Shanghai in the Republican Era

Chapter 52 Exquisite Attire: A Legendary Journey of Struggle in the Republic of China – A Business a

Splendid Attire: Lin Fangfei's Journey of Struggle in the Republican Era

The legendary business and love journey of a poor but academically gifted girl in Republican-era Shanghai.

The clothes bearing the bloody handprint lay silently in the package like a curse from the depths of darkness, yet exuded a chilling aura. I stared at it in terror, my fingers trembling involuntarily, as if the bloody handprint would suddenly reach out and grab me. Something seemed to choke me, and I couldn't speak for a long time.

Seeing my state, Gu Zixuan hurried over. When he saw the clothes in the package, his expression turned grim. He gently gripped my shoulders, trying to calm me down. "Fangfei, don't be afraid. This is just another intimidation tactic. We won't be scared." Although his voice was calm, I could sense his anger.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice from trembling too much, "Zixuan, just how far are they going to go before they'll stop? Is this bloody handprint an omen of impending bloodshed?"

Gu Zixuan frowned, his eyes filled with determination. "No matter what they want to do, we must take precautions first. I will strengthen security at the textile factory, and you should also be careful of suspicious people around you."

In the days that followed, many more security guards were added around the textile factory, and everyone entering and leaving had to undergo strict checks. I also remained vigilant inside the factory, and every unfamiliar face made me suspicious.

However, despite our precautions, a problem still arose. One day, I was reviewing new fashion design sketches in my office when Xiao Tao rushed in, her face ashen and her eyes filled with terror. "Miss Lin, something terrible has happened! A major accident has occurred in the workshop!"

My heart tightened, and I immediately put down the blueprints I was holding and ran with Xiao Tao towards the workshop. Just as we reached the workshop entrance, we heard a commotion and crying coming from inside. I rushed into the workshop and saw a group of workers surrounding a machine, which was covered in blood. A young worker lay on the ground, his face deathly pale.

I rushed over and knelt down to check on the worker. "What happened?" I asked anxiously.

An elderly worker said in a trembling voice, "Ms. Lin, this machine suddenly malfunctioned. Xiao Li was operating it when he got caught in it. We don't know why this happened."

Looking at the injured Xiao Li, I was filled with guilt and anger. This must be a conspiracy by that mysterious business group; they didn't hesitate to harm innocent workers in order to bring us down.

Gu Zixuan also rushed over. When he saw the scene before him, a flash of pain and anger crossed his eyes. He immediately arranged for someone to take Xiao Li to the hospital, then turned to the workers and said, "Don't panic, everyone. This must have been sabotage. We will investigate thoroughly. Everyone must be extra careful during this time."

Gu Zixuan and I began investigating the cause of the machine malfunction. We invited a professional engineer, who, after careful inspection, told us that the machine had been tampered with; someone had deliberately damaged a key component, which led to the accident.

I was trembling with anger. "How could they be so cruel? They disregarded the safety of the workers in order to achieve their goal."

Gu Zixuan clenched his fist. "Fangfei, we can't sit idly by any longer. We must take the initiative, find their hideout, and expose their conspiracy."

We began searching for clues, hoping to find the hideout of that mysterious business group. During this process, my friend Su Yao once again lent a helping hand. She brought some information, saying that suspicious people were frequently seen near a secluded warehouse in Shanghai, and those people seemed very mysterious.

Gu Zixuan and I decided to investigate the warehouse. We wore dark clothes that were easy to move in, I tied my hair into a ponytail, and Gu Zixuan wore a hat to try to make ourselves less conspicuous.

When we got near the warehouse, we hid in a corner and observed. Sure enough, we saw some people going in and out of the warehouse entrance. They all looked serious and vigilant.

"This place looks suspicious. We need to find a way to get in and take a look," Gu Zixuan said in a low voice.

I nodded, and we began looking for a way into the warehouse. Suddenly, we spotted a deliveryman preparing to enter. Taking advantage of his inattention, we secretly followed him and slipped inside.

The warehouse was filled with a pungent odor and was dimly lit. We walked cautiously, and could hear voices coming from inside.

“We haven’t caused enough trouble for their textile factory this time; we need to think of an even more ruthless method,” a man’s voice said.

“But we’ve already hurt one worker. If this continues, won’t it cause too much trouble?” another person said with some concern.

"Hmph, in this chaotic world, as long as you have money and power, what problem can't you solve? We must completely destroy their textile factory."

Hearing these words filled me with anger. I wanted to rush out and confront them, but Gu Zixuan held me back. "Fangfei, we're no match for them right now. We need to gather evidence first."

We continued searching the warehouse for evidence, and finally, we found some documents and letters in a corner that proved the conspiracy of this business group and their collusion with some government officials.

We took the evidence and quietly left the warehouse. Back at the textile factory, we decided to hold another press conference to expose this business syndicate's conspiracy.

Before the press conference, we organized the evidence and contacted some government officials with a sense of justice, hoping they would support us.

On the day of the press conference, I wore a white suit, looking capable and resolute. Gu Zixuan wore a black suit, looking handsome and dignified.

Standing on the stage, holding the evidence, I said to the reporters below: "Fellow journalists, today we are going to expose another huge conspiracy. This mysterious business group, in order to ruin our textile factory, not only bribed the tax authorities to frame us and tampered with our products, but also deliberately damaged our machinery, causing injuries to our workers. This is evidence of their conspiracy, as well as evidence of their collusion with some government officials. Please take a look."

Reporters circulated the evidence, causing an uproar in the audience. The government officials who had colluded with the business group, realizing their scheme had been exposed, tried to flee, but were apprehended by the police we had pre-arranged.

The conspiracy of this business group was completely exposed, and our textile factory finally returned to peace. The workers were overjoyed, and everyone cheered for the factory's rebirth.

However, just when I thought everything was going well, I noticed that Gu Zixuan's health was deteriorating. He coughed frequently and his face was very pale. I was very worried about him and urged him to see a doctor, but he always said he was fine.

"Zixuan, what's wrong with you? I'm so worried about you." I held his hand, my eyes full of concern.

Gu Zixuan forced a smile. "Fangfei, I'm really fine. I'm probably just too tired lately. Don't worry."

But I could sense he was hiding something. His health was deteriorating, which filled me with fear. Did he have some serious illness? Or was there another reason?

Splendid Attire: Lin Fangfei's Journey of Struggle in the Republican Era

The legendary business and love journey of a poor but academically gifted girl in Republican-era Shanghai.

Gu Zixuan's increasingly frail body was like a dark cloud, weighing heavily on my heart. Every time I saw his forced smile, my heart felt like it was being gently pricked by countless fine needles, aching terribly. I knew he was definitely hiding something from me, but the more he acted this way, the more my unease grew like wildfire.

That day, I specially made his favorite crab shell sesame cakes. The golden, crispy cakes emitted an enticing aroma. I carried the plate into his room and saw him sitting at his desk, staring blankly at some documents. His face looked even paler in the dim light, and he was much thinner than before.

"Zixuan, I made your favorite sesame seed cakes. Have some," I said softly, my eyes fixed on his face, trying to find a clue in his expression.

Gu Zixuan looked up, saw me and the sesame seed cake in his hand, and forced a smile. "Fangfei, thank you for your trouble." He took the sesame seed cake, but only took a small bite before putting it down.

I could no longer contain my worry. I walked over to him, knelt down, and took his hand. "Zixuan, please don't hide it from me anymore. What's wrong with your body? I'm so scared of you." My voice trembled with tears, and my eyes welled up with them.

Gu Zixuan looked at me, his eyes filled with tenderness and helplessness. He gently stroked my hair, sighed, and said, "Fangfei, I don't want you to worry. Actually, when I was investigating that mysterious business group, I was ambushed by their people. They gave me a slow-acting poison, and I've consulted many doctors, but none of them can find an antidote."

My eyes widened, and I felt my world crumble in an instant. "A slow-acting poison? How could this be? Let's find other doctors, there must be a way." I said urgently, tears streaming down my face.

Gu Zixuan shook his head. "Fangfei, I've already consulted many famous doctors. This poison is very rare, and they are all powerless to help."

I hugged him tightly. "No, Zixuan, I won't give up. We will definitely find a way to detoxify."

From then on, I inquired everywhere about doctors and methods to find an antidote. I went to every corner of Shanghai and asked many people. Sometimes, in order to get even a clue, I would even wait all day in some dilapidated clinics.

One day, I heard in a small alley about a reclusive old traditional Chinese medicine doctor who was said to have superb medical skills and might be able to help. I hurriedly went to the address. It was a very dilapidated little courtyard, filled with all sorts of herbs.

I walked into the courtyard and saw an elderly man with white hair drying herbs. "Grandpa, hello. I've heard you have excellent medical skills, and I beg you to save my lover. He's been poisoned with a slow-acting poison," I said urgently.

The old Chinese medicine doctor glanced at me and said slowly, "Young lady, I haven't treated any patients for a long time. Besides, slow-acting poisons aren't so easy to cure."

I knelt down on the ground with a thud. "Old man, please. I'm willing to pay any price to save him."

The old Chinese medicine doctor sighed, "Young lady, please get up first. Tell me about his symptoms and the extent of his poisoning."

I quickly stood up and told the old Chinese medicine doctor about Gu Zixuan's condition in detail. After listening, the old doctor frowned. "This kind of poison is indeed very troublesome. However, I can try. But I need some precious medicinal materials, which are very difficult to find."

A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. "Grandpa, please tell me what medicinal herbs you need, and I will definitely find a way to get them."

The old Chinese medicine doctor listed several medicinal herbs, including Tian Shan snow lotus and thousand-year-old ginseng. I know these herbs are extremely rare and hard to come by. But for Gu Zixuan's sake, I must find them.

I started searching everywhere for these medicinal herbs. I contacted all my friends, including Su Yao. After hearing about my situation, Su Yao was also very worried, and she decided to search for the herbs with me.

We inquired everywhere and finally learned that there might be Tian Shan snow lotus in a remote mountainous area. Su Yao and I packed our bags and embarked on a journey to find Tian Shan snow lotus.

We wore thick cotton-padded coats and carried our packs, trudging through the mountains with great difficulty. The mountain paths were rugged and difficult to traverse, and sometimes we encountered blizzards. But I had only one belief in my heart: to find the Tian Shan snow lotus and save Gu Zixuan.

In the mountains, we met a local hunter. He told us that the Tian Shan snow lotus grows on the most treacherous peaks, and that there are many dangerous wild animals around.