Divide and conquer

At the main entrance, Zhang Lulu, dressed in a bright red evening gown, slowly entered arm in arm with Xu Qiao. Behind them was Xu Xi, a male celebrity who was extremely popular. Xu Xi was dressed in a beige suit and posed gracefully, exuding star quality.

However, what excited the reporters was his female companion. The fair-skinned beauty was very eye-catching. She wore a modified cheongsam with a black silk pattern that perfectly covered her tall and slender figure, making her very feminine. However, her eyes were as lifeless as an abyss, and her face remained expressionless in the face of the flashing lights. She was an ice beauty.

Everyone was speculating about the beauty's true identity. Was this young lady Xu Xi's girlfriend? Or a new actress Xu Xi was promoting?

Amidst the murmurs, Gao Junxiao glanced knowingly at Qingcheng out of the corner of his eye. Her gaze wasn't fixed on the two big stars, but rather on the beautiful woman in black. Wasn't the beautiful woman in black that Xu Xi had brought the same woman who had spoken with Miss He at the coffee shop during the last book signing?

Looking at the deep swirls on Qingcheng's cheeks, Gao Junxiao wondered why Miss He was so happy, seemingly overly excited. Could it be that she had met a relative? Actually, it wasn't strange that Qingcheng had some distant relatives in Shanghai.

He suspected that the two girls were related after seeing their similar silhouettes outside the window the last time.

But then Qingcheng deliberately looked away, wrote "Do as you please" in his palm, and turned to leave. Gao Junxiao was about to chase after her when Chen Yao, who appeared out of nowhere, grabbed his shoulder.

"Brother, don't get carried away and follow her, you'll be seen as a pervert," Chen Yao warned, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Miss He needs to touch up her makeup, you know?"

The venue was so crowded that Jiao Yan disappeared in a flash. It was all Chen Yao's fault. Gao Junxiao questioned her with a slightly arrogant tone, "Hmph, you've been arrested before! You look like a thug. Do you have an invitation? How did you sneak in?"

"You have such a bad memory. Didn't you give me your invitation? You were following Miss He around like a puppy, deliberately trying to get her invitation. How embarrassing," Chen Yao retorted with utter disdain.

"It's because you looked so pitiful, and you're putting on airs and not wanting to come with Commander Xiong and the others," Gao Junxiao said squintingly.

"Hey, do you really think I don't know anyone in Shanghai? I have so many students from Huangpu Military Academy, I can just grab any one of them and mooch off them." Chen Yao seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and immediately jumped up.

"Then you shouldn't have wanted it in the first place. You could have just followed whose posts you wanted. I was actually planning to bring Lu Xian here to broaden his horizons," Gao Junxiao remarked condescendingly.

"I...I'll take advantage of you, so what?" Chen Yao was forced to run out of words by Gao Junxiao and could only resort to shamelessness.

"Oh my, you're quite self-aware, knowing you're stingy. Please pay half of this month's water and electricity bills." Gao Junxiao stretched out a hand to collect the debt.

When the topic of money came up, Chenyao coughed twice, then awkwardly chuckled and pushed Gao Junxiao's hand back, saying, "Haha, brothers shouldn't talk about money, it hurts feelings."

"Even between brothers, accounts must be settled clearly," Gao Junxiao said without room for argument.

"Look over there," Chen Yao quickly changed the subject, "Are these people trying to outdo each other?"

The group that had just entered was clearly divided into three teams. The smallest team consisted entirely of Chinese, led by the current police chief, Lu Mingtang. The other two teams were made up of white-skinned foreigners and Indians wearing headscarves, with a few Chinese faces scattered among them, including his acquaintance, Captain Pang.

The three groups represented three factions within the Shanghai police force: those in the Nationalist government's jurisdiction, the International Settlement, and the French Concession. As they entered, a tense atmosphere began to fill the air, both from these individuals and from within the venue.

Mr. Tang, the organizer of the ball, probably sensed something was amiss. He frowned slightly, then immediately switched to his businessman's professional demeanor and greeted the attendant with a smile. Tang Bang casually beckoned to a waiter and whispered a few words in his ear. The waiter quickly ran out and brought back a bunch of chairs.

"Mr. Tang was probably just being polite. Who would have thought that the foreigners wouldn't understand polite words and brought so many people that there weren't enough chairs?" Chen Yao analyzed logically.

"What does it have to do with you paying your water and electricity bills?" Gao Junxiao turned his head to look at Chen Yao and brought the topic back.

"Tsk, you're really boring, you can't even take a joke." Chen Yao pushed Gao Junxiao toward the commander and reminded him, "We have to hold onto Commander Xiong's coattails tightly. With his support, we'll have manpower and equipment. We should also try to build alliances with distant and close ones. Go and talk to the ministers who don't have any conflicts of interest. That'll surely infuriate those idiots."

After listening to Chen Yao's words, Gao Junxiao thought to himself that Chen Yao's rise to fame was not without reason; this kid had thoroughly mastered their internal rules. Look at those three teams in the police station; they represent different countries. And look at the bunches of people in their headquarters—ha! Such a small place, yet they're still forming cliques.

As everyone took their seats, Mr. Tang began his opening remarks.

If the banquet were to proceed according to the traditional procedure, Tang Bang would first give an opening speech, followed by a round of pre-arranged donations, allowing the donors to come on stage, take photos, and give the major media outlets something to write about on their front pages the next day.

Qingcheng sat in the third row, diagonally opposite Xu Xi and Zhang Lulu in the second row. Xu Xi's appearance was a subtle balance between Chen Yao's beauty and Gao Junxiao's heroic spirit. Most importantly, he was also a very good actor, which earned him countless female fans.

In the first row in front of them was the notorious spy Xu Qiao. Xu Qiao gave Kiyosumi a different feeling; he wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a scholarly air about him. He didn't look fierce at all, which could be seen in the photos.

According to the records, the Xu family was a wealthy family in Huzhou, Zhejiang. Xu Qiao had studied radio technology in the United States in his early years, and was indeed an intellectual. Shortly after returning to China, he joined the Chen family's "CCTV Club," officially embarking on the path of reaction. At present, Xu Qiao's public identity is the general manager of the Shanghai Radio Company, but in reality, he is the head of the CC Clique.

But is he really willing to be a black glove for the Chen brothers? Cheng Qing believes that his ambitions go beyond that, which is why he left behind some incriminating materials. According to his cousin, if those materials are exposed, even if all the Chen brothers come forward, they won't be able to protect him.

The long and tedious pre-event speeches and the scheduled donations were nearing their end, and finally, the intermission arrived. Everyone was invited to an empty room next door, which was already filled with various refreshments for the guests to enjoy.

The tea room was small, and after getting their food, many people gathered in the hallway to chat with familiar friends and relatives. Qingcheng noticed that Gao Junxiao and Chen Yao were chatting with Captain Pang and two other men. She did not disturb Gao Junxiao's socializing but went to get some snacks herself.

Beside the golden tray stand lay an open copy of *The Companion* magazine. A few black dots of varying lengths were easily overlooked in the inconspicuous header. Kiyosumi's eyelids twitched. She put down her plate and quietly left the tea room. The page where she had just written Morse code was the cigar bar on the hotel's 8th floor.

The crystal chandelier refracted a dreamlike, shimmering light, changing colors with each step. Everyone was captivated by the sweet aroma of the flower cake, and no one noticed the graceful figure disappearing behind the blue-and-white porcelain vase...

From the bright banquet hall to the dimly lit cigar bar, surrounded by guests puffing away, Kiyosumi followed the signs to a bar.

A bartender who was wiping glasses saw her sit down. Without asking what she wanted, he took out a transparent box from the counter. Inside was a decoration made of white orchids. Qingcheng didn't know what the flowers were for, but she put them away for the time being.

"Miss Song wants you to take Xu Xi to the stairwell between the 7th and 8th floors in 3 minutes." The bartender's voice was like a tape recorder on repeat, hoarse and gloomy.

Qingcheng habitually raised her hand to look at her watch, only to realize that she was only wearing a pearl bracelet today. As she looked up, Xu Xi was walking around from the side. Qingcheng's brain instantly stopped thinking. Cousin, are you testing my emergency conversation skills?

She didn't care about being inappropriate in front of everyone; she just wanted to get Xu Xi over there first. She then stood up, stumbled, and fell softly onto Xu Xi. Xu Xi gentlemanly helped her up and asked her with concern how she was.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I have low blood sugar." Qingcheng apologized, rubbing her forehead. Xu Xi beside her was emitting a faint fragrance of magnolia. Smelling the source, she realized that Xu Xi's corsage was a magnolia. This was definitely her cousin's deliberate arrangement. But what's the use of two identical decorative flowers?

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Xu Xi didn't mind, but he was surprised for a moment when he saw Qingcheng's face, and then he immediately resumed his signature sunny smile.

"I'm so sorry, oh my god, it's Mr. Xu!" Qingcheng covered her mouth, unable to hide her excitement. Xu Xi smiled and nodded to her. Qingcheng nodded as well, then pointed to Xu Xi's gold watch and boldly asked, "I'm not wearing a watch. May I ask what time it is?"

Xu Xi glanced at his watch in the dim light around the bar: "It's almost 7:15."

"Oh. Thank you." Kiyosumi gently brushed her hair past her ear, then suddenly said anxiously, "Oh no, where's my earring?"

"Ah, look carefully, what kind?" Xu Xi was also led by her and hurriedly searched around.

"Thank you, Mr. Xu. Don't worry about me. I'm just a bit careless." Qingcheng bent over and stared at the floor, looking like she was about to cry. But in her heart, she was certain of the description of Xu Xi's chivalry in the information. This trick might not work on others.

"It's alright, the person I'm looking for isn't here, and I've got nothing else to do, so I'll help you look for them," Xu Xi asked enthusiastically. "Where have you been just now?"

"Hmm—there were too many people in the venue before, so I came down the stairs to change the environment. Who knew I'd lose my ruby ​​earrings?" Kiyosumi pouted, looking aggrieved.

"Oh, you're also Mr. Tang's guest. You seem to be sitting in the row behind me, right?" Xu Xi suddenly remembered himself, which was not a good thing.

"It seems so. But I'm too scared to go back. If I really fall, my aunt will kill me." Qingcheng hugged her arms, adding a touch of misery to her expression.

Xu Xi, having imagined countless tragic novels, said with a face full of sympathy, "Don't worry, it hasn't been that long. We'll keep searching until we find it."

Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, Qingcheng nodded obediently and guided Xu Xi toward the secluded stairwell. They had only been in the fire escape for a short while when they heard a man and a woman talking downstairs. Xu Xi immediately made a shushing gesture and leaned against the railing to eavesdrop.

There was only a dim emergency light in the stairwell. Hearing the sound, Qingcheng followed Xu Xi's example and tiptoed onto the railing. However, due to the limited angle, she could only see the hem of a woman's black skirt. That must be her cousin.

"Can't we just be okay?" A deep, magnetic male voice came from downstairs.

"Manager Xu, please have some self-respect." The woman in the black dress seemed to take a step back.

"What self-respect? Do you think I don't know what you want? I'll ask you one more time, how about being my mistress?" Hearing these disgusting words, Qingcheng could feel a surge of blood rushing through her chest, and she wanted to smash something.

Knowing her cousin must have her own plans, Qingcheng could only clench her fists to control her emotions. The time wasn't right; patience was an art. Beside her, Xu Xi's forehead veins bulged slightly; he looked like boiling water about to overflow at any moment.

Seeing Xu Xi's angry expression, Qingcheng roughly guessed that her cousin was trying to sow discord among the brothers. At this moment, a thought flashed through Qingcheng's mind. She realized that her cousin might not only be playing a divisive game but also had other needs. Otherwise, why would she insist on having her bring people instead of the bartender?

Moreover, both brothers are playboys, so while they might fight over a woman, it's unlikely they'd completely turn against each other.

"Manager Xu, Miss Zhang is backstage. You can go find her anytime. There's no need to gossip here," my cousin retorted bluntly.

"Why are you jealous? She loves money, you love power. Don't worry, your share won't be less than hers. You're a lieutenant now, how about I promote you to major? It's not easy for women to get promoted in the military." Xu Qiao offered a huge benefit.

"Manager Xu, can't you understand human language? I've refused you many times before, and the answer is still the same." My cousin coldly refused.

"You came out alone just to seduce me, and then you rejected me when I came. I have to remind you, playing hard to get is fine once in a while, but it won't work if you do it too often." When his bribery failed, Xu Qiao resorted to threats.

"Don't go too far. You just want to sleep with me, don't you?" My cousin continued her sarcastic remark with a mix of humility and arrogance, her words subtly guiding my gaze.

"Yeah, who told you to always be so cold and indifferent? I just wanted to know if you're still warm inside," Xu Qiao continued teasingly.

Suddenly, the sound of bones dislocating and a man's scream rang out; the crisp cracking sound was particularly loud in the confined space. This was followed by the man's furious roar: "Song Li, I'm your superior, let go!"

"Sorry, sir, it was just a reflex." You could tell her cousin was gloating; she was doing it on purpose. Qingcheng thought to herself that if Xu Qiao didn't have the power of rank, his head would have been blown open long ago.

"Don't forget, whether you can return to your original unit or not is entirely up to me," Xu Qiao threatened loudly.

Finally, Xu Xi reached his climax. In a flash, Qingcheng grabbed Xu Xi tightly, shaking his head to signal him not to make any rash moves. No, no, if his cousin wanted to make a scene, she wouldn't do it in a secluded stairwell. She probably didn't want the two brothers to confront each other; it would be even more painful to keep bottling up her anger.

However, Xu Xi was blinded by anger, and in the midst of the tug-of-war, Qingcheng suddenly spoke up: "Wow—, it's Mr. Xu, could you please sign an autograph for me? I really love your performance."

The shout startled everyone downstairs and Xu Xi in front of him; the air seemed to freeze. But Xu Xi quickly recovered and cooperated, saying, "Keep your voice down. Those tabloid reporters outside are looking for material, trying to dig up some dirt to boost sales. Oh dear, I didn't bring any tissues, what should I do?"

Xu Xi, being a stage actor, possessed a remarkably penetrating voice. His words were clearly a warning to his brother not to do anything out of line. If Xu Qiao could back down, it would avoid the awkwardness of a confrontation between the brothers. Xu Xi was quite adept at finding a way to save face.

"What paper do you need? Just sign it in my hand." Qingcheng said the kind of things a fanatic fan would say. Xu Xi looked at her with a puzzled expression, asking for her next move. Qingcheng pointed to her chest and made a gesture of tossing a pen.

Xu Xi immediately threw out his pen, saying, "Sorry, my hand slipped. I'll go pick it up."

"Okay, okay. No rush." ​​Qingcheng heard the chaotic footsteps of Xu Qiao hurriedly leaving downstairs, so she didn't follow him downstairs but made an excuse to leave. "Mr. Xu, I'm freezing. I'll wait for you somewhere else."

"Okay, I'll come find you in a bit, Miss Song. Let's go." Hearing Xu Xi's affirmative answer, He Qingcheng's lips curled slightly as she turned and returned to the corridor. If she understood correctly, this was the most favorable condition her cousin had created for her to strike up a conversation with Xu Xi.

The banquet music had been changed to a lively violin solo. Just as Qingcheng was about to return to the tea room, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She was startled and turned around to find that it was Fei Ming, her classmate who had studied in France. She had heard that he worked as a translator for the high-ranking police officers in the French Concession.

"Hehe, how could she have become timid after returning to China?" Fei Ming said affectionately in the soft Wu dialect, recounting Qingcheng's embarrassing past. "Is this still the He Qingcheng who wore work clothes and carried a sign advocating gender equality on the Champs-Élysées?"

The two had been classmates for many years and had always had a good relationship. Qingcheng confidently said, "Don't worry about me. I am now He Qingcheng, who is kind, gentle, generous and has no bad intentions."

Fei Ming rolled his eyes speechlessly: "Can you help me out? I'm getting goosebumps. How wild are you, He Xiangu? Should I help the person next to you summarize your methods?"

"What? The person next to me?" Kiyosumi was confused by his nonsensical question.

"Keep a close eye on things, don't give anything away!" Fei Ming whispered, taking a sip of champagne, his gaze passing through Qingcheng and landing behind her.

An immense sense of oppression suddenly spread across her entire back. Qingcheng felt a tightness around her waist, and her body uncontrollably tilted to one side. Looking around the entire room, there was only one person who dared to openly touch her inappropriately—Gao Junxiao.

"Why do you smell like smoke?" Gao Junxiao's eyes flashed with two sparks, which disappeared into the depths of his gaze in an instant.

Although she didn't know why Gao Junxiao was angry, Qingcheng's strong survival instinct and guilty conscience made her laugh awkwardly and say, "Someone was smoking next to me just now, and I accidentally got some on my lips. I'll wash it off later."

Gao Junxiao was skeptical of the answer, but Fei Ming, always eager for drama, chimed in, "Qingcheng, introduce her to me!"

Qingcheng shot her a sharp look and introduced in a clear and articulate voice: "Alright, let me introduce you to the most stylish man in the whole event, Colonel Gao Junxiao, the superintendent of the Songhu Command."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Fei Ming, and I'm Qingcheng's college classmate. I currently work as a translator in the French Concession police station." Fei Ming introduced himself without waiting for Qingcheng to introduce him.

Gao Junxiao also greeted Fei Ming politely, but he seemed dissatisfied with Qingcheng's introduction. Qingcheng felt the pressure on her waist increase. What kind of spoiled brat was this man throwing a tantrum? She racked her brains but couldn't find anything wrong with her introduction.

The three chatted for a while longer until the waiter informed the guests that the entire hall had been replaced with round tables. Only then did Gao Junxiao put his arm around Qingcheng and walk back to the banquet hall. Qingcheng was confused by his sarcastic attitude: "What are you doing? You've been acting strange ever since you met my classmate. He has a wife and children, and they are a loving couple."

"You think I'm just jealous? What a joke." Gao Junxiao snorted coldly in denial, it seemed that wasn't the reason.

But Gao Junxiao's hesitant expression made Qingcheng feel suffocated: "Young Master, what have I done to offend you? You have to let me die knowing why."

“…I’m afraid you’ll run away.” Gao Junxiao finally managed to utter a sentence that was difficult to understand.

"You're overthinking it. I don't even have a coat. I'd freeze to death if I went out like this. I don't want to make headlines like this." Qingcheng joked with the man with a smile, inwardly cursing him for being childish.

"And when you introduce me in the future, you have to include our relationship," Gao Junxiao said seriously, staring at her.

Qingcheng chuckled. That's all? She leaned closer to the man and said deliberately, "I don't remember us having any relationship."

"Your memory is so bad? Do you believe I can use Fei Ming's method to help you remember?" Gao Junxiao said with ill intent.

"Get lost." Qingcheng shoved the man irritably. This guy doesn't learn the good things, but he picks up the bad ones very easily. Humph, it's all that trash Fei Ming's fault for secretly getting pregnant without his consent, forcing his father-in-law to agree to marry his daughter off.

“I’m confident you’ll marry me willingly,” Gao Junxia said before Qingcheng could object. “Besides, it’s an international marriage. His father-in-law has always been prejudiced against Chinese people, and the couple only did this because they had no other choice. I don’t need to. But could you please make me your official wife sooner?”

"I'll think about it." Qingcheng smiled and tried to be tactful, but Gao Junxiao tickled her in front of everyone. She was really at a loss for words. In order to maintain her image, she begged for mercy, "Stop, stop, stop. I'll give you the money. I must have owed you in my past life."

“That’s a misconception. I’m not your debt, I’m your capital,” Gao Junxiao said smugly.

"That's too much! I'll sell you out later." Qingcheng glared angrily at the man, but the faint fragrance of white orchids wafting from the gap in her handbag reminded her that her mission had to continue.