Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 25: If you're going to do something, do it thoroughly!
"Hey, what do you mean by 'getting on their good side'? I'm just helping Commander Ono with some small things."

Cao Wei Da grinned modestly, saying that this matter couldn't be kept secret, and that others weren't blind.

It would be better to just admit it outright: he had curryed favor with Ono Oda.

In this way, others will not be suspicious, but will only either envy, be jealous and hate, or secretly despise you.

So they really did get on the good side of the Japanese!

Zong Xiangfang cursed inwardly, but on the surface he still pretended to be envious:

"Hey bro, I'm saying, Mr. Cao, you're going to be rolling in money from now on! Congratulations, congratulations, Mr. Cao!"

"I knew it! How could Master Cao not take Kui Biao seriously? With Ono-sama as his backer, let alone Kui Biao, even the Four Tyrants of the East, West, South, and North are nothing but a fart!"

Who are the Four Overlords?
As mentioned above, Fu Decheng, the Western Overlord, was once a servant in a theatrical troupe. He also studied martial arts under a master and later joined the Green Gang and the Kuomintang. He wielded considerable power in the Tianqiao area and was responsible for many deaths.

In reality, these days, it's almost impossible for someone involved in organized crime to avoid taking a life.

If you don't take someone's life, others will think you're weak and easy to bully, let alone gain a foothold.

Among the four tyrants, Zhang Dequan, the Eastern Tyrant, was actually the cleanest and most principled. At least he didn't bully men or women, nor did he collude with puppet troops to act arrogantly.

Sun Yongzhen, the Southern Tyrant, was a local bully born and raised in Tianqiao. Later, he colluded with the puppet police and seized other people's land and restaurants, cutting off their livelihoods. He did a lot of dirty tricks, but compared to Fu Decheng, the Western Tyrant, and Liu Xiangting, the Northern Tyrant, he was much better.

Liu Xiangting, the Northern Overlord, was originally the manager of the Tianqiao Jixiang Theater and is now the president of the Tianqiao Pear Garden Guild. He colludes with the puppet army to extort money, rape women, and is also the leader of the Yiguandao sect.

The Four Tyrants, three of whom colluded with the Japanese puppet regime, were notorious for their heinous crimes.

But no matter how powerful these people are, they are just people with connections in the puppet government.

As is well known, the puppet government was the dog of the Japanese army. If Cao Wei Da had really gotten on the good side of Ono Oda, these so-called Four Overlords would not have been a threat at all.

"What's with all this 'master' stuff? That's too formal. We're all brothers from the same police station, no need to be so distant."

Cao Wei waved his hand modestly, but deliberately revealed some information: "Besides, what's this talk of getting involved? It's just helping out with some small things and making some money to spend on the side."

"I'm already grateful that they need my help, I wouldn't dare say I'm being taken advantage of."

"I'm a person with a lowly fate and little fortune. I wasn't born into a good family, but I wouldn't do anything to harm the villagers. I'm still hoping to be buried in the ancestral grave after I die."

It's not that he's being overly cautious; the key is that he knows Zong Xiangfang's identity all too well, and he's afraid!

The Military Intelligence Bureau has a long tradition of eliminating traitors.

Zong Xiangfang is a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau. What if they think he's a die-hard traitor who's helping the Japanese, and then report him to their superiors and get rid of him?

"You can make money by helping out? That's great!" Zong Xiangfang looked on with envy. "Can you tell me what it is?"

Seemingly afraid of being misunderstood, he quickly added, "Of course, if it's something confidential, then there's no need to say anything; I know the rules!"

“There’s nothing I can’t say.” Cao Weida looked around, leaned closer, and whispered, “It’s actually quite simple. The Imperial Army arrested a lot of people, right? Many of them were my ‘friends.’ They were invited to ‘assist in the investigation’ for the Imperial Army.”

But if we don't say anything, the Imperial Army won't know who our 'friends' are, so we can only do things the way the Imperial Army traditionally does. You should know the Imperial Army's operating traditions, right?

Is this the Japanese people's traditional way of doing things?

That Zong Xiangfang knew all too well that the Japanese prisons were never short of innocent victims.

"and then?"

"Then, of course, it's just a token gesture. As long as the gesture is appropriate, the misunderstanding will be cleared up, right? It's all to assist the Imperial Army in coordinating the investigation, don't you think?" At this point, Cao Weida nudged him with his shoulder.

"Don't say I'm not looking out for you, brother. If you have any 'friends' who need this kind of thing, you can introduce them to me. We'll split the profits 70/70, you get 30% and I get 70%, how about that?"

Zong Xiangfang wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was very quick-witted and immediately understood what it meant.

In fact, the practice of going to Japanese prisons to redeem people is not a recent phenomenon, nor is it a precedent unique to Cao Wei.

However, these ransoms were usually made by relatives of wealthy families. These family members would communicate with the Japanese army or puppet troops through various means and then use money to ransom the people.

However, this did not mean that anyone could successfully ransom someone. The Japanese army treated Chinese prisoners of war and suspected anti-Japanese elements with extreme brutality, often arbitrarily torturing and persecuting them. Many people died in prison due to hunger, disease, torture, etc., and never had the chance to be ransomed.

In particular, those who have even the slightest connection with "anti-Japanese elements" will never be released, even if they are likely to be wronged.

If anyone dares to try to ransom someone, they'll likely end up getting arrested themselves instead of getting the person released.

Only Cao Weida knew that Ono Oda was from Osaka and wasn't as ruthless and stubborn as the typical brainwashed Japanese soldiers who were only thinking about how to make money; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to do it.

If Cao Wei Da really turns this matter into a business deal, then Cao Wei Da will not only be blameless, but will actually be meritorious! His mind raced immediately. If this matter is handled well, it will be a great benefit to the Kuomintang!
Then, he flattered Cao Wei Da again, saying that the matter was promising and that he would go back and inquire if there were any such 'friends', thus vividly portraying a servile and greedy character.

Cao Weida was naturally happy to cooperate with his acting, and the two of them made their way to the police station.

As soon as I arrived at the police station, I saw Duomen already sitting on the cement block in front of the station, waiting.

Cao Weida didn't come back last night. Although he had told him in advance, he still came to the police station early this morning to wait. He couldn't rest easy until he saw Cao Weida.

After all, dealing with the Japanese is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.

Seeing Cao Wei Da arrive, he finally felt relieved, stood up, and dusted himself off.

"Cao'er is here, Xiang Fang, you're here too. What a coincidence, did you meet on the way?" His eyes swept over the police baton at Zong Xiang Fang's waist, and his heart, which had just calmed down, suddenly jumped up again.

The bloodstains on the baton had been wiped away and dried, but the veteran patrolman still noticed the fresh blood remaining on the baton immediately—it was clearly fresh blood from not long ago!

It was early in the morning, and there was blood on the baton. How could he not be worried?

"Yes, we just happened to run into each other on the road. Master Duo, have you checked in?"

"We've been waiting for you, kid. Come on, let's go together."

Some things were naturally better left unasked in person, so after the roll call was over, Duomen pulled him aside.
"What's going on with you, kid? Why are you here with Zong Xiangfang? And why is there blood on his baton?"

"I was the one who hit him." Cao Weida did not hide anything and recounted what had happened that morning.

Upon hearing this, Duomen's teeth ached and he hissed, saying with a considerable headache:
"Hey kid, can't you just shut up for a second? I've noticed you're getting bolder and bolder."

"The matter wasn't over yet, and now we've gotten involved with Fu Decheng."

“That Fu Decheng is not an upright person. If you offend his people, he will definitely retaliate later.”

"Even if you're working for Ono Oda, he might not dare to act recklessly on the surface, but what about behind the scenes?"

"If something really happens to you then, and they offer Ono Oda a generous gift, do you think Ono Oda would still bother with him over a dead man?"

"Alright, go and whisper in Ono Oda's ear right now, and find an excuse to get rid of Fukutoku Naruto!"

A rare glint of murderous intent flashed in Duomen's eyes.
"Remember, if you're going to do something, do it thoroughly!"

Cao Wei was astonished. How could the kind-hearted Master Duo have such a murderous aura?
That's really strange!
"What kind of look is that?" Domen slapped him irritably and said helplessly, "Do you think I wanted this? It's just that you're too much of a troublemaker."

“If we don’t get rid of Fu Decheng, the consequences will be endless. This man has no bottom line.”

Almost everyone living in Beiping knew about the Four Tyrants, especially the Western Tyrant, who was the most unscrupulous and utterly ruthless; his heart was black!

If it weren't for Cao Wei Da being the one who caused the trouble, he really wouldn't want to get involved.

From the moment Cao Weida offered to help him make money, his relationship with Cao Weida began to change.

It wasn't that he was greedy for money, but that he genuinely felt Cao Wei Da was worth befriending and truly regarded him as one of his own.

Who could dislike someone who knows how to repay kindness?

Cao Weida felt a warmth in his heart. He knew that Duomen treated him this way because they considered him one of their own.

With an arm draped over Duomen's shoulder, he said with a grin, "Don't worry, I'm not a sentimental person. But I'm really touched by your concern for me, Master Duo. I don't know how to repay you."

"Okay, I'll arrange it for tonight. We'll go to the brothel and find two top courtesans to give you a massage. You're always running around, it's time to enjoy yourself."

"Get lost, you little brat, you're even teasing me now, I think you're asking for a beating." Duomen laughed and scolded, but why was he secretly tempted?

Men are boys until they die; who hasn't had an impulsive moment?

He didn't have the means before, and he couldn't bring himself to do anything like accepting ill-gotten gains. With that meager salary, he really couldn't bear to squander it.

But now that I've found a way to make money and the money I earn is something I can be proud of, I'm naturally starting to get a little tempted.

"Look at what you're saying, we're all men, I understand." Cao Weida gave him an 'I understand' look. "What's there to be embarrassed about? Food and sex are human nature!"

“You’re not getting any younger. Many families are counting on you to carry on the family line. You can’t possibly tell your ancestors when you go to see them that you’ve cut off the family’s ancestral worship, can you?”

Duomen was both amused and exasperated; how was he supposed to respond to that?

However, he began to think that he should indeed start considering having children, as being a bachelor all the time must be quite lonely at night.

(End of this chapter)