Chapter 6, The Longest Night (3)

Wu Cai and his team were also quite swift in their actions. After taking control of the Shanghai Police Headquarters, they immediately dispatched troops to seize the Shanghai Customs and the Shanghai County Government. The several hundred thousand taels of silver stored in the Customs were something Yu Chen had explicitly instructed should not fall into anyone else's hands. When Wang Lian arrived at full speed with a cavalry unit borrowed from the patrol, the officials in Shanghai had already fled without a trace. The stored silver at the Customs remained untouched. Wang Lian promptly set up sentries and, following Yu Chen's orders, strictly controlled access, prohibiting any unauthorized personnel from approaching. When Wang Lian arrived at full speed with a cavalry unit borrowed from the patrol, the officials in Shanghai had already fled without a trace. The stored silver at the Customs remained untouched. Wang Lian promptly set up sentries and, following Yu Chen's orders, strictly controlled access, prohibiting any unauthorized personnel from approaching

Yuchen laughed and said: "Thank you very much, Third Master. Back then, I was a penniless poor fellow, but now I have at least some savings. This time, I must express my gratitude for Third Master Chen's kindness, and consider it a gesture of goodwill towards my brothers"

Soon, people began to set off firecrackers in the streets, and well-wishers flocked to places such as Shanghai Customs, the Police Headquarters, and the Arsenal, eager to witness firsthand into whose hands the great Shanghai had been restored.

Yuchen smiled helplessly and waved to several guards: "Quickly arrange for Master Chen San to take a rest. This sack and the person inside it must be carried to my temporary office. I will see him again tomorrow, but he must not die! And it is imperative to keep this a secret!"

Li Ping Shu and Li Xie He stood at the entrance of the Manufacturing Bureau, accompanied by dozens of drowsy members of the merchant group who had been dragged out of their beds. By the time they arrived at the Manufacturing Bureau, it was already 1:30 AM. They saw that the entrance was filled with vigilant soldiers, all in neat military formation, who refused to let them enter. Notices of restoration and public safety were posted at the door, and upon closer inspection, the bright red seal of the Shanghai Military Government's Commander of the Shanghai Army was particularly striking. The name on the notice was unfamiliar: Yu Chen. They pondered over this name for quite some time in their minds but could not recall who this person was.

Accompanied by the flames from the Gaochangjiang Southern Manufacturing Bureau, the night in Shanghai was stirred. The streets were filled with small groups of people, inquiring about what had happened. Some confidently claimed to have seen the white-helmeted and white-armored militia entering the city, while others, who were more informed, speculated that it was Chen Qimei and his associates who had instigated the uprising. It was not until individuals, still wearing old police uniforms, with white towels tied around their heads and the insignia of the Third Brigade of the Chinese Soviet Shanghai Revolutionary Army on their chests, began patrolling the streets that everyone realized the main force behind this uprising was the previously unheard-of Chinese Soviet Shanghai Revolutionary Army.

At the door, Lü Fengqiao called out "Report." Yu Chen looked up and saw that he was carrying a rifle on his back, with a German Luger pistol and a revolver at his waist, and his ammunition belt was bulging. He was staring intently at him. Yu Chen smiled and said, "Why are you carrying so many weapons? Is there something going on?"

As He Sui received his orders and left, Yu Chen felt a wave of weakness wash over him, accompanied by a sudden sense of dread. Just moments ago, amidst the hail of bullets, he had felt nothing; now, however, he was acutely aware of the cold sweat covering his body. He shook his head, a sense of accomplishment rising within him. By dawn, the largest city in the Far East, Shanghai, would be restored to his hands

They could only hand over their business cards and wait at the door like sentinels. The two exchanged a glance, both internally smiling wryly. Who would have known that before the night was over, the situation in Shanghai would change dramatically the very day before they were eager to make their move

Lv Fengqiao still habitually wore a stern expression: "At the main entrance, there is a person named Li Pingshu who claims to be the deputy director of the manufacturing bureau. If the general director of the Shanghai Commercial Guild wishes to meet the official, he has also brought along dozens of young gentlemen and soldiers from various commercial guilds. Meanwhile, at the back entrance, Master Chen San has also returned and wishes to meet the official as well"

It was not until a quarter past two that a young officer with a cold expression emerged to welcome the two inside. Dozens of members from the trading group attempted to follow, but they were firmly stopped.

Yuchen was already waiting for them there, just as he had told Lv Fengqiao. The future situation in Shanghai will depend on intellect and eloquence to strive for it, and meeting the two Lis is just the beginning

Master Chen San pressed Yu Chen's hand: "What does the Commander take us for? We, the Hong Gang, still understand the meaning of loyalty. If you say that again, I will turn around and leave, as if I had never come to Shanghai"

Yuchen is well aware of the situation; he has completely taken advantage of his familiarity with history. After the Wuchang Uprising, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Shanghai, a place with an early atmosphere of reform, would achieve restoration. Chen Qimei and the members of the Restoration Society had already done countless preparatory works in advance. The Qing officials and soldiers in all important locations were almost just waiting for the revolutionary army to appear before them, ready to hand over their weapons in anticipation of the restoration. Unexpectedly, there was an outsider like him who seized this opportunity.

Li Ping Shu and Li Xie He walked into the manufacturing bureau, a place they were all too familiar with. They found that, apart from the traces of battle in front of the concrete building, everything else remained unchanged. Only the patrol team, with white towels wrapped around their arms, occasionally walked past them. Although the corner towers were not clearly visible, there must have been machine guns stationed there. The two exchanged glances and sighed, then followed the young officer towards the office of the former general manager, Zhang Chubao.

At that moment, Wu Cai almost immediately recruited the police officers and soldiers willing to join him, forming a new detachment. He assigned a group of officers from the Army Middle School to lead and command it, and they promptly went out to patrol the streets, posting notices that anyone caught looting or stealing amidst the chaos would be dealt with by military law on the spot

Yuchen happily stood up: "Has Master Chen returned? That's great, I will go see him right away. As for that Li Pingshu, let him wait for a while."

Yuchen patted him on the shoulder: "After tonight in Shanghai, there won't be much fighting left. If there is to be a fight, it will be a matter of using our brains and our words. If you want to fight, I can take you back to Nanjing to fight to your heart's content"

He awkwardly chuckled and asked Master Chen San, "Has the matter I entrusted to you been taken care of?"

Lü Fengqiao paid his respects and took Yuchen to meet Master Chen. Noticing his serious demeanor, Yuchen smiled and asked him, "Fengqiao, what is your courtesy name? Also, why are you carrying so many weapons here?"

Master Chen San glanced at the sack: "This gentleman is still indulging in flower wine within the concession. We, a few brothers from the Hong Gang, dragged him up, knocked him unconscious, and then boarded the ship, hiding him in the hold to leave the concession. He may not have woken up yet. This time, I, Chen San, have chosen new faces that have never appeared in Shanghai, and we have been very cautious along the way. No one will discover it."

Master Chen San had long been waiting for Yu Chen in a house. Upon seeing Yu Chen enter, he reached out and tightly grasped Yu Chen's hand, saying: "Commander, you have accomplished something truly remarkable! Over the years, our Hongmen has lost thousands of brothers, and we haven't even managed to take a small county seat. Yet you brought four hundred brothers to attack Shanghai, and I was still having my doubts. I never expected you would capture this city so effortlessly!"

As for the Qing Dynasty ... After this night, it had already been pushed into history by Shanghai

In those years, Li Xie and others suffered this loss. After defeating the Manufacturing Bureau, their Restoration Society had the greatest contributions. However, he himself was mentally exhausted and went to rest at hetushu.com. By morning, the announcement under the name of Chen Qimei as the Governor of Shanghai was plastered all over the city. Later, when competing for this position, he lost the initiative.

Yuchen sat in the original office of General Manager Zhang Chubao at the Manufacturing Bureau, writing various announcements with red-rimmed eyes. The people beside him quickly took over. They were about to go and make oil prints; after all, there were plenty of workers in the Manufacturing Bureau, and these tasks were completed swiftly. After taking over the Manufacturing Bureau and conducting a preliminary inventory, they had already produced four 75mm mountain guns, twelve imitation 75mm mountain guns, around forty to fifty Maxim heavy machine guns, and nearly ten thousand rifles. The number of shells and bullets was too large to count at the moment. Additionally, there were funds for purchasing materials, payments from others, and several types of tax silver collected by the Manufacturing Bureau. In summary, there were over 700,000 taels of silver in cash. Indeed, they had seized a treasure trove.

Lü Fengqiao trudged ahead, saying: "Commander, I have not yet signed my name. As for bringing so many people, Shanghai is such a vast place that it is difficult to completely eliminate the enemy. In case of a counterattack, we can respond immediately."

He Sui was there, playfully striking Chen Shanhe, laughing like a child. Yu Chen pulled him up: "Zhuo Ran, you must immediately send someone to contact Nanshi Niansun and the others. We need to post the announcements from our Shanghai Military Government all over the streets. Now we are a legitimate righteous army, and this legitimacy is of utmost importance! Let Zhang Xiongfu take a company to the Zhabei Police Headquarters; now that we have freed our hands, there are two hundred fully armed policemen there, and we cannot let them escape!"