Wusongkou is not as busy as usual now, because the port was bombed, and all the cargo ships going to and from Shanghai were parked overseas. Those with small tonnage can drive into the Huangpu River to unload, while those with larger tonnage can only wait outside. The boats transport the crew's supplies, and the ants movers unload the goods from the boats and transport them back to the shore. The port is also being rebuilt, and they are all Chinese hired by the Japanese at low prices, as well as prisoners of war sent back from the front line.
Therefore, the port at this moment is very spectacular. There are people everywhere on the shore, and all the densely packed boats floating on the sea are small boats. The workers, wearing linen T-shirts with their strong chests exposed, were sweating as they carried goods back and forth, loaded them into cars, put them on trains, and sent them to the North Station.
In addition to those who work for the Japanese, other porters, crew members who transport goods, etc. have been celebrating the New Year recently. Because there is so much work to do, in order to deliver the goods to the shore as soon as possible, the bosses of each company have tacitly raised the price. In addition, the Youth Gang gangsters stationed at the dock are the so-called dock unions. With them coordinating, it is a win-win situation.
There was no beautiful sea view, only densely packed large cargo ships and small cargo ships, rising and falling with the waves of the sea, shouts of communication, and drifting over with the slightly fishy sea breeze. There are many simple wooden houses on the shore, as well as vendors selling food and cold drinks. Trucks, cars, donkey carts, and rickshaws come and go on the road, and people are walking in a hurry.
It was a simple and busy scene. If it weren't for the many Japanese military policemen carrying 38 hats to maintain order, it would have been impossible to tell that this was a time of national crisis.
They also have an office on the shore, which is responsible for organizing workers, communicating with docks, etc. Wang Yan explained, and a small boat went out to sea immediately. They boarded the boat specifically to pick up those magazines.
The sixty-mile journey was not very fast considering the current land transportation conditions. In addition, Wang Yan wanted to enjoy himself. Wang Yan and Qi Si found a clean one among the food vendors and ate here. Meals heavy in oil and salt.
There are also all kinds of people coming and going at the dock, so even though the workers are reluctant to eat any meat dishes, these vendors are still prepared. After all, those petty stewards, gangsters from the union, and manpower stationed by various trading companies can still afford meat, and the income of these vendors here is still quite considerable.
It's just that there are still various kinds of exploitation, and occasionally they have to be bullied one by one and ostracized. They work so hard that they don't have much money left, so they can only make ends meet.
Even in such a simple environment, Wang Yan still filled the table, asked his men to bring the newly arrived foreign wine, ate in the open air, and listened to the reports from the men in charge here.
The process of picking up the goods is very long. You have to sail there, find the magazines and periodicals stored separately, and have to transport them to the ship with difficulty before returning. So when Wang Yan had nothing to do, he started to understand the situation here to see what shortcomings there were and what problems he encountered.
After several hours of this, the workers who went to Chuanshan to pick up the goods came back in a small boat. Wang Yan also saw the scientific magazines and periodicals that were densely squeezed together and packed into large cubes. From 2000 to now, most mainstream magazines and periodicals in the past 18 years, as well as many other less famous journals, cover all aspects. This is undoubtedly a very large amount, filling half of this small boat.
Pulling out a magazine and flipping through it, Wang Yan nodded with satisfaction and asked his men to drive a truck over, put the pile of knowledge in it, and send it back to the prince's residence.
After getting the things, Wang Yan no longer wandered around boredly, but followed the delivery vehicle back to the city.
It came slowly, and it didn't come back quickly either. When we returned to the French Concession, it was already evening. It's almost May now and the temperatures are starting to rise and it's starting to get hot. When it's not raining, there are still many pedestrians on the streets at night. In the streets and alleys, there are many adults gossiping and children running shirtless, all looking for the coolness of the night.
"Brother Yan, where are you going to eat?" After crossing the Suzhou River and entering the public concession, they shuttled through the slightly crowded roads. Qi Si lowered his speed and leisurely avoided pedestrians, taking his time.
Wang Yan thought for a while and said, "Let's go to Fan San'er's place to have some barbecue. The weather is sultry and I don't have much appetite. It's good to have some barbecue and drink some beer."
Barbecue has a long history, dating back to the time when humans could use fire. After thousands of years of development, barbecue has become more and more sophisticated. Despite the difference of more than 80 years, there is not much difference between the barbecue now and later. It’s just that there are fewer tricks and fewer things to bake.
But at this time, celebrities still don't like to eat barbecue. Even if they do, it's mostly like in the West. They have a party at home, grill steaks, have a buffet or something. Instead of eating the kind that is put into small skewers and grilled over charcoal. What's more, I don't know how to eat in a small restaurant.
Fan San'er, as his name suggests, has a three-dimensional character in his family. He is a strong man in his forties, honest and honest, good at barbecue, has some skills, and his things are clean. Most of the diners who cheered were residents with relatively good conditions in the neighborhood, or hooligans who spent money lavishly.
However, this Fan San'er is not a person, and has nothing to do with Wang Yan. The reason why he came here was because Shi Changxing recommended it to him before, saying that the boss was a nice person and the food was delicious. He came to eat twice and even gave some advice. Fan San'er's business is booming, and Wang Yan comes to eat, which is a disguised form of care. There is less exploitation and trouble, and his life is getting better and better.
As a Green Gang boss and a Shanghai tycoon, many people know that Wang Yan likes to eat delicious food. After all, every time he eats, he fills a big table. He eats two bites of this, two bites of that, and the rest is given to those little ones. Beggar, and at the same time looking for new restaurants to eat at. He is so good that he has become a benchmark in Shanghai's catering industry.
As long as Wang Yan is in a restaurant and eats from beginning to end, it means that the restaurant's cooking is good and the food is not bad. If you will go there a second time, it means that the taste of this store is very good. It's just that compared to everyone who is known to be greedy for money, lustful, and afraid of life and death, Wang Yan's love for delicious food is much weaker.
As for a restaurant that allows him to go twice, most people don't dare to move around, and even if they do, it won't go too far. No one knows whether Wang Yan will go there for the third time. If Wang Yan is eating, and the shop owner kneels down in front of Wang Yan and complains, those people will die miserably. As for preventing the store from opening, it is even more dangerous. The restaurant that Inspector Wang likes to eat has been destroyed by others, which has delayed his enjoyment. If there is no one to rely on, it is better to run away quickly. There is definitely no place in Shanghai. Ground.
Fan Saner's barbecue restaurant is on West Aixiansi Road. It has a small storefront. Most people eat outside in the open air, or buy some meat skewers to take home to eat.
It was now the time for dinner, and Fan Saner, wearing a sleeveless sweatshirt with a towel around his neck, was busy in front of the oven. His wife was making cold dishes in the house, while his two daughters and a teenage son were busy serving tea and water dishes to the guests. A family of five, in times like this, is rarely busy with hope for a better life.
This was what Wang Yan saw when he got out of the car. He looked at Fan San'er who was nodding and bowing with a smile. He took two skewers of mutton skewers from the oven and gave one to Qi Si. He ate it. He took a mouthful of meat and said, "I've said it several times, Lao Fan, don't act like a slave and act like I'm bullying your family."
"You take care of me, as you should." Fan San'er was honest and courteous. Even though he was driving to a barbecue restaurant, he was still not good at words.
Wang Yan did not embarrass him, and said to Qi Si behind him: "Go, send these people away, and the money is ours. I guess those little beggars will come over after a while after smelling the smell, you can pay them .”
"Okay." Qi Si responded, turned around and raised his hands to the people eating outside: "I'm sorry, let's just take our things and go. Today, Detective Wang will cover all of Lao Fan's meat skewers... …”
Wang Yan ignored the expressions of those people, rubbed the head of the youngest son of the Fan family who looked at him with wide eyes in fear, and sat down in the corner of the room by the window. The windows were open, and although it was still a little stuffy, it was okay. After all, there are not many high-rise buildings at the moment, and the evening breeze can still blow into the city.
As Wang Yan expected, a group of beggars came across the road just after he had eaten. It's not that their intelligence is great, it's just that they memorized Wang Yan's license plate number. When they saw the car during dinner, they would naturally notify each other and follow him all the way. Even though it's tiring, it's worth it. Who has Wang Yan's leftovers the most?
Qi Si waved his hand and called them over. In addition to delivering food to Wang Yan in the house, these children stayed there to watch over the food. Of course, they did not forget to leave some behind and take them back for others to eat. This group of beggars felt the benefits of unity and did not lose order because of Qi Si's departure.
Although Fan San is busy, he is also cheerful. He likes Inspector Wang to come over for dinner very much. On the one hand, it ensured the favor of their detective and not to be disturbed by human affairs. On the other hand, it was also because he was planning to sell the items until midnight. He could sell them all in a short period of time and could go home early to rest. And the wife and children don’t have to be so tired. After all, taking care of a table is different from taking care of a group of people.
Wang Yan sat by the window, making skewers and drinking. He watched the little beggars lining up and took the hot and fragrant meat skewers from Qi Si's hand. He was so satisfied that he ate them deliciously. .
At this moment, a car stopped on the opposite side. A man got out of the passenger seat and ran to the back seat to open the door. He had a delicate makeup with flaming red lips, wearing a green and yellow cheongsam, with his hair pulled high and a jewelry necklace around his neck. , adorned on her fairly plump chest, and walking on a pair of red high-heeled shoes, with slim curves, she walked towards Fan Saner's barbecue restaurant. His eyes casually glanced at the stunned little beggars, as well as Qi Si who curled his lips and turned away from her, then entered the room with a smile on his face and sat down opposite Wang Yan.
Of course, this woman who showed off her sultry temperament was Wang Manchun. Many times, she would appear during dinner, and she could always find where Wang Yan was.
She looked at the surrounding environment with a look of disgust on her face: "I didn't realize it, Inspector Wang. Do you also patronize such a shabby little place?"
"As long as it tastes good, the reason why I always go to those expensive places is because the craftsmanship in those places is good. But there are so many people, and there are still many talented people in this humble place, so don't underestimate the people of the world. Try it, it tastes good.”
Wang Manchun took a bite of the mutton skewers and asked without making any comment: "These little beggars used to wait on the opposite side. Why did they go to the oven to guard today?"
"Let them eat it warm."
"Is this a act of kindness?"
Wang Manchun is a little disdainful. There are no simple people who can gain a foothold in Shanghai. Especially since Wang Yan has become a tycoon, the process of rising to the top is not that easy. He has killed many people over the years.
She knew that these beggars, after all, did not have so many coincidences. Even this group of beggars picked up Wang Yan's leftovers every day, and she had also investigated them. Later I learned that Wang Yan's reputation for extravagance was too great, and the competition for scraps was fierce. This group of little beggars are in a good position, and it is Qi Si who leads these little beggars to victory.
They also launched an investigation around Qi Si, and later found that since Qi Si became Wang Yan's follower due to the previous surveillance incident, he had lost his reputation among these little beggars. Many boys turned against Qi Si and refused to recognize others. After repeated investigations, it was finally confirmed that Qi Si had just discovered the anomaly accidentally, and then let it go.
Wang Yan shook his head: "I have done too many bad things. I want to accumulate some virtue for myself. When I die and see the Lord of Hell, I can have something to say. I won't suffer any torture. I'm afraid of pain."
Wang Manchun sneered: "Coward, you are afraid of this and that when you are alive, and you are still afraid of this and that when you are dead. This is how you will be for the rest of your life."
"Don't tell me, if this is really the case in this life, I'd love it."
"You are already thinking about doing good deeds. Since you are not short of money anyway, why not open an orphanage or a nursery and recruit all these little beggars? Let them have a place to live, go to school, and you have a company, etc. When they grow up, they will work for you, which is more meritorious than if you reward them with some leftovers. It’s great that you can still have the reputation of being a good person."
Wang Manchun has long been used to Wang Yan's lack of progress. Although she was helping with ideas, her eyes were narrow and sarcastic.
Wang Yan shook his head repeatedly: "The money spent is too much. What can I not do with that money? It would be good to give them some leftovers."
It’s not that he doesn’t want to open it, and it’s not that he doesn’t want to take care of those little beggars, but money needs to be divided into places and find value. As far as the current environment is concerned, he is not allowed to set up an orphanage. Because once an orphanage is opened and a group of children gather, these children may die earlier if something unexpected happens.
And on the other hand, it costs a lot to take care of these children's food, clothing, housing and transportation. He can save a hundred, even five hundred, or a thousand children, but what's the use? Are there only a thousand little beggars wandering the beach in Shanghai? Obviously not. And with such a large amount of money, we can get some weapons, ammunition, first aid medicines, etc. and send them to the front line, so that the soldiers can kill more enemies, recover after being injured, and continue to kill the enemies as experienced veterans. Which one is lighter and which one is more serious can be clearly distinguished.
Just like in some peaceful modern world, charity has always been just charity for children. Dying old people have no value, while growing children are the hope. Now, there is no big use in rescuing these children. The life and death of the frontline soldiers and the market stability in the Soviet area are the key.
He ignored Wang Manchun's mocking eyes and said shamelessly: "Doing good deeds is not for fame, but for peace of mind. What I am doing now makes my heart at peace. There is no need to waste money on these brats. Besides, they are not good at eating my leftovers every day. In the future, I really don’t know what will happen. Without my leftovers, they can’t die even if they have the ability. They don’t need me. Pitiful."
"You're so hypocritical."
"Just take it as your compliment." Wang Yan laughed, took two skewers and put them in front of her: "These two are pretty good, you can try them."
The two of them just kept talking and eating skewers. Most of the time it was Wang Manchun who was looking for something to say when he had nothing to say, and Wang Yan was coping with it.
After a while, Wang Manchun asked: "I heard that I saw you at Wusongkou Pier. What were you doing?"
"I asked Egger to find some scientific magazines and periodicals before. I arrived in Hong Kong today and I went to get them back. I also went out to relax. The Japanese scared me about what happened before. Now I am scared to think about it. , just a little bit close, and my life is in danger."
Because of the previous undercover incident, the Japanese did not have the right to search these British, French and American goods, so they could only watch them at the dock. Wang Yan rarely goes to Wusongkou. Not only did he go this time, he also personally made a batch of goods and sent them back to the prince's residence. Japanese people are more sensitive, so it is normal to ask.
Wang Manchun didn't laugh at him this time, because she had already laughed at him before, and although she didn't want to admit it, she really liked Wang Yan being a bastard at home. In the past month, she and Wang Yan basically saw each other every two days, and their relationship became much closer, which she enjoyed very much.
She frowned and asked: "Science magazine? I haven't heard that you have this hobby? Can you understand it?"
"Do you understand? You just need to be able to read, but there is no need to understand it. The main thing is to see if I can find any business opportunities there. Now that the Japanese are so powerful, I think this concession will be unsafe sooner or later. I don't know at that time. What do the Japanese say? It’s better to prepare early. I plan to open a factory to produce some fresh things, so that I won’t be left with nothing in the future and will have room for change.
Even if I don’t understand, there are several universities in Shanghai. Although many of them were scared away by the Japanese, there are still students there. I don’t understand. If I just call them over and ask them to tell me, it’s over. Who dares not to come? "
"It's good to be prepared for a rainy day!" Wang Manchun said with a smile: "After you have seen it, when will you let me see it too?"
"That's not necessary, right?" Wang Yan frowned and said, "I didn't defect to the Kuomintang, nor did I defect to the Red Party. I didn't go against the Japanese. I didn't treat me like Wang as a human being? Do you think I'm really that easy to bully?"
"The Japanese value you very much. Besides, you have performed well recently. You have provided a lot of valuable information before. They are quite satisfied with you. How could they target you like this? I want to see it myself. Why, I just Can’t you learn advanced knowledge?”
"It's quite a lot. When I go back to clean it up, see what it is, and have someone send you some, and then send it back to me after reading it. I have to do some research and see if I can find any business opportunities. Okay , Come on, eat quickly, it’s a good thing I’m not looking at you. I feel a little distraught when I see you. Your dress today is very charming.”
Wang Manchun looked at him with charming eyes, stretched out her pink tongue and licked the seasoning on the meat skewers from the corner of her mouth...
Thanks to brother (Ye Xihu) for the reward of 100 coins for your continued support.
Thanks to the four big brothers (Mu Youmao’s super fans) (Tian Shang Po Jun) (That Leaf’s Maple Love) (Xing~Yu) for their continued support.
I would like to express my daily gratitude to the good brothers who vote monthly for their support.
Thank you to all the brothers who recommended me for your support,
Thanks to the big brothers who read silently for their support.
(End of chapter)
