The First Volume: The Hollow Spirit Chapter 10: Business in the Bathhouse

  Half an hour had passed, and Wang Yaowu was almost asleep. The Eighth Master next to Wang Yaowu finally turned over, got up from the bed, made a gesture, and the two bathhouse attendants inside went out. The thugs outside also put down the curtain at the exit, not allowing anyone to approach.

  Ba Ye is a celebrity in Shanghai, the elder of the Qing Bang Da Zi generation. In terms of seniority, he is Mao's master. Although Mao joined the Investigation Department, within the Qing Bang, Mao was only a Wu Zi generation disciple.

  Ba Ye is over fifty years old, but he still looks robust, with well-defined muscles on his abdomen, a result of long-term martial arts practice. Ba Ye holds not only high seniority in the Green Gang, but also has a large business, plenty of money and many subordinates; more importantly, Ba Ye has a group of killers under his wing, handling half of Shanghai's major murder cases every year.

  "Yaozu, I've been waiting for you for a long time! Have you been busy these days? Why haven't you come to the bathhouse, making me, your eighth uncle, wait!"

  Wang Yaoyu opened his eyes and sat up from the bed. He wiped his face clean with a towel to wake himself up, then looked at Eighth Master again.

  "I'm telling you, Eighth Master, I'm doing what you already know about. With your well-informed sources, you should also be aware of what happened last night. Our investigation team is really going to be busy, it's going to take several days and nights. Besides..."

  Wang Yaoyu spoke halfway and got up to walk to the curtain. He didn't open the curtain, but he could determine from here if there was anyone eavesdropping outside.

  "Besides, there's only a month left until the transaction. The closer we get to the transaction time, the less we should see each other. Shanghai is a place with many **laws**, if our transaction is known by others beforehand, it will be troublesome."

  Wang Ya Zu is partnering with Ba Ye to do business, but it's not the assassination business. It's smuggling, and the profit from this smuggling business is much higher than that of the assassination business. However, if there's no connection, doing this line of work won't just result in losses, but also cost you your head.

  "Law? You're kidding, Ya Zong. I couldn't outdo you in a fight with your sharp tongue. I've already made arrangements with Old Man Huang and there won't be any problems along the way. It's precisely because of you that Old Man Huang is being so agreeable; otherwise, if he wanted to add his own conditions, things would get complicated. But what I'm most worried about now is the French Concession side - foreigners have always been unpredictable in their dealings, and I'm afraid something might go wrong."

  One of the three big shots in Shanghai, Wang Ya-zu is also not to be trifled with. But this business is really too big, one is a high-ranking eighth elder in the Green Gang, one is a fox exploiting the tiger's might Wang Ya-zu, and there is also the consul of the French Concession. These three people put together, Huang Jin-rong would also have to give them face.

  "I'll get in touch with Anthony again. This deal is so big, there are interests of all parties involved, and the possibility of a change of heart is almost zero. I think the key now is how to offload the goods as quickly as possible after the transaction is completed. The quantity of this batch of goods is too large, and if it's left for a long time, problems will arise."

  Antony is the Consul General of the French Concession and a friend and classmate of Wang Yaonan in France. More importantly, Antony has always wanted to revive his family's fortunes because he is from a noble ancestry, and wants to live a life like his ancestors, which makes him extremely greedy. Therefore, Wang Yaonan is confident that with such high profits, Antony will definitely go all out.

  "This is a bit of trouble, if it weren't for Yaozu having connections, I really wouldn't know how those scraps could be exchanged for so much military equipment. However, the quantity of this batch of military equipment is really too large, my old channels can at most only sell off 30% in batches."

  A very simple smuggling transaction. Wang Ya-zu had a connection, contacting the Shanghai Green Gang people, in China there were many antique artifacts, and many good things flowed out of the palace that year, but because there were too many things, and before the continuous war, many antiques couldn't even be exchanged for ten kilograms of rice.

  The French colonial forces stationed in Vietnam had troops that were due for a change of weapons, to be replaced with the latest models. This presented an opportunity, as the decommissioned weapons were supposed to be destroyed on site, but all foreigners knew that smuggling them into China could bring a handsome profit. The French garrison in Vietnam secretly kept this batch of arms and arranged for Antoine to find buyers in Shanghai.

  Antiques from China can fetch a high price in Europe, and French arms can also sell for a handsome sum in China. Wang Ya-zou became the middleman for this business. For Wang Ya-zou, there were too many treasures in China; all the truly good ones had already been preserved by the Nationalist government. The remaining items were neither edible nor usable. They could only be left to rot or spoil. It was better to find a way to exchange them for money, which could then be used to buy useful things. If he didn't do this business, someone else would.

  "No way, with such a large quantity of goods, selling them in batches will not only result in small profits but also quickly attract the attention of other forces. Once someone stronger than us joins in, we'll all be wasting our time. Now we still have a month's time, and we must think of a way to sell more than 60% of the goods at once, and then slowly deal with the remaining ones."

  A complete set of French equipment for three thousand people, everything except heavy weapons is ready. The ammunition was also sold according to the quota, and it's not easy to swallow such a big piece of fat.

  Baya had a headache, the fat meat was about to be placed in front of him, and Baya was not willing to let others take it away. So he immediately thought of some other forces that could swallow so many military supplies at once. But looking at Wang Yaozu, Baya was still in a dilemma.

  "Yaozu, if you really want to sell this batch of goods all at once. I did think of some forces, that is..."

  Before the eighth master finished speaking, Wang Yaoyu already knew what he wanted to say. Originally still with a relaxed face, Wang Yaoyu's expression changed instantly, pointing at the eighth master with his hand and shaking his head to stop him from continuing. These people in the rivers and lakes sometimes really value money over their lives.

  "Old Eight, this batch of goods is so large that even if we manage to sell them all off, someone will still investigate later on. If we sell to unrelated people, the higher-ups will turn a blind eye. A little money and some beautiful women can take care of it. But if we sell to people we shouldn't be selling to, the higher-ups will definitely investigate thoroughly, and none of us will be able to escape."

  Ba Ye started to feel some regret and fear. He began to regret whether his appetite was too big, so big that he had the audacity to swallow such a large sum of goods. What he feared was that if he mishandled this matter, everything he had today, the territory he and his brothers had fought for with blood and sweat, would be lost. Ba Ye even had an idea in his heart, which was to retreat now and kill Wang Yaozu.

  "Eight Grandfather? I heard that when you first started out, your family was so poor they couldn't even afford a decent meal. You relied on a stolen pig-killing knife to kill off a local tyrant and only then were you able to get the money for your mother's funeral and buy her a coffin. The dozens of scars on your body are proof of how hard you fought back then. But now, I feel like you've really gotten old. Even the KMT's dog catchers know that one has to take risks to get rich, and they're not afraid to fight. How is it that you're hesitating? An arrow shot from a bow can't be taken back!"

  Wang Yaizu clearly felt the killing intent emitted by Baye earlier, and although the old tiger was old, it still had a terrifying aura. Years of slaughter had given Baye's body a terrible killing intent, and even Wang Yaizu broke out in cold sweat.

  "It seems I'm really old. Over 50 years old, can't deny the age. After finishing this business, I should also wash my hands and let go of my position, letting younger people take over and make their own way. Wang Yaowu, you're one of the most terrifying young people I've ever met. But I always feel like there's something missing in you? As for what exactly is missing? This rough man who only knows how to kill and set fires can't even explain it clearly!"

  The eighth grandfather was finally persuaded by Wang Ya Zu, and also by his own **. As long as this business is done, the eighth grandfather can do nothing, just sit there, eat, drink, play for a lifetime, until old age.

  "There's still a month to go, and the ship will naturally reach the bridgehead. As for what you said I lack, I've also felt it. But just can't find it. Ah, Eighth Master, there's something else that needs your help. In recent days, please help me get in touch with those who do the same business as you, and let them pay attention to the possibility that someone may offer a large sum of money to buy the head of one of our Shanghai Investigation Team members. Who can be killed? Who cannot be killed? I believe the Green Gang should understand this clearly. If things are done well, our Shanghai Investigation Team will be very grateful, and this is also a favor for Stone Master."

  After finishing the important business, Wang Ya-zu has come to discuss official business. Everyone in Shanghai knows that if you want to hire a hitman, who should you look for? Only the Green Gang's hitmen are the most professional and can be hired by fugitives. So many people died last night, it is impossible for the Communist Party members not to take revenge. In the line of being a hitman in the Green Gang, Eighth Master is absolutely the leader and senior!

  "This is easy to say. The Green Gang brothers are not fools, we don't do business that involves risking our lives for money. As soon as I get any news, I'll send someone to notify you right away. Yào Zǔ, you should also be careful, with such a big deal, if you die, things will become troublesome. I still want to rely on the money earned to support my old age!!! Farewell!"

  Ba Ye left, and Wang Yaozu lay back on the bed. For Wang Yaozu, this day was exhausting enough that he couldn't even relax in the bathhouse. Gunsmoke Silently, Volume 1: Empty Spirit, Chapter 10: Business in the Bathhouse