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

Not only Zhao Yuping, but almost every merchant doing business in Shanghai was wary of the Green Gang.

The reason for the fear of the Green Gang was that it was not a single force in Shanghai, but rather a "network".

This network covers every inch of Shanghai.

The porters carrying goods on the docks, the laborers pulling carts on the streets, the waiters in the shops, the foremen in the factories—no one knew which one was a member of the Green Gang, but anyone could be.

You are in the open, they are in the shadows; they know everything you do; they want to harm you, but you can't even find out who your opponent is.

The reason people are wary of the Green Gang is that they don't talk to you about "rules," but they force you to follow their "rules."

The rules of business are written in the contract, with government support, foreign arbitration, and if all else fails, you can go to court.

But the rules of the Green Gang are not written down, only passed down orally. How much "transportation fee" you should pay when your goods are unloaded at the dock is up to them; how much "safety fee" you should pay when your shop is located on this street is up to them; and which "dock" you should pay homage to if you want to open a business in this area is also up to them.

If you don't follow this rule, the goods won't be unloaded, the shop won't be able to stay open, and people won't be able to leave.

All of this is outside the law, and there is nowhere to turn for help.

The Green Gang has 60,000 members, divided into four branches: Gengtu, Liehuo, Hongshui, and Ruijin.

He always helped Wang Jian and was elusive. Apart from the leaders of the Green Gang, senior disciples, and some business owners, ordinary people could not even see him unless necessary.

Wang Jian's origins remain a mystery to this day. Nine years ago, Du Bo, the old leader of the Green Gang, died mysteriously in a fire, leaving no trace of his body. Just when the gang was leaderless and the various halls were restless, this man appeared out of nowhere as a high-ranking member, defeated four hall masters in succession, and accomplished several major feats for the Green Gang.

It is said that he possessed martial arts skills that were forbidden from being passed down in the previous dynasty's palace, and that he also had secret dealings with former officials of the previous dynasty.

Since he took over, the Green Gang has not only not fallen into chaos, but has become even more secretive and airtight than before.

Therefore, it wasn't that Zhao Yuping didn't want to befriend Chen Qichuan, nor that he was indifferent to the lucrative prize of Nanjing; it was simply that he couldn't miss tonight's "Breaking Through the Barrier Banquet," an invitation from the Green Gang.

"I appreciate Mr. Chen's kindness." Zhao Yuping put the wine glass back on the table and straightened his cuffs.

He spoke in a gentle tone, but his gaze passed over Chen Qichuan's shoulder and met Deng Zhuosheng's. Deng Zhuosheng understood and nodded slightly.

"Mr. Chen, I am truly honored by your hospitality tonight." Zhao Yuping smiled, his tone sincere and firm. "However, I do have some urgent matters to attend to, so I must take my leave now. I will definitely visit you another day to discuss things in detail."

Chen Qichuan's smile remained warm: "Oh, Boss Zhao, what time is it? Sit a little longer, sit a little longer!"

Deng Zhuosheng also stood up and straightened his suit: "Boss Chen, I also have some things to take care of, so I'll join Boss Zhao. Today's banquet was truly enlightening, and we should definitely get together again another day."

Lü Mai also stood up.

Zhao Yuping, head of Xianfeng Bank; Deng Zhuosheng, president of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce; Lü Mai, director of the Bureau of Industry and Commerce.

These three giants are the business leaders of Shanghai, and the entire business community follows their lead.

Everyone knows that tonight the Green Gang is hosting a "breakthrough banquet," while the four major families are hosting a "dock banquet," indicating a direct and covert conflict.

It was only 8:30, yet the three of them left their seats early, clearly heading towards the Green Gang.

Such a stance will spread throughout Shanghai overnight, and at that time, the four major families will likely find it difficult to move forward in this area.

The alcohol on Chen Qichuan's face seemed to vanish in an instant, and his eyes, filled with shrewd calculation, sized up Zhao Yuping, Deng Zhuosheng, and Lü Mai.

Soon, his eyes relaxed again, as if that moment had never happened.

"The three of you are all very busy, so how could I, Qichuan, dare to keep you here?" He raised his wine cup and toasted the three of them from afar, "This cup is for the three of you. May you have a safe journey."

When he said "Have a safe trip," his tone remained gentle, but his gaze held a deeper meaning.

Zhao Yuping picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The three of them had just reached the entrance of the banquet hall and were about to push the door open when it was suddenly shoved open from the outside.

A young man dressed in shorts staggered in, covered in sweat and pale-faced. His chest heaved violently, as if he had run a very long distance and was panting heavily.

He didn't speak, but simply held his hands down and presented a folded piece of paper with both hands.

Zhao Yuping looked down at the note.

"The headquarters of the Green Gang was ambushed and a fire broke out."

Zhao Yuping stared at the note.

A few breaths passed, and his expression remained unchanged, but his fingers tightened slightly.

He folded the note in half, then in half again, and slowly tucked it into his sleeve.

Under the watchful eyes of nearly a hundred guests in the banquet hall, he turned his head and looked at Chen Qichuan.

With the arrow already on the bowstring, he had to make a decision.

Without a doubt, the attack on the Green Gang at this critical juncture was definitely the work of the four major families.

These four great families of Jinling are indeed no pushovers.

That's for the best. In this chaotic world, being an honest person isn't a good thing.

Zhao Yuping's gaze lingered on Chen Qichuan's face for a moment.

The smile on his face remained polite, but his eyes were like a deep pool, their depths unfathomable.

He looked away and lowered his eyelashes.

A few breaths.

He did something that no one expected.

He turned around and walked back to the banquet hall.

It wasn't heading towards the door, nor towards Chen Qichuan.

He walked to the table where he had just been sitting, the table where half a glass of wine still sat.

All the guests' eyes followed him.

Zhao Yuping sat down in that chair again.

He raised his glass and generously toasted Chen Qichuan.

"Boss Chen," his voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, "the Xianfeng Bank is interested in that power plant project we just discussed. I wonder if it's still possible to discuss it now?"

......

Lu Qi pulled two darts from his waist and held them in his palm. Li Zuyi also quickly untied the soft whip wrapped around his waist under the table; the tip of the whip dangled to the ground, stained with blood.

The two exchanged a glance; the tacit understanding forged through years of fighting side by side required no words.

Li Zuyi suddenly flipped the octagonal table upwards!

The moment the tabletop left the ground, a barrage of bullets rained down, sending splinters of wood flying.

Using the force of the tumble, Li Zuyi rolled forward, his body close to the ground.

At the same instant, Lü Qi sprang up from behind the table, flicked his wrists, and threw two darts straight at the throats of two men in black who were changing magazines on the wall.

"Rush!"

Li Zuyi leaped up from the ground, his soft whip cracking in the air as the tip of the whip coiled like a serpent towards the ankle of a man in black on the wall, and he yanked it sharply.

The man lost his footing, screamed, and fell headfirst, blood splattering everywhere.

Lu Qi followed closely behind, holding a corpse in each hand, his body shifting left and right to shield Li Zuyi from the bullets coming at him.