75: Afu

By the banks of the Suzhou River in the Shanghai.

Lu Fan and Chen Hairong completed their transaction, and the system's notification sounded in his mind.

[Main Quest One, Completed. Reward: 20,000 points, one random skill card]

[Task Completion 130%, Grade: A, Reward: 10,000 points. One random manufacturing blueprint card]

They weren't in a hurry to check the rewards; instead, they stood under the massive archway of the Sihang Warehouse, looking up.

This reinforced concrete gray beast had thick walls and high, narrow windows.

The warehouse was filled with sacks and wooden crates, workers were busy hauling them, and the air smelled of grain and sweat.

Sunlight shone on the cold walls as Lu Fan's fingers lightly brushed over the rough concrete surface.

A few months from now, the 'Eight Hundred Heroes' led by Regimental Commander Xie Jinyuan would use their bodies to resist the Japanese invaders, holding their ground to the death.

This peaceful warehouse would turn into a bloody battlefield, and the walls would be forever etched with indelible bullet holes.

Lu Fan closed his eyes and recalled scenes from the movie, his chest surging with unspeakable emotions.

Heaviness, as the fall of the Shanghai marked the beginning of a tragic modern era;

Bitterness, for the countless lives lost and the myriad of displaced civilians;

Respect, for those heroes who chose to hold their ground despite knowing they would die;

Immediately following this, an urgent impulse swept through his mind like a gale.

He had to do more, and do it faster, for this land and for these unyielding people.

Taking a deep breath, he took one last deep look at this silent warehouse and turned to leave.

His footsteps were heavier than when he arrived, but also more determined.

When Lu Fan reached a relatively secluded alleyway on the side of the warehouse, he slipped inside.

After a few breaths, a young punk with a dirty short jacket and a monkey-like face arrived at the mouth of the alley.

He stealthily poked his head in to look inside the alley.

Just as he stuck his head out, a large hand grabbed him by the neck and dragged him directly into the alley.

"Ouch!" The punk stumbled and fell to the ground.

His face was full of disbelief; he wanted to scream but didn't dare make a loud noise.

Lu Fan stepped on his chest, looking down with a cold expression: "Who sent you? How long have you been following me?"

The punk was scared out of his wits and hurriedly begged for mercy: "Hero... Hero, spare my life. I'm just a messenger.

My boss is Scabby Head, he told me to keep an eye on you..." The punk spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube.

"Scabby Head?"

Lu Fan muttered softly, and an image appeared on his multifunctional glasses.

Upon looking, wasn't that the same thug leader he had dealt with this morning!

"He told you to watch me, and then what?" Lu Fan added a bit more pressure with his foot.

"Ah... it hurts, it hurts! The boss told me to follow you, find out where you're staying... and..."

"And what else?" Lu Fan increased the pressure again.

"And the source of your goods... other than that... I really don't know anything else!" The punk grimaced in pain, tears nearly coming out.

Lu Fan frowned; he had a premonition that this matter wasn't so simple.

This Scabby Head was definitely not the ultimate mastermind; suddenly, a name surfaced in his mind: Zhang Fayao.

He released his foot, and the punk on the ground, as if granted a grand pardon, scrambled to run away.

"Stop!" Lu Fan barked, and the punk froze in place, shivering.

"Go back and tell your boss," Lu Fan stared at the punk and issued a final ultimatum, "if you dare send someone to watch me again, you'll suffer the consequences. Scram!"

"Yes~ yes~ yes, I'll definitely deliver the message." The punk nodded repeatedly and disappeared into the depths of the alley in the blink of an eye.

Lu Fan leaned against the alley wall and lit a cigarette, just about to check his system rewards.

A crisp voice sounded beside him: "Mister, next time you handle someone, go a bit further inside.

It's more hidden there, and easier to move around."

Lu Fan turned his head and saw a newsboy about eleven or twelve years old, leaning against the corner just like him, with a blade of grass in his mouth.

He wore old, patched clothes, but they were relatively clean.

He carried a bulging canvas newspaper bag and held several newspapers in his hands.

"Kid, you sure know a lot!"

Facing the precocious newsboy, Lu Fan reached back, pulled out a White Rabbit creamy candy, and tossed it over. "What's your name?"

"Mister, my name is Ah Fu." The newsboy took the candy, sniffed it, and looked pleasantly surprised.

Lu Fan smiled gently and asked kindly: "Ah Fu, from what you said, are you very familiar with this area?"

"Of course! I'm familiar with the Sihang Warehouse area, the streets ahead, and many places in Zhabei!

Which shop just opened, which road is being repaired, what's happening in which house—I know it all clearly."

Ah Fu carefully tucked the candy away, looking proud.

Seeing that Ah Fu could resist the temptation of the candy, Lu Fan asked curiously: "Why aren't you eating the candy?"

Ah Fu spoke solemnly: "Good things should be saved to share with my friends."

"One piece of candy isn't enough for everyone. Here, take this!" Lu Fan reached back and produced a bag of creamy candies, handing it over.

It had been a long time since he'd met such a sensible child who understood sharing.

Ah Fu took the bag of candies but wasn't in a hurry to eat them; instead, he blew a long, loud whistle.

Before long, many newsboys gathered from all directions.

He ungrudgingly distributed the candies.

The moment those children put the candies in their mouths, their smiles were harder to suppress than the recoil of an AK.

Looking at the newsboys, a thought suddenly flashed through Lu Fan's mind.

These newsboys spread throughout the streets and alleys were like the city's capillaries, carrying the lowliest yet most vivid information.

Instead of being passively watched by those low-life spies, why not proactively weave an information network of his own?

Children come and go quickly; once the candy was finished, the brief sweetness ended.

Lu Fan felt a slight pang of sadness as he watched the newsboys scatter.

"Ah Fu, you said you're very familiar with this area. Could you do me a favor?"

Ah Fu tilted his head and asked warily: "Mister, what kind of favor?"

"Ah Fu, I need to know some news.

For example, if some new faces appear in a certain place, or if someone is asking about something specific.

I don't need you to take risks to find out; just tell me what you normally see and hear while delivering papers or playing.

Or anything you find a bit strange or new."

He pulled out a silver dollar and tossed it over. "This is a deposit."

Ah Fu looked at the silver dollar in his hand, his eyes wide; this was more than he earned selling newspapers for half a month.

"Really? Mister? Just... just say what I see?"

"Yes. I see you have many friends; you can collect what they see and hear, and then tell me."

"No problem!" Ah Fu carefully hid the silver dollar in his innermost pocket and handed over a copy of the Shen Bao.

"Good, see you at that park over there tomorrow afternoon." Lu Fan took the newspaper and pointed to a small park nearby.

"Mhm! I'll definitely be there!" Ah Fu nodded vigorously and ran off as nimble as an elf, quickly merging into the flow of people in the streets.

Lu Fan stood in place, his gaze sweeping across the magnificent yet silent Sihang Warehouse, then looking toward the bustling Concession across the Suzhou River.

Since he chose to take root in the Shanghai, facing those monsters and demons was inevitable.

To deal with them, he couldn't do without his own intelligence network.

Ah Fu might be the first thread of his information web.

At that moment, a Cadillac sedan pulled up steadily at the roadside.

Zhao Chengqiang briskly got out and opened the door: "Boss, where to next?"