The word"reform"was the last thing the people present wanted to hear.Sand Hawk's previous reforms had already stripped them of their power,and now Su Xin wanted more reforms?What was he up to?
Though the others were inclined to oppose,the lifeless body of the previous dissenting leader on the ground kept everyone silent.Su Xin surveyed the room,then spoke in a low voice,"From now on,all the underlings of the Feiying Gang's major and minor leaders will no longer participate in gang battles.They will be responsible only for regular street patrols,managing territories,and receive a fixed monthly salary of one or two silver coins.The salaries of minor leaders will increase tenfold,and major leaders will see an additional tenfold increase.All monthly fees collected from territories must be distributed among the gang members,with no private retention allowed.
In addition to the existing four halls,a new Supervision Hall will be established,led by Li Huai.Each underling of a major leader must have a member of the Supervision Hall present to monitor the monthly fees."
The reform was a severe blow to the major leaders,especially Dung Chengwu and Zhuang Li.Su Xin's changes demoted them almost to the level of senior gang members.Although dissatisfaction simmered among them,they dared not voice their opinions as they remembered the recent fate of the dissenting leader.
Su Xin continued,"I know you may not be happy with these changes,but my principle is clear:Merit is paramount,and positions are for the capable.If you want more power and a higher salary,give up your major leader status and join the Battle Hall.Your monthly fees will not be reduced,and you'll receive rewards based on merit after each gang battle.Huang Bingcheng will be the new head of the Benevolence Hall,with Zhuang Li as the deputy head,and I will directly manage the Transmission Hall.
The Judicial Hall will have enforcement power but no judgment authority.Before punishing a gang member,approval from the Supervision Hall is required."
These reforms struck a fatal blow to Dung Chengwu and Zhuang Li.Previously,the Judicial Hall had lost its enforcement power during Sand Hawk's reforms,and now they were losing even their supervisory opportunities.They were reduced to mere tools for carrying out punishments.
Though dissatisfied,Dung Chengwu dared not oppose Su Xin.With past grievances between them,he believed Su Xin wouldn't hesitate to kill him on the spot if he voiced any disagreement.Zhuang Li,being Huang Bingcheng's confidant,preserved his position as the deputy head of the Benevolence Hall.Huang Bingcheng's loyalty to Su Xin secured his position.
Su Xin tapped the armrest of his chair,saying,"Among the halls,the most significant reform is in the Battle Hall.Now,all gang members can join the Battle Hall,with a monthly salary of two taels.Battle Hall members won't be involved in gang management but will focus solely on gang battles.Rewards will be distributed based on merit after each battle.The Battle Hall will be directly managed by me,with Lin Fuhu as the deputy head and three other deputy heads.As long as your strength and merit are sufficient,you can be promoted."
This Battle Hall reform was crucial in Su Xin's vision.The Feiying Gang's previous model,according to him,was a complete failure.During gang battles,most underlings of major leaders would slack off at the back,leaving only a few ambitious ones to fight at the front.Despite Lin Fuhu's Battle Hall,with just over a hundred members,it was insufficient and costly.
Su Xin's reforms divided gang members into two categories:combatants and non-combatants.Non-combatants had almost no risk but received only enough for basic needs.Combatants,on the other hand,could earn a substantial monthly salary and rewards.Su Xin believed this approach would significantly improve gang efficiency and overall combat strength.
As the major leaders exchanged glances,Su Xin clarified,"These reforms may be displeasing,but my motto is simple:Merit before everything.If you are courageous and want more money and power,join the Battle Hall.If you wish to stay behind in the management,do so,but your authority and monthly salary will be reduced to a minimum.Huang Bingcheng,Zhuang Li,and Dung Chengwu,you have the freedom to choose."
Most major leaders chose to retain their positions,even with reduced authority and monthly salaries.Only one,Liu Shengming,opted to join the Battle Hall and become its leader.As one of the younger major leaders,he was unwilling to retire early.Moreover,he had spent a significant amount of money seeking Su Xin's help to save his son previously.With depleted resources,he needed the Battle Hall's higher earnings to sustain his lifestyle.
After establishing the new gang system,the Feiying Gang needed some time to adapt to the changes.Huang Bingcheng was assigned to handle these scattered matters.
Upon killing Sha Feiying,Su Xin's side quest had concluded.However,unexpectedly,the system issued a new main quest.
"Activate Main Quest:Dominate Changning Prefecture.Mission Explanation:Become the largest gang in Changning Prefecture and nominally be recognized as the supreme ruler by all forces in Changning Prefecture.Time limit:one year.Mission Reward:Unlock the store system.Reward:One draw permission for specified categories(limited to three-and-a-half stars)."
Upon receiving this quest,Su Xin felt a mix of joy and concern.He was delighted that the store system was finally opening,providing a stable channel for Su Xin to acquire items without relying on luck.
However,the challenge of this mission was formidable,perhaps the most difficult main quest Su Xin had faced so far.Becoming the largest gang in Changning Prefecture was relatively simple.Su Xin,with the Battle Hall under his command,could surpass the Three Heroes Society within half a year even with conservative estimates.
But the subsequent task,becoming the nominal supreme ruler recognized by all forces in Changning Prefecture,presented a much greater challenge.It meant making the Three Societies and Four Guilds acknowledge that Su Xin's Feiying Gang was the largest in Changning Prefecture and willingly serve him.Achieving this would be incredibly difficult.
To be the supreme ruler meant having the Three Societies and Four Guilds acknowledge Su Xin's Feiying Gang as the foremost power in Changning Prefecture,with others willingly accepting his leadership.However,this proved to be an arduous task.
The Three Societies were formidable,with leaders who had reached the pinnacle of their realms.Su Xin was not confident in defeating them.The Iron Knife Society and the Divine Wind Society,as old gangs of the Feiying Gang,had a deep heritage spanning centuries.The Blood Cloth Society,despite being relatively low-key among the Four Guilds,had an astounding background—their parent organization,the Blood Cloth Tower,was the largest assassin organization in the martial world.They were known for taking on any target,including figures like the Emperor,the Grandmaster of Shaolin,the Head of the Daoist Sect,or the leader of the Xiao family,as long as the client could afford the fee.
The Blood Cloth Tower had established peripheral gangs in Changning Prefecture,not for territorial disputes,but to collect unique products from the southern barbarian lands.As the city nearest to the southern barbarian region,Changning Prefecture saw many exotic goods brought in by the southern tribes during the peak of summer.These items were rare in the outside world,and traders flocked to purchase them,with prices increasing manifold once they reached the markets outside of Hunan.The Blood Cloth Society's interest lay in poisons produced in the southern barbarian lands,as many of their assassins were skilled in using toxins.
So,while the Blood Cloth Society was not concerned about territorial control in Changning Prefecture,they symbolically held six territories.They only mobilized during the peak of summer to procure poisonous items from the southern barbarian lands.
In Changning Prefecture,the Blood Cloth Society held a unique status,and even during the peak of the Three Societies'power,they dared not provoke the Blood Cloth Society.
Su Xin scratched his head,feeling a bit troubled.Solving this issue would require careful consideration.
"Strength—what I lack the most right now is strength,"Su Xin sighed inwardly.Aside from the matter of dominating Changning Prefecture,the first step was to turn the Feiying Gang into the top gang,rivalling or surpassing the Three Heroes Society.
Su Xin had recently broken through to the later stage of the Heaven Realm.He hadn't explored the concept of the Innate Realm yet,and he hadn't even touched the threshold.Breaking through to a higher realm in a short period was impossible.
Therefore,relying on the system and trying to obtain items to enhance combat strength was the immediate plan.
Entering the system,Su Xin inquired,"How many villain points and lottery chances do I have now?"
The system responded,"Host currently has 1300 villain points,one intermediate lottery chance,and 37 basic lottery chances."
Nodding,Su Xin calculated that he had a total of four chances for intermediate lottery draws,which should be sufficient.
With the opening of the store system on the horizon,Su Xin decided not to waste valuable villain points.The more he understood the grand villain system,the more he realized that lottery draws were somewhat of a trap,and villain points were the true key to success.The potential of drawing empty-handed in advanced lottery chances was a significant risk.
Knowing this,Su Xin abandoned the idea of accumulating time for advanced lottery draws.Without sufficient villain points,everything else was trivial.
