Anti-Japanese War Espionage: I Have an Omniscient Perspective

The bartender, having received two orders, began mixing tequila whiskey.

The bartender uses a short, stout old-fashioned rock glass, half-filled with crushed ice, first pouring in a little tequila mother, then mixing in some bourbon whiskey.

After shaking, pour it into two cups.

The bartender then placed two glasses of mixed tequila on the bar, one for Davis and the other for Lin Rui.

Lin Rui picked up his wine glass and took a sip to taste it.

The initial taste is warm like whiskey, followed by the crisp kick of tequila.

It's strong, but not pungent. The ice shards cool it down, suppressing the spiciness, making it just right.

Therefore, this "tequila whiskey" is not the future type of spirit, but a blended spirit that is mixed on-site in bars.

It was a very interesting experience: a bar frequented by descendants of Russian nobility, serving Mexican tequila and Kentucky bourbon whiskey, all brought to Shanghai because of international trade.

Lin Rui toyed with his wine glass, his attention focused on Davis beside him.

Davis took a sip of strong liquor, inhaled deeply, and became more active under the influence of the alcohol.

He chatted with his drinking buddy beside him: "Meggs, when are you going back to your country?"

"Go back to China? Why? I don't want to go back. Life in Europe isn't easy."

"I've heard that your country has changed its name to Drittes Reich?"

"No, that's not official news. We still call it Deutsches Reich."

Lin Rui listened to their conversation and learned some international information about this era.

Deutsches Reich means the German state, while Drittes Reich means the Third Reich. Clearly, German expatriates and merchants abroad did not like the latter name.

During the subsequent eavesdropping conversation, he learned the man's identity: the manager of Defu Trading Company, a German trading company that mainly dealt in chemicals, dyes, and pharmaceuticals.

Although Shanghai had fallen, these foreign businessmen still did not intend to leave, after all, there were still many interests in China that were closely related to them.

This is also the real reason why the Japanese army dared not use force against the concessions. After all, Japan, as an island nation, simply did not have enough resources to launch an aggressive war. It was merely taking advantage of China's weakness to plunder, so why would it offend the foreign merchants who also provided them with resources for trade?

After talking for a while, the German got up and left.

Davis was feeling a bit bored drinking alone.

Lin Rui spoke up at the opportune moment: "Excuse me, are you Davis?"

"Who are you?" Davis immediately became alert.

In Shanghai, there are opportunities everywhere, but there are also dangers everywhere. Even foreigners can die here if they are not careful and fall into a trap.

"Someone who wants to do business with you," Lin Rui said with a smile.

"Business? What do you want?" Davis asked, somewhat relaxed.

Americans who come to the Far East are all speculators who come for money, and he was no exception.

"I heard you have a batch of excellent weapons, but the price is very high."

"Sorry, I have no interest in arms dealing."

Davis actually stood up, placed a banknote on the table, and left the bar.

Lin Rui was not surprised by this; it was just the beginning, to give the other party an impression.

He also took out his own currency to pay: "How much?"

"Two legal tender."

Lin Rui left the money behind and walked out of the bar.

Davis had already walked some distance ahead, and he followed silently behind.

After walking for a while, he waved down a rickshaw and got on.

If you were to follow a rickshaw on the road, you'd probably have to run to get there.

This will definitely not work.

Lin Rui also waved.

The rickshaw driver came over: "Sir, where are you going?"

Lin Rui got into the car directly: "Just do as I say, and I'll pay the fare."

"Alright," the rickshaw driver replied.

Sitting in the rickshaw, my superpower range actually increased to about 200 meters.

The rickshaw ahead had already traveled more than 100 meters.

He said, "Keep going forward."

The rickshaw driver immediately pulled the rickshaw forward quickly.

The two rickshaws, one after the other, headed west, still on Avenue Joffre.

After a while, the rickshaw in front suddenly turned south.

When his rickshaw reached the street corner, he said, "Go to the left."

"Alright, sir." The rickshaw driver pulled the rickshaw into the alley on the left.

That's Grossillo.

Davis had already stopped in front of the first house at the street corner.

Lin Rui did not stop the rickshaw he was in, but continued to move forward. After walking thirty meters, he called for it to stop, paid the fare, and got off.

Davis, who was thirty meters away, had already entered the building.

Lin Rui walked over.

I checked the address: Route Ghisi 1.

That is, 1 Grossi Road.

This building is actually built like a palace.

It should be the property of Standard Oil Company, or it was built by the former headmaster for himself. After he left, it became staff dormitory.

Lin Rui used his supernatural abilities to observe the situation inside.

.........

Lin Rui used his supernatural ability to penetrate the building and discovered that the palace-like building outside was just an outer gatehouse, behind which was a large courtyard.

The courtyard is planted with neatly trimmed holly and sycamore trees, with a gravel path winding through it, connecting three elegant detached houses. There is also a small fountain in the middle, which is still spraying water even in the current water-scarce environment of the concession.

Davis didn't stop. He walked straight across the courtyard to the easternmost villa covered in ivy, raised his hand and pressed the doorbell. The door was quickly opened.

Lin Rui walked forward and turned left at the crossroads, where he could observe the situation in the small villa to the east using his supernatural abilities.

He saw a blonde, blue-eyed foreign woman open the door, wearing an elegant cotton and linen dress. She reached out and took Davis's coat, speaking softly in English.

"You've been drinking again?" The woman's voice, transmitted clearly through her supernatural abilities, reached Lin Rui's ears. Her tone was helpless, but not angry.

Davis, still slightly relaxed from the alcohol, shrugged and said, "Honey, I had no choice. We were discussing business in a bar, so I couldn't just not drink. You know how tough business is here, especially lately, with all the policy changes in the US. I have to keep dealing with people."

The woman turned and walked into the dining room, bringing out two plates of golden-brown steaks and a basket of freshly baked bread. She placed them on the table covered with a white tablecloth, poured two glasses of warm water for the two of them, and said softly:

"I know you've had a tough time. But you also know that I grew up in a church and have always followed pious rules. We never serve alcohol at home, and we never touch alcohol at the dinner table."

As she spoke, she gently touched the cross on her chest, her eyes filled with devotion. "This is my faith, as you promised me."

Davis sat down, picked up his knife and fork, and cut a small piece of steak:

"Of course I didn't forget, that's why I had a drink at the bar beforehand."

He took a bite of his steak, his brow furrowing slightly as if he'd remembered something. "By the way, I heard from the US recently that the new tax law enacted last year is now fully in effect. Our income is considered overseas income, and while it can offset some of our US federal income tax, it requires an equivalent tax credit from China. But as you know, there's no such provision here, and even if there were, no government department could handle it. When we file our taxes at the end of the year, we'll probably be double-taxed."