Chapter 26: Lost and Found

Ivan Akbarov was a junior officer stationed in Liaoyang, tasked with protecting the security of the Chinese Eastern Railway. Like all fallen aristocrats, he often found himself in tight financial straits as he struggled to maintain a veneer of dignity. Yet, he remained pretentious, a fact evident in how he always carried himself with the airs of a general, despite holding a lowly rank. Ivan did not drink to excess nor gamble, which he called "refinement," though in reality, it was simply because he had no money.

When he first arrived in the Far East, he thought it an opportunity to win glory and restore his family’s prestige. However, the General of Shengjing had surrendered without a fight, leaving Ivan feeling as though he had struck a cotton ball—full of pent-up energy with nowhere to release it. Thus, upon hearing that someone in the city had killed one of his soldiers, he immediately lost his composure, gathered a squad, and stormed toward the temple fair.

Two Russian soldiers recounted the situation. Ivan did not dismount; he rode straight up to Hu Biao, pointed forward, and said in broken Chinese, "Go!"

Head Guard Hu had no choice. Like a frost-bitten eggplant, he hung his head and replied, "Fine, I will go with you."

Zhang Zongchang stepped in to block them. "Wait! Where are you taking him?"

Hu feigned surprise. "They told me to go, so I go! Kill me or slice me, it’s all the same—just give me a quick end!"

"Playing the fool? Trying to be a hero?" Zhang Zongchang sneered. "To the Changfeng Security Bureau!"

Hu’s face turned ashen. He pointed a trembling finger at Jiang Xiaodao and stammered, "This kid says I killed a Russian. Where is the proof?"

Ivan heard the translation and shook his head with indifference. Proof was unnecessary; if he wanted to kill you, the mere thought was reason enough.

Hu remained fiercely loyal. Though terrified, he still argued, "Even if I did kill a Russian, that is my own affair, Hu Biao’s alone! It has nothing to do with the Changfeng Security Bureau!"

*Crack!*

Ivan raised his whip and lashed it across Hu’s face. "Go!"

Constable Li hurried over and whispered, "Head Guard Hu, stop arguing. Even if you don't lead the way, someone else will. It’s better if you go; you can explain things clearly. At worst, Manager He can pay some money, and the matter might still be resolved!"

Hu spat out a mouthful of blood. He was no hero, and he was afraid. The tragedy was that he couldn't even tell if his fear stemmed from his own survival instinct or some absurd collective consensus. The rules of the martial world were useless before the foreigners, and all his physical skills were no more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot before their guns and cannons.

Ivan gave the order: everyone present, including the onlookers and Constable Li—who was an officer of the imperial court—had to follow them to the Changfeng Security Bureau. Most of the crowd dispersed, and Ninth Master Zhang, who had been silent until now, slipped away into the throng. Even so, many who feared nothing more than missing a spectacle followed from a distance. The once-bustling temple fair fell into sudden quiet.

After winding through several streets for less than half an hour, the group arrived at the Changfeng Security Bureau. Standing before the gate, a wave of sorrow overcame Hu Biao. Feeling as if Mount Tai were pressing down on his chest, he stumbled forward, collapsed to his knees, and vomited a mouthful of dark blood, wailing, "Master, I have failed you!"

Ivan dismounted, smoothed his overcoat, and assumed a posture of refined nobility as he tapped twice on the gate. The Russian soldiers followed, raising their rifles and standing ready.

A moment later, Li Qun opened the gate. One look, and his lips went white. "This... what is the meaning of this? Head Guard Hu, what... what happened to you?"

Li Qun instinctively reached out to help, but was blocked by the muzzles of the Russian soldiers.

Guilt-ridden and feeling his blood surge, Hu muttered, "Erqiang is dead. Go call Manager He."

There was no need to call. With such a commotion outside, He Lishan, in the inner hall, had already heard the noise. Within moments, he arrived at the gate with all dozen or so of his guards.

"Stoy! Stoy!" The Russian soldiers fixed their bayonets, driving the crowd back with their gun barrels.

"Officer, what is the meaning of this?" He Lishan asked, his expression frantic as he scanned the scene. "Constable Li, why are you here? What happened?"

Constable Li, who often dealt with He Lishan, could only pull a mournful face and point at Jiang Xiaodao. "This kid says Head Guard Hu killed a Russian, and they’ve come to hold us accountable."

"That’s nonsense!" He Lishan stomped his feet in anger. "You brat! What grudge do you have against my Changfeng Security Bureau to splash such filth on us?"

Before Jiang Xiaodao could reply, Head Guard Hu spoke: "The 'Sea Owl'!"

Upon hearing those three words, He Lishan felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Ever since he learned that Jiang Chenghai had arrived in Liaoyang, He Lishan had been on high alert. During this time, he had pulled strings with both the criminal underworld and the government offices, hoping to build enough influence to show Jiang Chenghai that the Changfeng Security Bureau, having taken root here for decades, was not a lamb to be slaughtered. He never imagined that Jiang Chenghai would take such a devious route, using the Russians as a blade to kill his rivals.

"Officer, it’s a misunderstanding! It’s all just rumors from this kid. There’s no need for such a heavy show of force. Please, come inside, and we can talk this over slowly."

Ivan remained standing outside, motionless. He squeezed out three words: "Loyalty and Righteousness Army?"

He Lishan turned deathly pale. "No, no, no! We run a security bureau; we have nothing to do with the Loyalty and Righteousness Army!"

The truth was that while the main force of the Loyalty and Righteousness Army had been scattered the year prior, some stragglers still wandered the snowy forests. Like mosquitoes, they would occasionally harass Russian supply lines, railways, and granaries, earning the intense hatred of the occupiers.

Constable Li urged, "Manager He, stop talking! Hurry up and spend some money to avert this disaster!"

He Lishan nodded hurriedly. "Officer, everything is negotiable. Wait just a moment; I’ll go get the silver!"

Zhang Zongchang translated, and Ivan sneered twice, nodding his head.

He Lishan turned and hurried to the inner hall. Before long, he returned clutching a small elm-wood box. This was the lifeblood the He family had accumulated over the decades since founding the Changfeng Security Bureau. It contained not just silver, but several gold bars. With lives at stake, he had no choice but to part with it.

"Officer, this is all the He family has. Please, show some mercy. We are truly honest businessmen. Magistrate Gao can vouch for us—we have never been involved with the 'Big Brothers' or the Loyalty and Righteousness Army!" With that, He Lishan offered the elm-wood box with both hands.

The Russian soldiers burst into laughter. They were not laughing at the money they were about to receive, but at the weakness of the people before them.

Ivan liked money, and he needed it, but he wanted a promotion even more. Regardless of the truth, in his eyes, the Changfeng Security Bureau had to be remnants of the Loyalty and Righteousness Army. This was not about facts; it was about his career.

Ivan did not expect that the moment he took off his glove and opened the box, he would not see gold or silver, but a head buried in gravel, frozen to a deep, dark purple!