Chapter 52: Peril on All Sides

Filth, chaos, and decay! The air was thick with the stench of rot, mold, and something sour. Zhou Sen frowned slightly; the conditions here were far too harsh.

“Old Six, Third Brother, can’t you smell that odor?”

“What odor?” Old Six blinked in confusion, as if he couldn’t fathom why Zhou Sen would ask such a thing.

Ye Third looked equally lost. “Seems normal to me—what odor?”

Zhou Sen covered his mouth and coughed to mask his embarrassment. “Maybe it’s just because this is my first time in a place like this…”

His sense of smell truly seemed off—far more acute than most people’s. Unless there was something wrong with his body, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, except that the odor was altogether too pungent.

“Boss, everyone living in the Thirty-Six Sheds is either poor or does backbreaking labor at the docks and railways. The population is a jumble, the powers intertwined and complex. What we saw today was just one faction—their leader’s surname is Cao, and he’s a Hui,” Old Six explained.

Zhou Sen nodded. The Hui were known for their rules, but as long as you treated them honestly and respected their taboos, they were easy enough to get along with.

Once you entered the Thirty-Six Sheds, it was like stepping into a labyrinth—without a guide, you’d be lost in the maze of alleys. Only those who lived here knew the way. No wonder people said even the police were helpless inside.

When you were on someone else’s turf, you followed their rules. Even if you wanted to turn back now, you couldn’t; otherwise, you’d be seen as untrustworthy, and who would believe you next time?

“Please wait a moment.” At the door of a courtyard, their guide turned to address them.

The three of them nodded.

The man pushed open the door and went inside. Shortly after, the gates opened wide and a burly man with a full beard strode out. His presence alone marked him as someone not to be trifled with.

“I am Cao Changchuan, the headman here. Forgive me for the poor reception—please, come inside for tea.” Cao Changchuan clasped his fists in greeting.

“Thank you, Headman Cao.” Zhou Sen returned the gesture with a slight bow.

Inside the parlor, Zhou Sen introduced himself, not hiding his identity as a policeman but making clear that they weren’t here to make arrests or cause trouble—they simply wanted to question “Little Black.”

Cao Changchuan, as headman, was well aware of every ripple within the Thirty-Six Sheds. Anyone who came here for sanctuary was under his protection by unwritten rule, except in cases of violent crime or political offenses.

He knew where the boundaries lay—crossing them meant inviting disaster, especially when dealing with the police.

“As long as you don’t take Little Black away or give him a hard time, only asking him questions, I’ll have him brought here to cooperate,” Cao replied after considering.

“We are most grateful, Headman Cao.”

The Japanese, of course, wanted to control the Thirty-Six Sheds too, but it was nearly impossible for them to infiltrate a place housing tens of thousands. Forcing their way in would require military intervention, but even that wouldn’t last; as soon as the troops left, things would return to normal.

Before long, Little Black, whom Ye Third had been searching for in vain, was brought into the courtyard. The moment he saw Ye Third, his legs nearly gave out in fright.

He’d hidden himself here, yet Ye Third still managed to find him.

“You bastard, Little Black! I treated you like a brother—why would you betray me?” Ye Third’s voice shook with emotion as he leapt forward, only to be restrained by Old Six.

“Headman Cao, may we borrow a room to talk?” Zhou Sen quickly asked, bowing again.

“Of course, you may use the side room.” Cao nodded. With his own men all around, he had no fear of tricks.

In the side room, Zhou Sen addressed Little Black calmly. “I know you were put up to this—luring Ye Third to the Taiping Bridge gambling den. Tell us who was behind it, and we’ll be lenient. Ye Third won’t trouble you about this again. But if you stay silent, you know what comes next. Surely you don’t plan to hide here in the Thirty-Six Sheds for the rest of your life?”

Cold sweat beaded on Little Black’s forehead. He knew the truth—either way, he was in deep trouble. He couldn’t afford to offend the people behind this, but if he kept silent, he’d never get out of this alive.

“Third Brother, I’ve always treated you well. Why did you set me up like this?” Ye Third’s eyes were red as he glared at Little Black.

“I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. I can’t afford to cross her. If I didn’t do as she said, I’d end up inside.”

“Inside? Are you saying it was a police officer who found you?” Zhou Sen keenly caught the word.

“Officer Zhou, you said that, not me,” Little Black quickly added.

Zhou Sen thought for a moment. Anyone he’d offended at the station would have taken their revenge long ago. Recently, there were only two: Old Cui, but they’d already settled matters and Cui didn’t have the pull to get Qin Lang of the Taiping Bridge gambling den involved. The other was Jin Suying—a petty, jealous, and spiteful woman who frequented the gatherings of the elite. She likely knew Qin Lang; it all fit together.

“Was it a female police officer—short, with long hair about this long?” Zhou Sen gestured, describing Jin Suying.

Little Black nodded.

“I know who it was. You may go, but if you value your safety, forget everything you’ve said to me today—don’t breathe a word of it to anyone.” Zhou Sen warned him solemnly.

“Thank you, Officer Zhou!” Little Black stammered his thanks and hurried away.

Seeing that Zhou Sen kept his word and didn’t make things hard for Little Black, Cao Changchuan’s wariness faded. He invited Zhou Sen to stay for a drink.

Zhou Sen accepted. There was no harm in befriending a man like Cao Changchuan; in fact, it might prove useful. The gathering was lively and pleasant.

Cao Changchuan clearly intended to cultivate a relationship, filling Zhou Sen’s cup again and again until, by the time they left the Thirty-Six Sheds, Zhou Sen was barely conscious.

Old Six and Ye Third had to find a car to take him home.

He woke in the middle of the night to find himself sprawled on his own bed, still in his clothes. Only then did he recall drinking with Cao Changchuan and being taken home by Old Six and Ye Third.

He reeked of alcohol—a stench that made him wince. He got up, brushed his teeth, showered, and changed into fresh clothes.

Back in bed, he found he couldn’t sleep, so he sat up and lit a cigarette.

The door was ajar. Lucy slipped in from outside, leapt onto the bed, burrowed into his arms, and within moments was purring contentedly in her sleep.

The little creature must have been put off by the smell of liquor—otherwise, she’d have come in ages ago.

Jin Suying was the most troublesome sort of petty woman—what some would call a “green tea witch.” His former self had been little more than a lovesick puppy; now that he’d come to his senses, Jin Suying seemed to take it for granted, but in truth, she was simply despicable.

Compared to her, Bai Yulan was far more charming—open about her feelings, passionate in both love and hate, never hiding her emotions. If only she were a touch gentler, she’d be perfect… That strong, alluring presence was hard to resist.

He’d already refused Qiu Shan directly, but who knew what consequences would come of that, or who was watching him now? Most likely, it was the Japanese.

With Old Anthony gone, if they wanted to use him, they would first have to make sure he was within their grasp.

Japan’s ambitions in the Far East were no secret; the region’s resources were exactly what they craved. But they knew that seizing such vast territory wouldn’t be easy—they had to do a lot of groundwork.

The Russian Patriotic Alliance that Old Anthony belonged to must be their target for cooperation and manipulation. The organization clearly had irreplaceable influence and power in the Far East—otherwise, the Japanese wouldn’t have set their sights on him.

What a mess. The thought left Zhou Sen restless.

He rose softly and slipped into the study without turning on the light—who knew if someone might be watching with binoculars from outside? Even with the curtains drawn, any light would be visible.

Carefully, he moved a chair, climbed onto it barefoot, and peered into the darkness—his eyes well-adjusted by now. He clearly saw the wire that Lucy had bitten through a few days ago. It had already been reconnected.

He startled, nearly losing his balance and falling. Cold sweat soaked his back.

Who had done this?

He forced himself to calm down. Luckily, he hadn’t tampered with the bug they’d installed; if those who planted it discovered he’d found it, would they have bothered to reconnect the wire?

Whoever it was must have believed Lucy’s chewing had broken the wire by chance. That meant they didn’t know he was aware of the bug and didn’t suspect he knew he was being monitored—otherwise, they wouldn’t have so casually restored the power.

Should he continue pretending ignorance, or confront Akizawa and break the pretense?

If he kept pretending, he’d remain under constant surveillance—even at home, every word and gesture had to be measured. Such a life was intolerable. If he deliberately stopped going home or changed his habits, that would arouse suspicion too.

He’d already altered many of his predecessor’s habits; reverting now would be impossible and just as suspicious.

And he’d used his radio two nights to listen to that Russian broadcast, keeping the volume low, but there was no guarantee the eavesdroppers hadn’t heard.

Zhou Sen felt as if danger lurked on all sides.