Shanghai in the Republican Era

Chapter 106 Exquisite Attire: A Mysterious Warehouse Exploration Journey Through the Turbulent Repub

"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."

Suddenly, a man in black rushed towards our room. My heart clenched, and I instinctively took a step back. Gu Zixuan shielded me behind him, his body tense, like a cheetah ready to pounce.

The man in black quickly reached the door and slammed it shut. One slam, two slams—the dull thuds seemed to strike my heart.

"You two step back!" Gu Zixuan said to me and Shen Wanqing in a low voice.

Shen Wanqing hid in the corner, her eyes filled with terror. I held her hand tightly, and we huddled together, our eyes fixed on the doorway.

With a loud crash, the door was kicked open. A man in black stood in the doorway, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

"Come with us!" the man in black said coldly.

"Who are you? Why are you taking us away?" Gu Zixuan questioned.

The man in black did not answer, but simply approached us.

Gu Zixuan rushed forward and began fighting the man in black. His fist, filled with rage, swung fiercely at the man. The man in black dodged to the side and then thrust his short knife at Gu Zixuan. Gu Zixuan leaned back, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

I was frantic and looked around for something to help. Suddenly, I saw a vase on the table. I rushed over, grabbed the vase, and smashed it at the man in black.

"Ah!" The man in black cried out in pain as he was hit by the vase.

This seemed to enrage him. He abandoned his entanglement with Gu Zixuan and turned to pounce on me.

Seeing this, Gu Zixuan quickly grabbed the man in black from behind and forcefully threw him to the ground.

Just then, more men in black rushed in. They surrounded us, and the situation was very unfavorable for us.

"What exactly do you want?" I shouted angrily.

One of the men in black seemed to be the leader. He looked at me and then said, "Miss Lin, we're here to rescue you. It's dangerous for you here. Coming with us is the wise choice."

"Save us? Why should we believe you?" Gu Zixuan said, panting heavily.

The leader of the men in black sneered. "Mr. Gu, do you think you have any other choice now? If you stay here, you'll only be framed even more."

A thought struck me; his words seemed to make some sense. However, these people had appeared suddenly, and we had no idea where they came from. Going with them would undoubtedly be jumping from one danger into another unknown one.

“Who sent you? We won’t go with you until you explain yourself,” I said firmly.

The leader of the men in black hesitated for a moment, then said, "We are commissioned by a mysterious person. This mysterious person does not want to see you wronged, so he sent us to rescue you."

"A mysterious person? Who is it?" Gu Zixuan pressed.

“We don’t know either, we’re just following orders,” the leader of the men in black replied.

Just as we were hesitating, the police outside seemed to have received reinforcements and began to fight back against the men in black.

Seeing that things were going badly, the leader of the men in black whispered, "There's no time left. If you don't leave now, it will be too late."

Gu Zixuan looked at me, his eyes full of questions. I bit my lip, feeling very conflicted.

“We’ll go with them!” I finally made up my mind.

Gu Zixuan nodded, and then we followed the men in black as they escaped from the police station amidst the chaos.

Led by the men in black, we wandered through the alleyways of Shanghai. My heart was pounding; I had no idea what awaited us.

Finally, we arrived at a remote warehouse.

The leader of the men in black opened the warehouse door, revealing a dimly lit interior.

"Why did you bring us here?" I asked warily.

The leader of the men in black said, "Miss Lin, Mr. Gu, you should hide here for now. Once things have calmed down, we will arrange for you to leave Shanghai."

“Leave Shanghai? What will happen to our textile factory? We can’t just leave like this,” I said firmly.

“Miss Lin, you are in dire straits right now. If you don’t leave, you will not only lose the textile factory, but your lives may also be in danger,” said the leader of the men in black.

Just as we were arguing, a slight cough suddenly came from inside the warehouse.

We were all startled and looked toward the source of the sound.

A figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

"You've finally arrived," the figure said.

When he stepped into the light, I was surprised to find that he was the mysterious man who had once provided us with trade secrets.