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

After listening, Jiang Zhen finally showed an expression of sudden understanding, but he was still puzzled.

He merely set up a headquarters for his gang in Shanghai, conveniently ousted the arrogant foreigners, and, unable to tolerate the tyrannical and oppressive warlords, simply purged them out. He then had his gang members help maintain order on the streets, proclaiming that Shanghai was his territory.

When did this happen? How come I didn't know? You can't say things that are detrimental to unity.

But after Zhao Yuan's explanation, Jiang Zhen understood. It didn't involve anything practical; it was all just a title.

He always kept his distance from that person from the mountain town, avoiding contact whenever possible.

Although this dilapidated ship, which is leaking from the top, has not yet sunk, it is only a matter of time before it does.

However, for now, he is still nominally the legitimate leader, and the respect due must be given—not for his own sake, but for the brothers who have followed him through thick and thin. Even if these titles are merely nominal, they are, to them, a form of final recognition.

"Alright then." Jiang Zhen relaxed his brows and waved his hand.

Bai Fu, with great insight, stepped forward and accepted the commendation order and medal with composure.

The special envoy was overjoyed to see that Jiang Zhen had accepted the gifts.

The worst thing about this mission was that the other party wouldn't accept it. If they did, it would be a complete success. He quickly pressed his advantage, his smile widening even further: "Your Excellency, we've already prepared a banquet at the International Hotel to welcome you. The Chairman specifically instructed that you be treated well. What do you think…"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Zhen shook his head.

"No need for that."

This honor was bestowed in front of the whole world, so accepting it was fine, preserving face for both parties. But if this meal were held in private, the atmosphere would be completely different.

Besides—

Jiang Zhen glanced back at his brothers. Although they were still trying to keep a straight face, the moment they got home, the tension that had been building for so many days finally eased, and the weariness in their eyes could no longer be hidden.

“The brothers are tired,” Jiang Zhen said calmly. “Let’s go home.”

"Yes!" Fifth Master Feng shouted at the top of his lungs.

After thanking the special envoy, Jiang Zhen got into the black car that Boss Du had prepared.

Hundreds of members of the Grand Canal gang led the way, and the crowd automatically parted to the sides, making way for the long convoy. The long caravan set off from the Bund and drove through the bustling city center in a grand procession.

into the night.

The headquarters of the Canal Gang was brightly lit and filled with the aroma of wine, almost permeating the entire street.

A banquet was set up in the hall, and jars of aged wine were brought out, their mud seals broken, and the aroma of the wine made people's eyes water.

The hall was packed with people, from managers to ordinary members, from veterans to newly joined disciples. No one gave a speech, and no one said anything fancy. Jiang Zhen sat in the main seat, drinking bowl after bowl with his brothers who had followed him through the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on Zijin Mountain.

No one offered toasts; we just drank together.

The only sounds were the clinking of bowls, the splashing of wine on the table, and a loud laugh that someone had been suppressing for too long finally let out.

Chapter 71 Though Humble in Rank, I Never Forget My Country's Worries

After the celebration, life gradually returned to normal.

Shanghai remains Shanghai. Since the two battles in the south and north, Jiang Zhen's annihilation of the elite Japanese troops at Zijin Mountain in Nanjing and the ambush in Shanxi in the north, the arrogance of the Japanese on this land has been completely extinguished.

The loss of 500,000 troops was far more devastating to the nation's fate than a mere cripple; it was akin to breaking its backbone.

According to cross-referencing information from the Cao Gang's own channels and Jianghu Xiaozhan, the Japanese garrisons throughout China are undergoing a large-scale strategic retreat. The battle lines are being pushed back again and again.

It is said that the Eastern Navy has begun to exert its efforts to shift its strategic focus entirely to the western front and to consolidate the territories it has already acquired.

But a drowning dog must be beaten severely, and Jiang Zhen continued to order all branches of the Cao Gang to keep a close watch on the remaining Japanese in various places and beat them.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters in Shanghai...

Since the addition of Duanmu Ying, an extraordinary person proficient in Western medicine, Lin Zhu's research on penicillin has progressed rapidly.

One morning, Bai Fu rushed into Jiang Zhen's office.

"Master, please go and check on Miss Lin and Miss Duanmu. A large group of Westerners have suddenly arrived and blocked the main gate."

Jiang Zhen raised an eyebrow slightly: "Foreigners?"

“Yes!” Bai Fu gestured as he wiped his sweat. “A few people came first, but I thought Miss Duanmu knew them, so I didn’t take it seriously. I didn’t expect more to come later, and today it’s even more outrageous, a whole bunch of them came! They’re all crammed into the courtyard now, arguing until their faces are red and their necks are bulging. The brothers can’t understand what they’re saying, but judging from their posture, they either want to tear down the house or rebuild it.”

Jiang Zhen stood up and strode outside: "Let's go take a look."

When Jiang Zhen arrived at the medicine hut, he found that the usually quiet house had indeed changed.

There were at least a few dozen foreigners standing in the courtyard, mostly middle-aged or elderly. Some were wearing white coats, some were in suits, and a few younger ones were standing in a corner with a thick stack of documents, arguing loudly in a foreign language.

Jiang Zhen pushed through the noisy crowd and found Duanmu Ying looking helpless at the back.

"Miss Duanmu, what's going on here?" Jiang Zhen pointed to the group of blond-haired, blue-eyed Westerners.

Duanmu Ying shrugged, first looking Jiang Zhen up and down, then a mischievous smile appeared on her lips: "Oh, Chief Jiang—no, now the whole world knows, you should be called Duke Zhuguo, or Duke. My apologies."

Jiang Zhen's face immediately darkened.

I should have known better than to accept this piece of junk. Now, whenever I run into an acquaintance, he starts by saying, "Oh, isn't this our Lord Donghai Pillar, the Duke? This humble servant pays his respects to you." I don't know who taught him that.

"Let's get down to business first," Jiang Zhen said, waving his hand dismissively.

Duanmu Ying then stopped laughing and said seriously, "Actually, it's nothing serious. Lin Zhu and I have reached a bottleneck in our research and need some more sophisticated equipment and cutting-edge data for comparison. I happen to know a few classmates from my time studying in the West, and we have a pretty good relationship. So I wrote a few letters to them, asking them to help me look up some information and also to inquire about any channels for purchasing equipment."

"and then?"

"Then..." Duanmu Ying took a deep breath, held up her index finger, and began to list them off one by one, "My classmates received the letter and said they wanted to come and take a look that very day. When they arrived, they found there were some things they couldn't handle, so without saying a word, they called their advisor over. The advisor took one look, and his eyes widened immediately, saying this was something that would change the history of pharmacy worldwide, and then he called over a professor from the academy. Finally, the professor was even more ruthless—"

She pointed to an elderly man in the crowd, his hair gray, who was waving his arms vigorously: "That guy, we just brought his entire research team from across the ocean over here."

Jiang Zhen's lips twitched slightly as he listened: "So, these people are all top medical scholars and chemists from the West?"

“You could say that,” Duanmu Ying nodded. “The one swearing in German is a pharmacologist from the University of Munich. The one next to him with the gold-rimmed glasses spent ten years at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. And the younger one in the corner, don’t let his age fool you, he’s published quite a few papers in the field of chemistry.”

Bai Fu was stunned for a moment, but he was more concerned about the practical issues. He leaned closer to Jiang Zhen and asked in a low voice, "Chief, what should we do with these people? Should we send them away? There are too many of them, they're too talkative, what if the prescription gets leaked..."

Jiang Zhen looked at the foreigners arguing heatedly over experimental data and suddenly smiled.

"Why drive them away?" Jiang Zhen patted Bai Fu on the shoulder. "Take good care of them. Prepare the best food and lodging for them, and set aside a separate area for their dormitories. If they need any equipment, find a way to get it. If you can't get it yourself, go through the overseas channels of the Grand Canal Gang to order it. These people are treasures, living wealth that can't be bought with gold."

Just then, the elderly professor with gray hair in the crowd seemed to notice Jiang Zhen. He stopped his heated debate, took off his thick black-rimmed glasses, wiped them, put them back on, and fixed his gaze on Jiang Zhen.

Then he strode over.

He walked up to Jiang Zhen, stretched out his hands, grabbed Jiang Zhen's hands tightly, and rattled off a whole bunch of things.

Jiang Zhen didn't quite understand. He didn't like watching European and American movies in his previous life, so he hadn't studied them.

Duanmu Ying quickly stepped forward: "Brother Jiang, this is Professor Yarman Blume. In the field of Western pharmacology, his name is a gold standard. He has spent almost his entire life doing research in universities and research institutes; he is a very pure scholar."

Professor Yarman completely ignored Duanmu Ying's introduction. He grabbed Jiang Zhen's hand and spoke faster and faster, forcing Duanmu Ying to listen attentively and translate simultaneously.

"The professor said—this must be a revolutionary drug. He has spent his whole life researching antibacterial drugs and has seen countless failures and abandonments. But he dares to use his forty years of academic reputation to guarantee that as long as this drug can be industrialized, the average lifespan of all mankind can be extended by a lot. This is not just about curing diseases, it is about changing the course of human civilization."

The old professor spoke with great enthusiasm, his eyes even becoming slightly red. Through Duanmu Ying's translation, he urgently conveyed to Jiang Zhen:

"Please, no matter what, ensure that his team is deeply involved in the next phase of research. He is even willing to sell all his properties and assets in Europe to support the follow-up research here, as long as he can see this drug come to fruition."

After listening, Jiang Zhen laughed heartily and relayed the message through Duanmu Ying:

“Tell the professor that he doesn’t need to sell any of his assets. Although my Cao Gang isn’t some incredibly wealthy tycoon, we’re still quite well-off. As for research, I’ll provide the funding. I’ll find a way to get the equipment. All he needs to do is stay here with his people and work peacefully to develop this drug.”

……

That same afternoon, the atmosphere was completely different in a side hall of the Cao Gang headquarters.

The hall was full of people, not the sons of the Grand Canal Gang, but reporters from major newspapers in Shanghai.

Zhao Yuan and Master Feng sat on the upper side. Zhao Yuan was full of pride, while Master Feng remained silent.

Zhao Yuan picked up the teacup, gently skimmed off the foam with the lid, and took a sip. Then he placed the teacup on the table, the bottom of the cup tapping against the solid wood surface with a crisp sound.

The whispers in the hall immediately ceased.

"Please be quiet, everyone."

Zhao Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Regarding the leader—oh no, regarding the Duke of Jinling's military exploits, I believe you all already know. Three hundred thousand elite Japanese troops were completely annihilated. The enemy commander was captured alive, and his head is still hanging on the dock."

The reporters all bowed their heads to take notes, their pens scratching on the paper.

“But I’ve invited you all here today not to write this.” Zhao Yuan paused. “You all know about these things. What I want you to write about today is something deeper. Something more insightful.”

A reporter raised his hand and asked cautiously, "Manager Zhao, I heard that the Duke was awarded a title in Shancheng, but the Duke doesn't seem to care much?"

Zhao Yuan smiled slightly: "It is common knowledge that the Duke is of noble character and does not care about fame or fortune."

"But though I am of humble rank, I dare not forget my duty to the country. You must know that the Duke has always taken it upon himself to bring benefits to the people of the world. He does not care about his position. Of course, if everyone is full of expectations, then I believe that the Duke will also reluctantly take on the responsibility, completely abandon his own selfishness, and bring even more benefits to the people."

He picked up his teacup and took another sip.

“Starting tomorrow, I don’t want to see the name ‘Jiang the Tiger’ in any newspapers anymore. Nor do I want to see the term ‘江湖草莽’ (Jianghu outlaws).” Zhao Yuan put down his teacup, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. “What we want to promote is the Shield of the East Sea, the guardians. Do you all understand?”

One reporter hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Then, Manager Zhao, how exactly should we determine the appropriate level of coverage for this report?"

Zhao Yuan smiled.

“It’s very simple. Be truthful. Any one of the things the Duke has done over the years could fill an entire page. You just need to write the truth—the Duke sent people to escort disaster-stricken people, deliver food and medicine, repair bridges and roads, and resettle refugees.”

He picked up a stack of bound materials from the table and gently pushed it to the center of the table.

"The Duke considers these matters to be his duty and has never publicized them; only those within the gang know about them. But secrets don't stay hidden forever. Good people should always be rewarded. Don't you agree?"

The reporters in the hall nodded in agreement.

"What if someone tries to distort the facts and write some nonsense?" Zhao Yuan's voice suddenly turned cold.

He picked up the teacup as if to drink, but let go of it three inches above the table.

"boom."

A muffled thud was heard, the sound of the bottom of the cup hitting the table. Several fine cracks had spread out from the bottom of the cup across the solid wood table.

Zhao Yuan didn't look at the table. He simply picked up the teapot and slowly refilled his cup, as if nothing had happened.

The hall was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

Several reporters sitting in the front row subconsciously shrank their necks.

Zhao Yuan picked up his teacup again, his gentle smile returning to his face: "Alright, I've prepared the materials for everyone. Take them back for reference. As for how to write them, you're all experts; I don't need to teach you."

The reporters seemed to snap out of a daze, rushing forward to collect their materials before filing out. Their footsteps were hurried yet restrained; no one spoke.