Under One Person: The Sea Emperor Who Shattered Heaven and Earth

"The aura of a human king and overlord?" These words inexplicably resurfaced in Fang Dongtian's mind. "That shouldn't be the case... It's impossible for such a person to appear again now."

He considered asking a sorcerer to enter his inner realm, but quickly dismissed the idea. Jiang Zhen now commands the canal gang and controls all waterways in China; his destiny is so important that asking him in his inner realm would be tantamount to courting death.

What should have been a short walk took Jiang Zhen almost half an hour to finally reach the headquarters.

"Master Bai." Jiang Zhen pointed to Liang Ting, who was being carried on a makeshift stretcher by the elite members of the Canal Gang, with Liang Ting lying on it like a lump of mud.

"Have someone take him away and treat him. Then find a secure place to lock him up, just make sure he doesn't die."

After carefully examining him, Bai Fu asked, "Chief, is this the Quanxing demon, Bai Xiao Liang Ting?"

"That's right, I still have some use for him."

"Yes, boss, don't worry." Bai Fu then summoned a few people, gave them some instructions, and had them take Liang Ting away.

Back home, Jiang Zhen was a little hungry. Bai Fu said he had prepared everything and took him to get something to eat. As they passed the courtyard, they saw a figure yawning and tending to herbs without any regard for appearances.

It is Lin Zhu.

Hearing footsteps, Lin Zhu lazily raised her head, her somewhat dazed eyes lighting up instantly when she saw Jiang Zhen.

"Jiang Zhen! You're finally back!"

"So you didn't hear any of that commotion outside just now?" Jiang Zhen said helplessly, looking at Lin Zhu who seemed to only just realize he was back.

"What's that noise?" Lin Zhu asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing. What do you need me for? Is there some trouble with the pharmaceutical business?"

"Yes, there is trouble, but not because of that."

Lin Zhu walked up to Jiang Zhen and whispered, "I feel like there's something strange about your gang members."

Jiang Zhen was taken aback: "What?"

Seeing that Jiang Zhen didn't understand, Lin Zhu explained directly, "I don't know why your gang members are becoming more and more respectful to me. When I go out for a walk, dozens of burly men follow me, almost blocking the whole street. Even now, there are people standing guard at my door at night. In the middle of the night, when I open the door, I can see two towering men bowing to me, which makes it hard for me to sleep."

Jiang Zhen was also stunned upon hearing this: "Is that so? When I left, I only told them to keep an eye on you."

"Especially when you're out shopping, remember to have someone follow you so you don't get lost again. I didn't specifically tell you anything."

"Then what's going on with them?" Lin Zhu felt that this was beyond what Jiang Zhen had explained.

Jiang Zhen pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"I see."

"It must be those medicines you developed that were sent to various places. This includes the front-line battlefields and the various docks where we are responsible for intercepting Japanese transport ships."

"It is also thanks to Miss Lin's medicine that countless soldiers who were originally beyond saving were pulled back from the brink of death. That's why they are so respectful to you to express their gratitude."

Lin Zhu was taken aback after hearing Jiang Zhen's explanation, but then she understood.

"Oh... I see. So they don't need to stand guard at the door for me anymore. It's keeping me up at night..."

Jiang Zhen smiled and said, "The brothers are truly grateful to you. In this world, life-saving medicine is more precious than gold. But since we've disturbed your rest..."

Jiang Zhen turned around and looked at Bai Fu, who, for some reason, suddenly wanted to walk away and said:

"Master Bai, could you please give the order in a moment to remove the sentries at the door? They don't need to interfere too much with Miss Lin's daily life. Just keep your gratitude in your heart."

"Understood." Bai Fu looked at the two of them and replied with a strange expression, then left directly.

Lin Zhu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the matter was resolved and she could finally get a good night's sleep. She then looked up at Jiang Zhen, her expression becoming more serious: "Now that you're back, there are some important things I need to discuss with you."

"The progress of the penicillin research you mentioned isn't going very well," Lin Zhu sighed in frustration.

Jiang Zhen frowned. He knew that developing penicillin in this era was a groundbreaking challenge, but he hadn't expected that even a genius like Lin Zhu would find it difficult.

"Then... is there anything else needed?" Jiang Zhen asked.

"The information has already been sent to the West to be obtained."

Lin Zhu shook his head: "We need people now. Since the West already has relevant information, we need a doctor who understands Western methods."

"Western doctors? Doesn't the gang have some? The gang has also acquired some of the nearby hospitals. They can arrange everything for you."

"Not only that, but they also have to be extraordinary people. They need to understand both Western theories and our extraordinary people's methods of extraction."

"He is proficient in both Western medicine and supernatural abilities..."

Before Jiang Zhen could finish thinking, Lin Zhu said directly, "No need to look, there's someone ready. If she can come and help, our progress will be much faster."

"Oh? Who?" Jiang Zhen's heart skipped a beat.

“Yingzi, oh, Duanmu Ying.” Lin Zhu slowly uttered a name, “The eldest daughter of Jishetang.”

Chapter 52 They can't even get a hot bowl of shit.

Duanmu Ying?!

"It really is her! How could I have forgotten her!" Jiang Zhen frantically searched his memory for information about the name. Duanmu Ying... one of the Thirty-Six Thieves, and the future possessor of the "Dual-Handed" skill among the Eight Extraordinary Techniques!

"You should know that Jishetang is a renowned family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, famous throughout the medical community," Lin Zhu continued to explain to Jiang Zhen.

"But Yingzi has never been interested in our Yin-Yang and Five Elements theories since she was a child. Instead, she is extremely fascinated by Western pharmaceutical theories. A few years ago, she went abroad to study despite her family's objections."

“I just came back not long ago. Because we deal with medicine and pharmaceuticals, we in Tengshan have a lot of dealings with Jishetang. I’ve been friends with her since childhood. She is not only an extraordinary person, but also has expertise in Western medicine.”

“I have been exchanging letters with her since she came back. She has received systematic Western medical training and her insights are very sharp.”

“I’ve been thinking for the past few days about whether I should just invite her over. Now that you’re back, I’d like to ask you.”

“Although I could write a letter directly and she would most likely come, you are, after all, the leader of the Canal Gang, so your presence shows more sincerity.”

Jiang Zhen was overjoyed; this was like a pillow delivered just when he was sleepy.

"Please, please, please! We definitely need to invite them!" Jiang Zhen agreed readily. "Jishetang, right? I'll write to them right away and invite them. If they don't want to come, I'll go to them in person."

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you." Lin Zhu yawned. "Without the guardians watching over us, I'm going back to catch up on some sleep."

"Okay." Jiang Zhen nodded.

After Lin Zhu left, Jiang Zhen immediately returned to his desk, spread out some stationery, and began to write a letter in his own hand. In the letter, he described, from the perspective of an anti-Japanese hero, the dire situation of the soldiers on the front lines who lacked medical supplies and medicine, and the significance of penicillin in saving countless lives. He earnestly invited Duanmu Ying to discuss important matters together.

"Please personally deliver this letter to Miss Duanmu Ying of Jishetang." Jiang Zhen put the letter into an envelope and handed it to a member of the gang.

After dealing with Duanmu Ying's matter, Jiang Zhen stood up and stretched his body. Just then, Bai Fu walked in carrying a meal.

"You're eating little and dealing with many things. You should take care of your health, Chief." He said helplessly after placing the plate on the table.

"Thanks, Mr. Bai."

Jiang Zhen asked while eating:

"Where is Ben? I haven't seen him since I got back."

Upon hearing the mention of Ma Benzai, Bai Fu immediately became worried:

"Boss, your return is too unfortunate. Master Ma, after hearing about your successful ambush of the Bihe Ninja in the north and the killing of the ninja leader on the spot, seems to have been suddenly stimulated and has locked himself in the workshop for several days now."

"He gave a strict order that no one was allowed to disturb him before he came out, not even if the sky fell. Now, even when we bring him food, he tells us to leave it at the door. But thankfully, I've seen that he eats every day, so he doesn't go hungry."

Jiang Zhen guessed that this person's creative desire had exploded. After all, there was no shortage of money or resources here, and once these research-oriented talents had an inspiration, they could immediately get into the zone and ignore everything else.

"In that case, let him be." Jiang Zhen waved his hand. "Have the brothers keep watch around the workshop. If he says no one is allowed to disturb him, then don't disturb him. We can look forward to seeing what new gadgets Ben can come up with for us when he comes out."

"Yes, boss."

Bai Fu accepted the order and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and said:

"By the way, there's a Mr. Du who has come to our canal gang several times, each time saying he wants to see you."

"Boss Du?" Jiang Zhen raised an eyebrow. There don't seem to be many famous people with the surname Du in Shanghai, but there is one who is quite famous.

Bai Fu said in a calm tone, "He's the one who's well-connected in the concessions, has shares in many companies in Shanghai, and recently started dealing in flour and medicinal herbs. He can even be on friendly terms with those foreigners in the concession police station—that's Boss Du."

"Is it really him?" Jiang Zhen stopped what he was doing, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes. This tycoon from Shanghai actually came looking for him.

"Why did he come to see me?" Jiang Zhen asked.

"He didn't go into details, only saying that he had long admired the gang leader and wanted to pay him a visit."

“He always brought a lot of gifts, each one more expensive than the last, and I always let him take them back with him.”

"I heard that the Chief is coming back. He has been inquiring about your whereabouts lately and just sent someone to inform you. Do you want to see him or not? If you see me, tell him to come over. If you don't see me, just send him away."

……

Meanwhile, inside the Du Mansion.

The Mr. Du mentioned by Bai Fu was now pacing around in the spacious and luxurious hall of the mansion like an ant on a hot pan.

He held a half-smoked cigar in his hand, but instead of smoking it, he anxiously rubbed it against the ashtray, getting his hands covered in ash.

Ever since Jiang Zhen became known as the "River-Shaking Dragon" on the Huangpu River, he noticed him and wanted to befriend him and, incidentally, mentor the young man.

Who knew that Jiang Zhen was also a remarkable person?

He sent out visiting cards one after another, but each time he just missed them.

The first time, Jiang Zhen went to the Lu family's birthday banquet; the second time, Jiang Zhen was busy reasoning with the leaders of other gangs; the third time, he personally brought carefully prepared valuable gifts, only to be told that Jiang Zhen had just led his elite troops north to kill the Bihe Ren the day before.

Enraged, he smashed things up at home. He realized that being slow at one step leads to being slow at everything, and now he can't even afford to eat hot shit.

At first, Jiang Zhen was just a minor, well-known third-in-command in Huangpu River.

But now, the mere presence of the Grand Canal Gang leader, with his overwhelming power and influence, could crush him. And now, he stands firm in the face of national righteousness, at the height of his power.

If Mr. Du's mindset used to be one of befriending and taking advantage of others, now it has completely changed and he is now trying to curry favor with them.

Boss Du looked at the heavy boxes in the hall—these were the astronomical sums of real gold, silver, and foreign exchange that he had prepared long ago, even in this turbulent era.

In the past, he would have used that money to bribe the police in the French Concession or to make connections in Nanjing.

But things are different now. In Shanghai, it's quite clear who's in charge.

He now felt like a piece of cat meat exuding endless allure, and the giant cat next to him could lick him clean and smooth him out at any time if it was ever in a bad mood, with its tongue covered in countless barbs.

He wasn't afraid of Jiang Zhen coming to him to freeload, or even of Jiang Zhen making exorbitant demands; what he feared was Jiang Zhen not coming!

"Do you think Chief Jiang will see me this time?" Boss Du grabbed the butler who was pouring him tea. "It's been an hour, and there's still no news. Is he... angry with me for being so inconsiderate?"

The butler was terrified by his appearance. Boss Du had been in Shanghai for decades, and even when the French Consul General came, he had never been so out of control.

"Master, please don't worry," the butler comforted him. "Didn't Steward Bai say that Chief Jiang just returned and is extremely busy? Your reputation is well-known in Shanghai, so I'm sure Chief Jiang..."