Headquartered in the Moon Theatre (天蟾舞臺 / 天蟾舞台, Tiānchán wǔtái) on Jiujiang Road, Gu was a brutal and cruel person. Described as a “mountain of flesh”, he was known for enjoying detailing the murders he committed to his visitors. Moreover, Gu Zhuxuan became an opium addict in the 1930s.
Gu Zhuxuan’s group took roots in the Subei migrants gathered in Zhabei and Hongkou. Their involvement (and later control) of the Zhabei Volunteer Corps (local militia) and the Jing-Huai Countrymen’s Association was instrumental in their rise to power. The gang had close ties with both uniformed and detective squads of the SMP of Hongkou. As the Japanese influence grew in Hongkou after WW1, Gu Zhuxuan’s group developed good relations with the Japanese there. By the end of the 1920s, his group was estimated to have reached 10,000 followers.