Chapter 7: Impersonation
The gangsters weren't afraid of the public because they were ruthless. However, when they encountered a more ruthless group of wounded soldiers, they hesitated.
The other gang members quickly assisted the injured and fled.
The wounded soldiers didn't pursue them.
The wounded soldier with a pistol came outside the tobacco and liquor store, shouting, "Big Bull, open the door."
The door opened slightly, revealing a head.
The person was the cripple who had fought with his companion.
Seeing the platoon leader, the cripple immediately opened the door.
"Platoon leader, there's a lot of tobacco and liquor inside. Enough for the brothers to enjoy."
The platoon leader went in and nodded, "This place is good. From now on, it's under military control."
The onlookers outside shook their heads and left.
Among the crowd was the leader of the gang.
Can't beat them. With over twenty armed men, they could wipe us out at any time.
Forget it, consider it a lesson from Liu Laosan.
The leader regretted it! That was thousands of francs worth of tobacco and liquor, now given away without any favor in return.
Should we call the police?
Gangsters calling the police would be a joke, right?
Moreover, would it help if the police came? They're afraid of the wounded soldiers; those guys have died once and aren't afraid to die again. Besides, they've contributed to the country, making the police powerless against them.
Just as the gang leader left in sorrow, Zhou Lin entered Maple Street.
With the commotion caused by the wounded soldiers, many outsiders gathered to watch. These people were here for the excitement.
So when Zhou Lin appeared, he didn't attract much attention.
Of course, a few people looked at him, but after a glance, they turned their heads without serious inquiry.
Zhou Lin arrived at a storefront with a sign that read "Shenji Butcher," glanced at the sign, and walked in.
Inside the store, there was a meat board made of a large tree with half a pig on it.
On top of the board were iron hooks, suspending a pig's head and two pig feet.
Behind the meat board stood a fat-headed, big-eared man.
This man was around thirty years old, holding a meat cleaver in his hands.
Zhou Lin felt that if someone acted suspiciously, the meat cleaver would come down.
When the man saw Zhou Lin approaching, he didn't greet him.
He just stood there, silently watching Zhou Lin.
Zhou Lin slowly walked up to the butcher and asked in a low voice, "How is this meat sold?"
The butcher squinted, "Those who don't buy meat, please leave."
Zhou Lin was curious, "How do you know I'm not buying meat?"
"I know everyone who lives on this street. Outsiders don't buy meat."
"Why don't outsiders buy meat?"
"Every street has a butcher; they won't go far for meat. Besides, at the entrance of our street, there's another butcher. With that one there, outsiders won't come here to buy meat."
Zhou Lin clapped his hands, "Your deduction is quite clever, just like Wei Qianguo."
Wei Qianguo was born in the late Qing Dynasty.
Due to his profound metaphysical skills, he was known as one of the three masters of Shanghai metaphysics during the Republic of China, alongside Yuan Shushan and Xu Lewu.
In his lifetime, he predicted the fate of many well-known political figures, including Chiang Kai-shek of the current Republic of China government.
The butcher was taken aback but immediately replied, "I'm not like Wei Qianguo. I prefer Agatha Christie."
Agatha Christie's works were distinctive in plot and storyline. The mysteries unfolded from the very beginning, filled with surprises, leaving readers puzzled and curious. Reading Christie's works was a continuous climax, making it hard for readers to stop, and even when staring intently, they couldn't figure out what Christie was selling.
Zhou Lin delivered the passphrase, catching the butcher off guard. However, he quickly reacted and responded with the correct passphrase.
Zhou Lin continued, "If we talk about novels, I like Tang Huan."
The butcher locked onto the final code, "Tang Huan likes young women."
These were the coded messages and contact methods Zhou Lin obtained by retracing Sato's memory.
Once the codes matched, the butcher stepped out and glanced outside, especially at the distant tobacco and liquor store. Seeing no one paying attention here, he relaxed.
The butcher bolted the shop door.
Zhou Lin asked, "Will closing the door attract attention from those with ill intentions?"
The butcher replied, "I take a nap for about an hour at this time every day. I often close the door. Not closing it would be unusual."
Zhou Lin nodded, realizing that appearances could be deceiving.
A seemingly ordinary person like this chubby man had a surprisingly keen mind.
After locking the door, the butcher led Zhou Lin into the backyard.
As soon as they entered, Zhou Lin smelled the fragrance of meat.
He knew what it was but pretended not to, asking, "What are you doing? It smells so good."
The butcher said, "This is a specialty dish in Shanghai, soy-braised pork."
Soy-braised pork was made from evenly mixed fatty and lean pork, marinated in over twenty spices. The meat was tender, with a unique taste and rich nutritional value, and popular among the masses.
In the butcher's shop, there were soy-braised pig feet, soy-braised pork, and soy-braised bones.
People at this time weren't as health-conscious as those in later markets, particularly enjoying meat.
The butcher took out two pig feet, a piece of pork, and a few bones.
The pig feet were left whole, the pork was sliced, and the bones were placed directly in a basin.
"Adapt to local conditions. Since I sell meat, I invite you to have some pork."
The butcher took out a bottle of Shanghai white wine, and two small bowls and poured a bowl for Zhou Lin and another for himself.
The two sat at a table, facing each other.
The butcher raised his bowl, "Come, let's drink."
Zhou Lin took a big sip, showing no reaction.
The butcher looked at Zhou Lin in surprise, "You seem like you're from the Northeast."
Zhou Lin took another sip and said, "It's the northern region, not the Northeast. I came from Qingdao. The last group sent in was wiped out, so they transferred us here."
The butcher nodded, "Heard they catch spies every day. Must have suffered significant losses."
"Of course, not small at all. Otherwise, they wouldn't have awakened you."
Zhou Lin took out a cigarette box and handed one to the butcher.
The outside of the cigarette box was from Shanghai, but it contained Japanese cigarettes.
The butcher held the cigarette but didn't immediately light it. Instead, he placed the cigarette under his nose, sniffing slowly.
"I can smell the hometown aroma from this tobacco."
Zhou Lin sat up straight and asked, "Are you from Kyoshi?"
Kyushu was the region in Japan where the most tobacco was produced.
The butcher shook his head, lit the cigarette, and took a puff.
This puff went straight into his stomach, and it took a long time before smoke emerged from his nose.
This was a formidable smoker! Zhou Lin smoked while inhaling and exhaling, leaving no smoke in his belly. If he smoked like this, he would choke.
The butcher took three consecutive puffs before looking at Zhou Lin and saying, "My family is in Shikoku."