Chapter Nine: It Seems Like an Old Friend Has Arrived

The car eventually drove into the back alley of the "Hujiang Chamber of Commerce" building, located in the heart of the International Settlement.

The tall stone building cast a somber shadow in the night, and the armed guards at the entrance cast wary glances as the car headlights swept past.

Ah Chen stopped the car quickly as if fleeing for his life, jumped out, and opened the car door for Lin Tang. His movements were unusually hurried.

Lin Tang got out of the car with her cane, her high heels making a metallic sound as she stepped onto the cold cement floor. She then entered the building.

Someone was already waiting at the side gate.

Lin Tang nodded slightly and followed Uncle Zhong through the thickly carpeted corridor, stopping in front of a heavy mahogany carved double door.

Uncle Zhong knocked twice on the door, then respectfully pushed it open: "Chairman, Mrs. Qiao has arrived."

After a moment, a voice came from inside the door: "Come in!"

Uncle Zhong pushed open the door, but then stepped back.

The office was exceptionally spacious, decorated in an extremely luxurious manner, yet it exuded a cold and hard atmosphere.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the dazzling lights of the Bund reflect off the cool-toned marble floors and dark walnut furniture inside.

A tall, upright man was facing away from the door, gazing out the window. Hearing the noise, he slowly turned around in his high-backed chair.

Seeing that face again, Lin Tang still felt a tightness in her chest. His eyebrows, the curve of his nose, and the lines of his thin lips were so similar to the person in her memory. Except for the cold, gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, behind which were scrutinizing eyes that were completely unfamiliar, sharp and aloof like those of a new business tycoon, and no longer the warm, gentle smile of the person in her memory.

Lin Tang felt a mix of emotions. She couldn't really tell whether she had come to the Chamber of Commerce recently to plan her business or to see that face again.

This face... looks so much like Bai Mu from my memory; or rather, it's the cold and sharp middle-aged look that Bai Mu has been tempered into after all his warmth has been stripped away over time.

...

When Chen Kan first arrived in Jiangcheng, it was a morning in the first month of the lunar calendar when light snow was falling.

Lin Tang, wrapped in a navy blue satin fox fur coat, stood behind a pillar at the train station exit, watching Qiao Yuan and several of his men unload the newly arrived cargo containers.

Lin Tang's breath caught in her throat, her feet felt like they were nailed to the ground, and her fingertips dug into the fur of her fox fur coat.

Qiao Yuan followed her gaze and his eyes narrowed slightly. Neither of them spoke, each lost in their own thoughts.

Later, Lin Tang learned from Uncle Chen that Chen Kan was the young master of the Chen family in Beiping at that time.

...

"Mrs. Qiao?" Chen Kan's voice interrupted her recollection.

Lin Tang came to her senses and said, "Mr. Chen, I came here to say that I have registered some factories and plan to start a business to produce cotton cloth and cotton thread."

Chen Kan raised an eyebrow. "Mrs. Qiao shouldn't be doing things that make quick money. Why would she do these hard jobs? If you want to set up a factory, you wouldn't want to build it on top of Qiao Yuan's opium den and dance hall, would you?"

Lin Tang ignored his sarcasm and said only, "I've chosen the land, it's in Hongkou."

Lin Tang pulled her thoughts back, her eyes clear as she looked up: "What the Japanese want is 'order.' As long as I pay my land tax on time and give 'tribute' to their chamber of commerce, they won't touch me."

Chen Kan chuckled, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Madam Lin is certainly unlike Qiao Yuan's woman. He sells opium and runs casinos, making quick money; you're in textiles, making slow money and taking risks. What's the point?"

Lin Tang said calmly, "Industry can save the country."

Chen Kan stared at her for a long time, then smiled and said, "I hope that's really what Madam Qiao thinks, and not just an excuse to hoard land."

Lin Tang felt uneasy and guilty at his sarcasm. She bit her lip slightly and said, "Chairman Chen, if you cooperate with me for a long time, you will surely understand my character. My third uncle has cooperated with us for many years, and has always..."

“Uncle Chen is Uncle Chen,” Chen Kan interrupted her without any politeness, “and I am me. Madam Qiao, my Uncle Chen is sentimental and his way of doing things…excuse my bluntness, but he is too accommodating, even to the point of being somewhat unable to distinguish right from wrong. As for me, Chen Kan, I act solely based on rules and interests. Furthermore, I have never believed that cooperating with certain…unprincipled, ruthless, underground, and disruptive so-called ‘jianghu’ forces is any kind of commendable ‘interest’.”

Lin Tang hadn't expected him to be so sharp-tongued. A look of surprise and bewilderment flashed across her eyes, which she couldn't completely hide.

Chen Kan keenly caught the fleeting moment of distraction in her eyes, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly.

“Therefore,” Chen Kan raised his chin slightly, “from today onwards, all past ‘cooperation’ models between the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce and your company need to be re-evaluated. Your position in the Chamber of Commerce and the so-called ‘conveniences’ you enjoy will also need to be reconsidered. Jiangcheng needs a cleaner and more dignified order.”

Lin Tangshen forcibly suppressed the dizziness and dull pain that almost tore her reason apart. The slight pain helped her regain the sharpness that "Mrs. Qiao" should have.

"Chairman Chen is a new official, and his sharp edge is admirable. However, the order in Jiangcheng has never been hidden beneath a glamorous facade. Uncle San's 'harmony' maintains a balance among all parties and ensures smooth trade routes. Chairman Chen's words of 'reassessment' and 'reconsideration' may have stirred up more than just the Chamber of Commerce; they have stirred up the entire city of Jiangcheng."

Chen Kan frowned slightly and remained silent.

Lin Tang leaned forward slightly, "The Crescent Moon Gang has been in the Chamber of Commerce for many years, not because of anyone's charity, but because of the solid foundation they've built and the rivers they've crossed. Chairman Chen wants to establish new rules, fine. But for the rules to be valid, we must first ask the cargo ships at the docks if they agree, ask the large and small businesses outside the concessions if they agree, and ask... whether the night watchmen on the Shanghai Bund can knock on their clappers properly!"

"Mrs. Qiao has quite the eloquence." Chen Kan's tone remained cold, but his condescending sarcasm had slightly subsided. "It seems your gang has indeed made a name for itself in Shanghai. However, in my actions, I only care whether the outcome is legal and beneficial to the country and businesses. As for how well the night watchman's clapper is played..." He shrugged slightly, adopting a Western-style, indifferent posture, "That's the police's business. All I care about is that everyone sitting in the Chamber of Commerce hall is a respectable person."

The light in Lin Tang's eyes dimmed slightly. She thought that the person in front of her only looked similar, and he was definitely not Bai Mu.

"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together." Lin Tang's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable resolve. "Chairman Chen's profound discourse on the 'New Order' has been well received today. As for the Chamber of Commerce seats and cooperation model, the Crescent Moon Gang has its own ideas, which we will discuss another day. Farewell!"

She didn't look at Chen Kan again, and stumbled away, leaning on her cane.

"Madam!" He rushed forward, instinctively wanting to help her up, but was frozen in place by Lin Tang's sharp gaze.

"Get in the car." Ah Chen hurriedly opened the car door. Just as Lin Tang bent down to get in, Ah Chen caught a glimpse of another figure appearing at the side door.

Chen Kan actually followed her out and stood in the shadows under the porch. He didn't approach any further, but simply stood there, his posture upright, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting a cold light under the foyer lights. His gaze, across the dim light, landed on Lin Tang, his eyes complex and unreadable, seemingly carrying a hint of inquiry, a hint of scrutiny, and... a very faint hint of... bewilderment that A-Chen couldn't understand?

When Chen Kan's gaze inadvertently swept over A Chen, A Chen felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

That face! That face, so clearly defined in the porch light! Those eyebrows, those eyes, the curve of that nose…

Ah Chen was struck as if by lightning, instantly freezing on the spot. His pupils contracted sharply due to extreme shock, his mouth opened wide unconsciously, and he let out a short "hoarse" gasp. The color drained from his face in an instant, making him even paler than Lin Tang!

The car drove through the streets in the twilight, the interior deathly silent except for the low hum of the engine.

Ah Chen gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, while his eyes frequently glanced at the rearview mirror.

The mirror reflected Lin Tang's pale, paper-white profile. She leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed, but her long, raven-like eyelashes trembled slightly.

Ah Chen finally couldn't help but ask, his voice trembling slightly: "Madam... that Chairman Chen, he..."

Lin Tang didn't open her eyes, but her hand, resting on her knee, unconsciously twitched slightly, the cold touch of the ebony cane digging into her palm. Of course, she knew what Ah Chen wanted to ask.

"It's so similar, isn't it?" Her voice was dry, like sandpaper rubbing against a rough tabletop.

“Yes!” Ah Chen immediately replied, his tone urgent, “They’re practically… practically identical! But Mr. Bai…” He suddenly stopped, realizing he had mentioned that taboo name.

Lin Tang felt as if something had struck her chest hard, and a sharp pain instantly spread through her. She finally opened her eyes, her eyes filled with an overwhelming weariness and an almost empty sense of bewilderment.