The person who opened the door and walked in was a middle-aged man about forty years old, wearing a pair of glasses and with a kind face.
The middle-aged man introduced himself: "This gentleman, I am Zhou Xiangsheng, is the manager of Xiangsheng Company. My husband and his party were frightened this time. Although my company was coerced by others, it is still to blame. I have some preparations from Lao Zhengxing Restaurant." Bojiu, to calm the shock of the three of you, please move..."
Sure enough, there is no falsehood under the famous name. This Mr. Zhou is not famous now, but he will be famous in later generations. The later "40 million compatriots, dial 40,000 numbers" is a classic case of advertising planning and marketing, and Ma Xiaoguang naturally knows it. , previously he was pretending to be a ghost in Zhao Xinmin's office, making half-truths and half-falsities, just waiting for the real owner to come out.
Seeing Zhou Xiangsheng come forward, Ma Xiaoguang got off the slope, called Wu Qiuyi and Li Shenming, and took a car with Zhou Xiangsheng to Laozhengxing Restaurant.
This Mr. Zhou was later nicknamed "Observer", which meant that he had keen observation, first-rate business sense, well-informed and excellent eyesight. He was indeed completely unaware of the matter when the "Thirteen Taibao" approached the following branch to do this. , but he soon learned the news and rushed to the company to deal with the matter. He never thought that the other party had already dealt with the "Thirteen Taibao" and came to the door. However, he had also experienced strong winds and waves, and he remained calm in every situation. After making some preparations, he immediately stepped forward to resolve the matter in person.
Although Lao Zhengxing Restaurant cannot be compared with the famous luxury restaurants in Shanghai, it is better because the local cuisine tastes authentic and it is not far from Xiangsheng Company on Fuzhou Road. It is indeed the most suitable place at the moment.
Zhou Xiangsheng, who has been in the martial arts world for a long time, knew that the status of the three of them was unusual and did not want to make it public, so he deliberately chose such a place.
Lao Zhengxing Restaurant uses live river fresh food abundant in the Taihu Lake area as raw materials. The dishes have a Jiangnan flavor and are characterized by cooking local dishes with suitable light and dark flavors.
Fried river prawns, lion heads, fried shrimps, grass head circles, eight-treasure duck, crispy eel, Luo Han vegetarian, three delicacies casserole... A variety of dishes were laid out on the table, and they had obviously been prepared long ago.
After the guest of honor was seated, Zhou Xiangsheng personally filled a cup of the best "Nv'er Hong" for each of the three of them, and poured it himself. He said sincerely: "Sir and his party are coming to Shanghai. It's my fault that I can take our company's car." I am very lucky to my company, but I cannot absolve myself of the blame for my lack of strict control over my subordinates. Let me express my inner feelings over a glass of wine and apologize in advance!"
As the saying goes, don't hit the smiling person. Ma Xiaoguang and the other two were polite and drank a small cup.
After chatting for a few more words, Zhou Xiangsheng raised his glass to Ma Xiaoguang and said, "Sir, you have extraordinary appearance and good manners. I would venture to guess that you are in the military..."
After saying this, he paused for a moment. There are some things that can be seen through but cannot be revealed. At this time, Ma Xiaoguang had no choice but to continue: "The next line is to do business with the army, just to make ends meet."
Hearing this, Zhou Xiangsheng smiled and raised his glass: "I haven't asked for advice, sir..."
Ma Xiaoguang had no choice but to reply: "I'm here, Ma Dehua..."
This name was the pseudonym on the certificate prepared for him by the Secret Service. The moment he saw the name on the certificate, he felt dumbfounded. He had great respect for the old artists of later generations, but Teacher Ma's acting skills were too good and always reminded him of the second generation. Senior brother, I feel a little weird in my heart. Alas, forget it, this is just a code name, the same as 9527, Ah Mao and Ah Gou. After thinking about it, I accepted this pseudonym.
"This is my assistant, Ms. Liu Shuxi (Wu Qiuyi), and this is the bodyguard Zhang Baoguo (Li Shenming)..." Ma Xiaoguang introduced, the names are all the names on the ID cards.
"We have opened a business in Jinling, and we are going to Shanghai to purchase some supplies recently..." Ma Xiaoguang was not completely lying. He would not tell lies in front of real people. Lao Zhou is already very sincere. No matter how fake he is, he will look too hypocritical.
"Oh? If that's the case, Zhou also has some friends in the business world. If Mr. Ma needs it, there's no need to be polite. Just tell him directly." Zhou Xiangsheng said sincerely.
"The relationship is good, so I'd like to thank Mr. Zhou first." Ma Xiaoguang was not polite at all. He originally wanted to explore the shopping mall in this first city in the East. If there happened to be such a local snake, wouldn't it be just right for him? Telling lies will make you appear magnanimous. When dealing with people like Lao Zhou, you should avoid pretending. He is actually a thousand-year-old fox. You are just joking with someone else.
"By the way, Mr. Zhou, besides business, I have something to ask for." Ma Xiaoguang said very bachelorly.
"Mr. Ma is too polite, but it doesn't matter. As long as Zhou can do it, he will definitely not refuse." Zhou Xiangsheng was also very cheerful.
"When I came to Shanghai for the first time, I happened to have some transportation needs and wanted to rent a car..." Ma Xiaoguang said.
"What do I care about? Zhou may not be able to take pride in other matters, but this car matter is definitely no problem," Zhou Xiangsheng agreed.
"But Mr. Ma is exaggerating when he talks about renting. Although Zhou is a businessman, he also knows that he should contribute to the country in these troubled times. I don't have a car dealership in Xiangsheng, but I have a lot of cars. Don't mention renting, sir. Just use it." Zhou Xiangsheng said cheerfully.
Ma Xiaoguang hadn't thought of this at first. Who knew that Lao Zhou was so considerate and thought of this, so he had no choice but to shamelessly accept it on behalf of the organization.
What happened next was that everyone exchanged cups and cups, and the host and guest enjoyed themselves without mentioning it.
After the meal, Zhou Xiangsheng took Ma Xiaoguang and the others to the garage of Xiangsheng Company.
This is a 1935 Buick Se
ies 40 sedan, Buick's latest model. In this era where transportation is basically based on walking, this sedan is worth a lot of money. To put it simply - the same model as Zhang Shaoshuai!
Ma Xiaoguang originally thought that a second-hand Ford provided by the department for their team would be good for transportation. Unexpectedly, Lao Yiyi took action, and he felt a little embarrassed.
Zhou Xiangsheng smiled and said: "Mr. Ma, this Buick is the latest model this year. It just arrived in Shanghai from the United States a few days ago. Today is just the right time. A good horse goes with a hero... By the way, I wonder how many of you need a driver?"
"That's not necessary, Lao Li and I can drive." Ma Xiaoguang replied.
"Here are the keys. There are two keys in total. One for Mr. Ma, and the other for Zhou to give to my driver Yu Lin. If Mr. Ma needs it, he can call Xiao Yu." Zhou Xiangsheng's arrangement can be described as appropriate.
"Mr. Zhou, don't worry. I will definitely use the car properly and return it to Zhao intact after use." Although Zhou Xiangsheng never mentioned it, Ma Xiaoguang was not willing to be like some officials of the government who borrowed it without paying it back, so he said it.
"No matter what Mr. Ma says, I can trust him." Zhou Xiangsheng said with a smile.
Turning around, he magically took out a wad of dollars and said, "This is a small token of my heart, not a big deal. It comes from the thoughts of Zhou and Xiangsheng Automobile Dealers. I hope you won't refuse, sir. You should also apologize to the three of you."
Ma Xiaoguang knew that once the dollar was collected, the grudge against Hexiangsheng Automobile Dealer would be resolved. However, Lao Zhou was very polite and sincere, and he would be despised if he tried to pretend. Besides, Ji Yunqing and his group were behind the scenes, so there was no need for him. Injury to innocent people.
The key point is that Shanghai, a paradise for adventurers, is also the intelligence center of the Far East. If he wants to do something in this place, he has to plan something in Shanghai. And coming from a later generation, he knows how powerful taxi drivers are, and he is I am very willing to form this good relationship, so I am not polite. Besides, the party-state’s espionage work also requires funds, right? .
Zhou Xiangsheng did not expect that his decision would change the future trajectory of many people, help Ma Xiaoguang, save his own life in the future, and save countless compatriots. This is a story for later.
Without being pretentious at the moment, he took the keys and US dollars, said goodbye to Zhou Xiangsheng, and drove to Xinxin Hotel on his own.
Because Boss Ma drank a lot and the car was driven by Li Shenming, Wu Qiuyi and Ma Xiaoguang sat side by side in the back row, looking at the intoxicating night view of Shanghai. The somewhat absent-minded Ma Xiaoguang did not notice that Wu Qiuyi seemed a little sad.
The Shanghai stock market in the 1930s was already very prosperous, especially in the concession area, where neon lights were shining everywhere. The lowliness, debauchery, hunger, and darkness... were all hidden under this darkness and prosperity. Human eyes could only see the superficial glitz at this moment. .
Since it was evening, although there were many cars at this time, it was not as crowded as in later generations. We quickly arrived at Xinxin Hotel, whose main entrance is on Guizhou Road.
Xinxin Hotel is an ancillary property of Xinxin Department Store.
The architecture of the Xinxin Company Building is different from Xianshi and Yong'an Company, which have more classical appearances. It simplifies the complex lines and decorations of European classical buildings, making it more concise and clear, but still retains the three-stage processing technique. Facing the middle of Nanjing Road, There is a tall square hollow tower on the top floor, which was also an emerging landmark building at the time.
The building is divided into two parts. The 7-story building facing Nanjing Road is the main building. From the ground to the third floor is the department store. The fourth floor is the company office. The fifth floor is the water and fire insurance department. The sixth floor has Xinxin Playground with an attached green treasure. , Xindu, Xinsheng, Xinxin and many other large and small theaters, large dance halls and concert halls. The concert hall can accommodate a thousand people. The highest point on the seventh floor is the Wanxiang Restaurant, which serves Cantonese cuisine. There is also a Xinxin Tea Room, which specializes in Western pastries and Drinks, etc. When customers are tired of shopping, they can sit in the tea room and look at the Yong'an Company Tower and the street view of Nanjing Road diagonally opposite. According to later generations, the entire building is a comprehensive city square integrating shopping, leisure, entertainment, food, and accommodation.
The rear part of the Xinxin Company Building extends to Tianjin Road and is used as Xinxin Hotel, Xinxin Hair Salon, etc. The main entrance is on Guizhou Road.
In the hotel room, Ma Xiaoguang looked at the neon lights outside the window, as if he had been in a dream for a hundred years, returning to the time when he came to Shanghai on a business trip in his previous life. However, he stayed in a business hotel in Zhangjiang back then, and now he lives in a high-end hotel next to Nanjing Road, the Xinxin Hotel. Although it is not as good as those first-tier hotels, the environment is first-class.
Sitting by the hotel window, Ma Xiaoguang smoked...
The attack was weird. How did the Fourth Young Master and the others learn about their whereabouts? They were just hooligans. How did they learn about their whereabouts? And what is the origin of the Spring Grass Group? When you come to Shanghai this time, where should you start to investigate the Japanese intelligence?
This time I came to Shanghai, although the start was a little bumpy, it was a blessing in disguise. I got to know Lao Zhou, a local snake, which will be of great benefit to the development of future work, not to mention doing business, and now and in the near future, here They are all the main battlefields on the Far East intelligence front, and many things require careful planning...
Unlike other time-travelers who come with their own hegemonic uniforms, apart from being more powerful than ordinary people, I don't seem to have any other powers. I also have amnesia. Now, except for my name and current position, everything else is confused.
His advantage is more that his soul comes from later generations, and he has foresight of the current major historical trends, but the specific details are unknown. It seems that he can only play to his strengths and make plans according to the direction of history...
While he was thinking, a burst of noise interrupted Ma Xiaoguang's thoughts.
"There is a thief in your hotel. I want to call the police, I want to protest..." A burst of noise interrupted Ma Xiaoguang's thoughts. It was a harsh Chinese, mixed with some American slang.
When I opened the door, I saw that the door next to the stairwell on the same floor was wide open. A manager and waiter were busy bowing and apologizing at the door. Wu Qiuyi in the next room was not resting at this time. When she opened the door, she also saw Ma Xiaoguang. The two looked at each other and smiled.
"Let's take a look." Ma Xiaoguang said, and the two of them walked to the room where the noise occurred.
A tall foreigner wearing a suit and no tie yelled with foam at the mouth: "You are full of thieves here, and my important things are missing..."
The gringo's face turned red and he continued to shout.
Ma Xiaoguang walked over and asked the manager, "What's going on?"
"This gentleman said that he lost something important..."
Ma Xiaoguang turned to the foreigner and asked in English: "Sir, what did you throw away? Getting angry will not solve the problem. The important thing is to find clues and solve the problem."
He deliberately said it in American English. On the one hand, people are naturally familiar with their own mother tongue, which can dispel the other party's wariness as quickly as possible. On the other hand, it also hints to foreign devils, don't think that we don't understand what you say, I don't care about you. Know the root and the bottom.
Wu Qiuyi was a little surprised. When did this idiot learn to speak English? He still has an American accent. However, Ma Xiaoguang has given her a lot of surprises and scares since the injury, so she is not surprised.
The foreigner turned around and saw a Chinese who could speak English.
"Who are you? What do you want to do?" Foreigners speak directly without any inflection.
"Sir, I think it's useless for you to be angry now. Why don't you sit down and have a drink, and then we can recall what happened..."
The color on the foreigner's face was uncertain. It changed several expressions in an instant, but soon returned to being cold and cold.
"No, I'm not interested in drinking. I want to find my suitcase. There are very valuable things in it!" said the gringo.
Wu Qiuyi smiled sweetly at this time and said: "Sir, you are a gentleman. You must maintain your own demeanor wherever you go. Don't worry, the box will not come back by itself."
"Okay, I'm a gentleman, and a gentleman has to be polite. For the sake of this lady, okay, I'll go have a chat with you." Foreigners are not one-minded.
The three of them arrived at the Xinxin Tea Room on the seventh floor.
Tea and Western-style coffee are available here. Looking up into the distance, opposite is the tall tower of Yong'an Company and the charming night view of Nanjing Road.
"Let me introduce myself. I am the manager of Jinling Tianma Trading Company. I am Ma Dehua...this MISS Liu is my assistant." Ma Xiaoguang has accepted this new identity and introduced himself naturally.
The gringo smiled playfully, with an expression that said, "I understand."
Then he introduced himself: "I am Kevin White, the trade representative sent to China by Celtic Trading Company in New York... Just in the afternoon, the letters and other things given to me by our headquarters were given to me by this damn hotel waiter. lost!"
"Oh? Sir's letter is important?" Ma Xiaoguang asked.
"Of course, there are important business documents inside." Kevin replied.
"What else was lost?" Ma Xiaoguang drank a sip of coffee and continued to ask.
"My passport, my wallet, money is a small matter, and the most important thing is that there is a photo of my respected grandmother in it..." Kevin said anxiously.
"Well, sir, I will take you to the telegraph office early tomorrow morning. I will pay for the expenses. I will send a transoceanic telegram to your company, re-mail the voucher, and then publish it in the newspaper to invalidate the original voucher. Do you think? We will deal with other issues later. Solve it slowly." Ma Xiaoguang said enthusiastically.
"This? That's okay. Then I have to tell my boss in the telegram tomorrow morning. He is a hard person to talk to..." Kevin seemed a little anxious.
Ma Xiaoguang smiled: "Sir, please stop joking. There is a saying in China that you don't tell lies in front of real people. How long have you been in Shanghai?"
"What do you mean?" shouted Gringo White.
"Sir, your time is wrong. Your boss won't get up yet tomorrow morning." Wu Qiuyi covered her mouth and smiled.
"Kevin, it's basically midnight tomorrow morning in New York, USA. Your boss is so dedicated and works at midnight. He's such a hard-working person..." Ma Xiaoguang joked, giving Wu Qiuyi an approving look.
Wu Qiuyi took a sip of coffee and hid her smile.
"..." Kevin was silent.
"Tell me, sir, what's the problem? Why did you think of this way to cause trouble in the hotel? How could..." Ma Xiaoguang laughed.
"No, no, no, you misunderstood..." Kevin was still stubborn.
"Okay, I'll call the waiter over right away to check out, and tell the hotel that your box is actually full of newspapers... call the police, no, no, no, I won't call the police, I will notify reporters..." Ma Xiaoguang suddenly changed his face and said.
You must know that in the 1930s, reporters in Shanghai were very powerful. There were all kinds of news about family affairs, stealing jade and beauty, falling in love and killing each other. Although it is not unheard of to see news like this about a foreigner who was found out for having prostituted for free, But reporters can’t hold back their imaginations. When the time comes, it’s possible to add some information and expose a big transnational scam of the Now Now, or a Shanghai version of The Count of Monte Cristo.
"Okay, here's the thing..." Kevin could only tell the truth.
