Chapter 372: Protection Fee

Meet at the agreed location on time.

Liu Daowu, Dai Yice, and Gu Bafeng. All present.

All their men are heavily armed. They also brought extra grenades.

You might need to use grenades against the Japanese spies.

Because some Japanese spies are really too agile and can run too fast. You can't catch them at all.

Even if you shoot at them, you may not hit them.

Only grenades are the best.

Throw. Explode. And then leave it to fate.

No matter how lucky the Japanese spies are, they can't avoid all the shrapnel. Not to mention the blast wave.

'Where do we start?'

'Actually, I don't know...'

Zhang Yong shook his head.

He really didn't know. He could only wander around.

However, no one believed him. The other three felt that he was deliberately playing it down.

They also understood Zhang Yong's current situation.

The more low-key he was, the more stable he appeared.

The bosses above liked people who were capable and stable.

Therefore, Zhang Yong's rise was just around the corner.

Gu Bafeng volunteered to introduce, 'Now, we have stepped up inspections and strictly screened beggars and vagrants. They can only move within their own neighbourhoods. They are not allowed to move to other neighbourhoods.'

Zhang Yong's mind raced. 'Where are there the most beggars?'

'The riverside,' replied Gu Bafeng. 'People have fled from all directions. They gather at the riverside. They have set up many shacks.'

'Oh. Let's go to the riverside and have a look.' Zhang Yong found his bearings.

Where is there the greatest concentration of people?

Where is the most mixed?

Where is there the greatest variety of people?

Judging from Gu Bafeng's tone, it seems to be the riverside.

Indeed, because of the war in various places. A large number of refugees have poured into Jinling. Trying to move around the capital safely.

However, in the heart of the city, there will be military police and police to drive them away, and the average person cannot survive.

And you can't find food.

Unless you become a thief.

Only the riverside. There is water. There is food. River fish is food.

Whether you can catch fish or not, you can learn. A few people working together can temporarily solve hunger.

If you can't catch even one fish, then you can only starve to death.

Moreover, there are many docks along the river, which require a lot of manual labour. Anyone with even a little strength, even women, can help with the work. For a pittance.

The military police and the police also let this place go.

Because there has to be a place for refugees to survive. Otherwise, it would be even worse if they flooded into the city centre.

Over time, with conscious neglect, blind spots have formed in many places along the river. As long as the blind spot is not inflamed, no one will pay attention to its existence.

Zhang Yong had been to the riverside many times before. But he never went far.

This time, he was afraid that he would have to walk the whole way and take a good look.

He set off.

He drove to the riverside.

There was grilled fish at the riverside.

He could smell the grilled fish from afar.

Ah, how he missed the taste of grilled fish from last time. Well, he would have grilled fish for dinner later.

But for now, he would catch some spies first...

'Kill him!'

'Kill him!'

Suddenly, there was a loud noise in the distance.

Zhang Yong looked up and saw a young man being chased by a large group of people. He stumbled along the way.

'A fight?'

'Let's grab some fish.'

'What grab some fish?'

'It means there's a dispute.'

'Tell me about it?'

'I think it's the water ghost...'

'What water ghost?'

'Someone who is very good at swimming. They are responsible for setting nets, trawling, etc. Or they help people retrieve things from the bottom of the water.'

'Are there really people like that?'

Zhang Yong couldn't help but become curious about the young man.

This guy is so good at swimming?

If that's really the case, he can help him out.

Why?

It will come in handy in the future. One has to start stockpiling talent.

Two years later, Shanghai and Nanjing fell one after the other. The Japanese invaders would go upstream and capture Wuhan.

Then, Wuhan would be the centre from which they would attack the surrounding areas. For example, Changsha.

At that time, the Yangtze River waterway would become the most important logistics and transport line for the Japanese invaders. It would be more important than the railway lines. If you want to cause trouble, you definitely need a group of water ghosts.

Sabotaging on the water would cause the Japanese invaders to suffer even more serious losses.

The Japanese invaders' transport ships often transport hundreds of tons, or even thousands of tons, of supplies. If just one ship is sunk, the Japanese invaders will suffer huge losses.

The key is that the river is fast-flowing, and once a ship sinks, all the supplies will sink to the bottom.

The Japanese couldn't salvage them.

Relatively speaking, it was difficult to destroy the Japanese military supplies on land.

In theory, as long as the Yangtze River waterway was cut off, the Japanese would be in a precarious situation in Wuhan. Logistics would be in a very difficult situation.

The United States did this on the Pacific battlefield. They didn't attack the Japanese positions. They targeted the Japanese logistics lines. And then the Japanese were starved to death.

It so happened that Wuhan was a fist in which the Japanese were deeply entrenched.

If the aorta in the Japanese strategic arm is cut, the fist will be useless.

Zhang Yong didn't care about the other cities. He specialised in Wuhan. The Japanese invaders in Wuhan. One was enough.

In other words, he specialised in the Yangtze River waterway.

When the New Fourth Army developed, the Yangtze River waterway could also give the New Fourth Army a big boost.

Reaching out. Stopping someone.

He only needs to make a gesture, and naturally someone else will come up and do the work.

The young man immediately hid behind Zhang Yong. He was smart. He understood that Zhang Yong was trying to protect him. He immediately felt more confident.

The people chasing after them stopped. They didn't dare get too close.

The other party had a gun.

They were all wearing the same Zhongshan suit. There were also heavily armed soldiers behind them.

They couldn't afford to provoke them.

So they turned around and left angrily.

'Stop!' Zhang Yong said, beckoning, 'Come here!'

Those people looked at me and I looked at them. No one spoke. They wanted to refuse, but they were afraid to.

The other party didn't seem like a nice person.

The young man who spoke didn't seem like a nice person either.

Zhang Yong waved his hand again.

The people behind him reluctantly came forward. Someone said, 'This is an internal matter of our Fish Gang, what does it have to do with you?'

'What Fish Gang?' Zhang Yong said he hadn't heard of it.

He knew of the Caogang.

This Cao gang is in Jinling and is also somewhat powerful.

However, since Jinling is the national capital and has many military garrisons, gangs and the like cannot stir up any waves in Jinling.

The Cao gang in Jinling also behaves in a proper manner. They dare not provoke anyone in the slightest.

Otherwise, they will be destroyed outright.

But this Fish gang, what is it? Newly formed?

'This is our rule. Who are you? Why are you asking about our business?'

'You should speak more politely,'

Zhang Yong warned slowly.

The other person immediately shut up.

'Who is in charge? Come out.'

'We...'

'The person in charge come out. I want to understand the situation. Everyone else, get down on the ground. Put your heads between your hands. Stay down.'

'You...'

'If you don't listen, you'll get shot! You'll be killed and thrown in the water.'

Zhang Yong threatened the other person.

Sure enough, no one else dared to rebel.

Soon, three managers came out. They accused the young man of not following the rules.

It had been agreed that he would get 50 catties of fish. He had insisted on 80 catties. There was a difference of 30 catties. As a result, there was an argument.

The words were mild.

After all, guns were pointed at them.

'You're talking nonsense!' the young man was anxious, '50 catties was from the first net. 30 catties was from the second net. We all calculated according to the nets. You're blaming us for not paying up and you're slandering us!'

'We landed both nets together. Of course they are counted together,' said one of the supervisors, "that's the rule!'

Zhang Yong silently took out the Browning pistol. He flipped the safety off.

The supervisor immediately shut up.

'I am the rule," Zhang Yong said in a firm voice.

No one said a word.

They were not convinced. But they had to hold their tongue.

The other person had a gun. Of course the other person was the rule.

Otherwise...

'Just go!' Zhang Yong waved his hand, 'you don't have to pay for the 50 catties of fish.'

'No way,' the young man said, suddenly getting anxious.

Zhang Yong held the gun to his skull.

The young man's veins suddenly stood out. He was anxious and angry.

He suddenly felt numb.

Why is the gun pointed at me?

I'm the victim...

'Are you scared?'

'You, you, I have no grudges against you...'

'Say one more word, and I'll shoot you dead! Then your body will be left in the wilderness. No one will dare collect your body.'

'Then...kill me!'

'Bang!'

Zhang Yong shot him in the ear.

Of course, the gun was pointed at the sky. On purpose.

The young man...

suddenly felt numb.

His ears were ringing. It felt as if his whole body no longer belonged to him.

He was shocked.

But he wasn't really scared.

He was a dead man anyway. He was barefoot and didn't care about shoes. He argued with Zhang Yong.

'Bang!'

'Bang!'

Zhang Yong pulled the trigger continuously.

The sound of the gunshots echoed in the young man's ears.

He turned pale.

However, he did not become paralyzed on the spot.

Instead, the few Fish Gang managers, hearing the gunshots behind them, thought that Zhang Yong was shooting at them and immediately fell to the ground, paralyzed. They rolled and crawled, looking miserable.

Not bad. You have guts. You performed better than I did.

Zhang Yong looked down. He didn't see the young man pee his pants. He himself was new here, but he was scared by Li Boqi and peed his pants.

He holstered his gun.

He patted the young man on the shoulder.

'If you're not afraid to die, follow me. You'll have your benefits.'

'...'

The young man didn't hear clearly at all.

His ears were buzzing. He couldn't hear anything around him.

'Go!'

Dai Yice pushed him to walk.

He tried to resist, but was held down by the two agents. He could not resist.

He had to follow.

Zhang Yong led the group all the way west.

Along the way were shabby shacks. Messy. Dirty.

Many people lived here. All of them were ragged. Bare. Many children were naked.

Hardly anyone was wearing shoes. All were barefoot.

There were also not many men.

There were only some skinny women. They didn't have the strength to work.

I didn't see any older children either. They must have followed the adults to the docks to work. Together they were earning money for their families.

Covering my nose.

It stinks. All kinds of rotten smells. Especially the smell of rotting shrimp.

Occasionally I saw someone sun-drying fish. Geez. That smell. It's also very refreshing. Trying my best to endure it. Trying my best not to vomit.

Suddenly my eyes flashed.

I saw an acquaintance.

It was Gu Mozhai.

Huh?

Him?

What's he doing here?

Gu Mozhai didn't see Zhang Yong and left without a word.

Zhang Yong looked in the direction he had come from, but didn't see anything unusual. He shook his head. This can't be the stronghold of the Red Party, can it?

However, just as he was thinking this, suddenly, a figure appeared.

Oh no, this time, it's really big trouble.

What he saw was the important figure from before, the Red Party member.

The same person he had forced into the car and taken to the Tongshang Bank to help them avoid being pursued by Xu Enzeng.

He frowned.

He was here too?

Just now, Gu Mozhai also left from here...

Could it be that the two of them were here to discuss something?

It was certain that the two of them had made contact. Perhaps Gu Mozhai had even received some instructions.

Funny.

Your name is Lu Wenheng, right?

You are pretending to be the owner of the Hanwen Bookstore, right?

As a bookstore owner, don't you feel very out of place coming here? Aren't you afraid that the Party Affairs Investigation Office will target you?

No.

It is necessary to warn the other party.

Although I cannot help, it is still good to scare the other party.

Otherwise, they will really think that Xu Enzeng is a great benefactor! That guy's ability to catch Red Party members is probably even better than the Director's.

After all, the Party Affairs Investigation Office is the most professional at catching Red Party members...

It so happened that Lu Wenheng also saw Zhang Yong. He was clearly taken aback.

It was him?

He was actually here?

And with so many people?

What was he up to?

Although he appeared calm on the surface, he was actually a little nervous inside.

After all, the other party had made it clear to him a long time ago that he was from the Special Branch of the Restoration Society. They were also the sworn enemies of the Red Party.

He wanted to avoid them quietly. However...

'Boss Lu, how have you been?' Zhang Yong called out to stop the other party.

Trying to run?

It's not that easy.

Come here.

I'll have a word with you.

You're all taking such risks, you really don't fear death.

You're all so reckless, you're practically giving Xu Enzeng a head on a plate!

Last time, that Li Jingzhi's sister, was it a sister? She was running around too, so I had to warn her too.

'…Captain Zhang...'

Lü Wenheng's mind raced, and he finally remembered who Zhang Yong was.

He had thought that the two of them would never cross paths again. He never expected to run into him here.

It was really strange.

However, the other person didn't seem to have any ill intent.

If he really had tried to do him harm, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to save him last time.

Afterwards, Lv Wenhan broke out in a cold sweat when he investigated the situation.

His contact had actually defected. He was waiting for him to be caught.

If he had gone to the meeting point himself, he would already be in the hands of the Party Affairs Investigation Department. If it wasn't for Zhang Yong's meddling...

However, Lu Wenhan knew very well that Zhang Yong was not one of them.

The organisation had no informants within the Special Services Department of the Restoration Society.

The so-called Creeper, as he was specifically called, did not exist either. It was supposed to be a decoy trap within the Restoration Society.

Dai Li was also very sinister. He used various means to screen his subordinates.

If someone who didn't know the ropes stepped in, they had fallen for Dai Li's trap. They would eventually be eliminated.

'Boss Lu, what are you doing here?'

'I...'

'It seems to me that I can't see anyone here who likes to read...'

'I...'

'Twenty taels of silver.'

'What?'

'Boss Lu, I suspect you're engaged in illegal activities here. Do you want to come back with us?'

'I'm not.'

'I said yes!'

Zhang Yong interrupted the other person's speech imperiously.

Lu Wenhan: ...

speechless. What on earth does this guy want?

Looking at the way the others looked at him, it seemed as if they had an understanding. Many of them even turned their faces away deliberately, pretending not to hear.

He then understood.

This Zhang Yong was blackmailing him. He wanted 20 taels of silver.

Bastard...

Money-grubbing...

'Boss Lv, it's only 20 taels of silver. In the future, if you have any problems, you can just report my name. It's a good deal, isn't it?'

'I...'

'I'll give you one chance. You won't get a second chance if you miss it.'

'You...'

'If you get into trouble, just mention my name and I guarantee you'll receive fair treatment. It works with the military police headquarters, the police department, and the Party Affairs Investigation Office.'

'Okay...'

Lu Wenheng finally nodded helplessly.

Fine. Twenty taels of silver. Let's use this guy's tiger skin.

In case something really happens, maybe this guy's reputation can help you avoid some unnecessary trouble.

But...

He doesn't have 20 taels of silver!

How could he possibly carry that much silver on his person.

'That...'

'It can be paid for on credit. Where is your shop?'

'Wenchang Road.'

'Good. I'll drop by your shop sometime.'

'That...'

'Let's go!'

Zhang Yong waved his hand.

It's settled then. I'll cover you.

The protection fee is only 20 taels of silver. I shouldn't be blacklisted in the future.

Ke Gong isn't that petty...

Lv Wenhan turned and left.

Zhang Yong continued to lead the group.

No one paid any attention to this little incident.

After all, Captain Zhang is...

He's good at making money...

Even if it's just a little, it's still money, right? And twenty taels of silver is still silver...

'Ugh...'

Suddenly, someone seemed to want to vomit.

He looked back. It was Gu Bafeng. He finally couldn't take it anymore. He was about to collapse.

'Ah...'

Sure enough, in less than five seconds, Gu Bafeng began to vomit wildly.

The military police he brought with him were also in a terrible state. Driven by Gu Bafeng, they too bent over and vomited. It was clear that they could not bear such a shock.

However, the agents of the Fuxing Society had stronger endurance. No one had yet been unable to adapt.

'Hmph!'

The young man seemed to be a little disdainful.

Zhang Yong stared back at him. The young man subconsciously bowed his head.

He was a little scared.

'What's your name?'

'Wei Da.'

'Wei? Which Lang?'

'What?'

Wei Da shows that he doesn't understand.

He can't actually write his own name. How could he possibly say it?

Zhang Yong: ...

Forget it. I've set my sights too high.

Running to the shack by the river to ask someone how to write their name is asking for trouble.

Anyone with even a modicum of education wouldn't have to live in such a shitty place.

Suddenly, a red dot enters the map.