Beiyang Dream

Chapter 66 Haruko, once you get off the ship, you'll be completely under my control!

Chapter 66 Haruko, once you get off the ship, you'll be completely under my control!

February 21, 1891, Saturday. 2:40 PM, one and a half days before the Britannia arrives in Singapore.

Off the coast of George Town Pier in Penang, on the berth of the Britannia, the sun beat down on the deck. Chang Desheng sat with his legs crossed under the sunshade of a coffee shop. The black coffee in his hand was long since cold. These foreigners, who loved its bitter taste, which tasted like herbal medicine, insisted on adding sugar and milk, making it neither sweet nor bitter. He smacked his lips, thinking to himself, "If I hadn't been staying up all night watching the stock market in my past life, who would drink this stuff?"

Sitting opposite were Shang Dequan, Wu Dingyuan, and Kong Qingtang, his "direct henchmen." Shang Dequan was honest, Wu Dingyuan was quick-witted, and Kong Qingtang was taciturn. The three of them sitting together looked like a crosstalk comedian with an audience member.

Down on the main deck, Hessman and a few of his men were playing a game of football with the British sailors. The ball was made of pig bladder wrapped in leather, making a thumping sound when kicked. The Germans and British didn't speak the same language, but they didn't need a translator—they passed the ball around, tackled it, and when they knocked each other down, they got up, patted each other on the shoulder, and grinned.

"These foreigners," Wu Dingyuan watched with great interest, "play football like they're in a war."

"Absolutely," Kong Qingtang muttered in response. "Look at that big guy, he could kick a ball up the mast with one kick."

Chang Desheng absentmindedly grunted an "Mmm," his eyes not on the ball, but glancing sideways at the other end of the coffee shop.

The old accounts in my mind have been reopened.

Hessmann's team consisted of twenty-three men, each earning a monthly salary of seven thousand marks, equivalent to over a thousand taels of silver. Expensive, truly expensive. But some jobs required a white face to get done—in those days, a foreign face was a passport, a deterrent. This money was well spent.

Fortunately, he didn't have to pay for it. The Luo and Zhang families of Nanyang, weren't they all built on mountains of gold and silver? He, Changde Sheng, relied on his connections and connections: his sugar daddy provided the money—that's called resource integration, making money together.

The Britannia will arrive in Singapore early tomorrow morning. He booked the ship tickets and the cargo hold booked by Schneider Electric, all for Singapore.

But he couldn't actually go to Singapore.

Why? Because Singapore is the headquarters of the British Far East, with strict customs, numerous informants, and a concentration of various powerful forces. The risk of those 300 tons of cargo being unloaded there is off the charts!

What's more troublesome is that he's now being watched by the Japanese devils, and female spies have been sent to his side!

Moreover, this female agent and Jingrou are old acquaintances. Could the organization behind her not guess what kind of deal he has with the Lanfang Luo family?

When the British water police in Singapore come to handle the case, Chang Desheng will have to deal with it for half a day, not to mention what other traps might be waiting for him there!

So we need to find a better place to disembark.

Where to go? Of course, it's Penang right here. This is Cheong Bi-shih's territory. The British have only about a hundred troops stationed here, and the local "Commissioner John" have long been fed. The Japanese have virtually no influence here.

It is not only safe, but also controllable.

The reason for disembarking at Penang was not only to evade searches by British police and assassinations by Japanese spies, but also to keep Haruko Okura under his control.

This female spy, who had boarded the ship in Berlin a month and a half ago, had become as close to Luo Jingrou as sisters. They read together, took walks together, and often squeezed into a cabin to chat until midnight. Luo Jingrou was also quite the actress; even though she knew the other woman was a spy, she still held her hand and said, "We'll be best friends for life."

And Qingzi? She's always the same gentle and kind person, speaking softly, her eyes curving into crescents when she looks at people, with shallow dimples. For every ten sentences Luo Jingrou says, she replies with one, but her replies always touch the heart.

Furthermore, the white assassin arrested on the Britannia was interrogated by the crew and Wolfgang. He was likely a paid fugitive who insisted he was a member of the Pan-Germanic Association and wanted to "intimidate" Chang Desheng by pulling out a gun because he disapproved of Chang's frequenting of the first-class dining room, which was supposed to be reserved for white people...

In short, the blame cannot be placed on the Japanese or Haruko at all.

It doesn't fit at all!

It was simply impossible to catch her out on the Britannia.

The only solution is to get her off the ship!

Thinking of this, Chang Desheng subconsciously took out the Patek Philippe from his pocket and opened the watch cover.

2:40 PM.

"Brother Zhenbang," Shang Dequan leaned closer and asked in a low voice in Tianjin dialect, "You've checked your watch three or four times already, who are you waiting for?"

Chang Desheng's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm, chuckled, put his watch away, and gestured towards the railing with his chin: "Waiting for them. Look, they've been chatting for almost an hour, what are they going to say?"

But in his heart he thought: This kid has a sharp eye. But it's good, I'll use him more often in the future, as his eyes and ears.

Shang Dequan followed his gaze and grinned, "Girls are all like that—"

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze suddenly fixed on the distant sea.

"?" Shang Dequan pointed, "Brother Zhenbang, look at that ship, what's its background? And it's flying the flag of our Great Qing Dynasty?"

Chang Desheng turned his head to look.

On the azure sea, a white steam yacht with a black smokestack was chugging towards us. The hull was long and slender, and it looked like it could seat twenty or thirty people. On the mast at the bow, there was indeed a yellow flag with a blue dragon, which fluttered in the sea breeze.

Chang Desheng felt relieved.

coming.

"Old Zhang's Wine Boat" has arrived.

He had to maintain his facade, squinting and deliberately frowning: "Yes—whose boat is that? Hmm, it looks like it's heading this way?"

The yacht arrived quickly, reaching the side of the Britannia in just a few minutes. It slowed down and joined the ship. The sailors on the Britannia threw out a mooring line, which the sailors on the Britannia caught, and the two ships slowly came together.

What was even more striking was that the Britannia's first mate—a Scotsman with a full beard—personally went to the gangway and even straightened his uniform buttons, as if to welcome a VIP.

"There's going to be some excitement," Chang Desheng stood up, patted the hem of his robe, "Let's go take a look."

Even without looking, it was obvious that the visitor was Zhang Bishi. The pomp and circumstance were truly impressive; he was the richest man in Southeast Asia, a local bigwig in Penang, and even the British had to give him face.

Once the person (Haruko) and the goods (weapons) arrive in Penang, everything will be under control.

Luo Jingrou also pulled Qingzi over there. Six men and women, four Beiyang officers in long robes and mandarin jackets, and two beautiful young women in Western clothes, walked together in that direction, standing out conspicuously among the crowd on the deck.

Just as I squeezed to the front row, there was a commotion at the other end of the escalator.

Two strong men came up first, dressed in shorts, with their backs straight. After boarding the boat, they separated to the left and right, their hands seemingly resting on their waists—Chang Desheng could tell at a glance that their posture indicated they were ready to draw their guns at any moment.

Then, the main character came up.

Chang Desheng was secretly pleased when he saw the man's appearance clearly.

Zhang Bishi is completely different from his fifth brother, Zhang Zhensheng.

Zhang Zhensheng looked like a gang leader who ran errands at the docks; he spoke frankly and acted efficiently. The "Third Brother" before him, however, was dressed in a brand-new, dark blue satin robe befitting a fourth-rank civil official, embroidered with wild geese and clouds on his chest, wearing a peacock feather hat, and thick-soled official boots. He was in his forties, overweight, with a round face and two meticulously trimmed mustaches.

In this sweltering heat, wearing this outfit—doesn't it feel stifling?

But he was quite the air man. Once aboard, he first bowed to the Scottish first mate and spoke in fluent English: "Thank you for your trouble. I am Zhang Bishi, the Qing Dynasty's consul in Penang. I have come on orders from Li Hongzhang to find Chang Desheng, the Beiyang Army's inspection commissioner, to deliver a telegram. Please inform him."

His voice was loud and clear, full of energy, and most of the people on the deck could hear it.

Chang Desheng thought to himself, "This play is a complete production. From costumes to lines to expressions, everything is meticulous; this is the quality of a professional actor. I need to learn from that."

He quickly squeezed through the crowd, stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "This humble official is Chang Desheng. I was unaware of Consul Zhang's arrival and have failed to greet you properly."

Zhang Bishi turned his head, looked him up and down, and returned the greeting with clasped hands: "So you are Lord Chang! I have long admired you. I am Zhang Bishi, and I am honored to hold the position of consul in Penang by the grace of the court." As he spoke, he took out a document sleeve from his sleeve and handed it over with both hands, "A telegram has arrived from Li Hongzhang, please take a look, Commissioner Chang."

Chang Desheng accepted the document with both hands, secretly amused: This act was really well done. The official envelope was properly sealed with the sealing wax stamp, and there was no need to look inside; it was probably just blank paper, or perhaps a couple of innocuous polite words written on it.

He was pretending to take it apart when Luo Jingrou pulled Qingzi over and squeezed in with him.

"Third Uncle!" Luo Jingrou called out in a clear voice.

Zhang Bishi turned his head in surprise and saw Luo Jingrou. His round face instantly lit up with joy: "Arou?! How come you—" He quickly stepped forward and looked her over carefully. "Oh my, it really is Arou! You've grown so much! When did you come back from Europe? Does your father know?"

"Just got back, the ship stopped here." Luo Jingrou smiled, revealing two dimples, and then pulled Haruko over. "Third Uncle, this is my good friend, Miss Haruko Okura from the Okura family in Japan. Haruko, this is my third uncle."

Haruko stepped forward, bowed, and said in much more fluent Chinese, "Consul Zhang, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take good care of me."

"Oh, Miss Okura, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Zhang Bishi said with a beaming smile and an extremely warm tone. "Since you're all Arou's friends, then you're one of us."

He turned to Chang Desheng, lowering his voice, but those around him could still hear: "Lord Chang, this matter in the telegram isn't urgent. Since you've arrived in Penang, please allow me, Zhang, to extend my hospitality. My humble abode is on the island, and I've prepared a modest feast; please do me the honor of staying for a couple of days. As for the ship's departure—" He waved his hand, saying generously, "I also have two small steamships at home, and going to Singapore is commonplace for me. I can simply take you there; it certainly won't delay your journey!"

Luo Jingrou immediately replied, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Third Uncle!"

Chang Desheng gave a wry smile, as if to say, "Consul Zhang is so kind; it would be impolite of me to refuse. However, there are still a few of us in our group..."

"Please! Please!" Zhang Bishi waved his hand dismissively, displaying a certain chivalrous spirit. "Lord Chang's companion is my honored guest!"

Chang Desheng turned to Shang Dequan and said, "Zichun, go and invite Brother Zhiquan. Dingyuan and Wenchi, please go back to your cabin and pack your belongings—we're going to Consul Zhang's residence for a couple of days."

"6

He then looked at Luo Jingrou.

Luo Jingrou understood, took Qingzi's hand, and asked with a smile, "Qingzi, want to come along? The ship will be docked until tomorrow morning anyway, it'll be so boring on the ship."

Haruko's heart skipped a beat.

We were supposed to go to Singapore, so why did we get off the ship in Penang?

That's not right.

The plan already had a trap set up in Singapore! Three scenarios, twelve people, three points of contact—from the pier to the hotel and then to the main route—three groups of people. Once Chang Desheng set foot on Singaporean soil, he wouldn't survive three days.

But now————

A joyful smile bloomed on her face, her eyes curving into crescents, revealing shallow dimples. "Okay! Thank you, Sister Jingrou, thank you, Consul Zhang." She paused, then added softly, with just the right amount of shyness, "But—wouldn't that be too much of a bother? I'm not alone—"

"No problem, no problem!" Zhang Bishi laughed heartily. "It's more fun with more people!"

Chang Desheng stood aside, watching Qingzi's flawless performance.

Haruko, this female spy, has reached a level of acting mastery.

But no matter how good her acting is, if she's serious, she can still be persuaded to open her mouth.

Singapore was British territory, and there was also a Japanese consulate there. If they really killed her, the British would cause trouble, and the Japanese consulate would be even more furious—this was also the reason why Chang Desheng did not touch Haruko on the Britannia.

But in Penang, in Pontianak....

There are plenty of ways to deal with her!

He might even be able to use her to lure out Japan's intelligence resources in Southeast Asia and give them a piece of his mind... Southeast Asia will be the "supply route" for his "Beiyang clique" in the future, so he can't let the little devils stir up trouble!

Qingzi followed Luo Jingrou to the cabin to pack her luggage. The sea breeze blew her light blue dress, making her look particularly serene.

She entered the cabin and began packing her luggage with her two personal maids. Her movements were gentle and methodical, just like a true heiress.

But in his mind, he was quickly making plans.

Do you have any of our own people in Penang?

Definitely!

Wherever there are "Nanyang Sisters," there are the eyes and ears of the Xuanyang Society!

However, they couldn't carry out the assassination in Penang... The Zhang family had long since taken control of the area, and the British had been bribed. Moreover, the local community was Chinese, so the Xuan Yang Society was powerless to stop them.

But what exactly was Chang Desheng's true intention?

Did he truly realize that a deadly trap awaited him in Singapore, or was he simply shaken by the assassination attempt on the ship? Or was he planning to collude with those in Penang and Southeast Asia?

Besides, I... haven't been exposed, have I?

Haruko paused.

There shouldn't be any... then there's no problem.

Chang Desheng couldn't stay in Penang forever; he had to leave eventually... His next stop would be either Singapore or Pontianak.

The Genyosha has arrangements in both of these places!

She folded a silk nightgown and put it into the box, her movements still gentle.

Two hours later, in downtown Singapore, a thousand miles away.

In a narrow alley near Chinatown, the "Lok Sin Tong" herbal medicine shop still has its lights on.

Behind the counter, Yamazaki Kosaburo, using the alias "Chang Zhicheng," sat with his legs crossed, flipping through a copy of "Compendium of Materia Medica" by the light of an oil lamp.

He wore round glasses and a worn-out silk shirt, looking like a doctor or a down-on-his-luck scholar.

The cotton curtain was lifted, and a person slipped in.

The man, dressed like a laborer, was short and thin. After entering, he glanced around to make sure no one was around before quickly walking to the counter. He took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, handed it to the counter with both hands, and said in a low voice in Japanese, "Yamazaki-kun, a telegram from Fukuoka."

Yamazaki Kosaburo (pseudonym Chang Zhicheng) raised his eyelids, took the paper, and unfolded it.

Under the lamplight, there was only one line of text on the paper:

.

"My younger sister has arrived in Penang and is temporarily staying at the Zhang family's house. Her husband is with her, but their schedule has changed. We will let you know when she will leave the island later."

Chang Zhicheng stared at the line of text for a full five seconds.

His lips twitched slightly.

Then he held the paper up to the flame of the oil lamp.

The paper curled up, charred black, turned to ash, and fell to the bottom of the brass lamp.

"Little Sister" is Haruko's code name.

"Sponsoring the Zhang family" means that she moved into Zhang Bishi's residence with Chang Desheng and his party.

"Brother-in-law" refers to Chang Desheng.

"The schedule has changed" refers to the change in Changdesheng's route.

They haven't said where it's going yet, but we can guess roughly.

Chang Zhicheng pushed up his glasses and gently tapped his fingertip on the section on "Bee Products - Royal Jelly" in the Compendium of Materia Medica.

He muttered to himself, "Singapore won't work—then Pontianak will do—"

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