Chapter 22: The Truth
Gu Yansheng paused in his movements, “What do you mean?”
Wen Yan said in a low voice, “Last night I found people from the Green Gang to ask, and this car was taken by a Green Gang member named Wu Sibao.
Sure enough, we guessed right. This Wu Sibao has a high generational rank in the Green Gang and has the ability to go head-to-head with Liao Shan.
Isn’t the master that Liao Shan worships Old Master Huang Jinrong?
This Wu Sibao’s master is named Ji Yunqing. Although his strength isn’t as great as Old Master Huang’s, his generational rank is high. In the Green Gang, he is also a big shot level figure!
Moreover, I heard them say that this Ji Yunqing has a good relationship with the Japanese. Right now on the Shanghai Bund, with Japanese backing them, who is afraid of whom?
Speaking of which, getting this information was really easy. I estimate that when Liao Shan was helping us look for it back then, he really put in effort. As soon as I inquired, everyone knew, and I just spent the money for a round of drinks to get it all.”
“Wu Sibao.”
The grudge has its head and the debt its owner. Gu Yansheng had to remember this name.
“Any news on the car purchase?”
“Not yet for now. It was pretty late after drinking last night. I figure by the time they wake up and send the message, the earliest it could be is this afternoon. Should I go back this afternoon to ask?”
“No need to be in such a hurry then. We’ll talk about it tonight.”
If he asked in the afternoon and the other side arranged for evening, Gu Yansheng wouldn’t have time.
The Bund, Zhongye Public Office.
This is the stock futures exchange established by the United Kingdom in the concession in 1905, issuing stocks for foreign merchants and selling them to Chinese to achieve capital expansion.
Gu Yansheng chose here because just across one street, it enters the French Concession territory. Diagonally opposite the Zhongye Public Office is the location of the French Consulate.
His coming here is perfectly reasonable.
To the left of the Zhongye Public Office is the river of the Bund, and further right is all residential areas.
At this stage, those who can trade stocks all have some assets. There are many shops nearby, very prosperous.
At 11:30, Gu Yansheng found the first coffee shop on the right.
He scoped out the nearby positions, climbed high for a vantage point, found the second floor of a tea house, and Gu Yansheng read the newspaper while sipping tea.
There were also quite a few people in the tea house discussing stock matters, cultivating the self-cultivation of leeks.
At 12:00 minus two minutes, Lu Bowen’s figure appeared at the door of the coffee shop. He found an outdoor seat, sat there conspicuously, and ordered a cup of coffee to drink.
Gu Yansheng’s gaze began to scan the crowd behind him.
“Come out, come out, come out. Hey, two.”
At this time of day, there are many people, and those who walk and stop can’t be said to definitely have a problem.
But if there are two men standing on the street not far away in the middle of the day, not walking, with nothing proper in their hands, standing there for twenty minutes or so, they are simply more eye-catching than a lightbulb in the dark night.
Actually, if you’re deliberately looking, it’s really not hard to spot being followed.
What’s more, Gu Yansheng is standing from an outsider’s perspective.
As Lu Bowen finished his coffee and went into the coffee shop to use the toilet, one of the men finally had something to do and rushed across the street into the coffee shop.
When Bowen came out, it was a while later that he rushed out, probably confirming there was no one else in the toilet and that it wasn’t a contact.
They continued following Lu Bowen as he strolled the streets.
Verifying identity again.
According to the original plan, after the old underground operative hands over the supplies, he should leave Shanghai. But now the supply handover isn’t complete, and the person has already been exposed once. No one knows if he has left or not now.
A novice might get scared off after being caught once, but an old underground operative… Gu Yansheng is really worried that he is still staying in Shanghai and insists on completing the mission.
The old underground operative doesn’t know what they’re here for. The radio in the supplies might be seen as extremely critical, and he would die to complete the mission.
This person is too dangerous now and may re-enter the vision of No. 67 soon. To ensure his own safety, Gu Yansheng must find a way to end this handover and make the old underground operative leave Shanghai.
Moreover, without letting the other side see their faces.
Gu Yansheng sat for another half hour, finished the tea in his cup, then paid and left.
“Buy order.”
In the evening, Wolf’s wine party.
French Consul Richard said, I am pleased with your efficiency in handling things, but I don’t like that you didn’t let my people participate.
The whole matter ended too quickly, which indeed had the meaning of shaking off the French and doing it alone, but heaven and earth can attest, it was purely because this setup was laid by Gu Yansheng to save people, with the goal of quickly rescuing them, without considering whether he liked it or not.
This is Gu Yansheng’s fault. Taking people’s money and eliminating disasters for them, he should indeed care for the client’s emotions.
“Mr. Richard, I’m a workaholic. Actually, right after leaving your side that day, I went non-stop to find Mr. Hase for your matter, paving the way for a perfect resolution.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to bring your people, but your people went to the law firm to sign the contract, and I kept the client’s top priority in mind—to strive for time—so there was a time difference with your assistant.”
Hase Jinagawa nodded, “Indeed. I think Mr. Gu’s professionalism is worthy of praise.”
“Thank you.”
Gu Yansheng smiled and bowed slightly, continuing to output to Richard, who decides whether to spend the money:
“However, this is ultimately my problem, so I specially requested both of you to come today to explain my strategy for the next steps and what will happen, face to face.”
Richard’s expression looked much better, “A lawsuit is a big deal. The French Concession is now in a storm of criticism. If we sue and I can’t win 100%, I’d rather not take the case. The French Concession can’t afford to be a joke again. You agree, right?
So, Mr. Gu, please tell me your strategy in detail.”
This was sincere talk. If he lost again, the consul position would probably be gone. Gu Yansheng nodded sincerely.
“Okay, first, let’s clarify our goal: to make the newspaper company apologize. No economic compensation, just reputational compensation—a formal published apology. Is that okay?”
“Okay.” Richard didn’t care about money at all.
“Good, next is the key point. The newspaper raised two doubts.”
First is the arrest action that happened in the restaurant. Those plainclothes, suspected Japanese, because the clearly uniformed constables appeared later, showing obvious differences.
Second is the arrest action at the police station entrance. Those people in the surrounding alleys, although in plainclothes, were also wearing shoes suspected to be Japanese military boots, with photographs as proof.
On this basis, the newspaper made arbitrary assumptions and accusations that the French side had transferred law enforcement power in the leased territory to the Japanese side.
So the core of this case is whether the newspaper’s assumption is right or wrong.
But the arrest action at the restaurant that day—besides you two parties, who knows what people were actually arrested and whether Japanese soldiers were involved.
The newspaper doesn’t know.
Is that clear enough?”
He looked at the two consuls, and both nodded.
Gu Yansheng smiled slightly, “Good then. I hope the two consuls remember what I said and don’t forget.
Next, as the lawyer, I need to inquire about the case details from my client, Mr. Richard, you.
I heard that before the incident, an important Japanese figure was coming to the French Concession for a visit. Considering the recent frequent assassinations in the concession, you even formulated a protection plan. Is there such a thing?”
Richard thought shallowly, glanced at Hase Jinagawa, and immediately said, “Yes, there is. Mr. Hase and I discussed the protection plan repeatedly, and this restaurant was one of the locations. Right, Mr. Hase?”
Hase Jinagawa said seriously, “Indeed. This is the duke’s legitimate son and future heir to the duke’s title. His status is respected.”
Gu Yansheng nodded, “Then I can understand why dishes were dropped from the tea house that day, and a group of people rushed out nervously, still in plainclothes, looking like Japanese. Turns out he really is Japanese, anxious to protect their master.”
“Doesn’t that prove the newspaper was right?”
Richard didn’t understand. All the events connected, but the conclusion was wrong.
Gu Yansheng raised a hand, “Mr. Richard, you’ve fallen into a thinking trap. Don’t follow the newspaper’s line of thinking. Why do we have to prove the Japanese mentioned by the newspaper aren’t Japanese? That’s not the point at all.
The core of the whole matter is the baseless assumption triggered by the newspaper: that the French Concession transferred law enforcement power to the Japanese army in Shanghai, and the appearance of Japanese leaves you unable to explain why they appeared and why they could arrest people in the French Concession!
That’s the key that makes you feel you’ve lost face.
Whether Japanese appeared or not is indeed important, but it depends on the reason for their appearance.
When an important figure goes to another country’s territory, the host country provides protection, but the home country’s soldiers wear plainclothes to add protection—isn’t this basic protocol in interactions between two countries?
Is this the French Concession transferring law enforcement power to the Japanese army in Shanghai?
Of course not.
All countries do this!
Neither France nor Japan has any obligation to publicly disclose this private visit to the media, especially amid frequent assassinations.
The major newspaper companies, based solely on their own imaginations, speculated on what happened and slandered the French side’s reputation based on guesses. Isn’t that terribly wrong?
I’ve finished speaking. Do the two of you have any opinions?”
Gu Yansheng raised his red wine glass in a toast.
Hase Jinagawa reacted quickly, chuckled lightly while thinking, “Unexpected, but entirely reasonable. I think the public will get a satisfactory answer, satisfying their tiny curiosity.”
With that, he also raised his wine glass.
Richard savored it carefully and reacted, realizing that all the facts were reconstructed, but not a single fact was forcibly changed. It didn’t refute the appearance of Japanese, yet made everything perfectly reasonable.
Whether for public opinion or inquiries from home, he could produce a flawless response.
So what was there to fret about?
He raised his wine glass, “Mr. Gu, I’m entrusting this matter to you. Sue immediately, the sooner the better. Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
