Chapter 134: The French Concession Black Market

The opera being performed on stage was Mu Ke Village, also known as Mu Guiying’s Betrothal.

Yang Zongbao broke through the defenses of Mu Ke Village and fought dozens of rounds against Mu Guiying.

Yet the young general of the Yang family won the heart of the young lady of Mu Ke Village.

The young lady of Mu Ke Village employed a stratagem and captured Yang Zongbao alive.

Afterward, Mu Guiying became engaged to Yang Zongbao, released him, and promised to surrender her allegiance and submit.

On the stage, Mu Guiying performed the scene of “capturing Yang Zongbao alive while mounted.”

Watching the vigorous female general twist her body and lift Yang Zongbao from his feet, what a heroic and gallant figure she cut.

The audience below watched with boiling blood and shouted excitedly.

At that very moment, chaos suddenly erupted among the spectators.

Some people drew pistols and knives from their bodies and, shouting wildly, charged toward the VIP seats in front of the stage.

The foremost attacker had not even reached the front of the stage when Mu Guiying suddenly produced a Browning pistol from her costume and shot him dead with a single shot.

Bodyguards hidden among the spectators also quickly drew their guns.

Only the sound of “intense gunfire” could be heard as the suddenly erupted firefight broke out, and the gunmen were all shot dead one after another as though their names were being called from a list.

Seeing the situation turn bad, the last gunman spun around to flee.

He then saw Mu Guiying on the stage hurl the silver spear in her hand.

The spearhead lightly pierced through the man’s back, and he immediately pitched forward and died.

Cheng Qianfan noticed that the man’s legs even kicked exaggeratedly three more times in succession.

He simply stood at the edge of the stage and looked up at the Mu Guiying on stage.

Heroic and valiant yet not lacking in charm, under the illumination of the lights, Mu Guiying’s opera costume shimmered brilliantly.

Combined with the makeup and appearance, she looked even more fair-faced and handsome, her charm displaying gallantry, her heroism carrying an additional touch of feminine grace.

Cheng Qianfan looked at Mu Guiying.

Mu Guiying was also looking at him.

With phoenix eyes and an orchid-finger gesture, Mu Guiying pointed at Cheng Qianfan.

“Halt! What general comes before me?”

Cheng Qianfan laughed.

Slanting his holster across his chest, he cupped his fists and said, “I am General Cheng Qianfan.”

Mu Guiying sang out theatrically, “Aiya! So it is that pretty-boy Constable Cheng. Bah!”

Everyone below the stage burst into laughter.

Even the corpses lying on the ground could not resist laughing and wriggling about.

“Enough, Ying’er, stop fooling around.”

The man who had charged the fastest earlier and been the first to be “shot dead” by Mu Guiying climbed up from the ground, spat out the dust that had gotten into his mouth, and shouted.

“Bah! Little constable, seeing that Black Saburo has pleaded for you, this commander shall spare you for today.”

Mu Guiying snorted coldly.

Using her orchid-finger gesture as a silver spear, she pointed at Cheng Qianfan while speaking.

Then she rode her imaginary horse around the stage and returned, and the stage curtain finally began to descend slowly.

“Excellent!”

The subordinates and corpses below the stage all shouted their approval.

“Damn it!”

Black Saburo pointed at the crowd and cursed.

“Go do whatever you’re supposed to be doing. Every one of you just spoils her.”

The crowd curled their lips.

You still have the nerve to talk about everyone else?

As the big brother, you were the number one sister-spoiling fanatic.

Of course, no one dared talk back.

In any case, they had already watched the performance of Double-Gun Mu Guiying Slaughters Bandits and Traitors.

They promptly scattered in all directions.

“Third Brother Xia, Cheng Qianfan has come uninvited.”

Cheng Qianfan cupped his fists and said.

“Whenever Brother Cheng comes, Xia Wenqiao shall always welcome him with a swept couch.”

Xia Wenqiao laughed heartily.

The man was broad and powerfully built, with dark skin.

Third among his siblings, he was known as Xia Laosan.

Black Saburo was merely what his younger sister called him.

Anyone else who dared call him that was either a senior member of the Green Gang or had already been thrown into the Huangpu River to feed the fish.

Cheng Qianfan had come to see Xia Laosan because of the black-market trade.

Xia Laosan was the Green Gang’s representative in charge of black-market transactions within the French Concession.

Previously, Cheng Qianfan and Pete had dealt in radios, perfume, and wine.

Although their supply quantities appeared considerable, compared with the enormous volume of trade on the concession’s black market, it amounted to very little.

Therefore, the Green Gang, out of respect for Xiu Gongshen and Pete’s position as deputy chief of the Investigation Unit under the French Concession Political Department, had merely charged a symbolic friendly commission.

Firearms and medicines, however, were important military supplies.

They had always been among the most sought-after commodities.

Furthermore, military goods trading had long been controlled by the Green Gang.

Xia Laosan was a man with a vicious face, black hands, and an even blacker heart.

His standard commission was never less than thirty percent, and in some cases he took as much as sixty percent of the profits.

If Cheng Qianfan and Pete wanted to bring their firearms and medicines business into the black market, he had to come negotiate with Xia Laosan first.

If they had to surrender thirty percent of the profits outright, neither Cheng Qianfan nor Pete would ever accept it.

Therefore, they had to negotiate.

Private room.

Xia Wenqiao invited Cheng Qianfan to take a seat.

A servant promptly arrived with tea.

“May I ask, Third Brother Xia, about Chunxiang, the lead actress of the Zhao Opera Troupe at Yingbin Restaurant?”

Cheng Qianfan lifted the tea-lid and gently blew at the tea leaves before suddenly asking.

“My younger sister is mischievous. Please don’t laugh at her.”

Xia Wenqiao smiled bitterly.

Cheng Qianfan nodded.

No wonder he had found the actress’s figure and silhouette so familiar when he had watched the performance at Yingbin Restaurant.

As expected, it had been the young lady of the Xia family in disguise.

She certainly knew how to have fun.

A soft snort came from the corridor outside the private room, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps departing.

Cheng Qianfan pretended to hear nothing.

Xia Wenqiao likewise maintained a serious expression, as though nothing had happened.

“Third Brother Xia, I do not visit the Hall of Three Treasures without reason.”

Smiling, Cheng Qianfan took a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it over.

“I have a business proposition here. I hope to seek an opportunity through your esteemed establishment. I ask Third Brother Xia to be magnanimous.”

It was a manifest listing item names and quantities.

Naturally, Cheng Qianfan could not tell the truth.

Even if he did, Xia Wenqiao would not believe him.

This was simply a necessary ritual.

Since Cheng Qianfan intended to enter the black-market firearms and medicines trade, he had specially come to notify and negotiate with Xia Wenqiao, the Green Gang representative overseeing the French Concession black market.

If the Green Gang accepted the manifest, it signified: We know about it.

What remained afterward was bargaining over the division of profits.

If Xia Wenqiao refused to take it, or if he looked at the manifest and then returned it to Cheng Qianfan, that would mean Cheng Qianfan was not permitted to enter the black-market firearms and medicines business.

That would mean no respect whatsoever was being shown, and both sides would be tearing up all goodwill.

Xia Wenqiao accepted the manifest.

After glancing over it, he nodded slightly.

He folded the manifest, placed it on the table, and pressed it down with a gold paperweight.

This signified acceptance and recognition.

Very well, little brother, welcome aboard.

Now, how much commission are you planning to let us take?

And thus began the bargaining.

The café opposite the Shen Bao Building.

After waiting for about three quarters of an hour, Wang Kangnian finally saw a young man wearing a flat cap quietly enter the café and push open the door to the private room.

“Team Leader.”

“Sit.”

Wang Kangnian nodded and handed over a croissant.

“Put something in your stomach first.”

“Thank you, Team Leader.”

The young man quickly finished the bread.

Gratefully accepting the tea personally handed to him by Wang Kangnian, he drained it in one gulp.

“Speak. What did you find out?”

Wang Kangnian asked.

“I kept watch on Fang Muheng all day today. He did indeed behave somewhat unusually.”

The young man’s expression showed excitement as he spoke.

“What sort of unusual behavior? Tell me in detail.”

Wang Kangnian asked.

“Fang Muheng didn’t arrive at the newspaper office until noon. He appeared somewhat excited. I observed him going to speak with the editor Ah Hai.”

The young man said.

“Ah Hai?”

Wang Kangnian asked.