Master of Chinese Martial Arts: I Can Steal the Skills of a Grandmaster from the Republic of China E

Chapter 89 Poaching

Chapter 89 Poaching

Upon seeing the gun barrel, Zhou Xing remained expressionless, only raising his hand to straighten his cuffs and collar.

He glanced at the sky; dusk was falling, with only a pale orange-red hue remaining in the west.

He turned to the group of Japanese ronin: "Is anyone else here? It's getting late. If no one's here, I'll go home for dinner."

The Japanese glared angrily at him, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords, but none of them dared to step forward. The most skilled of them all, Yagyu, was still lying on the ground, coughing up blood with each cough.

Go forward? That's suicide.

DuPont was so enraged by Zhou Xing's arrogant attitude that his lips turned white. Holding the gun, he felt as if he were being roasted over a fire.

People on the street were whispering among themselves. Today's gossip had taken many twists and turns, and they were even more eager to see the French Concession police station, which was about to cede territory.

"DuPont Deputy Director."

Just then, a voice came from behind the crowd.

The crowd parted, and Renault walked over, his steps neither hurried nor slow.

He first glanced at Yagyu Muneaki, who was curled up on the ground, then swept his gaze over the gun in DuPont's hand, and finally his eyes landed on Zhou Xing's face.

"You can put the gun away now."

Reynolds told DuPont, his tone devoid of emotion, "The Municipal Council and the Police Force have granted the Special Investigations Unit the authority to explicitly include investigating acts that endanger public order in the intercropping area. Detective Zhou's actions today were entirely compliant with regulations."

DuPont's face flushed red: "Compliance? He assaulted a Japanese expatriate in the street! Who will be responsible if this causes a diplomatic incident?"

"Responsible?"

Renault opened his folder, pulled out a page with a bright red stamp on it: "The Japanese consulate received a formal note three hours ago, stating that a Taoist sorcery organization was using the flower arrangement area for illegal activities and was colluding with the judges of Tianjin, endangering the security of the concession."

All our actions today are within this framework. Mr. Yagyu's participation in the armed conflict was a personal act and has nothing to do with diplomacy.

He stopped looking at DuPont and turned to his adjutant Hans: "Clean up the scene, seal all seized supplies, and take the prisoners back to headquarters. Notify the Japanese Concession Police Station that the ronin involved violently resisted the law but has been subdued; have them send someone to pick him up."

A few words were enough to define it.

DuPont's hand, holding the gun, froze in mid-air, unsure whether to retract it or not.

He glared at Zhou Xing, then finally shoved the gun back into its holster with a "click," snorted coldly, and turned to leave with his men.

The police officers sprang into action, and were extremely efficient.

The string of prisoners, tied with a long rope, was being pulled along like a skewer of candied hawthorns, staggering towards the truck, heads bowed and dejected, their former ferocity gone.

The crowd of Chinese and foreign onlookers gradually dispersed, turning back to discuss excitedly as they left. This spectacle would keep them entertained for days.

Zhou walked over to Renault's side.

Reno didn't look at him, but stared at the street being cleaned. Suddenly, he spoke in a low voice, only the two of them could hear: "DuPont has been operating within the police department for fifteen years, and he has many protégés and old friends. You embarrassed him in public today, and he'll never forget it."

.

Zhou Xing grunted in response, "Thank you for helping me out, Captain."

"Not for you."

Renault turned around, his vertical pupils fixed on him. "It's for the authority of the Special Investigation Team and the face of the French Concession. If you act so recklessly again, think about how you're going to clean up the mess."

After saying that, he walked towards the car, his uniform perfectly straight, his steps steady and precise.

Zhou Xing watched his retreating figure without saying a word. But in his heart, he thought: Isn't this the situation Renault wanted to see today?

It was past nine o'clock at night when we returned to the Central Police Station.

The building was brightly lit and filled with the noise of people. The twenty-odd prisoners who had been brought back were herded like livestock, taken to court one by one, and had their fingerprints and statements taken.

Cries, shouts, and table-pounding mingled together, the air thick with the stench of sweat, smoke, and a faint smell of blood.

Zhou Xing didn't participate in the interrogation. He was in his new office, flipping through the pages of the delivered confessions.

The dim light shone on the paper, making the handwriting appear somewhat messy.

The charity organization is being stubborn, repeatedly saying things like "I'll follow orders from above" and "I don't know."

The minor managers had never even seen the faces of their superiors; they were all middlemen who relayed messages, and the money was transferred through anonymous accounts.

There's something here at Yiguandao.

Several Southeast Asians couldn't hold back any longer and spoke intermittently.

This group, who called themselves disciples of the outer altar, came to Tianjin for three things: to purchase medicinal herbs and spices, to collect money, and to arrange things according to instructions at public ceremonies.

When asked what exactly they were doing in the ritual, they all shook their heads, saying they only knew it was a river god worship ceremony, and that when the time came, they would follow orders.

When asked for more details, they said there was another group of people, but they didn't know what they were doing. They only knew that they were senior disciples from the inner altar, all of whom were truly powerful masters whose whereabouts were secretive and beyond their control.

Zhou Xing put down his notebook and walked to the window. The sky was a bluish-gray, dawn was approaching.

The full name of this River God Festival is the Haihe River Peace and Blessing Ceremony, which will take place five days later on the 15th day of the tenth lunar month. It is a traditional sacrificial ceremony that Tianjin holds every few years.

He took out the river-suppressing coin from his pocket; it was cold and heavy.

"River God, suppress the river, lock the lock beneath the sea—"

If someone wants to lock the door, then someone else will want to unlock it, or perhaps it's already unlocked?

This temple is divided into two altars, an outer altar that is open and an inner altar that is hidden.

Most of the things beneath the Haihe River are related to these clandestine dealings, and also to the obsession with this river-suppressing coin. We need to find out where the inner altar is and what it's for.

He touched the silver bracelet on his wrist again.

[Huo Yuanjia's Obsession: To eradicate evil witchcraft and Japanese samurai, and to uphold the spirit of Chinese martial arts!]

Fiery, powerful, and imbued with an indomitable spirit.

Heretical sects, Japan. When he thought of these two groups colluding together, the first thing that came to his mind was the charity.

Today, we only took down some of the outer henchmen. The real leaders of the charity, those who are more deeply involved with the Japanese, are still hiding.

Huo Yuanjia's legacy is undoubtedly unparalleled, but the charity is well hidden, and the River God Festival is just around the corner. The obsession with the River God's money must be resolved first.

No one knows who this river-suppressing person is or what kind of inheritance they have received.

At 10 a.m., Renault called a meeting.

Meeting room at the Central Police Station in the French Concession.

The meeting room was filled with smoke. A subtle atmosphere hung over the long table on either side.

Renault sat in the main seat, flanked by his adjutants Hans and Zhou Xing. Opposite them, however, was another person: Deputy Director DuPont, who arrived uninvited with a clerk.

DuPont sat there casually, his eyes fixed on Zhou Xing, his expression gloomy, as if he were pondering something.

"The underwater search team will arrive this afternoon."

Renault didn't look at DuPont, but spread out a map of the Haihe River channel: "Two modified motorboats, a German-made diving bell, and six experienced frogmen."

Starting from the fork in the river, conduct a fan-shaped search downstream. Focus on investigating abnormal riverbed structures and points of water quality change.

Although it is still unknown what Yi Guan Dao is specifically up to, it is certain that they have been active at the bottom of the Haihe River, based on testimonies and clues.

Renault had already brought in this professional team from its home country through its own channels a few days earlier.

DuPont then slowly took a puff of his cigar, letting the smoke swirl in his mouth before exhaling. "Captain Renault, very efficient indeed. One trip to the outskirts, and you've shut down five properties and arrested over twenty people. The Public Works Department's phone has been ringing all day; they're paying close attention."

"but,"

DuPont changed the subject, pointing to the map, "At this critical moment, with such a major case, I think we should combine the cases and form a joint task force. Unified command and concentrated resources will be key. I'll also send a few people from my side who are familiar with the local water conditions. They'll be a good help."

Zhou Xing observed coldly from the sidelines.

I understand that this person is simply using the pretext of concentrating efforts to try and claim credit for the work and reap the benefits.

Sending a few people in can both monitor the situation and disrupt things at crucial moments.

Over the past few days, Zhou Xing has also figured out some of the connections between the higher-ups in the police station.

Reno is young and ambitious, and is a man of the current Commissioner of Police. He wants to use his achievements in solving a series of major cases and expanding the influence of the concession to advance his career.

DuPont's deputy director, who had been in his position for over a decade and was deeply entrenched in the system, belonged to the group that was to be "optimized" out.

"Maybe I can make use of it," he thought to himself.

Upon hearing this, Renault curled his lip and sneered, "The deputy director of DuPont holds a high position and wields great power; even leaving the office counts as a business trip. Do you even know which direction the Haihe River is in?"

DuPont wasn't annoyed by this. He exhaled a puff of smoke and looked at Zhou Xing: "Detective Zhou is young and promising. This underwater search is highly dangerous, and we need someone bold and meticulous to lead the team. In my opinion, Detective Zhou is just right."

He smiled and said earnestly, "Following Inspector Renault means handling major cases. But there are some off-the-ground resources and connections that the inspector may not be able to attend to due to his busy schedule."

If Detective Zhou thinks highly of me, Du Bang, please feel free to ask if you ever need any help or a word from me.

"I can't speak for other things, but if I put in a good word for you, Detective Zhou, with a few kind words and submit a request for promotion to the directors of the Municipal Council, my influence as the deputy director will still carry some weight."

After those words were spoken, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Zhong Ding stood beside him, his eyes wide with astonishment. Chen Qi lowered his head to take notes, his pen hovering over the paper.

Poaching talent. Openly and brazenly, right in front of Renault.