes, Elder Brother.”
Shanghai, Sixteen Rows Wharf Warehouse.
At night, with cool breezes blowing, Sixteen Rows Wharf was still bustling with voices. Countless coolies pushed flatbed carts, in groups of three or five, shuttling between the wharf and the warehouse.
In mid-March, with the Japanese Army and Blue Army confronting each other in Xuzhou, transportation on the Longhai Railway and Jinpou Railway had mostly stopped.
Therefore, inland water transport had increased a lot compared to before.
Near a warehouse to the northeast of Sixteen Rows Wharf, in a dark corner, several figures were sneakily hiding in the shadows.
They were like rats hiding in the dark, but their eyes never left that warehouse gate.
“Old Stick, is the source of the news reliable? Will there really be a transaction here?” The speaker was a middle-aged man with an axe tucked in his waist.
The man named Old Stick carefully flattered, “Tiger Lord, rest assured, I’ve inquired clearly.”
“They’re transacting tonight, and the numbers aren’t low. These materials are worth at least 300,000.”
“Tiger Lord, you’re the best fighter under Elder Brother. If we pull this off, we’ll make a fortune.”
The man called Tiger Lord patted the other’s shoulder and laughed, “Old Stick, as long as the news is genuine, you won’t miss out on your share this time.”
“I heard you’ve recently taken a liking to Widow Tian from the laundry?”
Old Stick scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, “Nothing can hide from Tiger Lord. I’m already in my thirties and still don’t have a woman who knows warmth and cold.”
Tiger Lord laughed heartily, “Old Stick, I understand your little thoughts. Rest assured, as long as we do this job beautifully, Tiger Lord will cover the money for you to marry a wife.”
Old Stick hurriedly cupped his hands upon hearing this, “Thank you, Tiger Lord. Thank you, Tiger Lord.”
Tiger Lord waved his hand, then as if remembering something the next moment, “Old Stick, I’ve heard that Widow Tian is a husband-killer. She’s already killed three men before and after. You boy need to be careful.”
Old Stick was smiling awkwardly about to speak when a burst of rapid footsteps came. A youth wearing a black short jacket ran up to Tiger Lord, panting, and said, “Ti-Tiger Lord, saw trucks, trucks.”
“Two big trucks, covered with tarps. Can’t see clearly what’s on them.”
Two trucks, covered with tarps. It looked like there was indeed something inside. Could it really be medicine?
However, if it was really sulfanilamide injection, these two big trucks would be an astronomical figure. Tiger Lord was momentarily unsure what was inside.
At this time, Old Stick sidled up and said, “Tiger Lord, maybe this time it’s tablets, not injections.”
Tiger Lord frowned. Though he still hesitated in his heart, he also felt that the news Old Stick got shouldn’t be wrong.
After all, Old Stick’s position in the gang was to gather intelligence, and he rarely made mistakes over such a long time.
Moreover, two big trucks of sulfanilamide tablets would indeed match the transaction numbers.
Sulfanilamide tablets weren’t expensive when imported from abroad, but if traded, it was like hitting the jackpot seven times in a row, turning a few cents into a few silver dollars.
No one bought this stuff by the whole box; they bought it one tablet at a time when needed. The price fluctuated greatly—lowest at two silver dollars per tablet, highest at five silver dollars for one tablet.
The youth, seeing Tiger Lord’s hesitant look, couldn’t help but ask, “Tiger Bro, should we make a move?”
Tiger Lord nodded and said, “Of course. First, let the trucks in. Have Ergou take some men to guard the back door so they don’t slip out the back.”
“The rest follow me to rush the front door. Once inside, chop anyone you see. Be ruthless.”
Pausing, a ruthless glint flashed in Tiger Lord’s eyes as he said word by word, “Leave no one alive.”
Sixteen Rows Wharf Warehouse.
Two trucks covered with army green tarps slowly drove into the warehouse. After the trucks stopped, Yamada Yasushi jumped down, and Chen Yang, waiting nearby, immediately came forward with a cheerful smile.
“Yamada-kun, you’re right on time.”
Yamada Yasushi smiled slightly, “Punctuality is to be expected, Mr. Chen. Let’s inspect the goods first.”
With that, Yamada Yasushi clapped his hands. Three or four men came out from the cab, uncovered the tarps, and jumped onto the trucks.
At Yamada Yasushi’s signal, Lin Xueyi led a few brothers to jump onto the trucks as well. They pried open the weapon crates, revealing stacks of brand-new firearms neatly arranged inside.
There were Type 38 rifles, Nambu Type 2 submachine guns, Type 96 light machine guns, and Taisho Type 92 heavy machine guns.
Yamada Yasushi’s men deftly loaded ammunition into the magazines, then handed the guns to Lin Xueyi and the hoodlums nearby.
Some of these hoodlums who made a living at the stalls had been soldiers down from the battlefield, so they had some knowledge of firearms.
The group stood on the trucks, repeatedly toying with the guns in their hands. At that moment, the warehouse gate was suddenly smashed open.
A group of men waving axes rushed in, shouting and yelling.
