Newborn 1927

That evening, Yang Jiefang, Yan Donglai, and two others met up with Sun Zhiyong and his group who had remained outside the city to gather information about the armory. Sun Zhiyong didn't rush in; he merely conducted reconnaissance on the outskirts to familiarize himself with the surroundings before leaving two observation teams behind and withdrawing. Yang Jiefang rearranged the mission, making minor adjustments to the original plan. The forces split into two groups: one, commanded by Sun Zhiyong, would lie in ambush outside the city, waiting for Bai He to bring Wu Junxu into the trap; the other, commanded by Yan Donglai inside the city, would use gambling debts to kidnap Wu Sanpa and demand money from his mother; both sides would act simultaneously.

The next morning, Yang Jiefang, Yan Donglai, and the other two entered the city as usual. Yang Jiefang returned to his rented room and waited for news. Soon, Zhao Yuanbao and Chu Shiwu came to report. Everything was normal on Bai He's side; Wu Junxu had gone there yesterday afternoon and left in a hurry. Liu Yishou had successfully attracted Wu Sanpa's attention; the two would have to gamble sooner or later.

What followed was a long and tedious wait. But Yang Jiefang was a restless man, strolling leisurely through the streets of Yantai. Before he knew it, he had arrived at the entrance of the Jiang's Trading Company. Yang Jiefang hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside. After stating his name and purpose, he was led by the doorman to Jiang Tingxuan's office. Yang Jiefang greeted him with a smile, "Brother Jiang, how's business lately?" Jiang Tingxuan waved the doorman away, then abruptly said, "Yang Jiefang, you've finally shown up. Where's my sister?" Yang Jiefang was stunned by the question, a chill running down his spine. How did he know his sister was in his hands? Was it from Jiang Xiaojun's letter last time? That shouldn't be possible; she wouldn't say that out of concern for her family's reputation. If Jiang Tingxuan knew his sister was in his hands, wouldn't he come knocking on his door? The two sides had always maintained trade relations. Yang Jiefang quickly realized that this was a ruse. So, Yang Jiefang asked, bewildered, "What's wrong with your sister? You're asking me like I'm your brother-in-law, but I'm not that close to her."

Jiang Tingxuan changed the subject, asking, "Last time you brought a woman here, and even had my wife do your Japanese makeup. Who was that woman?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Just a friend. What? Is she your sister?" Jiang Tingxuan was furious and said, "What sister? How could I have such a sister? Her arrest warrant has been hanging on the city gate for a long time. Explain to me why you were with her?" Yang Jiefang frankly said, "She escaped from the brothel. I helped her out. I couldn't just push an innocent girl into a fire pit, could I? How could I bear it, Brother Jiang?" Jiang Tingxuan said, "But she's connected to the death of Chief Li of the police station." Yang Jiefang asked in surprise, "Really? Her?" "A weak woman, could she really kill the police chief? Wait, the police chief died in a brothel?" Jiang Tingxuan said, "No, I heard he died outside the city. Sigh, I don't know either, but my sister's disappearance is related to her." Yang Jiefang asked, "What do you mean? She could have kidnapped your sister?" Jiang Tingxuan said, "The day you left the city was the same day my sister ran away from home. I originally thought she was just going back to her hometown in the countryside to relax, but who knew she would disappear like that? I inquired around and found out that she met a woman wearing a kimono and Japanese makeup at the city gate. She was even... assaulted by a man with that woman. Mr. Yang, according to the descriptions of those who saw her, that man was you, wasn't he?"

Yang Jiefang immediately shook his head and said, "Heaven and earth bear witness! How could a gentleman like me do such a thing? Brother Jiang, although Yantai is not a large city, there are quite a few Japanese coming and going every day. Are you sure that man was me?" How could Jiang Tingxuan be sure? He only inquired about it many days later, and even the eyewitnesses at the time had blurred memories. Besides, it was just a fleeting glance; how could he possibly describe the physical characteristics clearly? Jiang Tingxuan asked doubtfully, "Really not you?" Hearing his tone, Yang Jiefang could tell he was very unsure, and he was completely relieved. He said, “Brother Jiang, I understand you’re worried about your sister’s disappearance. But you can’t just suspect her! Especially not someone like us. I’ve met your sister before; if I run into her anywhere, I’ll definitely bring her back. I’m just curious, why did your sister run away from home?” Jiang Tingxuan didn’t see anything amiss and had to drop the subject, saying, “Her sister-in-law wanted to find her a husband, but she disagreed. I just said a few words to her, and she stormed off. Oh, I was being impulsive just now, Brother Yang, please don’t take offense! What brings you here today?”

Yang Jiefang sat down directly and said, "I came to talk business with you, but you're talking about your sister. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were going to marry your sister to me. You've been here so long, and you haven't even served me a cup of tea. That's really not the way to treat a guest!" Jiang Tingxuan quickly changed his tune, ordering tea and apologizing, then asked, "What kind of business do you want to discuss this time?" Yang Jiefang said, "A big deal. I wonder if you can handle it?" Jiang Tingxuan said, "Oh, is there a big deal that I can't handle? What kind of business is it?" Yang Jiefang laughed, "Brother Jiang, you're being a bit arrogant! If I wanted to buy a warship, could you handle that too?" Jiang Tingxuan said arrogantly, "As long as you can afford the price, I can buy it for you." Yang Jiefang became interested and said, "Brother Jiang, it seems you have some powerful backing in Japan!" Jiang Tingxuan knew this was the time to show his strength and said, "My wife is from Osaka, and her family is in business and has some connections with the military. Let me put it this way: anything that can be bought in Japan, I can buy for you."

Yang Jiefang said, "I heard that Japan imported a type of horse from the West, tall, strong, and powerful. Could you buy some for me?" Jiang Tingxuan asked curiously, "What do you need horses for?" Yang Jiefang replied, "You're supposed to be in the trading business, yet you ask such an unprofessional question! With the transportation situation in our country, we have to rely on mules and horses for goods. Every time I come to Yantai, I either ride a horse or a horse-drawn carriage; how can I do without horses?" Jiang Tingxuan nodded and asked, "How many do you plan to buy?" Yang Jiefang said, "One or two hundred is fine, ten or twenty thousand is fine too. As long as the price is right..." "The more the better!" Jiang Tingxuan thought for a moment and said, "I can send a telegram to ask. How long will you be staying in Yantai? How should I notify you if I get a reply?" Yang Jiefang replied, "That's hard to say. How about this, the owner of Yige Fish Products Processing Plant is a friend of mine, and I also have shares in that plant. If you need to contact me in the future, just tell him!" Jiang Tingxuan said, "Is it that Yige named Chuyi? I know him. His canned fish is quite good, and I'm thinking of promoting it to Japan. Let's do that then!"

Yang Jiefang continued, "I've partnered with a friend to establish a rural-urban supply and marketing cooperative, with a planned investment of 100,000 silver dollars. I'd appreciate your guidance, Brother Jiang!" Jiang Tingxuan exclaimed, "Brother Yang, that's a generous offer! May I ask who this friend is? Could you introduce us? What kind of business do you do?" He eagerly asked several questions. Yang Jiefang replied, "His surname is Gao, and his name is Gao Yao. He's from Haiyang County. Our business mainly involves purchasing and transporting scattered agricultural products from the countryside for sale; we also transport foreign goods to the countryside for sale. I'll have him contact you, and we can continue our cooperation." Jiang Tingxuan nodded in satisfaction and said, "That's perfect. No wonder you need a large number of horses. Don't worry, I'll definitely help you purchase enough."

After discussing business, the two felt their relationship had grown closer. So when Yang Jiefang got up to leave, Jiang Tingxuan personally saw him to the door.

As evening fell, Chu Shiwu and Zhao Yuanbao sent messages separately. Bai He and He Huan were ready to leave the city the next day; Wu Sanpa had taken the bait and was already gambling with Liu Yishou. Liu Yishou deliberately lost some money to Wu Sanpa, enticing him to increase the stakes. Since everything seemed normal, Yang Jiefang instructed Chu Shiwu to leave the city that evening to contact Sun Zhiyong outside the city. This was partly to relay news from inside the city, and partly to confirm the preparations there.

Early the next morning, on the fifteenth of the month, they entered the city and told Yang Jiefang that Sun Zhiyong's preparations were complete. Yang Jiefang was relieved and went with Zhao Yuanbao to the vicinity of Bai He's residence, keeping a close watch from a distance. Their biggest fear now was that something might happen to her.

Soon, a luxurious carriage pulled up in front of Bai He's house. Two young men jumped down; one ran to knock on the door, while the other lifted the carriage curtain. A middle-aged man in a suit and tie, with a large head and ears, and wearing a top hat, stepped out. Zhao Yuanbao whispered, "That's Wu Junxu. He's almost bald, yet he's still bothering Miss Bai He. Shameless!" Yang Jiefang smiled but didn't speak. The landlady opened the door and greeted Wu Junxu with a forced smile. Soon after, Bai He came out and exchanged a few words with Wu Junxu. The two young men then ran inside and returned shortly with a large leather suitcase each.

Just then, a burly middle-aged woman rushed out from the side, pointing at Wu Junxu and yelling, "You bastard Wu, you really have a vixen on the side!" Bai He's face changed, and she quickly hid behind Wu Junxu. The middle-aged woman then pointed at Bai He and yelled, "You vixen, so young and already doing bad things, always seducing other men, aren't you ashamed?" Even without being introduced, Yang Jiefang knew that the woman was Wu Junxu's legal wife, Mrs. Wu.

Mrs. Wu continued cursing, "So what if you're pretty? I'll tear your face to shreds!" She charged forward, brandishing her claws. Bai He hid far behind Wu Junxu, who intervened and blocked Mrs. Wu's advance. Enraged, Mrs. Wu slapped him, knocking his top hat off and revealing his receding hairline. Wu Junxu retaliated with a solid slap across Mrs. Wu's face. Mrs. Wu immediately let out a pig-like scream, yelling, "You heartless bastard! How dare you hit me! I'll never forgive you!"

Seeing the two arguing and struggling, Yang Jiefang couldn't help but curse, wishing he could shoot the old woman dead. Wasn't this just making things worse? Just as Yang Jiefang was struggling with this dilemma, a burly man rushed over, shouting, "Master, Madam, something terrible has happened! The young master is in trouble!" Wu Junxu and his wife immediately stopped. Mrs. Wu asked, "What happened?" The burly man said, "The young master gambled last night. He won quite a bit, but then the other person cheated, and he lost. Now he owes them gambling debts, and they've detained him. They want money from the family to ransom him." Mrs. Wu immediately yelled, "Who's so blind? Daring to detain my son! They've really eaten blood!" "He's got the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard!" the burly man replied. "He looks like a stranger, a complete outsider, a money-grubber." Mrs. Wu, hands on her hips, snapped, "He's gone too far! Daring to mess with me? Doesn't he know how many eyes are on his head?" With her son in trouble, she couldn't care less about arguing with Wu Junxiong anymore. Turning back, she cursed, "You little slut, I'll sell you to a brothel later! And you heartless wretch, I'll deal with you later!" After cursing, she followed the burly man away.

Wu Junxu, annoyed, yelled at the crowd, "What are you all looking at? Believe me or not, I can throw you all in jail with a single word!" The crowd immediately dispersed. Bai He said softly, "Young Master Wu is in trouble. As his father, you should go see him. Or perhaps I should go out of town alone to pay my respects." Wu Junxu immediately replied, "How can that be? You've already promised. How can you go back on your word? Besides, that good-for-nothing has gambled away money before. Never mind him, let's go!" With that, he helped Bai He into the carriage and told his two followers to drive out of town.

Yang Jiefang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and instructed Zhao Yuanbao to follow the carriage out of the city and report immediately if anything went wrong. He himself turned and headed to the casino. Mrs. Wu rushed to the casino, originally thinking that with her fierce power, she could surely make the other party kneel and beg for mercy. Who would have thought that she would encounter two tough characters? Liu Heizi and Tiedan, who were by Liu Yishou's side, were no ordinary people. They dealt with Wu Sanpa's two bodyguards with a few punches and kicks. Liu Yishou was also quite skilled. He pressed the good-for-nothing Wu Sanpa onto the gambling table, pulled out a dagger and held it to his neck, ordering the two bodyguards to go home and get money. The two bodyguards dared not both leave. One went to find someone, and the other stayed behind. Mrs. Wu doted on her son and kept cursing and swearing, not giving Liu Yishou a chance to speak at all. Liu Heizi got angry. It seemed that he had to get serious. He pressed down on Wu Sanpa's right hand, pulled out a dagger, and thrust it into the back of Wu Sanpa's hand, pinning Wu Sanpa's right hand to the table.

Wu Sanpa let out a scream, and Mrs. Wu's cursing stopped abruptly. Liu Yishou shouted, "I don't care who you are, paying back debts is a matter of course, even if the King of Heaven himself came, that's the same principle. Give me a straight answer, are you going to give me the money or not?" Wu Sanpa cried out, "Mother, save me, give them the money quickly! It hurts so much!" Mrs. Wu, feeling sorry for her son, quickly replied, "Alright, alright, how much? I'll give it, my family has plenty of money." Liu Yishou chuckled, held up three fingers, and said, "Since your family is so rich, then three million silver dollars, not a penny less, hurry up and give me the money!"