A Life of Attributes Starting as a Nobleman in the Republic of China Era

A grey brick clock tower built by the British slowly emerged from the steam billowing from the train, its two hands pointing precisely to six o'clock.

The train slowly pulled into Shanghai North Station.

First-class passengers should have priority to disembark. However, before the train had even come to a complete stop, the windows of the second and third-class carriages were already crowded with people leaning out, with bamboo baskets, bundles, and even clucking hens dangling and swaying outside.

With a hiss, the train exhaled its last puff of steam and came to a complete stop at the edge of the platform.

No one paid any attention to the train conductor's instructions. The crowd surged forth like a dam breaking, and shouts and footsteps instantly filled the entire space.

Those waiting at the station tiptoed and peered around, while those leaving the station walked briskly with their heads down and luggage in hand.

Chen Che and Chen San were not in a hurry. They waited until the crowd dispersed before each carrying a piece of luggage out of the car.

Shanghai was hotter than Nanjing. Chen Che took off his suit jacket and draped it over his shoulders, pausing briefly in front of the car door.

"Shanghai," Chen Che thought to himself, "I'm here."

After walking across the crowded platform and through an underground passage filled with dim yellow light, you arrive at the station exit. The throngs of people are blocked by several ticket booths, and they can only exit one by one, like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

"How long will this take?" Chen Che frowned slightly.

Unfortunately, this isn't Nanjing, and Chen Che isn't yet qualified to enjoy the special express ticket gate reserved for VIPs.

"Young Master! Young Master! Over here!"

Chen Che looked in the direction of the sound and saw a short, stout figure wearing a long gown and a top hat standing on tiptoe in the crowd outside the gate, waving to him.

Uncle Qian. The comprador sent by the Chen family to Shanghai this time.

Chen San carried the suitcase to Uncle Qian, lifted it over the fence, and handed it to Uncle Qian.

"Young master, the car is right outside the station." Uncle Qian carried the suitcase and jogged out.

Chen Che and Chen San waited for about half an hour, and it was almost 7:30 when they finally got into the car.

Outside the car window, the Bund's historic buildings cast golden reflections on the Huangpu River. Neon signs illuminated the asphalt roads in a kaleidoscope of colors.

"Young Master, this is the Bund." Uncle Qian, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around. "The International Settlement is safe. The hotel the master arranged for you is right here."

Chen Che nodded slightly.

"This Shanghai is divided into 'three boundaries and four districts'..." Uncle Qian started talking. "The three boundaries are the International Settlement, the French Concession, and the Japanese Concession; the four districts are Zhabei, Nanshi, Pudong, and West Shanghai."

"In the concessions, foreigners had the final say, while in the 'Four Districts,' local businessmen and all sorts of people from different walks of life controlled the area."

"Which district is the Green Gang in?" Chen Che asked.

"Nanshi, including the old city and the dock area along the Huangpu River outside the city, is a concentrated area for Chinese businesses," Uncle Qian answered skillfully.

The car drove along Zhongshan East Road, which faces the Bund, for more than ten minutes, then turned right at the intersection, drove for a while, and then stopped.

"We're here." Uncle Qian jumped out of the car nimbly and opened the door for Chen Che. Chen San helped him take the luggage out of the trunk.

Before Chen Che stood a magnificent building, its exterior entirely constructed of solid marble slabs. The revolving doors were gilded, and the four heavy, gold-lettered characters of "Peace Hotel" hung above the entrance.

Uncle Qian, carrying his luggage, led Chen Che and Chen San to the elevator on the right side of the lobby and pressed the button for the top floor.

The numbers on the elevator floor indicator kept changing, finally stopping at "Top Floor," and the door slowly opened with a "ding."

In the penthouse suite, the living room is large enough to host a dance party, and a whole wall of glass windows frames the Bund scenery as a flowing painting, with boats dotting the Huangpu River clearly visible.

The carpet was dark green. Two silk robes hung on the leather sofa, and brandy sat on the coffee table.

Further inside, the bathtub is made of white ceramic, the faucet is gold-plated, and a toiletries set is neatly arranged on the marble countertop next to it.

The suite has two bedrooms; Chen Che's bedroom faces the Huangpu River.

The entire top floor belonged to Chen Che. Even though he was used to grand occasions, he couldn't help but secretly marvel at the hotel's understated luxury.

"Young Master, come and take a look here." Uncle Qian pushed open a heavy wooden door on the side of the living room and waved to Chen Che.

As soon as Chen Che reached the door, he smelled a mixture of oak wax oil, leather, and metal oil.

Inside the door is a well-equipped gym.

The walls at the back are covered with mirrors, and the room is equipped with all kinds of weight training and flexibility training equipment.

Olympic barbells, cast iron weight plates, adjustable dumbbells, squat rack, incline bench press, parallel bars for pull-ups, kettlebells, medicine balls, neck training straps...

There are many names that Chen Che doesn't know.

A side door opened next to the gym, leading to a sauna and a small soaking tub.

In addition, there is a standard full-size boxing ring measuring 6 meters by 6 meters in the arena.

Chen Che cheered, punched Chen San hard in the chest, and rushed into the gym.

These devices are far more advanced than those in Chen Che's home in Jinling.

When training your arms, you can increase the weight of one hand to up to 300 kilograms, and when training your chest and doing squats, you can increase the weight to 600 to 800 kilograms.

"Did Dad prepare all of this for me?" Chen Che asked happily, like a child who had just received a lollipop.

"Yes, the master specifically instructed that," Uncle Qian said with a smile, his hands hanging down.

"Uncle Qian, if there's nothing else, you can go back now. I want to give it a try."

"Alright, alright, then please rest, young master. The car is arranged downstairs for you, you can use it anytime." Uncle Qian gave some more instructions, then tactfully left.

"Third Brother, I'll go first."

Chen Che took off his shirt and walked first towards the adjustable Olympic barbell set. Chen San followed him in tacit agreement, ready to help add weights.

Chen Che took a deep breath, gripped the barbell with both hands, straightened his back like a steel plate, and exerted force with his legs.

Back in Jinling, the heaviest stone lock was only 100 jin (50 kilograms), which Chen Che lifted as if it were nothing.

This time, he tried 100 kilograms first and found it unusually easy. He increased it to 150 kilograms, and while he felt some pressure in his muscles when pulling, it remained stable. Feeling confident, he immediately signaled Chen San to increase it to 200 kilograms.

This time, he adjusted his breathing, making his stance even more stable. With a deep exhale, the barbell was steadily lifted off the ground and overhead. When it was lowered, a dull, solid "thump" echoed from the floor.

"Young Master, you've improved." Chen San nodded from the side, his eyes full of approval.

Chen Che didn't speak, and walked to the squat rack. He had practiced stance training the most, and was very confident in the explosive power and stability of his lower limbs, so he directly increased the weight to 300 kilograms. Huge cast iron plates hung at both ends, causing the steel squat rack to bend slightly.

He faced the mirror, looking directly at his reflection. Then, like a squatting stance, he bent his hips and squatted down. When his thighs were parallel to the ground, he pushed off without hesitation, the movements clean and crisp, repeating ten times in a row with a clear rhythm.