Insufficient balance
Chen Ke faced the first extortion of his life, to be honest, he was a bit nervous. He glanced at Hua Xiongmao and saw that Hua Xiongmao had an expressionless face, seemingly experienced and confident. It's unknown whether this guy often extorts others or is often extorted by others.
Chen Ke looked at his own eyes with a strange gaze, and Hua Xiongmao smiled: "Wen Qing has been abroad for so long and doesn't understand the domestic situation." He introduced Chen Ke to the general situation of the Taoist community. In this era, whoever does business must know some people. The brothers in the Taoist community will collect money and also do things for you. Without the care of the Taoist community's brothers, one would become a target for the evil villains to take advantage of.
Chen Ke still looked uncertain, so Hua Xiongmao assured him that after their conversation just now, it was confirmed that these two people were formal members of the Tiandihui, and the Tiandihui was a "reputable unit" with reasonable fees.
Hua Xiongmao said so, Chen Ke naturally had some respect for the "expert". He nodded in agreement, then turned to Zhou Yuanxiao and said: "Brother Zhou doesn't need to worry, I'll take care of this gift money. Dyeing cloth should be done as usual, rushing will only make it worse."
After hearing this, Zhou Yuanxiao and Hua Xiongmao returned to the table, still silent as usual, only nodding their heads. The three of them went back to sleep. Chen Ke was stimulated by this matter and his sleepiness disappeared. Looking at the other three people sleeping soundly, Chen Ke really envied their broad-mindedness. Since he couldn't sleep, Chen Ke didn't want to waste time either. He got up and continued working quietly. There were many things to do, such as cleaning the stove and disposing of wastewater. Zhou Yuanxiao's dyeing workshop was quite particular when it was being repaired, and there was even a hidden ditch in the original building that connected directly to the outside water ditch. Lifting the wooden cover, Chen Ke poured the wastewater into it quietly, and he couldn't help but think that these two from the Tiandihui would have been caught and thrown into prison, or even executed, if they were in his time.
Zhengzhou, as a railway hub, was once very chaotic. Before the severe crackdown in the 1980s, "thieves" from various places even held a "national conference" in Zhengzhou. Under the iron fist of the severe crackdown in the 1980s, stealing a watch could lead to execution by firing squad, let alone those self-proclaimed "great thieves". All sorts of "heroes" disappeared into thin air. The social environment was really improved.
Chen Ke has never been extorted since he was a child, and the extortion he has seen with his own eyes is at most a rare occurrence in school. Even so, it is absolutely not a legitimate thing to do. If students who extort others are discovered by the school, they will be severely punished.
Later, in the late 1990s to the early 21st century, the crime situation reignited, but still within the tolerable range of the people. By 2003, with the occurrence of several major robbery cases, criminals, whether organized or not, were again severely cracked down upon by the iron fist of dictatorship. Moreover, this crackdown has never relaxed since its inception.
Especially for the organized underworld that engaged in extortion, several targeted clean-ups were carried out, dozens of people were shot and killed, and hundreds were arrested. The arrested organized underworld, even if they were not shot and killed, were sentenced to at least seven years' imprisonment. Such severe crackdowns made extortion disappear again. The surviving "heroes" from various Jianghu in Zhengzhou either washed their hands with a golden basin or "left their hometown to develop elsewhere".
Chen Ke was never a human rights activist who opposed the exercise of state power, he strongly supported cracking down on crime. In today's extortionate society, he especially misses the "iron fist" of dictatorship. However, this "iron fist" did not exist in 1905, and the only way to see it again is for Chen Ke to personally go through revolution to build up this force.
While putting things away, Chen Ke couldn't help but think wildly. Looking at the fabric hanging all over the yard, he felt uneasy. What if someone really came to make trouble tonight... Originally wanted everyone to go back and rest, it seems that's not possible now. From today on, someone has to take turns keeping watch at night.
It wasn't until almost dinner time that everyone woke up. After Yu Yun got up and bid farewell, Chen Ke announced the plan to take turns guarding the industry. Zhou Yuanxiao still nodded silently. Hua Xiongmao saw that Chen Ke was still worried, so he suggested that Chen Ke talk to Xu Xilin to see if they could mobilize the Guangfu Society's local forces in Shanghai.
Chen Ke thought it was not necessary for the time being. Using connections means spending money, if using connections costs more than what those two people want, plus owing a favor to that person, it's a losing deal. "Let's go talk first," Chen Ke said.
The next day at noon, in a restaurant near the dyeing workshop, both sides formally began negotiations. Everyone reported their names to each other, and that tall one was called Wu Xingchen, a helmsman of the Tiandihui.
"Brother Chen, I'm not thinking of collecting some gift money, that's just a small amount. To be frank, I think your dyeing business is doing well and I'd like to cooperate with you."
"If you want to buy on credit, then there's no need to discuss further." Chen Ke countered with a single sentence, "If you're paying cash for the fabric, then we can talk."
Wu Xingchen did not expect Chen Ke's attitude to be so firm, he tried to persuade Chen Ke, "Now which family does not owe goods, Brother Chen can't believe that the Tiandihui is not good?"
"My cloth is cheap, so I naturally can't sell it on credit." Chen Ke replied.
"Can we get a discount?" Wu Xingchen asked.
"I'll give you a horse for one tael and seven mace of silver." Chen Ke said.
Before Wu Xingchen could speak, his entourage beside him already had a pleased expression on his face. He whispered a few words to Wu Xingchen in Shanghainese dialect. A hint of anger appeared on Wu Xingchen's face, but he suppressed it after a moment.
Chen Ke saw this clearly, and he thought of the famous gangster movie "The Godfather", where the eldest son of the old godfather expressed a different opinion from his father during negotiations. This exposed the discord within the family. As a result, the negotiating opponent immediately organized an assassination attempt on the old godfather. By getting rid of the old godfather, the negotiating opponent could negotiate with family members who shared similar views. This follower of Wu Xingchen was a local Shanghai person, and before Wu Xingchen had even spoken, he took the initiative to persuade him. It seems that their relationship is not simply one of superior and subordinate in the gang. Looks like we have to take a gamble on this point.
Chen Ke suddenly asked: "Brother Wu, which faction are you from originally? Is it the Northern Faction?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Xingchen's face suddenly changed. Chen Ke let out a sigh of relief in his heart, it seemed that his guess was correct, Wu Xingchen, the hall master, had a very delicate position within the Shanghai Tiandihui.
The subsequent negotiations were dull, but the gang member who followed was eager to try and took the initiative to discuss business with Chen Ke. At this point, Hua Xiongmao also saw through it, and he and the Shanghai man spoke the same language. So, with Hua Xiongmao as the main speaker, he and Chen Ke sang in harmony. The two ordered wine and dishes, and after a few cups of yellow soup, the man's mouth became even more unguarded. This person was called He Yifah, who was one generation lower than Wu Xingchen. He was a local gang member. When they were drinking happily, He Yifah inadvertently revealed that Wu Xingchen was actually the master of the Beijing branch, and he was only temporarily in Shanghai.
It seems that He Yifah has been dissatisfied with being under Wu Xingchen, an outsider, for a long time. Moreover, the income of the gang is closely related to who you follow. As an outsider, Wu Xingchen also encountered many obstacles in Shanghai.
Wu Xingchen still had a hint of anger on his face, but when He Yifeng started talking nonsense, he already knew that this time was a failure. This person can hold and put down, open to eat and drink. When He Yifeng was complacent, Wu Xingchen still subtly "praised" He Yifeng with two sentences. He Yifeng felt even more proud, almost grinning from ear to ear. Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao listened to Wu Xingchen's words with ulterior motives, such as "spiritual and vigorous" and "ambitious", they secretly laughed in their hearts, but didn't say anything. Instead, they followed the wind and flattered him with two sentences. When Chen Ke toasted Wu Xingchen, Wu Xingchen also drank to the bottom of his cup, looking quite generous.
Being able to yield and stretch, when things don't work out, he frankly acknowledges the result instead of making a scene with He Yifei. Chen Ke has a good impression of Wu Xingchen in this regard, and even thinks of getting to know him better.
Just as Wu Xingchen was about to leave, Chen Kezheng's expression turned serious and he said: "Brother Wu, it seems that you have also experienced great things. Can Brother Wu come here alone tomorrow at noon? I am also a northerner, and it is rare to hear northern dialects in Shanghai. I would like to invite Brother Wu for a drink. I hope Brother Wu will grant me this favor."
Wu Xingchen smiled and said, "Brother Chen, you're quite skilled. After pulling that one off, you still want to comfort me? This wine, I'm afraid I don't have the face to drink it."
Chen Ke smiled, "I pulled that guy because of business. I invited Wu brother to drink because I admire Wu brother's demeanor. He is calm and composed, able to yield and adapt. This kind of temperament I hold in high esteem. To be able to make friends with a hero like Wu brother, in my opinion, is more delightful than the money. Wu brother, tomorrow I won't eat all day, just waiting for you to come, and drink together with Wu brother."
Wu Xingchen just smiled and didn't say anything. After a while, He Yifa came back, and the wine table became lively again.
After sending off Wu Xingchen and the others, Chen Ke said to Hua Xiongmao, "Zheng Lan, can you find someone to ask about Wu Xingchen's background? I think this person is not simple."
"Hasn't the origin been made clear already?" Huaxiong Mao asked with some curiosity.
"We can't underestimate this person. If we don't figure out his background, I'll feel uneasy. Zheng Lan, please make sure to get me an accurate message tonight, whether you can find out or not. If your friend can't find out, I'll ask Mr. Xu to ask Tao Chengzhang for help." Chen Ke said seriously.
Hua Xiongmao looked at Chen Ke's serious expression and nodded. "I'll go take care of it now, I'll come to the workshop to find you tonight."
Back in the workshop, Chen Keqiang sat calmly for a while, but somehow he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. When facing Wu Xingchen, Chen Ke seemed to be carefree and composed. However, he didn't dare guarantee that his judgment about Wu Xingchen was correct. If Wu Xingchen turned out to be as Chen Ke had expected, a formidable opponent who would accept defeat graciously if things didn't go in his favor. But if Chen Ke misjudged him, he would have to face Wu Xingchen's revenge next.
It's always good to be prepared. Chen Ke made up his mind and asked Zhou Yuanxiao beside him, "Brother Zhou, is there any easy way in here?"
Zhou Yuanxiao glanced at Chen Ke, "This is the old workshop, those loopholes have been basically considered. If someone breaks in from outside, they can only enter through the front door. If you want to climb the wall, our wall is high enough, ordinary people can't easily climb in."
Chen Ke thought about asking what would happen if someone broke in and set a fire, but then he felt that this remark was too frightening. "That's good," Chen said.
You Yun didn't quite understand what was going on and walked over to ask, "Is someone looking for trouble with us?"
Chen Ke didn't want to drag You Yun into trouble easily. He made a few perfunctory remarks, but You Yun wouldn't let up and saw that Chen Ke was unwilling to speak, she pulled Zhou Yuanxiao aside and interrogated him in a low voice using the Jiangsu-Zhejiang dialect. Zhou Yuanxiao also refused to say anything. Seeing everyone like this, You Yun simply declared: "I'll just stay here too."
"Would your family let a girl like you stay out all night?" Chen Ke was quite surprised.
"They can't control me." As soon as he mentioned his family members, You Yun's face suddenly turned cold.
"You'd better ask Brother Zhou about this. If he agrees, I have nothing to say." Chen Ke walked out the door and looked around at his surroundings.
Zhou Yuanxiao's workshop was located at the entrance of a hutong, covering an area of nearly 400 square meters. It was a typical old Shanghai alleyway with high courtyard walls. Chen Ke found a brick and threw it over the wall with great force. He thought to himself that if he were to cause trouble, he would simply throw fire or Molotov cocktails from outside the wall into the courtyard. But then he reconsidered, thinking that they had come to seek wealth, not to fight to the death. What good would it do for Wu Xingchen if things escalated to the point of no return? Even if they failed temporarily, there was no need to make a big scene and completely fall out with each other.
Thinking of this, Chen Ke took another glance at the high wall of the courtyard. It would be extremely difficult for a normal person to climb over it even with a rope. Guarding the entrance and making regular night rounds should be enough.
However, Chen Ke was still uneasy and went back to inform Zhou Yuanxiao that he would be going out for a while. As soon as he entered the residence, Chen Ke saw Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin talking to Hua Xiongmao in the courtyard. Upon seeing Chen Ke arrive, Xu Xilin smiled and called out to him, "Wenqing, tomorrow I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Cai Yuanpei."
Chen Ke thought of tomorrow's appointment with Wu Xingchen, if he went to see Cai Yuanpei, this appointment would definitely be ruined. Is Cai Yuanpei important or is Wu Xingchen important? This judgment was really hard to make. After a moment of contemplation, Chen Ke humbly said: "Bohuan brother, I have already made an appointment with someone else for tomorrow. Can the matter of seeing Mr. Cai be postponed for a few more days?"
Xu Xilin was quite surprised after hearing this, and he looked at Chen Ke's embarrassed expression again. Xu Xilin became suspicious. When Chen Ke asked to see Xu Xilin, he specifically asked Xu Xilin to introduce him to Cai Yuanpei. Now, however, he wants to postpone it. Is it because he has met with relatives or old friends? Thinking of this, Xu Xilin strengthened his tone, "Wenqing, the opportunity is rare, you should think thrice."
"Brother Bohun, please wait a moment." Chen Ke said, turning to ask Huaxiong Mao beside him, "Zhenglan, have you heard any news?"
Hua Xiongmao said, "There's already news, I was just about to tell Wenqing tonight." Before he could finish speaking, Chen Ke interrupted him, "Zheng Lan, do you know where Wu Xingchen lives?"
"I don't know about this, but it should be findable." Huaxiong Mao replied.
"Brother Bohan, I met a man named Wu Xingchen today and invited him to meet tomorrow. Now, I'll go with Zhenglan to inform him that I have something urgent to attend to tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, I'll return early and accompany you to visit Mr. Cai." Chen Ke looked at Xu Xilin's surprised expression and felt the need to add, "Brother Bohan, I was thoughtless earlier. You went to great trouble to introduce us, but I didn't appreciate it. Please forgive me. I apologize to you here." As he spoke, Chen Ke bowed deeply.
After lowering his head for half a day, Chen Ke finally heard Xu Xilin sigh and say, "No need to be like this, Wen Qing. Things have their own order of importance, you don't want to lose people's trust, I appreciate that. But sometimes, you still need to think carefully before acting."
Chen Ke lowered his head and replied: "I will definitely remember it in my heart."
After a while, Xu Xilin said: "Wen Qing doesn't have to be too polite. Come back early tomorrow morning. And..." Chen Kezheng was about to straighten up after hearing the first half of the sentence, but he lowered his head again after hearing the last two words. A moment later, he felt someone helping him up and saw that it was Xu Xilin. Xu Xilin smiled and said: "And tomorrow, let Xiongmao go with you. You all come back early."
"Uncle, I understand," Huaxiong Mao replied.
After the conversation, Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin returned to their own rooms. Chen Ke went to his room and fetched two flashlights, installing batteries in them. Hua Xiongmao watched as Chen tried out the flashlight, exclaiming in a low voice: "Wen Qing's treasures are really numerous."
Chen Ke waved his hand at him and the two of them went out together to look for Wu Xingchen.
The two of them first went to Hua Xiongmao's friend and asked for Wu Xingchen's residence, then followed the address given by that person, walking through streets and alleys, finally finding the courtyard where Wu Xingchen lived.
"Brother Wu, I'm afraid I've come to disturb you without an invitation, and for that, I apologize." Chen Ke said sincerely.
Wu Xingchen was taken aback by Chen Ke's sudden appearance. His tall and sturdy body stood at the door, looking down on the two uninvited guests in front of him. His massive physique almost blocked the entire doorway, clearly not wanting to let them in.
Chen Ke didn't plan to enter the house, "Wu brother, I invite you to drink at my place tomorrow. But something unexpected happened, and tomorrow is not possible. The day after tomorrow, I will definitely be waiting for Wu brother's arrival at the workshop. Brother, I spoke too much, please forgive me."
Wu Xingchen looked up and down at Chen Ke, trying to figure out what he meant. After a while, he couldn't see any malicious or ulterior motives on Chen Ke's face. However, Wu Xingchen was still uneasy and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Chen came to visit just for this matter?"
"I'm truly willing to make friends with Brother Wu, so things have changed, that's why I've come to visit. I hope Brother Wu will forgive me." Chen Ke said. Seeing Wu Xingchen not responding, Chen Ke said, "Brother Wu, I still have something to do today, and the day after tomorrow I'll be waiting for you at the workshop. I'll take my leave first."
Wu Xingchen watched the backs of Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao, feeling both surprised and annoyed. He hadn't planned to visit Chen Ke tomorrow anyway, but Chen Ke's pretentious visit made Wu Xingchen very dissatisfied. Moreover, was Chen Ke coming over to show respect or threaten him? Wu Xingchen couldn't tell either, so he decided to go see for himself what kind of tricks Chen Ke had up his sleeve the day after tomorrow.
Chen Ke and Hua Xiongmao had dinner outside, bought some night snacks, and by this time the sky was completely dark. There were not many pedestrians on the street, but several households hung red lanterns at their doorsteps. From a distance, you could see that people were constantly entering and exiting.
"Brother Chen, take out the flashlight and let's try it," said Hua Xiongmao excitedly.
"Batteries are scarce, use them sparingly." Chen Ke instructed. He took out a flashlight and handed it to Hua Xiongmao. This was a common two-cell No. 5 battery flashlight, and when Hua Xiongmao flipped the switch, a bright circular light suddenly appeared on the dark ground in front of him. Hua Xiongmao shone his light here and there, like a child, full of joy. The passersby around them were clearly startled by the two men. Chen Ke had heard a saying: "The poor play with copper coins, the rich play with watches, but playing with flashlights is going too far." He didn't know if this was something that started in this era.
Anyway, Hua Xiongmao was having a great time. Seeing Hua Xiongmao's expression, Chen Ke thought of his childhood experience playing with flashlights. At the same time, he also felt a surge of childishness. "Zheng Lan, you give me the flashlight first." Chen Ke said.
He took the flashlight and turned off the switch. Then he put the flashlight under his chin, "Zheng Lan, look over here." In the darkness, Chen Ke roughly confirmed that Hua Xiongmao had looked over, then suddenly turned on the flashlight. "Ah!" Hua Xiongmao shouted. And not far away, there were also some startled cries. Even a child's scream.
This is a common trick in later generations, the light shines from the chin up, and everyone's face looks terrifying. "Isn't it scary?" Chen Ke asked with a smile.
"As soon as you speak, your chin moves wildly, it's even more frightening. Just hand over the flashlight to me." Huaxiong Mao said. As expected by Chen Ke, after taking the flashlight, Huaxiong Mao imitated Chen Ke once. Looking at Huaxiong Mao with a ghostly face, Chen Ke burst out laughing, "You can't scare me again, and you can't see your own appearance either. Go find a mirror."
Hua Xiongmao suddenly turned off the flashlight, and the night light flashlight shell showed a faint green glow. Hua Xiongmao looked left and right, but still couldn't understand. "Wen Qing, why did you make the flashlight like this?"
"At night it's pitch black, after you turn off your flashlight, how can you find anything? It's easy to find this way."
"Ah, I see. It's indeed quite impressive." Hua Xiongmao praised. He tossed the flashlight into the air, and the slender green light transformed into a glowing wheel, spinning in mid-air. The surrounding area was once again filled with gasps of amazement.
The two of them walked back to the workshop like little kids, shining their flashlights all the way. As soon as Zhou Yuanxiao opened the door, Hua Xiongmao didn't even bother to turn on the oil lamp inside and shone his flashlight directly in. It startled Zhou Yuanxiao. But then he heard You Yun's voice coming from inside. "Think you're so great just because you have a flashlight? Showing off." As soon as she finished speaking, You Yun had already rushed to the door, snatched the flashlight from Hua Xiongmao's hand and started shining it all around the courtyard.
"Miss You, let me show you a little trick." said Hua Xiongmao. Chen Ke sighed helplessly, this Hua Xiongmao must be going to do that again. As he was turning around to close the door, Chen Ke heard You Yun let out a sharp scream, and Hua Xiongmao spoke in a strange and eerie tone: "I——am——a——ghost!" By the time Chen Ke turned back around, You Yun had already started punching and kicking Hua Xiongmao.
As the night deepened, the four of them didn't light any oil lamps and sat around the table. In the center of the table was a greenish hand electric torch. "Brother Chen," You Yun said with his nose buried in the crook of his arm, speaking in a muffled tone, "When can we also make such a hand electric torch?"
"At least twenty years," Chen Ke replied.
"It's going to take so long?" You Yun asked, "By then, I'll be an old lady."
"This still has to be our starting point now. If we don't work hard now, it will have to wait until the 80s," Chen Ke said and took a sip of tea.
"This world is so decadent, I thought that after studying chemistry abroad, I could do something when I returned to my country. But it turns out I can't do anything." Yu Yun's tone became distant, "I'm like this, Brother Zhou is also like this, and many people I know are also like this. Here, we work hard dyeing cloth, every day although exhausted to death, but very happy. When can I stand in front of a large chemical plant in Germany and say, 'This is my heart's blood'? That would be great."
"Let's have a revolution." Chen Ke suddenly couldn't help but say.
Upon hearing this, the other three people did not show any overly surprised expressions. "How can we have a revolution?" You Ou still asked leisurely.
"Revolution is doing work, according to the new world designed by revolution, to establish a new world." Chen Ke answered this question.
Yu Gang laughed and said, "You're talking as if you've seen that new world before. I've also seen what Germany looks like, and when I came back, I wanted to do it the way I saw it. The result was a complete failure. Can we succeed just by having a revolution?"
After hearing You Hu's words, Chen Ke also felt very helpless.
"Revolution isn't just overthrowing the imperial court, and then we do it ourselves. I only know that much about revolution." You Yun repeated, burying his nose in his arm, speaking in a muffled tone, "But it's strange. I'm always not resigned to it, why can't things be done well domestically when they can be done well abroad? Good things become a mess once they're brought back home."
Chen Ke felt that he couldn't explain it clearly for the time being, and was even more hesitant to discuss revolution with his colleagues who had been working together for less than half a month. After some thought, Chen Ke said: "I'm going on patrol. Do you remember our secret knock?"
She tapped out three long and two short beats on the table with her fingers. After a moment, she did it again.
"That's it," said Chen Ke as he stood up and walked out the door. The door closed behind him, followed by the sound of the latch being locked into place.
The night was deep, and there were almost no pedestrians on the road outside. Chen Ke walked around the workshop and hid in a dark corner. These dozen days seemed to be very long, yet like a blink of an eye. He had met Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin, met Hua Xiongmao and You Yun. And he had seen so many people. But Chen Ke felt as if it were all just a dream in this dark corner, perhaps he would lean against the wall and fall asleep, and when he woke up, he would be on his bed in the 21st century. It was all just an illusion.
When Chen Ke first returned to this era, he felt unbelievable and yet very excited. At that time, thinking back and forth, he thought that the only way was to go through a tumultuous revolution. But after such a long time, let alone revolution, even taking care of oneself is not enough, one has to work hard all the time just to survive and make preparations for future revolutions. Only when sleeping can one rest. In the 21st century, people sleep only because they are tired, and when they wake up, a prosperous and bustling world unfolds before their eyes. Now, waking up means facing this dull and lifeless China. Chen Ke really hopes that he can sleep like this for 100 years and then return to his own world.
As he thought, Chen Ke felt his eyelids getting heavy. He leaned against the corner and almost fell asleep. Until he was startled by a rustling sound. Across from Chen Ke, someone was furtively doing something on the wall. The sound came from their hands.
"Who's there?" Chen Ke asked. The person didn't expect a sudden voice behind him, and his whole body trembled, frozen in place. Chen Ke walked up a few steps, and the beam of light from his flashlight shone directly on the person's face. Inside the circle of light was a short-haired head, as if the saying "don't look at color under the lamp" had come true. What Chen Ke saw was a pale face, but he wasn't sure what its actual color was. The person instinctively raised his arm to block the light when suddenly illuminated by the flashlight.
Chen Ke asked another question, "What do you do?"
The man didn't say a word, suddenly turned around and ran. The thing under his arm fell down with a rustling sound. The man hesitated for a moment, wanting to pick up the things that had fallen on the ground. At this time, Chen Ke shouted again. "Halt." He approached the guy while shouting.
The flashlight's beam seemed to have dazzled the guy's eyes, and he didn't even bother to look at what was on the ground anymore. He just ran into the alley without any direction. This is a dead end. It looks like today will be a sure catch. Chen Ke thought to himself. Suddenly, the sound of the workshop door opening came out, followed by something breaking through the air, and then something being hit. Later, the guy who was running away had already fallen to the ground. The light from the flashlight shone brightly at the entrance of the workshop, and Youshen's face was vaguely reflected in the light.
Seeing that man being captured, Chen Ke went to see what the guy had dropped. On the ground was scattered a pile of papers, and upon closer inspection, apart from flyers, there were still more flyers.
