20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 704 A phone call

"Hey, Nani?"

While talking on the phone, Song Lvcheng signaled his men to stay put.

When he spoke Japanese, his tone immediately became humble and cautious, as if he had an epiphany and understood the ways of the world and human nature in an instant.

The thugs from Qingqiu Society looked confused. Although they did not dare to act rashly, they did not intend to let Nanfeng and others go.

The incident happened suddenly, and everyone couldn't help but frown and stare at the Korean stick for a long time, but they couldn't understand what was going on.

"Hey, Nandesga..."

Song Lucheng was still talking anxiously, and suddenly glanced at Xifeng with a hint of unwillingness in his eyes.

Li Zhengxi was even more confused when he saw this.

Judging from the other party's expression, this call was obviously related to the Jiang family, but it was unknown who called.

Song Lucheng had a gloomy face. He held the receiver and negotiated for a while. Suddenly, his shoulders sank like a deflated ball and he looked lifeless.

"Hi, Wagali Mashida, hi!"

"Click——"

With a sigh, the phone was hung up, and everyone's eyes were focused on Song Lvcheng.

The head of the Qingqiu Society immediately felt a little embarrassed. After pondering for a long time, he finally waved his hand and ordered the brothers to lay down their weapons.

The Korean stick was extremely reluctant and hurriedly asked the reason, but not only did he fail to get the truth, he also annoyed Song Lucheng.

The boss gave a few harsh scoldings and the room finally quieted down.

Wang Zhengnan and Li Zhengxi looked at each other and gradually realized that things were taking a turn for the better.

Sure enough, Song Lucheng waved his hand and asked someone to take down the jade carving from the shelf and put it on the low table in front of him, and said sullenly:
"Take the stuff away!"

When these words were spoken, everyone was surprised.

It was really unexpected, with such unexpected turns!

There is no doubt that Song Lucheng's sudden change in attitude must be related to the phone call just now, but Nanfeng and others have no way of guessing who gave the instructions.

Wang Zhengnan almost thought he had misheard. He didn't react for a moment and asked, "What are the conditions?"

"Pah-boo! Are you kidding me?"

Song Lvcheng suddenly flew into a rage, and shouted in a panic, "Money! Where's the money? Where is my money? Give it back. Do you still want to take away the money and the things?"

Not to mention, for a moment, Li Zhengxi really planned to get something for nothing.

But after thinking it over, I finally gave up.

After all, given the current situation, redeeming the birthday gift is the top priority.

It is better to quit while the going is good to avoid unnecessary complications, which is obviously more in line with Jiang Lianheng's requirements.

As for other dissatisfactions, they do not necessarily have to be fulfilled in an instant.

Then, everyone turned to look at the big flagpole and his little apprentice.

Big Flagpole was still in a daze, not yet coming to his senses. He wondered why Boss Song, who was just yelling and shouting, suddenly became so cowardly?
It was clearly a reasonable demand, but it made the Koreans shout out as winners.

It seems that Boss Song is no ordinary person.

Just as he was thinking about it, Song Lvcheng shouted from the distance: "Hey, do you still want this jade carving? If not, get out right now!"

The big flagpole suddenly woke up, and quickly took out the two thousand yuan "gold note" from his pocket, looked around tremblingly, and asked: "Who is this money for?"

"Do you want us to bring it to you?"

"This...is not impossible."

"what?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant."

The big flagpole turned to look at Xifeng, obviously seeking the Jiang family's opinion.

Li Zhengxi discussed with Wang Zhengnan for a few words, then nodded and said, "Go get the things back! Don't bring shame to the Jiang family!"

The big flagpole took a deep breath, straightened his back, and although he was a little confused, he still walked towards Song Lvcheng tremblingly.

The thugs from Qingqiu Society were humiliated and stared at him with anger in their eyes, but unfortunately looks couldn't kill.

After walking a few steps, the big flagpole came to Song Lvcheng. He slowly squatted down and placed the two thousand yuan "gold note" on the table. He wanted to reach out to hold the jade carving, but he was a little afraid. He smiled and said politely: "Boss Song, then I will... give in!"

"What are you dawdling for? Get out of here!"

"Okay, okay, I'll leave right away, right away!"

Big Flagpole carefully picked up the jade carving and just after taking two steps back, he turned around with an embarrassed look on his face. No one knew why.

Song Lvcheng's face turned pale and he asked sternly, "What else do you want?"

Daqiganzi looked at Li Zhengxi, then at Song Lvcheng, swallowed his saliva, and forced a smile: "Nothing, I just want to ask Boss Song, um... do you have a box?"

Song Lvcheng was so angry that his teeth itched. He slammed his fist on the table. After a "bang", he gradually calmed down, bit his words, and ordered in Korean: "Find him a box!"

…………

Fengtian Military Governor's Office, Marshal Zhang's birthday banquet.

Because there were so many people coming to celebrate his birthday, Lao Zhang had to divide the guests into different levels. All provincial representatives and high-ranking officials above the rank of governor-general were received at the Marshal's Mansion; celebrities from all walks of life and wealthy businessmen were requested to move to the governor-general's office for the banquet; the rest of the people would have their meals at the restaurant in the provincial capital.

The night was dark and it was almost eight o'clock.

The banquet hall of the Governor's Office was still crowded with guests and the scene was extremely lively.

The meal was almost finished, and the guests were coming and going in groups of three or five, wine glasses in hand, taking the opportunity to socialize.

Everyone in the venue is a well-known figure. They have a lot of complicated things to do on weekdays. Even in the banquet hall, they have no time to relax. From time to time, someone goes to the reception room to borrow the phone.

On this side, Takeda Nobuyuki, wearing a tuxedo, had just hung up the phone and was nodding to the security guard in the reception room.

"Thank you!"

Takeda Nobuyuki smiled and returned the phone to the guard. Then he turned around, straightened his shirt, walked back into the banquet hall.

Holding a glass of wine, he moved freely among the crowd, greeting the guests passing by from time to time. He seemed to be walking aimlessly, but in fact he had a clear direction.

Finally, he came behind Jiang Lianheng and patted him gently on the shoulder.

"Mr. Jiang, I have already contacted the Toyo Police Department for you. There shouldn't be any problem."

"Oh? So fast?" Jiang Lianheng turned around and responded.

Takeda Nobu smiled and said, "It's just a phone call. It won't take long."

"Okay, okay, Mr. Wu is really quick-witted. I'll thank you some other time. Some other time."

"Uh... my surname is Takeda, you don't have to be polite Mr. Jiang." It turned out that Jiang Lianheng had already received the news long before Nanfeng and others went to the West Pagoda.

The person who came to report the news was none other than the brother sent by Wen Tingge.

Wen Tingge knew that Xifeng had a hot temper and was easily impulsive, and that Japanese patrolmen often appeared in the Xita area, so he was a little worried that the negotiations would fail and Xifeng would make things worse.

So, after Nanfeng and others left, he immediately wrote a note, and sent a "Xiangzi" over, asking the guard to deliver the note into the venue.

When Jiang Lianheng got the news, he happened to meet Takeda Nobuko who came to talk to him.

The two sides chatted briefly, and the topic naturally turned to the territory of Xita.

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Lianheng would not bother to ask the devils for help, but now is a special period and he does not want to create unnecessary trouble, so he pretends to casually ask Takeda Nobuyuki if he knows any news about Xita Qingqiu Society.

Unexpectedly, Takeda Nobuya looked confused and asked him if he needed help.

Jiang Lianheng was not that stubborn. Seeing that Xiao Dongyang sincerely wanted to help, he simply said to him, "I have a friend who sold a jade carving to that boss. Now he regretted it and came to me for help. I don't know if I can redeem it."

After hearing this, Takeda Nobuyuki readily agreed: "I see, it's just a small matter, I can just make a phone call for you."

"Are you really that kind?" Jiang Lianheng asked with a raised eyebrow, "Are you planning to trick me?"

Takeda Nobu smiled and said, "Boss Jiang is so humorous! You and I are both in Fengtian. This is just a small favor and it does not involve national interests. It is nothing more than a small favor. Why not help you?"

After saying that, he said "wait a moment" and immediately ran to the reception room to borrow a phone.

Xiao Dongyang was indeed very efficient. He returned within the time it took to smoke a cigarette and said sincerely, "If the matter is not resolved, you can always come to me again. I will personally accompany you to redeem the things. How about that?"

Jiang Lianheng didn't know what was going on at the Xita Tower, but seeing the other party's statement, he couldn't just turn a blind eye, so he thanked them again and again, saying, "Alas, they say that a drop of water should be repaid with a spring of water! Mr. Wu is so kind, Jiang really doesn't know how to repay him!"

"You're welcome, Mr. Jiang. It's an honor for me to be able to help you."

"Hey, let's stop chatting like that. If you keep talking like that, I won't be able to respond."

Takeda Nobuyuki knew very well that Jiang Lianheng was slippery and cunning, and seemed to be talking nonsense but actually did not tell a single truth. However, he still patiently gave him small favors from time to time, tried his best to curry favor with him and win him over.

"If Mr. Jiang really wants to express his gratitude, then please accept my invitation?"

"What invitation?"

"Mr. Jiang, why do you have to pretend to be confused?" Takeda Xin walked to the window. "Didn't I just propose this to you not long ago?"

"Not long ago?" Jiang Lianheng pretended to be dumb and muttered in a serious tone, "Oh, my brain is useless now. I am confused all day long!"

Takeda Nobuyuki did not expose it to his face.

But he knew that Jiang Lianheng must remember it, because the invitation was of great importance and no one could easily forget it.

So, he simply stopped repeating it and instead stated the seriousness of the matter: "Mr. Jiang, I think your development has hit a bottleneck so far."

"Really?" Jiang Lianheng asked knowingly, "What do you mean?"

"You know very well that Marshal Zhang has been unwilling to promote you to a higher position due to his reputation. And your family business has neither benefited from the blessings of your ancestors nor experienced the ups and downs of the business world. You have obtained this family property out of thin air. Without any real power in your hands, how can you pass it on to your descendants?"

"Ah, the Qing Empire is gone! My children and grandchildren will have their own blessings, so I'll just pass on as much of my family property as I can!"

"You can't look at it that way."

"So how should I look at it?"

"There is an old saying in your country: A gentleman plans his actions according to the times and follows the trend!" Takeda Nobuyuki said kindly, "When you are in trouble, you should think of change. Mr. Jiang is a smart man and should follow the trend. As long as you are willing to serve our country, your life and property will be protected!"

Jiang Lianheng waved his hand and said, "Mr. Wu, I am very grateful that you can help me with this, but let's forget about the cooperation!"

Takeda Nobuyuki still did not give up, and continued: "Mr. Jiang, why are you so stubborn? Our cooperation is not only a win-win situation, but also benefits the people of Fengtian. I am not asking you to sell out your country, I just want you to serve as an advisor to the Toyo Police Department. Isn't it a good thing to maintain public order in the concession?"

"How can it be a good thing?" Jiang Lianheng asked, "Don't you know what I do? If the social order is improved, where can I make money?"

"We never treat our friends unfairly. If you become a consultant to the Toyo Police Department, will you still worry about not having gold notes?"

"No, no!"

"Mr. Jiang, I don't require you to give me an answer right now. You can think about it slowly. One day, you will see the situation clearly."

Takeda Nobuyuki spoke with great confidence and also gave some twists and turns.

"Mr. Jiang, there is really no need for you to feel guilty. You should know very well what it means to be victorious and losers to be bandits. Back then, the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains and fought for the rule of the Central Plains. All the Chinese people today, their ancestors, who did not shave their heads and change their clothes, also lived under the rule of the Qing Dynasty for more than 200 years? Now, although the Qing Dynasty has fallen, aren't those nobles still alive and well? This is called 'the merit of following the dragon' - the opportunity is not to be missed, and it will never come again!"

This is not the first time that Takeda Nobuyuki has extended an invitation.

He has always been very patient.

Compared to Miyata Ryuji, Takeda Nobuyuki appears humble and kind, always speaks softly, and uses no threats, only inducements.

He was very clear about the power of the Jiang family and also very clear about Jiang Lianheng's abilities.

However, what he knew best was the situation in the Manchuria and Mongolia regions.

He knew that if the empire wanted to annex Manchuria and Mongolia, relying solely on the Japanese was far from enough. The "pioneer group" had been brewing for many years, but to this day, the Japanese expatriates outside the Great Wall were still "too few" and were not enough to change the population structure here.

At least for now, if we want to form effective management, the most realistic way is to "use Chinese to control Chinese".

Therefore, since settling in Fengtian, Takeda Nobuyuki has always been cultivating henchmen and doing his best to win over local gentry and dignitaries to work for the Oriental Empire.

I thought that the reason why Jiang Lianheng was reluctant to agree was because of various concerns about his reputation.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished persuading him, Jiang Lianheng hurriedly shook his head and curled his lips, secretly making a gesture of counting money to Takeda Nobuyuki.

"Mr. Wu, why are you talking so much to me? Can you be more practical? Do I need to teach you about this?"

"Uh...you want money?"

"What are you saying? Who would sell out their country if they don't have money?" Jiang Lianheng drank the wine in his glass, and then dragged Takeda Nobu to the side. "Besides, you just talked for a long time, and in the end you only gave me the title of consultant. Who do you think I am?"

Takeda Nobuyuki frowned and asked, "Then... what position does Boss Jiang want to take?"

"At least he has to be the director of the police department, right?"

Upon hearing this, Takeda Nobuyuki immediately frowned, patted Jiang Lianheng's arm, and said, "Mr. Jiang, stop joking! If you haven't made up your mind, then go back and think about it. In short, when you change your mind, you can come to me anytime."

He nodded slightly, then turned and left.

Before he had taken a few steps, he suddenly turned around and said with a laugh, "Mr. Jiang, actually... the position of Police Chief is not completely impossible, but it's not possible now. It's not the right time yet."

Jiang Lianheng didn't say anything, but secretly rejoiced that he had finally managed to get Takeda Nobu away.

After all, he was in Fengtian, and he didn't want to make things too awkward with Xiao Dongyang, but he also didn't want to let Xiao Dongyang manipulate him.

The situation faced by Marshal Zhang is actually the same situation faced by every Fengtian citizen, but the degree is different.

The banquet has not yet ended, and the crowd is gathering and dispersing.

Not long after Takeda Nobuyuki left, other Chinese and foreign businessmen came over with smiles on their faces.

Jiang Lianheng raised his glass to celebrate as usual, speaking the truth to real people and lies to ghosts, and he was not worried about the situation in Qingqiu Society in Xita.

The next morning, Chen Guojin's lost jade carving was safely found in the living room of the Jiang family mansion...

(End of this chapter)