Chapter 125 I can't stay here any longer.

"Who lives and who dies is still up in the air. Speak freely, I'm listening." He Yuzhu remained unmoved, his tone full of disdain.

"The Ma family, the township head, has been rooted in that area of ​​Tanggu for generations, and their influence is very deep."

"I heard that he has been in this position as township head since the early days of the Republic of China, and he still holds it now."

"Over the years, the higher-ups have changed batch after batch of people, but he has remained as steadfast as a nail, sitting firmly in the position of township head for more than 30 years."

"This shows how deeply entrenched his power in Tanggu is, so much so that it's impossible to see through him, and he's not someone that ordinary people can afford to mess with."

"After being the local tyrant for so many years, what, are you guys in your stronghold really that afraid of him?" He Yuzhu asked with a half-smile, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.

"I wouldn't say I'm terrified, but we have indeed cooperated with him quite a few times, it's just mutual exploitation," the bearded man replied truthfully.

"Cooperation? Do you mean the kind of legitimate cooperation where we join forces to fight the Japanese devils?" He Yuzhu asked deliberately, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"Bullshit! What do you mean by fighting the Japanese devils? We're fighting the Eighth Route Army, the Nationalist Army, and those disobedient bigwigs and merchants. They're all doing this kind of money-grabbing and food-robbing shady business!" The bearded man sneered, his tone full of disdain and arrogance.

"We do all the dirty and tiring work for him, and we get a share of the profits. We live quite comfortably, while he can sit back and relax. We don't interfere with each other."

"That's enough to prove just how powerful he is. How about it, are you scared now?" Seeing that He Yuzhu was still expressionless, the bearded man began to provoke him again, trying to intimidate him with the power of Mayor Ma.

"Afraid? Of course I'm terrified." He Yuzhu spoke slowly, his tone so calm that it was hard to fathom.

"What I fear is that you will all die too quickly, before I can personally clean you up one by one. That would be too boring."

He Yuzhu's voice sounded as if it came from the depths of the Netherworld, cold and piercing, with a suffocating sense of oppression. Hearing it, the bearded man trembled violently and couldn't help but shiver, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

"Who...who exactly are you?" The bearded man's voice began to tremble uncontrollably, and the arrogance and provocation on his face had vanished without a trace, leaving only deep fear.

"When you descend to the underworld, you will naturally encounter the wronged souls you have harmed. At that time, they will tell you in person who I am." He Yuzhu's tone was flat, yet it carried a deadly chill.

"You...you're a member of the Eighth Route Army..."

Before he could finish speaking, the bearded man's consciousness plummeted into an endless abyss of darkness, never to react again.

He Yuzhu handled the situation swiftly and decisively, snapping his neck cleanly and without leaving a trace.

Immediately afterwards, He Yuzhu also put the bearded man's corpse into his personal storage space without leaving a trace.

At this time, the remaining dozen or so bandits outside also followed in their leader's footsteps and were all silently eliminated by He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu conducted a meticulous search of each room and made many unexpected discoveries, far exceeding his expectations.

This place was clearly one of the secret strongholds set up by this gang of bandits in Tianjin. It was hidden and safe, making it suitable for their clandestine activities.

Besides the guns and ammunition found earlier, the house also contained a large number of rifles, as well as a considerable amount of gold and silver dollars, all of which were stolen money accumulated from their robbery and other evil deeds.

These unexpected windfalls naturally all ended up in He Yuzhu's pocket, serving as a small compensation for his efforts in eliminating this gang of bandits.

He carefully cleaned up all possible traces of evidence at the scene, leaving no hidden dangers for the future, and then climbed over the wall and left the secret hideout.

Before leaving, he made a point of turning back, picking up a broom from the yard, and carefully wiping away the messy footprints he had left behind, making sure there was no trace of him.

After blending into the crowd on the street, he pushed his bicycle out from a hidden corner, jumped on, pedaled hard, and sped off towards home, quickly disappearing into the night.

He had been living a rather dull and uneventful life in Tianjin, but now that he knew the details of the traitorous Chief Ma and his evil deeds, how could he easily let this wicked fellow go?

Back home, He Yuzhu filled a basin with clean water in the yard and quickly washed away the dust and faint smell of blood from his body, restoring himself to his usual appearance.

After entering the room, he carefully folded the black night clothes, put them away cautiously, and then went to bed to rest, not thinking about anything else.

This level of exertion was nothing more than a simple warm-up for him, not worth mentioning at all, and it didn't consume much of his energy.

But I have to go to work at the factory tomorrow, so I can't let it interfere with my work. I need to conserve my energy and maintain the best mental state to cope with a busy day.

As for the Ma family, let them live a couple more days; there's no rush.

After all, news of the bandits' annihilation here couldn't have reached Tanggu so quickly, and the Ma family was still completely unaware of it.

Moreover, he didn't know much about the specific layout of the Ma family's residence, its defensive forces, or how many men they had. Acting rashly would only lead to losses.

If you rush over there rashly, it could very likely trigger a fierce gunfight. If the commotion is too great, it will be counterproductive, which is not a wise move.

The next day, during a break from work, He Yuzhu specifically sought out Zhao Xiaonian, hoping to get some information from him and find out the details of the Ma family.

He casually asked, feigning nonchalance, if there were any channels in Tianjin where he could buy confidential information, as he was looking for some information he needed.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaonian stared at him in astonishment for a long time, her eyes filled with doubt and worry. Then, she lowered her voice and cautiously reminded him:

"Zhu Zi, what kind of act are you putting on? What are you trying to do? Why are you suddenly asking about these kinds of channels?"

"Don't blame me for being nosy, but wouldn't it be better for you to just stay in the factory, learn a cooking skill, and live a peaceful life? Don't get involved in any of those messy things; it's too dangerous."

"Want to learn cooking? I have absolutely no talent for it, and I have absolutely no interest in it."

"I'm here today to inquire about someone's whereabouts."

"I have a distant relative who married into a family in Tianjin years ago, but we've completely lost contact with her and I have no idea where she lives."

He Yuzhu casually fabricated a plausible excuse, intending to use these words to get away with it.

"Are you serious? Don't try to make fun of me."

"If my master, Lao He, finds out that you're not focusing on learning your craft but instead getting involved in all sorts of messy things, especially since I was the one who pointed you into those ways."

"Then I really can't stay in Hongbinlou any longer."

"Don't worry about it at all. How could I possibly harm you? This is absolutely true; it's all about finding someone."

"Before my mother passed away, she repeatedly told me that I must find this relative no matter what."

"I've been searching everywhere for days, and I'm really desperate, so I'm asking you for help."

He Yuzhu's face was full of worry, but his words were sincere and earnest, showing no sign of falsehood.

Zhao Xiaonian stared at He Yuzhu for a long time with suspicion. Seeing that he looked sincere and didn't seem to be deliberately acting to deceive people, he finally agreed.

"Alright, since you've put it this way, I'll tell you about a place."

"After dark, go to Tianbao Road and find a man nicknamed 'Master Ma Wu'."

"When you get there, just introduce yourself by name and say that you were introduced by Zhao Si to find him."

"Zhao Si?" He Yuzhu's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on Zhao Xiaonian.

"Don't stare at me like that. I'm not the Zhao Si you're thinking of."

"That was an uncle of mine from my paternal clan. He was quite influential in the Tianjin area, and he had connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles."

Zhao Xiaonian felt uneasy under He Yuzhu's gaze and quickly explained the reason.

"Okay, okay, I won't watch anymore, alright?"

"But I still have to ask, is it really appropriate to use your uncle's name? It's just to inquire about the whereabouts of a relative."

"You don't know this, but in Tianjin, if you don't have some status or influence, nobody will even acknowledge you," Zhao Xiaonian said, waving his hand.

"That makes sense, then thank you very much."

He Yuzhu secretly pondered: If this name is really used to do things, your uncle will probably get into a huge mess. Just be flexible and adapt to the situation.

Actually, he was still thinking about a more reliable and official source of information, but he hadn't found a suitable contact yet, and that was Old Zhao and his group.

He simply couldn't believe that the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China would be completely unaware of the situation of these traitors and bandits in the surrounding area.

These traitors to the nation will eventually be held accountable one by one; the blood debts they owe have long been recorded in the ledger.

Once we've gathered all the information, we can hand over the clues to Lao Zhao; they'll definitely prove invaluable.

The township head and the bandits of Dongling Village undoubtedly had blood on their hands, which were already stained red with the blood of innocent people.

At worst, I can provide fire support from the sidelines and offer some long-range sniping cover when Lao Zhao and his team start their operation.

Since I can't contact the organization for the time being, I'll have to settle all the grudges and grievances myself.