Chapter 3, The Night Before the Uprising

Chen Heshan laughed and said, "Third Uncle, I knew that with your esteemed presence, everything would surely be in order"

On the evening of October 26, 1911, the Huangpu River was surging with dark waves. The Suzhou River boatmen along the dock were busy preparing meals, with wisps of smoke curling around the pier. Children jumped from one boat to another, provoking a flurry of scolding from their parents. Meanwhile, the lights from the French Concession illuminated the area, and the nightlife of the Far Eastern metropolis had yet to begin.

Yet in Yuchen's heart, there was even greater joy than theirs. Fifty or sixty properly trained junior officers—if the troops were to expand, this would be an invaluable asset!

Having arrived in this era for only a few days, he has already begun to think about issues with the mindset of someone in a position of power. This may also be attributed to his reputation for strong adaptability in his original time. However, the fleeting image of his former girlfriend still causes him a moment of heartache.

The people around are also uncertain: "Perhaps it was the last order for three hundred tons of coking coal, since the quantity was small, they might have forgotten to cancel the order. Or it could be for transporting grain, wanting to use our warehouse here"

As soon as he entered the inner hall, his gaze was fixed on the two girls dressed as students sitting at the table. Both of these girls were daughters of Jiangnan, with fair complexions and gentle facial features, each possessing a pair of large, watery eyes. Dressed in light blue female student uniforms, they appeared even more graceful.

In the past, Yu Chen also commented on the period from 1911 to 1945, considering it the last heroic era in Chinese history, where countless youths devoted their entire lives to a certain ideal without hesitation, even to the point of sacrifice. They were like light, like lightning, brief yet extraordinarily brilliant. When he himself returned to this era, he felt even more personally the fervor of these youths, who, in the days leading up to this great era, could burst forth at any moment, overwhelming the entire old era with their passion. They were pure, they were innocent, and at that time, they were thoroughly idealistic.

He Sui asked them: "Why are you still in Shanghai?"

Master Chen San said: "The dock is already in order, but our target is too significant; we cannot afford to delay for a few days"

Li Ping looked at the Yin sisters and said with a wry smile: "The situation here is as such, Shanghai is an important stronghold for our Restoration Society, and we absolutely cannot let it go! You two sisters should take a good rest for a while, Xie He will discuss the details with you."

In one's own era, the age of heroes has already closed, and the era of common people has begun

At this point, even Chen Qimei pondered for a long time, took several puffs of smoke, and then reluctantly said: "There is also the Huizhou Public Office, and the Guangzhao Public Office; these are organizations of merchants from Huzhou, Huizhou, and Guangdong who travel to Shanghai. They are quite wealthy, and considering our brotherhood, borrowing two million is not a big deal... However, they only recognize me as your brother. When the time comes, I will have no standing or name to borrow money under, and they will definitely ask how I plan to repay them in the future. This is a way forward, but therein lies the difficulty."

The little committee member secretly weighed the envelope in his hand, fearing it contained no less than one hundred dollars. Usually, when meeting Chen San Ye, he would only hand out ten or eight dollars to dismiss them, but this time he was so generous. This aroused his suspicion. However, Chen San Ye was a well-known figure in the Hong Gang, and his subordinates were all desperate characters. Last year, during a violent clash with the Huzhou Gang in the South Market, Chen San Ye single-handedly took down nine opponents.

Upon hearing He Sui introduce the unfamiliar young man as Boss Yu, the three young men exchanged knowing glances. They nodded and greeted Yu Chen. Wu Cai also whispered in Yu Chen's ear: "I heard that more than 200 of them have arrived in Shanghai, all of whom are comrades."

He not only smokes opium but also solicits women, and it is said that he is covered in sores. He does not appear to be a comrade engaged in revolutionary activities. However, since the Restoration Society has decided to collaborate with the Tongmenghui to take action, one can only hold their nose and accept it.

Lv Fengqiao is a short and sturdy man with little expression. He also said with a stern face, "Chen Yingshi from Shanghai has also come to greet us, bringing five hundred foreign coins. However, this person is all talk and no substance, spending his days mingling with a group of white-collar criminals, indulging in brothels and smoking opium. He speaks in a mysterious manner, and as regular soldiers, we are not very patient with him. However, brothers Zhuo Ran and Nian Sun are outstanding figures in our Jiangnan New Army, and we trust the bosses they follow.

Chen Qimei smiled and gestured, saying: "This is a good man invited by my brother from the rivers and lakes, named Liu Fubiao. With him by my side, no ordinary twenty or thirty people can approach me. He is also very enthusiastic about this great cause of restoration."

Then Master Chen San smiled at him: "Not bad, I borrowed your precious place to rest the boat. Recently, things have not been peaceful over in Zhenjiang. My master asked me to bring the boat to Shanghai to take refuge, and there is no need to arrange for the workers to supply food. We will leave in a few days."

A dozen or so black-sailed boats, with a deep draft, were lowering their sails and slowly approaching the dock. A committee member from the manufacturing bureau at the dock's warehouse furrowed his brow and asked the person next to him: "These boats have such a deep draft; what are they transporting? The bureau has nearly ceased production recently. Why are there still these boats coming in?"

He and Chen Qimei were old acquaintances in Japan, well aware of each other's quirks. Noticing that his gaze was fixated solely on the two young women, he greeted him with a smile: "Ying Shi, why are you so late? Let me introduce you to two remarkable women. They are the esteemed disciples of the Jianhu heroine (Jianhu heroine, Qiu Jin), the Yin sisters, Yin Ruizhi and Yin Weijun. They have specially come from Zhejiang to participate in the Shangyi team attacking the manufacturing bureau."

He Sui looked at them and gestured to both sides, saying: "This is our company's Boss Yu. These three are Zhang Xiongfu, Lü Fengqiao, and Wang Lian. They were originally comrades in the New Army, and later were recommended to join the Fourth Army School in Nanjing. After just over three months, Zhang Renjun and Tie Liang were concerned that these students were not stable, so they decided to send them back to their hometowns early."

Zhang Xiongfu is a young man with a Su Nan accent, displaying a somewhat carefree demeanor. It was he who called out loudly to He Sui and the others on the street: "Old Xiong, Old Dan, they have organized a Shu army and gone to Sichuan to engage in big business. The students from Hubei and Hunan have also left early. They have left us, around sixty or seventy lonely souls, here waiting for big business in Nanjing. It would be good to do business in our hometown, but we heard that the business lost money the day before yesterday. Some students are thinking of taking the Taikoo steamer to Hubei, while others want to wait a bit longer. Feeling frustrated by the noise, the three of us decided to go out for a stroll, and unexpectedly ran into this little rascal... Boss Yu, is there any business we can engage in? Can you help out our dozens of brothers?"

The atmosphere in the room truly turned cold. Chen Qimei lifted his robe and turned to leave, saying: "What do you take me, Chen Yingshi, for!" Li Xie wanted to go after him, but Li Pingshu held him back. They simply watched as Chen Qimei angrily walked out.

The boat slowly approached the dock, and dozens of short-haired men jumped aboard, all sporting braids and displaying well-defined muscles. They were busy tying up the ropes. A committee member walked over and saw another neatly dressed middle-aged man jump down from the boat. Each knot of his braid was wrapped in patterned cloth, and his scruffy beard was tangled together. The committee member's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly went over to greet him: "So it is Master Chen San! What brings your esteemed ship's crew to our small dock to load grain?"

Yuchen gratefully grasped Chen Sanye's hand: "Sanye, this time we are entirely reliant on your assistance. Once the matter is accomplished, I will certainly reward you handsomely."

He immediately laughed heartily: "Given the friendship between Master Chen San and our Liu Huiban, what else is there to discuss? Every time there are rewards, my brothers will definitely drive those idle people far away, so you can rest assured."

Several people shook their heads in unison, finding it quite difficult to attack this fortress-like manufacturing bureau with only 200 soldiers armed with rifles and a few bullets. Chen Heshan said: "The terrain inside is quite extensive, with a long alley and several concrete buildings. There are still troops guarding the Shanghai army camp inside, and there may be five or six machine guns... My uncle has been here before and is very familiar with it"

He looked at Chen Heshan and, with a tone of slight pleading, said to Yu Chen: "In this uprising, you have Chen Yingshi from the Huzhou Gang on your side, and we have old grievances with him, so we truly cannot participate. I hope you can understand this... Furthermore, regarding that Chen Shanhe, he is the only heir among the three of us brothers, and we cannot hinder him from pursuing such a grand endeavor. However, I kindly ask Commander Yu to take good care of him, and we would be immensely grateful for that."

As Chen Qimei stepped down from the carriage, a robust man, with his chest exposed and a six-shooter revolver tucked at his waist, also jumped down. Li Pingshu furrowed his brow and asked, "Hero, who is this?"

Master Chen San had nothing to say to him, merely nodding before returning to his own boat. He glanced around and then descended into the cabin.

For the first time, he felt that the weight of historical responsibility was resting on his shoulders

Chen Qimei swallowed hard in his heart: "These two young ladies are truly remarkable figures. Are they the hidden beauties of the Jinwu in Ping Shu, or the new courtesans from Suqingzhai?" He completely forgot about Li Xiehe, who was sitting beside the two girls. This individual was also a general of the Restoration Society, hailing from Hunan, with the courtesy name Wangzhong. He had participated in the Pingliang and Liufeng Uprising and was someone who had faced the Qing army in real combat. This time in Shanghai, the Restoration Society was led by Li Shuping, with Li Xiehe as his deputy. He had participated in the Pingliang and Liufeng Uprising and was someone who had faced the Qing army in real combat. This time in Shanghai, the Restoration Society was led by Li Shuping, with Li Xiehe as his deputy.

Yuchen also wanted to win over these officers, so he smiled at them and said: "If you wish to form a partnership for business, I wholeheartedly welcome it! However, this matter must remain confidential. Once we return to the inn, you can secretly contact some of your most trusted classmates and those who are knowledgeable. Hurry and go to the designated meeting place that we will notify you of. Remember, it is essential to keep this confidential!"

Upon hearing these words, the three young men were all eager to try. Their faces were almost glowing with excitement

He discreetly handed a letter to the committee member from under his sleeve: "This small token is for Committee Member Su; please distribute it among Committee Members Wang and others. We feel a bit embarrassed to disturb you by coming here. We may also need to handle some matters, so please pretend you haven't seen anything."

The three young men left the name of the inn where they were staying, almost skipping out.

He Sui nodded slightly and said, "Although our military strength is somewhat limited, we still have comrades in Shanghai providing support. If we proceed this way, we can be quite confident."

Yin Ruizhi and Yin Weijun looked at Li Ping's writing and felt somewhat disdainful. This person, having been an official and a gentry for a long time, seems to soften at the sight of foreigners. However, Chen Qimei still possesses a certain rugged spirit.

Upon hearing Li Pingshu's words, the room fell silent. Chen Qimei was smoking a water pipe, exhaling clouds of smoke. Both Li Pingshu and Li Xiehe looked at him without speaking. Chen Qimei fiddled with the tobacco oil using his smoking stick and finally said slowly: "We need not pay any attention to the opinions of the foreigners. My brothers have seen much in Japan; we Chinese are soft-hearted, and thus the foreigners are tough on us. The Japanese are tough on the foreigners, and the foreigners become much softer in Japan... We should still do what we need to do; the restoration is a significant matter, and we should not concern ourselves with those red-haired fellows."

Comrade support? This time it is indeed to seize the comrades' achievements. Yuchen responded vaguely. He focused on examining the manufacturing bureau in front of him. This group of buildings occupied a large area, with cement walls standing over two people high. There were corner towers on all sides, with Maxim machine guns mounted on the upper floors, reflecting a dim light under the illumination. At the entrance stood several soldiers from the Shanghai army camp, leaning against the five-shot quick-firing guns modeled after the Hubei Hanyang, lazily yawning.

Wang Lian is the tallest and most imposing figure among them, smiling before he even speaks: "But that 500 yuan indeed allowed the brothers to enjoy a few days of lavish feasting."

The gas street lamps along the road were lit one by one. Yu Chen, accompanied by He Sui, Wu Cai, and Chen Heshan, dressed in long gowns, sat in a rickshaw pulled by his soldiers, making rounds at several important locations. As the rickshaw turned back to the Gaochang Temple, Yu Chen signaled for the others to get off and slowly walked towards the gate of the manufacturing bureau

Chen Qimei's carriage arrived at the entrance of Lisuqingzhai in the south. Li Pingshu, who had been waiting with eager anticipation, quickly came out to greet him. Li Pingshu was a legitimate Jinshi, holding the title of a candidate for a provincial official, and had now risen to the position of deputy director of the Manufacturing Bureau. He also held the status of the general director of the Shanghai Commercial Guild and the general director of the Shanghai Autonomous Bureau. Additionally, he was a key figure responsible for the Restoration Society in Shanghai. In truth, he held a low opinion of Chen Qimei, the prominent figure of the Tongmenghui in Shanghai.

Suddenly, a young voice from across the street exclaimed, "Brother Zhuo Ran, Brother Nian Sun! What are you doing here?" Several people placed their hands on their waists, nervously looking in the direction of the voice. Three young men, dressed in unmarked uniforms, were looking at them with surprise and quickly walked over. He Sui and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Before these young men could speak, they led them to a small restaurant in the distance. Yu Chen was filled with confusion and followed them.

Chen Qimei walked along, laughing: "Brother Shu Ping, you are just too impatient. The patrol team in Nanshi, the Shanghai military camp at the manufacturing bureau, and the defense camp in Wusong have all coordinated their movements. As long as we wait for the grand event on the 3rd, everything will fall into place naturally. Why the rush?"

They laughed together with He Sui and the others, creating a lively atmosphere.

Li Ping shook his hand repeatedly: "You cannot move, you cannot move! The Qing Bank is located in the concession; do you think you can send the army in? If negotiations are provoked, I fear that our Shanghai Military Government will collapse before it even gets started! Mr. Ying, perhaps you should discuss the second option."

Master Chen San said with great emotion: "Commander Yu, since the 25th year of the Guangxu era, our Hong Gang has had thousands of members killed by the Manchus due to uprisings. The deceased leaders, Ma Zonghan of the Pingyang Society and Xie Feilin of the Longhua Society, were all good friends of my brothers in the Chen family. This head of mine has long been tied to your party."

He lowered his head after speaking, fiddling with the water pipe. Li Pingshu and Li Xiehe exchanged a glance, both understanding the situation. Li Xiehe smiled and said, "Hero, is there anything we brothers cannot discuss? Although everyone has nominated me as the Governor of Shanghai, it is merely a forced situation. If you are willing to take on this responsibility, that would be excellent. I will immediately step down and make way for you." Although everyone has nominated me as the Governor of Shanghai, it is merely a forced situation. If you are willing to take on this responsibility, that would be excellent. I will immediately step down and make way for you.

Yuchen looked around and saw that there were still more than ten shops across the street from the manufacturing bureau. All the doors were closed. He carefully recalled the events of the revolutionary army's attack on the manufacturing bureau from back in the day. He nodded and said, "Let's go back"

Master Chen glanced at him and said, "You little rascal, be cautious in everything. Engaging in such life-threatening activities while wearing a grin is reckless. Be careful or your father will beat you when you get home"

Yuchen's emotions were somewhat tumultuous, these men of the rivers and lakes. Ever since they accepted various connections from the Nationalist Party, they have risen up without hesitation. Although there have been countless deaths and injuries, they have successfully inflicted severe wounds on the Qing dynasty. After the uprising succeeded, their names faded into history. The Chen family estimated that it would cost at least five to six thousand yuan to transport them to Shanghai. They even sent the only descendant who could carry on the family line to the front lines. All of this left him at a loss for words.

Upon hearing the name of the heroine of Jianhu, Chen Qimei immediately became much more restrained. After greeting the two young ladies, he sat down obediently. Li Pingshu then addressed him: "The reason I called you here today is to discuss two matters. First, I have shared some insights with several foreign directors of the Public Works Bureau today, and they are indeed supportive of some changes in the situation in China. However, they emphasized that in Shanghai, where Chinese and foreigners coexist, we must prevent the situation from deteriorating. It is certainly not feasible to throw bombs all over the city like in Guangzhou; we need to come up with a more prudent approach. Second, regarding the maintenance of order, this requires funding. The business community can raise 900,000 yuan, and I am well aware of the financial situation of the Shanghai Customs and the Manufacturing Bureau, which is just under 2 million taels of silver. If we make further efforts, raising an additional 2 million yuan should not be too difficult. However, once Shanghai is restored, the entire situation in the southeast will depend on our support, and this amount will be far from sufficient. We must consider everything with a long-term perspective, and we should also discuss the funding issue."

Shanghai Sixteen Piers Wharf. This wharf and the associated warehouses, as detailed in https://www.hetushu.com, were both invested in and constructed by the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau of the Gaochang River. It has traditionally served as a location for transporting coal and grain to the manufacturing bureau, and a significant portion of the munitions and ammunition produced by the bureau has also been dispatched from this wharf

Chen Qimei did not feel comfortable admitting that he had been delayed by smoking opium in the Four Horse Road hall; he merely smiled and said, "Ping Shu, it is not a big deal to lose a little time. I was just chatting with the captain of the patrol team from the South Market."

After laughing for a while, He Sui looked at Yu Chen and nodded, then said seriously to them: "Our Boss Yu is sent by Boss Sun and Brother Bo Xian! We are preparing to engage in a major business deal in Shanghai! Everything has been arranged. We have four hundred comrades from the 9th Town, and with the cooperation of the comrades in Shanghai, this time success is assured! If the deal goes well, the situation in the lower Yangtze River and the southeast will be completely transformed!"

He pondered for a moment: "However, what Ping Shu said about the funds is indeed a significant issue. Once we regain control, the funds will flow like water. I have two considerations, one being the Da Qing Bank within the concession. That old fellow Song Hanzhang does not take us seriously, but the Da Qing Bank is about to prepare to release five to six million for the northern funds, which could be quite sufficient to tide us over for a while."

Several teapots from Suqingzhai approached, helping Chen Qimei to remove his clothes and handing him a water pipe. Chen Qimei smiled and asked, "Where is that little girl Suqing?" Li Shuping stamped his foot and said, "Hero, hurry up! Still swaying like this, I sent Suqing upstairs to keep an eye on us. Everyone is feeling anxious, and you are still so leisurely!"

He touched the bag of foreign coins again. To hell with it, in this day and age, money is still the most practical. There is no need to take his monthly salary from the station so seriously.

A few individuals settled into a quiet corner of the restaurant and waved for some food and drinks. Noticing the tension of He Sui and his companions, the young men wisely refrained from asking questions along the way. It was only then that one of them spoke up, saying: "Brother Zhuo Ran, what brings you here as well? Have you left the military?"

Chen Qimei got out of the car. He was only in his thirties, of medium build, with a round, fair face. He watched as Li Pingshu hurriedly approached him: "Ying Shi, why did you arrive so late? Xie He and I have been waiting for you for quite some time."

Li Ping's Restoration Society has been in contact with various figures over the years; what kind of underworld characters has he not encountered? This Liu Fubiao has a face full of flesh and a protruding belly, clearly a third-rate character from the underworld. Yet, Chen Qimei treats him like a treasure. He snorted inwardly, forced a greeting, and then took Chen Qimei's hand to walk into the inner room

The cabin was filled with soldiers, all sitting in an orderly manner. Their expressions were somewhat tense. Master Chen San lit the gas lamp in the boat. Yu Chen, He Sui, Wu Cai, and Chen Heshan gathered around.

The Yin sisters exchanged glances after witnessing the recent commotion, and with serious expressions, they replied: "We have always been mindful of the wishes of the two esteemed teachers and have never dared to forget them. We are willing to undertake any arduous tasks. As for other matters, we do not wish to know, but we are grateful for Mr. Ping Shu's goodwill"

He said softly to He Sui: "Just now, I observed that having two hundred people would be sufficient for several key locations in Nanshi. The main targets are the police station and the Shanghai Customs office, both of which are conveniently situated for our attack."