Chapter 124: Borrowing Momentum

"Sir, why did you agree to help Boss Bai purchase shares in the New Stage?" Su Xing asked, puzzled, as they rode back in the car.

"Do you think I still have the influence to get those people to support Bai Yulan remaining on the Board of Directors?"

"This..."

"Even though she has lost much of her standing and no longer meets the requirements for the General Chamber of Commerce board, if she were to turn around and support Qin the Seventh, her influence would sway quite a few people. Plus, she has Zhou Sen behind her," Su Wenqing said.

"Zhou Sen? Does he really possess that much power?"

"Zhou Sen's mentor is a student of Saburo Shibuya, the Deputy Chief of the Police Department." Su Wenqing finally revealed this "secret."

"Ah..." Su Xing was shocked, finally understanding why a man as unyielding as his master would bow and concede this time.

"But Boss Bai hates the Japanese the most. Why would she do this now?" Su Xing was also very confused.

"Once some people make up their minds, their actions can be more terrifying than you could ever imagine!" Su Wenqing closed his eyes and sighed. How was he to know that Saburo Shibuya had told him such a colossal lie?

"By the way, regarding what Bai Yulan said today about Zhou Sen being shot at, have Old Four look into it in detail when he returns. See if she said it on purpose or if there is any truth to it," Su Wenqing instructed.

"Yes, sir, I have noted it."

...

"Xiao Sen, there is no one in Ice City that Su Wenqing fears, except for the Japanese." Bai Yulan and Zhou Sen had returned to the backyard.

"That's right, the Japanese were indeed the ones applying pressure on him from behind the scenes this time," Zhou Sen admitted directly. "I simply leveraged their power. If I hadn't, I would have faced endless trouble."

"The Japanese are even harder to deal with than Su Wenqing. If you leverage their power, you will inevitably have to pay it back tenfold, even a hundredfold," Bai Yulan said with concern.

"I know, but my situation... I didn't want to drag you into this, but by the time I realized it, it was too late to cut ties." Zhou Sen sighed. "I'm sorry, I pulled you into this dangerous whirlpool."

Bai Yulan remained silent. Although she had guessed as much, hearing it from Zhou Sen was different.

"Yulan, I won't lie to you. The Japanese want me to work for them. It's not that I don't want to refuse, but I feel that refusal isn't the best choice. It's not like they would stop their conspiracies just because I refused; they would simply find someone else. So why not feign agreement and ultimately sabotage their plans?" Zhou Sen was very sincere, but also very nervous.

If Bai Yulan had some hidden, special identity, he would be finished. He needed someone he could trust to help share the psychological burden. He knew some things shouldn't be told to outsiders, even to one's partner, but how long could he keep it hidden? If Bai Yulan helped provide cover, he could accomplish many things. He had so few people he could trust. Wu En could, but he wasn't sharp-witted. Only with Bai Yulan could he say something and have her understand it instantly without wasting effort. He knew some things couldn't be said, but was silence the best result? Not necessarily; it could even be worse. He needed understanding and support.

"Xiao Sen, do you remember what you said to me?" Bai Yulan was slightly moved. She also had secrets, but she lacked the courage to tell him now.

"I will not become a traitor, and I will not do anything to betray my country or my people, right?" Zhou Sen said.

"Yes. As long as you remember those words, I believe in you. Whatever you want to do, I will support you from behind," Bai Yulan said slowly.

"Thank you for understanding me, Yulan," Zhou Sen said. "Now that Su Wenqing knows my identity, he will surely misunderstand you, thinking you have also bowed to reality and are no longer the 'Boss Bai' of the past."

"Didn't General Ma Zhanshan also lean toward the Japanese for a while? Yet it was later proven that everything he did was merely enduring humiliation for a greater cause. He never actually changed, did he?" Bai Yulan said.

"Old Ma wouldn't happen to be..."

"Although the character 'Ma' is written the same, they aren't actually related. Don't overthink it." Bai Yulan smiled.

"I know. I'm going back to lie down," Zhou Sen chuckled.

"I'll walk you over..." A rare display of initiative.

...

"A-Xiang, send a message to Uncle Chang. Tell him I need people here. Tell him to bring the others down from the mountain and come to Ice City immediately!" Bai Yulan emerged from Zhou Sen's room, called A-Xiang over, and whispered the instruction.

"Sister Lan, if Uncle Chang comes down, do we still need to keep people on the mountain?"

"No need, just seal it up for now," Bai Yulan said after a moment's thought.

"Yes."

...

"Anna, tell me, why do you come here every day? I'm a man with a fiancée; I'm spoken for. It's really inappropriate for a man and a woman to be alone in a room together. Why don't you go help me develop that roll of film? I have a darkroom here anyway..." Zhou Sen felt helpless about Anna's daily visits but couldn't seem to chase her away.

"Fine, the food at Ningxiang Pavilion is good. As long as you feed me, I'll develop the photos for you." Anna agreed immediately. She was idle anyway.

"Then go. Let Wu En take you. Don't wander around; Ningxiang Pavilion is undergoing internal renovations. If you fall into a hole and no one notices, it'll be troublesome," Zhou Sen waved his hand impatiently.

"Alright, I'm going. Remember, you're treating me to a meal."

...

The sisters remaining at Ningxiang Pavilion no longer spent their days playing cards or chess; they had thrown themselves into work. These women all had some talents, such as embroidery or knitting. The teahouse would need handicrafts for its decor. Rather than buying them elsewhere, it was better to make them themselves. If the teahouse purchased their finished crafts, they would even have a chance to leave their mark. This naturally boosted their morale—it was better than wasting time every day. Others began learning how to keep accounts and manage the business. Ningxiang Pavilion's transformation needed to start with the people; everyone had to learn new skills. Otherwise, when a woman's youth faded, how many years could she rely on her looks? Were they supposed to live in poverty when they grew old?

Once Bai Yulan made up her mind to transform, she was quite thorough. She had already planned many things in her heart; she just hadn't had the opportunity to implement them. Plus, with fewer people now, it was easier. The "Sen" Teahouse would be renovated and opened early—partly to test the waters and build the brand, and partly to give everyone a chance to intern and gain experience.

...

At the New Stage, owner Tang Peiyuan's office.

Tang Peiyuan was in his early fifties. He wasn't a local of Ice City; his ancestors had come from the "Chuang Guandong" migration. However, the Tang family had been there for quite some time and were considered a prestigious local family.

They say Northerners love dry tobacco and Southerners love water pipes, but Tang Peiyuan, a Northerner, preferred water pipes, specifically the square-cut tobacco from Shaanxi. So, unless he was hosting guests, one could always see him holding a water pipe, which was custom-made from silver.

*Gurgle, gurgle...*

A match burned out. After exhaling a cloud of smoke, Tang Peiyuan used a silver needle to flick away the ash.

"Band Leader Sun, have you considered it?"

"Boss Tang, regarding your terms, I went back and discussed them with Xiao Rou. Could you be a bit more accommodating? For example, reducing the number of times she has to perform each month, or increasing the percentage based on the table occupancy rate..."

"Band Leader Sun, don't think that just because Xiao Xiangning is popular, you can negotiate terms with me. I can make her a superstar today, and leave her forgotten tomorrow. Also, Xiao Xiangning must come to accompany me for a night. That is the rule." Tang Peiyuan snorted coldly.

"But my Xiao Rou is still a virgin..."

"So what if she's a virgin? I'll just give her a big red envelope when the time comes." Tang Peiyuan didn't care at all. She was just an actress. He ran a theater; he had played with countless actresses over the years, and he had seen his fair share of virgins.

"This..." Sun Qingkui had been counting on selling Jiang Rou for a good price. With Tang Peiyuan acting like this, wouldn't he be losing money?

"Enough. As long as she is willing to come and serve me well, everything is negotiable. You may go." Tang Peiyuan waved his hand. "Don't think about going to other stages. You know my influence. In this small patch of Ice City, if a troupe like yours wants to survive, you have to follow my rules."

"Yes, yes, Boss Tang. I will go back and persuade Xiao Rou again." Sun Qingkui quickly agreed, bowing his head and wiping sweat from his forehead as he left.

"Ungrateful wretch!" Tang Peiyuan watched Sun Qingkui leave with cold contempt and cursed.

...

Front did not bring the key to see Zhou Sen immediately. Instead, he took the replica key and returned to Zhou Sen's house once more. Although he hadn't found the lock that matched the key, he wasn't ready to give up. After all, wasn't this very bronze key something he had found only because he hadn't given up?

If he could find the lock himself, why would he need to seek out Zhou Sen? Then the credit would be his alone. Even if Zhou Sen were indispensable to the upcoming plan, he could still secure a more important position for himself. As a defector, his position was neither high nor low, which was the most awkward situation to be in. If he were just a common pawn, the Japanese would drain his value, let him go, and leave him to fend for himself—which would essentially mean freedom. As long as he ran far enough, he would be free of his shackles. But as someone in the middle, who held certain secrets but was not privy to the core ones, he had only one fate if he left the protection of the Japanese: to die with no place to be buried.

So he didn't go to the "Sen" shop; he went directly to the Anthony Company. If the lock wasn't in his home, it was most likely hidden at the company.

Ivanovich, naturally, was very annoyed with this defector from the Soviet Union. He didn't dare to openly refuse Front's presence at the company, but he had people watch him to see what he was really looking for. Who was to say that he, Ivanovich, wasn't truly better than Anthony?

"Boss, I've been secretly observing him for a long time. This guy seems to be looking for a lock..." Soon, Ivanovich received the news.

No matter how Front tried to cover it up, he was looking for something—that much was certain. As for what, he clearly didn't want anyone to know, but others weren't fools. Observing the frequency with which he focused on certain objects, they could naturally guess what he wanted. Ivanovich guessed a bit about Front's background; he didn't believe a former Soviet agent would be searching for a mere lock. He was likely looking for what the lock secured.

"Go, help me set up a meeting with Mr. Migunov. I'm inviting him to dinner at the Hotel Moderne tonight," Ivanovich instructed his trusted subordinate.

"Very well, sir."