hoarding and speculation

"No one visits a temple without a reason." Zhang Chong and Ms. Xia usually had no interaction, but now he took the initiative to visit her in order to find Mr. Xia. And shouldn't he have gone to Rongtan first to find Mr. Xia?

Gao Junxiao turned to Jiang Yun beside him, who also looked suspicious. He admitted that he had never heard of anyone from CC visiting Rongtan. Even if Zhang Chong had used his connections to go straight to Sister Gui's private residence, there should have been some news by now. How could there be no news at all? This was really strange.

The two of them discussed it and realized that it wasn't good to just stay in the room and let their imaginations run wild; they had to go and listen to what was going on.

Colorful Manchurian windows lined both sides, making the reception room both traditional and modern. Ms. Xia sat in the main seat and gestured as if to serve tea: "Mr. Zhang, we should talk about serious matters now. If you want to find my nephew, you should go to Rongtan to find Agui or Xiaowu, not me. We don't live together."

Taking the teacup, Zhang Chong replied casually, "Mr. Xia's whereabouts are mysterious, and even the people of Rongtan don't know where he is. However, I do have important matters to discuss with him. After all, you are relatives, and blood is thicker than water. If you go to him, he will at least reply to you."

“Oh, that makes sense, but why should I help you?” Ms. Xia asked calmly.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chong's face showed a hint of embarrassment: "To be honest, I have acquired a batch of imported military equipment and would like to ask Mr. Xia to help me dispose of it. If the matter can be accomplished, I will certainly reward you handsomely."

"I dare not accept such a generous reward; it was nothing more than a small favor. However, you should not underestimate Rongtan. Those who can serve as the head of a hall are all quite capable. What my nephew can do, Xiao Wu can do as well," Ms. Xia said calmly.

"Thank you for the introduction, Master Xia." Zhang Chong's voice was filled with joy. "I just don't know if Master Wu understands foreign languages, since this batch of mine is German goods."

"Whether it's in a foreign language or not isn't a big deal. As long as the goods are good enough, Xiao Wu will definitely recognize their value. He won't ruin his reputation for a little profit by lowering your price. Or if you're not satisfied with the price you negotiated, you can contact Mr. Du or his team. Good goods never have trouble selling," Ms. Xia changed the subject.

Zhang Chong followed up, saying, "It's not that I don't trust Master Wu, it's just that Master Wu holds a public office and works under foreigners, and I don't want to put him in a difficult position."

"You can rest assured that you can entrust any business to Xiao Wu. There are definitely other people in the gang who will help act as agents. He's not new to this job." Ms. Xia's momentum remained undiminished, and she did not budge an inch.

Zhang Chong was equally assertive: "My shipment was of enormous value, and I wouldn't feel comfortable telling others the details."

“Mr. Zhang—you’re not genuinely interested in doing business.” Ms. Xia directly exposed Zhang Chong. “Stop beating around the bush. Just say what you need.”

The smile on Zhang Chong's face gradually faded: "I do want to sell the goods, and I do want to make friends with the people. The two are not mutually exclusive. Unless Mr. Xia is not available to show his face at the moment?"

"Why show your face? Are you waiting for me to assassinate you?" With a thud, Ms. Xia slammed her teacup down on the table, the bottom of the cup making a crisp sound against the rosewood, disrupting Zhang Chong's rhythm.

Zhang Chong paused for a moment, but his attitude remained respectful: "Master Xia is joking. We have no grudges against each other. Why would I kill Mr. Xia? I still need his help."

Ms. Xia shifted her posture, her pearl earring gleaming coldly in the shadows: "It's not that you're the best. That good-for-nothing is always out there fooling around. Who knows which deity he's offended? Someone's offering 20,000 silver dollars for his head. Nobody knows where he's hiding now."

For a long time, Gao Junxiao was still in a daze. "Wow, my wife is so valuable! She must be the most valuable person in the Communist Party now. I'm so proud of her. This gold nugget must be worshipped after we get married, and I must pray to her every day."

Despite his obvious refusal, Zhang Chong sighed as if he knew about the matter: "It's alright if Mr. Xia is not available to show his face recently. I'll go find Master Wu first. As for the matter of someone trying to harm Mr. Xia, I do have some evidence."

He reached into his pocket, took out a photo, and pushed it in front of Ms. Xia—the photo showed Mr. Xia shaking hands with Yu Xie of the Axe Gang, and the background was a two-story warehouse at the Shiliupu Wharf, which seemed to be the territory of the Green Gang's Mountain Ghost.

Ms. Xia glanced at the photo, shocked for a moment but quickly regained her composure: "Mr. Zhang, what do you mean by showing me a secretly taken photo?"

"This wasn't something I secretly took; it was something from a Japanese spy's camera that I just happened to intercept," Zhang Chong explained frankly.

In fact, there had been rumors in the underworld that someone had organized the previous strike at the docks. Zhang Chong had assumed it was the work of the Communist Party, but it turned out that Mr. Xia had personally mediated between the two dock managers to resolve their differences and unite against external threats, all for the sake of the greater good.

Zhang Chong thought he had done a good job, so he put away all the negatives. Perhaps seeing that Ms. Xia's expression was not good, he reassured her that he had developed the photos himself and no one else knew about them, so she could rest assured. He had originally planned to give the negatives to Mr. Xia as a gift, but it seemed he would have to give them to him later.

"You mean my nephew offended the Japanese?" Ms. Xia asserted.

Zhang Chong nodded in affirmation: "That's pretty much right. If it were our CC, we wouldn't need to spend a lot of money to hire assassins. We could just send someone who does both dry and wet work to do the job. Similarly, other domestic organizations don't need to buy assassins. They can just have their own disciples do the work. It's reliable and convenient. Those who make such a big fuss are usually outsiders, and there aren't many organizations that can afford 20,000 silver dollars. Japan is one of them."

"But didn't you intercept the photos? How did they end up in the hands of the Japanese?" Ms. Xia looked at Zhang Chong suspiciously.

“The Japanese are always cunning. They won’t target just one set of photos of someone. What I have in my collection is just the tip of the iceberg,” Zhang Chong said sincerely.

Ms. Xia pointed to the photo again: "The angle of this photo clearly indicates it was taken inside. It seems there's a traitor among the Mountain Ghost's men."

“It’s not convenient to investigate this matter. As for cleaning up your own ranks, that’s a decision for the leaders of the Green Gang to make.” Zhang Chong’s words were measured and impeccable.

"Ha," Ms. Xia suddenly sneered, "Since the Japanese have already set their sights on my nephew, what use are your photos now?"

“Of course it has other uses, Mr. Xia should be able to guess it, others probably can’t.” Zhang Chong’s words, the riddle teller, made Gao Junxiao, who was eavesdropping next door, feel instantly depressed.

"According to you, only Xia can obtain all the photos." Ms. Xia suddenly stood up and approached, "As a leader of the Green Gang, can't I take them?"

Zhang Chong lowered his eyes, avoiding the sharp look from the other person: "I'm afraid it's inconvenient. Consider that photo a small gift from a junior. It's enough for your task of eliminating traitors. As for the others, they involve Japanese secrets and are of great importance. The fewer people who know about them, the better."

With the items in Zhang Chong's hands, no one could take them away, so he could naturally hoard them for profit. Not only was Aunt Xia unsure whether Zhang Chong was just putting on a show, but even Gao Junxiao, who often dealt with Zhang Chong, was uncertain whether the other party was fishing for them.

Having gained the upper hand, Zhang Chong's tone became much more relaxed: "If Mr. Xia wants to see me, just publish a sentence in the Shenbao newspaper: 'He has an appointment but does not come until midnight, idly tapping chess pieces as the lamplight flickers.' I will arrange to meet him when I see it."

Seeing that Ms. Xia didn't want to talk to him, Zhang Chong said goodbye and left in a hurry.

“Don’t worry, I’ve been keeping an eye on the red list. Whether it’s due to Gui Jie’s intimidation, or being impressed by Xia Xia’s demeanor, or having long-term benefits involved, no one dares to take the challenge.” Jiang Yun broke the silence first. “I don’t think Zhang Chong would lie about the Japanese.”

“He wouldn’t lie about the Japanese, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t use the Japanese’s momentum to set things up. I’m really puzzled. Why would he choose Shen Bao out of so many newspapers?” Gao Junxiao racked his brains but couldn’t figure it out. A voice in his heart warned him that something was wrong, very wrong.

Gao Junxiao asked Jiang Yun to go back to his study and sit for a while, as he needed to make a phone call to the Shenbao newspaper.

The pendulum swallowed its own shadow and was submerged in the torrent of time. Gao Junxiao returned to his study with a solemn expression, and Jiang Yun offered him a teacup with concern.

Gao Junxiao waved his hand and refused: "Can you contact Qingcheng recently?"

"No, her superiors are very strict," Jiang Yun said helplessly.

"Could you pass on a message to her?" Gao Junxiao asked, staring at Jiang Yun.

“We can try, but I can’t guarantee that her current superiors will pass those words on to her,” Jiang Yun said realistically.

“Okay, you try it first. I think… Zhang Chong suspects that she is Mr. Xia, and he told her to be careful of Zhang Chong.” Gao Junxiao rubbed his forehead, where it was throbbing with pain.

Jiang Yun stared wide-eyed in surprise, confirming again and again, but Gao Junxiao still gave the same answer. This was because he had just learned from his secretary, Sister Zhao, that Zhang Chong had sent his men to invite Qingcheng out for a get-together yesterday, but of course, she wasn't there. Everyone said that Qingcheng had taken leave to go back to Wuhan to prepare her dowry.

Taken individually, Zhang Chong was just bored and wanted to vent to someone. He lost Li Sheng's case and must have had a lot of complaints. But with the photos added, things became more complicated.

If Zhang Chong were to trace his network of relationships, he would find that Mr. Xia is the central figure for everyone! Li Sheng is his front man, Gao Junxiao is his friend, Master Wu is his senior apprentice, Shan Gui and Yu Xie are his business partners, and Ms. Xia is his aunt…

Aside from his business partners, there was another person whose network almost overlapped with his: He Qingcheng. Coincidentally, neither of them was around, and given Zhang Chong's keen senses, he was likely to detect something similar.

Once the seed of doubt is sown, it will grow wildly in damp, shadowy places, breeding venomous snakes that spit out scarlet forks and burrow into the cracks of the city.

A single flame spread silently, and soon the entire warehouse was engulfed in black smoke. Dockworkers rushed out of the warehouse, shouting in unison, "Fire! Fire!"

In the teahouse diagonally opposite the warehouse, Zhang Chong raised his binoculars to observe the chaos on the other side. Ghost Master, terrified, slapped out the fire on the corner of his clothes and then joined the firefighting team.

The black smoke grew thicker and thicker, obscuring the originally azure sky. At this moment, a dark figure sneaked out. He was shorter than an average man, but someone still noticed him.

The noise suddenly resounded through the sky, and a group of people jumped off the boardwalk to chase after the short man. But he was surprisingly agile and climbed the white wall like a gecko, leaping over the high wall in a few quick movements.

Across the street was the territory of SF Express's wharf. Zhang Chong stroked the rim of his cup and blew on the floating tea leaves. "Stir it, stir it, and hopefully Mr. Xia will come out."

The fire destroyed three of Ghost Master's large warehouses, leaving large patches of gasoline spillage on the outer walls, clearly indicating arson.

The oil stains stretched all the way to a warehouse at Shunfeng Wharf. Ghost Master led his men to negotiate, but the other side refused to let the Green Gang members into the warehouse for inspection. The shoving between the two sides eventually turned into a fight.

A crowd of onlookers had gathered at the warehouse entrance, but no one stepped forward to stop them. Then, a few whistles sounded, and the impenetrable wall of people loosened its grip.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

Police officers from the International Settlement rushed in first, followed closely by police officers from the Chinese-controlled area. The two groups of people brandished iron bars and swung them wildly through the crowd, causing the workers to run away with their heads in their hands. They managed to separate the entangled crowd.

"Everyone, squat down and put your hands behind your heads," the police officer commanded, blowing his whistle.

Even though his men were all under control, Ghost Master still cursed and swore: "Yu Xie, I'm giving you a little face out of respect for Mr. Xia, but don't think you can get away with this little face."

"Mountain Ghost, how many times have I told you? That's a private warehouse that someone rented. The key is with the guest. If you want to search any other public warehouse, I'll let you in, but not this one," Yu Xie retorted angrily.

"I don't care, I want to search!" Ghost Master shouted arrogantly.

"No way! If it were your rented warehouse, would you dare open it to me?" Yu Xie was so agitated that his blood turned red to the roots of his neck.

At this moment, the crowd parted to make way for the newcomer, and the junior officer saluted respectfully: "Captain Pang, you've arrived."

"Arson is a criminal case, it's under my jurisdiction." Pang Minyou put on white gloves and walked up to Master Gui. "Master Gui, was your warehouse burned down?"

"Nonsense, isn't it obvious?" Ghost Master pointed at his warehouse, now reduced to scorched earth, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

With a crash, the rickety warehouse door finally gave way under its own weight and exploded on the ground. The case involves two jurisdictions, which will be quite troublesome later. Pang Minyou waved the smoke and dust in front of him and complained, "Wow, that's the public concession. This arsonist really knows how to pick a location."

"Captain Pang, you are a renowned constable in our Chinese territory. You must give me justice. I have no idea about any arsonist." Yu Xie said, grabbing Pang Minyou's arm with a wronged expression.

Patting the back of his hand, Pang Youzhang reassured him, "It's not that you have anything to do with the arsonist. I just examined the traces at the scene, and he happened to be fleeing towards you. Just cooperate with us and open that warehouse. We promise it's just an investigation and we won't touch anyone's personal belongings."

Yu Xie flatly refused: "No, rules are rules. They paid three years' rent, so the warehouse is their private property. If anyone can check it, they have no credibility. How can SF Express Terminal do business in the future?"

"Yu Xie, you brat, don't protect the arsonist!" Gui Ye waved his fist but was stopped by Pang Minyou.

The two argued back and forth, each believing they were right. Pang Youzhang stopped and realized the key issue was that the warehouse belonged to someone else. He then suggested that they contact the warehouse owner, and if the owner was willing to cooperate with the investigation, then Yu Xie would not need to obstruct them.

The suggestion was immediately agreed upon by the two. Yu Xie called his subordinate to bring the contact list, flipped through a few pages, and pointed to a name, saying, "This one, Miss He, lives in the Paris Apartment in the French Concession, her phone number is XXXX."

Who? Pang Minyou's scalp tingled when he heard "Paris Apartment," and the veins under his skin throbbed. How had he offended this troublemaker? "Forget it, stop hitting me. I know that lady. She's not in Shanghai."

"What? The person isn't here. Then I definitely can't open a car for you, even if Mr. Xia comes." Yu Xie shook his head repeatedly while holding the roster.

"Hey, if you put it that way, I'm going to Rongtan to find Mr. Xia to settle this matter. Do you dare come with me?" Shan Gui pointed at Yu Xie's nose provocatively.

"Let's go then, who's afraid of who?" Yu Xie flicked his sleeves and boarded a rickshaw with a menacing air. Not to be outdone, Shan Gui also led a group of people into a car.

"Oh dear, please don't let them fight again!" Pang Minyou hurriedly got into the police car and told the driver to follow them closely.