The steady roar of the engine suddenly became rapid and irregular. Before the driver could curse, there was a loud *bang*. The truck shuddered, its speed dropping immediately until it came to a halt in the middle of the road.

The driver couldn't even be bothered to curse. He stepped on the brakes, steadied the vehicle, turned around, and slid open the window between the cab and the canvas-covered truck bed. "Breakdown," he shouted to the back. "You'll have to walk."

The people in the back seemed speechless, but since it had happened, there was no helping it. The rear canvas flap opened, and someone jumped down, unlatched the tailgate, and lowered it. Detectives armed with pistols jumped out. The captain in charge shouted, "Form up! Attention! Count off!"

"One, two, three, four..." The count sounded in succession.

The detectives had set out by truck; if someone was missing from the truck, it would obviously be noticed. The count-off was partly regulation, but largely because the captain felt a bit nauseous from the bumpy ride and needed a moment.

Hearing that his colleagues' voices were normal, the captain relaxed. "Move out!"

The citizens of Shenyang were somewhat surprised to see the police moving in formation. Since He Rui took charge of Shenyang, there had been several rounds of public security campaigns. With a firm attitude toward restoring order and mobilizing the masses to fight crime, Shenyang's security was worlds apart from before. By now, it had been a year since police were seen moving in such large squads.

Under the surprised gaze of the roadside crowd, the detectives walked two blocks and stopped outside the Anhui Merchants Guild Hall. Seeing this scene, the people outside the Guild Hall all stopped to watch. Since the police department had been reorganized by He Rui, although it was still a law enforcement agency capable of violence, it had transformed from the running dogs of the powerful into the protectors of public security. While the masses might not necessarily *like* the police, they no longer held a hostile attitude.

Now that the police were confronting the Anhui Merchants Guild, this was going to be a show worth watching!

Onlookers gathered quickly. The police, serious but not brutal, established a cordon to prevent the crowd from blocking the entrance.

Before the crowd had fully settled, several people walked out of the Guild Hall. The leader was a Southern man wearing a silk long gown and *magua* jacket, topped with a fedora. Seeing the police captain, the man took off his hat and spoke politely, "Gentlemen, thank you for your trouble. Please, follow us inside."

Seeing that no conflict had erupted, the crowd surged forward again. Fortunately, it wasn't just the detectives who had arrived; comrades from the local police station soon followed. They held back the public, allowing the detectives to disengage and enter the Guild Hall.

Crossing the courtyard, which had been swept clean of snow, they arrived at the main hall. The man introduced himself first. "I am the Master of the Anhui Merchants Guild in the Northeast. My surname is Liu. May I ask this officer... what is your honorable surname?"

"We are from the Shenyang Criminal Investigation Detachment. I am Dong Ligang, and this is my identification." Captain Dong produced his police ID as he spoke.

Guild Master Liu took it, looked it over, and returned it to Captain Dong. Even facing a squad of armed detectives, Liu showed no timidity. He asked gently, "I wonder what brings Officer Dong here?"

Captain Dong answered frankly, "We are here to bring in Li Bingqian and Liu Ziyu of your Guild for questioning. Are they currently in the Guild Hall?"

Liu nodded. "May I see the warrant?"

Officer Dong signaled to a comrade behind him. A clerk immediately pulled the arrest warrant from a briefcase and handed it to Liu.

No one was worried that Liu would dare destroy the document. If he did, he would be arrested immediately. Obstruction of justice was a serious crime, and destroying official documents was a specific offense in the legal code. With both crimes combined, Liu would be eating prison food.

After reading it, Liu returned the document to Captain Dong and asked, "Officer Dong, these two are indeed in the Guild Hall. But what is their crime?"

"Consuming narcotics and purchasing smuggled goods." Officer Dong repeated the content of the warrant. He had to remain restrained, though he was very unhappy inside. But the other party was, after all, the Anhui Merchants Guild, and his superiors had made it clear that procedures must be followed. Of course, if the Guild dared to harbor criminals or resist law enforcement, they would handle it according to the rules. The Anhui Merchants Guild did have influence on the Northeast's economy, but no matter how much influence they had, they could not break the law. Especially the Anti-Drug Law.

Guild Master Liu did not smoke opium himself, nor did he like those who did. But in parts of China outside the Northeast, drug use was considered a personal vice, and selling opium was just a commercial activity. Although despised by many, he had never seen a place strike against it as severely as the Northeast. It was clear that He Rui, the Chairman of the Northeast Government, hated drug trafficking and use to the bone, just as the rumors said.

Even so, Liu wanted to try a gentler approach. "Officer Dong, that such people have appeared among our Anhui merchants is heartbreaking to us colleagues; we feel they have truly let themselves go. However, could you please return for now? We will have these two surrender themselves to the Public Security Bureau."

Hearing this, Officer Dong couldn't help but sneer. "Heh, Guild Master Liu, as far as we know, these two have been buying smuggled morphine from Japan for over a year. If they wanted to surrender, wasn't four hundred days enough time? Why is it that only now, when we show up at the door, do they think of surrendering? It is too late. If Guild Master Liu is willing to bring them out, that is best. If not, we will have to execute our official duties."

Guild Master Liu was greatly displeased. The Anhui Merchants did huge business in the Northeast; of the goods sold from the Northeast to the Yangtze River valley, the Anhui merchants purchased thirty percent. The man before him was just a police officer, not even a superintendent, yet he dared to be so ungracious. Liu felt he had lost face.

Moreover, Liu felt his request was not excessive. Everyone in the world needed a bit of face. If those two had committed heinous capital crimes, and the police stormed in to grab them under the public gaze, he would have to accept it. But these two were merely addicted to morphine shots—hardly a capital offense. At most, they would be sent to a drug rehabilitation labor camp for six months. was it worth stripping the Anhui Merchants Guild of its face for this?

For a moment, Liu wondered if the other party wanted a bribe, or if the Guild had offended someone and this was retaliation. He instinctively wanted to probe. But on second thought, the Northeast Government was very strict about bribery, and Officer Dong was aggressive; attempting to bribe him might just hand him a handle to use against them.

Putting aside thoughts of bribery, Liu said, "Allow me to go to the back and bring them out."

Officer Dong felt no need to rush. The political commissar of the Public Security Bureau had instructed that the Anhui Merchants Guild would likely misunderstand at first, and that they must be allowed to exhaust their methods so they would eventually understand just how important the drug ban was to the Northeast.

Sure enough, Liu did not go to get the men but instead made a phone call. The operator connected him to the Merchant Bureau, and soon the voice of Director Morrison's secretary came through. "Who is calling, please?"

Hearing it was Guild Master Liu, the secretary quickly transferred the call to Morrison. When Director Morrison picked up, Liu quickly explained the situation and requested, "Director Morrison, we are not trying to hide anyone. We just want to save some face. As soon as the detectives leave, we will immediately send those two to the squad. The Anhui Merchants Guild will absolutely not interfere with the investigation afterward. We ask Director Morrison to do us this favor."

There was no answer from the other end. Liu wasn't worried that Morrison didn't understand Chinese; this Englishman had been in China for twenty years and spoke Beijing dialect more fluently than Liu himself.

Morrison pondered for a long while before replying, "Guild Master Liu, the Northeast is a region of rule of law. How can I interfere with the judicial process? I cannot help with this."

Hearing this, Liu hurriedly said, "This isn't a judicial issue. And regarding the drug ban, previous notices said that family members should persuade addicts to surrender to the Public Security Bureau. We Anhui merchants are strangers in a strange land; distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors. The members of our Guild are practically half-relatives. We will immediately persuade them to surrender—this is also in accordance with the rules."

Morrison felt very conflicted. As the Director of the Merchant Bureau, his job was to attract investment. After twenty years in China, Morrison was well-versed in Chinese social relations. Especially in an industrial region like the Northeast, social relations were actually becoming more like the British model.

Never mind China—even in Britain, if someone was taken directly from the home of a wealthy and powerful person, it was a humiliating affair. The family would try to find a way to handle it with dignity.

Morrison completely understood that doing this directly would undoubtedly strain relations. As for the Guild harboring the criminals, it was unlikely. If they let the men escape now, it would be shameless. Whether in China or Britain, once face was torn apart, there was nothing left to discuss; things would proceed however they must. "Civilians do not fight officials" was not just a Chinese reality, but a global one.

However, precisely because Morrison understood, he dared not intervene recklessly. The Criminal Investigation Detachment had political commissars, and these commissars were not inexperienced youths. Morrison didn't believe for a second that they didn't know the impact this would have before they acted.

Finally, Morrison could only ask Liu to wait. After hanging up, he called the Criminal Investigation Detachment.

The initial receiver was the captain, but Morrison politely asked for the political commissar. Soon, a rather young voice sounded in the receiver. "Director Morrison, hello."

Morrison briefly confirmed the situation and then asked, "Commissar, is it necessary to go to this extent?"

The commissar chuckled. "Director Morrison, this is our sixth formal dealing with the Anhui Merchants. The previous times were under the last Guild Master; there were cases of revenge killings and human trafficking within the Guild. In three of those cases, the perpetrators have still not been caught. We can't just *not* go to their door every time, can we? Director Morrison, why don't you call and persuade them again? Is obeying the law really that difficult?"

Hearing this, Morrison knew a peaceful resolution was likely impossible. He could only hang up. But after thinking it over, he felt he should contact He Rui. If He Rui had a judgment on this, the general direction would be clear. After all, attracting investment wasn't easy, and the Anhui merchants had real money. If the police were allowed to slap their faces in public, the merchants might feel targeted, which wouldn't be good for future investment.

Finally, Morrison summoned the courage to call He Rui. He Rui happened to be in his office, and soon his enthusiastic voice rang out. "Director Morrison, it's been a long time. How have you been? Shall we have a meal when you have time?"

Hearing this, Morrison suddenly realized it had indeed been a long time since he had seen He Rui. He Rui was becoming busier and busier, traveling everywhere; he was probably away from Shenyang for half the year.

After exchanging pleasantries, Morrison straightforwardly explained the Anhui Merchants Guild matter to He Rui. After listening, He Rui chuckled coldly. "Mr. Morrison, you are British. You surely know how much money Britain made from the drug trade. Infecting tens of millions of Chinese with addiction... when the addiction strikes, the men rob and cheat, selling their sons and daughters; the women sell their bodies. The affected population is nearly the size of Britain's entire population, isn't it? China did not originally produce opium. Historical records show opium trade in the Tang Dynasty, and by the late Ming and early Qing, the annual trade was only a few chests, perhaps a dozen at most. You surely have heard how much was sold later, haven't you? If you haven't, would you like me to tell you the numbers?"

Morrison regretted making the call. In recent years, he had almost forgotten he was British; to some extent, he felt like a Chinese official.

Hearing He Rui speak like this, Morrison felt he was asking for humiliation. But having reached this point, he felt he could not lose his dignity. He replied, "You do not need to tell me the numbers. Although I do not know the exact figures, I know it is a very large number. Right now, I only wish to remind Your Excellency that this matter will make the Anhui Merchants feel alienated. Are you prepared to bear such a result?"

He Rui replied coldly, "If the Anhui Merchants Guild feels alienated, then let them be alienated. They feel we are bullying them and not giving them face. We feel that 'a thousand-mile dike is destroyed by an ant's nest.' These people know full well that the Northeast bans drugs, yet they not only continue to use them but also purchase smuggled drugs—committing two crimes at once. Since things have reached this point, if we were to save their face, surely it should be the Anhui Merchants Guild running the Northeast, not us. Don't you think?"

Morrison completely understood He Rui's meaning, and even more so, his mood. Maintaining the utmost politeness, Morrison managed to say, "I understand Your Excellency's meaning. Let us end the discussion here for today."

Putting down the phone, Morrison felt incredibly wretched. Being reminded of his British identity by He Rui hurt him deeply.

As a Briton, Morrison certainly knew that China and Britain had fought wars in the past—wars that created tragedies and bred hatred. And this tragedy had not only failed to subside but had become a source of hatred due to China's rising nationalism. Morrison truly hadn't expected that even a rational, objective statesman like He Rui was so deeply affected.

Nowadays, when China was mentioned, the first reaction was often that Britain was a state drug trafficker. Mention a British person, and they were an opium dealer. As a Briton, and a medical doctor from the University of Edinburgh, none of the many British people Morrison had met were opium dealers. And Morrison's many classmates, medical or otherwise, were all opposed to the consumption of opium and other narcotics.

It could even be said that educated people in Britain were well aware of the harms of opium. So, although opium was still considered a medicine and a legal trade good in the current world, Morrison did not find He Rui's intense "drug ban" in the Northeast problematic.

However, in what he heard today, He Rui's motivation for banning drugs contained a component of national humiliation. Opium was not just treated as a "drug" that ruined ordinary lives, but was linked to the humiliation brought by foreign invasion. This kind of emotion and logic was something Morrison had never felt from He Rui before.

That is to say, although He Rui was well-versed in European culture and the British-led world order, he held a strong hostility toward the British Empire. When this hostility mixed with anger, even the usually cautious, self-possessed, objective, and rational He Rui was heavily influenced by such emotions.

Morrison felt disappointed—truly disappointed. Originally, he had been full of anticipation for He Rui becoming China's leader. In Morrison's vision, a man like He Rui, who seemed like a Western political leader, would use his broad mind and brilliant political wisdom to establish a peaceful and stable Far East order. This would allow a coordinated Far East order to connect with the Versailles order established at the Paris Peace Conference, thereby constructing a peaceful world order system.

It was precisely because of this idea that Morrison was willing to serve He Rui, acting as a bridge of communication between China and Britain.

Morrison had even resolved that if things developed in that direction, he would do his utmost to communicate the views of both sides, resolving conflicts as much as possible, and fighting for China's interests in areas where Britain had indeed clearly damaged them.

He hadn't expected such a dream to suffer a head-on blow. No matter how much Morrison did for the Northeast Government, in He Rui's eyes, he was just a Briton—a person from a state-drug-trafficking nation, who was naturally an opium dealer.

The psychological shock made Morrison feel the world spinning. A massive sense of powerlessness and despair drowned him like a tidal wave, leaving him almost unable to breathe.

At that moment, the telephone rang. Morrison's secretary walked in carefully and asked, "Director, it's the Anhui Merchants Guild again."

Feeling as if all his hopes had turned to ash, Morrison answered weakly, "Tell them to hand the people over. That is my advice."

The secretary had heard Morrison call He Rui but didn't know what was said. Seeing Morrison's reaction, he went to return the call.

On the other end, Guild Master Liu was greatly disappointed by the answer. But Liu did not give up. Since the Merchant Bureau wouldn't work, there were others who could speak up. So Liu continued to make several calls. Unexpectedly, the others were much more blunt than Morrison. Upon hearing the matter, they immediately said, "Hand the people over immediately!"

Now Liu knew things were definitely not as flexible as he had thought. Since it had come to this, there was no other way but to hand them over.

Before going to bring the men out, a thought involuntarily rose in Liu's mind: *Will we still be able to stay in the Northeast?*