The route Chai Liang mentioned was a smuggling route, usually used by Green Gang members who committed crimes to escape.
That means entering the city from the southern end of the French Concession into Nanshi, then smuggling across the upper reaches of the Huangpu River to Pudong, where the population is sparse and the terrain is complex. The Japanese forces are weak there, and multiple channels can be used to reach Hangzhou and then transit through Hong Kong.
Upon hearing this, Wan Mulin frowned and waved his hand, saying, "Why would I bother with all that trouble? Let's just take the passenger ship back!"
Chai Liang hurriedly continued to explain, "Uncle Mulin, since yesterday, there have been quite a few unrelated people in the concession. I inquired and found out they are all from gangs in the city. These people are all Li Zhiqun's men. Who knows what they've found out? We should be careful!"
"Is that so?"
Wan Mulin was taken aback upon hearing this, his eyes narrowing. He had kept the matter of assisting Gao Tao and the other two in their escape a secret from Chai Liang, but Chai Liang's words now indicated that he had discovered something.
Thinking about this, he hesitated for a while, but after much deliberation, he finally decided to leave by passenger ship.
The main reason is that since this incident just happened, he believes that the headquarters of Agent 76 will not act so quickly and is currently in the stage of gathering information from all sides. He thinks it is still safe for him to leave now.
Furthermore, Wan Mulin held a very high position in the Shanghai Green Gang. He was once the person in charge of the Green Gang. Juniors like Li Zhiqun and Wu Shicai would not dare to touch him easily without special circumstances, as this would damage their reputation among the Green Gang members.
As for the route Chai Liang mentioned, although it was a secretive route, there were too many variables. Especially now, there were all sorts of people in the Pudong area, including Japanese troops, puppet troops, the New Fourth Army, and even bandits along the way. It was no longer as safe as before. After weighing the pros and cons, he finally gave up on this option.
He finally spoke and gave the order: "Do as I say! Leave today, and then disguise yourself to conceal your whereabouts!"
Chai Liang was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this. He repeatedly reminded Wan Mulin, but Wan Mulin remained stubborn. Chai Liang could not persist any longer and could only nod and agree, "Yes, Uncle Mulin, I will take care of it right away!"
That evening, Wan Mulin changed his clothes and appeared at the western wharf of Huangpu River in the French Concession.
Behind him, Chai Liang carried a leather suitcase. After a short while, as the ship docked, Chai Liang handed the suitcase to Wan Mulin.
"Uncle Mulin, I still think it's a bit risky. Could you reconsider?"
Wan Mulin took the suitcase and said impatiently, "I've been wandering the world for so many years, what haven't I seen? Do you think I'll be scared into staying home just because of a little wind and rain? I'll be back in April, so keep an eye on the house!"
Chai Liang had no choice but to nod in agreement. Perhaps Wan Mulin's judgment was correct; it was still not too late to leave.
Ning Zhiheng had already reported Wan Mulin's departure from Shanghai to Ji Hongyi. Although Ji Hongyi also felt that this move was quite risky, Ning Zhiheng's attitude was to try not to get involved and to observe the situation. Therefore, Ji Hongyi did not interfere.
Watching the passenger ship depart, Chai Liang and Wan Mulin waved goodbye before turning and walking away quickly.
The passenger ship slowly sailed on the Huangpu River and soon entered the Wusongkou Customs Wharf. As is customary, Japanese customs officers would conduct a relatively strict inspection of the cargo ship, mainly because the Japanese had imposed a blockade on supplies along the East China coast.
However, the rules are more lenient with passenger ships. Most of the time, it's just a formality, and passengers are not forcibly detained unless there are special circumstances. Wan Mulin has traveled to and from Shanghai several times by passenger ship, and the trips have all gone smoothly, so he has not been too worried.
But this time he clearly miscalculated. When the passenger ship stopped at customs, a Japanese patrol boat approached, and a group of people boarded the passenger ship. The leader was none other than Wu Shicai!
Wu Shicai led his men directly to the passenger cabin, inspected the area, and quickly focused his attention on Wan Mulin in the corner.
Although Wan Mulin had changed his clothes this time, his obese figure was quite conspicuous, so Wu Shicai recognized him at a glance and walked straight up to him.
He lowered his body and said with a smile, "Uncle Mulin, how have you been?"
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