Shanghai in the Republican Era

Chapter 107 Exquisite Attire: The Truth Revealed at the Police Station During the Turbulent Republic

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

Subtitle: A Visit to the Police Station

The arrival of the police was like a dark cloud, hanging heavily over the textile factory. Looking at their serious faces, my heart pounded like a rabbit's. Today I was wearing a beige cheongsam, the hem swaying gently with my slightly trembling legs, as if it too was uneasy about this sudden situation.

Gu Zixuan gently grasped my hand; his hand was warm and gave me some strength. He looked at the police captain and calmly said, "Officer, we are willing to cooperate with the investigation, but we truly know nothing about this so-called loan agreement."

The police captain nodded, his eyes scrutinizing. "Mr. Gu, Ms. Lin, we will conduct a fair investigation. Please come with us to the police station now."

I took a deep breath and straightened my back. "Okay, officer, we believe you will find out the truth."

On the way to the police station, Gu Zixuan and I sat in the police car, our hearts filled with worry.

Gu Zixuan frowned and whispered to me, "Fangfei, someone is definitely behind this. We need to be careful."

I squeezed his hand and nodded. "Zixuan, I know. But who could it be? Is it revenge from the Li's Textile Factory?"

Gu Zixuan pondered for a moment. "It's possible, but we can't rule out other competitors or those forces that have always wanted to suppress us."

Upon arriving at the police station, we were taken to an interrogation room.

The police captain sat across the table, his expression serious. "Mr. Gu, Ms. Lin, now take another close look at this contract. Do you see anything amiss?"

Gu Zixuan and I examined the contract again carefully. I found that although the signature on the contract looked very much like my handwriting, upon closer inspection, some flaws could still be found.

I pointed to the signature and said, "Officer, look, this signature looks a lot like mine, but I don't usually sign like this. Someone must have imitated my handwriting."

Gu Zixuan also noticed some problems. "Officer, and this official seal, although it looks very similar to our textile factory's, our official seal has special markings in some details. This seal is forged."

The police captain frowned slightly after hearing our words. "What evidence do you have for this?"

Gu Zixuan took out a small notebook from his pocket. "Officer, this is a record of the use of our textile factory's official seal. There are detailed records of every time it is stamped. You can compare them."

The police captain took the notebook and examined it carefully.

Just then, the interrogation room door suddenly opened. A woman dressed in glamorous attire walked in, her body reeking of a strong, almost pungent, perfume.

I looked up and saw that it was Gu Zixuan's stepmother. What was she doing here?

Gu Zixuan's stepmother glanced at us, then said to the police captain, "Officer, I can vouch for the authenticity of this contract."

Gu Zixuan and I both stared wide-eyed, our hearts filled with anger and confusion.

Gu Zixuan stood up, his voice trembling with emotion. "Stepmother, why did you lie? You knew perfectly well it was a fake."

The stepmother sneered. "Zixuan, I'm not lying. I saw Miss Lin sign this contract with my own eyes, how could it be a forgery?"

I angrily said, "You're talking nonsense! I never signed this contract."

The police captain's expression grew even more serious as he watched our argument. "Please calm down, both of you. Mrs. Gu, you say you personally witnessed Miss Lin signing the contract. Could you describe the situation in detail?"

The stepmother smiled smugly. "Officer, that day I saw Miss Lin meeting with a man in a teahouse. The man took out this contract, and Miss Lin signed it after reading it, and then stamped it."

I was trembling with anger. "You're slandering me! I've never done anything like that."

Gu Zixuan also said angrily, "Stepmother, why did you frame us? What is your purpose?"

The stepmother snorted. "Zixuan, I'm doing this for your own good. Being with this woman will only bring shame to the Gu family. This textile factory will bankrupt you sooner or later."

A wave of sorrow washed over me. It turned out that she had come up with such a despicable tactic to prevent me from being with Gu Zixuan.

The police captain looked at us and said, "The situation is rather complicated now. We need to investigate further. Mr. Gu, Ms. Lin, you cannot leave the police station for the time being."

Gu Zixuan and I were filled with helplessness and worry. We were trapped in the police station; what were we going to do about the textile factory?

(End of this episode)

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

Subtitle: The Truth Gradually Emerges

Confined to the police station, every minute was torture. I sat on the cold chair, my eyes fixed on a spot on the wall, my heart filled with resentment and anxiety. The off-white cheongsam I was wearing today looked so pale and powerless, just like my current predicament. My hands were clenched tightly together, my fingers turning white from the force.

Gu Zixuan paced back and forth beside me, his leather shoes making a dull thud on the ground, each step feeling like a blow to my heart. "Fangfei, we can't just sit here and wait to die. We must find a way to prove your innocence."

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with helplessness. "Zixuan, your stepmother's words have put us in a very passive situation. What should we do now?"

Gu Zixuan frowned, his eyes filled with determination. "I know she's lying, and we need to find evidence to expose her."

At this moment, Shen Wanqing arrived at the police station. She was panting, her hair was a little messy, and her face was full of worry. "Miss Lin, Mr. Gu, I've come to think of a solution."

I stood up and walked over to her. "Wanqing, do you have any ideas?"

Shen Wanqing looked around and then whispered, "I've found some clues about the man who supposedly signed the contract with you. I think we can start with him."

My eyes lit up. "Really? Then let's get started!"

The police captain approached. "What are you talking about? If you have any leads, it would be best to tell the police; it will help our investigation."

Gu Zixuan looked at the police captain and said, "Officer, we do have some leads. We hope to conduct an investigation under your supervision so that we can prove our innocence."

The police captain thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but you can't do anything reckless."

Based on the clues provided by Shen Wanqing, we found the place where the man frequented—a small tavern on the edge of the Shanghai International Settlement.

We entered the tavern, which was filled with a mixture of smoke, alcohol, and sweat. I frowned and covered my nose with a handkerchief. Gu Zixuan held my hand tightly, looking around warily.

In a corner of the tavern, we saw the man. He was wearing a tattered suit, his hair was greasy, and he was drinking alone.

Gu Zixuan stepped forward and grabbed his collar. "Who are you? Why are you forging contracts to frame our textile factory?"

The man looked at Gu Zixuan in terror and stammered, "I...I don't know anything. Let me go!"

I walked up to him and said coldly, "You'd better tell the truth, or you'll be in big trouble."

The man looked at me, then at Gu Zixuan, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Just then, the tavern door was suddenly kicked open, and a group of thugs rushed in.

The leader shouted, "You dare cause trouble here? Don't you want to live?"

Gu Zixuan shielded me behind him. "Who are you people? We are investigating something; it has nothing to do with you."

Without saying a word, the group of thugs pounced on us.

Gu Zixuan fought with them. He was very agile, but the other side had a large number of people and was powerful.

I watched anxiously from the sidelines, wanting to help but not knowing how.

Shen Wanqing suddenly picked up a wine bottle and smashed it over the head of one of the thugs. "You bastards, you're not allowed to hurt Miss Lin and Mr. Gu!"

In the chaos, the man we questioned took the opportunity to try to escape.

I saw him trying to run, so I quickly chased after him. "Don't run!"

I chased him into a small alley behind the tavern. The man suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at me.

"Miss Lin, please don't force me. I'm forced into this situation." A hint of helplessness appeared on the man's face.

"What do you mean? Who forced you?" I asked, panting heavily.

“Yes… he was a very powerful man. He gave me a lot of money to forge contracts and made me do what he asked.” The man said, head down.

"Who is it? Tell me quickly!" I said urgently.

Just as the man was about to say his name, a bullet flew by and struck him in the forehead. The man's eyes widened, and he fell to the ground.

I watched this scene in horror, my body trembling uncontrollably.

At this moment, Gu Zixuan and Shen Wanqing also arrived.

"Fangfei, are you alright?" Gu Zixuan hugged me and asked with concern.

I pointed at the man on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "He...he was going to reveal who the mastermind was, but he was killed."

Gu Zixuan looked at the man's corpse, frowned, and said, "It seems the person behind this doesn't want us to know the truth."

We returned to the police station and told the police captain what had happened.

The police captain's expression grew even more serious after hearing this. "This matter is becoming increasingly complicated. We will intensify our investigation. However, you are not allowed to leave the police station until the truth is revealed."

Gu Zixuan and I reluctantly returned to the room where we were being held.

That night, I lay on my simple bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Gu Zixuan sat beside my bed, gently stroking my hair.

"Fangfei, don't worry. We will definitely find out the truth," Gu Zixuan said gently.

I looked at him, my heart filled with emotion. "Zixuan, with you by my side, I have courage. But I'm worried about the textile factory. Without us, I don't know what will become of it."

Just as we were talking, we suddenly heard a commotion outside.

We quickly stood up and went to the door. Through the crack in the door, we saw a group of men in black fighting with the police.

Who are these men in black? Are they here to rescue us, or to kill us and silence us?

(End of this episode)

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

Subtitle: The Purpose of the Men in Black

The commotion was like a surging tide, wave after wave crashing against my eardrums. I pressed my eyes against the crack in the door, trying to see what was happening outside. Today I was wearing a dark blue cheongsam, the color of which seemed even more somber in the dimly lit police station, just like my heavy heart at that moment.

Gu Zixuan was also nervously watching outside behind me. His hand was on my shoulder, and I could feel the warmth of his palm, the only temperature that could give me a little peace of mind at that moment.

The men in black moved swiftly, wielding short knives, and fiercely fought with the police. Although the police outnumbered them, the men in black seemed well-trained, and for a time they were unable to subdue them.

"Who exactly are these people?" I asked Gu Zixuan in a low voice, my voice trembling uncontrollably.

Gu Zixuan shook his head, his eyes filled with vigilance. "Whoever it is, they definitely don't mean any harm. We need to be careful."