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The bodyguard walked back to the door of the private room, glancing around before his gaze lingered for a moment on the large vase where Shen Tong was hiding. Shen Tong held her breath, ready to take out the bodyguard at any moment if necessary. Fortunately, he didn’t notice anything unusual and quickly turned his eyes away.
After that, Shen Tong pressed herself against the wall and slowly made her way to the staircase, moving quietly down the steps. Once she met up with Lin Mingchang, who had come down from the other side, they didn’t return to the bar to look for Chen Jiu'an but left the New World Dance Hall directly.
Back at the inn, Shen Tong recounted the conversation she had overheard word for word to Lin Mingchang. From this fragmented dialogue, combined with the previous three arson cases at the Silk Factory, they quickly reached a startling conclusion—French forces were behind the smuggling operations in Yangzhou. The New World Dance Hall was likely their information exchange station, a façade for their dealings.
These French smugglers were not only profiting from smuggling but also aimed to destroy the local Silk Industry's production and financial chains. They intended to invest in and control Yangzhou's silk economy, establishing a dependency. The individual who perished in the Rui He Xiang Silk Factory fire, Wang Derun, was probably one of their spies who was silenced due to his greed.
This was a meticulously designed Economic Colonial Invasion. Moreover, they had already infiltrated deeply.
The next afternoon, Lin Mingchang and Shen Tong arrived at Chen Jiu'an's home as promised. Chen Jiu'an clearly had just woken up from a hangover; his shirt collar was loosened, his hair was messy, and he looked pale with deep-set eyes—a picture of excess. Leaning back in a rattan chair, he rubbed his temples and said, "Let me tell you, drinking one glass is for pleasure, two glasses is for bravado, but too much is just asking for trouble..."
Lin Mingchang ignored Chen Jiu'an's drunken musings and got straight to the point. "Last night at the New World Dance Hall, Shen Tong and I accidentally overheard some unusual conversations. Jiu'an, that place is not just an ordinary dance hall."
Chen Jiu'an suddenly sat up straight. "What do you mean?"
Lin Mingchang looked into Chen Jiu'an's bloodshot eyes. "These Foreign Devils are playing a big game."
He recounted what Shen Tong had heard and presented their conclusions from the previous night’s analysis. Chen Jiu'an was stunned into silence for a long moment.
Eventually, he managed to speak with difficulty: "Are you saying that foreigners want to uproot Yangzhou's local Silk Industry?"
"Not just silk," Lin Mingchang replied quietly. "I suspect silk might just be their first step."
Chen Jiu'an leaned back in his chair, once again falling into silence. Lin Mingchang and Shen Tong waited quietly, giving Chen Jiu'an time to digest the significant news.
Chen Jiu'an picked up the teacup on the table and took a large gulp before finally speaking. "Your discovery is crucial. I will relay this information to the Yangzhou Police Station as soon as possible. Additionally, my subordinate who has been secretly investigating the smuggling operations uncovered some leads last night—the group from the French Trading Company has indeed been expanding their transportation routes recently. We received word that tonight, they plan to smuggle a shipment of silk at Yongxing Wharf on the northern canal."
He looked up at Lin Mingchang. "This time, I will notify the Police Station in advance. We must stop them."
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