Boomerang (Part 2)
Everyone in the room was waiting for Qingcheng to explain, but Qingcheng asked that Mi Ye come downstairs first before she could explain, as the following content might involve the real culprit who killed his brother.
Sister Gui nodded in agreement and then ordered the servants to bring Master Mi down. As soon as he saw Qingcheng, he started yelling that he wanted to settle accounts with her. Fortunately, Master Wu was quick-witted and restrained him firmly, not allowing him to get any closer.
Qingcheng calmly explained, "Don't worry, Master Mi, I will seek justice for your brothers. Actually, it wasn't the CCP that killed your brothers, but Zhang Renjiu's men who were impersonating the CCP."
"Bullshit! You stinking party member, you dare to do it but not admit it." Xiaomi struggled to get up, staggering and almost falling over.
"Xiao Mi, sit down!" Sister Gui scolded, frowning.
Xiao Mi lowered his head sullenly. Although he was resentful, he dared not disobey Sister Gui's orders. He turned to look for a place to sit, but there were too many guests tonight, and the only empty seat among his peers was next to Gao Junxiao.
To everyone's surprise, Xiaomi didn't obediently sit down. Instead, she shooed him away with disgust: "Move aside, what kind of bodyguard sits on the sofa? Is this how you White Tiger Hall teach manners?"
"Ignore him, you're Mr. Du's friend." Qingcheng casually held down her fiancé. "Mr. Mi, if you continue to be so disrespectful, you'll be disgracing Rongtan."
Xiao Mi glared fiercely at Qing Cheng, then flung her robe aside and sat down, leaving just enough room for another person to squeeze in, as if afraid Gao Junxiao might have a contagious disease.
Gao Junxiao rolled his eyes, unconcerned. Qingcheng tugged at her clothes to explain herself first. She wasn't a member of the G Party. She had indeed been blinded by greed before and had resold a special controlled item that had already been scrapped. However, everything she sold was contraband.
Like a crow touching coal, everything is black. To her, it was just an ordinary transaction. In addition, according to the rules of the black market, they only care about the goods, not the people. They don't ask the buyer's purpose or the seller's origin. The identities of the buyer and seller must be kept absolutely confidential. She was sure that this transaction was completely in accordance with the black market procedures.
If Mr. Mi insists on reporting her based on the buyer's identity, she has nothing to say. She can only ask Mr. Du and Sister Gui to be her witnesses. She has become the first man in her own family to be reported by her own brother for violating the laws of the National Government.
Gao Junxiao couldn't help but laugh out loud, which eased the atmosphere considerably. Mr. Du then smoothed things over, saying, "Hey, it's no big deal. Everyone here has broken the law. Mr. Xia, don't worry. It's just that the National Government's laws are too strict, not our problem."
“Daring to report your own brother is a treacherous act that violates the gang rules. Be careful, or I’ll kick you out of the gang,” Sister Gui chimed in.
"Alright, alright, for my sake, let's just let this go. But no one is allowed to mention it again, or don't blame me for sending him to feed the fish in the Huangpu River," Mr. Du threatened with a forced smile.
After being repeatedly humiliated, Xiao Mi was so frustrated she felt like her back teeth were about to break, but everyone openly protected her. Only after noticing that Xiao Mi had stopped causing trouble did Qing Cheng continue with the important matter.
Her suspicion that Zhang Renjiu's men were impersonating members of the Communist Party was not unfounded. It all started with one of her younger brothers, who happened to see a batch of guns at a public denunciation meeting in the vegetable market. The model, length, and caliber were exactly the same as the ones our new agent was selling.
According to the Red Area cadres who were sentenced, these were counter-revolutionary weapons that counter-revolutionaries colluded with corrupt cadres to bring into the Red Area. They have now been confiscated. If the masses see such weapons again, they should report them to the nearest court.
Qingcheng patiently explained that the "courthouse" was the same as the court in their Soviet district, and everyone present finally understood. She then instructed her brother to carefully confirm whether the goods were indeed from their company.
Meanwhile, after she got home, she looked through her previous orders, and lo and behold, she actually found them. Someone in Wuyapo, within the Red Zone, had ordered 15 rifles, and Yecun had ordered 5 rifles... all of which had been shipped. They were all small orders, totaling only 30 rifles, 40 pistols, and 200 rounds of ammunition.
Since everyone is imitating foreign goods, there will be slight differences in size and material to differentiate them. If it turns out to be someone else's product, it won't be a problem.
Not long after, her younger brother confirmed that it was indeed our product; at least the size and material were identical. He ultimately reported a figure of over 200 pieces.
There aren't that many! Her first thought was malicious cross-selling, so she took the orders to Brother Chang for confirmation. Brother Chang was also alarmed when he heard this. Cross-selling is like people fighting each other, which is going to cause big trouble.
After several investigations, Brother Chang assured her that no one was engaging in cross-selling. His products were extremely cost-effective and in high demand throughout China and North China. The lathes in the production workshop were practically bursting at the seams, so there was no way he would have any extra stock to sell to other places.
“You know so much about that side of the world, yet you still dare to say you’re not a member of the G Party.” Xiaomi suddenly interrupted Qingcheng.
Qingcheng calmly replied, "Master Mi may not have such attentive subordinates. You're making a fuss over nothing. Without the skills, how could I dare to take on such a difficult task for the two bosses?"
Upon hearing this, the two bosses of Jinji appeared completely convinced.
Qingcheng continued, "My little brother is very responsible. He reports every little thing. For example, a new mine has been opened in the north, and the stones can be used to start fires. A large area of camphor trees in the west has been cut down, and so on. I had heard about it before but didn't take it seriously. It wasn't until today, when I heard about the two bosses' business, that I guessed a thing or two."
"Your men are also members of the G Party, right? Otherwise, how could they move freely in the red zone?" Xiaomi interjected sarcastically.
"Don't interrupt!" Sister Gui scolded expressionlessly. "Xia, you continue."
"Yes," Qingcheng replied respectfully, then suddenly patted Gao Junxiao beside him: "Brother Gao, do you remember that rifle I showed you last time?"
Gao Junxiao was stunned for a second, then quickly realized: "Huh? Which one? You've shown it to me too many times, I can't remember."
"The one where you said the barrel is old wine in a new bottle." Kiyosumi gave him a provocative look, hoping he would be more involved and not just sit there grinning like an idiot, you jerk.
"Oh, well, who did this scoundrel? If I find out, I'll beat him up." Gao Junxiao said angrily, "The old barrel with the rifling ground off was then re-polished and reassembled into a new barrel. But there are strict regulations on the thickness of the barrel wall. That thing is 1 millimeter thinner than the Hanyang-made one. Anyone who uses it will have their barrel explode."
Gui Jie's face grew increasingly gloomy, and she looked Gao Junxiao up and down with a suspicious gaze. Mr. Du was a sensible man, and he whispered a few words to Gui Jie, presumably introducing Gao Junxiao's identity.
"Xia, you've got some connections. He even managed to hire someone as a bodyguard." Sister Gui turned her interested gaze to Qingcheng.
"It's no big deal, it's because my aunt has a lot of influence," Qingcheng replied modestly. "Sister Gui, if these refurbished, low-quality goods were mixed into our bulk shipments, it would damage our reputation."
Mr. Du, sitting across from them, asked curiously what this had to do with Zhang Renjiu.
"Uh...it's actually related to Mr. Jin's matter...there are outsiders here, so I can't go into too much detail." Qingcheng felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced at the jade ring on Boss Jin's hand and, quick-witted, asked, "Mr. Jin, I'd like to ask if you've recently traveled to Annam or Myanmar to gamble on jade?"
“I’ve been there. Not only for jewelry, but also for the finest rosewood and huanghuali. I go there three or four times a year. When you get married, you can ask me to buy the three gold pieces and have a few camphor wood chests made. I guarantee your future wife will be satisfied.” Boss Jin smiled broadly, the white tan lines around his eyes becoming even more pronounced.
“Great, I’ll definitely patronize your business.” Kiyosumi changed the subject. “As everyone knows, the only hard currencies traded over there are gold and opium poppies. Am I right?”
"This..." Boss Jin was speechless, and lowered his head as a tacit agreement.
“The seeds have nothing to do with Boss Jin, it’s all that damned Zhang Renjiu’s fault.” Boss Ji anxiously tried to exonerate Boss Jin. “We’re in the foreign trade purchasing business, of course we like small yellow croakers, but when Zhang Renjiu found out we were going to the southwestern countries to buy them, he forced us to use the seeds as toll money.”
Boss Jin's face showed regret: "I only gave it to him once. If he wants it again, I will say that the seeds have been confiscated by the local warlords, leaving me with nothing. He can take it or leave it."
"Mr. Jin and I are kindred spirits. I only like real gold and silver." Qingcheng smiled as she promoted herself, then turned to Sister Gui, "Sister Gui, has Zhang Renjiu always wanted to get involved in Rongtan's opium business?"
"Hmph, it's no use him thinking about it, he's just a piece of trash." Sister Gui sneered.
“Master’s wife, please don’t let your guard down. Didn’t he come up with a new approach?” Mr. Du said. “Once Zhang Renjiu gets the seeds, he’ll definitely want to grow them himself and sell them.”
"Mr. Du guessed correctly. Zhang Renjiu contacted the gentry in the Soviet area and contracted a large area of land for self-production and sales. But selling to other places wasn't enough; he also wanted a piece of the pie in Shanghai. However, given his irreconcilable relationship with Rongtan, the big boss might not pay him any attention. So he came up with a vicious plan." Qingcheng left half a sentence hidden and then threw out another clue, "Does everyone remember that old man with a white beard, speaking with a northern Jiangsu accent, who called himself Old Sun, a member of the Communist Party?"
“I know, that guy from Jiangbei is really annoying. I’ve sent people to refuse him several times, and he’s driving me crazy.” Mr. Du frowned in disgust. “Isn’t he a member of the Communist Party? But he clearly has a letter of recommendation from the Soviet government.”
"Haha, Mr. Du wants a Soviet recommendation letter? I can get you ten copies, more real than the real thing," Qingcheng joked with a grin. "But his letter is definitely genuine. Otherwise, even Mr. Da and Mr. Du wouldn't have been fooled."
"Xia, isn't what you're saying contradictory? Having a letter of recommendation naturally makes you a true member of the Communist Party," Gui Jie said, puzzled.
Kiyosumi smiled sinisterly: "That's Zhang Renjiu's brilliance! Being a member of the Communist Party is a death sentence, and no one is stupid enough to impersonate a member of the Communist Party. So everyone naturally assumes that whoever has a letter of recommendation from the Soviet Union is a real member of the Communist Party."
Everyone in the room fell into deep thought. Qingcheng wasn't in a hurry and let them fill in the blanks in their minds.
After a long while, Mr. Du suddenly realized: "So the letter of recommendation is real, but the person is fake. Zhang Renjiu wanted to use the name of the Communist Party to cooperate with Mr. Da in order to get a share of the opium industry in Shanghai."
"Mr. Du is indeed quick-witted, Xia admires him." After flattering him, Qingcheng continued, "My men found the source of the refurbished guns, a Soviet cadre surnamed Xie, who has already been executed. One of his crimes was organizing the masses to grow and sell opium. Coincidentally, there was only one unauthorized opium field in the Soviet area."
After pausing for a few seconds, Qingcheng patted her chest and assured everyone that what she said was true. If you don't believe me, you can verify it through your own channels. It's all publicly available information from the Soviet area. It caused quite a stir back then.
Mr. Du cursed, "Fuck him, impersonating the Communist Party, how could he even think of that?"
"Old Sun isn't a member of the Communist Party, isn't a member of the Communist Party..." Xiao Mi muttered to herself in a daze, seemingly deeply shocked.
"And what is that list?" Sister Gui pressed.
“Zhang Renjiu threatened the three old directors to recommend Mr. Da to the Board of Directors, and then used their names as bargaining chips to whet Mr. Da’s appetite.” Qingcheng’s analysis was agreed upon by the boss. “I was able to get this list entirely by bribing an informant close to Zhang Renjiu.”
"Idiot!" Sister Gui curled her lips in disgust. Whether the Master lived or died was up to her.
"As for refurbished guns, my men are still investigating. Don't worry, Sister Gui, I'll definitely get this sorted out before we start mass production," Qingcheng said confidently.
"Xia, if you need any help, just ask me. Don't be shy," Sister Gui gently advised.
Mr. Du added, "Xia, don't be shy, Gui-jie and I will protect you."
"Thank you, Sister Gui. Thank you, Mr. Du." Qingcheng sincerely bowed.
"Xiao Du, do you still have any objections to my choice?" Sister Gui asked smugly.
"No, your discerning eye is as sharp as ever," Mr. Du affirmed, giving a thumbs up. "However, please reconsider Mr. Xia's marriage. He would rather jump off a building than abandon his wife, which shows his loyalty and affection. Please don't pressure him."
Their topic circled back again, leaving Qingcheng at her wits' end. She scratched her head in frustration, wondering what to do now that even Mr. Du was unwilling to object.
Gao Junxiao, who had been smiling silently, suddenly spoke up: "Why don't you just take him in as your godson? Why go through all this trouble to make him your son-in-law?"
Everyone echoed in agreement. Sister Gui and Mr. Du exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with approval. Mr. Du asked, "Xia, would you like to become Sister Gui's godmother?"
"Of course I'm willing," Kiyosumi nodded in agreement.
“Alright, there’s no time like the present. I’ll be the witness. Bring me paper and pen,” Mr. Du instructed his subordinate.
His subordinates quickly ran out to handle the matter. Soon, paper and pen were prepared, and following the usual procedures, Qingcheng and his colleagues handed over the invitation, kowtowed, and offered tea, without wasting a single moment.
After the ceremony, Qingcheng accepted the red envelope, a sly glint in her eyes: "Godmother, you can't rush things if you want to promote me to the top position."
Sister Gui raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"
While she was in a good mood, Qingcheng said with a smile, "First of all, the eldest master is still alive, so he can only be the nominal chief. The person recommended tomorrow can only be an agent at most. Secondly, I am not a member of Rongtan and my seniority is low. Zhang Renjiu will definitely make things difficult for me. So I suggest forming a three-person agency team, with one senior person to hold the fort, and Wu Ye and I to do the work."
Gao Junxiao chimed in, "Who is more senior than Sister Gui? Why don't you take on the hard work and be a pillar of support for the younger generation? Let them handle the specific tasks."
Sister Gui was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "You two, by working together, have sold me out!"
Perhaps seeing that Sister Gui was still a little hesitant, Mr. Du chimed in at the right moment: "I think this is a good suggestion. There is no rule that the agent must be a person. A decision-making team is also fine."
After thinking for a moment, Sister Gui agreed: "Alright, given your sincerity, I'll give you all some face."
There's a reason for every wrong, and Gui Jie didn't intend to make things difficult for the two bosses. Besides, the choice had already been made, and she had her mind at ease. Gui Jie didn't insist that everyone stay. She generously sent two cars to take the two bosses and Qingcheng home respectively.
Once the two got into the car, the door was flung open. Boss Jin climbed in and said that he wasn't going the same way as Boss Qian, but was going the same way as Mr. Xia. His chubby body took up most of the seat, and Gao Junxiao was practically pressed against the window.
He clearly had something to say. Qingcheng gave Gao Junxiao a wink, and Gao Junxiao immediately asked the driver to leave, telling him to come to Baihutang to pick up the car the next day. He then got into the driver's seat and started the car.
The car drove smoothly on the highway. Boss Jin, seeing that the time was right, invited Qingcheng to investigate the cause of his friend Qian Wende's death.
Even if Boss Jin didn't mention it, I still have to investigate. Kiyosumi pretended to be surprised. The police are investigating Mr. Qian's case. How can I take over a case that has no beginning or end?
There was evidence, of course. Boss Jin cautiously looked around to make sure there were no suspicious vehicles following him before taking out a letter from his pocket and handing it to Qingcheng.
This is an invitation. Boss Jin pointed to the invitation and explained that Boss Qian had prepared a banquet and invited him to his residence for a small gathering. The date was set for the evening of the day after he was scheduled to return to China. But what kind of friends are they? If they were just brothers drinking together, a phone call would suffice. Why be so formal?
There was only one possibility: Old Qian wanted to introduce him to business, and it was a big deal that was kept secret. Unfortunately, his ferry to Zhenda was delayed, causing him to return to Shanghai a full day and a half later than expected.
He arrived home at 2 a.m. that day and saw that the time on the invitation had passed, so he felt embarrassed to bother him any further and went to rest.
The next day, when he brought gifts to Boss Qian's house to "apologize," he saw a police cordon at the door and four or five policemen searching for something in the garden.
It was only then that he learned that Lao Qian had been murdered the night before. Fear, sadness, self-blame, relief... a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him. If he had been able to return to China on time and attend the banquet, would the outcome have been different?
Kiyosumi comforted her, "It's a good thing you didn't go, otherwise the murderer definitely wouldn't have let you go."
Mr. Jin nodded with his lips pursed. Later, thanks to his long-standing relationship with the Qian family, he got more information from Mrs. Qian. Two young people came to the banquet that night. They had a southwestern accent and she had never seen them before. They were probably not business people from Shanghai.
Old Qian was very tight-lipped and didn't talk about anything at the dinner table. After the meal, they went to the study to chat in detail, and only Mrs. Qian was allowed to enter. When Mrs. Qian brought tea and snacks, she vaguely heard them talking about tungsten mines and that they were going to jointly open a China Tungsten Mine Company.
Mrs. Qian doesn't understand business, but Mr. Jin does. Jiangxi is the only province in the whole country that produces a large amount of tungsten ore. No wonder Mr. Qian keeps it a secret that he does business with them.
I heard that they sold it to Chen Jitang for only 7 silver dollars per catty before. Even if it doubled, it would still be much cheaper than the market price. If they could buy it, Lao Qian's electrical company would not have to spend high prices to buy raw materials from foreigners.
"What, you suspect the G Party killed Boss Qian?" Qingcheng asked.
"Of course not. It's not like Old Qian has never done business with them before. I suspect Zhang Renjiu." Boss Jin hurriedly denied it. "But I don't have the ability to deal with him. I know that Mr. Xia has a lot of connections. Please help me find the real culprit who killed my old friend."
Tomorrow, Lao Qian's coffin will be sent back to his hometown of Xuzhou, and we will never see him again. At this emotional moment, Boss Jin couldn't help but shed tears, taking off his jade thumb ring and insisting on putting it on Qingcheng's hand as a deposit for the investigation.
Qingcheng was secretly surprised: "Boss Qian is from Xuzhou?"
"Yes, but he's been in Shanghai for decades and married a local woman, so his accent has changed a lot. Most people can't tell the difference..." Boss Jin rambled on.
Qingcheng's thoughts had already drifted far away until she felt a burning sensation on her fingers. She subconsciously withdrew her hand and realized that Boss Jin was no longer beside her.
“He’s already home. We’ve arrived too.” Gao Junxiao pointed to the sign above their heads.
Qingcheng looked up and saw the three powerful characters "Baihu Hall" written on the signboard. He breathed a sigh of relief, finally back home.
"Hurry up and change your clothes. I don't want anyone to bother us while we're having a late-night snack," Gao Junxiao urged in a low voice.
"Hehe, afraid that your stomach will sing and someone will hear it? Don't worry, I'm here." Qingcheng teased, getting up and putting her arm around Gao Junxiao as they walked inside.
"Tch, with your small frame, what can you possibly block?" Gao Junxiao glanced at her disdainfully.
"Hey~ If you can't block it, you can just smash it. You'll end up with internal injuries." Qingcheng raised her hand and patted Gao Junxiao twice, her tone full of teasing.
Gao Junxiao slapped away the small hand and said angrily, "Did I smash it? I was so angry with you that I suffered internal injuries. How could you be so bold as to jump off a building?"
Kiyosumi stared straight at him, revealing a pair of adorable dimples: "Because you'll catch me."
An unnatural blush flashed across Gao Junxiao's face: "Don't do it again next time."
A gentle evening breeze blew, the moon was bright and the stars were few. The branches of the trees along the street swayed in the breeze. Suddenly, Gao Junxiao scooped up the wontons from Qingcheng's bowl and swallowed them in one gulp.
"That's mine. Buy another bowl." Kiyosumi twisted her body unhappily, her voice filled with grievance.
"Miss, the wontons are all mushy. I'll just have to eat them anyway." Gao Junxiao shook his head helplessly, scooped out the intact wontons from his own bowl, and served them to Qingcheng again. "Here, eat up."
Qingcheng immediately smiled again. After she buried her head in eating the last wonton, Gao Junxiao asked, "What are you thinking about? You're so distracted that you don't want to eat or drink."
Qingcheng wiped her mouth and said, "I can confirm that the Mr. Paojia I've been looking for is also from Xuzhou. I've ruined several of his deals, but he just won't show his face."
“No wonder. Actually, it’s no use for the client to keep pressuring him. You have to go to his boss and put pressure on him from the top down. His group of people are all short-sighted and opportunistic. His boss is even more anxious than he is about to finish his orders.” Gao Junxiao suggested with a contemptuous tone.
"Ah, that makes sense." Kiyosumi's eyes lit up.
"Whose family is that Mr. Pao? Is he from Shanghai or Nanjing?" Gao Junxiao asked calmly, as if he were discussing the weather that evening.
Kiyosumi replied excitedly, "What if both of them take the orders?"
"That makes it even simpler. Come here." Gao Junxiao patted his seat, and Qingcheng, puzzled, obediently sat down next to him.
After whispering to each other, Qingcheng's eyes gradually narrowed into two crescent moons: "Hehehe, you're so naughty, I like it so much."
Gao Junxiao raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, a hint of helplessness creeping into his smile. But when he saw the bruise on Qingcheng's neck, his eyes instantly turned icy.
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