Did he trick the young marshal into becoming sworn brothers and then go south to Huangpu Military Ac

Lin Qi turned to the side and pulled the still dazed Fujiwara Heiwa to the front, introducing him affectionately to Du Yisheng.

"Yuesheng, let me introduce you. These two are my most distinguished and dearest friends whom I made on the ship, Prince Fujiwara and Prince Taira!"

Du Yisheng, being an extremely clever and shrewd person, immediately understood and extended his hand with the humility and respect he showed when facing foreign envoys.

"The arrival of these two distinguished guests in Shanghai truly brings honor to the city!"

Surrounded by a group of stunningly beautiful women exuding fragrance, and hearing the Shanghai underworld emperor address him as "distinguished guest" repeatedly, Fujiwara Heiji was so overjoyed that he almost forgot his own name.

The way they looked at Lin Qi was beyond worship; they practically regarded him as a living god!

And on the half-destroyed gangway not far away.

The chubby guy, carrying a suitcase, stood alone in the cold wind.

He stared intently down at Lin Qi, who was chatting and laughing, and who was dashing and debonair.

An unprecedented, deep-seated despair and fear arose spontaneously.

He knew better than anyone that this warlord surnamed Lin had absolutely no good intentions!

The extravagant display, comparable to welcoming a head of state, was nothing but poison wrapped in sugar, designed to drag those two naive imperial nobles into the decadent quagmire of Shanghai!

But what could he do?

If that fat, ugly guy dared to rush up at this moment and spoil those two's fun, they'd probably shoot him without anyone else even lifting a finger.

"Mr. Lin, the Astor House Hotel has been cleared out. The best chefs, the strongest liquors, and the most beautiful White Russian dancers in all of Shanghai are waiting. Tonight, we await your arrival and the arrival of your two distinguished guests!"

Du Yisheng bowed again, his tone extremely submissive, his slender eyes flashing with undisguised shrewdness.

He was too good at playing the part; his repeated use of "honored guest" was like a honey-coated soft knife, piercing straight into Fujiwara no Heiji's heart.

Lin Qi turned his head and looked with a smile at Fujiwara Heiji, who was completely dumbfounded beside him.

"My two brothers, Yuesheng is one of my sworn brothers in Shanghai. I can't refuse his kind offer. You two must give him this courtesy, right?"

Lin Qi spoke in a friendly and approachable tone, as if they were truly close friends who had known each other for many years.

"This...this is far too much of an expense! Mr. Lin, Mr. Du, we are truly overwhelmed with gratitude!"

Fujiwara swallowed hard, his fair face flushed red with extreme excitement.

Although he and the Taira clan were the most powerful young masters in Japan, they were strictly controlled by their elders in Japan. Even making a loud noise when they went out would get them scolded. They had never seen such a lavish and extravagant lifestyle.

Their vanity was instantly elevated to the highest level, and the two were already in a trance, having completely forgotten their so-called "top-secret purpose" for coming to Shanghai.

"Since it's Mr. Lin's arrangement, we'll go along with it!"

The young man from the Ping family straightened his chest, trying to appear calm and collected as if he had seen it all before, but his eyes, which were looking around, betrayed his inner fanaticism.

Under the respectful escort of the Green Gang, the two eagerly climbed into the Ford sedan.

On the distant gangway, Doi-Yuan watched the car door slam shut and closed his eyes in despair.

He knew it was all over. These two usually high and mighty masters had been completely dragged into an abyss by this devil from the Dragon Kingdom. He could only grit his teeth and silently descend the suspended ladder like a transparent person.

……

As night falls, the lights are on.

The Astor House Hotel, located on the banks of the Huangpu River, the most luxurious Western-style hotel in the Far East, was booked out by Du Yisheng tonight.

Stepping into the hotel's Victorian-style domed lobby, one is immediately enveloped in an atmosphere of extravagance, a blend of top-quality Cuban cigars, French perfumes, and fine barbecue.

Countless enormous crystal chandeliers illuminated the entire hall as bright as day, and the floor was covered with thick Turkish handmade wool carpets, making it feel as if you were sinking into the clouds when you stepped on them.

Du Yisheng spared no expense to entertain these two "distinguished guests" who had been specifically chosen by Lin Qi.

He not only invited many prominent and powerful tycoons from Shanghai to accompany him, but also brought in dozens of White Russian noble ladies who had fled there from the French Concession and the International Settlement.

These White Russian women, who once danced ballet in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, now wore extremely revealing fringed dresses and, accompanied by melodious jazz music played on saxophones and double basses, moved like white water snakes through every corner of the banquet hall.

"Come! My dear brothers Fujiwara and Taira! This cup of wine is to toast your honor of crossing the ocean to grace our great Shanghai!"

Lin Qi picked up the Baccarat crystal glass and drank it all in one gulp with great gusto.

"Cheers! To Mr. Lin! To Mr. Du!"

Fujiwara no Heiji was surrounded in the center by several blonde, blue-eyed, and voluptuous White Russian dancers.

Those originally aloof and elegant White Russian women, after being showered with money by Du Yisheng, were now like cats in heat, clinging to the two men on either side, using broken Chinese and extremely seductive movements to keep pouring them strong liquor.

Oysters were piled up like a small mountain, and caviar was spread all over the long table as if it were free.

Under the extreme sensory stimulation of treating money like dirt and indulging in debauchery, the two naive Japanese soldiers completely succumbed.

They tore off their masks of hypocrisy, dancing wildly with White Russian women on the dance floor, gulping down strong liquor, and bursting into unrestrained laughter.

Late into the night, the two were so drunk they could barely walk, and were half-supported, half-carried by several White Russian dancers to the presidential suite on the top floor of the Astor House Hotel.

For two consecutive days.

Du Yisheng devised all sorts of extravagant scenarios for the two Japanese soldiers, from a lavish gambling session at the racecourse to an all-night party at the Paramount Ballroom, and then to a luxurious yacht banquet on the Huangpu River.

Fujiwara no Heiji became increasingly entangled in the world of pleasure, but whenever they woke up from a hangover and saw Lin Qi's sincere smile of "giving his all to his brother," the guilt in their hearts grew wildly like poisonous weeds.

Mr. Lin treated us like brothers in arms, telling us secrets he was willing to risk his life for, and treating us to good food and drink.

But what about us?

We came to Shanghai with a secret purpose, but we didn't dare mention it to our close friends.

This is utterly devoid of samurai ethics; they are utterly unworthy of being human!

Amidst a mix of guilt and gratitude, their trust and reliance on Lin Qi had reached a point of blind fanaticism.

Little did they know that while they were indulging in revelry day and night, Lin Qi, whom they regarded as a "generous and righteous gentleman," was sitting in another room at the Astor House Hotel, manipulating world affairs.