stjorthotic Chapter 137 Childhood Arrangement!
Chapter 137 Childhood Arrangement!
Chapter 138 Childhood Arrangement!
The second floor of the Central Police Station in the French Concession.
Inspector Pierre's face, which had originally carried a hint of arrogance, instantly transformed into one of fawning obsequiousness the moment he saw the three characters "Lin Shiyuan" on the business card, as if he had undergone a dramatic face-changing act in Sichuan opera, and even his posture slumped three inches.
In the corridor, Lin Shiyuan leaned on a gold-inlaid sandalwood walking stick, his steps steady.
He was wearing a dark purple silk robe with floral patterns, over which he wore a black woolen jacket.
Although his attire was not ostentatious in the concession, the imposing aura he exuded, accumulated from his long tenure in high positions and his influence in the business world, made the surrounding police officers afraid to even breathe.
Accompanying Lin Shiyuan were several bodyguards, as well as a young man and a young woman.
The woman was naturally Lin Yudie, the eldest daughter of the Lin family.
She was wearing the latest trendy French-style fitted dress, a small round woolen hat with a mesh veil, and a string of flawless pearls around her neck.
She was extremely beautiful with a cool and aloof demeanor, but her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was extremely uncomfortable with the environment in the police station, which was filled with the smell of cheap tobacco and mold.
The young man next to her was wearing an extremely well-tailored British three-piece suit, his hair was styled with hair wax and combed perfectly, and a gold watch chain was hanging in his breast pocket.
The young man's name was Song Ziqi, and his father was a high-ranking official in the Nanjing government.
Having studied abroad since childhood and received several years of foreign education, he has now returned to China and secured a lucrative position at the Tianjin Customs. This is precisely the time for him to shower Lin Yudie with attention and relentlessly pursue her.
"Inspector Pierre,"
Lin Shiyuan didn't stand on ceremony and spoke in his slightly hoarse but powerful voice.
"I'm visiting late at night because of a descendant of an old friend of mine. I heard he was 'invited' here for tea tonight?"
Pierre was taken aback, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the open office door and landing on the young man in a pale white robe sitting on the sofa.
Lin Shiyuan nodded and stepped into the office.
Lu Cheng remained seated on the sofa.
Hearing the noise, he slowly opened his eyes and calmly met Lin Shiyuan's gaze.
So alike. Absolutely so.
Lin Shiyuan looked at the young man in front of him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
His eyebrows and eyes, his composure in the face of imminent collapse, were exactly like those of his sworn brother in the capital, who was known for his unyielding spirit.
Lu Cheng stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Junior Lu Cheng greets Elder Mr. Lin."
He didn't call him "Uncle" or try to establish a connection; he simply addressed him as "Mr. Lin," which was polite but also drew a clear line between them.
A hint of appreciation flashed in Lin Shiyuan's eyes. He turned his head, took out a checkbook from his pocket, pulled out a pen, wrote down a line of numbers with a "swish," tore it off, and slapped it on the desk.
"Detective Pierre, this is a bank draft from the Banque de l'Indochine, worth fifty thousand silver dollars. I, Lin Shiyuan, am the guarantor for Mr. Lu Cheng. May I take him now?"
Pierre's eyes lit up when he saw the check. He quickly and carefully put it in his pocket and stood at attention to salute.
"Of course! With Mr. Lin involved, Mr. Lu is naturally an innocent citizen. He can leave at any time!"
Outside the police station, the night rain had just stopped.
The streets were full of potholes and puddles, reflecting the dim yellow streetlights of the concession.
Lin Shih-yuan's extended Rolls-Royce was parked on the side of the road.
"Nephew Lu, get in the car, I'll take you back to the hotel." Lin Shiyuan stood by the car door, his tone gentle.
"Thank you for helping me out, Mr. Lin. But you needn't trouble yourself."
Lu Cheng stood on the steps, the night wind blowing his long robe.
"My apprentices are still behind. Our troupe has many people, so we can hire our own carriages to go back. The advance payment of 50,000 silver dollars today will be returned to the Lin family in full by the Qingyun Troupe's accountant tomorrow."
"Heh, fifty thousand silver dollars? A troupe of opera performers, quite the boast."
Standing next to Lin Yudie, Song Ziqi finally couldn't help but let out a contemptuous sneer.
He stepped forward, one hand in his suit trouser pocket, and looked Lu Cheng up and down, his eyes filled with an air of superiority.
"So you're the Boss Lu who caused such a stir in Beiping? I thought you had three heads and six arms, but it turns out you're just a mortal."
Song Ziqi flicked non-existent dust off his cuffs, his tone revealing the arrogance of someone who had studied abroad.
"Boss Lu, times have changed."
"This is an era of powerful ships and cannons, science and democracy. Your so-called fancy footwork and street tricks are nothing but a fart in front of the foreigners' Maxim machine guns."
"If it weren't for Grandpa Lin's old friendship, who called Yu Die and me out of the mansion in the middle of the night and used his connections to protect you, you would have been handed over to the Black Dragon Society by the French and thrown into the Haihe River to be fed to turtles by now."
"As a person, one must have self-awareness."
Faced with Song Ziqi's sarcastic remarks, Shunzi and Lu Feng behind Lu Cheng clenched their fists in anger. Lu Feng's wolfish eyes flashed with ferocity, and his hand was already reaching for his waist.
"Step back."
Lu Cheng raised his folding fan and stopped his apprentice.
He didn't even glance at Song Ziqi.
That indifference wasn't feigned; it was simply the way an elephant wouldn't care about the chirping of ants at its feet.
His aura, forged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and amidst piles of Grandmasters of Internal Energy, made Song Ziqi, a sheltered young master, not even worthy of carrying his shoes.
Lin Yudie frowned slightly.
Although she also felt that Song Ziqi's words were somewhat harsh and undignified, deep down she actually agreed with them.
She looked at Lu Cheng with a calm and distant gaze.
In her Western higher education, martial arts and opera were considered the dregs of the old era.
She associates with business elites, political figures, and celebrities, and their discussions revolve around international affairs and financial trends.
The man in front of her, dressed in an old-fashioned long gown and carrying a wooden stick, was from a completely different world from her.
"Mr. Lin."
Ignoring the stares of others, Lu Cheng flipped his wrist and pulled out a small red cloth bag from his pocket.
That was the "male" pendant of the Pisces jade pendant that the Lin family steward had left behind when they broke off their engagement in Beiping.
"This item is an old agreement made by the two old men back then."
Lu Cheng handed over the jade pendant in a calm tone, without the slightest hesitation.
"The Lin family is now a prominent and wealthy family, while I am merely a traveling opera singer. This marriage is indeed inappropriate."
"Today, Mr. Lin generously saved my opera troupe from dire straits, and I will remember it forever. However, this token should be returned to its rightful owner. From now on, we should go our separate ways so as not to hinder Miss Lin's bright future."
Lin Yudie looked at Lu Cheng handing over the jade pendant, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
She had thought that after witnessing the Lin family's wealth and the foreign guns in the concession, this down-on-his-luck actor would cling to the marriage as a shield.
Unexpectedly, the other party was so straightforward, and their attitude even revealed a sense of arrogance as if they looked down on the Lin family!
"You—" Lin Yudie bit her lower lip, a nameless anger rising in her heart.
However, Lin Shiyuan did not reach out to take the jade pendant.
This old fox, who had been navigating the business world for decades, looked at Lu Cheng's composed and unperturbed demeanor, and a hint of admiration flashed in his cloudy yet shrewd old eyes.
He knew all too well that anyone who could maintain such composure under the pressure of the police station was no ordinary person.
"Chengzi."
Lin Shiyuan sighed, stretched out his hands covered with age spots, and forcefully pushed Lu Cheng's hand, which was offering the jade pendant, back.
"When your grandfather and I became sworn brothers, he kowtowed deeply. Now that this jade pendant has been given to you, there's no reason for it to be taken back."
"The matter of annulmenting the engagement was decided by my servants on their own. I was in Shanghai on business at the time and was unaware of it." Lin Shiyuan glared at a steward next to him, then looked at Lu Cheng with a gentle expression.
"Keep this token for now."
"Mr. Lin, this—" Lu Cheng frowned slightly.
Don't rush to refuse.
Lin Shiyuan lowered his voice, his tone tinged with weariness.
"To be honest, this old man has recently run into some trouble."
"Over at the foreign docks, the French and Japanese have joined forces to try and take over my two flour mills. It's easy to dodge a direct attack, but hard to guard against a hidden one."
They employ quite a few thugs, and my bodyguards are finding it difficult to control them.
Lin Shiyuan patted Lu Cheng's arm.
"Since you've come to Tianjin, why not stay a few more days? Just do me a favor."
"In a few days, once I've sorted things out, I might—have to swallow my pride and ask my nephew Lu for a small favor."
Upon hearing this, Song Ziqi, who was standing next to him, was displeased and snorted coldly.
"Grandpa Lin, you're grasping at straws in your desperation. To deal with those foreign thugs, I'll just call my father tomorrow and have the customs anti-smuggling team send over. Why bother asking an opera singer?"
Lin Shiyuan ignored him and just looked at Lu Cheng.
Lu Cheng looked at the jade pendant in his hand, then at Lin Shiyuan's old face, which held a hint of pleading.
According to the rules of the martial arts world, one should repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude.
Although he could find a way to pay the 50,000 silver dollars bail tonight, Lin Shiyuan was truly a timely help.
"it is good."
Lu Cheng put the jade pendant back into his pocket and nodded.
"Since Mr. Lin has spoken, I will comply. I will stay in Tianjin for a few more days."
"If the Lin family ever needs my help, they can simply send someone to the China Grand Theatre to let me know. I will be there whenever they call."
Goodbye.
After saying that, Lu Cheng flicked his sleeves and led the dozens of people from the Qingyun Troupe into the misty night fog of Tianjin without looking back. His words were decisive and almost ruthless.
Watching Lu Cheng and the others disappear into the night, Song Ziqi curled his lip in disdain.
"Pretentious. They really think they're someone important."
Lin Yudie didn't say anything, just stared at the thick night fog. For some reason, the sense of superiority she felt seemed to have been torn open by that white figure.
The French Concession, the National Hotel.
After all the commotion late into the night, it was almost dawn when we got back to the hotel.
The disciples of Qingyun Class were all exhausted, but after walking through the police station, especially after being mocked by Song Ziqi in a suit with barbed words, these hot-blooded young men were all burning with resentment.
"Master, that grandson surnamed Song is so arrogant!"
As soon as he entered the room, Shunzi angrily slammed his large knife on the table, making the teacups jump.
"So what if he has a foreign gun? You dodged bullets at Guanghe Tower just like everyone else! What does he know about kung fu! If you hadn't stopped me, I would have slapped him twice across the face!"
Lu Feng sat in the corner, holding a whetstone and fiercely rubbing the short blade in his hand, his eyes as gloomy as a wolf's.
"Alright, that's enough, everyone."
Lu Cheng took off his long gown and hung it on the clothes rack.
He walked to the washbasin stand and washed his face with cold water.
Water droplets slid down his angular face, but his deep eyes remained completely still.
"Human relationships are fickle, and the world is cold and indifferent. It's understandable that he, a rich young man who studied abroad, looks down on our lowly profession. If a dog bites you, can you bite it back?"
Lu Cheng picked up a towel and wiped his face, then turned around to look at his indignant disciples in the room.
"We are opera singers and martial arts practitioners."
"This kind of face isn't something you gain by arguing with people in the street. That's just like a shrew yelling in the street."
"Our reputation was earned through our own hard work, step by step, fist by fist, on the stage and in the theater!"
He walked to the table, picked up the purple clay teapot, poured himself a cup of tea that had long since gone cold, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Master," Lu Cheng called out.
Zhou Daikui quickly stepped forward; he was also quite frightened tonight, and his legs were still a little weak: "Chengzi, what do you think? Shouldn't we lay low for a while?"
"Avoid? Why should we avoid it?"
A golden light flashed in Lu Cheng's eyes, and his tone exuded a domineering aura that made people's blood boil.
"The Chinese Theatre will be open as usual tomorrow!"
"Not only should it be opened, but the biggest water sign should be displayed."
"Tell all the men and women of Tianjin that Lu Cheng of the Qingyun Squad has emerged from the police station unscathed!"
"I'll be the main act tomorrow night."
"I want to sing a song—'Picking the Chariot'."
99
Lu Cheng slammed the teacup down heavily on the table with a crisp "clang".
"Let those foreigners, traitors, and those self-righteous superiors who are hiding in the shadows watching the spectacle see this—"
"Are we Chinese people tough or not?"
"Okay!"
Zhou Daikui slapped his thigh, his old face turning bright red, all his timidity vanished. "I'll make the arrangements right away. Tomorrow we'll wear down the threshold of the theater."
The next day, the streets and alleys of Tianjin were as if a bomb had been thrown in.
Although the bloodshed at Dengyinglou last night and the towering flames at Hongkou Dojo were forcibly suppressed by the concessions and warlords, they had already spread like wildfire in the underground black market and teahouses and taverns.
Rumors had been circulating that Master Lu had caused a disturbance in the foreign concessions, been arrested by the French, and was likely in grave danger; the Qingyun Troupe was probably going to have to pack up and head back to Beiping.
But by noon...
Suddenly, a deafening sound of firecrackers rang out at the entrance of the Chinese Grand Theatre in the French Concession, the crackling noise shaking the entire street.
A huge red paper sign hung high, its characters flowing and unrestrained.
[Tonight's grand finale: Lu Cheng, the legendary martial arts master, will personally perform the entire "Picking the Chariot"!]
This sent the opera enthusiasts of Tianjin into a frenzy.
"A living god has emerged; even the French police couldn't lock him up."
"Not only is he coming out, but he's also going to personally lead the charge on stage tonight. This is a direct challenge!"
"Let's go, let's buy tickets. We'll sell everything we own to see this living Yama who single-handedly challenged the Dengying Tower."
For a time, scalpers drove up the price of theater tickets to exorbitant levels, making them extremely difficult to obtain. Even tickets were being sold as "hanging tickets" in the theater aisles.
Night falls. In a high-end French café in the French Concession.
Lin Yudie was wearing a fashionable wool coat, having afternoon tea with Song Ziqi and several overseas-educated young men in suits with their hair slicked back with hair wax.
The gramophone played languid French chansons, and delicate macarons were laid out on the table.
"Yu Die, have you heard? That opera singer your grandfather bailed out last night is actually going to perform tonight?"
Song Ziqi held a cup of black coffee, stirring it gently with a small silver spoon, his tone full of contempt and mockery.
"What a reckless madman."
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"Having offended the Black Dragon Society and the foreign concession police, instead of scurrying back to Beiping with your tail between your legs, you dare to show your face in public? Do you really think you're some invincible Boxer Rebellion leader?"
"This kind of person lacks the education of modern civilization."
Another young master chimed in, "Relying on brute force to cause trouble, he'll die under foreign guns sooner or later."
Lin Yudie cut a small piece of cake and put it in her mouth, but couldn't taste any sweetness.
The image of Lu Cheng calmly placing the jade pendant on the car hood at the police station entrance last night involuntarily flashed through her mind.
That unyielding pride that refused to be given charity left her feeling like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.
"He's just a frog in a well."
Lin Yudie sneered, put down her fork, and said, "Just because you know a little martial arts doesn't mean you're invincible."
"He simply doesn't understand that in today's civilized society, in the face of the powerful ships and cannons of the great powers and diplomatic pressure, his crude violence is simply a joke."
"I'd like to see what kind of trouble he can cause on stage tonight."
Lin Yudie stood up, a hint of arrogance flashing in her eyes.
"Come on, Ziqi. Let's go to the Grand Theater tonight."
"Look at this so-called martial arts saint, how he's doing somersaults on stage like a clown in the shadow of modern guns and cannons."