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

"You know nothing!" Boss Du hissed. "If he breathes on me, the Du family's days in Shanghai are over..."

"It's been so long, and I haven't met Chief Jiang once, nor have I been able to send him a single gift. Some people are already suspecting that I have a grudge against Chief Jiang and want to share his burdens!"

Just as Boss Du was so anxious he was about to jump up and down in his mansion, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the gate. A trusted confidant who had been assigned to guard the entrance of the Canal Gang headquarters stumbled in, his face full of excitement:

"Sir! Great news! After dealing with the backlog of urgent matters, Chief Jiang has agreed to meet you at the Peace Hotel tonight!"

"really?!"

Boss Du suddenly stood up, his previously hunched body straightening instantly, and his face, which had been pale with anxiety, was suddenly flushed with a rosy glow.

“It’s absolutely true! It was one of the brothers working for Steward Bai who relayed the message!” the confidant shouted.

"Good! Good! Good!" Boss Du said "good" three times in a row, and his previously flustered eyes instantly became sharp.

He instructed the butler, "Quickly! Go and check those boxes again."

"and many more!"

"Not enough, not enough. Go and divide up our shares in the company... divide up 50%, no, 70%! Make a transfer agreement, and I'll personally hand it over to Chief Jiang tonight."

"Oh, and also go to Hengdeli in the French Concession and buy that most expensive diamond-encrusted watch to give to that Miss Lin who I heard has a very good relationship with Chief Jiang!"

Mr. Du took a deep breath, straightened his slightly wrinkled silk robe, and revealed a determined smile on his face.

Chapter 53 The Old Man by the River Back Then

It was exactly 9 p.m. at the Peace Hotel.

This hotel is hailed as the tallest building in the Far East.

Inside the hotel, the lights shone brightly. The marble floors reflected the elegant gentlemen in suits and the graceful ladies in flowing cheongsams. Beneath the magnificent dome, the languid and slightly decadent melody of jazz drifted slowly from the revolving restaurant.

At this moment, Jiang Zhen was sitting on a sofa by the window, with Bai Fu sitting next to him, quietly watching the bright lights and bustling city below.

"Singing and dancing in peace and prosperity, they truly don't know the sorrow of a nation's demise." Before Jiang Zhen could finish his lament...

"Knock knock knock".

Three soft, rhythmic knocks sounded on the door.

"Come in," Bai Fu said.

The door opened, and Boss Du, dressed in a silk robe, appeared in the doorway, followed by several people who stood respectfully outside the door carrying several heavy boxes.

"Greetings, Chief Jiang." Boss Du bowed deeply, bending at a ninety-degree angle, his voice filled with undisguised excitement.

"I have long admired Chief Jiang's might, and it is truly my great honor to finally meet him today."

"I should have come to visit earlier, but Chief Jiang is very busy and I dared not disturb you. Please forgive me, Chief Jiang." Boss Du's face was full of smiles.

"Mr. Du, you're too kind. In this Shanghai, who doesn't know your name? I've heard even foreigners treat you with deference. I, Jiang Zhen, have only recently established myself in Shanghai; how could I possibly trouble you with such a grand gesture?"

"Oh, Chief Jiang, you flatter me. You've already made a hero by unifying the Cao Gang, and now you've brought honor to China..."

"Alright, Mr. Du," Jiang Zhen interrupted his praise. "Have a seat."

Mr. Du sat down on one-third of the edge of the chair, placing his hands neatly on his knees.

"I heard that Boss Du has been making frequent trips lately. Is there some big business he wants to do for Jiang?"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Boss Du's forehead. He swallowed and said in a low voice, "Boss Jiang is joking. How could I dare to talk business in front of you? Although I am a common man who has been through thick and thin, I know that the country is in crisis."

"Upon hearing that the gang leader has gone north to kill the traitors and raise the prestige of our China, I, Du, am filled with excitement. Over the years, I, Du, have also accumulated a meager fortune in Shanghai."

"I thought that if this money stayed in my hands, it would just be a number, but if it could be given to Chief Jiang, it would be bullets to kill enemies and medicine to save lives. So, I brought a small gift today."

Having said that, he slightly turned his head and gestured. Several trusted men outside immediately carried in four heavy boxes.

Boss Du then reached for a finely crafted sandalwood box and presented it to Jiang Zhen with both hands.

Bai Fu stepped forward, took the sandalwood box, gently opened it, and handed it to Jiang Zhen.

Jiang Zhen glanced at it; inside were neatly arranged bank drafts bearing huge sums of money. At the very bottom was a meticulously prepared share transfer agreement, on which Boss Du's name was already signed.

"I ask for nothing else," Boss Du said sincerely, "I only ask to be able to serve under the gang leader and be a pawn who cheers him on. I also want to do my part for the people of this magical city and this broken country."

Listening to Boss Du's words, Jiang Zhen gently stroked the sandalwood box. It was indeed close to what he had expected.

"Mr. Du, I've taken the money. You can take the rest back if it's not too much trouble."

"After all, the Canal Gang really needs money to support the brothers who are wounded on the front lines."

"But you take this contract and those other things back."

Boss Du's face paled, and he abruptly stood up straight: "Boss! I mean it! There's no lie!"

Jiang Zhen stood up and walked to Boss Du. "But I, Jiang Zhen, am not a bandit, and I don't steal from those who have already lost their families. You can continue to run your factories and shares. You know the intricacies of Shanghai better than my roughnecks. As long as you don't do anything that abandons your country and family or does anything immoral, you can live the same way you did in Shanghai before, and you can live the same way you did in Shanghai before."

Mr. Du felt a buzzing in his head, the ecstasy of escaping death!

"Your Excellency is truly righteous! I, Du, will do anything to repay your kindness!" Boss Du was about to perform another grand salute when Jiang Zhen supported his body with a gentle yet irresistible internal force.

"No need for formalities." Jiang Zhen helped him steady. "I don't care for such formalities. If you have any troubles that you can't handle in the future, just go to Master Bai. He will take care of it for you. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."

"Yes, yes! Thank you, Chief Jiang, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet me today." Boss Du thanked him repeatedly. He wanted to suggest hosting a banquet at the Peace Hotel, but seeing that Jiang Zhen was not interested, he wisely kept quiet.

"Oh, right." Jiang Zhen suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Mr. Du's heart skipped a beat. His body, which had just breathed a sigh of relief, tensed up instantly. He quickly stood still and waited respectfully.

Jiang Zhen's expression became somewhat complicated. "There's something I need to trouble you with."

Boss Du's heart skipped a beat, and he even held his breath: "Please give your orders, Master! I will not refuse!"

Jiang Zhen looked out the window at the distant Huangpu River beach.

"There's a fish market on the banks of the Huangpu River, and this is the third stall. There's an old man fishing there."

Jiang Zhen recalled, "When I first arrived in Shanghai, I was so hungry that I almost died on the riverbank. It was this old man who saved me. Later, I established myself in Shanghai and became the third leader. I originally wanted to bring him to the Canal Gang, but he refused to come no matter what. But thinking about it later, it makes sense. The old man is getting old, and it's good for him to live a peaceful life."

"I arranged for someone to take care of him, but we canal gang members are mostly rough men, how could we take care of people?"

"If it's not too much trouble for you, Mr. Du, could you please keep an eye on things for me?"

Bai Fu chimed in, "Boss Du is quick-witted. He's definitely more suitable to take care of the old man than any of our brothers."

Upon hearing this, Boss Du was overjoyed. This was even more exciting than Jiang Zhen taking his money. This was not trouble at all; it was an incredible blessing.

This also shows that Jiang Zhen is a person who values ​​relationships and remembers past favors. As long as you don't let him down, he will never treat you unfairly.

Boss Du patted his chest and said, "Manager Bai is right. Please rest assured, Chief. From now on, the old man's matter will be my top priority. As long as I have a breath left, no matter how the river flows, I will cast the old man's net, and no one will be able to touch a hair on his head."

"Hmm," Jiang Zhen replied softly before striding away.

After seeing Jiang Zhen off, Boss Du immediately shouted to his trusted aides, "Did you hear that? Take men there right now! No, don't take too many, I'll go myself!"

"Listen up! Find a team of the smartest and most polite brothers, have them dress in coarse clothes and keep watch. Absolutely no revealing their identities! Find out if the old man has any relatives. If not, make up an excuse that a distant relative from many years ago has come to claim kinship. Make up for whatever the old man lacks, but if he loses even a single hair, I'll hold you all responsible!"

He paused, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes: "Also, drag out all the thugs, hooligans, and scum on that street and wipe them all out. They can't get in the old man's way!"

……

In the following days, Jiang Zhen stayed at headquarters, discussing the layout with everyone during the day and watching Lin Zhu tinker with her herbs when he had free time. Fang Dongtian suppressed his temper and explained the classics to Jiang Zhen every day, while Ma Ben still did not come out. The letter for Duanmu Ying should have been delivered to her by now.

But at that moment, Fifth Master Feng brought Jiang Zhen some news.

"Boss, we've made contact with the Tang Clan."

Chapter 54 Tang Sect Arrives

"Boss, we have news!" Fifth Master Feng strode in, his stubble on his face somewhat disheveled.

"Have you made contact with the Tang Clan?"

"You've made contact?" Jiang Zhen immediately stood up and walked towards Master Feng.

"I came over as soon as I received the message," said Master Feng, as he pulled a small, black bamboo tube from his pocket. The wax seal on the tube faintly revealed a distorted character "Tang".

“Just half an hour ago, our brothers who were wandering in the southwest received a reply.”

"What did they say?" Jiang Zhen asked hurriedly.

Master Feng immediately opened the bamboo tube and unfolded the narrow strip of paper inside, which contained only a few words.

"The reply said that the Tang Clan are businessmen who take money to solve problems for others. It is not appropriate to meet during a mission, but Chief Jiang extended a warm invitation. They also happened to be doing business nearby and would be passing through Shanghai, so they did not continue to be presumptuous and refuse."

"The letter said that they would set off after they had taken down a ninja stronghold at their current location, and were expected to arrive in Shanghai in about five days."

"Five days?" Jiang Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly.

"It seems we need to make preparations quickly. Order someone to clear out the courtyard on the west side and replace the furnishings inside and out with the best ones, especially the food and drinks, which should be prepared according to the tastes of Sichuan."

Just then, Bai Fu walked in carrying a cup of hot tea. He had heard the conversation, but he was taken aback when he heard Jiang Zhen's arrangement.

"Chief, this... didn't the Tang Clan say they'd arrive in about five days? We just received the letter today. We still have plenty of time, is there any need to rush?"

Jiang Zhen looked at Bai Fu, a meaningful smile curving his lips. He waved the note in his hand and chuckled softly:

"Master Bai, don't underestimate the Tang Clan. When have these assassins, who live on the edge of a knife and walk in the shadows, ever written the truth down? Look at this reply, it didn't even mention a destination, only 'eliminating the ninja' and 'five days'..."

Jiang Zhen walked to the map, pointed to several points around Shanghai, and analyzed:

"If this reply is accidentally leaked during transmission, or gets into the hands of those remaining scum, the other party can easily deduce the approximate location of the Tang Clan based on the two key pieces of information: 'five days' journey' and 'nearby ninja strongholds.' The people of the Tang Clan would never make such a basic mistake."

"After all, for an assassin, revealing their whereabouts is tantamount to suicide."

"You mean..." Bai Fu suddenly realized, "that these five days were a smokescreen?"

“It’s not all a smokescreen, but a professional habit.” Jiang Zhen turned around, his tone firm. “Since they said five days, then it definitely won’t be more than five days.”

"The so-called five days is probably the latest timeframe after taking all unforeseen circumstances into account. In fact... they might already be on the outskirts of Shanghai, or even nearby, watching our canal gang. Saying they'll arrive tomorrow would be considered late."

Bai Fu was stunned and couldn't help but ask, "Chief, since they are guests, should we send someone to wait at the door to greet them?"

"A backup?" Jiang Zhen chuckled. "A backup for whom? Are you going to back up an old man selling pancakes or a street sweeper? If the Tang Clan doesn't want you to see them, you won't be able to find them. Just prepare a place, and when they arrive, they'll naturally come looking for me."

After listening, Bai Fu shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I'm getting old, really getting old. I only realized it after you reminded me."

Jiang Zhen patted Bai Fu on the shoulder, his tone softening: "Why be modest, Master Bai? You're just as vigorous as ever. You're in charge of most of the paperwork and daily necessities for everyone in the gang, big and small. If you weren't here, the tedious accounts and scheduling alone would overwhelm me."

Bai Fu smiled and bowed respectfully: "You flatter me, Chief. I will go and have someone make the arrangements right away."

……