"Lu appears to be a merciless mastermind in the opening gambit, substantiated by a chopped hand and a summary execution of a dishonest Union organizer from north (for those who are cognizant of Chinese history of that time, a big chunk of the personages can be traced back to real-life figures, such as Lu is based on Du Yuesheng, a well-known mob boss and key supporter of Kuomintang, and by implication the unlucky northern guy can be linked to Wang Shouhua, a Communist cadre who was murdered by Du in 1927). Never abandons his urbanity, he seems to have everything under control, when facing the proposal from Japanese party for collaboration, his firm declination is final despite its polite elocution."
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