20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 580: Dolls
Soon, the telegram reached He Fenglin, the military governor of Songhu.

General He read the telegram and found that it was an order from his eldest brother-in-law, so he naturally did not dare to neglect it. He immediately called two adjutants who were in charge of military supplies and were often active in the city to come and question them. However, as military men, they did not care about those scumbags in the world, and they could not get any information for a while.

After asking around without any results, He Fenglin was too lazy to investigate further.

Since this matter was related to the Green Gang, he simply picked up the phone on the table, asked for the number, and dialed directly to the Du Mansion.

The call was connected, and the tone was completely commanding.

"Hello, I'm He Fenglin, ask Du Yong to come see me."

After he finished speaking, there was a click and the phone was hung up immediately.

Without any explanation, no matter what time it was or what the other party was busy with, the general asked him to come, and he had to come obediently.

After just saying this, Du Yong took a car and rushed from the French Concession to Longhua Town on the outskirts of the county, the office of the Songhu Guarding Army.

In front of the officers and soldiers, what are these people from the underworld?
Some disputes in the martial arts world are nothing at all!
After meeting General He, Du Yong stood with his hands hanging down, answered every question, and told him everything he knew.

Du Yong tried his best to describe this turmoil in a vivid way, with all the grudges and vendettas, as if it was a huge matter.

However, when He Fenglin heard it, he just sneered and waved his hands, looking completely nonchalant, and suddenly started to make a joke.

"After all this fuss, it's just such a trivial matter. I thought Jiang Lianheng slept with Zhang Xiaolin's wife, hahahaha!"

After hearing this, Du Yong felt extremely ashamed and quickly nodded and smiled apologetically.

"Yes, yes, they are just trivial matters. Thank you for your concern, General."

"Alright, alright!" He Fenglin knocked on the table. "I don't care about any disagreements between you. All three of you should step back. Du Yong, you are a reasonable person. Huang Ma Pi and Zhang Xiaolin are not sensible, but you are not sensible either, are you?"

Du Yong quickly explained: "General, of course I will follow your instructions and retreat if I can, but I'm afraid Mr. Jiang won't give in!"

"Yeah, that's true. It takes two to tango. Where is this guy now? I'll send someone over to have a good chat with him tomorrow."

"It's not clear where Mr. Jiang is right now, but we should be able to find out soon. I heard that the Songhu Patrol Office and the Law Enforcement Bureau are conducting a strict investigation."

Hearing this, He Fenglin's face suddenly changed, and he immediately ordered: "Don't think of taking advantage of the situation to mess up the situation with that Xu guy. You Qing Gang have many spies, so find him out right now. Commander Lu personally ordered that you take good care of this Jiang... Jiang what's his name? Anyway, you must ensure his safety in Shanghai!"

Du Yong didn't look surprised at all, as if he had been prepared for this, and he agreed immediately.

He Fenglin was still a little worried, and then said: "Also, let Zhang Xiaolin go and prepare, give the man a gift and apologize, and just forget about it. Who has the time to deal with these trivial matters every day!"

"That's right, but this..."

Du Yong hesitated, looking a little embarrassed.

However, just this moment of hesitation aroused He Fenglin's dissatisfaction.

"What's the matter?" He immediately raised his eyebrows and changed his tone to an aggressive one, "My words don't work?"

"No, no, it's just that Brother Xiaolin also lost a lot of manpower this time, and--"

"Are you speaking for your brother?"

When Du Yong heard this, he was stunned.

Just as he was about to explain, He Fenglin interrupted him and said, "I know what kind of person Zhang Xiaolin is. Don't be so shameless. I will ask him to apologize to the man surnamed Jiang. If he doesn't do it, I will do it to him. Do you understand?"

"I understand what the general means," Du Yong said hurriedly, "The key is that Brother Xiaolin was shot last night and is currently recuperating in the hospital—"

"Dead or not?"

"what?"

"I'm asking you whether Zhang Xiaolin is dead or not?" He Fenglin asked directly.

Du Yong was stunned and said quickly: "No, that's not the case. Brother Xiaolin's car has been modified with steel plates, and he usually wears--"

"Then what are you talking about with me?"

He Fenglin ordered impatiently: "Tell him to do as I say. Also, find out where Jiang is as soon as possible. I will send someone to pick him up. In short, he must be found before the police station. If anything happens to him during this period, I will first hold Zhang Xiaolin accountable!"

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Having said this, Du Yong naturally didn't dare to say anything more.

They responded by accepting the order and presented the gift they had brought with them, which appeased General He a little.

Afterwards, he left the military governor's office and got into the car. He first ordered the driver to go back home and call Li Wuye, asking him to act as a lobbyist. Then he rushed to the French Concession Hospital in a hurry, ready to convey He Fenglin's intention to Zhang Xiaolin.

…………

The setting sun disappears and the moon rises above the treetops.

In the Western Hospital in the French Concession, Zhang Xiaolin lay on the hospital bed groaning. Although he was shot, he was not destined to die. He wandered around the gates of hell twice and actually returned to the world again.

Zhang Xiaolin is good at fighting.

People who are good at fighting and have long experienced street fighting are naturally more alert.

Zhang Xiaolin's car was originally modified with steel plates, and he usually wears a soft armor vest.

It was because of this foresight that I was lucky enough to save my life.

Of course, the timely rescue by the Du family disciples that night and the support from Wan Youyuan of the Chao Gang were also indispensable.

After facing the brink of life and death, everyone will inevitably feel scared, and Zhang Xiaolin is no exception.

When he met a tough guy, his first reaction was to be a little timid.

But people are always afraid of being forced into something. Although Zhang Xiaolin is a weak person, he cannot bear the reputation of "Marshal". When he heard that he was assassinated last night, many of his disciples, gang leaders, and Wan Youyuan of Chao Gang came to visit him.

Weren't the brothers' concerns and vows of revenge like a pot of charcoal fire, roasting Zhang Xiaolin alive?
"Brother Xiaolin, this matter cannot be let go like this. Wang Laojiu and Jiang Lianheng must pay with their lives!"

"Marshal, Brother Yuan is gone too. This is a blood feud!"

"And what about Yan Chaosheng? If they dare to challenge the Qing Gang, they will have to pay the price!"

"Yes, everyone in the Tong generation has spoken, and now we are waiting for the commander-in-chief to express his opinion!" "Xiao Lin, tell us what to do next, and all the brothers will follow your instructions!"

Such continuous inquiries have a sense of "Your Majesty, we are ready to fight to the death". No matter how much Zhang Xiaolin, as the "Majesty", wants to surrender, he can't help but feel embarrassed and unable to open his mouth.

If he admitted his mistake, the reputation he had gradually built up with great difficulty would probably plummet again.

By that time, not only will he not be able to surpass Huang Ma Pi, but even Du Yong will probably surpass him and his reputation will soon be higher than his.

"Uh... let me think about it again, think about it again..." Zhang Xiaolin hesitantly evaded the question.

Unfortunately, the disciple did not understand his elder brother, so he said, "Brother Xiaolin, what are you thinking? All the black and white people in this foreign land are my people. Now the police station and the police department are trying to catch them. If it doesn't work, I will just kill them in prison!"

Wan Youyuan was on good terms with Zhang Xiaolin, so he naturally suggested, "Marshal Zhang, the Yue Gang is now looking for an opportunity to fight back, so we should seize this opportunity to destroy them."

Zhang Xiaolin smiled bitterly and said, "Well... this... the key is that we still don't know where that Jiang guy is hiding!"

"It doesn't matter. I heard from the American Concession Police Station that Jiang Lianheng's brother who was unconscious in the hospital has now woken up, and the French police station is also looking for him as a witness. Let's go over and ask about the situation first. What do you think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone immediately turned their eyes to Zhang Xiaolin.

Everyone looked expectant, waiting for him to make the final decision.

Zhang Xiaolin groaned in his heart, but he knew very well that if he decided to give up at this time, his prestige in these people's hearts would be greatly reduced.

After thinking it over, he nodded helplessly and said, "That's fine, let's go ask around first."

So Wan Youyuan immediately led his men to the American Concession.

Unexpectedly, not long after he left the hospital, a younger brother came in from outside the door to report.

"Master, Boss Du is here to see you."

Zhang Xiaolin waved his hand and said weakly, "Everyone, go out first. Let me talk to Ayong."

Upon seeing this, the disciples tactfully left the ward one after another.

Soon, Du Yong knocked on the door and walked in.

"Xiaolin, what's going on?"

"It's just a minor injury. It's not like I've been out here for the first time."

Zhang Xiaolin is not a stubborn person. When he was young, he was almost thrown into the Huangpu River to "plant lotus flowers".

However, in the past, those were sneak attacks, and they tried their best to avoid being seen and kill people invisibly.

Unlike this time, he was almost shot to death on the doorstep.

Zhang Xiaolin waved his hand and called Du Yong to the bedside. After all, they were sworn brothers. Although there was some competition between them, he still asked with concern: "Ah Yong, are you okay?"

"I happened to be at the general manager's official residence that night and managed to escape." Du Yong's eyes were wandering.

"You are so clever, boy!" Zhang Xiaolin smiled, then frowned, "Where does this Jiang come from? How dare he be so lawless?"

Du Yong shook his head and sighed. After a moment of silence, he said, "Brother Xiaolin, I have long advised you not to get into a conflict with him. We have already talked about tea!"

"Tsk, A-Yong, I wonder why you always speak for others."

"I'm not speaking for them, but their backers are bigger than ours, so we really can't afford to offend them."

"What nonsense! No matter how powerful his backers are, how big can they be? This is the French Concession. The foreigners have the final say. Even if a warlord comes, he will have to take a detour here. How powerful can a foreigner like him be to influence Shanghai?"

"Brother Xiaolin, I just asked Master Li Wu to help me find out. Jiang Lianheng seems to have some connection with the Fengtian Army."

"What's so great about that?" Zhang Xiaolin snorted coldly, "I am a graduate of the Military Academy, and I was a classmate of his in the Anhui-Zhejiang Army! To put it another way, his Fengtian soldiers are all bandits who came from poor and remote areas. How can they care about us in Shanghai?"

Du Yong sighed faintly: "Ah, Brother Xiaolin, you should read more newspapers and pay attention to the current situation."

Zhang Xiaolin had no interest in the current situation, and he never had a bigger picture or vision in his mind. He was a violent and aggressive scoundrel, and had no insights into the current situation, so he waved his hand impatiently.

"Oh, don't tell me these things. I want to figure out what to do now."

"Then let's just take a step back!" Du Yong suggested, "Prepare some gift money and apologize to Jiang Lianheng. That way, General He will still protect you."

"What are you talking about? He killed so many of my people and almost killed me, and you want me to apologize to him now?" Zhang Xiaolin's eyes widened in disbelief. "If this kind of thing gets out, how can I, Marshal Zhang, survive in the underworld?"

Seeing that he was very emotional, Du Yong quickly conveyed He Fenglin's intention to him.

After hearing this, Zhang Xiaolin's morale immediately weakened by three points, but after thinking it over, he still felt unwilling to give in.

"Ah Yong, what's going on with He Fenglin? Ala Sanjin Company has paid tribute to him a lot in the past two years. How much money has he received? Doesn't he have an idea of ​​it? Why is he helping outsiders at the critical moment?"

"Brother Xiaolin, I've told you, look at the newspaper, this is not about money!"

"I won't watch it!" Zhang Xiaolin waved his hand and said, "If he just asked me to take a step back, I could grit my teeth and endure it. But now he's asking me to apologize. How...how can I tell those people outside?"

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him anyway, Du Yong simply said, "Brother, a wise man won't suffer a loss in front of him. You should bow your head when you should!"

"No, I have to go talk to He Fenglin in person!"

Zhang Xiaolin refused to believe it, and immediately ordered his disciples into the house and told them to prepare a generous gift of 200,000 silver dollars. He did not care about his injuries and immediately planned to go to the military envoy's office the next morning to have a meeting with He Fenglin.

He is confident that he has the ability and connections.

After all, when Huang Ma Pi was kidnapped by Master Lu, it was he who used his classmate relationship at the Military Academy to help Du Yong and the Huang family find help. Therefore, he felt that as long as he prepared enough gift money, even if he could not make He Fenglin change his mind, it was important to at least save his own face.

Zhang Xiaolin was very stubborn and would not turn back until he hit the wall. Du Yong was unable to dissuade him, so he could only watch him jump into the fire pit.

At the same time, various forces, whether military, police, gangs, or hometown associations, all tried their best to search for Jiang Lianheng from their own standpoints.

All the people involved in this turmoil were like puppets for a moment, being manipulated and controlled by the forces behind them. They were either turning against each other or reconciling. No one could do what they wanted.

It was only at this point that I realized: Once you enter the world, you have no choice!

(End of this chapter)