20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 788 Zhao Taibao's Reunion on a Snowy Night

As Wang Zhengnan spoke, he walked towards the back of the Jiang family's car, raised his hand to open the car door, and respectfully invited Sister Hua to get out of the car.

When the other brothers saw this, they all followed, bowing and scraping, crowding around him like stars surrounding the moon.

To outsiders, Sister Hua has always been the eldest sister-in-law of the Jiang family. Although she doesn't have many opportunities to appear in public, she is already very familiar with this job and remains calm in the face of chaos. She immediately stepped down and nodded to Takeda Shin with gratitude in her eyes.

Unexpectedly, the other party didn't even glance at her.

Of course, it wasn't just Sister Hua; Hu Xiaoyan, Xue Yingqing, Jiang Ya, and Jiang Chengye, and even Zhang Zhengdong and Zhao Guoyan, were also out of Takeda Shin's sight.

Wang Zhengnan seems to be overthinking things.

Takeda Shin wasn't a member of the online group; he didn't care at all who the eldest sister-in-law of the Jiang family was.

What he needed to consider was a grander plan, the ambition of the empire.

In comparison, in his eyes, the Jiang family members, including Jiang Lianheng, were all ants, no different from each other.

He only wanted to win over the top leaders of the underworld in Fengtian; he didn't care who the top leader or the bottom leader was.

If someone can replace the Jiang family tonight, he will immediately adjust his strategy, and these people will be of no use to him.

Takeda Shin knew very well that trying to force Jiang Lianheng to serve the Japanese by threatening Jiang's wife and family would be a futile endeavor.

This type of cooperation is not reliable.

The Japanese business strategy in Manchuria was indeed different from that in other parts of the Far East.

Takeda Shin wanted genuine submission, not forced submission.

In the end, he merely nodded symbolically to the south wind, then got into his car and returned to the concession border to continue implementing the appeasement strategy ordered by his superiors.

But no matter what, when you're out and about, Sister Hua is the most respected person. This was a rule that Hu Xiaoyan had repeatedly emphasized, and Wang Zhengnan simply followed her orders.

After Takeda Shin left, the Jiang family members entered the Nantetsu Hotel one after another.

Surrounded by the crowd, Sister Hua led Jiang Chengye up the steps first, followed closely by Zhang Zhengdong carrying his sister-in-law and Jiang Ya.

Chuang Hu helped carry the luggage without a second thought.

Gu Yu stood outside the gate with her child in her arms, hesitant to go in. Instead, she moved closer to Zhao Guoyan, wanting to say something but unsure how to bring it up.

"Brother Zhao..."

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to say anything more."

Zhao Guoyan volunteered and immediately interrupted, reassuringly saying in a low voice, "Don't worry, I'll go back and find Xifeng and the master right away."

Gu Yu was touched, but also felt a little guilty. She quickly said, "Brother Zhao, please be careful. If you really can't find him, come back quickly!"

Hearing the two talking, Wang Zhengnan also came over and kindly reminded them, "Old Zhao, the concessions are already closed off, how are you going to get back?"

"What are you talking about? Can a living person die from holding in their pee?" Zhao Guoyan raised his hand and pointed to the west of the railway. "The concession doesn't have city walls. I can go around from the west side of the railway and then circle around to the north. I should be able to get back to the commercial port area."

Wang Zhengnan frowned and said, "You're taking such a long detour, and it's still snowing. You'll be walking until the middle of the night, won't you?"

"It won't take that long."

As Zhao Guoyan spoke, he walked to the vicinity of the carriage, put a harness on the horse, and then jumped onto its back.

Seeing this, Wang Zhengnan hurriedly followed and said, "Old Zhao, how about I bring you two more brothers, so you don't run into any trouble on the way?"

Zhao Guoyan shook his head and said, "No need. With just this one horse, it would be a burden to bring men. It's better for me to go and come back quickly. Besides, the remaining brothers need to stay behind to protect my sister-in-law's safety!"

At this moment, Xue Yingqing couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "It's a pity Lao Dao isn't here. I sent them to meet me at the outer residence in the south city. If only I had known this would happen—"

Zhao Guoyan waved his hand and said, "Plans can't keep up with changes. There's no such thing as a perfect plan. You all stay here and wait for news! I'm leaving!"

"Hey, if the old lady is stubborn, tie her up. Don't spoil her bad habit!"

Xue Yingqing hurriedly took a few steps forward, intending to give a few more instructions, but when he looked up, he saw Zhao Guoyan riding alone, already heading straight into the depths of the snow curtain.

…………

"Giddy up—giddy up!"

North wind blows, snow falls, and horses neigh incessantly.

Zhao Guoyan rushed to the western edge of the South China Sea Railway Concession, preparing to break through the border and return to Chinese territory.

Normally, the railway section near the train station is patrolled and guarded by Japanese garrison troops, but tonight seemed unusual.

Whether it was due to the heavy snowfall or the unrest in Fengtian City, the Japanese military and police all concentrated at the border crossing between China and the West, and the security on both sides of the railway was noticeably relaxed.

Zhao Guoyan rode alone, moving freely without encountering any obstacles. He reached the northwest corner, crossed three railway lines, then turned back and sped towards the northern suburbs of Fengtian, waiting for an opportunity to sneak back into the Chinese-controlled commercial area.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived in the suburbs, they suddenly noticed something was amiss.

Looking up into the distance, one could see shadowy figures, seemingly hundreds or thousands of people surging about.

Unlike the panicked refugee wave, these people were arranged in several squares, jogging against the wind with synchronized steps, clearly officers and soldiers.

Zhao Guoyan reined in his horse and stood still, looking around for a moment. He subconsciously thought that it should be the Fengtian Army from the Beidaying Camp.

But upon further reflection, it didn't seem right.

At present, Fengtian is already a military ghost town, and all the officers and soldiers who can carry guns have been transferred to the front line to block Guo's army's attack.

It's impossible for so many people to remain at Beidaying as reserves.

Therefore, the unit in the distance is probably the Japanese Kwantung Army.

Zhao Guoyan was slightly puzzled, but had no time to think about it. He could only kick his horse hard and head to the commercial port to find Jiang Lianheng and Li Zhengxi.

Searching for someone in the dark of night, in the snow—it's easier said than done.

Zhao Guoyan entered the commercial port area from the northern suburbs.

At first, the surroundings were relatively quiet, but as they walked and reached the center, noises, smashing and looting gradually began to rise from all sides, and gunshots were occasionally heard. Everything was in chaos.

He still didn't dare to call out Jiang Lianheng and Li Zhengxi's names easily.

At this critical juncture, it's better not to shout. If we rashly reveal our positions and give our orders, there's no guarantee that someone won't shoot us from behind, which could bring trouble upon ourselves.

After much thought, he had no choice but to shout out Hai Xinnian's name.

"New Year - Sea New Year!"

I called out several times, but there was still no response.

Zhao Guoyan gradually tightened the reins and slowed down. He felt that there were too many blind spots and corners everywhere in this maze-like alley. So he stopped shouting, took out his sidearm, and slowly moved along the alley.

Just then, a rustling sound came from around the corner behind them.

Zhao Guoyan's expression changed instantly. He immediately pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and raised his gun in alert.

The dark alleyway corner was eerie and deserted, now piled high with snow that hadn't been compacted yet.

Listen closely, and the footsteps from just moments ago have vanished without a trace.

Zhao Guoyan glanced at his feet out of the corner of his eye. There was only a lonely line of hoofprints on the snow. No one appeared at the corner of the dark alley.

So he quietly dismounted, hid on the side of the horse, held the gun in one hand on the saddle, and led the horse slowly toward the corner of the dark alley.

"Who?"

Both sides raised their questions almost simultaneously.

Zhao Guoyan finally breathed a sigh of relief after recognizing the person who had come.

Hai Xinnian held a gun in his right hand and carried a package containing the severed head in his left. His back was pressed tightly against the corner of the wall. Upon seeing that it was the man surnamed Zhao, he slowly lowered his pistol. "Where are my godmother and the others? Are they all safe now?"

"Yes, they have arrived at the Namtsu Hotel."

Zhao Guoyan nodded, then noticed that Hai Xinnian had inexplicably put a package in his hand and asked, "Have you found your godfather?"

Hai Xinnian suddenly lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "Found it, but... I'm afraid my aunt won't make it."

"What?" Zhao Guoyan's eyes widened, and he hurriedly asked, "Who did it?"

Hai Xinnian did not answer, but simply weighed the package in his hand, indicating that the murderer was dead.

"Where is your godfather?" Zhao Guoyan asked again.

Hai Xinnian said, "My godfather is fine. He just wants to spend some time with my great-aunt right now, so he's..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden commotion arose not far away.

The two were startled at the same time and hurriedly turned to look. They saw a group of figures moving at the end of the dark alley, stumbling and running wildly toward them.

Zhao Guoyan immediately pushed Hai Xinnian around the corner, then grabbed the reins and hid both man and horse in the shadows.

Just as they were about to quietly retreat to avoid any further trouble, they heard the group of people in the alley suddenly shouting for their lives:
"There's no one here, come quick!"

"Third Brother, it's safe here, come over quickly!"

"Okay, you guys go clear the way, I'll be there in a minute!"

Immediately afterwards, two gunshots rang out.

Zhao Guoyan was certain that he had heard Li Zhengxi's voice amidst the commotion.

However, before they could even announce their numbers, hurried footsteps rushed over.

A hotheaded young man of eighteen or nineteen, carrying a pickaxe handle, suddenly appeared around the corner. Upon seeing someone beside him, he immediately swung the pickaxe handle and smashed it straight at Zhao Guoyan's face without saying a word.

Zhao Guoyan reacted swiftly, dodging to the side and then leaping forward. He pressed his left hand against the man's forearm and used his right elbow to brace himself against the man's throat, forcing him against the wall. He shouted sternly, "Don't hit him, he's one of us!"

Unexpectedly, this hothead wasn't trained in martial arts. In the midst of this bloody battle, he panicked and became flustered, immediately shouting, "Brothers, don't come any closer! There's an ambush here!"

"Damn it, what are you yelling about!"

Zhao Guoyan swept his leg, knocking the hothead to the ground, and snatched the pickaxe handle. Without showing his face, he shouted loudly from around the corner:
"West wind, come this way!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than several members of the "Fan Gang" rushed out from around the corner. They were all bloodthirsty and, upon seeing people in this direction, they were ready to fight to the death without any regard for right or wrong. Fortunately, Zhao Guoyan shouted in time, and the group paused for a moment. Some of the familiar faces blinked and recognized the person, and finally stopped fighting.

"Stop fighting! Stop fighting! They're our own people!"

The man leaning against the fan stopped in his tracks.

Several people turned around and looked back, then quickly changed their passwords, declaring that everything was safe and sound.

But many more brothers seemed like broken springs, leaning against the wall, only to collapse onto the snow with a "thud," panting heavily, with steam rising from their heads—either sweat or still-wet blood.

Ultimately, this group of fans didn't usually get into group fights.

Not being trained in martial arts and lacking suitable weapons, they rushed to the rescue, willing to risk their lives to cover the Jiang family's retreat. It was out of consideration for the past kindness and friendship with Master Li that they fought fiercely, relying entirely on their loyalty and courage, along with their recklessness. It's hard to ask for more.

Zhao Guoyan stepped out and glanced at the people in front of him. Their faces were all bruised or battered.

"Where's your third brother?" he asked, frowning. "Speak up, where's Li Zhengxi?"

The man with the fan nodded, pointed behind him, and said breathlessly, "There are...there are dozens more people behind us!"

Zhao Guoyan cocked his gun, turned around and instructed, "New Year, keep an eye on the horses, I'm going to check ahead."

"Oh, no, I have something to do here!"

Hai Xinnian called out a few times, but to no avail, so he could only wait anxiously in place.

Zhao Guoyan ran against the current towards the end of the alley, dodging left and right as he went, seeing many wounded and injured members of the "Guan Shan Gang" (a type of gang), while shouting urgently:

"West Wind! Hey, have you seen your third brother? West Wind!"

This time, after calling out only a few times, a response was finally heard from not far away.

"Old Zhao—Old Zhao!"

The gang of fans suddenly parted to the sides, and Li Zhengxi and Shi Tou walked over, each carrying a young man covered in blood.

"Old Zhao, come over here and lend a hand!"

Li Zhengxi was panting heavily and looked quite disheveled.

Zhao Guoyan went over to help, and hurriedly asked, "Xifeng, are there any more people chasing us?"

"It's gone, it's all scattered, all scattered."

"Who sent them?"

"Old Dou!" Li Zhengxi gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it, once I catch my breath, I'll chop him up!"

That being said, what he cares about most right now are his two seriously injured young men.

With the help of his brothers, they quickly dragged the two men to the corner of the alley.

Upon reaching this point, Li Zhengxi saw Hai Xinnian again. Although slightly puzzled, he didn't have time to ask any questions and quickly squatted down to check the injuries on the two young men. After taking a look, he became anxious and immediately looked around.

"What about a hospital?" he asked. "Where's the nearest hospital?"

Everyone was silent.

There are no hospitals nearby, and even if there were, judging from the injuries of those two, it would probably be too late.

The two little brothers were covered in blood and could not even open their eyes. Their footprints were soaked in blood everywhere they went.

"Third brother, third brother..."

The two leaned against the wall, their voices extremely weak, almost pleading, "I'm fine, just let me rest here for a while, I'll be alright after a short rest."

Li Zhengxi refused to believe it and hurriedly got up, looked around at everyone, and asked, "Isn't there a hospital nearby? Let's all go and look for one, or even a pharmacy!"

The crowd remained silent, only shaking their heads and sighing.

Hai Xinnian stood there, stunned.

He did know of a place where emergency rescue could be carried out, but he dared not say so.

If I were to say it in front of so many people, it would mean exposing my godfather's whereabouts.

However, the price of silence is a guilty conscience and inevitable self-blame.

Li Zhengxi shouted a few times, but everyone was exhausted and slumped down, unable to move their legs.

At this moment, Xifeng noticed the horses that Zhao Guoyan had brought, so he quickly suggested, "Old Zhao, lend me your horse, I'll take them to the hospital!"

"Third brother..."

Stone's voice suddenly came from behind: "It seems we don't need to go to the hospital anymore..."

"Bullshit!" Li Zhengxi turned around and cursed angrily, "As long as they're still breathing, I won't leave them here!"

"She's out of breath..."

"what?"

Stone removed his fingers from under the two younger brothers' noses, shook his head, and said, "Third Brother, they are both dead."

(End of this chapter)