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

Shen Hai ducked to avoid it, then lowered his body, the short knife rolling along the ground, slicing straight at half of his ankle!

I half-stepped to avoid it, but still had to aim carefully.

Why would Shen Hai give him that opportunity?

He moved like a snake gliding along the ground, his short sword flashing in rapid succession, each strike faster than the last, all low-level moves: ankles, knees, calves, and inner thighs.

Every cut is aimed at a vital spot; every cut carries the ruthlessness of drawing blood and sealing one's life!

Yu Ban retreated repeatedly, unable to aim his gun at Shen Hai.

His brows finally furrowed slightly.

This Shen Hai is more troublesome than he imagined.

They didn't give him a chance to fire, and immediately launched a ground-hugging attack, closing the distance in the shortest amount of time.

Now the two are less than three feet apart.

At this distance, a rifle is just a fire poker.

Yu Ban simply decided not to return it.

He twisted the gun and aimed it at Shen Hai again.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out, the bullet going too far off course and hitting the wall three feet in front of Yu Banshen, sending rubble flying.

Yu Ban acted as if he were an employer. Shen Hai sneered, dodged to the side, and took advantage of the moment when Yu Ban was using his old moves to launch himself into action.

He sprang up from the ground like a spring compressed to its limit, his short knife aimed straight for Yu Ban's throat!

This strike was as fast as lightning and as ruthless as a venomous snake.

A distance of three feet can be covered in an instant.

The knife tip was only three inches away from Yu Ban's throat...

In that split second, a faint smile appeared on Yu Ban's lips.

Just as the blade was about to touch his skin, Shen Hai's body suddenly swayed for no apparent reason.

He stepped right into the crater created by Yu Ban's shot.

The movement was extremely light and fast, so fast it was like an illusion. The upper body did not move at all, only the feet slightly tilted half a step.

It's just this half step.

The tip of the dagger grazed Yu Ban's throat, drawing a drop of blood.

A mere scratch on the surface, but a little deeper and it's a throat slit.

Shen Hai's stab missed its mark; he was in mid-air with nowhere to brace himself, his weakness exposed.

This is the moment I've been waiting for.

He thrust his right hand, gripping the gun, forward sharply, aiming at Shen Hai's chest, and pulled the trigger with one hand.

This shot was completely unpretentious, requiring no aiming at close range. Yu Ban's hand speed was astonishing; the gun's trajectory was almost invisible in mid-air. From flipping the barrel to firing, it was all done in one smooth motion.

Shen Hai had nowhere to dodge. With a loud bang, the gun barrel spewed out a ball of flame, which surged into Shen Hai's chest and abdomen.

The gun Yu Ban used had a caliber that was larger than that of a regular rifle, and Shen Hai saw several finger-sized holes suddenly appear in his chest.

The bullet entered through the chest and exited through the back, leaving behind a trail of blood and fragments of shattered internal organs.

Blood flowed down from the hole in Shen Hai's chest, dripping onto the tiles on the wall with a "drip-drip" sound.

He raised his head and looked at Yu Ban, the breath of life slowly fading from his eyes.

Yu Ban gripped the gun with one hand, maintaining a guarded posture, his eyes calm as still water, as if he had just done something insignificant.

Shen Hai's body twitched a few times, then quickly stopped moving. He tumbled headfirst off the wall and roof, landing on the ground like a dead fish.

The Green Gang members, crowded in the middle of the alley, gasped in shock as Shen Hai's body fell from the wall, and the crowd involuntarily took a few steps back.

Several members of the Gengtutang gang rushed forward, trying to retrieve Shen Hai's body. Gunshots rang out from the wall, and several more people immediately fell to the ground.

The two rifles that Shen Hai had shot down into the alley were quickly out of ammunition. The Green Gang members who were throwing hidden weapons also soon realized that the alley wall was more than three zhang high, and their throwing weapons were not strong enough to harm the men in black on the wall.

This was a massacre perched high above the enemy. Amidst a hail of bullets and flames, the number of the more than 500 Green Gang members dwindled until less than 100 remained.

Zhang, the abacus master, covered his head tightly with both hands, hiding in a narrow corner formed by the base of the main hall's door and the wall. This perfectly shielded him from the angle of the shot fired from the top of the wall.

Li Zuyi and Lü Qi squatted back to back behind a set-up octagonal table, the tabletop riddled with bullet holes.

The surrounding area was filled with mountains of corpses.

Thick smoke billowed upwards, choking people so much they couldn't open their eyes.

"Shen Hai is dead." Lü Qi's voice was very soft.

Li Zuyi did not answer, but only said, "The gang leader is still inside."

Lu Qi said in a low voice, "He's waiting for us to clear a path for him; he won't come out."

Li Zuyi did not answer. He simply stared at the door, now completely engulfed in flames, a complex mix of emotions flashing in his eyes: anger, confusion, and a hint of...contempt.

"It's up to us now," Li Zuyi said to Lü Qi through gritted teeth. "Charge out of the alley!"

Lu Qi nodded vigorously: "Let's go together!"

……

In the Hua Mao Pavilion banquet hall on the ninth floor of the Peace Hotel, guests and hosts alike were enjoying themselves immensely.

Chen Qichuan appeared slightly tipsy and spoke more and more boldly, quite unlike his initial cautiousness.

"Electric lights have become increasingly common in recent years, and more and more mines and factories are using electricity," Chen Qichuan said earnestly, holding Zhao Yuping's hand. "We've already monopolized Jinling Electricity. Next, we plan to build a large power plant in Shanghai, with an investment of at least several million silver dollars."

"At that time, we will have to rely on the full support of Boss Zhao's Xianfeng Bank."

Zhao Yuping also put on a polite smile. He took the opportunity to glance at his pocket watch. It had been almost half an hour; it was time to leave.

"The four great families of Jinling are: the Li family runs power plants, the Hong family does processing, the Dong family does textiles, and our Chen family does canal transport and railways." Chen Qichuan was still full of enthusiasm, moving closer and closer to Zhao Yuping. "Coincidentally, large-scale banking business is still a blank in Jinling. If Boss Zhao is willing, this is a great opportunity to expand the Xianfeng Bank's territory."

"As for the Chinese Business Association," Chen Qichuan, seemingly genuinely drunk, tried to ingratiate himself with Deng Zhuosheng, "if a branch could be established in Nanjing, the four major families would certainly offer their full support, uniting the Chinese businesspeople on both sides of Shanghai and Nanjing!"

Zhao Yuping picked up his wine glass and took a small sip of champagne.

He subtly took half a step back, creating some distance between himself and Chen Qichuan.

The bubbles on the glass rose in fine, delicate fashion, just as his smile was subtle and appropriate, neither overly enthusiastic nor impolite.

For Zhao Yuping, cooperating with the four major families was actually the best decision.

The Xianfeng Bank had been operating for decades. In its early years, it encountered war and, due to its prudent business practices, had always operated cautiously only in Shanghai. By the time of Zhao Yuping's generation, there were already plans to expand into Beijing, the north, and the Jianghuai region; what they lacked was a trustworthy partner.

The Xianfeng Bank helped the four major families establish a firm foothold in Shanghai; in Nanjing, the four families paved the way for Zhao Yuping. From then on, Shanghai had the support of the Xianfeng Bank, and Nanjing had the protection of the four major families. They were each other's backers; anyone who wanted to harm the other would have to think twice and hesitate.

However, what Zhao Yuping feared was the Green Gang.