All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Soon, a black car stopped in front of the mansion. Bai Xiaowu quickly went forward to open the car door, and Bai Jiaxuan then bent down to get in.

The vehicle started quickly and headed towards the Far East Hotel.

The winter sky gets dark very early, and the streets are already deserted, making the journey exceptionally quiet.

The streetlights along the roadside emitted an orange glow, flashing intermittently, as if foreshadowing something that was about to happen...!

Chapter Sixty: Ladies and gentlemen, good evening!

When the vehicle was still one kilometer away from the Far East Hotel, there was a checkpoint set up by the Japanese, who began to stop and check documents.

Rows of heavily armed soldiers, with military dogs on their leashes, surrounded the cars and checked them one by one to prevent anyone from bringing dangerous goods into the area.

We encountered such checks twice along the way, and even when we arrived at the Far East Hotel, a group of men in plain blue clothes appeared.

Unlike soldiers, these people were not brutal; each of them had a particularly gloomy and stiff face, giving off a sinister feeling.

Everyone's expressions were tense, their eyes scrutinizing each passing guest. Each person seemed to have eyes that could see through people's hearts, as if they were equipped with scanners.

Bai Xiaowu, standing to the side, felt a little uneasy under the gaze and subconsciously tugged at his suit jacket.

This simple, subconscious action attracted the attention of several men in blue.

Soon, an older man in blue stood in front of the two, his eyes half-closed, and gave Bai Jiaxuan a look as sharp as a venomous snake.

Bai Jiaxuan quickly responded to the other person's gaze with a fawning expression.

His current identity is that of a puppet government official and a pro-Japanese figure, so he cannot be too arrogant, otherwise it will be easy for others to see through his facade.

He naturally knew exactly what kind of people these men in black were.

This group of people were all high-ranking agents of the Special Higher Police, agents capable of inspecting the last line of defense, and each of them possessed extremely keen insight.

Bai Jiaxuan recalled the scene more than 20 years ago when he went on a killing spree at the Shanghai Special Agent Building. Back then, the Japanese spies were obviously not as formidable as they are now.

After more than 20 years of systematic training, the Japanese have now cultivated a large number of top-notch spies.

Bai Jiaxuan was very curious. With such tight security, how did the Shadow Organization manage to plant dozens of people inside?

Of course, this problem was quickly dispelled. Who cares about all that? Today I am the protagonist, who cares about the supporting characters?

However, Bai Xiaowu, that little brat, clearly lacked composure. He almost got stage fright in a simple situation, which was a disgrace to his father.

Fortunately, I didn't tell him my purpose today; I only said that I was going to attend the banquet hosted by the Japanese prince.

That little brat has too little experience!

The man in blue glanced at Bai Jiaxuan before turning his gaze to Bai Xiaowu behind him.

It was that look that made Bai Xiaowu's skin crawl, his body stiffen, and he dared not move.

Upon seeing this, Bai Jiaxuan quickly bowed and stepped forward, respectfully introducing Bai Xiaowu's identity in Japanese, explaining that he was his secretary and also his junior, which was why he had brought him along to broaden his horizons.

The man in blue glanced back at Bai Jiaxuan, recalling that such a person did indeed appear on the banquet invitation list, and that the person seemed to speak Japanese. He nodded, his face grim, and waved his hand to let the two of them in.

He did not have anyone check whether the two men were carrying weapons. They had already been searched twice at three checkpoints along the way, so there was no need for further checks.

Moreover, he could tell that Bai Xiaowu on the other side did not have that dangerous aura; it was just that he was nervous, which was why he acted that way.

Although Bai Xiaowu couldn't understand Japanese, he could still understand the gestures. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the other party had let him pass.

In fact, during his few days in Shanghai, Bai Xiaowu had truly seen the world. Although Shanghai had just gone through a war, the city's prosperity exceeded his expectations.

The houses here are all so tall, the rich people are all dressed so properly, and the little Japanese guy, despite his Asian face, has a fierce and menacing aura. Every aspect of this shocked and intrigued him.

He was actually more curious about his father. From childhood to adulthood, in his memory, his father was very capable.

But no matter how capable he was, he was just a minor clan chief in a small place. He vaguely heard Heiwa mention some information about his father, but Heiwa only heard it from his father, Lu San, so he wasn't particularly clear about it.

He only vaguely knew that the bandits from Wuzhi Mountain on Bailu Plain were somewhat related to his father.

That's all there is to it.

In Bai Xiaowu's eyes, the bandits of Wuzhi Mountain were nothing special; a hundred or so men with guns and cannons, they were indeed a force to be reckoned with.

However, compared to the forces he encountered upon entering Shanghai, they were merely a bunch of low-class local bumpkins.

He had no idea about any shadow organization, let alone the relationship between the shadow organization and Wuzhishan.

What he had seen and heard during this period made him even more curious about his father.

He had witnessed the power of the Japanese these past few days. Even the powerful foreign devils in his memory had to bow down in front of the Japanese.

The sight of the enemy's warships still anchored on the Huangpu River and their planes roaring overhead left a deep impression on him, reminding him of the Japanese's formidable strength.

For Bai Xiaowu, his childhood environment prevented him from having feelings of national hatred or personal grudges.

However, as a Chinese person, everything he had witnessed during this period made him not have much goodwill towards the Japanese.

As a Chinese person, I have that feeling.

After all, why should an outsider like you start a war in our country?

However, he naturally dared not show these emotions.

Because his father was too strange.

His father's identity puzzled him. Why would his father be invited to such a high-class banquet? And his father's fluent Japanese stirred up a strange feeling in him.

Could it be that my father was a traitor?

He only learned the term "traitor" in the last few days. The day before yesterday, some students wrote a lot of slogans and posters and distributed them on the street, among which the term "traitor" was mentioned.

The words "traitor who sells out the country, and everyone should kill him" are still etched in his mind.

Later, he witnessed those students being roughly taken away by Japanese soldiers, a scene that deeply affected him.

He kept all these emotions hidden in his heart.

After Bai Jiaxuan led Bai Xiaowu into the hotel lobby, he was immediately dazzled by the luxurious scene before him.

The entire first-floor lobby spans over a thousand square meters and features an open layout. The outermost two rows of long buffet tables are laden with a dazzling array of delicious food, including a variety of brightly colored fruits that whet the appetite.

There were also tables for red wine and white wine, with all kinds of spirits available. Smartly dressed waiters carried plates and moved around, replenishing the food and drinks from time to time.

A group of middle-aged men with large bellies, each accompanied by their female companions, gathered together and chatted.

Officers dressed in military uniforms from various countries were also among them, forming small circles and chatting animatedly.

When Bai Jiaxuan and his group arrived, no one took the initiative to greet them, and no one paid any attention to them, because there were four or five hundred people in the entire hall.

Only a few waiters secretly glanced at him before looking away.

Bai Jiaxuan glanced around and immediately noticed that the waiters on site were all unusual; they were probably all dressed as secret agents.

It's clear that the Japanese are going to great lengths to ensure safety at today's banquet and prevent any unforeseen events from happening.

On the stage at the very top, two rows of scantily clad women swayed gracefully, while a female singer sang with alluring eyes.

Bai Jiaxuan glanced around and roughly knew which way he should go.

Although the banquet hall was filled with a large number of wealthy and influential people, the small circles were not abrupt but rather hierarchical.

Most of the Westerners invited this time were diplomats, and they mostly formed their own small circles. There were also military officers from various countries who had their own circles.

There was another, more prestigious group at the very front, consisting of a group of people with Asian features, but they were not Chinese; they were Japanese nobles.

Today, as the hosts, they have even more reason to show off. Most of them are wearing kimonos, while a small number are wearing military uniforms. In the innermost circle, a few old men are holding wine glasses, admiring the singers on stage up close while chatting idly with haughty expressions.

Besides these people, there is another group near the entrance. This group is large in number, but their status is clearly lower than that of the other groups.

This group of people were almost all Chinese; some were wearing Western suits, some were wearing traditional Chinese jackets, and some were wearing Zhongshan suits.

This group consisted mostly of officials from the puppet government, wealthy businessmen from Shanghai, and gang members; they were all from all walks of life and were pro-Japanese.

This refers to the so-called "traitors" or "collaborators."

After sending Bai Xiaowu to get something to eat, Bai Jiaxuan walked towards the circle himself.

Bai Jiaxuan, without any shame, stepped forward and squeezed into the group.

He casually picked up a glass of red wine from the waiter's wine tray and nodded to several middle-aged men around him who were dressed similarly.

No one recognized him, but since he was able to attend the banquet, he must have an extraordinary identity, so they gave him face and raised their glasses in a gesture of respect.

Bai Jiaxuan didn't say anything, but just listened quietly, his smile unchanged, casually looking around at the surroundings.

The banquet hasn't started yet, and the main figures obviously haven't arrived. The truly important people will definitely arrive last. Bai Jiaxuan didn't see Prince Deyu at the Japanese's place.

He wasn't in a hurry, casually looking around.

This restaurant has six and a half floors and is the most upscale leisure venue in the vicinity. It is a high-end hotel that integrates dining, entertainment and accommodation. The first floor is usually a large banquet hall, which often hosts dances and other events.

However, for this reception, some modifications were obviously made to the first floor, the walls were reinforced, and the windows were resealed, leaving only two main entrances.

Some unnecessary facilities were also removed, and the place was renovated to be more luxurious. In fact, it had been closed to the public for a month.

It was clearly for today's banquet, and also to prevent assassins from making prior arrangements.

Excellent! To prevent assassins from appearing among the guests, they turned this hall into a large cage. A brilliant idea!

By controlling the entrances and exits, they could practically control the hotel. Clearly, the other party was very confident in their security arrangements and had no worries about taking control of the hotel from within!

Bai Jiaxuan took a sip of red wine with a smile on his lips, pretending to listen attentively, but casually surveying the guests and the surrounding environment.

His gaze quickly paused, settling on a certain person.

That person was someone he knew. He hadn't seen him for over twenty years, and the man had become even more robust, his potbelly making him no less imposing than the Westerners around him.

That person was his old acquaintance, Boss Huang.

At that moment, Boss Huang was in the Westerners' circle, smoking a cigar, holding a glass of strong liquor, laughing heartily, and looking very smug.

Clearly, he paid no attention to Bai Jiaxuan, his "friend" from over twenty years ago!

Bai Jiaxuan had no intention of going up to greet him. He had inquired about the person in front of him a few days ago.

Because of him, more than 20 years ago, he made a fortune. With that money and his powerful connections, Boss Huang is living a very carefree life, even more impressive than his historical counterpart.

Today, this man is practically a top tycoon in Shanghai, whose dance halls and nightclubs occupy half of the city's business.

However, according to Bai Jiaxuan's investigation, Boss Huang is a slippery man. His former boss, Gallo Chicken, has been declining in recent years and is no longer a force to be reckoned with.

Now that he has gained considerable power, he moves among various factions without siding with any of them. Relying on his connections with various parties, he is thriving. Even after the Japanese occupied Shanghai, they gave him some face.

Because the other party was so cunning, Bai Jiaxuan did not visit that old friend after arriving in Shanghai.