A secret bounty backfires

Li Bingkun had been extremely frustrated lately, feeling that nothing was going his way.

The Japanese were taking an increasing dislike to him, and his superior had been dragged down with him. Kuroiwa had hauled his superior in and berated him several times. Some time ago, he had also lost half a year's salary for no reason.

Looking back on everything that had happened recently, it all seemed inextricably linked to one person-Shen Yan!

He had to find a way to get rid of him!

As for the consequences, Shanghai was so chaotic these days that people died every day. If Shen Yan died, it had to have been the underground party or the Military Statistics Bureau!

But Kuroiwa had just warned him, so he would have to be more discreet about it.

After thinking for a long time, Li Bingkun picked up the telephone on his desk.

Old Chen met Sun Baoshan at a teahouse by the City God Temple. It was a small place with only a few tables, all packed with people talking noisily.

Sun Baoshan chose a corner by the window. A pot of broken-leaf tea and several plates of dried fruit and nuts sat on the table.

Old Chen sat down and looked at him.

They hadn't seen each other in sixteen years, and Sun Baoshan had grown old. His hair was gray, the flesh on his face had gone slack, and his eyelids drooped. But his eyes hadn't changed. They were still bright, and when he looked at someone, it was as though he were weighing them up.

"Brother Chen, you've been well, I hope!"

"Yes, it's been over ten years. Quick Blade Little Sun has turned into Old Sun now."

Looking at the old man before him, Old Chen couldn't help feeling wistful.

"Time spares no one! At our age, every extra day we live is a bonus."

Sun Baoshan gave a self-deprecating smile.

Old Chen raised his teacup and took a sip.

"How has the Great Master been lately? Is he still in good health? Tell him for me that I'll visit him in a couple of days."

Sun Baoshan nodded. "The Great Master is still in good health. He hasn't been managing as many affairs lately, either. If it weren't for the brothers at the wharves, he would have stepped down long ago. Actually, he was the one who sent me to see you this time."

"Oh?"

Old Chen put down his teacup. "Whatever the Great Master wants, I'll find a way to do it, whether I can or not!"

"Two things. He heard you recently took a godgranddaughter. His health isn't what it used to be, so he didn't come to congratulate you himself. He asked me to bring you a gift."

With that, he took a red cloth bundle from inside his clothes and opened it, revealing a pair of small gold bracelets.

"This... the Great Master is too generous. I'll accept them with thanks, then. Another day, I'll bring the little girl to kowtow to him."

Sun Baoshan nodded.

"The second thing is, someone has put a bounty on your godson through the Green Gang!"

"What?!"

Old Chen sprang to his feet.

"Which bastard did it?! I'll chop him in half!"

Sun Baoshan stood and pressed Old Chen back into his seat.

"Brother Chen, didn't you give up fighting years ago? How come you've still got such a fiery temper?"

"I gave up fighting, not living! If anyone wants to lay a hand on my godson, they'll have to step over me first!"

Holding Old Chen down, Sun Baoshan said, "The Great Master heard about it and asked me to find out how you want to handle it. We can't find the employer who put out the secret bounty, so getting it canceled isn't very realistic. The Great Master said he still has some influence in the Green Gang, and he can use it to keep its members from taking the job. But the independent operators in the jianghu will be harder to deal with."

Old Chen lowered his head and thought for a moment.

"Old Sun, thank the Great Master for me when you get back. My godson will have to decide what to do about this himself. I'll head back first. I'll buy you a drink another day."

Sun Baoshan didn't stop him or see him out. He sat there until he finished his cigarette, stubbed it out on the corner of the table, then stood and left.

After leaving the teahouse, Old Chen hurried to the police station and burst into Shen Yan's office without even knocking.

Shen Yan was slacking off, sipping tea and reading the newspaper. When he saw Old Chen rush in, he immediately stood up.

"Godfather, what's wrong? Did something happen to the little girl?"

Old Chen didn't answer. He snatched the tea off the desk and drained it in one gulp.

"The little girl's fine. You're the one in trouble!"

Once he had caught his breath, Old Chen told Shen Yan everything he had just heard.

As soon as Shen Yan heard it, he relaxed.

As long as nothing had happened to the little girl or Old Chen, it wasn't a big deal.

Assassinate him? They couldn't do it without hundreds of men. Did they really think his Hostility Perception skill was a sham?

Seeing how unhurried Shen Yan was, Old Chen got a little angry and smacked him on the back of the head.

"I'm talking about something serious! Can you take this seriously, kid? Do you really think a secret bounty is a joke?! No matter how great a hero is, he can't guard against an arrow in the back! Who have you offended lately? See if you can arrange a meeting and talk it over. If you can't reach an agreement, we'll fight him to the death!"

Shen Yan smiled and pressed Old Chen into a chair, looking entirely unconcerned.

It was easy to guess who had put out the bounty. It couldn't possibly be the underground party or the Military Statistics Bureau. The Japanese thought highly of him, so they were even less likely. Gangsters and people from the jianghu didn't have the nerve. That left only one possibility-No. 76!

[**Ding! Emergency mission triggered! Jianghu manhunt order!**]

[Mission objective: resolve the secret bounty incident and punish Li Bingkun!]

[Mission success reward: Clone skill upgrade-Clone duration: 7 days; skill cooldown: 5 days]

[Mission failure penalty: half the host's Good and Evil Points will be deducted!]

And here I thought Li Bingkun was a shrewd schemer. I gave him too much credit!

But as a considerate subordinate, I can't openly fall out with No. 76 and put Kuroiwa in a difficult position...

"Godfather, help me arrange a meeting with the Great Master. There's a deal I need to discuss with him."

The meeting was arranged at an old residence beside Shiliupu Wharf. There was no sign by the entrance. Two young men in short jackets were leaning against the wall, smoking. When they saw Shen Yan approach, they threw away their cigarettes and pushed open the main gate.

"Brothers, there's a box in the car. It's a gift for the Great Master. Sorry to trouble you, but could you carry it in?"

The two young men exchanged a glance and agreed.

They opened the car's rear door and dragged out a long wooden crate.

Whew! It's pretty heavy!

The two of them lifted the crate with difficulty and followed Shen Yan inside.

The courtyard was deep. They passed through three gates before reaching the main hall. A square table stood in the hall, with a pot of tea and several cups on it. An old man in his seventies sat beside the table, wearing a silk long gown. His hair was meticulously combed, and he turned two walnuts in his hand. The walnuts were red, polished smooth with age, and creaked as he turned them. Sun Baoshan stood behind him, his head lowered.

When the old man saw Shen Yan, he put the walnuts on the table, stood up, and gave a slight cupped-fist salute. "Captain Shen, I've long heard of you."

Shen Yan returned the salute. "Great Master."

"Sit." The old man gestured for him to take a seat.

Shen Yan sat down. The old man poured him a cup of tea and pushed it over. The leaves were this year's fresh harvest, and the tea was clear and bright, with a fine layer of white fuzz floating on top. Shen Yan picked it up, took a sip, and put it down.

"Old Chen should have told you the general situation. I have some new information. I'm ashamed to say that my influence isn't worth as much as it used to be. Someone in the gang has taken the secret bounty after all," the old man said. His tone was mild, with a trace of resignation.

"Oh? Great Master, you're a respected elder of the Green Gang. Someone still refused to give you that consideration?"

Sun Baoshan spoke up. "His name is Ma Yao. He's a disciple of one of Zhang Xiaolin's disciples. He followed Zhang Xiaolin into the service of the Japanese and has worked with both No. 76 and the Special Higher Police! The man has no scruples, and with the Japanese backing him, he's done plenty of wicked things. He doesn't show the gang's elders the slightest basic respect."

"Has he offended the Great Master too?"

Hearing something in Sun Baoshan's tone, Shen Yan asked.

Sun Baoshan nodded and continued.

"The Great Master controls several wharves and supports hundreds of laborer brothers. Ma Yao wanted to use the Great Master's wharves to smuggle opium, but the Great Master refused. So the bastard used the Japanese name to seize a wharf by force, and he beat six brothers to death. The Great Master wanted revenge, but Zhang Xiaolin and the Japanese joined forces to suppress him."

At that, the old man's hand slowly tightened around the walnuts, the veins standing out on its back.

The old man glanced at Shen Yan. "Did you come to ask me to help stop this job? If so, I can go see Zhang Xiaolin and find out how much influence this old man still has."

"No," Shen Yan said. "You're underestimating me a little, Great Master, and overestimating Zhang Xiaolin and his people. Still, thank you for looking out for me!"

Shen Yan cupped his fists in respect.

"I came mainly to ask about the details. Now that I know who took the bounty, things will be much easier..."

Shen Yan looked at the old man seriously. "Great Master, would you like to avenge your brothers?"

The old man's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ma Yao and I do have a grudge, but..."

Sun Baoshan took over. "The Great Master has always wanted to get rid of him, but he still has several hundred unfortunate brothers depending on him for their livelihoods. If the Japanese were to punish him..."

Shen Yan smiled and waved a hand. "You've got it wrong, sir. I work for the Japanese now too... but please understand, Great Master, I, Shen Yan, would rather die than harm Chinese people!"

"I know. Old Chen has never misjudged anyone in his life. Since he took you as his godson, I naturally trust your character!"

"Mm."

Shen Yan continued, "Ma Yao must have been blinded by greed, or else the person who put out the bounty didn't make my standing with the Japanese clear to him. Since he dared to come after me, getting rid of him wouldn't just be blameless; it would be a merit!"

Sun Baoshan and the Great Master exchanged a glance and slowly nodded.

"However, with the Japanese behind him, Ma Yao's forces have grown quite a bit. He has more than twenty men willing to fight, and over ten handguns. He can't be underestimated."

Hearing this, Shen Yan smiled and beckoned for the two young men to carry the large wooden crate into the hall.

"It's my first time meeting you, Great Master, so I couldn't neglect the proper courtesies. I've prepared a modest gift as a token of respect. I hope you won't take offense."

He stepped forward and lifted the lid off the crate.

"Gasp!"

When the people in the room saw what was inside, they all drew a sharp breath.

"MP28 submachine guns, the kind you know as flower machine guns. Rate of fire: 420 to 480 rounds per minute. Effective range: 150 meters. There are twenty in the crate, each with five twenty-round magazines. Are you satisfied with this gift, Great Master?"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Looking at the brand-new submachine guns in the crate, the old man immediately felt he could stand taller. With these weapons, Ma Yao or whoever else could be killed in minutes!

"Old Chen has taken a fine son! You really do have connections everywhere, kid!"

The old man smiled until his face was covered in wrinkles, wishing he could snatch Shen Yan away from Old Chen.

"Discuss the details with Old Sun. If you need men, I'll give you men; if you need money, I'll give you money! This old man is finally going to vent his anger!"

Shen Yan stood up and bowed slightly. "Great Master, thank you!"

Sun Baoshan was the one who spread the news. After passing through several hands, it reached an intermediary acquainted with Ma Yao: Shen Yan from the police station was meeting the Green Gang's Great Master next Monday at Wanghe House in the west of the city. They had booked the whole place, and word was that neither side was bringing many men.

"Smack!"

Ma Yao was smoking opium when he received the news. Excited, he slapped his pipe down on the table.

"Good! Heaven is helping me! I've hated the sight of that old bastard for a long time! Now I can kill two birds with one stone! When it's done, the old bastard's wharves and inns will all be mine!"

"Boss, could this be risky? Shen Yan is an official, after all..."

"Smack!"

Ma Yao slapped his underling across the face.

"What the hell do you know?! We've got the Japanese behind us. Why should we fear some little cop?! These days, fortune favors the bold, and cowards starve! Whether we soar to the top depends on this one shot! Tell the brothers to get all their weapons ready. If anyone screws up when the time comes, I'll kill him!"

On Monday evening, dusk was falling. There were no pedestrians left on the streets in the west of the city, and even the Japanese patrols were nowhere to be seen. Wanghe House was the only place on the street still brightly lit. Inside, people were drinking and playing finger-guessing games, making quite a lively racket.

Ma Yao crouched by the street with his men, staring fixedly at the restaurant.

Drink up, drink up. This is the last drink you'll ever have!

Ma Yao cursed inwardly as the cold wind blew over him.

Just then, an underling came running over, bent low.

"Boss, I checked. The patrols around here have all pulled out. The one who put up the secret bounty really knows what he's doing!"

Ma Yao grinned. "Everyone, charge!"

He led his men into the restaurant in a rush and up to the second floor.

But Ma Yao, ready to slaughter everyone, was startled to find the second floor empty. Only a gramophone was playing by itself, cheerful sounds of drinking and finger-guessing coming from its horn...

"It's a trap!"

Ma Yao realized at once that it was a snare set specifically for him!

He turned to lead his men out, but the screens around them suddenly fell, revealing twenty men in black standing behind them with submachine guns.

Ma Yao swallowed with difficulty. "Brothers, which outfit are you from..."

"Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!" Twenty submachine guns opened fire at once, blanketing the hall with bullets. In less than half a minute, Ma Yao's men were all lying in pools of blood.

Ma Yao's gun fell to the floor. His legs went soft as noodles. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Shen Yan came down from the third floor with a smile. Fang Yuan brought two men up, pinned the trembling Ma Yao to the floor, tied his hands, blindfolded him, and stuffed him into a car.

"Uncle Old Sun, I'm taking him with me. Please clean up the ones on the floor. I'll buy you a drink another day."

Sun Baoshan cupped his fists and left with his men.

The police station basement.

A lamp shone directly in Ma Yao's face. He was tied to a chair with a black hood over his head.

Shen Yan removed the hood, and the light made Liu Mazi squint. When he saw Shen Yan, his pupils contracted.

Shen Yan sat across from him. There was nothing on the table. He looked at Liu Mazi without speaking.

Ma Yao's Adam's apple bobbed. His lips moved, but he made no sound.

Shen Yan waited a while. "Who sent you?"

Ma Yao lowered his head and said nothing.

"You even dared to take the bounty on me? You've got some nerve, Mr. Ma!"

Ma Yao still didn't speak. He rubbed his fingers on his knees, paused, then rubbed them again. Shen Yan stood up, walked to the door, and pulled it open. Fang Yuan was standing against the wall.

"Send Yamada and the others in. Tell them I was very dissatisfied with the results of their interrogation of those two last time. If they don't put more effort in this time, I'll send them back to the Special Higher Police for retraining."

Fang Yuan grinned. "Don't worry, Captain. They'll definitely work hard this time!"

"I'm going back to my office for a nap," Shen Yan said. "Let me know when you have results."

Fang Yuan nodded, turned, and left.

Li Bingkun arrived quickly after receiving the news. Less than twenty minutes passed between the report from the subordinate keeping watch and his appearance in the police station courtyard.

He had come alone this time, without men or a gun.

Fang Yuan stopped him at the entrance to the hall once again. "Team Leader Li, Captain Shen is in the interrogation room. Please wait a moment."

Li Bingkun didn't stop. "Out of my way. I have important official business. If anything goes wrong, you can't bear the consequences!"

Fang Yuan didn't move.

Li Bingkun looked at him for two seconds, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He pulled a stack of US dollars from his pocket. Judging by its thickness, there were at least fifty dollars.

"Brother Fang, do me a favor. Go tell Captain Shen I have something important and must see him immediately."

"Wait here."

Fang Yuan turned and went up to the second floor. He pushed open the door to Shen Yan's office and set the stack of US dollars on the desk.

"Captain, Li Bingkun is here. He's alone."

"He came in person? Looks like he's really desperate!"

Shen Yan glanced at the dollars on the desk and smiled. "He gave them to you, so keep them. Send him to the interrogation room."

Fang Yuan paused in surprise.

"Thank you, Captain!"

Fang Yuan nodded, turned, and went out.

Outside the interrogation room, Li Bingkun listened to the screams coming from within, pacing like an ant on a hot pan.

Several times he tried to rush inside, but each time Yamada and the others guarding the door stopped him.

They were all Japanese, and he really didn't dare give them trouble.

But he was even more afraid that Ma Yao would crack under torture and reveal something. Then he would really be finished!

Just then, Shen Yan came strolling over.

Li Bingkun's eyes lit up, and he hurried forward. "Captain Shen, please make them stop."

Shen Yan looked at Li Bingkun. "Group Leader Li, what are you doing at the police station this late instead of going home?"

Shen Yan turned to look at Ma Yao, who was being tortured in the interrogation room.

"This man tried to assassinate me tonight, and you're so anxious to stop me from questioning him. Could it be that you knew about it?!"

Shen Yan fixed Li Bingkun with an icy stare, and cold sweat ran down Li Bingkun's face.

"You misunderstand, Captain Shen. How could I have known about it? This man was indeed outrageously bold, and he deserved to die! But he's implicated in an underground Party case, so he can't die yet! I hope you'll do me this favor and let me take him away, Captain Shen. I'll be sure to repay you handsomely!"

"Oh? He's implicated in an underground Party case too?! Do you take me for a three-year-old, Group Leader Li? I don't recall the underground Party making a habit of collecting trash."

"It's true! How would I dare lie to you, Captain Shen? Mr. Kuroiwa knows about this too."

"Is that so?!"

Shen Yan sneered.

"What a coincidence! I was just about to report the assassination attempt to Section Chief Kuroiwa. Let's go to my office and call the section chief together."

Li Bingkun kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and gripped Shen Yan's arm tightly.

"It's too late! Let's not disturb the section chief. Name your terms, Captain Shen. What will it take for you to hand him over?"

Shen Yan was amused.

"I heard someone put out a secret bounty for my head on the streets: a full ten small gold bars! But how can my life be worth so little? I think ten large gold bars would be more like it. What do you think, Group Leader Li?"

"Ten... large gold bars?! You have quite an appetite, Captain Shen!"

Li Bingkun's face turned livid, and his teeth ground together.

"Is that a lot? It can't be any less. Otherwise, any Tom, Dick, or Harry could put a secret bounty on me. How could I save face then?"

Listening to the screams from the interrogation room, Li Bingkun clenched his teeth so hard they almost bled.

"Fine... I'll take the loss this time. I'll look into the bounty and make sure that person pays ten large gold bars into your hands, Captain Shen! Can you release him now?"

Shen Yan looked at him without speaking. Li Bingkun looked back. They stared at each other for several seconds. Shen Yan stood, walked to the door, and pulled it open.

"Take him away. Before noon tomorrow, I want the confession and the gold bars on my desk."

Li Bingkun nodded. "The confession and the gold bars will be delivered before noon tomorrow."

He went over and untied Ma Yao. Then he dragged the unconscious man away, step by step.

The next morning, the confession and gold bars were delivered to Shen Yan's desk.

A single page stated that the Military Statistics Bureau had put a secret bounty on Shen Yan to punish him as a traitor, and that Ma Yao, blinded by greed, had taken the job. He had no accomplices and no mastermind behind him. It was signed and marked with a red fingerprint pressed over the name.

At the end of the confession, it stated that the prisoner had been executed by shooting and the case officially closed.

Fang Yuan stood before the desk, looking at the paper. "Captain, are we just letting him off like this?"

"Letting him off?! How could I? We have to take our time with him, or life would be so boring!" Shen Yan folded the confession and stuffed it into a drawer.

That afternoon, in the Special Higher Police conference room, Kuroiwa Masao sat at the head of the table, Shen Yan's report spread out before him. It was brief: he had been attacked in the west of the city the previous night by the Green Gang's Ma Yao and his men, twenty-three attackers in all.

Shen Yan and the underworld friends present had fought back with all their might. Most of the thugs had been shot dead, and only Ma Yao had been captured. He had been handed over to No. 76 for interrogation.

Kuroiwa read through the report, closed it, and laid it on the table. "Underworld friends?"

Shen Yan stood before the table, his voice steady. "Section Chief, it was the Green Gang's First Master. He's an old acquaintance of my godfather's. I thought I'd do some business with them. My salary hasn't been quite enough lately, and raising a child costs too much."

Kuroiwa said nothing. He picked up the telephone on the table and dialed a number.

"Send for Li Bingkun."

Ten minutes later, Li Bingkun stood before the table. His complexion was poor, and his lips were somewhat pale. Shen Yan stood to the side, his head lowered.

"Where's that Ma Yao?" Kuroiwa asked.

Li Bingkun lowered his head. "Section Chief, Ma Yao confessed to all his crimes and has already been executed by shooting."

Kuroiwa looked at him for a long time. Then he smiled, a cold smile. "He confessed and was shot? Since when have you been so efficient, Group Leader Li?"

Li Bingkun lowered his head and said nothing.

Kuroiwa waved a hand. "Go."

Li Bingkun saluted, turned, and headed out. At the door, he paused and glanced at Shen Yan. Shen Yan kept his head down and did not look at him. Li Bingkun pulled the door open and went out.

Only Kuroiwa and Shen Yan remained in the conference room. Kuroiwa leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette. "Shen Yan, you handled this matter very well."

Shen Yan lowered his head. "You flatter me, Section Chief."

Kuroiwa tapped the ash from his cigarette. "Go."

Shen Yan saluted, turned, and walked out. The moment the door closed, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

Three days later, in the evening, Shen Yan arrived home to find Nian'an playing with Big Yellow in the courtyard. Old Chen sat by the stone table drinking tea, a bulging red cloth bundle on the table.

"Godfather, someone brought you something." Nian'an ran over, took his hand, and pulled him toward the stone table.

Shen Yan walked over, picked up the red cloth bundle, and opened it. Inside was a wooden token the size of his palm, with the character "Green" on the front and "Great" on the back.

Old Chen took it and weighed it in his hand. "This is First Master's personal token. If you ever need help, First Master's hall can act on your behalf once, regardless of the cost!"

"Then let's keep it. It might come in handy someday."

Old Chen glanced at him and put the red cloth bundle in his pocket.

Nian'an held Shen Yan's hand and looked up at him. "Godfather, what story are you telling today?"

"What would you like to hear?"

"Sun Wukong's three battles with the White Bone Demon."

Shen Yan picked her up, set her on his knee, and began to tell the story. As Nian'an listened, her eyes slowly closed and her breathing grew even. Shen Yan did not stop, but continued the story. By the time he finished the three battles with the White Bone Demon, Nian'an was asleep. He stood, carried her inside, laid her on the bed, and tucked her in.

Old Chen was sitting in the main room drinking tea. When he saw Shen Yan come out, he set down his cup.

"Asleep?"

"Asleep."

Old Chen nodded. "First Master values loyalty and affection. You might want to visit him often."

Shen Yan stood and walked toward his room. When he reached the door, the telephone on the table rang. He went over and picked up the receiver. Fang Yuan's voice came from the other end, very low.

"Captain, word is going around outside. They say No. 76 killed Ma Yao. Some say it was to silence him, and others say they discarded him once they'd finished using him. A few people in Zhabei who've had dealings with No. 76 are packing their things."

Shen Yan was silent for a moment. "Have them make the rumors even wilder. First, I want to cut off No. 76's arm in the underworld."

He hung up, turned, went into his room, and closed the door.

Outside the window, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, casting a cold light over the courtyard. Big Yellow rolled over and whimpered twice in his sleep.

A few barks came from outside the window, and soon silence returned.