At last, something different! Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up, and he immediately straightened his back. "Could there be more to this?"
Elder Zhao nodded slightly and said in a conversational tone:
"After the War of Resistance ended, the Same Boat Society believed it no longer needed to remain hidden and wanted to seize the opportunity to become an official organization in the Second District. So, according to regions, it established seven major branches across the country: North China, Northeast China, East China, Central China, South China, Southwest China, and Northwest China.
"Unexpectedly, fierce conflicts soon erupted within the Same Boat Society. Some people refused to become puppets of the West and left the organization one after another, establishing their own factions. But that was not the fundamental reason for the Same Boat Society's dissolution.
"The real reason was that the comprador government had been driven into a corner, while the new government possessed a powerful sense of sovereignty and a determination never to compromise. Coupled with the intense internal strife in the Same Boat Society and the constant departure of its members, the organization hastily disbanded before it could establish itself as an official organization in the Second District."
Although Elder Zhao had spent a long time laying the groundwork without getting to the point, Zhang Yuanqing and Zhao Chenghuang still listened with great interest.
"The infighting at the North China branch occurred against that backdrop. But it wasn't infighting—it was a massacre." Elder Zhao finally lifted the red bridal veil and entered the heart of the matter.
"A massacre?" Zhang Yuanqing and Zhao Chenghuang exchanged a glance. Zhang Yuanqing pressed, "Who launched the massacre?"
Elder Zhao shook his head. "All I know is that before the Same Boat Society disbanded, the upper ranks of the North China branch suddenly