Shanghai in the Republican Era

Chapter 115 Exquisite Attire: Gunfire, Mysterious Assistance, and Opportunity in Desperate Circumsta

"Splendid Costumes: Lin Fangfei and Gu Zixuan's Turbulent Republican Era"

The Fog Behind the Gunfire

The gunshots were particularly piercing in the quiet night. My heart clenched, and I clutched the meeting minutes I had finally managed to find. Gu Zixuan quickly stepped in front of me, his eyes filled with vigilance and determination. In the dim light, the features of his face appeared even more resolute.

"Fangfei, hide behind me," Gu Zixuan said in a low voice. Although his voice was steady, I could feel the tension in his heart.

Upon hearing the gunshots, the security guards visibly panicked, and several even began running towards the door to check the situation. Taking advantage of this brief moment, Gu Zixuan pulled me along, trying to find an opportunity to break through.

"What exactly happened with that gunshot? Was it someone Chen Feng arranged?" I asked Gu Zixuan in a low voice, my heart pounding with anxiety.

Gu Zixuan shook his head, his gaze sweeping around. "I don't know, but this might be our chance. Let's break out first."

We had only taken a few steps when a security guard who looked like the leader snapped out of his daze and shouted, "Don't let them get away! There's a big reward for catching them!"

Other security guards immediately surrounded us, blocking our way. Gu Zixuan was fearless; he darted forward and fought with the security guards who rushed at him. I watched anxiously from the side, clutching the meeting minutes tightly, ready to find an opportunity to escape at any moment.

Gu Zixuan was very agile and quickly took down several security guards. However, there were too many of them, and gradually, Gu Zixuan began to struggle.

"Zixuan!" I saw a security guard sneak up on Gu Zixuan from behind and couldn't help but exclaim.

Hearing my shout, Gu Zixuan dodged to the side, but was still hit in the arm by another security guard.

"Zixuan, you're injured!" I cried out in distress.

Gu Zixuan gritted his teeth and said, "I'm fine, don't worry about me, find a chance to run away!"

Just then, the gunfire outside suddenly stopped. Immediately afterwards, a group of people rushed in. My heart sank, thinking it was more enemies, but upon closer inspection, I realized that the leader was none other than Li Minghui.

"Mr. Li, what are you doing here?" I asked, both surprised and delighted.

Li Minghui smiled and said, "I received the news that you were in danger, so I rushed over with my men. Let's not talk about this now, let's go!"

With the help of Li Minghui and his men, we successfully escaped the security guards' encirclement and fled the meeting place.

I breathed a sigh of relief once we were in a safe place. I looked at Gu Zixuan's arm; the wound was still bleeding. "Zixuan, how's your injury?"

Gu Zixuan smiled and comforted me, "It's nothing, just a superficial injury. Fangfei, we owe you a lot this time thanks to Li Minghui."

I looked at Li Minghui gratefully. "Mr. Li, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, we probably would have..."

Li Minghui waved his hand. "Miss Lin, Mr. Gu, no need to be so polite. We're all fighting against those dark forces. By the way, did you get the meeting minutes?"

I quickly pulled out the meeting minutes. "Got it, this should contain the evidence we need."

Li Minghui nodded. "That's good. However, this meeting record involves too many people. If we want to expose their conspiracy, we need to plan carefully."

Upon returning to the textile factory, we immediately began studying the meeting minutes. The minutes detailed the conspiracies of those business giants and foreign powers, including how they manipulated the market, suppressed competitors, and committed various crimes in collusion with government officials.

“These people are absolutely despicable!” I said angrily. “We must release this meeting record and make them receive the punishment they deserve.”

Gu Zixuan frowned in thought. "Fangfei, things aren't that simple. These people have a lot of influence in Shanghai. If we reveal this rashly, we might face even more ruthless retaliation from them."

Li Minghui agreed. "Mr. Gu is right. We need to find a suitable time and have sufficient support to ensure that this evidence can be effective."

Just as we were discussing how to expose the conspiracy, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the textile factory.

Gu Zixuan and I exchanged a glance, a bad feeling rising in our hearts. We hurriedly ran out to check, and saw a group of people gathered at the entrance of the textile factory, led by a man in a fancy suit.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Gu Zixuan asked loudly.

The man sneered. "I am Wang Yaozu. I'm here today to tell you that if you know what's good for you, you'd better hand over the meeting minutes right now, or your textile factory can forget about continuing to operate!"

I glared at him angrily. "You've done so many bad things, and you still want to threaten us? We won't hand over the meeting minutes to you!"

Wang Yaozu said disdainfully, "Miss Lin, don't be so stubborn. What do you think you can do with these meeting minutes? In Shanghai, our power is not something you can contend with."

Gu Zixuan stood before me, fearless, and said, "We are not afraid of your threats. Your conspiracy will be exposed sooner or later, and you will be punished by law!"

Wang Yaozu's face darkened. "Fine, since you won't listen to reason, then don't blame us for being impolite. From today onwards, I will make it impossible for your textile factory to operate!"

After saying that, he waved his hand and left with his men.

Watching them walk away, my heart was filled with worry. "Zixuan, they definitely won't let this go. What should we do?"

Gu Zixuan grasped my hand. "Fangfei, don't be afraid. We've come this far, we can't back down. We'll strengthen security measures at the textile factory first, and at the same time continue to find ways to expose their conspiracy."

Li Minghui also said, "Yes, we can't be intimidated by them. I will use my connections to see if I can find more people to support us."

In the following days, the textile factory indeed suffered various forms of harassment. Some people caused trouble at the factory gate, while others threw stones into the factory, making it impossible for production to proceed normally.

The workers' emotions also began to become unstable; they worried that the textile factory would go bankrupt and they would lose their jobs.

Gu Zixuan and I tried to calm the workers down while searching for a solution.

Just when we were feeling completely overwhelmed, Chen Feng suddenly found us.

"Mr. Chen, what brings you here?" I asked.

Chen Feng's expression was somewhat solemn. "I've heard about what happened to you. I've come to tell you that I have a way to make those people afraid to deal with you so easily again."

Gu Zixuan and I both looked at him anxiously. "What's the solution? Tell me quickly."

Chen Feng took a deep breath and said slowly, "I know someone who has a lot of influence in Shanghai's business and political circles. If we can persuade him to stand up and support us, those people will have some reservations."

A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. "Really? Then let's go see him right away."

Chen Feng nodded. "However, this person is hard to meet, and whether he's willing to help us is still unknown. But it's worth a try."

So, led by Chen Feng, we headed to the mysterious man's residence.

Throughout the journey, my heart was filled with both anticipation and apprehension. Could this mysterious man be our savior? And why would he be willing to help us?

"Splendid Costumes: Lin Fangfei and Gu Zixuan's Turbulent Republican Era"

Mysterious Helper and New Dilemmas

Sitting in the car on the way to the mysterious man's residence, my emotions were as turbulent as a stormy sea. I was wearing a plain-colored, modified cheongsam, simple yet elegant, but at that moment I had no heart to appreciate my own attire; my mind was filled with worry and anticipation for the upcoming meeting.

Gu Zixuan sat beside me, gently holding my hand, trying to ease my tension. "Fangfei, don't worry too much. No matter the outcome, we'll face it together." His eyes were filled with determination and tenderness, giving me some strength.

Li Minghui added, "Miss Lin, Mr. Gu, although this mysterious person is low-key, he is an upright person. I believe we still have a chance to persuade him."

Chen Feng stared intently out the window, occasionally turning back to give us an encouraging look. "Once we get there, everyone should be flexible and try to explain our situation as honestly as possible."

The car stopped in front of a luxurious villa. The villa was imposing, surrounded by lush greenery, a testament to the owner's distinguished status. We got out of the car, and Chen Feng stepped forward and knocked on the door.

A moment later, a man who looked like a butler opened the door. "Who are you?"

Chen Feng smiled and said, "We were brought by Chen Feng and would like to meet Mr. Li. Please inform him."

The butler looked us up and down, then said, "Please wait a moment," and turned to go inside.

A moment later, the butler came out and said, "Mr. Li invites you in."

We followed the butler into the villa, where the decor was luxurious and elegant, every detail reflecting the owner's taste. In the living room, we met the mysterious Mr. Li.

Mr. Li appeared to be in his fifties, dressed in a well-tailored Zhongshan suit, and possessed an distinguished air. He sat on the sofa, smiling at us. "What can I do for you?"

Chen Feng spoke first: "Mr. Li, let me introduce you. This is Ms. Lin Fangfei and Mr. Gu Zixuan. Their textile factory has always been committed to the development of the national textile industry. However, recently, they have been suppressed by some business giants and foreign forces and have fallen into difficulties."

Mr. Li nodded, gesturing for us to sit down. "Yes, continue."

I took a deep breath and said, “Mr. Li, we have evidence of these people’s collusion. They are attempting to monopolize the commercial market in Shanghai and will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. We want to expose their conspiracy, but they are very powerful, and we are worried that we will not be able to succeed and that it will also implicate those around us. Therefore, we would like to ask you to step forward and support us so that justice can be served.”

After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Li said, “I’ve heard of your textile factory and I know there are some bad practices in the business world these days. But you should know that if I get involved in this matter, I will also face a lot of trouble.”

Gu Zixuan said sincerely, “Mr. Li, we know this will cause you trouble. But if we let them continue like this, Shanghai’s business environment will be severely damaged, and countless national enterprises like ours will be affected. We believe you have the ability and prestige to change all of this.”

Mr. Li looked at us, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. "I admire your courage and determination. But I need to think about it; this is no small matter."

Just then, a commotion broke out outside. The butler rushed in, his face showing some panic. "Mr. Li, something bad has happened. Wang Yaozu has arrived with a group of people, saying they want to talk to you."

Mr. Li's face darkened. "What is this Wang Yaozu up to now? You all go to the next room to avoid him for a bit."

We quickly hid in the next room and peered through the crack in the door to see what was happening outside.

Wang Yaozu strode in with a group of men, looking menacing. "Mr. Li, we heard you have some uninvited guests here. Are they with Lin Fangfei and her group?"

Mr. Li looked at him coldly. "Wang Yaozu, are you questioning me? It's none of your business what I do."

Wang Yaozu said with a forced smile, "Mr. Li, I wouldn't dare. It's just that Lin Fangfei and her group are ungrateful and have offended people they shouldn't have. If you get too close to them, it might affect your reputation."

Mr. Li snorted. "My reputation is none of your concern. I have my own principles. Do you think no one knows what you've done?"