Republic of China, 1922: Rise from the Post-Zhili-Fengtian War

Kikuchi was still sitting at the table, holding a cup of sake in his hand, his posture still upright, with his usual humble smile on his face.

Seeing Gu Cheng enter, he put down his wine glass and bowed slightly: "Commander Gu, what happened?"

Gu Cheng didn't sit down, but looked down at him: "Mr. Kikuchi, Wang Yongjiang's daughter has been kidnapped. Tonight, in Willow Lane in the south of the city, a group of masked men..."

Kikuchi's smile froze slightly.

That moment of astonishment was fleeting, so fast that one might almost think it was an illusion, but Gu Cheng saw it clearly.

"Miss Wang?" Kikuchi put down his wine glass. "Commander Gu, who could she be?"

"Who do you think it is?" Gu Cheng stared at him, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Kikuchi was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Kikuchi dares not speculate. However, Commander Gu just mentioned the north of the city—Harukami Hiromi's last hiding place is in that direction."

Gu Cheng sneered, "You've reminded me."

He walked back to the table, picked up his wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Mr. Kikuchi, is Hiromi Haruka already aware of my collaboration with you?"

Kikuchi's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure: "Commander Gu, Kikuchi's people will be fine. As for Harukami Hiromi—she works for the Kwantung Army's intelligence department and has her own intelligence channels. Kikuchi can't guarantee she doesn't know."

Gu Cheng stared at him for a long while, as if weighing the truth of his words. The private room was quiet for a moment, with only the occasional sound of the night wind coming from outside the window.

"Mr. Kikuchi, that woman is doomed now." He put down his wine glass, his gaze darkening. "No matter what bargaining chips she has, she has touched someone she shouldn't have."

Kikuchi was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Commander Gu, I understand how you feel about this situation. However—"

He looked up at Gu Cheng, his gaze carrying a meaningful meaning, "If you do anything irrational, you will only threaten Miss Wang... You must know that this young lady's safety is the top priority."

Gu Cheng clenched his fists inside his sleeves.

Kikuchi noticed his reaction and smiled, "Commander Gu, why don't we let Kikuchi negotiate the terms?"

Gu Cheng raised an eyebrow: "You?"

"Kikuchi has been in the Northeast for so many years, and he has connections with the South Manchuria Railway, the Kwantung Army, and the consulates." Kikuchi said, emphasizing each word. "Although Harukami Hiromi is from the Kwantung Army's intelligence department, Kikuchi has channels of communication with the forces behind her. If Commander Gu trusts me, Kikuchi is willing to step in and see if we can bring her back safely."

Gu Cheng stared at him for a long time, his gaze shifting between light and shadow.

Can I trust him?

He doesn't trust him.

But what he didn't trust wasn't Kikuchi's ability, but Kikuchi's purpose.

This old man wants to use this opportunity to extend his reach into the inner circle of Jinzhou.

If Wang Yongjiang's daughter is kidnapped, and he intervenes to rescue her, it will be a great achievement—at that time, not only will the warlord owe him a favor, but Wang Yongjiang himself will also have to thank him.

"Mr. Kikuchi, how do you intend to discuss this?" Gu Cheng's voice was devoid of any emotion.

Kikuchi smiled slightly: "Kikuchi needs to know what Harukami Hiromi wants. She kidnapped Miss Wang not to kill her, but to blackmail her. To whom? To blackmail Commander Gu, or Lord Wang Min? Or perhaps—to blackmail Kikuchi?"

Then, gazing at Gu Cheng, his smile deepened. "As long as we know what she wants, we can talk."

Gu Cheng fell silent.

He thought for a full minute before saying, "Mr. Kikuchi, please go and talk to him. But I have one condition."

Kikuchi bowed slightly: "Commander Gu, please speak."

"You go and talk to them, and it would be best if my men accompanied you." Gu Cheng's gaze was cold. "It's not that I don't trust you, but I don't want you to be put in a difficult position."

"That woman, Haruka Yumi, dared to lay a hand on Min Gong's daughter, which shows she's desperate... If you go alone and she turns on you, you won't even have anyone to warn you."

Kikuchi scrutinized him, then bowed slightly: "Commander Gu has considered everything thoroughly; Kikuchi has no objections."

Gu Cheng nodded: "Mr. Kikuchi, then I'll leave it to you."

He then said no more and walked out of the private room.

Yang Song followed behind him, their footsteps echoing in the narrow stairwell before fading into the distance.

Kikuchi sat in the empty private room, staring at the sake bottle on the table, his gaze darkening.

Haruka Hiromi. You crazy woman, that was a terrible move.

However, even a bad move is still a move.

Even a bad move can be turned into a brilliant one if used well.

He straightened his clothes, stood up, and walked down the stairs.

A night breeze swept over me, carrying the chill of early autumn.

…………

Gu Cheng strode into the brigade headquarters, his face ashen and he remained silent.

Yang Song, who was following closely behind, had just stood in the front hall when his master's almost growling voice rang out: "Pass on my order—martial law throughout the city! From now on, Jinzhou is a no-go zone. All four city gates are sealed off. No one is allowed to leave the city without my written order!"

Yang Song stood up straight, but before he could reply, Gu Cheng continued through gritted teeth, "Also, send people to search every street along the road from the theater to the official residence. Find witnesses, find clues, and find out where that carriage went."

"Have Ting Shu lead men to the north of the city. Harukami Hiromi's last hiding place is there, and the remaining forces of the South Manchuria Railway are also there—search high and low, find her!"

Yang Song growled, "Yes!"

He turned and ran, his leather shoes clicking rapidly on the ground, disappearing in an instant at the end of the corridor.

Gu Cheng took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag.

It still had that familiar sweet taste, but it couldn't suppress the anxiety in his heart.

Time passed little by little, like a dull knife slowly cutting flesh.

About half an hour later, Yang Song pushed open the door and came in, his face even more unpleasant than when he left.

He walked up to Gu Cheng, opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Speak." Gu Cheng raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Yang Song took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage: "Master Gu, the brothers searching in the north of the city have sent back news—a female corpse has been found on the banks of the Xiaoling River."

Gu Cheng jerked the cigarette in his hand, and ash fell in a flurry, spreading into a grayish-white puddle on the table.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't speak. He just stared at Yang Song, waiting for him to continue.

Yang Song lowered his voice, as if afraid of disturbing something: "Wearing a light-colored cheongsam, her age... is similar to Miss Wang's. She has injuries on her face, so we can't see her features clearly. The brothers dare not move; they are waiting for you to come."

The side hall was deathly silent.

Gu Cheng sat there, motionless, like a stone statue.

The cigarette burned out between his fingers, scalding them, before he snapped back to reality and stubbed it out in the ashtray.

He stood up, straightened his clothes, and said in a calm voice that belied his recent devastating news: "Let's go see."