20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 862 Inviting the Eldest Brother to His Death

Gold is revealed in fire to show its true color; people's true nature is revealed when they interact with wealth!

It is said that Shou Yunzhang and the others sensed that Qin Huaimeng's power was waning, so they hurriedly made an excuse to go to Warehouse No. 7 to mediate the fight. In reality, after leaving Rilu Square, they all fled for their lives.

As for their whereabouts, that's another matter.

However, among this group of people, there were two brothers who hesitated and looked back. They felt that it would be too disloyal to just leave like this. But they couldn't resist their curiosity, so they decided to go to Warehouse No. 7 to check the situation first, and then make other plans.

At this point, due to mutual suspicion, Lao Dou and others had already reached a point of near-impossible conflict.

The three brothers gathered in the open space behind the warehouse. They first blamed each other for their poor performance, and when they got red in the face, they gradually started to have friction and then began to push and shove each other.

If the three eldest brothers hadn't been relatively restrained, a fight would probably have broken out on the spot long ago.

Of course, the infighting wasn't solely due to the forced halt of the acquisition of the Chinese-owned shops.

Most importantly, the Japanese Police Department suddenly changed its attitude.

Last night, Lao Dou and others went to Saito Rokuro to plead for help, but the reply they received was that the police would no longer send anyone to help them take over the Chinese shops.

The reason was simple: anti-Japanese demonstrations broke out in Fengtian (Shenyang), and consulates of various countries closely monitored public opinion and were worried that the xenophobic sentiment among the people would spread and ultimately affect their own interests. Therefore, they sent diplomats to put pressure on the Japanese side, demanding that the Japanese reconcile the status quo as soon as possible.

On the Japanese side, whether it was the consulate, the police station, or the South Railway local office, they were all eager to "clarify" that this matter had nothing to do with them, so they were naturally unwilling to send officials to intervene. As a result, the maintenance committee was dissolved on the spot, and the previously arrogant and domineering collaborators instantly lost their backers.

The way is:
We raise our cups in deep friendship, brothers and sworn brothers, yet what closeness do we have? But when trouble arises out of nowhere, it is only then that true friendship is revealed!

People gather for profit, so they naturally cannot withstand tests. At the slightest setback, their true colors are immediately revealed.

Whistle Li led his men in the first act of attack, and in front of everyone, he sternly questioned, "Old Dou, the trouble at the Shao family's place was caused by your clumsy handling of things. Now that Saito is no longer concerned about us, you should be the one to take responsibility for this!"

"Bullshit!" Old Dou cursed. "What the hell does it have to do with me that old man from the Shao family cracked open the head of a Japanese soldier?"

"That Japanese soldier went with you, didn't you fucking know to protect him?"

"I'll protect him? I'm counting on him to protect me!"

Old Dou spat on the ground and cursed, "Yesterday, Li Laosan from the Jiang family was also there. He was clearly threatening the Shao family. If you want to blame someone, go and talk to him. Why are you baring your teeth at me here?"

Upon hearing this, Whistle Li couldn't help but sneer: "Ha! Li Laosan was here too? Well, you two put on quite a show!"

Old Dou frowned, but said, "Whistle Li, what are you being sarcastic about? Who's putting on an act?"

"Who I'm talking about, everyone knows the answer!"

"Fuck you, just spit it out. Stop your whining and babbling. What's the point?"

"Fine! Old Dou, you're really good at pretending!" Whistle Li pointed at Tang Wenbiao, "If you're so capable, don't just snort at me, ask him what he did last night!"

All eyes immediately turned to Tang Wenbiao.

Tang Wenbiao, without blushing or panting, retorted impatiently, "How many times do I have to say it? I went to buy late-night snacks last night. Did you guys not eat any or what?"

He was right; the brothers under Whistle Li really didn't eat the midnight snack he brought back, for fear of being poisoned.

Old Wu chimed in, "Hey Biaozi, do you even have a single word of truth in your mouth? Is it really necessary for you to personally go buy a late-night snack? Is it really necessary for you guys to stay up all night, running around outside discussing it for ages before finally deciding? You're just putting on an act! You're not leaving the room until you've explained yourself to us!"

Tang Wenbiao rolled up his sleeves and immediately retorted, "Damn it! Who the hell do you think you are, daring to boss me around? Do I need to explain myself to you?"

"You don't need to explain to me!" Old Wu suddenly drew his sidearm, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "Betrayal and surrender, harming your brothers! According to the rules of the underworld, you don't need to explain to anyone. One shot, and if you can still stand up, then I'll consider you innocent!"

"you dare!"

"See if I dare!"

The two sides were locked in a standoff, and the brothers from both sides also drew their sidearms.

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and a violent clash was imminent.

Just then, Skyhawk suddenly shouted between the two sides, "Hey, are you guys crazy?"

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Everyone turned to look at him.

Skyhawk waved his hand and said, "I'm not trying to criticize you, but what kind of time is this? You still have the heart to fight amongst yourselves? The Japanese have used us and then discarded us like prostitutes. The Jiang family is about to retaliate. What are you waiting for if you don't run away now?"

"Run?" Whistle Li cursed, "You make it sound so easy! You think you can go back to the mountains and become a bandit? Where do you expect us to run to?"

"Hey! What kind of world is this? You can't find a place to eat anywhere!" Sky Eagle suggested. "If all else fails, come with me. I don't think it's easy to make a living in this city. Why not go up the mountain? With a gun, you're king of the hill. It's much better than in the provincial capital. I have plenty of connections in western Liaoning. You're not going to starve, are you?"

That being said, it's not that easy to really leave your hometown.

Humans are not duckweed; how can they be without roots?
Many of the brothers have families, and even those without wives and children have elderly parents at home. The truly lonely and destitute are few and far between.

With them gone, the pillar of their family is gone. Even if the Jiang family doesn't cause trouble for them, they will inevitably be bullied in the future.

Thinking of this, everyone hesitated and couldn't help but look at each other, wondering if they were really going to go up the mountain to become bandits.
The Skyhawk was originally an outsider.

When he said he was leaving, his brothers naturally didn't hesitate. They left as soon as they were told to, coming and going as they pleased, without any worries whatsoever.

Whistleman Li disagreed. He knew perfectly well that he couldn't possibly take so many people with him. He would be all alone and might just die in a ditch. So he waved his hand and resolutely refused, saying, "No way! We can't split up!"

Skyhawk frowned, but said, "Brother, do you have any sense of reason? You won't leave on your own, but you want to drag us down with you?"

“I’m going to reason with you right now!” said Whistle Li. “Our three families are united, and at least we can hold our own against the Jiang family. If we split up and divide the family, how many of our brothers will be able to leave? They’ll scatter and go their separate ways, and die even faster!”

But Skyhawk said, "The Japanese won't help. Staying here is like being slowly cut in half with a dull knife. I might as well charge out and give it a try!"

"It's all your fault, you son of a bitch!" Whistle Li turned his ire on Old Dou. "If it weren't for the trouble you caused at the Shao family's place, none of us would be in this mess!"

"Whose fault is it?" Old Dou suddenly realized. "Blame Qin Huaimeng! If it weren't for his instigation to overthrow Jiang, I'd still be lying in Nancheng counting my money!" At this, everyone was quite dissatisfied and immediately began to complain.

"Yeah, where did Qin Huaimeng go now?"

"Damn it, we're out there risking our lives, and he's hiding away, just waiting for the easy way out. What kind of leader is he?"

"I need to know where he is, so I can go shoot him right now!"

Everyone was just talking nonsense; no one knew Qin Huaimeng's whereabouts, and even Hou Chuanyan's shadow had vanished.

As luck would have it, just as they were discussing this, Old Wu suddenly squinted, pointed into the distance, and muttered to himself, "Hey, why do I feel like there are two people over there?"

The brothers looked in the direction he was pointing and indeed saw two blurry figures in the distance.

The two men didn't approach; they just peered over from a distance, appearing extremely cautious. As soon as they saw that Whistleman Li and the others had noticed them, they immediately turned and ran away.

Upon seeing this, Lao Dou was startled and hurriedly asked, "Is this a spy sent by the Jiang family?"

"Doesn't look like it!" Skyhawk said, peering intently. "Why do I feel like they look familiar? Maybe they're one of Qin Huaimeng's men?"

"No matter whose man he is, arrest him and let's see what happens!" Whistleman Li immediately called on his brothers to chase after the man and capture him.

However, after running two steps, he suddenly realized that there were very few people responding behind him.

Looking back, they saw that not only were Lao Dou and Zuan Tianying standing still, but even their own brothers had not all followed.

"What do you mean?" Whistle Li shouted. "Are you planning to break up already?"

Skyhawk said impatiently, "I already told you, I'm definitely leaving. You can go if you want, we'll meet again someday!"

At this moment, Tang Wenbiao also approached Lao Dou and whispered, "Brother, Warehouse No. 7 is already known to be here. The Jiang family knows we're here. Now that the Japanese are unwilling to help, I don't think we should stay here any longer!"

Old Dou agreed, nodding and saying, "Let's retreat! Let's find a safe place first!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and beckoned his brothers to go back to the guardhouse to pack their things. Money was irrelevant; at the very least, they had to have enough guns and ammunition.

Needless to say, the brothers, including Sky Eagle, were determined to leave. They packed their bags the night before and left as soon as the order was given.

Whistle Li watched helplessly from the side, his heart filled with anxiety. He couldn't help but shout angrily, "Old Dou! Skyhawk! Don't you two have any sense of chivalry? You agreed to join forces to overthrow the river, but the deed isn't even done, and you're just leaving like this?"

The South Railway warehouse was far from the city and very empty. His voice carried far, but he received no response.

Whistleman Li raised his gun and said again, "Anyone who dares to leave, I'll fucking shoot them dead!"

Old Dou and Skyhawk ignored him, continuing with their own busy work without saying a word.

Instead, it was Whistle Li's own brothers who came over to advise him: "Brother, at a time like this, even if we intervene, it won't help. I think we should avoid offending anyone. If a fight breaks out, what good will it do us except benefit the Jiang family?"

Upon hearing this, Whistleman Li angrily raised his gun and fired three shots into the air before finally collapsing his hands in despair.

After a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "Let's go! Let's see where it's safe and find a place to stay first!"

On the other side, Lao Dou was the first to sneak into the guardhouse. With his back to the door, he packed his luggage while giving instructions without turning his head: "Be prepared for a difficult journey. Don't be greedy. Just make sure you have enough guns and money."

"understood!"

Tang Wenbiao and Simao followed closely behind, slowly entering the house, but asked, "Brother, do you think there's still room for reconciliation between us and the Jiang family?"

Old Dou was busy with his own things, muttering to himself, "Don't take any chances! I know Jiang Lianheng like the back of my hand. He's a bloodthirsty man at heart. He made some dirty money, bought some decent clothes, and started acting all high and mighty. Do you think I don't know him?"

"So...we have to leave?"

"We have to go!" Old Dou suddenly turned around and saw that Tang Wenbiao and the others were hesitating, so he urged them loudly, "Stop standing there like idiots and hurry up and pack your things!"

Then he turned around and searched for spare magazines in the bedding on the kang (a heated brick bed).

“I’ve dealt with Li Laosan for so many years, I understand his thoughts all too well!” Old Dou checked the magazine, put the Meiji Type 26 pistol into his pocket, “Yesterday morning, Zeng Shouyi suddenly appeared. You think it was a coincidence? That was to show me, to make me feel that there’s still time to talk, that our two families can still discuss this!”

"Can't we talk?"

"No! That's a trap! Believe it or not, the moment I go to negotiate, they'll immediately—"

Before he could finish speaking, Old Dou suddenly groaned, his body tensing up abruptly. He felt a cold, sharp blade slide down his lower back and into his abdomen.

Just as he was about to turn around, Tang Wenbiao pulled out a dagger and then stabbed it again, plunging it deep into Lao Dou's lung lobe under his ribs.

Old Dou's eyes widened, and he was about to reach for his gun when he suddenly coughed up blood. He felt weak all over, and Tang Wenbiao held his right wrist tightly.

At this moment, Simao and the others suddenly knelt on the ground and pleaded in a low voice, "Brother, please don't blame us! It's not that we don't want to go with you, but we have families to support and it's inconvenient. You're our elder brother, and we still have to make a living!"

"You...you..."

As they were talking, Tang Wenbiao plunged the dagger into Lao Dou's abdomen, slicing it open and exposing his intestines and stomach—a truly heartless act.

Si Mao and the others started crying again, lamenting, "Big brother, blame Qin Huaimeng! The brothers have it tough too. We're all in this together. If you just risk your life, we'll all have a way to survive. Your life is worth more than a dozen of ours, plus our families and relatives. It's not a loss! Don't blame Second Brother either; he was just trying to find a way for the brothers to live! Please do us a favor. We'll burn lots of paper money for you in the future, and we'll be brothers again in the next life!"

Upon hearing "Let's be brothers again in the next life," Lao Dou's vision went black. He hurriedly raised his hand, pretending to push Tang Wenbiao away. He wanted to curse, but blood gushed out of his throat.

Tang Wenbiao didn't stop for a moment; although his attacks were slow, they came one after another.

Old Dou soon ran out of strength. While pushing Tang Wenbiao's face, he staggered forward and struggled for a few more moments before finally dying.

Only then did Tang Wenbiao whisper in Lao Dou's ear, "Brother, you've worked hard!"

(End of this chapter)