Chapter 226: Changing Identity

A few minutes later, He Yuzhu flashed out from the space; the smell of gunpowder mixed with the scent of blood rushed toward him, choking him so much that he couldn't help but frown.

He squinted his eyes and scanned the mess all over the ground, a cold sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth: "Shen Shichang, oh Shen Shichang, you really are like a rat—forgetting things the moment you let go of your claws! You haven't suffered enough, have you?"

In the days that followed, he didn't go to find Liu Rusi, but instead slept during the day and moved at night, specifically choosing to wander around the military garrisons in the outskirts of Beiping when the night was deep and quiet. He would sneak into the armories as if returning to his own home, taking everything in one fell swoop, not even leaving a single bullet shell behind; he also made a special detour to the Qinghe Repair Factory, packing up and taking away all those lathes and milling machines; along the way, he also "visited" the residences of several military officers, easily taking away five hundred Big Yellow Fish, five hundred thousand in cash, and an additional sixty thousand US dollars—it must be said, these high-ranking officials really had deep pockets.

After finishing these few jobs, he turned around and went to Heifengzhai.

He successively transported some of the ammunition to He Daqing and dumped all the equipment he had swiped to Liu Xiaohua.

Liu Xiaohua stared at the motley collection of machines before him, his eyes wide as saucers: "Master... Master He... you've emptied someone's arsenal, haven't you?"

He Yuzhu rolled his eyes and cursed: "Just use the stuff I brought you and stop with the nonsense. I think your vision is getting narrower and narrower!"

Liu Xiaohua immediately shrank his neck and retreated with a sheepish grin: "Alright, alright, it's my big mouth, Master He, please don't take it to heart."

By the time He Yuzhu returned to Si Jiu Cheng, it was already the season when the locust flowers were fragrant in May.

The moment Liu Rusi saw him, the folding fan in her hand dropped to the ground with a "clatter," and her eyes instantly turned red. "My father sent word... saying you, saying you were blown to pieces without a trace..."

He Yuzhu grinned: "Didn't we pull this stunt in Tianjin? Why did you still think I would die?"

"But you didn't die, why didn't you come to find me sooner?" Liu Rusi's tone carried a hint of resentment.

"I was just afraid that your father would target you again and make things difficult for you!"

"You are not allowed to do this again in the future, you made me unable to sleep well for half a month!" Liu Rusi chided.

"Sister, so in your heart I'm only worth half a month..."

"You little brat. Are you looking for death?" After saying this, Liu Rusi threw the fan at He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu caught the fan and said: "Thanks, sister, how is the construction of the bicycle factory coming along?"

"The factory is basically completed," Liu Rusi steadied her emotions, "After I wrote to Zhao Ying, she sent quite a few machine tools and materials from the United States. But for now, we can only assemble ordinary bicycles; those new styles you designed can't be made for a while."

"Any movement from your father's side?" He Yuzhu asked.

"They don't have time to worry about you now," Liu Rusi lowered her voice, "Ever since the armories of several garrisons and the Qinghe Repair Factory were emptied, they have been in a state of panic. They filed reports to Nanjing about the theft of supplies, but the higher-ups didn't believe them at all; my father and the others... are almost driven crazy."

He Yuzhu rubbed his nose and smiled: "But if I show my face, they will definitely still try to catch me. From now on, I'll have to change my identity; I might as well just be your driver."

"That works," Liu Rusi nodded, "I was planning to move out of this mansion anyway. It's too stifling here; once the two intersections of the hutong are blocked, it's impossible to escape even with wings."

"Found a place?"

"There is a three-courtyard Siheyuan by the side of Shichahai, I bought it; it's accessible from all directions," Liu Rusi said.

He Yuzhu leaned in with a cheeky grin: "I don't dare to go home now, you might as well leave me a room!"

"Fine, the guard room is just empty, you can watch the gate for me properly!"

Just like that, He Yuzhu moved into the Siheyuan by Shichahai.

From then on, they were together from morning till night, running to the bicycle factory with Liu Rusi every day.

Liu Rusi introduced him to outsiders as the engineer "James Lu" invited from the United States, and He Yuzhu also played along, acting Westernized, speaking a mix of English and broken Chinese.

The workers privately called him the "fake foreign devil," but seeing how skillfully he handled the machinery, they had to be convinced.

When steel was in short supply, Liu Rusi went to talk to Lou Bancheng about a partnership.

At the dinner table, He Yuzhu explained the Top-blown Oxygen Steelmaking Method to Boss Lou, first speaking in English for a while, and seeing Lou Bancheng's blank expression, he switched to broken Chinese to explain: "The open-hearth furnace you use is too backward... my technology is top-blown oxygen... the furnace body needs to be modified, the refractory bricks need to be replaced... the oxygen lance must be blown in vertically..."

While gesturing on the blueprints and explaining, he saw that Lou Bancheng was listening intently, so he added: "To make alloy steel, you need to add vanadium and chromium. Vanadium increases strength, and chromium resists corrosion. Once the composition is controlled, the steel for the bicycle frames and chains will be ready."

These words made Lou Bancheng's eyes light up. Since Liu Rusi was willing to invest money, he was also happy to try, and the two hit it off immediately.

It took several months to modify the steel smelting furnace.

On the day the steel was produced, the red-hot molten steel churned in the furnace, and after sampling and testing, the strength and ductility met the standards.

At the same time, Liu Rusi hired veteran masters from the former Japanese Tianjin Bicycle Factory at a high price, and when He Yuzhu took out the design blueprints, the veteran masters understood immediately that this was to build a new type of bicycle.

"The driving gear has 22 teeth, the driven gear has 18 teeth, so it will be light and fast to pedal..." He Yuzhu repeatedly explained the design details.

The veteran masters experimented repeatedly according to his requirements, and with the lathes and milling machines imported from the United States, within a month, various precision parts gradually took shape.

When snow fell in Beiping in December, the first complete bicycle from Liu's Bicycle Factory was finally assembled.

The body of the bike had smooth lines, and the paint was so shiny it could reflect a person's image.

Liu Rusi stroked the exquisite green bicycle, unable to put it down, and turned to smile: "James, why don't you give it a name?"

"Let's call it the Phoenix Brand Bicycle," He Yuzhu said, looking at the snowy scenery outside the window.

"That's a good name!" Liu Rusi exclaimed repeatedly.

In nearly a year, Chen Qingshan and Jin Hai had cooperated to open three restaurants—the Xuanwumen Branch, the Xizhimen Branch, and the Guijie Branch.

The one about to open was the Shichahai Branch, which was suggested by He Yuzhu, mainly for convenience, so he could have a place to eat while living nearby.

Chen Qingshan had long ago bought the storefront where they used to run their small restaurant, and since the shop next door was also for sale, he bought that too, connected the two, and opened this "Shichahai Heji Restaurant."

On the opening day, December 10th, Liu Rusi went there with He Yuzhu.

Early in the morning, He Yuzhu carefully disguised himself—there were too many old friends to meet today, and he couldn't afford to slip up.

He had changed his identity this time, and apart from Chen Qingshan and his daughter, Wang Jiazhi, Li Xiangxiu, and Lao Zhou, no one else knew his true background.

Liu Rusi brought a Phoenix Brand Bicycle as a congratulatory gift.

Once the bicycle was placed in front of the restaurant, it immediately stole the spotlight from the opening, and the guests gathered around, clicking their tongues in wonder at this new domestic bicycle.

Chen Qingshan stepped forward to greet them: "Miss Liu, this bike must be worth a lot, right? You, you are too kind!"

Liu Rusi smiled: "From now on, you can ride this bike when you go out on errands, and when it's not in use, just park it in front of the restaurant; it can also help me build a reputation."

Jin Hai stared at the bicycle for a long time, then turned to look at He Yuzhu, who was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, with a perm and speaking English, and failed to recognize him at all.

He Yuzhu caught a glimpse of Qin Huairu among the waitstaff—she was now Chen Qingshan's niece, so it was normal for her to come and help. It seemed that the fate of this great heroine of "Story of the Siheyuan" had completely changed in this lifetime.

Li Xiangxiu was the Manager of this restaurant, and when she saw He Yuzhu, she quietly winked at him. He Yuzhu also raised an eyebrow at her, which counted as a greeting.

Liu Rusi had been thriving in the Beijing business world this year, and under her name, there was not only a bicycle company but also a honeycomb briquette company and a rickshaw company.

Many businessmen came up to talk to her, all wanting to buy Phoenix bicycles or discuss cooperation.

He Yuzhu, having nothing to do, wandered into the restaurant, found a corner to sit down, and grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table to crack.

Just as he was snacking away comfortably, a voice suddenly came from behind: "He Yuzhu!"

It gave him such a start that the teacup in his hand nearly fell to the ground.