svetikya Chapter 191 Assassination in Progress
Chapter 191 Assassination in Progress
three days later.
Shanghai, Chamber of Commerce Building.
The lights were bright, and the place was bustling with people.
Tonight is a grand banquet hosted by the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, which has invited celebrities from all walks of life in Shanghai, business tycoons, and representatives from foreign consulates.
Inside the banquet hall, crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow, illuminating the entire space. Long tables were laden with exquisite dishes, and red wine swirled in crystal glasses, releasing its rich aroma. Guests clinked glasses, laughing and chatting—a scene of bustling prosperity.
But beneath this prosperous facade lurks a sense of unease.
Chen Zijun appeared at the banquet dressed in a crisp military uniform.
Behind him followed Ye Yingxue, several attendants, guards, staff officers, and Imperial Guard soldiers.
Ye Yingxue, dressed in a black military uniform, had a cold expression and her eyes scanned her surroundings warily.
Her hand remained on the holster at her waist, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.
Outside the banquet hall, on the rooftops of several tall buildings.
The night wind howled, causing the hems of the shadowy figures' clothes to flutter.
Several dark figures lurked in the shadows, holding sniper rifles. Their bodies were motionless, as if they had turned into stone statues, only their eyes, through the scope, were fixed on the entrance to the banquet hall.
Their scopes were aimed at the entrance to the banquet hall.
"Target spotted," a dark figure whispered, his voice hoarse and tense.
"It's confirmed to be Chen Zijun," another shadowy figure said, finger on the trigger. "This mission must succeed."
"According to the plan, we'll make our move when he goes on stage to give his speech."
"clear."
The shadowy figures adjusted the angle of their sniper rifles, the crosshairs in their scopes searching for the best firing position.
Their hearts were racing, but their breathing was steady. This was the professionalism of top-notch snipers.
They knew the importance of this mission.
The French gave them a large sum of money, demanding that they kill Chen Zijun.
They also knew that if they failed, they would not only be hunted down by the French and Chen's army, but even by the Japanese...
Therefore, they must succeed.
As for what exactly was involved, they didn't know, but since the French had spoken up, they assumed that the French had asked them to do it!
But deep down, they felt a sense of unease.
Because they knew that Chen Zijun was no ordinary warlord.
He was surrounded by powerful bodyguards and an elite army.
Moreover, they had heard that Chen Zijun's intelligence network was very advanced and that he might already know about their plans.
But they had no other choice.
They had no choice but to take a gamble.
They gambled that Chen Zijun was unprepared, that their marksmanship was accurate, and that luck was on their side.
Inside the banquet hall, Chen Zijun sat at the main table, conversing with several business tycoons.
Li Pingshu, Sun Mengjin, Yu Xiaode, Feng Yong, and others were present.
They were all heavyweights in Shanghai's business community, and they all treated Chen Zijun with great respect.
"Young Marshal, the situation in Shanghai lately... is rather tense," Yu Xiaode said in a low voice.
"Nervous?" Chen Zijun smiled faintly. "What's there to be nervous about? If the French want to cause trouble, let them. I want to see what tricks they can come up with."
Sun Mengjin, however, was somewhat worried. He had previously worked in diplomacy under President Yuan Shikai in the Beiyang government and had some understanding of the methods used by the great powers. At this moment, he couldn't help but advise, "Young Marshal, we've heard... that France might resort to some underhanded tactics..."
Chen Zijun understood that these people meant well, but in this situation, with everyone watching him, how could he possibly show any emotion? He simply declared confidently, "Utterly despicable tactics? Hmph. Marcel has suffered such a great loss; he certainly won't let this go easily. However, if he dares to play dirty tricks, I'll show him what real methods are."
Yu Xiaode's expression changed: "Young Marshal, are you saying... something will happen tonight?"
Chen Zijun: "Possibly. But there's nothing to worry about. I'm already prepared."
He looked at Ye Yingxue, who nodded slightly, indicating that everything was normal.
But Ye Yingxue felt increasingly uneasy.
Her intuition told her that danger was approaching.
Moreover, the danger comes from the heights outside the banquet hall.
She stood up, walked to the window of the banquet hall, and looked outside.
Outside the window, the bustling night view of Shanghai unfolds.
Neon lights flashed, and traffic flowed busily. Ships on the Huangpu River sounded their horns, their lights reflected on the shimmering surface.
But Ye Yingxue could sense that behind this bustling night scene lurked a deadly intent.
Her intuition told her that something was going to happen tonight.
Moreover, this is no small matter.
She squinted, carefully observing the surrounding tall buildings.
Her eyesight is exceptional, a skill she developed while training in martial arts at the Southern Shaolin Temple from a young age. She can see details that ordinary people cannot.
On the rooftops of several high-rise buildings, amidst the dazzling night view of Shanghai, shadowy figures seemed to be moving in the occasional sweep of lights.
Although it was blurry, Ye Yingxue had excellent eyesight and could make out the outlines of those figures.
What are they holding? It looks like... a sniper rifle?
Ye Yingxue's heart tightened.
There was indeed an ambush!
She quickly turned around and returned to Chen Zijun's side.
"Young Marshal, there's an ambush on the high-rise building outside the banquet hall. I think I spotted a sniper," Ye Yingxue said in a low voice.
A cold glint flashed in Chen Zijun's eyes: "A sniper? Hmph, I wonder if it's Marcel or some Japanese trying to pull a dirty trick. How interesting. How many floors have we reached? Do they really think I'm some clueless rich kid?"
He looked around and saw representatives from the British and American consulates sitting in a corner, looking somewhat nervous and glancing towards the door from time to time.
They seemed to be waiting for something.
Or rather, what are they afraid of?
Chen Zijun sneered inwardly.
The British and Americans already know about Marcel's plan.
But they dared not stop it, nor did they dare to participate.
They just wanted to watch the show.
Watch how France and Japan mess things up, and see how Chen Zijun retaliates.
Just then, Li Pingshu stood up and walked to the center of the banquet hall.
"Distinguished guests, friends, tonight we gather here to celebrate the establishment of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. First, let us welcome the Commander-in-Chief of the Shanghai Garrison and Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Fujian and Anhui, Young Marshal Chen Zijun, to deliver a speech!"
There was thunderous applause.
Chen Zijun stood up, straightened his military uniform, and walked to the podium in the center of the banquet hall.
Ye Yingxue followed closely behind him, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
Her hand remained on the holster at her waist, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.
Outside the banquet hall, on the rooftops of several tall buildings.
The snipers had already adjusted the angle of their rifles, and the crosshairs in their scopes were aimed at the podium.
"Target in firing position," a sniper whispered.
"Ready to fire," another sniper said.
"Waiting for signal."
The snipers held their breath, their fingers on the triggers.
At a single command, the bullet would be fired, heading straight for Chen Zijun's forehead.
Inside the banquet hall, Chen Zijun stood on the podium, looking around.
His gaze swept over each guest, and the previously noisy guests fell silent, watching him intently.
Chen Zijun took a deep breath and said, "Distinguished guests, friends, I am very pleased to attend the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce's dinner tonight."
His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the banquet hall; every word was clear and forceful.
"Shanghai is China's economic center and an important base for our allied forces in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Fujian, and Anhui. In recent years, with the support of business tycoons, Shanghai's economy has developed rapidly. We have more and more factories, our trade is becoming more and more prosperous, and our city is becoming more and more modern."
"However, we also face some challenges. Some forces are unwilling to see China's rise or our strength. They are trying every means to suppress us and stop our progress."
Chen Zijun's words carried a hint of coldness.
The atmosphere in the banquet hall became somewhat heavy.
The guests exchanged glances, sensing who Chen Zijun was referring to when he said "some forces".
The representatives from the British and American consulates sat in a corner, their expressions becoming even more tense.
Although they knew perfectly well who Chen Zijun was talking about, they now assumed he was referring to France. They didn't believe he was talking about them, and even if he was, they wouldn't accept it.
With the approval of both families, Chen Zijun must be referring to the French and the Japanese—it has to be them!
Outside the banquet hall, the snipers heard Chen Zijun's words.
"The target is giving a speech," a sniper whispered.
"You can fire now," another sniper said.
"Wait, wait a little longer. We'll make our move when he gets to the crucial point."
The snipers held their breath, waiting for the perfect moment.
Inside the banquet hall, Chen Zijun continued, "However, I want to tell those forces that you are mistaken. China will not yield, we will not back down. We will use our strength to show you who truly owns this land!"
Before he could finish speaking, a man suddenly stood up from the crowd, running quickly toward the platform while reaching into his pocket for something, shouting as he did so.
"That feudal reactionary old warlord, all he knows is selling out the country, he deserves to die..."
Fortunately, at that moment, a member of the Imperial Guard rushed forward, grabbed the man around the waist, threw him to the side, and then pinned him to the ground.
A few moments later, several more people arrived and forcibly dragged the man away.
Within two minutes, the banquet hall returned to calm.
Just as everyone breathed a long sigh of relief, a gunshot rang out from outside the banquet hall.
boom!
Bullets whistled as they hurtled towards the podium...