Newborn 1927

Jiang Tingxuan was taken aback at first, then asked doubtfully, "Do you think he'll do something else?" Yang Jiefang reminded him, "Brother, Shanghai is China's financial center!" Jiang Tingxuan quickly realized what he meant and said, "You mean, he'll secretly make another quick buck in Shanghai behind our backs?" Yang Jiefang analyzed for him, "With the war in the south, rising prices are normal. Once prices in Jiaodong have problems, do you think other places won't follow suit and speculate? Just watch! Then it'll be a nationwide price surge." Jiang Tingxuan asked doubtfully, "That's not right. The war in the south is over, at least there won't be any more fighting south of the Yangtze River. The fighting north of the Yangtze won't affect the south." Yang Jiefang said, "Do you think the Communists will only take the beatings and won't fight back? Once they retaliate, it'll be another fierce battle, and there will be plenty of fighting." Jiang Tingxuan agreed, "That's true. This Nakamura is really something, why is he doing this behind my back? Do you think I'd hold him back?"

Yang Jiefang smiled and changed the subject, asking, "When will the one million in cash that Nakamura promised me arrive?" Jiang Tingxuan replied, "I was just about to tell you that. Nakamura said the money can be withdrawn at any time, but you need to send someone to Japan first." Yang Jiefang wasn't surprised at all and said, "Brother, can you do it for me? Don't worry! I'll definitely give you the full reward." Jiang Tingxuan laughed, "Little Yang, we're all family, why are you being so formal? What reward? Do you think I care about that? Actually, I was just about to accompany Yingzi back to Japan; if you don't have a better person, I'll help you withdraw the money."

Yang Jiefang continued, "I don't plan to transfer this money back to China right now. Brother, could you help me manage this money? I want to make some investments in Japan. Do as I say, and whether you make a profit or a loss, I'll give you a million yen as a reward." Jiang Tingxuan was stunned and advised, "Little Yang, let me remind you, this investment is no joke. You could easily go bankrupt. Wouldn't it be better to keep this million yen for emergencies?" Yang Jiefang laughed, "Instead of using it as relief grain, it's better to use it as seeds. Maybe it'll make a profit." Jiang Tingxuan knew he couldn't dissuade him and asked, "Then what kind of investment do you want to make?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Of course, I'll play the futures market, specifically agricultural futures." Futures are risky, but the profits are also huge. It could make you rich overnight, or it could bankrupt you. Currently, in major capitalist countries, including Japan, almost all the money is concentrated in the financial industry. Everyone is frantically manipulating finance, which is why an unprecedented economic crisis has erupted. Yang Jiefang doesn't know much about history, but he does know about financial history. How could he not take advantage of this opportunity to reap the rewards?

Jiang Tingxuan said with some concern, "This might work in China, but can it really work in Japan?" Yang Jiefang sighed, "My brother, after all these years in foreign trade, how come your vision is only focused on this small domestic market? Japan is an island nation with a large population and little arable land, importing large quantities of agricultural products from China every year. Haven't you handled countless agricultural products sold to Japan over the years? It's truly pitiful! China clearly doesn't have enough grain to feed itself, yet we still export so much. Once domestic agricultural product prices in China are inflated, do you think Japanese agricultural products won't be affected? If they're further inflated, prices will definitely skyrocket." Jiang Tingxuan nodded in agreement, "You make a good point, Xiao Yang, then leave it to me! After all, I studied accounting; I can't say how much I'll make, but I certainly won't do a losing business."

Yang Jiefang said, "Brother, this time you have to listen to me and operate according to my method. I'll tell you to buy when I tell you to buy and sell when I tell you to sell. You absolutely cannot have any doubts or hesitate!" Jiang Tingxuan asked curiously, "Little Yang, I'm not surprised that you know a little about futures trading, but you also know how to operate it specifically? Where did you learn that?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Don't worry about where I learned it. Just operate according to my method. If you want to operate in your own way, then forget it, I'll find someone else to do it; if that doesn't work, I'll go to Japan myself." Jiang Tingxuan hurriedly said, "Okay, you're the boss, I'll listen to you. But, Little Yang, let me make this clear: if you operate according to your method and lose money, don't blame me!"

To reassure Jiang Tingxuan, Yang Jiefang shared some of his understanding of finance with him. Using the knowledge and methods he had learned in his later life, in the financial world of this era, it was like an adult standing among kindergarten children. Jiang Tingxuan listened in astonishment, unable to help but exclaim, "No wonder my father said some people are born with certain skills, they don't need to learn. Little Yang, you didn't even finish elementary school, yet you know so much, you're truly a genius!" He was completely convinced. Yang Jiefang was even more relieved.

After Jiang Xiaojun and Chu Gu settled the group of people from Yantai, they went to find Yang Jiefang. Jiang Xiaojun handed over a stack of papers, saying, "These are their basic information. Take a look first." Yang Jiefang took the papers but didn't rush to look at them. Instead, he said, "You've worked hard these past few days. Let everyone settle in comfortably. We'll discuss their work arrangements later. If anything is missing, just let me know. If I'm not here, tell Wu Laokou; he's in charge here now." Jiang Xiaojun agreed, took Chu Gu's arm, and said, "I'm not tired, it's Chu Gu who's been working hard. These past few days, she's been posting recruitment notices everywhere, running back and forth to Yantai City several times." Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Alright, I'll remember your contributions. Chu Gu, are you staying here too?" Chu Gu shook her head and said, "I need to go back to the mountain first. Whether I stay here or not, we'll decide later." Yang Jiefang glanced outside and said, "It's getting late. I need to go back to the mountain too; there are still some things to take care of. Why don't we go together?"

Chu Gu agreed to return to the mountain with Yang Jiefang, but after leaving Xujiadian, she spurred her horse and galloped away. Yang Jiefang hurriedly spurred his horse to give chase, but his riding skills were poor, and he couldn't catch up, creating quite a distance between them. The two galloped along the road back to the mountain, one after the other. Yang Jiefang couldn't help but complain to himself: Why is she running so fast? Is she worried I'll take advantage of her halfway?

Lost in thought, suddenly, "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Gunshots rang out from the hillside. Yang Jiefang instinctively ducked low and lay prone on the horse's back. But the horse neighed loudly, suddenly reared up, and then leaped. Yang Jiefang couldn't tell if the horse was injured or startled, but either way, he couldn't let it drag him along. He had no control over the out-of-control horse, so he immediately jumped off. In the instant he was airborne, he instinctively covered his head with his hands, tucked his limbs together, and curled his body into a ball. Due to inertia, he flew forward a short distance before crashing heavily to the ground, rolling several times.

Hearing the gunshot behind her, Chu Gu turned sharply and saw Yang Jiefang fall from his horse. In a panic, she shouted, "Yang Jiefang—!" She yanked the reins, causing the horse to rear up, and quickly turned back. But then three men sprang up from the hillside, heading towards where Yang Jiefang had fallen. Chu Gu immediately drew her pistol and fired at them. At that moment, she was still two hundred meters away, far out of range of her Mauser pistol. Hearing the gunshot, the three men stopped and returned fire. Chu Gu leaned forward on her horse, running and firing back simultaneously. When her pistol was almost empty, she finally reached the spot where Yang Jiefang had fallen. She quickly jumped off and ran towards him, calling out, "Yang Jiefang—!" At the same time, she secretly regretted having created too much distance between them.

Yang Jiefang lay face up in the grass, forcing a smile as he looked at her, a pistol pressed against his chest in his left hand. Chu Gu breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard Yang Jiefang say softly, "Just pretend I'm dead from being shot. Put on a show for me, fool those three idiots." Chu Gu was startled at first, but quickly recovered, instantly getting into character, shouting, "Little Master—Little Master—wake up!" As she shouted, she loaded the gun. Once the bullet was chambered, Chu Gu turned and yelled, "You scoundrels, you actually killed our Little Master! I'll fight you to the death!" She lunged at the three assassins. Yang Jiefang reminded her from behind, "Just pretend, don't actually fight!"

Ignoring everything else, Chu Gu ran as fast as she could. When the enemy opened fire, she used the serpentine movement Yang Jiefang had taught everyone to dodge the bullets. The two sides were now seventy or eighty meters apart, beyond the effective range of a pistol. Chu Gu had calmed down by now, no longer firing indiscriminately, but slowly approaching the enemy. Once within fifty meters, Chu Gu lay prone behind a rock and shouted, "You killed Little Boss! Qinglong Village won't let you get away with this!" She then fired three shots in quick succession.

The three opponents, armed with a pistol and two rifles, surprisingly chose to retreat instead of engaging in a prolonged fight. How could Chu Gu let them get away so easily? She rose and gave chase, shouting, "You scoundrels, you won't escape! Even if you chase us to the ends of the earth, our Green Dragon Stronghold will avenge our young master!" She fired three more shots, but missed. The three men quickened their retreat. Chu Gu pursued them for a while, only stopping when she had emptied her gun.

When Chu Gu returned to Yang Jiefang's position, she saw him still lying there and asked with concern, "Are you injured? Why are you still lying there?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Although I wasn't shot, I definitely fell off the horse. Now, apart from my left hand, I can't move anything at all, and my whole body aches." Chu Gu asked in surprise, "Then how can you still smile and talk so freely?" Yang Jiefang replied, "What else could I do? Should I cry and shout to let those three assassins know?"

Aunt Chu thought about it and agreed, wanting to help him up. Yang Jiefang, with his left arm around Aunt Chu's neck and his left foot barely touching the ground, cried out, "Ouch, ouch, ouch! I think my leg is broken." Aunt Chu frowned and laboriously helped him to a rock, saying with concern, "How about I take a look at you first?" Yang Jiefang asked, "Do you know medicine?" Aunt Chu shook her head. Yang Jiefang said, "Then forget it. Improper treatment might worsen the injury. We shouldn't stay here any longer; let's go back to the mountain! We can only rely on that half-baked doctor, Medicine Pot."

Chu Gu led her horse over and helped Yang Jiefang onto its back. As for the horse Yang Jiefang was supposed to ride, it had long since run off in fright. The saying "swift as a horse" was indeed true; overly docile horses are unsuitable for war, easily startled. The key issue was that Yang Jiefang's riding skills were too poor to handle a spirited steed.

Yang Jiefang, lying prone on his horse, asked, "You just encountered the assassins. Did you get a good look at their faces?" Chu Gu hesitated for a moment, then said, "They were a bit far away, so I couldn't see them very clearly. The two with rifles were unfamiliar faces, and the one with the pistol looked a bit like Tian Wu, the one who came down the mountain with the incense sticks." Yang Jiefang was startled and said, "Carpenter Li has joined forces with Black Bear, and this Tian Wu brought men to kill me. Am I really that hated?" Chu Gu frowned, unable to answer.

Yang Jiefang pondered for a moment and asked, "Sister Chu Gu, do you think there's anyone on this mountain who still wants me dead?" Chu Gu replied, "You can't see into someone's heart, who knows?" Yang Jiefang continued, "Sister Chu Gu, you saved me from human traffickers back then, and now you've saved my life again. You're the person I trust most in Qinglong Village. Can you do me a favor?" Chu Gu asked, "What favor?" Yang Jiefang said, "You performed very well just now, making the assassin really think I was shot. Can you continue the act for me?" Chu Gu frowned and asked, "What do you want to do?" Yang Jiefang said, "Those who want me dead definitely don't just want my life. Once I'm dead, they'll definitely seize the opportunity to jump out and carry out a bigger plan. And what about our own people? I want to see who's human and who's ghost." Chu Gu nodded and said, "I understand. You want to lure the enemy out?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Yes. But the act has to be convincing. It's unbelievable that there's not a trace of blood at the scene."

Chu Gu led the horse to where Yang Jiefang had fallen, pulled out a dagger, and slashed the horse's body. The horse cried out in pain, but Chu Gu held on tightly, circling around the area for a moment before leading it towards Qinglong Village. Taking advantage of the situation, Yang Jiefang scooped up some horse blood and smeared it on himself, saying, "If you want to deceive the enemy, you have to deceive your own people too. When we get back to the mountain, you must tell everyone that I was shot and fell from my horse, and that I was unconscious." Chu Gu understood and nodded in agreement.

Because the incident happened so suddenly, Yang Jiefang had no pre-planned strategy for his impromptu action. So, he lay on his horse, carefully considering the possibilities and anticipating what might happen next. He also explained in as much detail as possible where Chu Gu's cooperation was needed. Chu Gu was very intelligent and quick to understand; she not only grasped Yang Jiefang's intentions perfectly but also helped him fill in any gaps and offer suggestions for improvement. Yang Jiefang felt like he had met a kindred spirit and couldn't help but ask, "Sister Chu Gu, if I were really assassinated, how many people in Qinglong Village would truly grieve for me?" Chu Gu replied, "I don't know about others, but Miss will definitely be very sad. She would risk her life to avenge you." Yang Jiefang advised, "Sister Chu Gu, I know you grew up with Gao Huilan, but you're not her maid. You don't need to prioritize her in everything! You should have your own independent life." Chu Gu paused slightly, glanced back at Yang Jiefang, then turned away again, replying, "I understand."

Yang Jiefang looked up at Chu Gu's slender legs and graceful back, and thought: If she hadn't been disfigured since childhood, she would have been a great beauty, no less than the two of them.