20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 819 Maintenance Committee

Jiang Lianheng immediately grabbed Xifeng and then instructed, "Don't make a sound, everyone step back!"

Everyone nodded and hid in the alley, tiptoeing to look around.

The number of traitors was quite large, roughly fifty or sixty at a glance. Their composition was quite complex, including vagrants, local ruffians, and old men—all sorts of people.

As long as they wear an armband, they feel superior and immediately become arrogant and domineering.

It seems that Lao Dou has finally found a powerful backer.

Of course, it wasn't just him; Whistleman Li was also mixed in, and even the bandit "Drilling Eagle" who had robbed people on the road in Xiaoxiguan a few days ago had inexplicably joined the "Fengtian Security Maintenance Association".

These people had recently broken ties with the Jiang family, yet now they strut around the streets with an air of arrogance, making one sigh at how much the world has changed.

Old Dou is the most arrogant.

Perhaps because he had been suppressed too much by the Jiang family in recent years, the older brother harbored a pent-up anger. He felt like he had fleas all over his body. He felt itchy and uncomfortable all over if he didn't show off in the street.

Walking along the roadside, if they see someone they don't like, they'll open their mouths and curse: "Get the hell out of here! I told you to get out of the way, are you deaf or blind? Can't you understand human language?"

Some busybodies asked what the current situation was.

Old Dou raised his hand and slapped her, glaring and cursing, "Damn it, what's going on now? Who are you to ask? Do you think you're the only one with a mouth?"

The onlookers covered their cheeks and muttered under their breath, "Traitorous dog, he'll be childless and his lineage will be wiped out sooner or later."

"What did you say?"

"No, he didn't say anything."

"Damn, you're all talk and no action. That's all you've got. You look shifty and sneaky, could you be a spy sent into the city by Guo Degang?"

"What the hell?"

The onlooker was so frightened that he quickly waved his hands and looked around, saying, "The neighbors here can all testify, how could I possibly be a spy for Guo the devil?"

Old Dou shook his head, grabbed the man's wrist, and cursed, "Stop talking nonsense. Whether you're a spy or not isn't up to you. Come with us!"

After saying that, they started pushing and shoving each other and tearing at each other.

The onlookers were so anxious that they wiped away tears and turned to plead for help: "Hey, folks, please say something for me!"

The crowd wanted to help, but when they saw the Japanese soldiers in the middle of the road, they were afraid of getting involved, so they lowered their heads and pretended not to see them.

Unexpectedly, as the commotion continued, a curse suddenly came from not far away.

The Japanese soldiers immediately stood at attention, their footsteps making a loud clattering sound, and the street fell silent.

Everyone looked up and saw that the Japanese officer on horseback had suddenly raised his right arm and stopped the march.

Immediately afterwards, the Japanese officer called over a translator, pointed in the direction of Lao Dou with his leather whip, and said a few words in gibberish.

The translator nodded repeatedly, then quickly went over, looked at the armband on Lao Dou's arm, and asked, "What's going on here?"

The translator was also a Japanese person, and his tone of voice was extremely stiff, as if he were reading word by word.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Old Dou rolled his eyes, gave a forced smile, and said, "Sir, this man is an anti-Japanese element, with a very bad conscience!"

"No, how did I become an anti-Japanese element again?" the onlooker hurriedly protested. "Sir, I'm just a tofu seller. I asked a question out of curiosity. I'm truly innocent!"

The translator didn't take one side of the story seriously. He looked around, then quickly turned back and reported the situation truthfully to his superior officer.

Upon hearing this, the Japanese officer grinned, suddenly tightened the reins, and delivered an impromptu speech on horseback in front of the onlookers.

For each sentence he spoke, the interpreter would repeat it.

"Fellow citizens of Fengtian, please do not worry! Our two countries have always been friendly and harmonious. Our army is here to guard the provincial capital with no ill intentions towards you merchants and citizens. It is to protect the personal safety of the people of Manchuria, assist Commander-in-Chief Zhang Yuting in suppressing the Guo army rebellion, promote the prosperity and stability of Manchuria, and consolidate the deep friendship between our two countries!"

Upon hearing this, the onlookers looked at each other, neither daring to refute it nor readily believing it.

The Japanese officer didn't care. He turned around and asked his adjutant to hand him a paper package the size of a brick. He gently opened it and threw the contents into the crowd.

"Wow--"

Upon seeing this, everyone instinctively backed away, thinking it was a razor blade, but when they looked down, they found it was just a few square cookies.

The Japanese officer did not stop; instead, he took out several paper packages and, as usual, scattered the biscuits, candies, and other snacks inside along both sides of the road.

The people were bewildered and at a loss, looking down and then up, unsure of how to react.

It wasn't until a little boy rushed out of the crowd, picked up the candy from the ground, and quickly turned and ran away that everyone gradually realized what was happening, and then took action, even scrambling for it.

The Japanese officer laughed loudly, his face full of mockery.

It was clearly a good deed, but he didn't have a single bit of kindness in his eyes.

As the saying goes: If you do evil and fear being known, there is still a path to good within evil; if you do good and are eager for others to know, the good path is the root of evil!

The Japanese wouldn't give alms for no reason, and the people understood this. But times were tough, and they couldn't resist scrambling for free cookies and candy.

The Japanese officer, riding on horseback, looked around with great interest. Suddenly, he saw a little girl who looked like a refugee. She was squatting by the roadside, secretly wiping away tears because someone had snatched the candy from her hand.

Seeing this, the Japanese officer suddenly dismounted, ordered his adjutant to bring a bag of biscuits, strode over to the little girl, squatted down, picked her up, handed her the biscuits, and teased her, saying, "Here, have some!"

The little girl was instinctively afraid when she saw the Japanese soldiers, but when she looked at the biscuits in her hand, she was flattered and stunned.

However, the girl's parents were terrified and rushed forward, asking anxiously, "Sir... why are you holding my daughter?"

"idiot!"

Several Japanese soldiers immediately grabbed their guns and pushed them aside, blocking the parents' path and preventing them from getting any closer.

The Japanese officer didn't actually do anything to the girl; he just held her, faced the road inexplicably, waved, and said a few words in Japanese.

Soon, a Japanese man who looked like a war correspondent ran over from the back of the formation with a camera. He gestured and was about to press the shutter when he suddenly felt it was inappropriate and asked the interpreter to call over the members of the maintenance committee.

Upon receiving the order, Lao Dou and the others quickly gathered around the officer, showing off their armbands, and stood in a row with great pride.

"Crack!"

A flash of bright light, and the war correspondent stood still and shouted, "Sir, the photo is ready!"

The Japanese officer was satisfied. He put the little girl down, returned to his ranks, mounted his horse, and said in a cold tone, "Continue on!"

The Japanese soldiers then set off again, and judging from their direction of travel, they were probably heading towards the Northeast Security Command.

The Japanese military and police remained arrogant and domineering, as were the members of the puppet regime. Apart from a few crumbs of biscuits on the ground, it was as if nothing had ever happened...

In the alley, Jiang Lianheng frowned and immediately ordered, "Xifeng, go and tell Chuanghu to follow them!"

Li Zhengxi responded and rushed back to the Jiang family mansion.

Jiang Lianheng didn't move, remaining standing in the same spot. Watching the Japanese soldiers gradually disappear into the distance, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "What kind of show is this? Do they think they can convince everyone that they have no ill intentions with just a few biscuits and candies? It's like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken, treating us Chinese like fools."

Su Wenqi shook her head, but said, "He wasn't doing it for us." "Then who was he doing it for?"

"It's for the Japanese to see."

"What do you mean?" Although Jiang Lianheng had a large family and business, he was ultimately just an online figure. There were many things he couldn't understand, but rather he simply didn't know them.

Su Wenqi explained: "There are many factions in Japan. Some people do not agree with conquering the Far East by force, but advocate using economic means to steadily and gradually erode its territory. However, the military wants to expand, and lower-ranking officers want to make contributions and get promoted, so they have to provoke war. They need to create the illusion that the people of Kwantung support the Japanese to quell the opposition of the local doves. Only in this way can they seize public opinion and at the same time guide the local people to come to the three northeastern provinces to develop immigration and increase the number of overseas Chinese in Kwantung."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but nod and sigh, "The Japanese devils have all the same cunning and scheming as us."

"Yes!"

Su Wenqi looked around, then suddenly whispered, "Brother Lianheng, there are more and more people on the street. I'll go back first. Once I've investigated Qin Huaimeng's background, I'll send someone to tell you as soon as possible. Also..."

He looked up at the Japanese soldiers in the distance and said worriedly, "A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. Given the current situation in the city, you'd better keep a low profile for now."

"Ten years?" Jiang Lianheng waved his hand and said, "I can't even wait ten days. Besides, I'm not a gentleman!"

Knowing he couldn't stop him, Su Wenqi said, "In short, be careful in everything you do. If you really have any difficulties, you can send your wife and family to my place to avoid trouble."

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I hope it won't come to that!"

"I hope so. Then I'll take my leave."

Su Wenqi left by car, but his words lingered in Jiang Lianheng's mind.

Fengtian City is indeed undergoing a tremendous change, and this change is fundamentally reshaping the power structure of Fengtian. Naturally, the Jiang family is not the only one affected.

On the same day, several more batches of Japanese troops entered the provincial capital, their numbers far exceeding those of Marshal Zhang's guard brigade and reserve cadets.

Moreover, it wasn't just the Japanese garrison that came.

It is rumored that troops are being transported to Fengtian via the Anfeng Railway on the Korean Peninsula. Even the chief of staff of the Kwantung Government, the president of the South Railway Company headquarters, and representatives of major Japanese financial groups are arriving in Fengtian to support Zhang Xueliang in suppressing the rebellion.

Meanwhile, the Japanese police were also extremely busy, having almost completely taken over the security authority of the government offices.

The entire city of Fengtian suddenly became strictly controlled in terms of entry and exit.

The traitors of the Security Maintenance Committee took the opportunity to extort and demand bribes, acting like local tyrants. Anyone who dared to offend them was immediately accused of a crime—either a spy sent by Guo Degang or an anti-Japanese element disrupting the order of Fengtian.

The merchants and common people of the provincial capital dared not speak out, knowing full well that the government was turning a deaf ear and indulging them in every way, so they could only place their hopes on the merchant guilds and secret societies in the countryside, waiting for the Jiang family to express their stance.

However, Jiang Lianheng did not act rashly and waited patiently for news of Chuang Hu.

That evening, just as darkness was falling.

The Fengtian Security Maintenance Committee withdrew its troops, and several of its leaders returned to the South Railway Concession, where they found a tavern on Chiyoda-dori to relax.

Also attending the banquet were Saito Rokuro and Yamazaki Yuta from the Oriental Police Department, as well as Hou Chuanyan, Qin Huaimeng's private translator.

These past few days, Lao Dou has joined the security maintenance committee. From initial skepticism to gradually feeling at ease, and now to being deeply grateful, he is completely immersed in the ecstasy brought by power. Seeing the armband on his arm makes him feel at ease, and he is reluctant to take it off even when he goes to sleep at night.

"Heh, don't underestimate this armband just because it only has a few words on it. The key is that it's really effective. As long as I wear it, even Old Chai at the yamen won't dare to do anything to me!" He said smugly while drinking. "This afternoon, I slapped a few of Jiang's 'backers,' and what happened? They didn't dare to utter a single fart!"

Saito Rokuro smiled and said, "See? I told you long ago that as long as you serve the Empire, you will never be treated unfairly."

"We believe you, Commander Saito! Let's raise a glass to you, brothers!"

"Okay!"

Saito Rokuro took a sip of his drink and continued, “The Security Preservation Committee is doing a great job. The Director thinks it’s worth promoting. It’s likely to become an important organization in the future, continue to expand its membership, and even be implemented elsewhere. All of you have made great contributions.”

Upon hearing this, Skyhawk's eyes lit up immediately, and he hurriedly said, "Oh my, if it's true, then wouldn't we be the elders of the maintenance committee?"

Everyone nodded repeatedly, unable to resist indulging in wishful thinking.

During the meal, only Whistleman Li remained frowning. He looked at Hou Chuanyan and asked in a deep voice, "Hou Er, why hasn't Master Qin shown up yet?"

"You keep asking where Master Qin is and what he's doing?" Hou Chuanyan waved his hand and said, "He has a meeting in a couple of days and is busy preparing for it. You just need to do your jobs well!"

"I want to do my job well, but how can I be at ease?"

Whistle Li took a swig of wine and sighed, "You didn't let us press our advantage before, and now look what's happened. The Jiang family has recovered. They're holding a funeral, and even Commander Zhang sent people to offer condolences. It's obvious that he's supporting the Jiang family. They still recognize Jiang Lianheng in the underworld. If we don't strike first, are we just going to wait for them to retaliate?"

Hou Chuanyan smiled and said, "Old Li, don't be anxious! Master Qin said that he wants to let the Jiang family catch their breath first. If he doesn't use the meeting to hold the meeting, how will we know who is a fence-sitter and who is stubborn?"

"Bullshit! Have you ever been online? Do you know how the Jiang family retaliates?" Whistle Li muttered. "Easy for you to say, and you're even giving Jiang Lianheng a breather. I won't sleep soundly until he's dead!"

Hou Chuanyan sighed, "As the old saying goes, 'Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't fall down when it's dead!' That night was the perfect opportunity to completely eliminate Jiang Lianheng. Once we miss it, we can't expect to get rich quick again. We can only wait for the right moment!"

Whistle Li suddenly turned to look at Old Dou and whispered, "I didn't miss anything. I've already led men to smash up the Jiang family's kiln. He's not there, so what can I do?"

"Hey, don't look at me!" Old Dou quickly deflected, "Didn't they say the concession was closed off? Who knew Jiang Lianheng would sneak back in? He's already in the concession, how am I supposed to chase him? Besides, how was I supposed to know Li Laosan could bring so many people!"

Skyhawk interjected, "If Master Qin had contacted me earlier, I would have killed Jiang Lianheng right there at the Xiaoxiguan city gate!"

Whistle Li sneered, "Come on, if we wanted to kill him, we would have done it long ago. Why would it have dragged on until now? It's only because the third son of the Jiang family ran over to provide support in time."

"Hey, I'm just a halfway through, you can't blame me for this!"

"Nobody said it was your fault, I'm just talking about this!"

"Then don't blame me!" Old Dou said again. "We were caught off guard back then, but Jiang Lianheng is prepared now. The house is almost surrounded by an iron barrel, and there are two teams of old firewood patrolling back and forth. If you go to smash the kiln now, it won't be as simple as before!"

"Alright, alright, this is a golden opportunity, don't miss it now. What's the point of all this fuss now?"

Hou Chuanyan interrupted the three's argument and continued, "The Jiang family has been established for more than ten years and is deeply rooted in Fengtian. Once a large family like theirs becomes wary, it is impossible to destroy them from the outside in a short time. It is necessary to make their brothers fight amongst themselves and fall into disarray, so that they can work together from the inside and outside to break the Jiang family's power."

"Why go through all that trouble?" said Sky Eagle. "We're the Security Preservation Committee. Why don't we just lead Commander Saito's patrol team and storm the Jiang family tomorrow?"

A dog that wants to boss its master around—that's really ugly and wishful thinking!

"What are you thinking?" Hou Chuanyan frowned. "This is the provincial capital, a major city in Northeast China. There are consulates of many countries here. You expect Commander Saito to kill someone in the street for you? Are you out of your mind? No wonder your faction hasn't made any progress for so many years. You're simply blind!"

"Hey, how the hell do you talk like that?"

"What, are you going to kill me?"

Drill Eagle thought for a moment, then lowered his body and quickly said with a forced smile, "No, no, we're brothers, you can say whatever you want, I'm just listening!"

Hou Chuanyan glanced at him and continued, "The reason I came here to drink today is to tell you that Master Qin said that starting tomorrow, under the guise of inspecting the local militia and baojia, he will strictly investigate all of the Jiang family's businesses. Commander Saito will send people to follow you. If you cause trouble, we will beat you. Just remember one thing!"

"What?" the three asked in unison.

Hou Chuanyan seemed somewhat bewildered and asked in return, "I'm not one of those people in the underworld, so I wanted to ask you if you know anyone named Laizi?"

"Lai Zi?" Old Dou hurriedly said, "I know this guy well. Just because Li Laosan has his back, he's been going against me all these years. I've disliked him for a long time!"

"That's right. Master Qin instructed: Anyone from the Jiang family who comes can be attacked, but if they see Lai Zi's fan gang, they must immediately back down and run away. Do you understand?"

(End of this chapter)