Chapter 113: Influence

Waibaidu Bridge was a hundred meters long. Li Wensheng walked quickly, crossing it in a little over twenty seconds and entering the central district of the International Settlement.

All around him, the windows of the surrounding buildings had been thrown open, and countless people stood at them, watching him intently.

Their faces were filled with admiration and respect. Not one of them made a sound, afraid that even the slightest disturbance might alarm Li Wensheng.

A patrol squad stood in the street ahead. They had been drinking at a nearby restaurant when they heard the explosion and had rushed over at once.

There were more than a dozen men in the squad, all Chinese.

Li Wensheng swept his eyes over them as though he had not seen them at all and continued walking.

When he drew near, the two patrolmen blocking his path moved aside of their own accord.

As Li Wensheng passed through the squad, the middle-aged man leading them moved his lips ever so slightly.

“If you’re heading back to the French Concession, don’t take Shitan Road. A group of Japanese came to negotiate with the Municipal Council two days ago, and they’re staying at the Takahashi Hotel on Shitan Road.”

Li Wensheng stopped and glanced back at the middle-aged man. He gave a slight nod, then quickened his pace.

A moment later, his figure vanished around a fork in the road some distance ahead. Then came the clatter of windows being shut.

In the blink of an eye, every window in the surrounding buildings slammed closed, and all the lights went out immediately afterward.

A young patrolman turned to the middle-aged man who had warned Li Wensheng and asked, “Captain, what do we do now?”

The middle-aged man glared at him. “What do you mean, what do we do? Go back and keep drinking. We didn’t see anything.”

He then turned to the rest of the squad and said sharply, “Listen carefully. As long as you still acknowledge your ancestors, keep your mouths shut. If I find out that any of you thinks he can abandon his ancestors and run his mouth outside, I, Zhang Dongzhen, will make him regret ever being born.”

The patrolmen shuddered. A man in his early thirties patted his chest. “Don’t worry, Captain. If anyone dares say a word, I’ll throw him into the Huangpu River to feed the fish before you even have to lift a finger.”

“Captain, Deputy Captain, I swear I won’t say a thing.”

“I certainly won’t. If I let anything slip, my father will disown me.”

“My father would break both my legs.”

“Breaking my legs would be getting off lightly. With my old man’s temper, he’d beat me to death.”

Amid the babble of assurances, Zhang Dongzhen laughed. “Come on. Let’s go back and keep drinking. Afterward, we’ll head to the dance hall. We’re celebrating tonight—I’ll find each of you a dancer to drink with.”

While the patrolmen cheered excitedly, Li Wensheng ran into trouble.

After reaching the fork, he turned left and walked on. A few steps later, he made his way toward an alley diagonally across the street.

Once inside, Li Wensheng did not turn left or right. He simply continued straight ahead.

The explosion had been earth-shattering, awakening every resident in the alley. Li Wensheng had observed the area from the entrance. Although the lights in the buildings on both sides had come on, there was no one in the alley, and only then had he dared to proceed.

Perhaps he was eager to leave and therefore less alert to his surroundings. Perhaps the intense pain in both arms had distracted him. Whatever the reason, when he reached the intersection where the cross alley met the one he was following, a man suddenly emerged from the side passage and collided with him.

Li Wensheng immediately took a step back and fixed his gaze on the stranger.

The man was wearing a mask as well. From the outline of his chest, Li Wensheng could tell only that he was male.

When the man saw Li Wensheng, he froze for a moment, then his pupils contracted slightly.

Glancing at the wound on Li Wensheng’s right shoulder, he clasped his hands and said, “Brother, whose bowl do you drink from, and which mountain do you lean on?”

Hearing that clumsy bit of underworld slang, Li Wensheng knew at once that the fellow was a novice who had only just entered the world and did not even know how to speak in code.

Li Wensheng could not be bothered with some fledgling youngster. He continued walking.

After watching him leave, the man breathed a sigh of relief and headed left along the cross alley.

The explosion had awakened residents for several miles in every direction. While many were still wondering what had happened, the Green Gang already knew the truth.

Once the Green Gang learned of it, word quickly spread that the “Lone Wanderer” had fought his way from the northern district of the International Settlement into the central district.

The owners of several newspapers in the French Concession immediately telephoned their editors in chief. The headlines planned for the next day were scrapped, and their staffs worked through the night to write reports on the “Lone Wanderer” fighting his way into the central district from the north.

The major intelligence agencies learned of the news as well and swarmed toward the central district.

In the Japanese camp, as soon as they learned that the assassin who had killed Hirohito had appeared, they reported it to the highest-ranking commander stationed in Shanghai, Vice Admiral Koichi Yamadera.

The moment Yamadera heard the report, he ordered the Army military police to assemble at Waibaidu Bridge. The warships on the Huangpu River also moved immediately, ready to enter the central district at any time.

The Japanese reacted quickly, but the central district was no slower.

Before the Japanese forces could make a move, British and American troops had already assembled at Waibaidu Bridge. British and American warships stationed in Shanghai steamed into the Huangpu River near the bridge.

Several thousand soldiers faced one another across Waibaidu Bridge. The warships of both sides aimed their guns at each other on the river, as though a battle might break out at any moment.

That night, Yamadera Koichi met with representatives of the Municipal Council and the British and American naval commanders stationed in Shanghai.

Japan had already installed a new emperor, but Hirohito’s death was a humiliation for the entire nation. Had the British and French forces not acted so swiftly, Japanese troops would have stormed directly into the central district to search for the assassin.

They could always apologize afterward. Britain and America were hardly likely to declare war on Japan over the matter.

But the British and American forces had moved too quickly for Japan to force its way into the central district. All Yamadera could do was negotiate with the Municipal Council.

The meeting took place at the Mellis Hotel in the central district, near Waibaidu Bridge.

“You cannot harbor the murderer. Hand him over to us, or the Japanese Empire will declare war on you at once.”

With his broad, fleshy face and furious expression, Yamadera looked terrifying.

After the interpreter translated his words into English, the representatives of the Municipal Council had not yet spoken when—

Bang!

British Rear Admiral Stephen slammed his palm onto the table and roared, “Do you really think Great Britain is afraid of you?”

When the interpreter rendered Stephen’s words into Japanese and repeated them into Yamadera’s ear, Yamadera shot to his feet and glared at Stephen.

“Then we shall meet on the battlefield.”

Yamadera’s words were fierce, but he did not move.

He had spoken only to frighten the British and Americans. He would never dare to walk out and order his troops to open fire.

Japan’s decision to go to war with Britain and America was not something a vice admiral could make on his own. If war broke out because of him, he would be court-martialed.

After the interpreter translated Yamadera’s words into English, Stephen rose and strode toward the exit, shouting angrily, “Fire even one bullet, and we shall meet on the battlefield. Great Britain fears no war!”

Britain was still the empire on which the sun never set, and the British were proud to a fault. Even though Japan had more soldiers in Shanghai at present, Stephen was not afraid that Yamadera would launch a war against the British forces.

Stephen did not make it outside. The Municipal Council representatives hurried forward and seized hold of him.

They had no desire to see a battle break out. They were in Shanghai to make money; if war erupted, what money would there be to make?

After several attempts to calm him, they persuaded the visibly displeased Stephen to return to his seat.

No one needed to persuade Yamadera. He obediently sat down as well.

Stephen’s reaction had frightened him. He had not expected the admiral to be so uncompromising and no longer dared to issue further threats.

The Municipal Council wanted a settlement, and after being frightened by Stephen, Yamadera had become much more cooperative. Half an hour later, they reached an agreement.

Japan would be permitted to send one hundred men in civilian clothing into the central district to conduct a search. They were not to disturb or alarm the residents, and the operation would last no more than half a month.

Once the agreement was concluded, Yamadera immediately ordered elite agents from the Special Higher Police to enter the central district and begin searching.

By then, Li Wensheng had already returned to the French Concession.