usatvline Chapter 1408 The golden cicada escapes from its shell
Chapter 1408 The golden cicada escapes from its shell
Chapter 1408 The golden cicada escapes from its shell
"Sister Xia, why don't you come with me to Shunxinglou to reward your stomach?" Cheng Qianfan stretched out his hand to call a rickshaw, then turned to ask Liu Xia.
In his heart, he didn't want Liu Xia to follow him.
Moreover, Cheng Qianfan had a guess that Liu Xia's words just now were in line with his, and it seemed that she was also intentionally creating an opportunity to escape.
This couldn't help but deepen his slight suspicion of Liu Xia.
Of course, it is also possible that Liu Xia was going out to handle personal matters.
"Of course I'll go together." Liu Xia glanced at Cheng Qianfan, "Brother Fan, are you reluctant to treat us?"
"Sister Xia, please don't wrongly accuse me." Cheng Qianfan complained, "As long as Sister Xia asks, I will get you dragon meat."
"Besides," he said with a smile, "Uncle Chu said it can be reimbursed."
"Virtue." Liu Xia glared at Cheng Qianfan and got on another rickshaw.
She was of course eager to meet with her men, but Liu Xia also knew that she had to go to Shunxinglou with Cheng Qianfan for dinner, and then proceed slowly.
Although this 'Brother Fan' acted harmless in front of him, she knew very well that this 'Mr. Cheng' from the French Concession should not be underestimated.
Two rickshaw drivers were pulling two people, each with their own thoughts, running on the streets of Qingdao.
Cheng Qianfan looked at the people coming and going on the street, and the signs and street names all over the street.
Qingdao was occupied by Germans for a long time, so you can see some names with obvious German flavor on the streets.
The Germans who planned this city believed that only the European area was worthy of having German street names, and the European area was the prosperous streets that the Germans focused on developing, so these prosperous streets often have German names.
However, after the Japanese occupied Qingdao, they launched a massive name-changing movement, renaming some streets named in German after Japanese names. For example, the Xiankai Hotel where Taozi and others are staying is now called "Yokosuka Town", and it was called "Kiel Street" during the German occupation.
Cheng Qianfan sighed and felt angry in his heart. The country was weak, and even the streets of this land were humiliated.
……
Shunxinglou, a famous store in Qingdao, is located at No. 13 Beijing Road, west of Qianxiangyi. It was founded in the first year of the Republic of China and its plaque was inscribed by Wang Yu, a Qing Dynasty veteran.
In the first year of the Republic of China, the Qing Dynasty collapsed and Wang Yu, a Qing Dynasty survivor, came to Qingdao to settle down.
One day, he had a drink in a restaurant and found the dishes had a strong flavor of Beijing Hongxinglou. Upon inquiry, he learned that the owner, Li Wanbin, had once learned from a master in Hongxinglou and later went to Qingdao to seek development. He wanted to open a restaurant of his own, but suffered from a lack of funds. Later, with the help of Wang Yu, Li Wanbin opened Shunxinglou on Beijing Road.
Wang Yu once organized a senior citizen gathering for 25 Qing dynasty veterans and business celebrities. When it was someone’s birthday, they would have a banquet and write poems to celebrate the birthday.
With Wang Yu's support, Shunxinglou's business prospered day by day and gradually became famous in the island city. Countless literati and dignitaries praised it highly, and it gradually became a frequent gathering place for Qingdao's business, banking and political circles.
Cheng Qianfan and Liu Xia got off at No. 13 Beiping Road and were about to go inside.
"I'm sorry, you two. The table is full today." The waiter at Shunxinglou said cautiously. The couple was handsome and the lady was charming. He tried to be polite and not dare to offend them.
"We have reserved a seat, Room 33." Cheng Qianfan said.
"Are you from the reception hall?" Upon hearing this, a man who looked like a manager hurried over to greet him.
"Exactly."
"Please come this way, my dear guests," the manager said hurriedly, extending his hand.
Seeing his manager diligently leading the two men upstairs, the waiter couldn't help but secretly spit and cursed in his heart, "dog traitor".
Shunxinglou is a famous restaurant in Qingdao. It is usually full of distinguished guests and reservations must be made in advance. Seat 33 had already been reserved by an old customer, but a phone call came in half an hour ago, claiming the seat by force.
Even though the waiter didn't know who called, he knew that anyone who could make the boss swallow his anger and break the rules must be someone the boss couldn't afford to offend. And in Qingdao, the visitor's background must be related to a traitor and a Japanese.
"Broiled bird's nest, braised shark's fin, braised shark's fin, broth-cooked white fungus..." Cheng Qianfan first ordered a few side dishes, then pointed to the Shunxinglou specialty on the menu and said, "I've heard that Shunxinglou is the best of the famous restaurants in the island city, so I must try it this time."
"Please wait a moment, my dear guest. I will arrange it right away."
Cheng Qianfan stood up and walked to the window. He pushed open the window, lit a cigarette, and looked at the street downstairs with interest.
"Why order so much? How can the two of us finish it?" Liu Xia shook her head and leaned against the windowsill, lit a thin and long Fairy brand cigarette, opened her lips slightly, and exhaled a thin and long stream of smoke.
"I've been bad at eating these days, so I'd better make up for it." Cheng Qianfan smiled, blowing out a smoke ring and scratching his temples with his little finger. "After enjoying the delicious food, let's go have a couple of drinks, dance, and relax."
Hearing this, Liu Xia couldn't help but frown, but then she smiled again, "Without your sister-in-law to control you, you're going to have fun every night."
"Sister Xia, please stop talking nonsense." Cheng Qianfan said quickly, "It's just dancing, nothing else."
He looked at Liu Xia, "Sister Xia, is it possible that I am such a filthy person in your heart?"
"I don't want to bother with you." Liu Xia spat. "After dinner, you go dancing and I'll go to Fidelius Street."
"I didn't plan to take you with me." Cheng Qianfan muttered, but Liu Xia heard it and grabbed his ear, "What did you say? Believe it or not, I will send a telegram to my sister-in-law in a while."
"Sister Xia, please spare me, spare me, it hurts, it hurts." Cheng Qianfan begged for mercy again and again.
Liu Xia snorted and gave up.
……
Cheng Qianfan devoured the meal with relish and couldn't help but praise it highly, "Uncle Chu is right, the dishes at Shunxinglou are really good."
"It's really good." Liu Xia nodded with satisfaction. "I've had this Tremella soup in famous restaurants in Shanghai and Guangzhou, but Shunxing Restaurant has a different flavor."
Cheng Qianfan picked his teeth with a toothpick and shouted, "Let's settle the bill."
After having a good meal and a few drinks, the two men said goodbye at Shunxing Building and left.
Cheng Qianfan got on the rickshaw and threw a silver dollar to the driver, "Let's go to the best nightclub in Qingdao."
"Okay, please sit down." The driver was overjoyed and thanked him.
Cheng Qianfan lowered his hat, as if closing his eyes to rest, but in fact he was observing the surrounding situation with his peripheral vision under the brim of his hat.
He had deliberately said that he wanted to go dancing after dinner, and Liu Xia really went with the flow and went to Fidelius Street by herself.
This is a natural thing and there is nothing suspicious about it.
However, precisely because it was so natural, Cheng Qianfan became more certain of his guess that Liu Xia had another purpose in leaving the Guest House.
On the other side, Liu Xia also called a rickshaw to go to Fidelity Street.
A meaningful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
It seems that my brother Fan came to the guesthouse this time with other intentions.
It's not surprising that Cheng Qianfan likes dancing and is fond of sensual pleasures. However, Cheng Qianfan shouldn't have revealed his intention to go to the nightclub at the beginning, as if he was a little impatient.
No, it's not just that I can't wait, I say that on purpose.
This guy knew that he would not go to the nightclub with me, so he said it in advance. This is——
Liu Xia's heart moved. Did Cheng Qianfan see that she had other business in leaving the guesthouse and was deliberately helping her?
Liu Xia wondered in her heart, did Cheng Qianfan discover something, or was he just doing it out of brotherly love?
she does not know.
Liu Xia secretly warned herself that no matter what, she must be more vigilant in the future.
Or... a guess suddenly occurred to her mind:
Does this brother of mine really want to go to the nightclub for fun, or is he using this as an excuse to get rid of her?
……
The rickshaw driver took Cheng Qianfan to Yushengchi on Pingdu Road.
The rickshaw driver was quite talkative. He recommended that this generous guest take a bath in Yu Sheng Pond first, and then go to the Lido Nightclub on the south side of Yu Sheng Pond to have fun.
The location chosen by Yu Sheng Chi is the central area of Qingdao's party and government agencies, commerce and entertainment industries. The administrative center, large theater, commercial street, nightclubs and port terminals are all around it. Its opening goal is also aimed at the needs of this market. In terms of customer base, it distinguishes itself from the customers of Sanxinlou, another famous bathhouse in Qingdao, through their occupation and identity. Each of them has its own business focus and there will be no competition between them.
The customers who come to Yushengchi to bathe are all Qingdao municipal government officials, as well as performers and their managers who come to Qingdao for performances, as well as superiors who come to Qingdao for inspections and government officials who pass by.
"What you don't know, guests, is that even great masters like Yu Shuyan, Yang Xiaolou, Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun and Cheng Yanqiu would choose to take a bath and relax here after performing at Yong'an Grand Theater," said the rickshaw driver.
"Is it really that good?" Cheng Qianfan asked with a smile.
"How dare I lie to customers? Even General Fu came here to take a bath after watching a show in the theater." The rickshaw driver said proudly.
"Which General Fu?" Cheng Qianfan asked with a smile.
"That's right, that's right..." The driver said, but his expression changed. "Anyway, Yushengchi is very famous in Qingdao, and the customers will definitely not be disappointed."
Cheng Qianfan nodded slightly, but his expression showed a hint of dissatisfaction deliberately.
He naturally knew that the General Fu mentioned by the rickshaw driver was the famous anti-Japanese general of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.
After taking a bath in the Yusheng Pond and having a good shoulder massage by a master, Cheng Qianfan went to the Yong'an Grand Theater to listen to some music.
As the sun set, he left the Yong'an Grand Theater and went straight to the nearby Lido Nightclub.
……
"As expected of 'Little Boss Cheng', he really knows how to enjoy life." Lu Guoyi spat viciously on the ground and said sourly, "First he went to Shunxinglou to eat abalone and shark fin, then he went to Yushengchi to take a bath, then he went to the Grand Theater to watch a play, and now he's going to a nightclub to play with women, tut tut."
"You also said this is 'Little General Cheng'." Bao Qingan took a puff of his cigarette happily and said, "Cheng Qianfan has been stuck on the ship and in the hotel for several days. Now that he has finally come out, he must have some fun."
He glanced at the sign of Lido Nightclub and still felt a little indignant. "They are enjoying themselves there, but we two are left here in the cold wind."
"It's snowing." Lu Guoyi stretched out his hand, but saw snowflakes falling. He couldn't help but frown, "This damn God."
"Brother Lu, I don't think Cheng Qianfan will come out for a while. Are we just going to wait in this cold weather?" Bao Qing'an said with a frown.
"What can we do? Our superiors have told us to keep an eye on it," said Lu Guoyi.
"It's just a routine matter." Bao Qing'an rubbed his hands with coldness. "Cheng Qianfan is even more determined to follow the Japanese than we are. How can he have any problem?"
Cheng Qianfan and Liu Xia took Chu Mingyu's autograph and applied for a special pass to go out. The secret service headquarters did not dare to be careless and sent two teams to follow and monitor them.
But it's not that I'm suspicious of anything. When someone goes out, they need to be monitored. This is normal operation.
Bao Qingan pointed to a tavern not far away and said, "Let's go have a drink and order some side dishes to warm ourselves up."
"it's not good."
Seeing that Lv Guoyi was somewhat interested, Bao Qingan was overjoyed and nudged Lv Guoyi with his elbow. "It's so cold, and Cheng Qianfan is enjoying food and drink and dancing with women, while we have to suffer in the snow?"
"Of course we can." Lu Guoyi thought about it and finally said, "But we really need to find a seat by the window. We have to keep an eye on the entrance of the nightclub. Otherwise, if Cheng Qianfan comes back and we don't know, that would be bad."
"Don't worry." Bao Qing'an said, "Cheng Qianfan is the most lustful person. He is so pent up that he may not be back for a long time."
……
After dancing two dances in the dim and noisy dance floor, Cheng Qianfan, with a cigarette in his mouth, went to the bathroom to flush the toilet and quietly came out of the side door of the nightclub.
He walked along the dim street, observing secretly with the corner of his eye. After confirming that no one was following him, he ran over the wall and entered the alley next door. Then he walked halfway along the alley, turned into another alley, and ran as fast as he could. When he reached the entrance of the alley, he slowed down his pace, calmed his breath, and walked leisurely to the busy street and found a telephone booth.
"We need to open a hotel in Yokosuka first."
……
Open a hotel first.
Taozi only brought Mao Xuanyi and Wu Shunjia to stay here.
"Team leader, maybe the director hasn't seen our missing person advertisement yet?" Mao Xuanyi asked Qiao Chuntao.
"Since the director has already made arrangements, all we can do is wait." Qiao Chuntao glanced at Mao Xuanyi and said.
At first, he was extremely wary of his brother Qi Wu who was supporting the Shanghai Special Intelligence Department.
However, after a period of cooperation, Qiao Chuntao had a high opinion of Mao Xuanyi. This man had accurate marksmanship and good skills. Most importantly, he had a smart mind and was not just a brave and aggressive person.
In addition, the most important thing is that Cheng Qianfan had specifically told him that Mao Xuanyi could be trusted.
Therefore, after much consideration, Qiao Chuntao decided to bring Mao Xuanyi along on this trip to Qingdao.
"Sir, it's a phone call." The hotel waiter knocked on the door and said hurriedly.
"Looking for me?" Qiao Chuntao asked.
"Yes, they said he was your fourth cousin." said the boy.
"Did that person tell us his last name?" Qiao Chuntao asked expectantly.
"It is said that his surname is Shi." The waiter said, "What's his name? His name is Shi Kaiyi."
"That's it." Qiao Chuntao was overjoyed. "Thank God, I found my cousin so quickly."
He rubbed his hands and said, "That's good. Now that we've found our fourth cousin, we'll have a place to stay soon."
Having said that, he happily went downstairs to answer the phone. However, when he left, he secretly made a warning gesture to Mao Xuanyi and Wu Shunjia.
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(End of this chapter)