Chapter 21 Section 21 Winning Intellectual Figures

Although Du Yuesheng inherited Huang Jinrong's influence and made development, his influence was mainly in the underworld.Although social celebrities and intellectuals have contacts with them, they have contempt for him deep in their hearts, and most of them adopt an attitude of respecting and keeping away.Therefore, Du Yuesheng deeply understood that if he wanted to really make a "career" in Shanghai, he had to get close to the scholars, win over, use, and even control a group of intellectuals. In order to achieve this goal, Du Yuesheng began to be arty.First of all, he changed his clothes to change people's impression of him.

Hooligans in old Shanghai, including big men like Huang Jinrong, are traditionally dressed in black copy silk bunts, with the breasts parted in the middle, single-breasted buttons, rolled up sleeves, and open arms, revealing the "tattoos" on the arms and the hanging clothes on the chest. The gold pocket watch chain, the thicker the chain, the higher the value.Most of them wear a dazzling diamond ring on their fingers, with their thumbs crossed, ostentatiously ostentatious.Ordinary citizens will know that they have encountered a hooligan when they see this kind of attire, and they will avoid it in fear.

After Du Yuesheng rose up after Huang Jinrong, he ordered all the major disciples under his command to remove their short jackets, and they were not allowed to be naked in the midsummer season.He himself wears a long gown and mandarin jacket all year round.Usually, he secretly looks at the attire and grooming of those worth, status, and well-educated gentlemen.One day, he suddenly discovered that none of these people had rings on their hands. After returning home, he immediately took off the big ring on his hand and entered the safe. He even imitated the tone of the tycoon when he spoke. He received guests with grace and kindness every day, and answered these three sentences: "I understand your affairs."

"I'll take care of it for you." "Good! Goodbye!" In his later years, Du Yuesheng once revealed to others the secret of his love of wearing long gowns.It turned out that Du Yuesheng had tattoos on his arms when he was young, and the long sleeves of his long gown could cover up the "tattoos" completely.When Xu Zhucheng, a famous reporter, saw this "heart man", he thought that even if such a person did not have red eyebrows and green eyes, he should be a martial artist. The thin old man looks "powerless", and rarely uses the vulgar words that "white ministers" often say in his speech, with a gentle demeanor.

It was with this new style that Du Yuesheng began to deal with the previously unfamiliar classes, focusing on attracting intellectuals and making friends with literati. At this time, there was a "famous lawyer" in Shanghai named Qin Liankui. He was a man of real talent, rich experience, and superb legal attainments. , People nicknamed him "Sky Eye".When he first practiced, he heard that the Du mansion set up many gambling games, and the scene was luxurious. He was curious when he was young, so he asked someone to take him to play.After leaving, Qin Liankui bet a few times, but lost 4,000 yuan in a row. 4,000 oceans, to Qin Liankui who just started practicing, was not a small number, and he couldn't help feeling frustrated, so he paid the gambling bill angrily, got up and left.

It just so happened that Du Yuesheng saw his scene, and asked Zhu Rushan, the person who brought Qin Liankui, "Who is this?" Zhu Rushan introduced Qin's identity, and Du Yuesheng immediately took out 4,000 oceans and asked that person to bring Qin Liankui back, and said thoughtfully: "A lawyer makes a living by shaking a pen, working hard, and talking. There is not much money to make. I can't win his money. Please help me return it to him." After Zhu Rushan brought Qian and Du Yuesheng's words to Qin Liankui, Qin was very grateful. He often went to Du's house and was willing to work for him. He became Du Yuesheng's voluntary legal adviser.

Zhang Taiyan is a well-known master of Pu Xue, a leading figure in the academic world, Du Yuesheng wanted to get to know him a long time ago, but regretted not being able to.Once, the nephew of Zhang Taiyan, who lived in the French Concession, had a housing dispute with a well-connected figure, and they were at loggerheads.Zhang Taiyan heard that Du Yuesheng was a hot figure in the French Concession, so he sent him a letter asking for help. After Du Yuesheng read the letter, he not only solved the problems for Zhang Taiyan's nephew immediately, but also took this opportunity to make a special trip to Suzhou to visit Zhang Taiyan.Before leaving, Du Yuesheng quietly pressed a banknote of two thousand silver dollars under the teacup.

After returning to Shanghai, he sent people to send money every month to help Zhang Taiyan, who was not in a good situation at that time. As a result, he and Zhang Taiyan established a so-called friendship of "lifelong righteousness and mentor".Later, Zhang Taiyan, as a master of Pu Xue, edited the family tree for Du Yuesheng. Jiang Yiping, a "talented lawyer" in Shanghai, who studied in France and received a doctorate, Zheng Yuxiu, who later served as the president of the Shanghai District Court of the Kuomintang, and Zhang Shizhao, who was the chief justice of the Beiyang government, were recruited by Du Yuesheng, and they all went in and out of Dumen successively and became Du Yuesheng's guest.Yang Yunshi, who was Wu Peifu's secretary-general and known as "Jiangdong Talent", and Yang Qianli, who was a member of the Kuomintang Supervisory Committee and known as a "poet", were also recruited by Du Yuesheng as his personal secretary.

In order to make it easier for intellectuals to join Dumen, Du Yuesheng did not hesitate to change the apprenticeship ceremony of the Qing Gang, which was used before. " or "Sir", the teacher's post with three generations of resumes is changed to the disciple's post, and the formula "passed down by one ancestor, forever, and never turns back" on the teacher's post is simplified to "Yongobey the instruction". Du Yuesheng also founded a Zhengshi Middle School on Shanzhong Road in the French Concession, with Chen Qun as the principal and the chairman himself.And spent 100,000 yuan in his hometown Pudong to build the "Pudong Du's Library", with a school attached.

In order to influence public opinion, Du Yuesheng tried his best to win over intellectuals in the press. Tang Shichang, editor of "Newspaper", became his first apprentice in the journalism industry.Later, famous journalists such as Wang Songnian, Zhao Junhao, Yao Sufeng, Yu Zhewen, Li Chaofan, etc. also became Du Yuesheng's disciples, either explicitly or secretly.Through these people, Du Yuesheng controlled a large number of practitioners in the press. Those who rely on Du Yuesheng in the press will not only have job security, but also get a monthly allowance.It is said that the amount of the subsidy is quite considerable. According to the current currency value, if the subsidized person deposits the subsidy in the bank, he can buy a car a year.However, if they don't buy Du Yuesheng, not only will their jobs be knocked out, but their lives may even be in danger.After such hard and soft tactics, Du Yuesheng has become the manipulator behind the scenes of the news industry. Many important news, even the headline news that has been arranged, will often disappear suddenly as long as Du Yuesheng "gossips".Relying on his strength in the newspaper industry, Du Yuesheng helped many high-ranking officials and dignitaries get rid of the sex scandals that should not be publicized.The beneficiaries were very grateful for this, and in the future when encountering matters related to Du Yuesheng, they would try their best to help each of them as a reward.

After this series of activities, Du Yuesheng not only had his own influence in the underworld, but also in the intellectual circles.Among the "Three Tycoons" in Shanghai, Huang Jinrong and Zhang Xiaolin were called "Boss Huang" and "Marshal Zhang" respectively, but Du Yuesheng was the only one who got an elegant title --- "Mr. Du". However, the main reason why Du Yuesheng was invincible in Shanghai later was that he had a relationship with Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang.