Shanghai in the Republican Era

Chapter 113 Exquisite Attire: The Turbulent Times of the Republic of China, Abandoned Warehouse, Daw

"Splendid Costumes: Lin Fangfei and Gu Zixuan's Turbulent Republican Era"

Subtitle: An Invitation from an Abandoned Warehouse

The note felt like a hot potato in my hand, yet the words on it drew my gaze like a magnet. I stood in a corner of the textile factory, my fingers gripping the note tightly, my heart filled with conflicting emotions. Today I was wearing a pale purple cheongsam, its subtle patterns seeming to distort with my own feelings. My eyes were filled with agonizing indecision: to go or not to go? Was this a dangerous trap, or a chance for the textile factory to be revived?

Gu Zixuan noticed something was wrong with me and came over with concern. "Fangfei, what's wrong? You look terrible."

I hesitated for a moment, then handed him the note. "Zixuan, I just received this. I don't know what to do."

Gu Zixuan took the note, and after reading it, his brows furrowed tightly. "This is definitely a trap, Fangfei, you can't go."

I bit my lip, my heart filled with conflict. "Zixuan, I know this might be a trap, but if we don't go, we might lose our chance to save the textile factory. The factory is already on the verge of collapse, and I can't just watch it crumble."

Gu Zixuan gripped my shoulders, his eyes filled with worry. "Fangfei, I can't let you take such a risk. We can think of other ways. This mysterious person's origins are unknown; who knows what his schemes are?"

Shen Wanqing also came over. She looked at the note and said, "Miss Lin, Mr. Gu is right. This is too dangerous. Perhaps we can send some people to investigate the abandoned warehouse first."

I shook my head. "Wanqing, if we do this and get found out, we might really have no chance. The note says I have to go alone, and I think I have to go."

Gu Zixuan's expression turned extremely pained; he knew he couldn't change my decision. "Fangfei, if you insist on going, I'll secretly follow you nearby. If there's any danger, I'll rush out to protect you immediately."

I looked at him, my heart filled with gratitude. "Zixuan, thank you. But you must be careful not to be discovered."

Night fell, and I walked alone toward the abandoned warehouse. I walked along the dimly lit street, everything around me seeming so eerie and terrifying. I kept looking back, feeling as if someone was following me, but each time I looked back, I saw nothing. My heart was pounding, as if it would burst from my chest. I wrapped my shawl tightly around myself, trying to calm myself down.

Finally, I arrived at the door of the abandoned warehouse. The warehouse door was tightly shut, and a putrid smell permeated the air. I took a deep breath, mustered my courage, and pushed the door open.

The warehouse was pitch black; I could only make out some blurry outlines by the faint moonlight. I cautiously entered, my eyes warily scanning my surroundings.

“You’ve finally arrived, Miss Lin.” A deep voice came from the darkness.

I was startled and looked towards the source of the voice. "Who are you? Why did you call me here?"

A figure slowly emerged from the darkness. He wore a long black overcoat and a hat, his expression hidden in the shadows. "Miss Lin, don't be afraid. I called you here to discuss a business deal."

I frowned. "What kind of business?"

The man smiled. “I can help you save your textile mill. I have ways to stop the Xinsheng Group from suppressing you, and I can also get those customers who have been misled by them to trust you again.”

A thought flashed through my mind, but I remained wary. "Why would you help us? What are your conditions?"

The man took another step forward. "My conditions are simple. I want an exclusive fashion sample designed by you, and thirty percent of your textile factory's profits for the next three years."

My eyes widened. "That's impossible. That fashion sample was prepared for an international fashion show, and 30% profit margin is way too much."

The man's face darkened. "Miss Lin, don't refuse so quickly. You need to understand, this is your only chance to save your textile factory."

Just then, Gu Zixuan suddenly rushed in. "You despicable bastard, you actually tried to take advantage of my misfortune."

The man remained calm upon seeing Gu Zixuan. "Mr. Gu, I knew you wouldn't let Miss Lin come alone. However, don't assume you have any other options."

Gu Zixuan stood in front of me, protecting me. "We will not agree to your unreasonable demands. We will save the textile factory with our own strength."

The man sneered. "Do you think you can do it? Without my help, your textile factory won't last a month."

I looked at the man, my heart filled with anger. "Even if we go bankrupt, we won't cooperate with someone like you."

A glint of malice flashed in the man's eyes. "Then you can just wait for the textile factory to go bankrupt."

Just as the two sides were deadlocked, suddenly, the roar of a car engine came from outside the warehouse.

Immediately afterwards, a group of people rushed in. Leading them was none other than Chen Yu.

"What are you doing here?" Chen Yu asked.

I hurriedly said, "Mr. Chen, this man is trying to take advantage of our misfortune. He says he can help us save the textile factory, but it will cost us a lot."

Chen Yu looked at the man and then said, "Who are you? How dare you do this under the noses of our Patriotic Businessmen Alliance?"

The man's face turned ugly when he saw Chen Yu. "You patriotic businessmen's alliance should mind your own business."

Chen Yu smiled. "In Shanghai's business circles, our Patriotic Businessmen's Alliance is here to meddle in these kinds of things. You'd better leave now, or we won't be polite."

The man gritted his teeth, glanced at me and Gu Zixuan, and then turned and left.

I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Chen Yu gratefully. "Mr. Chen, thank you."

Chen Yu said, "Ms. Lin, Mr. Gu, please don't worry too much. Our Patriotic Businessmen Alliance has already formulated a plan to counter the suppression from Xinsheng Group. However, this plan requires your cooperation."

Gu Zixuan and I exchanged a glance, and then I said, "Mr. Chen, as long as it can save the textile factory, we will definitely cooperate fully."

Chen Yu nodded. "Our plan is as follows..."

However, just when we thought we saw hope, Xinsheng Group seemed to have detected our actions. They began to plan ahead and sabotage our plans. They not only intensified their smear campaign against our textile factory, but also attacked other companies in the Patriotic Businessmen Alliance.

Will our plan still proceed smoothly? How will the Patriotic Businessmen Alliance deal with the Xinsheng Group's fierce counterattack?

"Splendid Costumes: Lin Fangfei and Gu Zixuan's Turbulent Republican Era"

Subtitle: A Glimmer of Light in the Fog

Xinsheng Group's frantic counterattack caught us completely off guard. Gu Zixuan and I stood in the textile factory office, looking out at the gloomy sky, our hearts filled with oppression. Today, I had specially chosen a dark blue cheongsam embroidered with delicate lotus patterns, symbolizing purity rising from the mud, hoping it would bring me some good luck. However, at this moment, I felt no ease whatsoever.

"Fangfei, what should we do?" Gu Zixuan's voice betrayed a hint of anxiety. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, his eyes filled with confusion.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "Zixuan, we can't panic. Although Xinsheng Group is powerful, we are not without a chance of winning. We must have faith in the Patriotic Businessmen Alliance, and we must have faith in ourselves."

Just then, Shen Wanqing hurried in. "Miss Lin, Mr. Gu, Mr. Chen has arrived."

Gu Zixuan and I exchanged a glance, a glimmer of hope rising in our hearts. Chen Yu's arrival might bring us a new turning point.

Chen Yu walked into the office, his face looking somewhat tired, but his eyes still shone with determination. "Ms. Lin, Mr. Gu, I know you are facing great difficulties right now. But please don't worry, our Patriotic Businessmen Alliance has already come up with a solution."

I hurriedly asked, "Mr. Chen, what is the solution?"

Chen Yu looked at us and then slowly said, "We plan to unite all the national textile enterprises in Shanghai to jointly fight against Xinsheng Group. We will hold a grand textile exhibition to showcase the strength of our national textile industry. At the same time, we will also invite some foreign businessmen and media to participate, so that they can see the hope of our national textile industry."

My eyes lit up; this plan was indeed a great idea. Through the exhibition, we could not only showcase our products but also let more people know about our predicament and garner more support.

Gu Zixuan nodded. "This plan is excellent. But, will Xinsheng Group try to sabotage it?"

Chen Yu smiled. "Of course they will. But we are prepared. We will strengthen security measures to ensure the smooth running of the exhibition. At the same time, we will also send people to investigate the illegal activities of Xinsheng Group, collect evidence, and expose their true colors."

A thought suddenly struck me. "Mr. Chen, I think we can hold a fashion show at the exhibition. I've designed some new fashion samples that we can showcase to everyone. This will not only attract more attention to our textile factory, but also allow foreign businessmen to see our design capabilities."

Chen Yu's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea. Miss Lin, your design talent is undeniable. I believe your fashion show will definitely be a highlight of the exhibition."

In the days that followed, we busied ourselves preparing for the exhibition. I led the design team, working day and night to produce fashion samples. Gu Zixuan was responsible for contacting other ethnic textile companies and inviting them to participate in the exhibition. Chen Yu, on the other hand, led the members of the Patriotic Businessmen Alliance, traveling around to promote the exhibition.

Finally, the day of the exhibition arrived. Gu Zixuan and I arrived at the venue early, and looking at the well-organized booths and the bustling crowd, we were filled with excitement.

The exhibition began. I stood in front of our booth with other textile factory representatives, introducing our products and services to visitors. The fashion show also started. I walked the runway wearing samples of my own designs, showcasing them to the crowd.

After the fashion show, I received many compliments and orders from foreign businessmen. I was overjoyed. It seemed our plan had succeeded.

However, just as the exhibition was about to end, something unexpected happened. A group of people suddenly rushed into the venue and began to cause trouble. They tore up the samples on the booths and smashed the equipment. The scene was in complete chaos.

I stared in disbelief, my heart filled with anger and helplessness. These were people from Xinsheng Group! How could they be so arrogant!

Gu Zixuan and Chen Yu also arrived. They led security guards and members of the Patriotic Businessmen Alliance to try to stop the troublemakers. However, the troublemakers were very cunning and scattered, making the scene even more chaotic.

Just when we were at a loss, suddenly, a group of uniformed men rushed in. They were security guards from Xinsheng Group! However, instead of causing trouble, they began to help maintain order and arrest those who were causing trouble.

I was stunned. What was going on? Why would people from Xinsheng Group help us?

Just then, a familiar figure walked over. It was Li Minghui, the president of Xinsheng Group!

Li Minghui looked at me with a slight smile. "Ms. Lin, I'm sorry to have caused you trouble. These people are not from Xinsheng Group; they are impersonating us to cause trouble."