"Hehe,Su Xin,it's really a waste for you not to join.Interesting."Iron Ruthlessness looked at Su Xin with keen interest.Catching a flower thief unexpectedly led to encountering such an intriguing person.
In ordinary gangs,when facing the Chief Constable of the Eastern Twelfth District,people either feared or respected.It was interesting how no one took the initiative to come forward and present achievements.
The two iron gallbladders in Iron Ruthlessness's hands spun faster and faster,yet strangely,there was no sound.
"It's a pity that with my background,the court would never appreciate me,"Su Xin self-deprecatingly remarked.
"That's not necessarily true.Our Great Zhou Dynasty values ability,not background."
Iron Ruthlessness waved his hand,pointing to the flower thief."Tie this guy up and take him to the government office for the Chief Clerk."
Turning to Su Xin,Iron Ruthlessness said,"I'll take credit for your assistance.If you need anything in the future,you can come to the government office and find me."
"Well,I actually have something ready to hand over to you,"Su Xin said.
"What is it?"
Su Xin waved his hand,and Li Qing,along with a few gang members,tactfully withdrew.Seeing this,Liu,the boss of the tavern,also turned and left;it was better to play dumb in certain situations.
Iron Ruthlessness smiled knowingly,and the other constables immediately took the flower thief away.
"In the government office,dealing with minor thefts and cases like stealing fragrances and jewels can be time-consuming and bothersome.If you ever need it,notify me,and I guarantee people will turn themselves in within three days.Not only for you but even for the Magistrate,it would be delightful,"Su Xin said in a low voice,emphasizing'within one's capabilities.'
Iron Ruthlessness squinted,then burst into laughter.
"I take back what I said earlier.You're not just wasting your talents;if you were to become an official,you'd definitely be a big corrupt official!"
Did Iron Ruthlessness not understand Su Xin's words?If you can't catch the real culprit,simply find someone to confess and take the blame,as long as it's not a capital crime.In a place like Chang Le Lane,many people would be willing to do that.
"Alright,I accept this great gift from you.Speak,what do you want?"
"I just want you,sir,to help me within your capabilities,"Su Xin said,emphasizing the phrase.
"You don't have to say it.I would do that anyway.After all,among all the gangs and societies in Chang Ning Prefecture,there's no one as interesting as you."Iron Ruthlessness's mouth curved into that elusive smile again.
This young man was indeed interesting.The others from the three gangs and four societies always had only one attitude towards the court's officials:to respect them from a distance.
The Three Gangs and Four Societies were powerful in Chang Ning Prefecture,but not powerful enough to challenge the court.So,in the face of the government,they showed respect and sometimes even offered money.
But there was no one else like Su Xin,who actively approached,established connections,and skillfully manipulated deceit.This was to brush up Iron Ruthlessness's achievements and also to help the Magistrate earn merits.
Waving his hand,Iron Ruthlessness and several constables walked away.A young constable couldn't help but ask,"Boss,what did that guy say to you?"
"Smack!"
Iron Ruthlessness slapped him on the head,making a large red mark."Don't ask what you shouldn't.You still dare to call him a guy.If you were in his position,you might have become the Chief Constable already,unlike you still being a junior constable."
The young constable pouted,obviously dissatisfied,but under Iron Ruthlessness's high pressure,he didn't dare to argue again.
The iron gallbladders in his hand spun quickly,and Iron Ruthlessness softly said to himself,"Heh,even the underlings of Sand Feiying,that old house guard,produced such an interesting young man.Now,the Flying Eagle Gang is getting interesting.I wonder how far he can go."
Watching Iron Ruthlessness walk away,Su Xin waved his hand,signaling Li Qing to continue patrolling Happy Forest.He then returned home.
Establishing a connection with Iron Ruthlessness was an unexpected joy.In fact,Su Xin had always wanted to establish good relations with government officials,but he hadn't found a suitable candidate.
Sand Feiying and his gang distanced themselves from the government officials,thinking they were people from completely different worlds.
However,Su Xin's thoughts were different.Having a good relationship with the government could be highly beneficial in certain situations.
In his previous life,Su Xin's former boss,a low-profile but wealthy figure with dozens of large manufacturing companies,employed a similar strategy.
One of his classmates delved into the political arena.Whenever this classmate assumed a position somewhere,Su Xin would establish a factory in that area—not to offer money but to contribute to his political achievements.
The actions of Su Xin's former boss in his past life proved fruitful.When Su Xin himself got into serious trouble,on the verge of a complete downfall,it was his classmate,now a high-ranking official,who uttered a few words that saved him from calamity.
Su Xin didn't need promises from Iron Ruthlessness.As long as he stood by him in crucial moments,that would be enough.
Early the next morning,Su Xin arrived at the hall,and Huang Bingcheng was already waiting at the door.
"What did my adoptive father say?"Su Xin asked,pulling Huang Bingcheng into the private room near the hall.
Huang Bingcheng poured tea for Su Xin."We gave him money.What else could he say?I didn't even see him in person;I handed the money directly to Li Shiyeh."
Shaking his head,Su Xin felt his adoptive father's tolerance was somewhat limited.Now he was starting to distance himself?
"By the way,I asked you to inquire about the news of the Green Bamboo Gang and our Flying Eagle Gang.How did your investigation go?"
Huang Bingcheng grinned."I've almost got it all figured out.Since our last assassination of Dai Chong and the Green Bamboo Gang backed down,dissatisfaction among their followers has been brewing."
Su Xin blew on his tea and said,"Dissatisfaction is normal.I,an unknown junior,took down a big boss,and yet they don't dare to retaliate.Anyone would feel frustrated."
Nodding,Huang Bingcheng added,"Exactly.Moreover,the situation within the Green Bamboo Gang is more severe,with internal strife escalating.The former leader of the Green Bamboo Gang died just last month,and now the gang is divided into two factions."
"One faction is led by the leader's son,Wei Feng.Although he is nominally the leader now,out of the eleven major heads in the Green Bamboo Gang,only three support him.Correction,now it's only two since the one you got rid of,Dai Chong,used to support him."
"The remaining two are the deputy leaders,Chen Hong and Ma Qingyuan.These two individuals are much more powerful than Wei Feng.However,they both have their own ambitions and want to become the gang leader.In the end,they had to let Wei Feng temporarily sit in that position."
"What is the attitude of these two factions toward the Flying Eagle Gang now?"Su Xin asked.
"Wei Feng advocates for war.His strength is weak,and being young,it's hard for him to gain the trust of the gang.He urgently needs a battle to consolidate his position.Even if he loses,at least he can establish his identity within the Green Bamboo Gang.Otherwise,even some low-ranking members in the gang might not know his name as their leader."
"As for the two deputy leaders,they are doing their best to avoid a war.Currently,their goal is to pull Wei Feng down rightfully.Once a fight breaks out,their strength will inevitably be compromised,which is not in their best interest."
"Is the conflict between these two factions intense?"Su Xin sipped his tea and inquired.
Huang Bingcheng nodded."Very intense,almost reaching the point of tearing their faces off.Currently,all those close to our Flying Eagle Gang's territory have been replaced by people from the two deputy leaders.They are afraid that Wei Feng might provoke a war and lead to a major conflict between the two gangs."
"Even with this precaution,something happened a couple of days ago.Two of our brothers went to Chengde Lane to visit relatives.That place is the main hall of the Green Bamboo Gang.The poor guys were recognized and almost beaten to death by Wei Feng's men.Fortunately,Chen Hong found out in time,rescued them,and brought them back to the Flying Eagle Gang.He even compensated them with a large sum of silver,saving face on both sides.Plus,we don't want to engage in a fight,so the matter was settled."
Su Xin pondered for a moment.Both sides were showing restraint,which was not what he wanted to see.
"Old Huang,you should know what I meant by collecting this information,right?"
Huang Bingcheng hesitated and nodded,whispering,"Are you thinking of attacking the Green Bamboo Gang?"
Su Xin didn't conceal anything,nodding and saying,"Now the development of our Happy Forest has reached its limit.If I continue recruiting manpower,not only will there be a shortage of space,but my adoptive father won't tolerate it.The master of the judicial hall probably won't let me off either.If we want Happy Forest to grow,we must rely on legitimate military exploits.The territories earned by our brothers'blood are not something even a gang leader has the right to criticize.So,we must go after the Green Bamboo Gang."
Huang Bingcheng scratched his head,somewhat embarrassed,"But now both sides are showing great restraint.We don't want a fight,and the Green Bamboo Gang wants even less to fight.Even if there are some frictions among their subordinates,I think with a bit of money and face-saving,it can be smoothed over.Starting a real war is unlikely."
A glint of coldness flashed in Su Xin's eyes."Since they don't want to fight,I'll give them a chance to fight!"
