Shanghai in the Republican Era

Chapter 117 Exquisite Attire: Amidst the Turbulent Times of the Republic of China, Rebirth from Adve

Splendid Costumes: Lin Fangfei and Gu Zixuan's Turbulent Republican Era

Rebirth from Adversity and Business Game

Holding the anonymous letter, my hand trembled slightly, a sense of foreboding washing over me. Gu Zixuan's expression also turned grave; he gripped my hand tightly, trying to give me strength.

"Fangfei, don't be afraid. This is just their intimidation tactic. We can't let them scare us." Gu Zixuan's voice was calm and strong, but I could sense the worry hidden beneath his words.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down: "Zixuan, who exactly is this mysterious person? How does he know our every move? Do we have an inside man among us?"

Gu Zixuan pondered for a moment: "Very likely. We need to be more careful during this period and not overlook any details. No matter who is behind this, we must continue to advance our plan."

Despite our unease, we decided to proceed with our original plan to find evidence exposing the collusion between the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and corrupt officials. Gu Zixuan used all his connections to gather information. I, on the other hand, stayed at the textile factory, maintaining stable production while keeping a close eye on everyone around me, trying to identify the possible mole.

"Ms. Lin, there's a problem with this new batch of fabric. The color isn't quite what we requested." My assistant, Xiaomin, anxiously approached me, holding a piece of fabric.

I took the fabric and examined it carefully, but my mind was preoccupied with the anonymous letter and our plan. I was somewhat distracted: "Xiaomin, contact the supplier and see if we can exchange it."

Xiaomin seemed to notice my unusual behavior: "Ms. Lin, is something on your mind? You've always looked worried lately."

I forced a smile: "It's nothing, Xiaomin. I'm probably just under a lot of pressure lately. You go ahead and get busy, let me know if anything happens."

After Xiaomin left, I fell into deeper thought. Could this mole be hidden in these seemingly ordinary daily affairs? I decided that from now on, I would pay closer attention to the actions of those around me.

Meanwhile, Gu Zixuan's investigation outside made some progress. Through a friend in the underworld, he met someone who had previously worked for the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. This person harbored resentment towards the Japanese Chamber of Commerce for some reason and was willing to provide some clues.

“Mr. Gu, I know about some Japanese chambers of commerce colluding with corrupt officials. They often meet at a secret location to discuss illegal transactions,” the man said mysteriously.

Gu Zixuan's eyes lit up: "Can you tell us where this base is?"

The other party hesitated for a moment: "Well... I can tell you, but you have to guarantee my safety. If the Japanese Chamber of Commerce finds out I leaked this secret, they definitely won't let me off the hook."

Gu Zixuan patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, I will definitely ensure your safety. As long as the clues you provide are useful, I will not treat you unfairly."

Led by this man, Gu Zixuan and several agile friends arrived near the secret hideout. It was an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city, heavily guarded, with many members of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce patrolling the area.

"Mr. Gu, this is it. They usually hold meetings here late at night when it's quiet," the informant said.

Gu Zixuan surveyed the surroundings: "Okay, you can go back now. Remember not to make a sound, we'll protect your safety."

After the informant left, Gu Zixuan and his friends found a secluded spot to hide and waited for night to fall.

Night fell, the moonlight as clear as water. Gu Zixuan and his group quietly approached the abandoned factory. Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from the side, blocking their path.

"Who?" Gu Zixuan asked in a low voice, while signaling his friends to get ready.

The shadowy figure let out a cold laugh: "Gu Zixuan, you've taken the bait. Today is your death day."

Gu Zixuan looked closely and realized it was one of Su Wan's confidants.

"So it was you. You set this trap just to lure me here?" Gu Zixuan said angrily.

The confidant smiled smugly: "That's right. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce anticipated that you would search for evidence everywhere, so they deliberately had that inside man spread false information to lure you here. Now, you can't escape."

Just then, a group of people from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce surged out and surrounded Gu Zixuan and his group.

"Gu Zixuan, today is your end. Do you think you can escape the control of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce?" A leader of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce stepped forward and said arrogantly.

Gu Zixuan was not afraid at all: "You wicked people will be punished sooner or later."

The two sides were locked in a standoff, the atmosphere tense to the extreme. Suddenly, a gunshot shattered the silence. One of Gu Zixuan's friends was shot and fell to the ground.

"Watch out!" Gu Zixuan shouted, and everyone immediately began to fight back. In an instant, gunshots and the sounds of fighting mingled together.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Gu Zixuan spotted an opportunity. Taking advantage of the enemy's distraction, he quietly crept into the factory. He knew that crucial evidence of their collusion with corrupt officials might be hidden there.

"Zixuan, where are you?" I anxiously waited for news of Gu Zixuan inside the textile factory. Several hours passed, and there was still no word from him; my worry grew stronger and stronger.

"No, I can't just sit here and wait to die. I have to go find him." I decided to take a few reliable workers and head to where Gu Zixuan might be to look for him.

When we arrived at the abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city, the battle had already reached a fever pitch. I saw Gu Zixuan being surrounded and attacked by a group of people; his situation was extremely critical.

"Zixuan!" I shouted and rushed over with the workers.

When Gu Zixuan saw me, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Fangfei, what brings you here? It's dangerous here, you should leave quickly!"

I ignored his words and joined the fight. With our combined efforts, we finally defeated the Japanese Chamber of Commerce members.

"Zixuan, are you alright?" I looked at Gu Zixuan anxiously, checking if he was injured.

Gu Zixuan wiped the blood from his face: "I'm fine. Fangfei, we need to find the evidence quickly."

We searched the factory thoroughly and finally found some documents in a hidden room. These documents detailed evidence of collusion between the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and corrupt officials, including accounts of illegal transactions and correspondence.

"Great, Zixuan. We've finally found the evidence!" I said excitedly.

However, just as we were about to leave, we suddenly heard the roar of a car engine outside. It turned out that reinforcements from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce had arrived.

"Oh no, they're getting more and more of them. What do we do?" a worker asked anxiously.

Gu Zixuan calmly said, "Don't panic, everyone. Let's take the back path and try to avoid their main force."

We carefully retreated via the back path, but were still discovered by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. They immediately gave chase, and gunfire rang out again.

"Quick, run that way!" Gu Zixuan grabbed me and we ran as fast as we could. During the run, I accidentally fell and twisted my ankle.

"Fangfei, how are you?" Gu Zixuan stopped and asked me anxiously.

I gritted my teeth and said, "I'm fine, let's keep running."

Gu Zixuan scooped me up in his arms and continued running. With our friends providing cover, we finally escaped the pursuit of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce.

Back at the textile factory, we immediately began compiling evidence to expose the misdeeds of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and corrupt officials.

“Zixuan, this evidence is enough to make them receive the punishment they deserve,” I said.

Gu Zixuan nodded: "That's right. But we can't let our guard down. They definitely won't let us off easily. Before exposing them, we need to ensure the safety of the evidence, and at the same time, protect ourselves and the people around us."

Just as we were preparing to release the evidence, another problem arose. Su Wan somehow found out that we had found the evidence, and she kidnapped Xiaomin.

"Lin Fangfei, Gu Zixuan, listen up. Xiaomin is in my hands. If you dare to hand over the evidence, I'll kill her," Su Wan said viciously into the phone.

My heart skipped a beat: "Su Wan, you vicious woman! Why did you do this? Xiao Min is innocent!"

Su Wan sneered, "Enough nonsense. I'll give you a day to consider. If you don't hand over the evidence, you can expect to be collecting Xiaomin's corpse." With that, she hung up the phone.

"Zixuan, Xiaomin has been kidnapped, what should we do?" I looked at Gu Zixuan anxiously, my eyes filled with tears.

Gu Zixuan's face was grim: "We can't let Xiaomin get hurt. But we can't hand over the evidence either. We need to find a way to rescue Xiaomin and expose their crimes at the same time."

However, time is of the essence. We must ensure the safety of the evidence while rescuing Xiaomin within a day. Where will Su Wan hide Xiaomin?

Holding the still-warm telephone receiver, my heart felt as if it had fallen into an endless abyss. Xiaomin's usually vibrant smile kept flashing through my mind. She was so kind and hardworking, yet she had fallen into the clutches of that vicious woman, Su Wan, because of us.

"Zixuan, Xiaomin... I'm so worried." My voice trembled, tears welled up in my eyes, and I was filled with anxiety and self-blame.

Gu Zixuan gripped my shoulders tightly, looking at me with unwavering determination: "Fangfei, don't worry. We will definitely rescue Xiaomin. Su Wan is just trying to use Xiaomin to threaten us. We absolutely cannot lose our composure."

Even so, I could feel his hands trembling slightly; he was just as anxious. We quickly calmed down and began to analyze the situation. Since Su Wan dared to openly kidnap Xiao Min, she must have planned it meticulously; finding Xiao Min's hiding place would not be easy.

"Zixuan, Su Wan must have hidden Xiaomin in a secluded place. Where should we start looking?" I tried to clear my mind and find a clue amidst the chaos.

Gu Zixuan pondered for a moment and said, "Although Su Wan has a wide sphere of influence in Shanghai, there probably aren't many places she's familiar with and considers safe. I'll arrange for people to inquire around her old houses and frequently used hideouts to see if we can find any clues."

After saying that, Gu Zixuan immediately went out to gather his men and arrange the investigation. I stayed at the textile factory, partly to stabilize morale and prevent the employees from panicking because of this incident, and partly to carefully recall everything related to Su Wan, hoping to find some useful information.

"Miss Lin, will Xiaomin be alright?" a female worker who was close to Xiaomin asked me with red eyes.

I forced back my tears and managed a smile to comfort her: "It'll be alright, we'll definitely bring Xiaomin back. Everyone, focus on your work and don't let this affect you."

However, several hours passed, and there was still no news from Gu Zixuan. As time ticked by, my heart clenched tighter and tighter, as if gripped by an invisible hand.

Just when I was extremely anxious, Gu Zixuan finally returned. His expression was somewhat solemn, and he said as soon as he entered the door, "Fangfei, I sent people to several of Su Wan's old houses, but we didn't find any trace of Xiaomin. However, one of my men found out near one of her old houses that a black car was parked there this morning, and it seemed that someone was tied up in the car, which was very likely Xiaomin. Later, the car drove towards the west of the city."