"Judging from his cautious demeanor, his business probably isn't very large, so it's unlikely he's lying to me. If he's a small factory owner, and then has a reason for Yu Shiting to meet him, could it really be that Yu Shiting's stunningly beautiful adopted daughter is looking for a husband? And has taken a fancy to this promising young man, Mr. Song? I'm not less handsome than Mr. Song, and even if I'm a few years older, it shouldn't be that bad, unless..."
Tan Jingwei spoke lightly and jokingly in the first few sentences, but when he uttered the last two words, his eyes lost all their frivolity and became as sharp as an eagle's.
"Unless, this Mr. Song is an envoy."
Fourth Brother: "In a conflict between two nations, envoys are not to be killed."
The next second, Tan Jingwei, his face full of regret, exaggeratedly slapped his thigh. "Oh dear! I should have suddenly attacked and tried to kill Mr. Song when Uncle Shui said we were one family in the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. What a pity, what a pity!"
Fourth Brother looked at Tan Jingwei: "Mr. Tam, next time we meet, will you kill them or not?"
Tan Jingwei glanced at his Fourth Brother with a half-smile, then turned and walked towards the chessboard. "Come on, let's play a game."
Song Tianyao and Huang Liu followed Uncle Shui to see Yu Shiting. Song Tianyao didn't react much to Uncle Shui walking ahead, but Huang Liu, who had practiced martial arts, stared at Uncle Shui, who was wearing a pointed satin hat and a mandarin jacket, from behind. When they arrived at Yu Shiting's study, Huang Liu's eyebrows were already furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Song Tianyao asked Huang Liu.
At this moment, Uncle Shui had already turned around and bowed slightly to Song Tianyao: "Mr. Song, the master is inside the room, please come in?"
Song Tianyao brought his mouth slightly closer to Huang Liu's. "No trouble allowed. If anyone's going to cause trouble, it'll be me."
After speaking, Song Tianyao stepped into the antique-style study with the plaque "Xide Study" hanging on it.
Outside, Uncle Shui stood respectfully outside the study door, his ears perked up, seemingly ready to respond to any instructions from inside.
Huang Liu looked Uncle Shui up and down, and finally couldn't help but speak up, "Old sir, I was a little impolite when I Yu Zhenzhong last time, please forgive me."
Uncle Shui slightly raised his eyelids, looked at Huang Liu, and said calmly, "Mr. Huang, you were disrespectful to the young master, why are you apologizing to me?"
"Is there a Braid hidden under your hat?" Huang Liu asked, glancing at the hat on Uncle Shui's head.
"You know me?" Uncle Shui was somewhat taken aback. "I didn't expect that anyone in a small place like Hong Kong would recognize me?"
Huang Liu shook his head slightly. "I don't recognize you. I just noticed. You've lost all ten fingernails, and you always walk with your shoulders slightly hunched, seemingly hunched over, but actually you're tucking your neck in to conserve energy. I've heard my father and cousin mention that Mr. Zhang, nicknamed 'Braid,' from the French Concession in Shanghai Bund, and Mr. He from Macau, sent people to Shanghai many times to invite you to Macau, but you refused each time. I never expected to see you in Hong Kong today."
If Song Tianyao hadn't gone into the study, he would definitely have asked Uncle Shui for an autograph. The Gao-Tao Incident has been made into countless films and television dramas, and the people involved in the rescue have also given rise to names such as the Eight Great Bodyguards Thirteen Bodyguards. The most famous of these is Zhang Che's "The Thirteen Bodyguards of Shanghai Bund".
The frail-looking Uncle Shui standing before Huang Liu was none other than one of the experts who participated in the rescue of Gao Tao and his family in Shanghai Bund thirteen years ago, nicknamed Braid.
At Lu Yu Teahouse in Hong Kong, storytellers occasionally recount that legendary tale from back then, and they always begin by saying one sentence to reserve the place:
Braids, marbles, double-edged swords, rescuing Gao Tao at Whampoa Wharf.
Uncle Shui is ranked first among the three masters.
This is why Huang Liu took the initiative to admit his mistake after recognizing the other party's identity. He wasn't afraid of dying at the other party's hands; he was afraid that if they didn't reach an agreement today, not only would he die, but Song Tianyao would probably not survive either.
Chapter 481 Turning Against Each Other
Huang Liu had never seen the famous Braid in Shanghai Bund thirteen years ago, nor did he know that the old steward in front of him was the chivalrous hero who once roamed Shanghai Bund and left behind a reputation for chivalry.
He used to work for the He Family in Macau. His cousin Huang Ziya and father Huang Sen were well-known figures in Hong Kong and Macau, but on a national scale, they were just unknown minor figures. Before liberation, whether in the underworld or the business world, to become famous nationwide, one had to make a name for oneself in Shanghai Bund.
Back then in Shanghai Bund, there weren't many other figures whose names Huang Liu could remember, whether from the political, business, or cultural spheres. They were simply too far removed from his life. So, while in Macau, Huang Liu Huang Liu mostly Shanghai Bund the Shanghai underworld figures. From the distant past, like the brother and sister duo Ma Yongzhen and Ma Suzhen from the late Qing Shanghai Bund, who famously sang "Return to the Past," to the numerous martial arts masters who made their names in the Republic of China era, Huang Liu heard the most about them. First and foremost was Wang Yaqiao, a marksman of unparalleled skill, fiercely opposed to evil, and capable of killing in a fit of rage. Others included the dashing gunslinger Zhan Sen, who roamed the bustling city and struck fear into the hearts of Collaborator, known as the top assassin of the Juntong Lin Huaibu; Lin Huaibu, Du Yuesheng's Collaborator lieutenant to Zhang Xiaolin; and even Wu Sibao, the lawless and traitorous No. 76 gunman who even robbed the Japan of their gold. These names, active in Shanghai Bund, made Huang Liu wish he had been born a few years earlier so he could go to Shanghai Bund and compete with these people.
Among the martial arts masters he had heard of in Shanghai Bund, there was one called "Braid," who wore a Manchu-style pointed satin hat, which was extremely rare in the Republic of China era. Underneath the hat, his Braid was coiled up. He had no fingernails on either hand, and his fingers looked thicker and shorter than those of ordinary people. If someone fit these two descriptions, it wouldn't be unusual. But the one in front of him was probably the only one who always walked with his neck tucked in and his shoulders hunched, ready to swing his head and hurt someone with the Braid hidden under his hat.
"Give me an autograph, senior?" After Uncle Shui admitted that he was the famous "Quick Knife Braid" of Shanghai Bund back in the day, Huang Liu immediately revealed a fawning smile, "I've been learning swordsmanship since I was a child, and my uncles have mentioned you to me, saying that your swordsmanship is unpredictable and mysterious. I've always held you in high esteem..."
Just then, a loud "crack" sound came from the study, like the sound of porcelain breaking on the floor!