Anti-Japanese War Espionage: I Have an Omniscient Perspective

Lin Rui stood behind a sycamore tree in the distance. Because his view was obstructed, even the black-clad bodyguards following the man didn't notice that he was tracking and observing the two people in front of him.

The man was dressed in a dark brocade robe, with a calm face and a touch of worldly wisdom in his eyes. He exuded an air of authority in his every move, but he did not look like an ordinary merchant. Merchants would not be so flamboyant, nor would they have so many subordinates protecting them. He seemed more like a figure of status who had made his way in the world of martial arts.

Lin Rui's heart skipped a beat, and he used the holographic stereoscopic perspective to eavesdrop on what they were saying.

Soon, the conversation between the woman and the middle-aged man reached his ears clearly.

"Mr. Wan, do you think Mr. Du is doing well in Hong Kong? I'm still a little uneasy." Su Wan's cousin's voice was gentle, tinged with worry; her acting was quite good.

The middle-aged man raised his hand and gently patted the back of the woman's hand that was holding his arm, his tone reassuring: "Don't worry, Mr. Du has someone taking care of him in Hong Kong, he's perfectly safe. It's just that the situation in the French Concession is complicated right now, and that scoundrel Zhang Xiaolin is eyeing us covetously, always trying to take advantage of the situation to seize our Du family's territory. I'm just too busy to spend more time with you."

Boss Wan? Du Men?

Lin Rui's pupils contracted slightly, and a wave of emotion surged within him. He instantly realized that this middle-aged man was none other than Wan Heilin, the current head of the Du family after Boss Du left Shanghai and went to Hong Kong!

When he was sorting out the gang forces in the French Concession, he paid special attention to Wan Heilin.

This man was a confidant of Du Yuesheng. He was shrewd, capable, and ruthless. Although Du Yuesheng had left Shanghai and the power of the Du family had declined, even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse. The Du family had deep roots in the French Concession and was still a prominent force among gangs, especially in the police force and the business world, where they still had considerable influence.

Lin Rui stood behind the sycamore tree, his mind churning with thoughts.

It's like searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly.

He was worried about not having a leverage point to infiltrate the gang forces in the French Concession when Su Wan's cousin turned out to have such a close relationship with Wan Heilin.

Should we take advantage of Su Wan's cousin's relationship to proactively contact Wan Heilin?

Once the thought arises, it can no longer be suppressed.

If he could establish a connection with Du Men and leverage Wan Heilin's influence, he could quickly gain a foothold in the French Concession, accumulate his own network and resources, and even use Du Men's connections in the police station to avoid many risks brought by the Military Intelligence Bureau and other forces.

On the other hand, Wan Heilin is exceptionally shrewd and not someone to be trifled with. If one were to make contact rashly and expose one's true intentions, it would likely backfire and result in more harm than good.

As Lin Rui hesitated and fell into deep thought, he suddenly heard a series of urgent shouts and footsteps, breaking the bustling tranquility of Baylor Street.

"Get out of here, all of you! From today onwards, this place belongs to the Tongfu Society!"

Lin Rui suddenly looked up and looked in the direction from which the sound came. He saw a group of men dressed in short-sleeved shirts and carrying sticks and even daggers, rushing menacingly toward a small building not far away. The leader was a bald man with a face full of scars, with fierce eyes, an arrogant tone, and an aura of violence emanating from him.

"It's Zhang Xiaolin's Tongfu Society!" Lin Rui's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly recognized the identities of these people.

Tongfu Society was founded by Zhang Xiaolin, one of the three big bosses of the Green Gang. Most of its members were thugs and gangsters who acted ruthlessly and domineeringly.

Lin Rui also learned from the others that the basement of the small building they rushed to was a casino.

That was the property left behind by Du, which had always been controlled by the Du family and was one of the important Du family territories on Belle Street.

Sure enough, the Tongfu Society members rushed to the entrance of the small building and, without saying a word, attacked the men guarding the gate. Sticks were swung, and shouts and screams rang out instantly.

The men guarding the gate were key members of the Hengshe Society, each of them agile and skilled. Seeing this, they were not to be outdone and immediately drew the weapons they had hidden on their bodies, engaging in a fierce battle with the Tongfu Society members.

"Dare to mess with us? Beat him to death!" the bald man roared, wielding a machete and slashing at a key member of the Heng Society. The blade flashed coldly, and he showed no mercy.

The Hengshe member dodged to the side, then delivered a powerful backhand punch to the bald man's shoulder, shouting angrily, "Zhang family dogs dare to try and steal Mr. Du's territory? They're simply overestimating themselves!"

The two sides instantly descended into fierce fighting. Pedestrians on the street scattered in fear, and screams, the clash of sticks, and shouts mingled together, turning the once bustling Belle Street into chaos.

Many shops quickly closed their doors, fearing they would be affected by the fighting.

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Wan Heilin, who was some distance away, strode over. Seeing this scene, his face instantly darkened, a chilling killing intent flashing in his eyes. His tone was icy: "That bastard Zhang Xiaolin is getting more and more audacious! He dares to seize my Du Clan's territory in broad daylight!"

The woman turned pale with fright at the sudden brawl and quickly grabbed Wan Heilin's arm, her voice trembling slightly: "Boss Wan, what should we do? There are too many of them, let's go quickly, it's too dangerous."

Wan Heilin patted the woman's hand, his expression remaining calm, but the coldness in his eyes intensified: "Don't worry, with me here, no one can hurt you."

After saying that, he raised his hand and winked at one of his attendants. The attendant came over and was whispered in his ear: "Go to the police station and call someone over."

The attendant, upon receiving the order, quickly ran away.

Lin Rui understood that Wan Heilin was trying to leverage Du Men's connections in the police station to stop the brawl through official channels.

Sure enough, not long after, the piercing sound of police whistles came from afar, and a squad of police officers, armed with batons and pistols at their waists, hurried toward them.

The leader was a French police officer, with a stern expression, who was reprimanding them in French.

Upon seeing this, the members of the Tongfu Society showed signs of panic.

Although they were arrogant, they knew that the French Concession police station was not one they could easily provoke, especially since Du Men had deep connections within the police station. These officers were clearly after them.

At that moment, the police took action.

"Stop! All of you, stop!"

The police rushed forward and forcibly separated the two fighting sides.

Wan Heilin walked over slowly, cupped his hands in greeting to the French police officer, and said in a calm but confident tone: "Mr. Miller, these people are disciples of Zhang Xiaolin's Tongfu Society. In broad daylight, they are wielding weapons, disturbing the peace, and even trying to seize my property. Please help me."

The French police officer glanced at Wan Helin, then at the mess on the ground and the weapons in the hands of the Tongfu Society members. A hint of impatience flashed in his eyes. He ordered the officers beside him, saying in broken Chinese, "Take all these people who are disturbing the peace away! Interrogate them thoroughly!"