Chapter 665: Letter

"You say you want to abstain from sex?"

At a Huaiyang restaurant on Masnan Road in the French Concession, Yu Manli stared with wide eyes, looking at Wang Yan in disbelief. She suspected that something was wrong with her ears and she hadn't heard clearly.

"What kind of look is that? Am I such a lustful person?" Wang Yan asked back a bit angrily.

"If you're not lustful, who is?" Yu Manli rolled her eyes and looked at Wang Yan curiously. "What's the situation? Possessed by evil?"

"Wasn't there another fight in Hongkou last night? The explosion was very loud at the time, which scared me awake. By the time... it was nearly eleven o'clock, right? After the battle ended, when I fell asleep again, I had a nightmare. I dreamed that the Japanese wanted to kill me, the Kuomintang wanted to kill me, and the Red Party also wanted to kill me. Surrounded and intercepted, I ran and ran, and finally there was no way to heaven and no door to enter the earth, and I was shot in the head.

After that, the people who surrounded and captured me from the three parties all disappeared, leaving only myself. The sky was blood, and the ground was blood. The blood in the sky fell to the ground, and the blood on the ground spread in all directions, boundless. My head was bleeding outward, flowing with brain matter, and I died with my eyes open. I stared at the dead self, and in that hollow, dead-gray look, what was reflected was a blood-red skeleton spraying blood outward. When I realized that it was myself, I was scared awake. It scared me into a cold sweat, and I still feel terrified thinking about it now.

I was also absent-minded when practicing boxing this morning, and couldn't calm down. So after breakfast, I went to Master Zhao to interpret the dream. He said that I was seeking survival in the cracks all day, consuming spirit, and the evil spirit entered the body. I need to abstain from sex and eat vegetarian food, burn incense and rest quietly, calm down and nourish the spirit, half a month is the best. If I'm still worried, I can do some good deeds to seek peace of mind."

Master Zhao of course couldn't be so cooperative, but to say that this Master Zhao had no ability, he was quite able to pull, and to say he had ability, Wang Yan had mixed for nearly a thousand years, except for the living father, he had never met those supernatural things, so he could only say that this Master Zhao still had some wisdom. Otherwise, the celebrities and tycoons in Shanghai were not fools, and they were not good people. Who dared to cheat their money and play with them, the grass on the grave would not be able to hit three feet.

Such a person was still not enough to look at in front of Wang Yan. Master Zhao bluffed him, and he also bluffed Master Zhao. Bluffing back and forth, he gradually achieved the effect he wanted. This was based on profound metaphysical knowledge, the art of speech. Bluffing through words, hypnotizing through sound, movement, etc., and unknowingly pouring his own things into the other party's head, making them think that it came from their original thoughts.

For this, Wang Yan chatted with that old boy for a whole morning, and even had a lunch there before leaving, perfectly solved, and also made that old boy feel that his skill had greatly improved.

Yu Manli was a bit speechless, and she didn't know what to say for a while.

Wang Yan didn't care what she thought and continued: "I went to see Iwai Eiichi the day before yesterday. He told me that Wang Zhaoming will go to Japan next to meet the Emperor and Cabinet Ministers, and the first stop back to China is Shanghai, and then he will establish a new National Government in Nanjing. Dai Yunong must have sent people to Hanoi to assassinate Wang Zhaoming, but it's hard to say whether it will succeed. You should also prepare early. Alright, you should go, Wang Manchun has come."

Yu Manli looked out the window along Wang Yan's gaze, and sure enough, she saw Wang Manchun, wearing a small suit and a fur coat, getting out of the car. She didn't say much and picked up her bag and left. She didn't want to have any intersection with Wang Manchun; it was too dangerous.

Wang Manchun watched Yu Manli leave. The two exchanged glances, but neither paid attention to the other. Yu Manli was afraid of exposing herself if she said too much, and Wang Manchun simply looked down on such people. She had investigated Yu Manli before and occasionally paid attention to her, feeling that such a little slut was not as good as those dance girls, and she didn't want to pay attention to her.

Walking into the restaurant and sitting down, Wang Manchun said: "It's her turn to go back to the Wang Mansion with you today. Why, really want to abstain from sex?"

"What kind of look is that? Am I such a lustful person?" Wang Yan asked back a bit angrily.

"If you're not lustful, who is?" Yu Manli rolled her eyes and looked at Wang Yan curiously. "What's the situation? Possessed by evil?"

"Wasn't there another fight in Hongkou last night? The explosion was very loud at the time, which scared me awake. By the time... it was nearly eleven o'clock, right? After the battle ended, when I fell asleep again, I had a nightmare. I dreamed that the Japanese wanted to kill me, the Kuomintang wanted to kill me, and the Red Party also wanted to kill me. Surrounded and intercepted, I ran and ran, and finally there was no way to heaven and no door to enter the earth, and I was shot in the head.

After that, the people who surrounded and captured me from the three parties all disappeared, leaving only myself. The sky was blood, and the ground was blood.

"You know, so why ask?"

Wang Man Chun rolled her eyes, picked at her food, and sighed, "Things have reached this point, so I can tell you. Didn't I tell you at the time that we captured a big shot? That person is a core member of the Shanghai underground party, responsible for the Red Party's transportation lines. Confidential documents, rare materials, key personnel, etc., were all coordinated and arranged by him, and he controlled most of the transportation stations the Red Party had set up in Shanghai. Unfortunately, shots were fired during the arrest, and he had a strong will to resist, actually wanting to bite his tongue to commit suicide. Fortunately, he was saved in the end, but because of his serious injuries, he couldn't be interrogated..."

"The Red Party is truly omnipotent. Up until now, we didn't even know they had already mastered the situation regarding that person. It's a pity we used to think we had victory in our grasp and swore to use that person as a trap. Now we know the Red Party was just playing with us; they hide so deep. But this time, it's not just me who got scolded; everyone who participated in the operation was scolded bloody by Section Chief Nantian. Even Section Chief Nantian herself was severely scolded by the military and reprimanded by the consulate; it hasn't been easy for her. The prison break last time, the rescue this time—if there's a next time, Section Chief Nantian will be in danger."

"Nantian Yoko's work is actually quite good, and her suppression of the spies of both parties has been very effective on a daily basis. But this matter, although it doesn't have much to do with Nantian Yoko, someone has to be the scapegoat, someone has to be responsible for the Japanese who died, and it all started because of the Special Higher Course. Superiors are all like that: if there's merit, it's not certain you'll be rewarded, but if there's a mistake, you must be punished. So look, apart from the Japanese army being at the height of its power, there's nothing strange about it; they're all like that."

"Nonsense, does this need you to tell me? The key is that the Japanese army is at the height of its power. You know best that this world is one where the strong eat the weak and the winner takes all. It's just you who can't see the situation clearly and insists on looking for trouble for yourself. Still having nightmares? Why didn't it scare you to death?"

Wang Man Chun was very dissatisfied because the Red Party had tricked her again, and she had been sprayed with criticism, so she was in a bad mood and needed to release it with Wang Yan, this big beast. But now Wang Yan was actually so scared that he wanted to abstain from sex? She couldn't force him. Because she knew that when Wang Yan said one thing, he meant it; he had even run off to find Master Zhao, and was even going to spend money to build a school for the children of his workers—it was clear he was serious.

Besides, she was a woman after all; how could she take the initiative to ask Wang Yan to break his abstinence? That would make her too passive...

This was also why she hadn't worn a cheongsam that showed off her figure today, but had come in her work uniform instead. She had mainly come to talk to Wang Yan face-to-face to see what the situation was. He was acting on a whim, and she felt very helpless.

Sighing secretly and cursing in her heart, she changed the subject: "Since we're talking about the Green League, I'll tell you in advance so you can be prepared. Because of this failure, Section Chief Nantian is very angry and plans to arrest a few people to beat them up and make them behave."

"It's useless. Even if I know in advance, I won't gain any advantage; Du Yong won't do it. Unless you sell me a favor, arrest them but don't kill them, and give me a chance to plead for mercy—only then will I have room to perform. Otherwise, I can't intervene."

Wang Man Chun frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "Anyway, they aren't important. When I go back, I'll ask Section Chief Nantian and see what she means. I think she should sell you this favor. Killing them won't benefit us, and doing you a favor can be considered a win-win."

"Then I'll wait for your news."

Wang Man Chun hummed, said nothing more, and the meal passed in her dissatisfaction.

Qi Si watched Wang Man Chun leave in a huff, twisting her hips, and leaned over to Wang Yan to help his boss light a cigarette. "Brother Yan, this woman is really unhappy. Her lips were pouting—I could see it. Are you really going to abstain from sex just because you said so?"

"In your eyes, am I just a sex-crazed demon who thinks about nothing but that little bit of nonsense all day? The Master said to abstain, so I must abstain. I still have to burn incense and meditate when I go back tonight."

Wang Yan slapped him on the back of the head. "It's you who should know how to exercise restraint. Don't hang around with Shi Changxing all day. Confucius said, 'A gentleman has three things to guard against: in youth, guard against lust; in the prime of life, guard against strife; in old age, guard against greed.' Your body hasn't even fully developed yet; if you don't pay attention and waste your essence too early, you won't grow tall, and you won't have enough strength. You're young now, so I haven't let you do anything else. When the day comes that you're really licking blood off a blade and someone has a gun pointed at your head, you'll know how to write the word 'regret'."

Qi Si laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't always go to Brother Shi. I'm very diligent in my martial arts practice. Don't worry, Brother Yan, I definitely won't delay your big plans."

"You don't need to make me worry, because if I really entrust you with a big task and you delay it, you probably won't have your life to come back and see me. It won't be me having you killed; it will be someone else blowing you away."

Wang Yan smoked his after-meal cigarette, drank his tea, and looked out the window. He watched the various people rushing home outside, and also watched the little beggars playing and fighting across the street.

Qi Si was also watching. He asked, "Brother Yan, are you really going to send them to school to learn?"

"It's just something I'm doing while I'm at it. I can't manage everything, but I can manage this bunch of little brats who have been eating my leftovers for so many years. Throw them into school, provide two meals a day, and beat them if they don't study hard. When they reach fifteen or sixteen, arrange for them to do some light work in the factories. After working for five, seven, or eight years, when they're in their twenties, they'll be able to save some money, buy a house, take a wife, and have two or three children. This life... will have been changed."

"That's really great..."

Qi Si's eyes were hollow, as if he had already imagined the heartwarming scene of those little beggars playing with their grandchildren in the future, and the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily.

"That's really great..."

He said it again, involuntarily...

Qi Si was much more obedient now. In the past, he had never been disciplined and had some untamable wildness, so he often spoke without thinking. This was very normal; after all, back then, Wang Yan had only taught him martial arts, given him money to learn to read, and pointed him toward organizing jobs, but had basically ignored everything else. When he was little, Qi Si used to squat across the street waiting for his leftovers.

And what Qi Si had to face in the past was not easy. If he had work, others didn't. If he had food, others didn't. And since everyone was a beggar, why should they be jealous of you if you were doing well? The struggles at the very bottom were also the most direct. They would curse as soon as they opened their mouths, fight as soon as they moved their hands, and pull out knives to take lives.

It wasn't until Wang Yan's level that most of the time it was a "civilized struggle." Of course, that didn't mean the players at Wang Yan's level were civilized; it was just that because too many people, things, and matters were involved, the influence was too great, and everyone was more or less on the same level, so it wasn't easy to use force. Otherwise, if one could settle life and death directly with fists and solve problems cleanly, who would want to be wishy-washy and play power games? Civilized struggles were always between opponents of the same level. Small fry weren't qualified; when they could be killed directly, no one wanted to waste more words.

That was why Qi Si had been the way he was before. It wasn't that he didn't understand, but that he hadn't learned to control himself, hadn't learned to be hypocritical. It had been almost a year now, so he should have made some progress...

Wang Yan really hadn't gone out to find dance hostesses for half a month. If it weren't for the fact that he still maintained his lavish three meals a day, people would have thought he had disappeared. At the same time, he was really preparing for the opening of the school for workers' children, and was conducting a large-scale statistical survey of the general distribution of all workers in his industries, including Yonghua Industrial, the instant noodle factory, the beverage factory, restaurants, casinos, rickshaw companies, and the Shanghai headquarters of the Green League Bank.

Of course, he wasn't doing charity. He was just taking a portion of his profits to subsidize half the cost, providing four years of primary education for the children of the workers who worked for him to complete their literacy, which was already a rare feat.

He was actually making a lot of money now, even more than before; after all, he was cooperating with the Japanese. This little bit of money wasn't a big problem, and it could also raise his reputation.

The reaction caused by the announcement of this news need not be mentioned. Along with this series of abnormal behaviors, the news that he had been scared by nightmares also leaked out, becoming the second biggest news in the Shanghai Bund. The masses were very satisfied with Wang Yan; such a big figure, always creating some fun to entertain everyone, and the key was that he was really spending a fortune to ward off disaster—how great. Of course, the workers who worked for Wang Yan didn't laugh at him; he had almost become a living Bodhisattva, and they wished they could worship him.

As for the biggest news, it was of course still the matter of Wang Zhaoming. Although the protests denouncing the traitor Wang had stopped, his popularity still existed and would not cease; newspapers and radio stations were cursing him every day in various ways.

Wang Yan listened to the excitement every day with a smile. Although it was sad, one had to find joy in the midst of bitterness.

And on the Green League side, Nantian Yoko had indeed sold him this favor. After secretly arresting three people who had been jumping around quite happily, she gave them a ruthless beating, and then learned from their mouths the whereabouts of the people sent by the Kuomintang to manage the "People's Action Committee," and almost caught them.

Then the Japanese found him; after all, he was the nominal leader of the Green League and the primary person responsible. He went over and acted out a play with the Japanese, scraped together most of the wealth of those three arrested hooligan leaders, and bailed them out.

Of course, it wasn't a free favor; after all, they had betrayed Kuomintang people, which was hard to justify. That money was divided into three parts: one part was given to Nantian Yoko, one part was sent to Dai Yunong to buy their lives, and he swallowed one part himself. After all, in the final analysis, no one had really been caught, so there was still room for relaxation.

At the same time, Wang Yan took this opportunity to intervene directly in the internal affairs of those three hooligan leaders. It could be considered a detour; he didn't manage Green League affairs, but he controlled part of the power within the Green League.

Dai Yunong said nothing. Times were different now; Wang Mou had become the Chief Inspector, and this time he had given money and had also saved the lives of those three. If he intervened again, it would be forcing Wang Yan to defect to the Japanese and work exclusively for the Wang regime. He also knew that Wang Yan knew many of the strongholds and personnel of the Military Statistics Shanghai Station. If they really fought, the Military Statistics Shanghai Station would be finished immediately. Even if he sanctioned Wang Yan then, what would be the use? So he pretended not to see.

Du Yong, however, was anxious. Now Wang Yan was openly poaching, so how could he sit still? The old man was so worried that his white hair stubble had started to fall out.

That had nothing to do with Wang Yan. He just lived his normal life, occasionally attending meetings, maintaining good relations with the foreigners, and going to visit various industries to understand the situation—that was how he spent his days.

The situation was chaotic, with fighting at the front and trouble-making at the rear.

The Kuomintang held a meeting, the central topic of which was to decide on the policy of the War of Resistance and the policy of "dissolving the Communists, preventing the Communists, restricting the Communists, and opposing the Communists." The Red Party issued a statement saying that they would cooperate with the Kuomintang but not merge...

It was in this changing situation that, after the Spring Festival, Wang Yan even took the initiative to take charge of the cooking and started making dishes at home. He called Yu Manli, who was also alone, to keep him company, and had a New Year's Eve dinner together with Qi Si, Uncle Wu, Aunt Liang, and the subordinates standing guard at the door, which was quite lively.

This day, Wang Yan was strolling around the police station as usual and came to the North Station warehouse.

Just as he arrived, Gu Zhang Yongcheng trotted over: "Brother Yan, I was just about to call you, and you arrived. It's like this: early this morning, someone brought a large box back from Yan'an, saying it was ordered by the leaders there, and they also wrote you a letter. You should take a look at it quickly."

"It's just a letter from Yan'an, what's the rush?" Wang Yan shook his head with a smile, but his eyes scanned the reactions of everyone around him, and he followed Gu Zhang Yongcheng into the office...