The King of Black Fog

Before heading to the Pear Garden at night, Li Changzhou took a bath to wash off the fragrance left by Li Biwei on his body—she had applied powder, and Yang Qinglan's Perception was acute.

It was utterly unfortunate. Li Changzhou did not consider this a romantic encounter; for him, it was absolutely a disaster.

Apart from Yang Qinglan, he had no desire to touch any other woman.

Moreover, just earlier—on the train ride here—he had made a pact with Yang Qinglan that even speaking with the opposite sex should be divided by gender; he would handle the men, and she would handle the women. Yet, it wasn't long before a woman sat on his lap.

Reflecting on this, the car quickly arrived at the Pear Garden.

The attendants of the Pear Garden had long been sharp-eyed; they could tell who it was just by looking at the car's license plate. Before Li Changzhou's car even stopped, smiles were already piled on a welcoming face as they approached the disembarkation point.

As soon as the car stopped, an attendant who wanted to open the door was pushed away by Liu De, who got out first.

Twelve bodyguards emerged from the three cars behind and quickly encircled the left and right sides of Li Changzhou's car, their gazes as fierce as wolves, and the safeties on their Browning pistols turned off.

The grandeur of the scene quieted the bustling entrance of the Pear Garden for a moment.

"Second Master, we have arrived," Liu De said respectfully as he opened the car door and bowed to make way.

Li Changzhou stepped out of the car, still dressed as a dashing gentleman in a suit, with his Antenna Cane swapped for a "Spider Bee·Antenna Stick."

He did not rush to enter, but stood beside the car and scanned the area.

In the night, under the lights of old-fashioned electric lamps, the street was filled with various cars.

Women either wore cheongsams or Western-style dresses in red, yellow, blue, white—dazzling colors that completely dispelled the monochrome feel of old movies.

There were also opportunistic peddlers, carrying fruit loads or holding baskets of baked buns, doing temporary business.

Rickshaws lined up like a production line, delivering one neatly dressed guest after another.

These rickshaws, having delivered their passengers, did not leave. Instead, they waited at the entrance, either chatting with other rickshaw drivers or wandering around the temporary stalls, waiting to conduct business with returning guests.

Li Changzhou withdrew his gaze and turned to walk into the Pear Garden.

"Boss Feng! Boss Feng! Please help us!"

"My children at home have been hungry for several days now, and we really have no money!"

"Boss Feng, we don't want pay, just some food will do! A meal of cornmeal or a piece of pot cake each day is enough! Boss Feng, please show some kindness; we are kneeling to you!"

At a corner of the street, a group of ragged men were kneeling in front of a car.

After a while, an elderly man dressed in a long robe and black jacket, carrying himself with ease, stepped down from the car. The voices of the men grew louder, overwhelmingly kneeling there.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen!" the elderly man said with strong breath, "It's not that I, Feng, don't want to help you. You don't have money, and neither do I! Three million worth of marine goods haven't arrived at the harbor even today. I'm just robbing Peter to pay Paul, barely keeping myself afloat. How can I help you?"

"Boss Feng, please! We beg you!" the group of men just kept knocking their heads on the ground.

After speaking a few words, the elderly man returned to his car and the bodyguards of the Pear Garden stepped forward to drive the group of men away.

Li Changzhou turned to ask Liu De, "What's going on?"

"These men are likely dock workers," Liu De observed as well, "Not long ago, it's said that the port experienced a severe frost, the likes of which hadn't been seen in decades. No ships have come in for a month, and with no ships, there's no cargo; with no cargo, these dock workers obviously have no wages. But this is all just what I've heard."

Li Changzhou glanced again at the men.

Whether old or young, they all had robust bodies shaped by manual labor, visibly full of strength, yet at that moment, this group of grown men was crying in a heap.

One of them was crying so hard that he collapsed on the ground, just like a child who couldn't get candy.

The people around were indifferent to their plight; those rickshaw drivers and street vendors knew too well that a few days without passengers or sales meant they could soon share the fate of these dock workers.

If there was a difference, it was this: the dock workers still had a place to cry, whereas these independent vendors didn't even have that.

"This is fate, this is our fate!" an older worker sighed deeply.

This is our fate.

Indeed, their fate had long been clearly written in history.

Li Changzhou withdrew his gaze and entered the Pear Garden with his Antenna cane, feeling melancholic.

He had read about those difficult days in the early 20th century and had been mentally prepared, but seeing it firsthand still could not hide his sorrow; his heart and guts felt as though they were being seized by those cries and screams.

But he was equally aware that there was nothing he could do for these people; their fate had already ended.

Entering the theater, he saw the stage enclosed by a three-sided grandstand.

Below the grandstand were rows and rows of chairs, even the aisles were packed.

"Life's first concert," Li Changzhou remarked, forgetting the recent past and shifting his mood as he was led into a box.

The box had soft cushions, dried fruits, cakes, and some appetizers, both meat and vegetarian dishes served on plates, and also two bottles of alcohol, one wine and one brandy.

No matter how poor and hungry people were outside, inside it was always lively and luxurious, making one wonder, is this really the same world?

Feeling moody and prone to idle thoughts, Li Changzhou asked Liu De to talk to him about the play.

"Second Master, today's troupe is Sun Xiaoyun's."

"Who is Sun Xiaoyun?" asked Li Changzhou.

"Second Master, you have been abroad for a long time and are unfamiliar with the domestic scene!" Liu De laughed.

"Compared to you, Sun Xiaoyun may not be much, but in Peking Opera, she is a famous dan performer, well-known worldwide. Even the common warlords and tycoons show her some respect."

At last, he added a bit of flattery: "But if she angers you, Second Master, with a charge of being a spy, I, Liu De, will bring her head to you."

"What do I need her head for?" Li Changzhou laughed, "Go on."

"Alright." Liu De first poured him a drink, then arranged the bowl and chopsticks, "Even after Sun Xiaoyun stopped performing, her reputation didn't weaken but actually grew stronger because she trained many famous actors. Chun Emperor is the most outstanding among them."

Li Changzhou ate a few prawns while listening with one ear.

Liu De continued, "This Sun family troupe has one particular feature, guess what it is, Second Master?"

"What?"

"The troupe consists solely of female actresses," Liu De explained with a smile, "The male roles, like sheng and jing, are also played by women, the Chun Emperor is especially famous for performing male roles with a beard."

He couldn't help but admire, "I don't know where Sun Xiaoyun gets her eye for talent, able to spot so many women with both beauty and skills."

"Indeed, quite capable," Li Changzhou nodded.

Yang Qinglan made herself busy doing odd jobs under her command, how could she lack skills?

"Second Master, you don't know, many of the masters and tycoons find joy in marrying actresses like her."

"I'll marry one today too," Li Changzhou laughed.

"With your looks and status, Second Master, it's a guarantee!" Liu De gave a thumbs up, "Bring them all to the Commander Mansion!"

Master and servant burst into hearty laughter.

"So happy,"

At the sound, Liu De jumped in fright, anger and vigilance rushing forth simultaneously.

The anger was because the twelve subordinates outside had let someone in without permission, and the vigilance was out of fear of an assassination.

But upon seeing who had arrived, his face immediately showed a suggestive smile, and he left without saying a word.

"Sit," Li Changzhou gestured to the couch opposite the small table laden with snacks and wine.

Zhong Yingru set down the scarf wrapped around her wrist and asked lightly, "What makes Second Uncle laugh so heartily?"

"It's nothing, just a joke from Liu De," Li Changzhou poured her a glass of wine, thinking about how to get rid of her.

Should it be the Cannon Fist (a serious punch), or the Mixed Element Thunderclap Palm (The sound of thunder in a silent place), or perhaps the Great Strength Bull Demon Fist.

During this time, Zhong Yingru was sizing him up.

"What are you looking at, Sister-in-law?" Li Changzhou asked.

Zhong Yingru pursed her lips, "Nothing."

She had noticed that Li Changzhou had taken a bath.

After a sip of wine, her body warmed up, and she gently rubbed her legs together.

But it wasn't time yet, the play hadn't started, and someone might come.

She had to wait until Chun Emperor appeared, when everyone's attention was on the play, that would be the best time.

Li Changzhou had the same thought, to knock her out with a palm strike when everybody's attention was on the play, then deal with the assassin when they showed up, and afterward, go see his Miss Yang.

With that in mind, he grew restless, it had been two entire days since he saw Miss Yang!

"Picking mugwort, one day apart feels like three autumns," he hadn't seen her for six years, any longer and he would fall ill.

Seeing his impatience, Zhong Yingru's lips pursed even tighter.

Lying on the couch, her apricot-yellow cheongsam exceptionally fitted, the curves of her breasts, her slender waist, and her long legs were like a perfectly seasoned dish laid out there.

The charming curves of her hips pressed against the couch, full of the allure of a young wife.

No wonder Li Changzhou got along with his sister-in-law, he could somewhat understand, if there weren't Yang Qinglan, he might be somewhat tempted too, but what about Li Biwei?

Even without Li Qianxia, he would never do such a thing with his own sister.

Was it because Li Changzhou had studied abroad for many years and only met Li Biwei after she had grown up, thus the feelings of a man and woman prevailed over those of siblings?

While he was musing, suddenly there was thunderous applause, cheers almost lifted the entire pear garden.

The sound of musical instruments sprung up, and a group of actors walked onto the stage with a clang, striking a pose and lifting their voices, their varying tones of singing, clear even without microphones, reached everyone's ears.

Li Changzhou watched for a while, then gave up, if he had known what they were singing, it might have been interesting, but he couldn't understand a single word.

Still, he pretended to listen seriously, otherwise... would he make a move on his sister-in-law?

At that moment, Liu De came in, crouching near him, and whispered, "Second Master, someone is looking for you."

They came much sooner than expected.

"Let them in," Li Changzhou's gaze still fixed on the stage.

After Liu De left, Zhong Yingru furrowed her brows, "You arranged to meet someone else?"

"Don't rush, Sister-in-law, I'm also performing on stage today," Li Changzhou smiled.

Liu De led a person in, a tall and thin middle-aged man dressed in a long robe, wearing a Western-style hat.

"You guys go out," the tall and thin middle-aged man said to Liu De and Zhong Yingru.

Liu De's eyebrows shot up, about to get angry.

"Liu De, you go out first," Li Changzhou spoke.

Liu De hesitated, then finally said, "Sir, I'll be outside. Call me if you need anything."

"Go ahead."

After Liu De left, Li Changzhou added, "This is my... sister-in-law, there's nothing I need to hide from her, speak up."

He was trying to use this situation to encourage Zhong Yingru to distance herself from him, and Zhong Yingru glanced at him meaningfully.

The thin middle-aged man took off his hat, revealing a dignified face.

"Li Changzhou," he said, "we are not here to trouble you; we are here to offer you an advantage."

"What advantage?" Li Changzhou asked while eating from a dish with chopsticks.

"To be the Commander,"

Zhong Yingru's eyelid twitched, she shifted her gaze away from Li Changzhou's face, studying the man in front of her intently.

From her perspective, naturally, she hoped Li Changzhou would succeed the Li Clan warlords, her husband currently knew of her affair, and his forbearance was due to not wanting to lose face and also because he was cautious of the Commander.

If Li Bichang became the Commander, neither she nor Li Changzhou would have it easy.

Li Changzhou picked up a glass bottle, poured himself a bit of wine, took a small sip, then leaned back in his chair.

"Who sent you? The Song Clan? The Zhao Clan? Or was it foreigners?" he asked.

"You have no choice," the tall thin middle-aged man said calmly, with an air of superiority, "If you don't want to become the Commander, you chose death."

Li Changzhou stared at him, and after two seconds, he placed down his wine glass, revealing a smile.

"I have a principle in dealing with people—asking for help should not force someone," he said, "What do you think?"