20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 520: The Three Tycoons’ Countermeasures

The next morning, French Concession, Huang Mansion.

The house was bright and clean, and the "three big bosses" of the Green Gang gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

In addition to the three men, there was also a middle-aged woman, whose looks were fading, sitting on the main sofa.

That was Huang Jinyong's first wife, the matriarch of the Shanghai underworld. Everyone called her "Sister Guisheng" instead of "Mrs. Huang."

The four people had different expressions and looked a little tired, so the atmosphere in the living room seemed a little depressing.

Spread a rumor and break a leg.

The incident caused a sensation in the city. The "three tycoons" were busy dealing with it all day yesterday. They had no time to rest and had no time to pay attention to the movements of the Axe Gang.

Huang Jinyong has to accept the questioning of the Chief Inspector in the police station to clarify the current situation; Du Yong runs around to various customers of Sanjin Company to restore its reputation; Zhang Xiaolin is busy contacting officers and soldiers at all levels stationed in Shanghai to explain the situation.

The interests of all parties involved were not harmed, so naturally they did not ask any more questions. Instead, they immediately changed to a mood of watching the fun, and discussed behind the scenes that the "three tycoons" were fooled and suffered the loss in silence.

Now, the three of them finally sat together to discuss countermeasures.

Huang Jinyong picked up the tea bowl on the table and said slowly, "The stolen goods at the entrance of the Great World have been checked out."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Zhang Xiaolin asked anxiously.

"The detectives at the police station have inquired about this and found out that a few people have recently bought large amounts of loose soil from various tobacco shops. They should be the little gangsters from the Axe Gang." Huang Jinyong's tone was unhurried, even a little complacent.

"It seems that they have been prepared for this!" Du Yong groaned, "To damage our company's reputation and strengthen the Axe Gang's momentum."

Zhang Xiaolin cursed in a low voice: "Chen Na's mother, using such a despicable trick, a little scoundrel is a little scoundrel, and will never be able to show up on the stage!"

Upon hearing this, Sister Guisheng did not express her opinion, but just sneered twice.

In her opinion, everyone in this room is a bad person. Who isn't two-faced, sinister and cunning?
Huang Jinyong directed and acted in the play in the French Concession, pretending to be a detective, which earned him the favor of the French and promoted him to Chinese detective chief; Zhang Xiaolin pretended to be an anti-Japanese hero when he was young, in order to form gangs and recruit disciples; Du Yong appears to be kind, but in fact he is the most vicious; they all use any means to achieve their goals, so what is the difference between high and low?
Du Yong muttered to himself, "There are rumors everywhere in the newspapers now. The rumors are not good for us. I would rather lose a few boxes of local products than have my prestige damaged. The Axe Gang is playing an open conspiracy!"

"What kind of conspiracy or conspiracy? I can send someone to the newspaper and ask them to clarify it!" Zhang Xiaolin suggested.

Du Yong shook his head repeatedly: "Brother Xiaolin, it's too late. If we let the newspaper clarify now, everyone will think that we coerced and bribed the reporter to shut him up, and then the public opinion will only be worse."

Zhang Xiaolin immediately became furious, slamming the table and scolding, "Ah Yong, I told you long ago that you should send someone to clear the axe as soon as possible, but you disagreed. Now look what a mess it is!"

"What do you want to clear?" Huang Jinyong suddenly interrupted, "Do you know how many people Wang Laojiu has? They fought in the French Concession. How can I explain this to the Municipal Council?"

"Brother Huang, what do you mean by this?" Zhang Xiaolin frowned. "This is a matter between the three of us. I took people to Pingfu Gang for the sake of Sanjin Company. If you don't help take care of it, who will?"

"You also know that this is a matter between the three of us?" Huang Jinyong snorted coldly, "Since it is a matter for everyone, why didn't you two come to discuss it with me when the Axe Gang first emerged?"

Zhang Xiaolin was speechless for a moment, knowing that Huang Jinyong was trying to make trouble, but he refused to accept it and thought to himself: You idiot, did you consult me ​​before you slapped Master Lu in the theater?

Seeing this, Du Yong quickly stepped forward to help.

"Brother Huang, it's not that we didn't come to discuss this with you, but that Wang Laojiu has no money and no power, so we thought he wouldn't make much trouble, so we underestimated him. Now that something has happened in the company, of course, you have to make the final decision on everything."

"Just know that I'm still the one making the decisions. Don't think that I'm old and I don't care about anything anymore."

"Yes, yes, Brother Huang is in his prime and doesn't look old at all!" Du Yong apologized quickly.

Zhang Xiaolin smiled evilly and said, "Yes, since Brother Huang still has the final say in the company, why don't you ask Brother Huang for some advice?"

Although the "three tycoons" are often mentioned in parallel and the relationship between the three is very close, it does not mean that they are a solid group with no gaps between them.

Huang Jinyong is old but young at heart, and still wants to continue to be the leader; Du Yong is at the peak of his career and has begun to show signs of overstepping his authority; Zhang Xiaolin is greedy for money and hot-tempered, and when he gets really crazy, he won't give anyone face.

Although the three are allies, the relationship between them is quite delicate.

Sister Guisheng saw it all but said nothing and just sneered to herself.

Huang Jinyong thought for a moment and finally said, "Since the Axe Gang is pretending to rob goods, why don't we take advantage of their trick and use this crime to arrest all their leaders, what do you think?"

"Brother Huang, this won't do." Du Yong tried to dissuade him. "If we arrest Wang Laojiu on the charge of robbery, wouldn't that be like us confirming the rumor ourselves?"

"This won't work, and that won't work!" Zhang Xiaolin stood up and paced back and forth anxiously, "Ayong, please tell me a solution! We can't just pretend that this thing never happened, right? If that happens, how can I still have face in Shanghai in the future?"

Du Yong sat on the sofa and said thoughtfully, "Brother Xiaolin, I thought about it all night last night. Wang Laojiu came to Shanghai on the first day. His style of doing things has always been well-known on the docks, that is, he is reckless! But this time, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like Wang Laojiu's style."

"so what?"

"I suspect someone is behind this. I've heard the news in the newspaper. The 'Huangshan Man' must be Wang Laojiu, but there is another 'Crossing the River Dragon', and we don't know who it is yet."

"What are you afraid of? If one comes, I'll kill him. If two come, I'll kill a pair!" Zhang Xiaolin was eager to try.

Du Yong said, "How can you kill someone if you don't even know who he is?"

"Don't worry about this kind of thing." Huang Jinyong interrupted, "As long as you catch a member of the Axe Gang and lock him up in the police station, I have ten thousand ways to make him talk."

Du Yong quickly shook his head: "That would easily alert the enemy, and the members of the Axe Gang may not all know who this 'dragon crossing the river' is. If they all know, then there is no reason for us to know nothing about this person. So I guess this 'dragon crossing the river' may not have much power, at least no foundation in this foreign land."

After saying that, several people looked at each other.

Sister Guisheng rarely showed a look of relief - he was indeed a young man she had promoted personally, and she had not made a mistake in choosing him after all.

Although Huang Jinyong was somewhat afraid of Du Yong, he had to admit his ability, so he nodded and said, "That makes sense. If that's the case, I'll send a spy from the police station to find out."

Zhang Xiaolin immediately responded, "Well, once you've found out their details, tell me the situation and I'll send someone to kill those two little bastards. Brother Huang, two lives shouldn't be a big deal, right?"

"He deserves it, no big deal!" Huang Jinyong snorted coldly.

Du Yong went on to say: "Most of the Anhui hometown associations now come from coolie backgrounds and have no industry. The reason they can gather together is because of Wang Laojiu. If we get rid of him and leave his body on the streets, the Axe Gang will disperse."

"Once they see a dead person, those little reporters will know to shut up." Zhang Xiaolin grinned. None of the three had any objections, and the assassination plan seemed to be finalized.

However, Du Yong suddenly turned his head, faced the sofa, and said with a laugh: "Sister Guisheng, do you think this will work?"

Sister Guisheng did not show the slightest surprise when she heard this.

In the past, she often participated in the decision-making of the Huang family, but now she seems to be taciturn. She has never expressed her opinion from beginning to end. She just glanced at Huang Mapi beside her from time to time, cold and dejected, and she looks like she is staying out of the matter.

The discord between the Huang family members has long been an open secret, but no one dares to discuss it.

Huang Jinyong is over fifty years old. He has been promoted, made a fortune, but his wife has not died. He is so anxious that he hangs out with actors and prostitutes all day long. He wishes he could anger his wife to death immediately. Seeing that Huang Jinyong is infatuated with other women, Sister Guisheng is unwilling to give him any more advice. Instead, she focuses on promoting Du Yong and helping him to succeed.

For some reason, she always felt a sense of pleasure, similar to revenge on "Jute Skin", from the rapid rise of "Fruit Asheng".

She wanted to prove that if she could support a leader in the foreign land, she could also support another leader in the underworld.

For a moment, the eyes of the "three tycoons" all fell on the woman's face.

"Why are you asking me?" Sister Guisheng said with a fake smile, "Do whatever you want. I am no longer a member of the Huang family. How can I be qualified to take care of the Huang family's affairs?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Jinyong slammed the table and stood up.

"Chen Na Niang, if you have something to say, just say it. If you don't, get out of here. Stop being so sarcastic!"

Sister Guisheng remained calm, but gently held Huang Jinyong's hand, turned it over, looked at it carefully, and then smiled: "Look, your hands are red from clapping, why are you so angry? If you don't like me, I'll just leave."

After saying that, she was like a piece of paper, gently blown up by the wind, and slowly left the living room and walked upstairs.

Huang Jinyong watched his wife's back gradually go away, and a nameless anger rose in his heart. He also walked away, shouting: "Housekeeper, prepare the car, go to the New World. This motherfucker doesn't know what's good for him. I'm going to divorce her sooner or later!"

The couple left the living room one after the other.

Zhang Xiaolin and Du Yong looked at each other with embarrassment on their faces, and said in unison: "Let's go, let's stop making trouble here."

So the two of them left Huang Mansion side by side.

But just as they reached the gate and saw Huang Jinyong's car leaving the yard, a young maid suddenly ran out of the house.

"Mr. Du, Mr. Du, please wait a moment." The maid hurried over to persuade him to stay. "Mr. Du, Madam asked you to go to the study on the second floor. She said she has something else to discuss with you."

Du Yong stopped, turned around and looked at Zhang Xiaolin, and said, "Brother Xiaolin, you go back first. I'll go and hear what Sister Guisheng has to say."

Zhang Xiaolin looked at Huang's mansion, then at Du Yong, and then curled his lips: "Well, I'll go back and arrange the candidates first, and you can go and listen to that woman's nagging!"

"Brother Xiaolin, don't be impulsive. Let's make plans after Sister Guisheng and I have discussed it."

"Hey, you're being so fussy. You're making simple things complicated. Go away and stop trying to persuade me!"

…………

Ever since the Axe Gang rose up the night before, Zhang Xiaolin had completely lost his patience.

He knew that Du Yong always wanted to be cautious. If it dragged on like this, his fighting spirit would be exhausted. How could he even talk about revenge?
Zhang Xiaolin was unwilling to continue waiting in vain. "Huangshan Weng" and "Guojianglong" had to be killed, but the other members of the Axe Gang should also be punished at the right time. Otherwise, people in the underworld might really think that the "Three Tycoons" dared not to mess with the Axe Gang!

Therefore, as soon as he got home, he immediately made a phone call and called his most capable leader, "Baima Chaosheng", over.

"Baima Chaosheng" was originally named Yan Chaosheng. What he was best at in his life was fighting and killing. He specialized in doing the dirty and tiring work for the Sanjin Company. In his early years, he followed Zhang Xiaolin to "conquer the world" at the Shilipu Wharf. Now that he has a fat wallet, he no longer hangs around the wharf, but his reputation remains. To this day, managers at the wharf call him "Master Yan" when they see him.

Yan Chaosheng was too murderous, with scars all over his body, and there seemed to be a black aura between his forehead and eye sockets.

As soon as he entered Zhang's mansion, even the two German wolfhounds in the yard stopped barking.

When Yan Chaosheng saw Zhang Xiaolin, he asked, "Marshal, how many people are there?"

"Two!" Zhang Xiaolin asked directly, "Do you know Wang Laojiu?"

Yan Chaosheng nodded: "I heard about the news in the newspaper. Who is the other person?"

"Hiss - I don't know who the other person is yet, but you don't have to worry about it for now. You should know where the hometown association of Anhui Province is, right?"

"I know. Do you want to do it now or at night?"

Zhang Xiaolin hesitated for a moment and said, "We haven't received enough information about the Axe Gang yet. If you go there now, you may not be able to kill Wang Laojiu. Just go and smash their clubhouse. Go get all the brothers first, and I'll give them weapons. Remember, the bigger the noise, the better."

"Understood. I'll go get someone now!"

Yan Chaosheng was very familiar with this kind of thing, and the master and servant clarified the task in just a few words.

However, just as Yan Chaosheng was about to leave Zhang Mansion and gather the Zhang family disciples scattered in the Chinese and Western worlds, a Qing Gang disciple suddenly rushed into the house and shouted in a panic: "Marshal, Marshal, there is something going on at the dock!"

"What pier?" Zhang Xiaolin didn't react for a moment.

"Lou Jingyuan, Young Master Lou's dock!" The visitor explained, "The Jinyuan dock was smashed by the Axe Gang, and they are hijacking ships at Shiliupu now!"

Zhang Xiaolin was stunned. He originally thought that Jinyuan Wharf was just a cover for the Axe Gang to confuse people. He never expected that after the opium farce, the Axe Gang would strike back and set their sights on Shiliupu again.

"Damn it! Chaosheng, take your brothers at home to support them first!"

"Don't support us, we can't support you!" The man immediately dissuaded them, "Marshal, go call Commander He and ask him to send troops over!"

"What are you talking about? Send troops?" Zhang Xiaolin's heart trembled. "How many people are there in his Axe Gang?"

"I just came from the dock. Five hundred people! At least five hundred people, and they are getting more and more. There is no way to fight them!"

(End of this chapter)