Chapter 20: The Storm of Wu (7) Flying Warehouse Web

  When the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce was crowded with people discussing countermeasures, the conference room of the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai was also packed. After about a minute or so, Consul-General Shigejiro Amō walked into the conference room, scanned the people sitting there and said: "Gentlemen, the current situation has begun to tilt in our favor. Behind us is the entire Great Japanese Empire, while behind the Chinese merchants is nothing. So you can boldly find your own targets to attack. Gnaw at them, swallow them up, and finally use all these resources for the holy war of the Great Japanese Empire!"

  Akagi Kengo, sitting to the left of Shigemitsu Aoi, saw the look in his eyes and nodded slightly, coordinating with Shigemitsu to calm down all the factory owners. An hour later, after all the factory owners had left the conference room, Akagi walked up to Shigemitsu's side with a file folder and said: "Consul General, according to our reliable intelligence, this time the one who secretly instigated the workers' strike is GCD."

  "What the...?!" Akira Shigeno took the folder handed to him by Kōkan Akaogi. After reading the contents, he slammed the folder onto the desk and shouted: "Damn Brits! No wonder they compromised with us so readily - it turns out they were using our hands to deal with GCD."

  "Your Excellency Consul, the British are using us, why can't we use them?" Akagi Kōken said with a smile.

  Akane Chikage was taken aback for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and burst out laughing. With narrowed eyes, she said, "Want to know? The British think they can have it both ways, but it's not that simple. This time, I'll make sure they get neither fame nor fortune." She then instructed, "Akagi-san, I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what to do, right?"

  "Hey!" Akagi Kōken stepped forward, saying respectfully: "Consul General, please be at ease! I've already made all the arrangements. Just sit back and enjoy the show!"

  The Shanghai Workers' Union was preparing for the memorial service of Gu Zhenghong when a nationwide workers' strike broke out. To support the workers' strike, students from universities across the country were also actively preparing, and students in Shanghai were no exception.

  "Lin Ao Feng, what do you mean by this?! Everyone else is busy showing support for the workers' strike, but you still have the mood to play the harmonica here!" Hu Yu Yan saw Lin Ao Feng sitting on the school's lover Lin Bian playing the harmonica, and suddenly became furious, rushing to Lin Ao Feng's face with a fierce aura.

  Lin Ao Feng put down his harmonica and looked at Hu Yu Xian with a tilted head, saying: "Really big chest but no brain."

  "What did you say?!" Hu Yuyan glared at Lin Aofeng and said, "If you don't make yourself clear today, I'll report to Sister Keqing."

  "Preposterous!" Lin Ao Feng put away his harmonica, got up from the ground and walked past Hu Yu Yan. As he passed by, Hu Yu Yan grabbed his sleeve and said: "You're not allowed to leave until you make things clear!"

  Lin Aofeng said calmly, "Think before you act. Don't take things for granted! Don't forget, this is the International Settlement, and in the eyes of the Municipal Council directors, there's only profit. By demonstrating and striking, you're infringing on their interests. Do you think they'll let you pass so easily?" After speaking, Lin Aofeng shook off Hu Yuyan's hand that was grasping his sleeve and quickly walked away.

  Watching Lin Ao Feng's back as he walked away, Hu Yu Yan's eyebrows furrowed tightly, thinking to herself: "Could it be that he knows something we don't?! It seems like the only option is to find Ke Qing Jie and have her ask that scoundrel." Having made up her mind, Hu Yu Yan hastily rushed towards the main hall.

  "Are the banners and slogans ready?!"

  Qin Keqing put down the brush in her hand, looked around and replied: "It's almost all done."

  "Qin Keqing!" Before Qin Keqing could finish speaking, Hu Yuyan walked to her side.

  Yu Yan, what brings you here? Qin Keqing asked with a smile.

  Hu Yuyan glanced at Zhang Kai, the president of the medical school student union standing beside her. Zhang Kai seemed to understand and said: "You talk, I'll go busy first."

  After Zhang Kai left, Qin Keqing pulled Hu Yuyan to a side and sat down, asking: "Yuyan, what did you want to see me about?"

  "It's not that bastard Lin Ao Feng!" Hu Yuyan told Qin Keqing everything that had just happened. After listening to Hu Yuyan's account, Qin Keqing was filled with many doubts in her heart, but she still wore a smile on her face and advised: "You've known Ah Feng for longer than I have, what kind of character he is, you should be clearer about it than me. If he doesn't want to say anything, even if we put a knife to his throat, he won't speak. It's better to just go with the flow."

  "Qin Keqin, men can't be spoiled. The more they are spoiled, the more they will take advantage of you, especially Lin Aofeng." Before Hu Yuyan finished speaking, Qin Keqin interrupted: "I know what to do, so don't worry about it!"

  After seeing off Hu Yuyan, Qin Keqing handed over the things in her hands and left the hall. Half an hour later, Qin Keqing found Lin Aofeng in the library. Lin Aofeng, who was buried in his book, felt someone standing beside him and instinctively turned his head to look over. When he saw that the person standing beside him was Qin Keqing, a smile immediately appeared on Lin Aofeng's face.

  Qin Keqing glared at Lin Aofeng with a hint of annoyance, pulled over a chair and sat down beside him, asking in a soft voice: "Have you finished reading the book?"

  Lin Aofeng nodded and said in a low voice, "You sit for a while, I'll put the book away, and come back right away!" After that, Lin Aofeng picked up the books on the table, put them back in their original place, and took Qin Keqing out of the library.

  The two walked shoulder to shoulder to a quiet place, Qin Keqin leaned into Lin Aofeng's arms and asked: "Aofeng! Didn't you promise not to deceive me?!

  Lin Ao Feng smiled and said: "A real man always keeps his word! I promised you that I will definitely do it."

  Qin Keqing turned around, looked at Lin Aofeng and asked: "Alright! I'll ask you, why is everyone else preparing to support the workers, while you're in the library reading books as if it's none of your business?!"

  Lin Aofeng let out a breath, released Qin Keqing, walked to the bottom of the tree, sat down, and beckoned to Qin Keqing. After Qin Keqing sat down, Lin Aofeng asked: "Keqing, who was most affected by the suspension of work, classes, and markets?!"

  "Of course it's those black-hearted factory owners."

  "You're thinking too simply; also too one-sidedly." Lin Ao Feng shook his head, looked at Qin Keqin and continued: "Workers going on strike, students boycotting classes, merchants closing their shops, although this time it's a unanimous patriotic behavior, but it can't be denied that if the strikes last for a long time, they will harm the foundation of China. In the end, the ones who benefit are still the Japanese people. Why not be rational and patriotic in another way?"

  "Another way?!" Qin Keqin muttered and looked at Lin Aofeng.

  "Right! In a different way!" Lin Ao Feng said resolutely: "Boycott Japanese goods, do not accept Japanese currency, and do not sell goods to the Japanese. Let those ruthless Japanese businessmen lose their living soil in China."

  "Clap, clap, clap!" As soon as Lin Ao Feng's voice fell, a round of applause erupted: "Well said!"

  Lin Ao Feng and Qin Ke Qing simultaneously turned their heads, and in unison, they exclaimed: "Dad (Professor Qin)?"

  Qin Guo Zhong walked up to Lin Ao Feng and Qin Ke Qing, stared at Lin Ao Feng for a moment, nodded in satisfaction and said: "Not bad, young man! Being able to say something like that at such a young age is no easy feat!"

  "Dad, how did you get here?!" Qin Keqing's face turned red as she spoke.

  Qin Guo Zhong smiled and joked, "In the blink of an eye, my treasure Ke Ying has grown up. She even has a boyfriend now and is hiding it from her old man! However, I must say, Ke Ying, your taste isn't bad, Lin Ao Feng is someone worth entrusting your life to."

  "Dad, what are you talking about?!" At this time, Qin Keqing was so ashamed that she wished to find a seam in the ground to crawl into, her face as red as a cooked crab.

  Qin Guozhong smiled slightly, patted his daughter's shoulder, glanced at Lin Aofeng and said: "Come to my home tonight, I have something to tell you privately!"

  "Ah!" Lin Aofeng responded with a quiet turn of his head, looking towards Qin Keqing. Qin Guozhong followed Lin Aofeng's gaze and smiled as he walked away after glancing at his daughter.

  After Qin Guo Zhong left, Qin Keqing relaxed and pinched the soft flesh on Lin Ao Feng's waist, saying in a coquettish tone: "You big rascal, you only know how to bully me!"

  Lin Ao Feng took advantage of the situation and pulled Qin Ke Qing into his arms, saying: "You are my treasure, how can I bear to bully you?"

  "I knew it was just sweet talk to deceive me!" Qin Keqin said with her mouth, but in her heart, she felt extremely sweet. After about half an hour, when Lin Aofeng thought he had gotten away with it, Qin Keqin suddenly said: "Almost fooled me! You still haven't answered my question!"

  Lin Aofeng sighed and said, "In 1922, the Hong Kong workers' strike was a great success, but the British were able to create the Sha Tin massacre. The situation in the Public Concession is similar to that of Hong Kong, can't the British who control the Labor Bureau create another massacre?!" Lin Aofeng looked around and continued, "Haven't you noticed that although the teachers' union was formed, many teachers still don't want students to break free from their constraints and oppression. They secretly encourage students to take leave early and spread rumors among those unruly students. This forces timid and wavering students to leave school. The remaining backbone students become their sacrificial objects."

  As soon as Lin Ao Feng reminded her, Qin Keqing immediately reacted and looked at Lin Ao Feng, asking: "Did you discover it a long time ago?! Why didn't you remind everyone earlier?!"

  Lin Ao Feng replied: "To wake up this sleeping Chinese lion, one can only use blood! If I remind them ahead of time, do you think they will listen to me?!"

  "You must have a way to avoid the bloodshed, right?!" Qin Keqin tightly grasped Lin Aofeng's hand, hoping to get the answer she wanted from his mouth. But things went against her wishes, and Lin Aofeng sighed helplessly: "To avoid the bloodshed, we can only stop our activities. Do you think this is possible?"