Chapter 10 The Moon Over the Past
The middle-aged man, oblivious to Xie Ning's reaction, was startled when he saw the words on the note. He had been there at the time, but his companion had already been exposed, and he couldn't afford to be exposed as well. However, he did see the note that Li Shuigen had slipped into Xie Ning's shoe.
The moment he saw Xie Ning, he understood why Li Shuigen had given Xie Ning the top-secret information.
Their secret code is a flower pinned to their chest. They don't recognize people, only the flower. The flower they wear is different at different times, and this time it just so happens to be a red rose.
Of course, besides flowers, there must have been other codes to match, but the situation was so critical that their comrades had to take a gamble before they died. Fortunately, they didn't make a mistake. Although the gentleman didn't want to have any dealings with them, he was a very kind person.
After that day, he followed and found out where Xie Ning lived. Even though he was anxious, he did not act rashly. He was not sure if Xie Ning was an ordinary person. If it was a trap, going directly into Xie Ning's house would be like walking into a trap.
So he kept an eye on Xie Ning's house all night, and then sent people to find out Xie Ning's identity overnight.
The final result was also very pleasing. Although Xie Ning's identity before coming to Shanghai could not be found out, it can be seen from the fact that she went straight to the bank as soon as she arrived in Shanghai, and then bought a house and stayed in a high-end hotel that Xie Ning was a person with considerable assets.
If Xie Ning is a spy, then a wealthy spy is also rare.
After seeing Xie Ning head straight to a high-end Western restaurant the next day, he felt more at ease, which is why he went out to test the waters. However, he did not expect Xie Ning to give them the things so directly and to act as if he was unwilling to have any further contact with them.
His actions were very bold. Under normal circumstances, he would never have done something so reckless. But this news was too important to them. It was so important that if it had been any later, all the workers in Shanghai would have been wiped out, including that gentleman.
He was lucky, and he made the right bet.
"Hello, checkout."
A well-dressed waiter approached with a smile, "Sir, the bill for this table has already been paid by that gentleman. He said that meeting is fate."
Watching Xie Ning's retreating figure, the middle-aged man was filled with conflicting emotions. He didn't know why Xie Ning wanted to help them, since an ordinary citizen would definitely report the news to the local government.
Instead of hiding the note after escaping, judging from Xie Ning's expression, he clearly knew their identities. Therefore, he was not only willing to pass on the information to him, but also helped them conceal the matter.
Is such a kind gentleman one of their comrades?
The middle-aged man wasn't sure, but he was certain he would handle all of Xie Ning's information cleanly and would not allow Xie Ning to be disturbed in any other way.
As Xie Ning walked out of the Western restaurant, she wanted to chop off her own hand. "Why did you have to meddle?! Why couldn't you just stay quiet and behave yourself?!"
When Xie Ning arrived at the Zhang mansion, it was afternoon. The gifts Xie Ning brought were not particularly lavish, but they were decent enough and presented in a respectful manner. The Zhang family naturally didn't care about the type of gifts, and they were very welcoming to Xie Ning's arrival, mainly because Xie Ning had saved Zhang Congzhi.
Mr. Zhang was dressed in a Tang suit, his hair was slightly gray, and he didn't look very old. At this moment, he was talking to Xie Ning about the textile factory they opened in Shanghai, and Zhang Congzhi would occasionally chime in.
Although Xie Ning didn't know much about the cotton textile industry, she still remembered how national industries were suppressed and controlled by foreign capital.
I didn't expect that the Zhang family, being in the thick of it, would also see things so clearly.
Zhang Congzhi went to Nanjing mainly to collect machinery. There was a textile factory there that had closed down, and he bought the machinery left behind at a low price.
Low price is relative, of course. Those machines are imported, so the price can't be that low.
"The Liu family's factory is doomed. It's full of gluttons. No matter how much they send, it won't be enough. I estimate that the factory will change hands in a few days."
“But Dad, I saw Uncle Liu buy another machine a few days ago. It doesn’t look like he’s going to go bankrupt at all.”
Um?
Zhang Congzhi got up and poured tea for each of the three men before saying, "I heard that a Japanese businessman invested in Uncle Liu, so his business won't go bankrupt once he has enough cash flow."
Unexpectedly, Zhang Congzhi was quite well-informed.
Old Master Zhang scoffed, "Inviting wolves into the house..." The consequences were self-evident. So many factories were swallowed up by the Japanese, and their living space was getting smaller and smaller due to the suppression by foreign capital. The market share they could occupy was also getting smaller and smaller.
Xie Ning took a sip of tea; it seemed they didn't have a very good impression of Japan.
......
Japan established cotton textile factories in China, installing numerous spindles and looms, which greatly suppressed the production of China's cotton textile industry. In the two years of 1921-22 alone, Japan established 12 cotton textile factories in Shanghai, Qingdao and other places, with a total of nearly 300,000 spindles.
Moreover, after seeing that Chinese cotton textile factories were unstable and had difficulty with cash flow, Japan intervened with capital, directly merging with several Chinese cotton textile factories, and the situation has only escalated.
This is an external threat.
The internal problems included government exploitation through taxation and other means, as well as the financial power of bureaucratic capital, which exerted capital control over private cotton textile factories.
The Zhang family had a son who entered the military, so at least they had influence and were feared by some; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to protect their factories.
"Alright, it's already noon. The food is ready. Let's eat first, and then we can talk."
The speaker was Madam Zhang, Zhang Congzhi's biological mother.
She wore her hair in a bun, a short jacket with a side opening, and an old-fashioned skirt. She looked like a traditional woman, and her smiling eyes exuded elegance.
Lunch was Chinese food. The Zhang family's chef was very good, and the dishes suited Xie Ning's taste perfectly.
Madam Zhang noticed that although Xie Ning's dining etiquette was somewhat different from theirs, it was still pleasing to the eye, and it was clear that he came from a prominent family.
Xie Ning was unaware that Old Madam Zhang was secretly observing her. Her dining etiquette was impeccable. Although she was weak in her previous life, she had still learned the proper manners, and it was a nanny who had worked in the palace and had been hired by Madam Gu at great expense to teach her step by step.
Furthermore, Xie Ning would occasionally listen to the Master's lectures with his elder brother, and under such influence, he naturally developed a refined demeanor in his every move.
Even though Xie Ning is still thin and his complexion isn't great, he has an outstanding temperament. He doesn't talk much, but every word he says touches the hearts of Madam Zhang and Master Zhang.
There was another woman at the table, dressed in a similar style to Madam Zhang, only brighter in color. She was Zhang Congzhi's wife, Zhang's second wife.
Indeed, Zhang Congzhi was already in his early twenties, so it wasn't surprising that he had a wife. However, the two didn't have the sweet and loving relationship that couples have; instead, they treated each other with the utmost respect.
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