20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 881: One stone stirs up a thousand waves
Enough of this small talk; let's put the matter of Shi Hospital aside for now.

The shooting incident at Daxiguan was quite a big commotion. Not only did Jiang Lianheng fall to the ground seriously injured, but it also alarmed more than a dozen prominent merchants and gentry in the city. Many unlucky people were also accidentally injured at the scene, some were shot, some were trampled, some were bumped, and some had their bags thrown away. The scene was chaotic and disorderly.

With such a huge mess, the patrol officers on the street have been extremely busy.

However, the officials and constables in the yamen, who held high positions and wielded great power but were not grounded in reality, often received information at a slower pace.

That morning, Director Chen was sitting in his office enjoying himself!
The person asked, "What's so beautiful about it?"
Think about it, he is the director of the Fengtian Police Department, which, in principle, means he is the top police officer in Fengtian.

These days, during holidays and festivals, how could there be few people coming and going to give him gifts?
As the old saying goes: "One who works in a government office is sure to cultivate himself well."

The problem is that nobody likes spiritual practice, and even if someone does, it's less than one in ten, and they're all relegated to the lowest-level positions.

The government office is a giant dye vat; even the most upright person, if thrown in and washed for two years, will become a bastard when they come out.

Director Chen is a down-to-earth man. He doesn't like antiques, calligraphy and paintings, luxury cars and mansions. His only love in this life is money!

He'll only smile if you give him money; otherwise, it's not only useless, but you might also offend him.

Therefore, the gift boxes in this office, though seemingly full of various items, are actually all filled with money.

The rules have changed recently. They only accept silver dollars now, but since silver dollars don't hold much, they've switched to accepting foreign currency, such as US dollars, British pounds, and gold notes—the more the better. They just won't accept banknotes, because they think that's unreliable.

Director Chen closed the door and carefully counted today's harvest, feeling overjoyed.

Then, suddenly, his joy turned to sorrow, and he sat there sighing deeply, feeling almost like crying.

Why do I want to cry?
Because time flies and life is unpredictable, although Director Chen is only in his forties and has a long way to go before retirement, his position is a lucrative one that many people are eyeing!
Moreover, the head of the police force wields real power, and a position with real power cannot be trusted by one person alone; every three to five years, there must be a rotation of personnel.

Sigh! I really wish I could do this forever!

No, there's the next life, the life after that, and even lifetimes to come, we'll keep doing this forever!

As Director Chen sighed, he took out a copy of "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic" from his drawer, intending to quit smoking and drinking during the New Year and start focusing on health preservation.

Unexpectedly, just as I opened the book, there was a knock on the door.

When Second Master Jiang pushed open the door and entered the room, he was initially filled with anxiety. However, upon seeing Director Chen's expression, he couldn't help but pause, frowning as he asked, "Oh, Director Chen, what's wrong... It's not even hot in here, so why are your eyes sweating?"

Director Chen wiped his face and waved his hand, saying, "It's nothing. I'm often like this. When I have the people in my heart, I always feel a little uneasy!"

"So...you knew about it too?"

"what do you know?"

"There's chaos in Daxiguan! Someone opened fire in the street, and five or six people were shot at the scene. There are too many other wounded to count!"

"What did you say?"

Director Chen jumped up from his chair and shouted angrily, "Outrageous! Who dares to be so bold? The New Year is almost here, and this is just trying to sabotage me! Where is Jiang Lianheng? Bring him here right now! We just agreed on this a few days ago, how come you've already changed your mind?"

But Second Master Jiang said, "Director Chen, don't bother looking for him, he's the one who got shot!"

Upon hearing this, Director Chen's eyes widened immediately: "What? Jiang Lianheng is dead?"

Master Jiang dared not make a hasty judgment and hurriedly said, "No, no, no, we don't know if he's dead or not, but it's true that he was shot. There were many eyewitnesses at the scene who said that the assassin's target was Jiang Lianheng!"

Shock was followed by anger.

Director Chen stood in front of his desk with a gloomy face, stroking his chin with his hand. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "Since the target is Jiang Lianheng, then it means that this is still a matter between those gangs in the city?"

"Probably!" Master Jiang dared not give a definitive answer.

"Are there any leads yet?"

"Not yet, but please rest assured, Director. The city gate has been sealed off, and there are still so many witnesses at the scene. We will catch the assassin sooner or later."

"Damn it, even if we catch them, what good will it do!"

"Well... we can't just leave the case unsolved!"

"Nonsense, of course the case needs to be solved! The problem is this chair I'm sitting on, this chair!"

Director Chen was really anxious, and he actually revealed his true feelings in front of his subordinates.

What he cares about most is the power in his hands. Without this power, how many people in Fengtian City would still be willing to treat him like dirt?
Just a few days ago, Director Chen brokered a tripartite meeting.

During the meeting, Jiang Lianheng confidently promised that within three months, the secret societies would cease their disputes and there would be no more serious incidents between the Chinese and foreign communities.

Who would have thought that he himself would be shot in public?
Director Chen grew angrier the more he thought about it, and couldn't help but slam his fist on the table and curse, "Damn it, I hope Jiang Lianheng is dead. If he's not dead, and I get dismissed by the Marshal because of this, I'll never let the Jiang family off the hook!"

Second Master Jiang had a good relationship with the Jiang family. Upon hearing this, he mustered his courage and whispered a few words in defense of the Jiang family: "Director Chen, I don't think this matter can be blamed on the Jiang family at all. Think about it, Jiang Lianheng himself was shot, which means that this shooting incident has nothing to do with him!"

"fart!"

Director Chen glared angrily and said, "Don't you think about it? There are so many gangs, big and small, in Fengtian City. Why would the government allow him to become the leader? If he wants to be the leader, he has to keep all the gangs in the city in check. If he can't, what's the point of keeping him around?"

Second Master Jiang nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, the section chief is right! However... Jiang Lianheng is no ordinary man! The old marshal trusts him a lot. Not only can he come and go from the marshal's mansion at any time, but he is also a secret agent and advisor in the provincial capital. He has a lot of dirt on our department. If you turn against him, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?" Director Chen glared at him. "I'm about to lose my own position, why would I be afraid of him? Am I the police commissioner, or is he? Why are you speaking up for him here? Did you take money from the Jiang family?"

Master Jiang curled his lip, thinking to himself: It's not like you didn't accept it!
"What are you still standing here for? Waiting for me to catch the assassin for you?" Director Chen continued to scold, "If you don't catch him within three days, and the Commander-in-Chief comes to investigate, I'll take care of you all too, and you'll all be packing your bags and leaving!"

Destroying someone's wealth is like killing one's parents!
Upon hearing this, Master Jiang became truly anxious and dared not utter another word of nonsense. He immediately turned around and slunk away.

That noon, the entire Fengtian Police Department mobilized, including officers from all district branches and non-official personnel—a total of two to three thousand officers—to search for the assassin. They were determined to find out the truth, even to the point of digging three feet into the ground. This time, they were serious; even the most lazy officers dared not slack off.

The people then realized that not everyone in the government office was a good-for-nothing; there were also many shrewd and capable officials, each one more astute than the last.

This proves the saying: "If the tiger doesn't show its power, you'll really think I'm a sick cat."
In reality, there aren't that many wrongful convictions; it's just that since they don't directly affect one's personal interests, there's a lot of redundancy in the cases...

…………

In the northwest of Fengtian City, there is a street commonly known as "Shijianfang" (Ten Rooms).

As the name suggests, twenty or thirty years ago, there were really only ten rooms there. Later, as the city gradually expanded and the population increased, the locals got used to calling it "Ten Rooms" and continued to refer to the street as such.

However, Shijianfang is a very long street with wide roads that can accommodate three cars side by side. The "Shijianfang" that the people talk about is only a small section of this street, which is the area where prostitution is rampant.

This area originally belonged to Huo Laogui. Now that Huo Laogui is dead, and the Jiang family no longer cares about squeezing money from those aging prostitutes, they handed over this territory to Zeng Shouyi.

After all, Zeng Shouyi was originally Huo Laogui's second-in-command, and he was very familiar with the prostitution business, so it was easy for him to take over. The Jiang family only needed to collect the money on time, which saved them a lot of trouble and effort.

Near the half-closed door, there is usually a food street.

The prostitutes sell their bodies all day and have no time to cook. When they get hungry, they invite a few of their older sisters to come here for a quick bite.

Before coming to the brothels to quench their thirst, the single laborers carrying heavy loads would often stop here for a bite to eat.

Although everyone knew each other, they pretended to be strangers on the street until they returned home and lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), where they became familiar with each other again.

Whether you say it or not, it's a sight to behold.

As dusk fell, Zeng Shouyi and Tang Wenbiao met in a small, unsigned restaurant at the head of a ten-room block.

Both of them were originally second-in-commands, but later they surrendered to the Jiang family. Their respective elder brothers died, and now they have both become the top leaders.

The reason we met today is simply to discuss the assassination attempt on Jiang Lianheng.

As the year draws to a close, there are hardly any customers in the shop. It's a converted residential house, and people are still living in the inner room, so it's hardly a high-class place.

An oil lamp sat on the table, and the dishes remained untouched. Clearly, this dinner was not for drinking and reminiscing.

Zeng Shouyi lit a cigarette, lowered his voice, and asked, "Have you heard about Boss Jiang's matter?"

Tang Wenbiao frowned and retorted, "I'm not deaf or blind, do you think I haven't heard anything?"

"What did you do?"

"I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

"Hey, don't go, don't go!" Zeng Shouyi quickly got up to stop him. "I was just asking, look at you, what's the rush?"

Tang Wenbiao glared and said, "Bullshit! What do you mean I did it? I think you're just hoping I die sooner!"

"What's wrong with asking? If it's not true, it's not true. Come on, sit down!" Zeng Shouyi muttered under his breath. "I'm just a little curious about who did this. I want to ask you about it!"

"It can't be me who did it!" Tang Wenbiao cursed. "I was able to take over Lao Dou's original territory entirely because the Jiang family backed me up. If I killed Jiang Lianheng, would I be crazy? You're asking me? I'd like to ask you the same thing. Maybe it was you who faked your surrender!"

"Hey, don't talk nonsense!" Zeng Shouyi was so frightened that he quickly looked behind him. "What do I have to use to feign surrender? Now this territory of Shijianfang is supposed to be mine, but look at me, I'm just a commander without any troops. I don't even have any capable brothers. If something happens, I'll have to rely on the Jiang family to cover for me!"

"If it's not you, and it's not me, then who else could it be?"

"Do you think it's possible that there are other brothers in the Qin family hiding somewhere?"

"Forget it!" Tang Wenbiao said impatiently. "If Qin Huaimeng really had such tough brothers, would he have gotten himself stabbed in the car?"

"That's strange..."

Zeng Shouyi pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Hey, do you think it could have been the Japanese? I heard that Boss Jiang and his group are currently organizing a business community mutual guarantee, which is going against the Japanese. It makes sense that the Japanese sent someone to stab him."

Tang Wenbiao frowned, staring at Zeng Shouyi for a long time before saying, "Brother, are you out of your mind? Who did this? What does it have to do with you? You're not a detective, what are you guessing for? What, you want to rebel? Go ahead and rebel, I haven't even sorted out my own brothers yet!"

After saying that, he turned to leave.

Zeng Shouyi quickly tried to dissuade him again: "Hey, why are you leaving again after we've been talking?"

"Nonsense!" Tang Wenbiao said, "We both surrendered, so we should see each other less often to avoid arousing suspicion from our employer, understand?"

"I understand, I understand, that's exactly what I was going to tell you!"

"What else is there to say!"

Zeng Shouyi had to pull and drag Tang Wenbiao away with great difficulty to persuade him to stop. He then offered Tang a toast before saying, "Brother, I'm not just meddling in other people's business! I swear to God, I didn't do this, and I don't have that ability!"

"Can't you say something useful?" Tang Wenbiao was extremely impatient, feeling like there was a pair of eyes watching him from behind.

"Fine! Then let me ask you this: neither of us did this today. We are both innocent and have a clear conscience. But the question is, do you know what the Jiang family is really thinking?"

"Think what you want. If you really can't stand it, then come and investigate me. Anyway, I'm upright and have nothing to hide. Old Chai from the yamen came to ask me about it today, and that's what I said too. What else can I do?"

Zeng Shouyi pursed his lips and said, "You may be upright and have nothing to fear, but if the Jiang family suspects us, a single thought is enough. Don't forget, we have the Jiang family's blood on our hands, and you just said that we are surrendered generals. Don't you think that's a good reason to kill surrendered generals?"

"Hiss! I say... you're overthinking it, aren't you?" Tang Wenbiao stared at the remaining wine in his glass and muttered under his breath, "The boss is seriously injured right now, and it's uncertain whether he'll live or die. How could he possibly make a big fuss at a time like this? It doesn't make sense!"

Zeng Shouyi shook his head repeatedly, but said, "The Jiang family has a large business and many concerns. They might not make a move, but what about the Kaoshan Gang? Li Laosan has been suppressing the resentment of the Kaoshan Gang. Now that the boss has fallen, can the Kaoshan Gang still keep order? If they try to smear us and then use the pretext of avenging the boss, can we withstand it with our current strength?"

(End of this chapter)