Shanghai morning

The spring in Shanghai is warm and humid, new leaves sprout on the branches, and the old leaves that have been squeezed out fall to the ground, full of vitality.The modern girls who pursue Western culture can't wait to change into thin and short dresses, which are enchanting and colorful.

The situation of Jardine Matheson is improving, but Wang Yao is a little worried. That Matthew Williams seems to have become Arthur's close partner. Although Arthur doesn't seem to trust him, as Al said, business It's business.

"If you want to cooperate with a wolf, you have to feed him meat," Al said, "but how much meat can a man have?"

Wang Yao said worriedly: "Matthew Williams helped us tide over the difficulties, but I can't trust him, I don't like this man."

"Nobody likes it," Al said.

But Arthur communicated less and less with them now. He seemed to value Matthew more than Al and Wang Yao, and they really didn't help much, they could only maintain the normal operation of the foreign company.Wang Yao and Al were afraid of Matthew and avoided talking to him as much as possible. Matthew seldom took the initiative to talk to them, but when necessary, he always greeted them with courtesy and thoughtfulness, as if treating an old friend.His behavior made Wang Yao feel extremely hypocritical, but he has been like this for so long, Wang Yao actually wondered if he was too narrow-minded and suspicious.

"Al, what do you think Williams wants to do?" Wang Yao asked once, "If he wants to do something bad, wouldn't he have waited too long now?"

"Don't underestimate the patience of wolves, they are not always in a hurry to kill their prey," Al reminded him.

"I just hope he gets what he is satisfied with and leaves." Wang Yao tried his best to think better.

"He probably wants more than his fair share," Al said. "It's also possible that his conceptual 'share' is bigger than you think."

"I hope Arthur is better than him." Wang Yao said with a sigh.

The "misunderstanding" between Wanwan and Wanwan was resolved, and the annoyance of the family eased. Wang Yao was also relieved a lot. He regretted doubting Wanwan, but obviously Wanwan didn't hate him for too long. Their life was the same as before, poor but Full of warmth.Wang Yao still sent Wanwan to the station every morning, and Wanwan was still lively and cheerful, coming back on time every night, and never worried Wang Yao.

But the Russian became strange, and Wang Yao intuitively realized that Ivan had some secrets.Wang Yao once asked him tentatively, but Ivan always showed that unknown smile and changed the subject.And when Wang Yao boasted of Wanwan's various advantages while chatting with him, Ivan would look at him meaningfully and say nothing, that mysterious look made Wang Yao want to tear his mouth open.According to Xiao Fei, Ivan often runs out now, and she said that Ivan would leave soon after Wang Yao went out every day, wandering around somewhere and only coming back all morning.

"It's definitely not looking for a girl," Xiao Fei said firmly, "We didn't go out to work so early."

"That may have raised a woman somewhere." Wang Yao said casually.

"Just him? A poor man!" Xiao Fei disdained poor men, but respected Wang Yao.

Wang Yao is also very puzzled, why the people around him always become strange.

"He may have gone to find a publisher." Wang Yao explained for Ivan, he remembered that Ivan said his book would be published.

"Yeah! What is publishing? How much money can you make by selling articles!" Xiao Fei looked down on the literati's livelihood.

"I heard that foreigners can make a lot of money by publishing books, but I have never read foreign books." Wang Yao is not interested in the works of foreigners, although newspapers sometimes publish some translated stories and some strange foreign cartoons characters, but he never looked carefully at those pages.

In this atmosphere, life is still going on, Wang Yao no longer prys into Ivan's secrets, and puts more energy on his own family affairs.With the improvement of the foreign company, the situation of Wang Yao's family has also improved. At least the food on their table is of higher quality, which makes Ivan who eats from time to time very satisfied.

On an ordinary working day, Arthur ran to the Oriental Bank of China.Wang Yao finished his work in an orderly manner. There were not many things to do this day, so he didn't feel too tired.

A cup of hot coffee was handed to him, Wang Yao raised his head, Al was looking at him with a smile.

"Take a break!" Al said.

"Thank you." Wang Yao also smiled and took the coffee.

"You're in a much better mood these days." Al saw Wang Yao's change.

"It's spring, it's finally not freezing." Wang Yao is grateful for the peaceful life now.

There was a sudden sound of brakes outside the door.

Wang Yao and Al turned their heads subconsciously at the same time, but they couldn't see the outside situation from their positions, wondering if any unlucky pedestrian was hit by a car.

"I just know a lunatic would drive a car like that," Al said displeased.

"Is something wrong?" Wang Yao was a little worried.

The person who came in rashly through the door answered their doubts.

"Hi, Yao! Long time no see!" Feliciano happily jumped in.

"Ferry?" Wang Yao looked at this happy friend unexpectedly, "Why are you here?"

"Luther asked me to come to you and invite you to my house!" Feliciano was very satisfied with this errand, "Let's go!"

Wang Yao felt strange, but there were not many jobs now, and Arthur was not around, it might not be too much for him to leave for a while.

"Is Herr Ludwig Beschmidt doing anything important?" Al asked suddenly and harshly.

Feliciano replied seriously: "He didn't say anything, but he seemed to be in a hurry. Luther is always nervous and doesn't know how to relax!"

Al said more bluntly: "I'm sorry, Yao can't go with you, he has his job."

"Huh? Just for a while, Yao won't mind?" Feliciano didn't hear the sexiness in Al's words.

"As his boss, I won't allow him to leave his post without authorization!" Al said in an irrefutable tone, his attitude was almost arrogant.

"Al?" Wang Yao was amazed at Al's performance, Al had never been so rude and domineering to him.

Al ignored Wang Yao, and continued to say to Feliciano: "Please tell Mr. Beschmidt that Yao can't visit friends when he's working in a foreign company, and he can't accept his invitation."

Feliciano was disappointed and regretful: "In this case, I will come to you next time, Yao."

"Okay." Wang Yao nodded awkwardly.

So Feliciano left first, and the sound of the car rushing again aroused Al's disgust.

"Al, what's the matter with you?" Wang Yao asked unhappily.

Al insisted: "You won't forget how much trouble that guy Beshmit gave you last time?"

"That's Yunjian looking for me, and now he has..." Wang Yao stopped talking.

"You know better than me what you did later—you are not safe now." Al said in a low voice, deliberately glanced at the employees who were working hard around them.

Al's reminder made Wang Yao worry again, thinking of the threat of Honda Ju, he shuddered.But Wang Yao still doesn't think that Luther will bring him any danger: "Luther doesn't know about those things, and he doesn't have a deep friendship with Honda Ju."

"I'm not that optimistic." Al disagreed.

However, Wang Yao did not listen to Al's persuasion. The next day, he took the initiative to visit Luther.

It was the new servant Torris who opened the door, and Wang Yao suddenly thought of Yun Jian's face again, and couldn't help feeling sad.

"Hello, Mr. Wang Yao." Torres said, "Sorry, Master Beschmidt is not here now, but he will be back in a while. If you don't mind, you can wait in the living room for a while."

"My name is Wang Yao." Wang Yao reiterated his name.

Torres placed Wang Yao on the sofa in the living room. Wang Yao found that the furnishings in the living room had changed a little. The oil painting on the wall was replaced by another one. Although Wang Yao did not understand art, he could still see the oil painting It is very different from the previous style, the warm colors make the picture full of passion.Torres served him coffee while he admired the paintings.

"This is a new work by Mr. Vargas," Torres introduced kindly. "He is a genius."

"A masterpiece." Wang Yao couldn't help admiring.

There was a sound of "dong dong dong" footsteps coming down the stairs, and Feliciano's voice came before him: "Yao! You are finally here!"

Wang Yao stood up to greet this cheerful friend: "Hi Ferry, I am admiring your new painting."

Feliciano was very happy: "Is this one? This is the one I am more satisfied with recently. I am trying a new style!"

Wang Yao laughed and said, "You have so many styles, I can't even figure out which one is your main style."

"Both," says Feliciano, "I never limit myself to one 'dominant style,' I'm always looking for more."

Wang Yao is very envious of Feliciano. Contrary to Ferri, what he pursues is only the same, but he has no choice but to be involved in various uncertain dangers.

At this moment, Luther walked in.

Wang Yao greeted: "Luther, I heard from Ferry that you want to find me."

Luther didn't look very happy: "Ferry, you go back to the house first."

Feliciano was very dissatisfied with this request: "Why? Is there anything you can't let me hear?"

Luther's attitude was very firm: "Go back, I have something to tell Yao."

Feliciano could only go upstairs disappointedly.

As soon as Ferry disappeared, Luther did not invite Wang Yao to sit down, but asked directly, "Yao, what are you doing?"

"What are you referring to?" Wang Yao didn't understand.

Luther said, "Did you do something for Yunjian?"

Wang Yao couldn't help being shocked, this matter that he had put down for a while hit his memory again, reminding and warning him, reminding him that he had done too many dangerous things.

"I didn't do anything. I just saw him for the last time and listened to him. You took me there." Wang Yao said.

"Yes, I took you there!" Luther's tone suddenly became irritable, "Now I'm also a suspect!"

Wang Yao was stunned: "Suspect? What suspect?"

Luther said anxiously: "After you went to see Yunjian, a leader of some kind of revolutionary party absconded from Shanghai. It is said that on the night of his escape, a strange car left the checkpoint. There were two Chinese men in the car, A Chinese woman and a foreigner, the features of that Chinese man are very similar to yours, and the guards in the prison know that I took you there."

Wang Yao once again felt chills coming from the bottom of his heart, spreading to his limbs and bones. The thing he was afraid of did not subside at all. He didn't know who sent the news, but a terrifying face gradually formed in his heart.

That's right, he shouldn't have forgotten the threat that Honda Ju had made to him that day, and he shouldn't have thought that the hanging sword in the sky would gradually fade away with time.

"Yao, did you help that fugitive?" Luther asked.

Wang Yao categorically denied: "No, I didn't do anything illegal!"

"I hope so." Luther still didn't believe it. "If you really did it, you'd better never let others know. I don't want to be implicated."

"I never implicate others." Wang Yao said angrily.

Luther said: "This is the best. I think we'd better not have anything to do with each other, and you and Ferry."

Wang Yao opened his eyes: "Then please tell Fei Li the truth: you asked me to break up with him. I like him very much, but with all due respect, I have never liked you."

"That's fair." Luther nodded.

Wang Yao walked to the door, and finally said to Luther: "Please tell Ferry, I like his new work, he is indeed a genius."

"I will convey it," Luther said.

Wang Yao left, and when he stepped down the steps, he heard the sound of the piano from the second floor again. The music was as beautiful as before, but it could no longer move his heart.

Luther's words really scared Wang Yao, but the following days were calm and nothing bad happened.Although Wang Yao didn't dare to take it lightly, if something terrible happened, he didn't have any countermeasures. After much deliberation, he could only ensure the safety of his sister first.

Al, on the contrary, became the more nervous one. Wang Yao told him what had happened after returning from the Luther family. Al thought it was right for Wang Yao to break off diplomatic relations with the Luther family, but he felt that the unreliable German would Betrayed Wang Yao in order to protect himself.Although Wang Yao didn't want to comment on Luther's character in this way, if his life was really at stake, even if he was as upright as Luther, he would inevitably do something dishonorable, right?

"Must have a backup plan," Al said.

"What plan can I have? I can only resign myself to fate." Wang Yao lamented.

Al shook his head without answering, lost in his own thoughts.

The weather is getting warmer, and it seems that summer clothes are about to change, but the summer clothes of Wang Yao and his sister are all worn out. Wanwan has long complained that his clothes are missing buttons, so Wang Yao went out on Sunday to buy some buttons and needlework. I plan to mend Wanwan's clothes.

"Hey? Mr. Wang!" A female voice called Wang Yao.

Wang Yao turned his head and saw that it was Wang Chunyan, Wanwan's teacher.

"It's you, Teacher Chunyan." Wang Yao liked this gentle lady very much, "Are you here to buy things too?"

Wang Chunyan looked embarrassed, but she was still determined to say it: "Mr. Wang, I have to tell you about Wanwan."

"Oh? What's wrong with Wanwan?" Wang Yao became nervous when he heard it.

Wang Chunyan said: "Wanwan has been playing truant lately, do you know that?"

"Playing truant?" Wang Yao was startled, "Does she go to and from school on time every day? Sometimes I even send her to school and pick her up, just watching her go in and out of the school gate." Will Wan Wan slip away to another place?Wang Yao thought about picking up Wanwan at the school gate every day in the future, no matter how busy he was.

Wang Chunyan didn't know how to say euphemistically: "She will come to school every day, but she will run away as soon as she arrives at school, and come back before school is over, so you never see her playing truant."

Wang Yao became furious immediately: "This girl! She even learned to play truant! Teacher Chunyan, don't worry, I will discipline her well!"

Wang Chunyan's expression was even more troubled: "It seems that you don't know that Wanwan is picked up by a Japanese every day. He doesn't know where to go for a day, and then he is sent back by that person."

Wang Yao had an intuition that thunder was coming, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Is that Japanese called Honda Ju?"

Wang Chunyan said: "I don't know his name, but Wanwan has been with him for a while. I mentioned her once or twice, and other husbands also mentioned her. Later, two of them were arrested by the police station. We I dare not speak anymore."

Wang Yao no longer knew what his expression was, he mechanically responded to Wang Chunyan: "Thank you, I have to go." His anger was at its peak, and his whole body was shaking.

tbc