The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 93: Treat Guo Jing as an Rival
"Boss, don't be impulsive. We have just arrived in Shanghai and don't know much about the situation yet. There is absolutely no benefit in being impulsive!"

"That jerk just now spoke rudely, and he should save his face, but the 'three tycoons' are local bosses after all, so we need to think about this matter carefully."

After leaving the Zhang family mansion, Jiang Lianheng walked away, strolling along the streets towards the river, without looking back or saying a word.

As he walked, Liu Yansheng and Wen Tingge followed him and gave him advice.

If we say that the disrespect of Inspector Huang and Boss Du can be attributed to the misunderstanding caused by not telling the truth, we can bear with it and barely accept it.

Then, what happened in front of Zhang Mansion was pure bullying.

Regardless of whether the bodyguard's words were Zhang Xiaolin's original intention, since they came from the Zhang Mansion, the boss must be responsible to the end.

This is the rule.

Liu Yansheng and Wen Tingge were of course very angry, but after calming down and weighing the pros and cons, they decided to persuade him.

Jiang Lianheng just kept walking without saying a word even though his lips were almost worn out.

Seeing this, Liu Yansheng hurried over and advised kindly: "Boss, a little impatience can ruin a big plan. He is just a watchdog. We can't mess up our plans just to get angry with him!"

"Stop the fucking ink!"

Jiang Lianheng suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Liu Yansheng and Wen Tingge with dissatisfaction.

"I raised you two not to persuade me to calm down, but to give me advice. Do you understand?"

These words were like a slap in the face, hitting Liu Yansheng and Wen Tingge hard in the face.

The two of them blushed and lowered their heads unconsciously, saying in a muffled voice, "Understood, Boss."

It's not the first time that Jiang Lianheng has been in the underworld. He has hidden his ruthlessness very well. He knows when to hide his edge and when to draw his sword. Of course, he is also well aware of the principle of making plans before taking action.

What he wants is "planning", not nonsense like "don't be impulsive".

Wen Tingge was always eager to show off, so he immediately volunteered, "Boss, how about I go and test Zhang Xiaolin's abilities?"

Jiang Lianheng shook his head, seeming a little disappointed.

"Forget it. Zhang Xiaolin is just a later story. Let's go for a stroll at the dock first."

"But, the 'three tycoons' haven't been dealt with yet. Even if we go to the dock now, we don't know who to look for. Who can we trust?" Liu Yansheng pondered, "Or, should we wait until tonight to ask Shi Liancheng and Xi Wenzhao?"

Jiang Lianheng snorted twice, but said: "I just don't believe it. In a place like Shiliyangchang where there are two realms and three managements, everyone has to wait for these three little scoundrels to say something before they can do anything."

Hearing this, Liu Yansheng and Wen Tingge had no choice but to follow their boss and quickly walked towards the Bund Pier.

As for what Jiang Lianheng was thinking, they had no idea.

There is only one thing that is certain: Jiang Lianheng remembered the bodyguard's appearance and had a general grasp of the layout of the Zhang Mansion.

Fight?

No, Jiang Lianheng has no such plan.

Although he may not be richer than Zhang Xiaolin, he is also worth a lot of money. He traveled thousands of miles to Shanghai to risk his life. This is a bit crazy no matter how you look at it.

But the feud has already been formed, and we have to let go of this bad feeling, otherwise it will easily affect our physical and mental health.

Jiang Lianheng knew the priorities clearly, and at the moment he had only one thought in mind - to handle official business first, and then settle personal grudges.

However, if you can kill two birds with one stone, that would of course be the best outcome.

…………

It was noon, on the Bund in the Concession.

The banks of the Huangpu River were bustling with hustle and bustle, and the whistles of cargo ships were deafening.

Looking around, I saw thousands of ships standing in a row and hundreds of boats competing for the current. It was indeed the largest port in the Far East, and it seemed as if even the river water was boiling.

Jiang Lianheng and his two companions first arrived at the French Concession dock, then headed south along the river bank towards the old city, taking in the sights along the way at a leisurely pace.

Over the years, Jiang Lianheng has become familiar with the ways of spies.

There are only two places with the most information: one is the dock with the most men, and the other is the brothel with the most women.

After discussion, the three decided immediately: during the day, they would visit the Huangpu River wharf to find out the situation; at night, they would stroll around Shanghai World to understand the people's sentiments.

The docks vary in size and function.

In addition to the iron steamers, there were more wooden cargo ships, including sampans, small sampans, and row bamboo rafts, all of various types, all loaded with cargo.

There are warehouses, storehouses and shops of all sizes on the shore, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Thousands of dock workers, caramel-tanned and wearing waistcoats, came and went carrying cargo.

Countless small vendors mingled among them, shouting at the top of their voices.

The hawking of newsboys in Shanghai is different from that in other places. They often shout out the price and content of the news at the same time:

"Two copper coins are enough to see a major strike on the Guangdong-Hankou Railway!"

"Three copper coins are needed to see how the stock exchange is doing!"

Near the Chinese area, which is near the Shilipu Wharf, Jiang Lianheng bought a copy of The Bund News.

It is called a news newspaper, but in reality it is more like an entertainment newspaper.

There were no major domestic or international social news on the pages; most of the content was about ferry schedules at various docks on the Huangpu River, department store promotions, advertisements for brothels, and romantic scandals of Shanghai celebrities.

Locals are too lazy to read it, but outsiders can use it to quickly understand the general situation of the foreign concessions.

Jiang Lianheng happened to be tired, so he found an open-air teahouse on the shore, intending to drink some tea, read the newspaper, and rest for a while.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, he heard a humming sound behind him.

When he turned around, he saw a man in his twenties with a short haircut, holding a sanxian in his hand, strumming it and howling like a ghost.

What he sang was not local songs, but news from the newspapers, just like the folk writers in the north, and he treated this as a business to make a living.

Very few dock workers can read, so reciting unofficial books, reading newspapers, and singing news are indeed considered a skill.

Unfortunately, he sang so badly that every word was out of tune, his voice was hoarse, and the noise was loud, like sawing wood, which made people feel upset.

After sitting on the roadside for half a day, he didn't earn a penny and was scolded. Even so, he still refused to leave and continued to sing to himself.

Jiang Lianheng frowned, unable to bear it any longer, and finally raised his hand and called out, "Hey, brother, stop looking around, I'm calling you, come here!"

The guy with the crew cut was stunned for a moment, looked around, and after making sure that the other party was calling him, he walked over blankly with the bench in his hand and smiled twice in a flattering manner.

"Boss, did you call me just now?"

"How much money can you earn in a day?" Jiang Lianheng asked bluntly.

"Uh..." The short-haired guy blinked, then smiled and held out his hand, "It's a little bit, just barely enough to make ends meet. Thank you for the money, boss."

Jiang Lianheng closed the newspaper, took out a silver dollar from his pocket, and said, "Here, this is a reward for you. Go sing somewhere else, the farther the better."

When the short-haired guy saw the big money, his face immediately showed joy. He took the reward and thanked the money repeatedly. But when he was about to leave, he suddenly rolled his eyes and wiped the money away.

"Boss, judging from your accent, you should be from the north, right?"

As he spoke, he sat down on his own. But as soon as his butt landed on the bench, he jumped up again as if he had been electrocuted, and asked with a hypocritical smile:
"Boss, can I sit down?"

"Just stop singing, even if you have to throw me into the Huangpu River," Jiang Lianheng said calmly.

The short-haired guy laughed shrilly, "Oh my, boss, you are quite funny. You can tell from the capital that you are from the capital. People in the capital are so humorous."

Jiang Lianheng had a blank expression on his face. He patted the man with the short hair on his shoulder and said earnestly, "Brother, if you really can't hear it, don't force it."

"Ah?" The short-haired guy was a little embarrassed, "Aren't you from Beijing?"

"Is there anything wrong?" Jiang Lianheng asked back.

"No, no, no, nothing else. I saw that the boss was very generous, so I thought he must be here to do business in Shanghai. Is this his first time here?"

"Indeed, I left you guessing."

Jiang Lianheng had no intention of hiding anything, and he wanted to find someone to inquire about the situation at the dock. Someone like this who sang in the news every day must be well-informed.

Upon hearing this, the short-haired man immediately put on a serious expression and said in a serious tone, "Ah, boss, if that's the case, you have to be more careful. Although Shanghai is prosperous, there are scammers everywhere who specifically harm these outsiders and bring shame to the Shanghainese."

The three of them laughed in unison: "Is there such a thing?"

"Of course, those little scoundrels are terrible at deceiving people!" The short-haired man patted his chest twice as he spoke. "But since the three bosses have met me, you don't have to worry anymore. I will be your guide and the price is negotiable."

"Oh? So, brother, you are quite familiar with the situation at the dock?" Jiang Lianheng asked with a smile.

"Twenty years." The short-haired man held up two fingers and swore, "I grew up drinking the water of the Huangpu River. I have been wandering around for twenty years. Look at this dock. Who doesn't know my name, Shen Shili? To be honest, I am still a member of the Green Gang!"

"Oh, so you are from the underworld. I am so sorry for your disrespect."

"Shh-"

Shen Shili quickly made a gesture to keep quiet, looked around, seemed a little suspicious, and suddenly lowered his voice to remind:
"Boss, please don't tell anyone. It's not easy for members of the Alaqing Gang to reveal their identities. Please understand, please understand."

Jiang Lianheng and the other two looked at each other and thought that this kid was just bragging.

Shen Shili didn't care about all that. He had already put on the role of a guide. He stood up from the stool, put one hand on his waist, and stretched the other hand across the river. He started to report the names of various docks, warehouses, and storehouses. He muttered a long list that sounded just like the monologue of Tuanchun.

Jiang Lianheng listened to his clear and logical talk and no longer worried about whether he was a member of the Green Gang or not. He just looked towards the riverside pier in the direction of his finger.

It didn't matter that I took a look, but I suddenly discovered that since some time ago, thirty or forty dock workers had gathered in the south, and they were now slowly approaching the dock here with a menacing momentum.

At the same time, Shin Se-ri's "running commentary" also stopped.

Jiang Lianheng turned around and asked, "Brother, what's going on?"

“What the hell!” Shen Shili cursed and backed away, “Boss, get up quickly and stand back. They’re about to start a fight!”

"Start fighting?" Jiang Lianheng did not stand up in a hurry, but asked in confusion, "Aren't all the docks in the foreign land under the control of the 'three tycoons'? Could it be that there is also internal fighting among the three of them?"

No one answered his question.

Turning around, Shen Shili had already run away and was hiding on the embankment, waving frantically at Jiang Lianheng and others.

"Boss, don't worry about your life! They fight like crazy. You are dressed so well, be careful that they will mistake you for the dock manager and beat you up!"

As Shen Shili was shouting, the owner of the tea stall also ran over, hurriedly packing up the teapot and teacups, and waved his hands at Jiang Lianheng and the other two, "Boss, don't drink any more tea, run away!"

Liu Yansheng also stood up and said, "Boss, let's not join in the fun, or we might get hurt by mistake."

Jiang Lianheng nodded and did not insist. He just walked towards the river bank, and could not help but look back frequently.

On the one hand, I want to see the excitement and act like a fool; on the other hand, I also want to see the current situation clearly.

As they were talking, the dock was already in chaos.

The thirty or forty dock workers who came to cause trouble were pressing forward step by step, making quite a lot of noise, but the nearby docks seemed to be from the same company. The foreman saw that the newcomers were not friendly, so he immediately stood on a wooden block and called his friends. In the blink of an eye, he had gathered sixty or seventy dock workers and refused to give in.

The two sides were getting closer and closer until they started to fight with their weapons, then they stopped.

At this time, Jiang Lianheng and his two companions had retreated to the embankment.

When one is in a high place, the situation of both sides is clear at a glance.

Shin Se-ri reached a safe distance and immediately put on an expression of watching a show, with a light in his eyes, and said excitedly: "It's time to fight, it's time to fight!"

"Is this kind of thing common?" Jiang Lianheng asked casually.

"It hasn't been common since the 'Three Tycoons' started," Shin Se-ri explained, "but it's very common lately, and we have to fight every few days!"

Jiang Lianheng curled his lips: "If that's the case, then the 'three tycoons' are actually not that great!"

"Oh, boss, haven't you heard the saying that those with bare feet are not afraid of those with shoes?" Shen Shili raised his hand and pointed to the distance, "Look, look at that big guy from Anhui Province, he values ​​money more than his life, who wouldn't be afraid of such a guy?"

Jiang Lianheng looked in the direction of Shen Shili's finger.

But in front of the thirty or forty dock workers, stood a man in his thirties. He was not tall and a little thin. Although it was too far away to see his facial features clearly, I could clearly see that he was wearing a pair of round glasses. Although he looked like a scholar, he was holding a sharp Xuanhua axe in his hand. Under the scorching sun, the blade was sharp enough to cut through the bones.

Jiang Lianheng patted Shen Shili on the shoulder, raised his chin, and asked, "Hey, haven't you been wandering around for twenty years? Who is the leader on the opposite side?"

"Him? Oh, he's a great desperado!"

Shen Shili pouted and said with lingering fear:
"He is Wang Laojiu from Anhui Province!"

(End of this chapter)