The Republic of China: I, Xiangzi, a Hero in a Chaotic Era

Liu Jiaxiang's gaze swept over the stack of silver notes and five small yellow twigs, his face remaining expressionless, as if he were merely looking at a pile of ordinary documents. He reached out, his fingertips brushing over the five small yellow twigs, then picked up two of them, his movements casual yet steady, and placed them into the drawer on the right side of his desk. The drawer closed with a soft click.

Then, he pushed the remaining three small yellow croakers on the table towards Zhang Kui with two fingers.

"Keep one of these three."

Liu Jiaxiang's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, carrying an unquestionable sense of allocation.

"Take the remaining two to Haikouzi. He and his men have been busy for most of the night; their efforts shouldn't be in vain."

Zhang Kui looked at the three small yellow croakers pushed in front of him, his heart skipped a beat, and a surge of heat instantly coursed through his body.

He tried his best to suppress the excitement on his face, straightened his back even more, and his voice was slightly tense due to restraint.

"Yes, Director. I understand, I will definitely handle it well."

Liu Jiaxiang stopped looking at the gold bar, as if it were a trivial matter.

He leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands in front of his abdomen, and looked out the window at the bare locust tree in the yard.

"Also, call a car."

He gave the order, his tone returning to its usual calm.

"I need to go to the police station."

"Yes, Director. I'll arrange it right away."

Zhang Kui immediately responded, deftly putting away the three small yellow croakers. He bowed deeply to Liu Jiaxiang again before turning around and leaving the office with light but deliberately quiet steps, gently closing the door behind him.

Silence returned to the office.

Liu Jiaxiang sat alone, his gaze lingering on the drawer for a moment before shifting away.

He picked up the white porcelain covered bowl on the table, lifted the lid, slowly skimmed off the foam with the lid, and took a sip of warm tea.

The sunlight outside the window seemed to have shifted slightly, reflecting a cold, hard glint on the insignia on his epaulets.

About half an hour later, in the office of the police chief of the Second Police Station on the right.

This office is much more spacious and luxurious than the police station chief's office.

The heavy mahogany furniture gleamed with a well-maintained, dark luster, the filing cabinets were sparkling clean, and a dark wool carpet covered the floor, making no sound when stepped on.

Director Zhang Tiancheng sat imposingly behind his large mahogany desk, which was intricately carved with patterns. His well-maintained face displayed the usual affable demeanor of someone in a superior position.

Liu Jiaxiang sat upright in the guest chair opposite the desk, his hands neatly placed on his knees, his posture respectful.

He briefly reported on Tiger Girl's matter, then took out the dark blue coarse cloth bundle from his pocket, untied it, and placed the stack of five thousand silver dollars inside on the clean table in front of Zhang Tiancheng with both hands.

"Chief, this was seized from Liu Si's daughter, Hu Niu. She attempted to flee with some of Liu Si's hidden wealth, but she has been apprehended by Hai Gouzi, and the money has been recovered in full."

Liu Jiaxiang’s voice was steady and clear as he narrated the established facts.

Zhang Tiancheng's gaze fell on the stack of brand-new, high-value silver notes, and his eyes instantly flashed with an undisguised burning light.

He extended his well-maintained hand, with slightly plump fingers, picked up the banknote, and gently stroked its surface with his fingertips, feeling the unique texture of the paper and the exquisite printed patterns.

"Five thousand silver dollars... Good, good."

Zhang Tiancheng put down the silver notes, leaned back in his wide chair, and let out a satisfied sigh.

He looked at Liu Jiaxiang, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and satisfaction—a heartfelt joy at seeing his capable subordinate bring him substantial benefits.

"Jiaxiang, well done."

Zhang Tiancheng's tone was friendly and full of praise.

"In such a short time, you've managed to squeeze such a large sum of money out of Liu Si, that old coffin. I knew I hadn't misjudged you when it came to getting things done."

He paused, tapped his fingers merrily on the table, then looked back at the silver notes, before raising his gaze to Liu Jiaxiang, his shrewd eyes flashing with even deeper greed and scrutiny.

"but……"

Zhang Tiancheng drawled out his words, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice, conveying a tacit understanding.

"This old fellow has been in the Xi'an area for most of his life. He was dishonest back in the Qing Dynasty, and later he ran gambling dens, swindled, cheated, and committed all sorts of evil deeds. His wealth is probably... more than just this much."

Liu Jiaxiang met Zhang Tiancheng's gaze without any surprise or panic on his face. Instead, he revealed a look of deep agreement.

"Your Excellency is wise. I also believe that Liu Si has been operating for many years and has a deep and complex network of connections. His hidden wealth is far more than just five thousand silver dollars in cash. This is probably just a thin layer of oil on the surface."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tiancheng's eyes gleamed even brighter, and the look of urgency on his face intensified.

"Oh, so you've made another discovery."

Liu Jiaxiang pondered for a moment.

According to Hu Niu's dying words, Liu Si was extremely cautious about where she hid her money and was extremely suspicious.

"He has likely converted most of his savings into foreign bank notes or deeds and stored them in safe deposit boxes at foreign firms such as HSBC and Citibank."

"Only Liu Si himself knows which foreign firm it is and what kind of certificate it is. The key is in his possession alone."

As Zhang Tiancheng listened, the excitement on his face grew stronger and stronger, almost overflowing.

He could almost see more gleaming silver dollars and gleaming gold bars beckoning to him. Before Liu Jiaxiang could finish speaking, he slammed his hand on the table, his voice rising slightly with excitement.

"Good, there really is a bigger fish lurking in the back. The trading company's vouchers... they're more real and convenient than cash."

A ruthless glint and an eagerness flashed in his eyes.

"Since he has the key, what are we waiting for?"

"I'll give the order right away to subject that old bastard Liu Si to severe torture. The torture rack, the tiger bench, chili water… I'm not afraid of his sharp teeth; under the torture rack, he can get whatever he wants. I want to see if his bones are harder, or the torture instruments at the police station are harder. We have to get every last bit of information out of him."

Zhang Tiancheng spoke with absolute certainty, as if he could already see Liu Si wailing and begging for mercy under torture, obediently revealing the location of the hidden treasure.

He reached for the telephone receiver on the table, ready to give orders directly to the interrogation department.

"Director."

Liu Jiaxiang's voice rang out at the right time. It wasn't loud, but it carried a steady and penetrating power, causing Zhang Tiancheng to pause slightly.

Liu Jiaxiang's face showed a moderate expression of consideration for his superior, his body leaned forward slightly, and his tone was deliberate.

"Regarding this matter, I do have some humble opinions, but I don't know... whether I should speak them or not."