Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 474 Huizi's Ambition

Once upstairs, Mu Liancheng hurriedly set out the tea tray.

Huizi walked over gracefully, took over the work from his hands, brewed tea and personally poured it for Mu Liancheng and Wanqiu, showing her virtuous and gentle nature.

Mu Liancheng was flattered and quickly bowed, saying, "No, no, Madam Huizi, how could I accept such a favor?"

It was rare that Huizi didn't cover up, and Mu Liancheng couldn't resist stealing a few glances at the large expanse of snow-white skin revealed at the neckline of Huizi's kimono.

So white, so fragrant!
Keiko seemed oblivious, her voice so gentle it could melt hearts:

"Mr. Mu, you're too kind."

"I specialize in tea ceremony. The best Longjing tea is very particular. If the water temperature and the fire are slightly off, the aroma and taste of the tea will be completely different."

"Madam knows so much," Wanqiu exclaimed sincerely.

Huizi raised her eyes, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of surprise: "Miss Wanqiu speaks very fluent Japanese."

Wanqiu smiled shyly: "I am a student representative at school, and my uncle often deals with Japanese people, so I have studied hard."

After chatting for a few minutes, Hong Zhi gave Hui Zi a look, and Hui Zi put down her teacup: "Miss Wanqiu, come with me for a walk in the back garden."

"Okay."

Wanqiu immediately agreed.

The two walked side by side along the garden path, and Keiko asked softly, "Are you scared about what happened today?"

Wanqiu nodded, then shook her head:

"When the Japanese entered the city, they killed many people in Tianjin, including students from Beiyang University."

“In this world, death is all too common. I’m afraid, but it doesn’t feel unfamiliar to me.”

Wanqiu turned her head and looked at Huizi's delicate profile, asking curiously, "Madam, are you and Mr. Hong... friends?"

"Yes."

Huizi nodded, a perfectly timed sadness in her eyes:
“We are very good friends. The Northeast is bitterly cold, and I was all alone after losing my husband. Fortunately, Mr. Hong took care of me and was willing to bring me to the interior to get some fresh air.”

Wanqiu asked, "Will you go back to Northeast China in the future?"
“Your elder brother is a favorite of Commander Okamura Yasuji, so you can live a very good life in the Beijing-Tianjin area.”

Huizi glanced at her sadly, her voice full of sorrow: "My elder brother has already gone south. I am a weak woman, all alone like a rootless duckweed, with nowhere to call home in the end."

She sighed, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mr. Hong will probably be leaving in a couple of days, and I will most likely have to go back to that icy land and endure endless cold and desolation alone."

These words were like a needle, gently pricking Wanqiu's sorrowful heart.

She bit her lip sympathetically, then suddenly asked, "Madam, do you... want to stay in Jinhai?"

"Of course I do."

Without hesitation, Huizi said, "I have never seen such a beautiful place. It is like the fairy tale world I have always dreamed of."

“Madam, we get along so well. Why don’t you stay at my house and keep me company?” Wanqiu gently took her hands in hers.

“How can that be? Wouldn’t that cause Mr. Mu a huge problem?” Huizi shook her head repeatedly.

Seeing her tearful expression, Wanqiu couldn't help but ask, "You're so beautiful and gentle, Mr. Hong... how could he bear to leave you alone in Jinhai?"

"he?"

Huizi gave a self-deprecating laugh, a laugh full of bitterness: "Men like them who are destined for great things are preoccupied with fame and fortune, so how could they possibly care about a widow like me?"

Wanqiu opened her mouth, a thought rising in her mind, but seeing Huizi's sad appearance, she ultimately couldn't say it.

……

In the study upstairs.

Hong Zhiyou and Mu Liancheng are discussing a deal.

Mu Liancheng complained bitterly: "Mr. Hong, you don't know, this leather business looks very profitable, but I have to bribe the Japanese and deal with the municipal officials like Wen Shizhen. After all that, the money I actually get is just a little bit of hard-earned money."

He tentatively extended his finger.

"How about this, you just focus on shipping the goods, and I'll take care of receiving them."

"We split it 60/40, I get 60% and you get 40%."

"The extra 20% I contributed was used to build relationships. In reality, it's still a 50/50 split between us."

After listening, Hong Zhi sneered: "Boss Mu makes it sound so easy. Do you think I don't charge for the mountain products I buy from beyond the Great Wall?"

"Brother, don't try to fool me."

Mu Liancheng chuckled twice, revealing his true colors as an old fox.

“Zhang Guaizi and Ni Xiaoping have both done this business with me, I know it inside and out.”

"This stuff is a rare commodity inside the Great Wall, but outside the Great Wall, a few boxes of anti-inflammatory medicine and a few bags of rice can be exchanged for a whole train carload! Don't even mention taking 40%, even taking 10% would be a huge profit!"

At this point, Mu Liancheng straightened his back, his face gaining more confidence.

“I know you have your methods, brother, but my integrity in business is widely recognized in Tianjin. And I’m not bragging, but in Tianjin, no one else could pull this off!”

"So, let's talk business. You don't need to try to scare me with threats of violence."

Hong Zhi smiled.

"If I really wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have come to Jinhai today."

He flicked his cigarette ash: "I can split it 60/40. But I have one condition."

“Please speak,” Mu Liancheng said.

“I will set up a ‘Hong Sheng’ branch here.”

"From now on, all goods must be distributed and accounted for by my company."

“Every fur coat and every ginseng root must be recorded. You, Boss Mu, are only responsible for sales. You decide how much stock you need and how much you order from my company. Moreover, I have the authority to set the prices.”

"You'll receive dividends within the price I set. If you can sell more, that's your skill; if you can't sell, you'll bear the loss."

"We're all business people, and we all know the market prices, so don't expect to deliberately hoard inventory to negotiate a lower price."

"how?"

Mu Liancheng rolled his eyes, then chuckled dryly, "That's fair, I agree."

Without another word, Hong Zhi took the briefcase from Ren Changchun, pulled out a pre-prepared contract, and handed it over.

"Words are no proof; let's put it in writing. If there are no problems, then sign it."

After reading the contract, Mu Liancheng said half-jokingly, "Oh dear, if I had known Consultant Hong would be so agreeable, I should have called for 82 or 73 earlier."

Hong Zhi raised his eyelids and glanced at him indifferently.

"You can try."

"Let's see if you become the next Matsuda Shin."

A chill ran down Mu Liancheng's spine, his smile froze, and he quickly waved his hand.
"I understand, I understand! It's 60/40! 60/40 is the fairest!"

After signing the document, Mu Liancheng asked, "I wonder... who will be in charge of this Hongsheng Jinhai branch?"

Hong Zhi picked up his teacup and said slowly, "Madam Huizi."

"When her husband was alive, he was the president of the Harbin Chamber of Commerce. Mrs. Huizi was influenced by him from a young age and is very familiar with business operations."

"You...you're not taking her with you?" Mu Liancheng asked, quite surprised.

Hong Zhiyou gave a wry smile and sighed, "Not everyone likes the icy and snowy landscape beyond the Great Wall. This is Madam's own choice, and I respect her decision."

Mu Liancheng nodded thoughtfully: "I understand."

After Hong Zhiyou and Huizi's group drove away, Mu Liancheng stood at the second-floor window, watching the black sedan disappear around the street corner, and his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

He even hummed an off-key tune.

"Uncle, you seem to be in a very good mood."

Wanqiu came over with a cup of hot tea.

"Of course!"

Mu Liancheng took the teacup and took a small sip.

"With those two scoundrels, Matsuda Shin and Du Juan, dead, our family can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"
"Moreover, the fur trade has been finalized. This is a huge deal, and we'll make a lot of money!"

Wanqiu smiled and said, "Uncle has also met the wrong person. However, I think Madam Huizi is quite nice. Uncle, don't you have any other thoughts?"

She winked mischievously.

"I could tell while we were drinking tea just now that Uncle's eyes were practically glued to people's bodies."

"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting!" Mu Liancheng's face flushed red as he sternly reprimanded her.

"Uncle is getting anxious. It seems I was right," Wanqiu said with a charming laugh.

Mu Liancheng sighed heavily, the joy on his face fading into helplessness.

"Madam Huizi is of noble birth and looks like a fairy. Although she is a widow, she is not someone like me who can have designs on her."

"Not necessarily."

Wanqiu shook her head.

"Mrs. Huizi doesn't want to return to the Northeast. She's all alone in Tianjin, with no one to rely on. From what she's said, it seems... she has a pretty good impression of you, Uncle."

"Uncle, you can tolerate someone like Du Juan. Someone like Madam Huizi, with a clean family background and a background a million times better than Du Juan's, someone even Commander Honma has to respect, isn't she a good match?"
“If you marry her, you can be on equal footing with Wen Shizhen in Jinhai.”

"That's what it means to be a true superior person. At that point, you won't need to be beholden to people like Matsuda Shin."

Mu Liancheng was stunned and looked at his niece in surprise: "You little rascal, you know quite a lot."

Wanqiu's eyes dimmed slightly, and she said softly, "Uncle and I are in this together. Only when you are truly doing well can our family be at peace."

"Hey……"

Mu Liancheng was filled with emotion and reached out to pat her head.

"You've suffered these past years."

He changed the subject, his brows furrowing again.

"But what you don't know is that Hong Zhiyou plans to have Huizi stay behind to set up a branch company, specifically to handle my leather goods business."

"How could he possibly allow me to be with Keiko? If that happens, the score will never be settled."

Wanqiu couldn't help but laugh when she saw her uncle's expression, which was a mixture of joy and worry.

"Uncle, you're overthinking it."

"Mr. Hong is a man of great things. What he cares about is the business outside the Great Wall and dealing with the Japanese."

"What he wants is money, is profit."

"As long as you and Mrs. Huizi can give him his share on time, without missing a penny, why would he care what kind of relationship you have?"

"If you marry Lady Huizi, you will be able to secure this deal even more firmly. It will only benefit him and not harm him."

Mu Liancheng held his teacup, savoring his niece's words, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

Yes.

That guy surnamed Hong is the kind of person who only cares about money and not people.

As long as the money is there, he probably wouldn't care if he married Huizi or even her mother along with her.

Having figured this out, Mu Liancheng pondered for a moment, and the worry on his face gradually dissipated.

……

The black sedan drove smoothly on the streets of Jinhai.

The atmosphere inside the car was somewhat awkward. Hong Zhi slammed on the brakes, breaking the silence.

"I have to go back to Northeast China the day after tomorrow."

He looked at Keiko beside him and asked, "Are you leaving or staying?"

Huizi did not answer immediately.

She turned her head to look at the bustling street scene outside the window, her eyes slightly red, and her voice carrying a deliberately crafted sadness.

"What do you think?"

she asked rhetorically.

Hong Zhi chuckled inwardly.

This woman's flair for manipulation has truly blossomed.

If she hadn't wanted to stay, she wouldn't have deliberately shown off in front of Mu Liancheng, not even covering her chest, and she certainly wouldn't have taken the initiative to get close to Wanqiu.

All of this was just preparation.

Hong Zhi sighed, following her words, and a hint of reluctance appeared on his face: "Of course I don't want you to leave."

"But the Northeast is freezing cold, it's too cold."

"Furthermore, I am busy with official duties and may not be able to be with you all the time."

He changed the subject.

"Perfect timing, the fur trade here also needs a trustworthy person to manage it."

"Why don't you... stay here?"

Huizi gave him a resentful look, her voice trembling with tears: "You're so heartless, just leaving me here all alone like this."

Hong Zhi put his arm around her shoulder and said softly, "Just consider it for the sake of the money."

"From now on, you should keep 10% of the profits from all leather goods transactions for your own expenses."

"I believe this money is enough for you to live a very comfortable life in Tianjin."

Upon hearing this, most of the sadness in Huizi's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a barely perceptible hint of joy.

She leaned against Hong Zhiyou's chest, half-heartedly, and pouted as she complained.

"All right.

"It seems I really owed you something in my past life."

"I'm going to be bullied by you tonight, and now I have to stay here and guard the house. I've really become your little bastard..."

"Be good, listen to me."

Hong Zhi interrupted her and pinched her cheek.

"Let me hear you make a sound."

Huizi rolled her eyes at him, her gaze alluring, and she let out a soft moan as her eyes darted around:

"Wow, woof."

Her voice was soft and sweet, with a seductive and alluring quality.

"You little slut!"

Hong Zhi turned the car into an alley, and eagerly pulled Hui Zi into the back seat.

……

After some clouds and rain.

Hong Zhi rolled down the car window, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

Keiko straightened her disheveled kimono, nestled obediently in his arms, and whispered:

"I saw that Wanqiu's eyes were practically shining when she looked at you just now."

"Given your personality, you'd probably really like that kind of innocent, schoolgirl, right?"

Hong Zhiyou knew this was a test.

He exhaled a smoke ring, a look of disdain on his face.

"She's too young, she's still a child."

"Furthermore, my main battlefield is outside the Great Wall, not in Tianjin."

"Knowing her will only waste my time and will not bring me any usefulness."

He paused, his tone cold and realistic: "A person without value is not worth my affection."

Huizi pinched him lightly and scolded him, "You're such a snob."

Hong Zhi smiled and said calmly:
"It's not that people are snobbish because of value, but rather that snobbery itself is the most intuitive standard for measuring value."

"Whether you like it or not, the emperor, most of the time, would not sit at the same table with commoners to eat and chat."

"This is the harsh reality."

"Of course, I prefer to call it the process of elimination."

"Being a little snobbish can help you eliminate 99% of useless social interactions in your life and reduce unnecessary waste of energy."

Huizi was somewhat stunned.

She looked up at Hong Zhiyou, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Sometimes I really don't know if you're a sophist or a philosopher."

"It's clearly a terrible word, but you always manage to make it sound so fresh and elegant."

Even so, the weight that had been hanging over her heart was finally lifted.

Keiko is ambitious.

The luxury of Mu Liancheng's mansion and his immense wealth certainly tempted her.

If she could take advantage of Hong Zhiyou's influence and become the mistress of the Mu family, her life would be completely changed.

However, if Wanqiu is Hong Zhiyou's person, then his future situation will become extremely unfavorable.

Now that she heard that Hong Zhi had no interest in Wanqiu, she was completely relieved.

Hong Zhi looked down at her, a wicked smile playing on his lips: "Then you'd better hurry up and take it off a few more times."

"Otherwise, there won't be many more opportunities to indulge in worldly desires in the future."

Huizi blushed with embarrassment, and gently punched his chest with her small fist.

"I do not care!"

She hugged Hong Zhiyou's neck and said coquettishly, "You promised me you'd come to Jinhai to see me once a month!"

"Okay."

Hong Zhi nodded in agreement.

What he wanted was for Huizi to stay and use her connections to help Mu Liancheng build a fortune.

Once the country is liberated, her identity as a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau will be Huizi's lifeline.

She will definitely look for me.

There's no need to wait for Boss Dai to fly over and haul away the "state assets"; he'll be able to wash away Mu Liancheng's life's wealth beforehand.

Trading a widow you've grown tired of for the assets of the richest man in Tianjin a few years later is definitely a good deal.

On the contrary, he hoped that Huizi's ambitions would be even greater, and that he could guide her in the future, especially in the financial field, like Zhou Fohai dealing in a lot of gold, which is the real hard currency.

Even a dog wouldn't care about things like China Merchants Bank or hospitals.

……

The night is getting darker.

In Jinhai, inside an inconspicuous blacksmith shop, the furnace fire was burning brightly.

A burly man with his shirt off was swinging a hammer, smashing it again and again onto a red-hot iron block.

Ding! when!
Each strike sent sparks flying, illuminating his bronze skin and the mounds of muscle he cleaved.

The burly man's name was Yan Tieshan, and he was from Shandong.

He had a protruding tumor on his head, fierce eyes, and an aura of menace that kept strangers at bay.

His iron-clad body, though not invulnerable to swords and spears, would not even leave a white mark on his body when struck by ordinary sticks.

Yan Tieshan was skilled in wielding an 80-pound iron rod, which he wielded with tremendous force, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close.

Unlike the renowned martial arts masters of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, Yan Tieshan was not famous.

Only those who truly know him understand just how terrifying the power of this murderer who fled from Shandong to Tianjin truly is.

Moreover, this person values ​​integrity extremely highly.

Once they've taken the money, they'll definitely take someone's life, no matter what.

Squeak.

A rickshaw stopped in front of the blacksmith's shop.

A young man in a sharp suit stepped out of the car; he was Zhang Shaobai, the youngest son of Zhang Siye, a member of the Grand Canal Gang.

He looked at Yan Tieshan, who was sweating profusely in the firelight, and said in a deep voice, "Master Yan, Matsuda Shin is dead."

Yan Tieshan's hands did not stop moving at all, and the hammer continued to fall rhythmically: "Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me."

Zhang Shaobai sneered: "But you took his money!"

Yan Tieshan finally stopped what he was doing.

He immersed the red-hot iron block into the water tank, and with a hissing sound, white steam billowed out.

"You don't need to remind me."

He turned around, wiping his sweat with a dirty towel, and looked coldly at Zhang Shaobai: "I will definitely kill him."

Zhang Shaobai took a deep breath and said, "Hong Zhi will leave Jinhai by train the day after tomorrow."

"At that time, my men will take action on the train, numbering over a hundred."

"If you join forces with us, sir, we can surely kill that scoundrel on the carriage!"

Yan Tieshan picked up the steel rod standing in the corner and weighed it in his hand:

"Go ahead and kill me."

"I'll kill my own."

"it is good!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Zhang Shaobai's eyes.

"With your words, sir, I feel relieved!"

Matsuda Shin's death led to his father, Zhang Siye, being arrested by Shibayama Kenshiro on suspicion of murdering an imperial officer and taken directly to the secret service.

Their fate is now unknown.

This blood feud is one that Zhang Shaobai is determined to kill Hong Zhiyou to quell his hatred!

……

(End of this chapter)