Boss Zhang, a pleasant cooperation

"Brother Chen, we've arrived."

Paramount was the largest entertainment venue in the Chinese-controlled area, offering everything from dancing and singing to even opium.

Lu Chen and Liu Jie got out of the car together. Lu Chen walked in front, and Liu Jie followed behind him, handing the keys to the doorman so he could park the car.

"Where is Zhang Rongshan? Take me to see him."

When the doorman returned after parking the car, Lu Chen looked at him. It seemed that this same doorman had taken them to see Zhang Rongshan last time.

"you......"

A mocking smile appeared on the doorman's face. Just as he was about to speak, a cold light flashed before his eyes, and a chill appeared on his neck.

"Just go when I tell you to, stop talking nonsense."

Liu Jie took out a knife and held it to the doorman's neck. He had noticed the doorman's extremely unpleasant attitude the last time he came, and seeing him acting this way again, he was furious.

Seeing this, Lu Chen remained silent, his expression unchanged.

"Gentlemen, this way please."

Feeling the coldness of the blade against his neck, the doorman dared not say another word and hurriedly led Lu Chen and the other man to the door of a private room.

"Open."

The private room was noisy, and it sounded like there were quite a few people inside. Lu Chen spoke calmly to the doorman beside him.

He glanced at Lu Chen at the door, then at Liu Jie, and said tremblingly.

"Sir, who is Boss Zhang? If I just barge in, my whole family will be showing up in Huangpu tomorrow."

"Just drive it! Don't talk about tomorrow, if you don't drive it now, you'll be standing on the Huangpu River right now!"

Liu Jie tightened his grip, and a line of blood flowed down the doorman's neck.

"Never mind, Xiao Jie."

Seeing that the doorman was so anxious he was about to cry, Lu Chen told Liu Jie to let it go. If he didn't want to open the door, so be it. He didn't want to implicate innocent people.

"roll."

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Liu Jie sheathed his knife, kicked the doorman, and the doorman immediately breathed a sigh of relief, disappearing from the scene within seconds.

Liu Jie spat and put the knife away. Lu Chen looked at Liu Jie, not expecting him to be so brave. He clearly knew Zhang Rongshan's strength, yet he was still so presumptuous.

"Xiao Jie, aren't you afraid of Zhang Rongshan doing this?"

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow and asked Liu Jie.

Liu Jie smiled, patted his chest, and looked at Lu Chen.

"Whatever is Brother Chen's business is my business. Who cares about Zhang Rongshan or Wang Rongshan? To hell with them."

Lu Chen's help to Liu Jie could be described as saving his entire family; such kindness was something Liu Jie, a man of great loyalty, could never repay.

Lu Chen smiled and looked down. To be honest, Liu Jie's somewhat reckless personality might cause a lot of trouble.

But who wouldn't want a subordinate with high combat skills who is unconditionally obedient?

Just like Cao Cao and Xu Chu.

"Go in."

Lu Chen buttoned up his coat, and Liu Jie strode forward, placed his hands on the door, and pushed it open.

The scene inside the private room was almost identical to the last time Lu Chen came to see Zhang Rongshan, except that there were more men and women present.

"Boss Zhang, we meet again."

Lu Chen led Liu Jie inside, went directly to Zhang Rongshan's side, extended a hand, and looked at Zhang Rongshan with a smile.

Zhang Rongshan stopped his underlings who wanted to take down the two men, and seeing that Lu Chen did not reach out, he spoke with a forced smile.

"Young man, what's going on this time?"

"Hey, didn't Boss Zhang say he'd come over more often when he had time? Here I am."

Lu Chen still had that same smile. Seeing that Zhang Rongshan didn't reach out, Lu Chen withdrew his hand and plopped down next to Zhang Rongshan.

Liu Jie did not sit down, but stood next to Lu Chen, one hand on his waist, wary of Zhang Rongshan's henchmen.

"Boss Zhang, want a drink?"

Lu Chen poured himself a glass of wine, and seeing that Zhang Rongshan was only staring at him without making a move, he wisely put it down.

He was still a little nervous. Although he was sure that Zhang Rongshan wouldn't dare to make a move after he revealed his identity and Kuroda's, Zhang Rongshan was extremely ruthless and a real smiling tiger. He was still afraid that something might happen.

"Boss Zhang."

Fearing unforeseen circumstances, Lu Chen directly took out the Special Higher Special Medal given to him by Kuroda and placed it in front of Zhang Rongshan.

Upon seeing the design of the medal, Zhang Rongshan frowned instantly. Being a pro-Japanese individual, he naturally recognized what it was.

Special high?

It can now be said that the Japanese Special High Special Police are the law of the Chinese-speaking world in Shanghai. Who dares to stop them from doing their thing?

"Threatening me?"

With a smile on his face, Zhang Rongshan pushed the medal back to Lu Chen.

"No, Mr. Zhang, I just want to cooperate with you. We're all colleagues, so let's help each other and make progress together."

Lu Chen put away the medal, suppressing his nervousness, and spoke calmly.

Right now, he just wants Zhang Rongshan to relinquish some of his less important businesses; he doesn't want to break ties with him yet.

"Oh? Cooperation? How so? How can we cooperate? How can we cooperate with you, sir?"

Ever since Lu Chen first met Zhang Rongshan, he had always had a calm, unchanging smile, as if he only knew how to smile.

Zhang Rongshan picked up his wine glass but didn't drink it. He looked at it and put it down, then lit a cigar and put his arm around the woman next to him.

"Boss Zhang, you basically monopolize all the business in the Chinese-controlled area. I'm thinking of getting into the grain business, what do you think...?"

Lu Chen stopped there, believing that Zhang Rongshan should understand what he meant.

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Zhang Rongshan's expression finally changed. He stopped smiling and stared intently at Lu Chen.

"Many people want to steal meat from my mouth, so what gives you the right?"

As soon as Zhang Rongshan finished speaking, his henchmen in the private room all drew their guns and aimed them at Lu Chen and Liu Jie.

Upon seeing this, Liu Jie swiftly stepped in front of Lu Chen, drawing his knife and holding it to his chest.

"Why should I? Boss Zhang, it's because of my relationship with the Japanese. I can make you more valued by them. Besides, you should understand the situation at the front. It won't be long before the Japanese army completely occupies the Chinese-controlled areas of Shanghai. They will definitely choose a Chinese person as their representative, which will make it easier to govern. Don't you want to be that representative, Boss Zhang?"

Lu Chen patiently persuaded him, implying that he could use his connections to put in a good word for Zhang Rongshan with the Japanese later.

One person's strength is still too small. Lu Chen alone cannot change the course of the battle. He can only try to minimize the losses.

Zhang Rongshan didn't speak, his smile returned, and he puffed on his cigar.

"Although the grain business is quite profitable, it is not as lucrative as opium, nor is it as important as the identity of a representative of the Chinese community."

"This kid is interesting, but he's not so easy to snatch meat from me."

After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Zhang Rongshan looked at Lu Chen again and spoke.

"Okay, but I want 60% of your profits."

Sixty percent? That's fine too. The Chinese-controlled area isn't small, and there are quite a few people. If we can take over the entire grain business in the Chinese-controlled area, even a 40% profit margin would be substantial.

The main reason is that we are currently weak and unable to compete with Zhang Rongshan, so we can only accept it.

"Mr. Zhang, I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

Lu Chen raised his glass to accept the condition, and this time Zhang Rongshan finally raised his glass and clinked it with Lu Chen's.