A dungeon in the western suburbs of Tianjin.

The enclosed space was filled with the smell of coal smoke from the burning coal stove, and a thin layer of white frost formed on the blue brick walls.

The third hall master, Zhu Dehai, was chained to a chair, with a heavy iron ring digging deeply into his wrists.

His right eye was swollen and purple, his cracked lips were oozing blood, and every breath he took left a trail of white mist in the cold air.

"Master Zhu, sorry for the long wait."

Xie Yun walked in wearing a officer's wool coat with a mink collar, and his black leather gloves were stained with snow from outside.

He took off his military cap and handed it to Zhou Lin behind him, revealing his forehead that was red from the north wind, with a few strands of black hair sticking messily to his temples.

Zhu Dehai raised his head with difficulty, and the iron chains made heavy rattling sounds as he moved.

He narrowed his cloudy eyes, and when he saw who was coming, a twisted smile appeared at the corners of his dry mouth, and a sound came out from deep in his throat: "Heh..."

He licked his cracked lips and continued in a hoarse voice: "Thank you, Marshal... for coming to interrogate me personally? It is really... a great honor..."

Xie Yun did not respond, but just raised his hand to signal Zhou Lin behind him to step back.

The iron door slammed shut, and they were the only two left in the dungeon.

"Chen Shicong is dead." Xie Yun said indifferently.

Zhu Dehai's pupils shrank, and he grinned, revealing a row of yellow teeth: "Young Marshal is very cunning... Chen Shicong, that idiot, didn't know until his death that he was being used as a gun by you, right?" He spat, "Using the knife of the Green Gang to burn the Japanese warehouse, and then let us and the Japanese both suffer losses... Ha! I should have thought of it earlier!"

Xie Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression was obscure, and the smile on his lips deepened a little: "Master Zhao is a smart man, and I, Xie Yun, like to make friends with smart people the most."

Zhu Dehai stared at him, the muscles on his face twitching slightly. After a while, he suddenly sneered: "Why, are you here to recruit me, young marshal? It's a pity that I don't have what you want."

Xie Yun did not rush to refute. He leaned forward slightly, stared into Zhu Dehai's eyes, and said word by word: "I want seven of the Green Gang's branches. Tianjin's docks, warehouses, casinos, opium dens...all belong to me." He paused, his voice low and clear, "As for you, you only need to manage these businesses for me. I will give you every bit of what I deserve."

Zhu Dehai was stunned, as if he had heard a huge joke, and suddenly threw his head back and laughed.

Laughter echoed in the dungeon, with a hint of madness: "Hahaha! You let us fight the Japanese to the death, and now you come to reap the benefits? Marshal, you have a very good plan!"

Xie Yun stood up, his expression still calm, as if he didn't mind Zhu Dehai's ridicule at all.

"A dead man, or a gang leader who is your friend... a smart person would know which one to choose."

Zhu Dehai's laughter stopped abruptly, the muscles on his face tensed, and a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes.

After a long silence, he continued, "Xie Shaoshuai, aren't you afraid that I will bite you back?"

The corners of Xie Yun's eyes curved slightly, and a low laugh escaped from his throat, but the smile did not reach his eyes, but only appeared on the surface.

“You can try.”

His voice was soft, but it was like a sharp knife against Zhu Dehai's throat.

Zhu Dehai's breathing stagnated slightly and he unconsciously tensed his back.

Finally, he slowly lowered his head, and his shoulders relaxed slightly.

Xie Yun raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction, and his black leather gloves gently stroked the iron fence, making a slight friction sound.

"Boss Zhu..."

He turned his head halfway, and in the dim light of the dungeon, Zhu Dehai saw the meaningful smile on the corner of his lips, faintly visible in the shadows.

"It's been a pleasure working with you."

Inside the Japanese military.