Wei Xilin thought for a moment and guessed, "I think it must be Gu Xuan. Apart from their Subei gang, we haven't asked anyone else for help. In my estimation, Gu Xuan has his eye on the $300,000 and is unwilling to hand it over to the kidnappers for nothing, so he simply took matters into his own hands and rescued you."
Wei Xilin's mind worked quickly, and he immediately guessed the truth of the matter, albeit with a slight error.
“Old Gu and I have been friends for many years, he’s not that kind of person!” Wei Hongde said, shaking his head.
Wei Xilin then added, "Gu Xuan might not, but his disciple Ji Hongyi might not."
"Ji Hongyi, the owner of that winery?" Wei Hongde asked.
Ji Hongyi is a powerful businessman in the business world, and Wei Hongde is no stranger to him.
“Yes,” Wei Xilin nodded, and then he recounted the conversation he had with Gu Xuan and his apprentice. “I specifically investigated Ji Hongyi. This person is definitely not simple, and can even be described as unfathomable. Although he is just a small leader, his position in the Subei Gang is second only to Gu Xuan, and his actual strength is even greater.”
In particular, his business was very large, with many companies under his name. Strangely, all the businesses he ran as a gang leader were legitimate, and he never got involved in casinos or opium dens.
Moreover, the companies under his name aren't just shell companies operating under a false name; they're all legitimate businesses. Donghuang Department Store alone employs hundreds of people, demonstrating considerable strength. Take this recent fundraising effort, for example—he pulled out $150,000 in one go. Frankly, that startled me.
Wei Hongde was somewhat surprised to hear Wei Xilin say this. After pondering for a moment, he said, "You're right. It seems that this Ji Hongyi is not just an ordinary Green Gang leader. He has connections in both the underworld and the legitimate world, and his power and wealth are so great that it wouldn't be difficult for him to save me."
"It seems to be this person without a doubt. Prepare a generous gift, and tomorrow we'll go together to pay our respects to Gu Xuan and this Mr. Ji, you know? This kidnapper doesn't follow any underworld rules at all. They had no intention of letting me go. As soon as they got the ransom, they killed me. They even gave me my last meal. Sigh, I was completely devastated at the time. If these people hadn't come knocking on my door, I'd probably be buried in some mass grave by now. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude." Wei Hongde shook his head and sighed, still feeling terrified just thinking about it!
"Yes, actually I've already prepared a gift, just waiting for your return so I can come and express my gratitude, but..."
Wei Xilin hesitated for a moment. He was a shrewd man, and there were many things that couldn't be said openly. So he asked, "What should we say when we meet?"
Wei Xilin's point was that if he explicitly thanked Ji Hongyi for the military rescue, what if the other party thought that Wei and his son were coming to demand the return of the $300,000 that hadn't been spent? Wouldn't that offend people for no reason?
Now, in the eyes of the father and son, Ji Hongyi is a ruthless character who cannot be offended, and Wei Xilin has a great deal of awe for him.
Wei Hongde said irritably, "They wouldn't do it for nothing. Of course, I can't pay back the $300,000. My old life isn't even worth that much money."
"That's exactly what I meant!"
Wei Xilin was born into a wealthy family and never worried about money growing up. His concept of money was that it was used to solve problems, so he was certainly not short-sighted.
Around 10 a.m., Wu Shicai, who was still in a state of panic, received a call from Luo Xingchao, asking him to return to the headquarters of Special Agent No. 76 as soon as possible.
These past few days, Wu Shicai has been so busy raising funds that he hasn't had a moment to spare and hasn't even gone to work at the Special Agent Headquarters. When he received Luo Xingchao's call, he naturally didn't dare to delay. He hung up the phone and left the Wanguo Casino, preparing to rush back to the Special Agent Headquarters.
Just as they stepped out of the casino, a trusted aide rushed up to them and whispered, "Captain, after daybreak we searched the area around Lanjiaqiao and found a bloodstain at the exit of an alley. Captain Lai and his men may already be..."
"Alright, don't publicize this. I'll deal with it later!" Wu Shicai waved his hand and ordered. He had known this would be the outcome, and he was completely disheartened. However, he couldn't care less about such trivial matters now. Luo Xingchao's tone on the phone was somewhat unfriendly. After all, he was the director in charge of the work, so he had to be careful in his dealings.
He rushed back to the Special Agent Headquarters, arrived at Luo Xingchao's office, and knocked on the door to enter.
"Director Luo!"
At this moment, Luo Xingchao was processing documents. When he saw Wu Shicai come in, he stood up, gestured for Wu Shicai to sit on the sofa, and said, "Brother Shicai, we haven't communicated much lately. Is there some misunderstanding about me?"
Luo Xingchao's words startled Wu Shicai. It seemed that Director Luo was quite dissatisfied with his lack of appearances at headquarters. Wu Shicai himself felt a little guilty. He knew that although Luo Xingchao was usually very amiable, if he really wanted to settle scores with him, given Luo's Japanese background, he wouldn't be able to handle it. He quickly shook his head and said, "Director Luo, we've worked together for so long, and I, Wu Shicai, have always respected you. There's no misunderstanding at all, absolutely not, absolutely not!"
"Good, that's good!" Luo Xingchao smiled slightly, revealing a kind smile again. "Since the director went to Nanjing, Brother Shicai has become quite distant from me. The director said that you and I, one a scholar and the other a warrior, are his right and left arms. We brothers should stay close and not become estranged."
Hearing Luo Xingchao say this, Wu Shicai finally felt relieved and quickly nodded and smiled, "Yes, I'm just a roughneck. I'm good at wielding knives and guns, but I'm not up to the task. Managing such a large organization as the Special Agent Headquarters is really hard work for Director Luo. I hope Director Luo will be more lenient with me in the future."
Luo Xingchao feigned a gesture, merely giving Wu Shicai a slight warning. Seeing Wu Shicai back down, he chuckled and then asked directly, "Brother Shicai, you're too kind. Let's work together to manage this household for the director. By the way, how's the investigation into Sheng Zhiyuan's case going, Brother Shicai? Any leads on the Shanghai station?"
When Wu Shicai heard Luo Xingchao ask about this matter, he couldn't help but panic. He had never investigated the Shanghai station! On the contrary, he had thoroughly investigated Sheng Zhiyuan's family property, which was now stuck in his hands with no one willing to take it over.
Seeing Wu Shicai's troubled expression, Luo Xingchao waved his hand and said with a smile, "I know that the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station is hidden inside the concession, making it very difficult to investigate. It will be hard to see any results in a short time. Brother Shicai, don't worry, just take your time searching!"
"Yes, yes, the investigation is indeed very difficult, and I haven't made any progress." Wu Shicai quickly echoed Luo Xingchao's words.
"Alright, summarize your work over the past period, and then..."
Luo Xingchao raised his hand to check the time, and said again, "We'll set off in half an hour to the train station to welcome the director back to Shanghai!"
"What?"
Wu Shicai was so frightened he almost jumped off the sofa!
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