Shanghai in the Republican Era

Chapter 121 The Business Journey in the Republic of China: A Love Song of the Republic of China - Sh

Romance of the Republic of China: Shanghai in Turmoil

I was both anxious and angry. Li Fucai was too cunning; he had actually set such a trap beforehand. Gu Zixuan gripped my hand tightly, trying to calm me down, but I could feel that his palms were also sweaty.

“Officer, we’ve really been wronged. Li Fucai is the bad guy. He sent people to attack Gu Zixuan and has been sabotaging our business.” I explained anxiously to the police, my voice trembling slightly with emotion.

The lead officer glanced at me expressionlessly: "We can talk about this at the police station. For now, please cooperate with our work."

Gu Zixuan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down: "Okay, we'll go with you, but we hope you can find out the truth and not be misled by this evil person."

We were taken to the police station and locked in an interrogation room. I sat in the chair, my heart pounding, my mind racing, trying to think of a way to deal with the situation.

"Fangfei, don't worry too much. The innocent will prove themselves. We will definitely be able to prove our innocence." Gu Zixuan walked over and gently patted my shoulder to comfort me.

I looked up at him. His eyes were filled with determination and confidence, but I knew he was also worried about how things would turn out.

After a while, the door was pushed open, and a policeman walked in: "Gu Zixuan, someone has bailed you out. You can go now."

Gu Zixuan and I were both stunned. I hurriedly asked, "What about me? Why can't I come with you?"

The policeman glanced at me and said, "No one is going to bail you out right now. You have to stay here."

Gu Zixuan frowned: "I can't leave her here alone. I want to stay with her."

The police officer said somewhat impatiently, "These are the rules. The person who granted bail only bail you. If you don't leave, you can forget about getting out."

Gu Zixuan looked at me helplessly: "Fangfei, wait for me here. I'll find a way to get you out as soon as I get out."

I forced back my tears and nodded: "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

After Gu Zixuan left, I sat alone in the interrogation room, feeling utterly empty. I didn't know what was happening outside, or whether Gu Zixuan would be able to get me out safely.

Time ticked by, and I grew increasingly anxious as I sat in the interrogation room, my back aching.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open again, and Li Fucai walked in. He had a smug smile on his face and slowly walked over and sat down opposite me.

"Miss Lin, I didn't expect to see you here, did I?" Li Fucai said sarcastically.

I glared at him angrily: "What exactly do you want? Do you think you can frame us like this?"

Li Fucai smiled and said, "Miss Lin, you are too naive. If I wanted to, your Gu family and your textile factory would disappear from Shanghai."

I gritted my teeth and said, "You won't succeed. Zixuan will definitely find a way to deal with you."

Li Fucai scoffed, "Gu Zixuan? He's in dire straits right now. I advise you to be a good boy and transfer the textile factory to me; maybe I'll let you off the hook."

A surge of anger welled up inside me: "You're dreaming! I will never hand over the textile factory to a despicable man like you."

Li Fucai's face darkened: "Hmph, then you can wait to spend the rest of your life in this police station." After saying that, he stood up and swaggered out.

I was trembling with anger, but there was nothing I could do. Just when I was feeling hopeless, the door opened again, and this time Su Yao came in.

"Fangfei!" Su Yao's eyes reddened as soon as she saw me.

"Yaoyao, what brings you here?" I was both surprised and delighted.

Su Yao hurriedly walked to my side: "I heard you were arrested, so I quickly looked for people to help you. Gu Zixuan has been trying to find a solution since he got out, and he asked me to come and see you first."

A warm feeling welled up inside me; Gu Zixuan had indeed not given up on me.

"Yaoyao, how is the situation now?" I asked anxiously.

Su Yao frowned: "The situation is a bit complicated. Li Fucai seems to have a lot of connections in the police station and has been making things difficult for us. However, Gu Zixuan has already contacted the Gu family's lawyer and is trying to find a way to bail you out."

I nodded, a glimmer of hope in my eyes: "That's good, I was really worried about you here."

Su Yao comforted me, saying, "Don't worry, Gu Zixuan will definitely find a way. By the way, I brought you some food; you must be hungry." As she spoke, she took out a lunchbox from her bag, which contained my favorite steamed buns.

Looking at the steaming hot xiaolongbao, I felt a surge of emotion: "Yaoyao, thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Su Yao smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite with me? You should eat something quickly so you'll have the energy to deal with what's coming next."

I ate a few xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and felt a bit better. Just then, the door was pushed open again, and a policeman walked in and said, "Lin Fangfei, you can go now. Someone has bailed you out."

Su Yao and I exchanged a glance, our eyes filled with surprise.

As I walked out of the police station, I saw Gu Zixuan anxiously waiting at the entrance. As soon as he saw me, he ran over and hugged me tightly: "Fangfei, I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried about you."

I leaned against him, tears streaming down my face: "Zixuan, I'm alright."

Gu Zixuan released me, looked into my eyes and said, "This time it was my negligence that caused you to suffer. We must not let Li Fucai get away with this."

I nodded: "Yes, we absolutely cannot let him get away. But what should we do now?"

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Zixuan said, "I have already asked my lawyer to collect evidence of Li Fucai's illegal and criminal activities. As long as the evidence is conclusive, he will not be able to turn the tables."

"What about our business? He's been causing trouble all along. Will our orders and collaborations be affected?" I asked worriedly.

Gu Zixuan grasped my hand: "I've already spoken with some of our partners, and they've said they'll continue to support us. Furthermore, we need to accelerate the reform and development of the textile factory; we can't let him disrupt our rhythm."

In the days that followed, we devoted ourselves to the affairs of the textile factory while waiting for the lawyers to gather evidence.

Gu Zixuan's reforms of the Gu family business are also progressing steadily. He has introduced some new machines and technologies, which have improved production efficiency. As for me, I'm focused on designing new fashion samples and preparing for the next fashion show.

That day, Gu Zixuan excitedly ran to me: "Fangfei, the lawyer has news. They have obtained a lot of evidence of Li Fucai's illegal activities, and he will soon be punished by law."

Upon hearing this, I was overjoyed: "Really? That's great! This scoundrel is finally going to get his comeuppance."

Gu Zixuan smiled and said, "However, before that, we have an important thing to do."

"What's the matter?" I asked curiously.

Gu Zixuan smiled mysteriously: "I've prepared a surprise for you, come with me."

He took me to a restaurant that was decorated very romantically, with flowers and candles everywhere.

"Zixuan, this is..." I asked in surprise.

Gu Zixuan took my hand and led me to the dining table, then took a delicate little box from his pocket. He knelt on one knee, looking at me with deep affection: "Fangfei, I love you. From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were the one I wanted to protect for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

I looked at him, my eyes filled with tears of emotion. Along the way, we had experienced countless difficulties and setbacks, but we had always accompanied and supported each other.

"I do!" I said, my voice choked with emotion.

Gu Zixuan smiled happily. He opened the box, took out a beautiful ring, and put it on my finger.

Just as we were basking in happiness, suddenly, the restaurant door was flung open and a group of people rushed in.

The leader was none other than Li Fucai, his face contorted with madness: "Gu Zixuan, Lin Fangfei, don't even think about being so happy! I won't let you succeed!"

Gu Zixuan and I were both stunned; we never expected Li Fucai to appear at this time.

Gu Zixuan stood up, blocking my way, and looked at Li Fucai warily: "What else do you want to do? You can't escape now, just surrender obediently."

Li Fucai sneered, "Escape? Even if I die, I'll take you all with me!" With that, he pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at us.

My heart leaped into my throat, fear gripping me. Gu Zixuan gripped my hand tightly, his eyes revealing determination and fearlessness.

"Li Fucai, don't be impulsive. Doing this will not do you any good," Gu Zixuan said loudly, trying to calm Li Fucai down.

Li Fucai burst into maniacal laughter: "Benefits? I have nothing left, you've destroyed everything I had!"

Just then, a police siren suddenly sounded outside the restaurant. Li Fucai's face turned even more pale, and his hands began to tremble slightly.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot!" Li Fucai shouted at the police officers at the door.

Romance of the Republic of China: Shanghai in Turmoil

My heart suddenly raced, as if it would burst from my chest. Looking at Li Fucai's twisted and ferocious face, his hand holding the gun was still trembling slightly, as if he might do something irreversible at any moment. Fear overwhelmed me like a tidal wave. But Gu Zixuan held me tightly behind him, his back straight, like a majestic mountain, giving me a bit of courage.

"Li Fucai, calm down! If you hurt us, you'll only be punished more severely." Gu Zixuan's voice was steady and powerful, but I could feel his slightly trembling fingers; he was trying to appear calm.

Li Fucai's eyes were bloodshot as he roared viciously, "An extra crime? I'm already like this, what else do I have to be afraid of! None of you will leave here alive today!"

At that moment, a policeman shouted, "Li Fucai, you are surrounded! Put down your weapons, that's your only way out!"

Li Fucai ignored him, his eyes darting back and forth between me and Gu Zixuan, muttering incessantly, "It's you, you're the ones who ruined me..."

Behind Gu Zixuan, my mind raced, desperately trying to think of a solution. Suddenly, I noticed a vase on the nearby table, and an idea struck me. I quietly reached out and slowly approached the vase, praying that Li Fucai hadn't noticed my movements.

Just as my fingers were about to touch the vase, Li Fucai seemed to sense something, and his gaze suddenly shot towards me: "What do you want to do!"

I was startled, my hand freezing in mid-air. Gu Zixuan immediately said, "Li Fucai, if you have a problem, come at me! Don't hurt her!"

Li Fucai sneered, "Gu Zixuan, do you think I wouldn't dare? You'll all die!" With that, he raised his gun and pointed it at Gu Zixuan.

In that life-or-death moment, I don't know where I got the courage, but I grabbed the vase and threw it at Li Fucai with all my might. The vase hit his gun squarely in his hand, and the gun fell to the ground with a "bang".

"Grab him!" Gu Zixuan shouted.

The police swarmed in and subdued Li Fucai. My legs went weak, and I almost collapsed to the ground. Gu Zixuan held me tightly, gently comforting me, "It's alright, Fangfei, it's alright..."

Having survived this harrowing life-or-death crisis, Gu Zixuan and I are both still shaken. But this experience has also strengthened our resolve to walk hand in hand through life.

A few days later, Li Fucai was formally prosecuted for multiple illegal and criminal acts and received the punishment he deserved. The crisis that had plagued us for so long was finally resolved, and Gu Zixuan and I were able to devote all our energy to our careers.