Chapter 30

30

【His timing was too coincidental.】

【Even though that area is near the train station with plenty of foot traffic, when trouble broke out, police from both the concessions and the Chinese sector swarmed in. Rickshaw pullers are at the bottom of the social ladder. They are cautious, avoiding trouble as best they can. Yet amid all that chaos earlier, this rickshaw puller stayed parked right there, and there were no other rickshaws around him, so you hailed him directly without thinking twice.】

【What is more, rickshaw pullers work in the sun and rain, but his neck and hands are not very dark. I saw him under the light just now, and his skin was pretty smooth. None of the typical marks of a manual laborer.】

Wen Yan was not actually certain either. He was simply deducing based on his experience watching spy dramas, but that was already more than enough to outclass a naive novice like Shen Po, who lacked any real-world experience.

Shen Po could never have imagined that his daily life in a wealthy family of the Republic of China would suddenly turn into a spy drama. Hearing this, he could not help feeling a little panicked.

He instinctively leaned forward to look at the rickshaw puller.

Taking a closer look, he really did spot something strange.

Although the rickshaw puller kept his head down and pulled, his movements were clumsy. He hesitated as if wanting to stop from time to time, only to grit his teeth and keep trudging forward. His hands gripping the shafts loosened every now and then. It looked awkward, but in reality, his palms were burning from friction because he was unaccustomed to such rough physical labor.

Shen Po muttered inwardly, 【There really does seem to be something wrong with him… What do we do now?】

Wen Yan was not completely confident either, mainly because he had no idea whose side this rickshaw puller belonged to. In Shanghai right now, there were multiple factions at play, each with different agendas, all locked in covert clashes and open power struggles.

【We can’t go to Lin Guisheng’s place anymore. It will bring trouble down on her. Turn around and head to the New World Ballroom. Don’t make it look sudden, act natural!】

How could he make it look natural and avoid raising suspicion?

If it were just armchair strategizing, Shen Po could easily hold forth for hours.

But now that he was in the thick of it himself, even with his wealthy upbringing, he knew full well that the various factions in this era were nothing to play with. One wrong move could cost him his life. Otherwise, his eldest brother would not have lived under an assumed name until the day he died just to avoid dragging the family down.

His heart pounded wildly. Gritting his teeth, he slapped his thigh.

“Damn it!”

His voice rang out distinctly in the night.

The rickshaw puller heard it too. He stopped, turned his head, and asked in a low voice, “Sir, what’s the matter?”

That single reaction made Wen Yan even more certain that this man was suspect.

【Usually, rickshaw pullers only care about making their meager hard-earned money. They cannot wait to finish one trip and pick up the next, especially those working in the dead of night who need the cash even more. They would never meddle in a customer’s business. But the moment you spoke up, he chimed in. That means his attention is completely on you.】

Listening to Wen Yan’s analysis, Shen Po kept a poker face.

“Forget Seymour Road for now. I just remembered I still haven’t given Judy that lipstick I promised her last time! Turn around, head to the New World Ballroom!”

He fumbled around in his pocket for a while and actually produced a lipstick case.

【Good thing I actually bought it! Tangee brand, too, haha!】

He crowed triumphantly to Wen Yan.

Wen Yan was thoroughly impressed by his womanizing skills. As idle as this young master seemed, when it came to chasing women, he was undeniably a self-taught prodigy.

No matter the time or place, his pockets always held small gifts meant for dance hostesses.

If one were to say Shen Po was serious about romance, he had never shown the slightest desire to formally marry anyone; yet if one were to call him a mere playboy, he could still remember every dancer’s name and preferences, where she came from, and even her backstory. Even if those stories might have been concocted by the dancers to please patrons, Shen Po remembered them all the same. In fact, all the ballroom customs and etiquette had been explained to Wen Yan by Shen Po himself.

This Judy he mentioned, for instance, loved Tangee lipstick.

“Sir, are we really going to the New World?” the rickshaw puller confirmed with him.

The man seemed unaware that his tone lacked the servility typical of ordinary rickshaw pullers.

Shen Po snapped impatiently, “I said go, so just go! Don’t you know the way? If not, drop me off up ahead where it’s crowded and I’ll find another rickshaw!”

The man hurriedly said, “I know it, I know it!”

Pausing briefly, he added, “That’s going to cost extra!”

Shen Po almost laughed out of sheer exasperation and could not resist complaining to Wen Yan.

【Whose bright idea was it to find such an idiot? Even I can tell something’s off about him!】

Wen Yan was also pondering which side this person belonged to.

Shanghai at this time was truly a gathering of rivals; even under the Generalissimo, there was more than one faction.

But Shen Po could not expose him on the spot. Since the other guy was acting, he would play along. Neither of them was a professional anyway, so neither had room to criticize the other.

“Extra money is fine, who do you think this young master is!” Shen Po glared with furrowed brows. “Hurry it up! Judy’s been waiting for me for two days. Don’t make people think I can’t even afford a stick of lipstick!”

The moment Shen Po opened his mouth, the air of a spoiled playboy came through instantly. Wen Yan could not help admiring how such a tone required the right upbringing to pull off. Even if a Central Academy of Drama graduate were brought in to perform, they probably could not match Shen Po’s natural ease.

The rickshaw puller had no choice but to give in. “All right, all right, we’re heading over right away!”

The rickshaw took an impromptu detour, heading straight for the New World Ballroom.

Shen Po acted arrogant on the outside, but inside, his nerves were frayed.

【Do you think he has accomplices? He can’t be working alone, right? Am I even going to make it home tonight?】

Wen Yan replied, 【Let’s just take it one step at a time. In any case, it’s not a good idea to contact Old Du and the others right now. Just do what you usually do, hang out at the New World, and head back near dawn. The guy can’t watch you all night, can he?】

Shen Po asked, 【Do you think our plan has any flaws from start to finish?】

Wen Yan replied, 【The old master hasn’t agreed to temporarily close the library yet. The plan isn’t finished, so it’s too early to talk about flaws. For now, things look fine, and Asai didn’t seem suspicious…】

As he said this, a sudden stroke of insight hit him.

【Could it be that ever since the Japanese approached the old master, he’s been watched, and you just got caught up in it as collateral?】

Shen Po paused for a moment. 【Put that way, things sound even worse.】

Wen Yan gave a wry smile. 【I’m just wildly guessing. There are tons of spy dramas a hundred years from now, and if you watch enough of them, you can piece the tropes together.】

The two of them chatted idly about everything under the sun for a while, and soon enough, they arrived at the New World Ballroom.

Shen Po hopped down from the rickshaw and tossed the prepared money right into the man’s chest.

“Keep the change, buy yourself some tea!”

Without looking back, he was quickly escorted inside, flanked by the doormen and taxi dancers waiting out front.

Watching his receding figure, the rickshaw puller did not even look down at the money in his hand. He just hefted it in his palm and muttered under his breath.

“Really loaded, and quite the big spender too!”

Inside the ballroom, Judy was quickly called over. Shen Po’s “old flame,” Mary, was there as well. Predictably, the two women put on a show of jealousy and bickering. With a girl wrapped around each arm, Shen Po felt none of his usual effortless enjoyment.

He was still constantly conferring with Wen Yan about what to do next.

【Look at the group that just arrived at that table up front. Their eyes keep darting over here. They look suspicious no matter how you slice it!】

Wen Yan said helplessly, 【Big brother, other people only call over one dancer, but you’ve got two. How could they not look your way? Why didn’t you get a private room like last time?】

Shen Po: 【I’m worried someone will slip in to assassinate or poison me. If I die in a private room, no one will even know.】

Wen Yan: 【…You’ve got quite an active imagination. You haven’t done anything yet, so what would anyone gain by targeting you?】

In his view, Shen Po was entirely in a state of guilty paranoia, jumping at his own shadow.

After enduring it for nearly an hour, Shen Po could finally take no more.

【No, sitting here for even one more second is pure torture. I want to go home!】

Right as Shen Po finished speaking to Wen Yan and prepared to stand up, he saw a group of men barge in aggressively from outside.

The man leading them was none other than He Ting, whom Shen Po had seen last time at the Florence Ballroom.

“So you’re the punk trying to steal Mr. Feng’s woman?”

Wearing an overcoat, He Ting looked every bit the mob boss straight out of a movie. He glared coldly at Shen Po, not even waiting for the latter to explain before waving his hand.

“Take him away!”

The men behind He Ting swarmed forward, hoisting Shen Po up without a word and hauling him straight toward the entrance.

The crowd was stunned, but a single freezing glare from He Ting pinned them to their spots.

“He offended Mr. Feng, so you’d all better mind your own business!”

Only after they had all left did the taxi dancers finally cry out in delayed shock.

“Why did they take Young Master Shen away?!”

“Barging in like that, who on earth were they?!”

“They looked like bad news. What kind of romantic mess did Young Master Shen get himself into this time?”

Not only were they bewildered, but Shen Po was just as utterly baffled.

“Wait, what woman did I steal?!”

Though he flailed with all his might, he could not break free. Instead, a handkerchief was shoved into his mouth, and he was forced straight into the back seat of a car, with He Ting climbing in right after him.

Only then did Shen Po realize he was squeezed into the middle of the back seat, and someone was sitting to his left.

It was Feng Yun.

The owner of the Florence Ballroom across the street, an acquaintance Shen Po had unexpectedly made when he went to cause a scene there last time.

Shen Po’s hands and feet were not tied, so he furiously yanked the handkerchief out of his mouth.

“What on earth are you…”

He Ting cut him off. “There are people tailing you outside. Four at the main entrance, two at the back!”

Shen Po froze.

He Ting said, “Unless you leave in our car, you won’t be able to shake those people no matter where you go once you step outside.”

Shen Po murmured, “Such a huge production, is that really necessary?”

Gripping his cane, Feng Yun said meaningfully, “Kid, what exactly did you do to get multiple factions keeping their eyes on you?”