Chapter 5: Chapter 5
The Canal Gang disciples who’d been guarding the Linshui Docks exchanged uncertain glances.
With Chen Heizi dead, they’d lost their pillar.
“Since Elder Qi has given the order, we’ll naturally comply.”
A middle-aged man sporting a pair of thin mustaches was the first to speak, a fawning smile spreading across his face.
“That’s right!”
“We stand firmly behind Boss Li.”
“We follow Boss Li’s lead!”
Once someone broke the ice, the rest quickly fell in line.
All except a handful of Chen Heizi’s die-hard loyalists — everyone else submitted.
They were all Canal Gang disciples at the end of the day. Working under one boss or another made little difference.
Besides, life under Chen Qi’s management hadn’t been particularly good.
Li Suifeng was stronger and more ruthless in his methods. Following him, the days ahead might actually improve.
“You lot have something to say?”
Li Suifeng’s cold gaze settled on the few loyalists who’d remained silent.
“We’ll request a transfer to another district through Elder Qin.”
It was one of the ranked Canal Gang disciples who finally spoke up.
“Fine.” Li Suifeng nodded. “You can get lost.”
“From this moment on, you’re no longer Linshui Docks people.”
Speed was everything. He’d manufactured a pretext to kill Chen Heizi for the sole purpose of making an example — establishing his authority and seizing control of the docks as quickly as possible.
These men were still Canal Gang disciples. He couldn’t exactly slaughter them all.
Keeping them around would only mean more mouths to feed. If they wanted to leave on their own, all the better.
【Ding!】
【Task complete. Claim reward now?】
“Claim.”
Li Suifeng didn’t hesitate. After the previous extractions, he knew the drill — a single Iron Head Technique wouldn’t show any outward signs, even with everyone watching.
BOOM!
In an instant, the Iron Head Technique’s mastery poured into him. It was as though he’d trained the art for decades.
He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. Finding his full head of black hair still intact, Li Suifeng breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
If a single Iron Head Technique had turned him bald, it wouldn’t have been worth it.
Once the dissenters had left, Li Suifeng addressed the remaining men, his voice carrying across the dock:
“Good.”
“Everyone who stayed — you’re my brothers now. Tonight, I’m hosting a feast at the Riverside Pavilion. Nobody leaves sober.”
“Chen Shan, go book a few tables at the Riverside Pavilion.”
“Liu Yuan — you’re with me.”
…
Inside a small courtyard by the river, at the dock’s edge.
Li Suifeng and Liu Yuan sat across from each other.
Liu Yuan was the middle-aged man who’d been the first to pledge his loyalty — a Canal Gang lifer whose martial talent had never amounted to much. He’d spent half his life in the gang and never risen above the rank of steward, handling dock affairs for Chen Qi.
“You’re telling me there’s no money in the dock accounts?”
Li Suifeng frowned, scarcely believing what he was hearing.
The Linshui Docks were the largest in Nanyang Prefecture. The street running alongside them was one of the most extravagant in the entire city — lined wall to wall with taverns and brothels, each one a river of gold. And now Liu Yuan was telling him the accounts were bone-dry?
Liu Yuan poured Li Suifeng a cup of tea with a helpless smile.
“Boss Li, the thing is… the Linshui Docks these days aren’t what they were a few years ago.”
He paused, instinctively glancing around the room before continuing in a lower voice:
“In the two years Chen Qi ran the docks, he never once managed to collect the full amount of protection fees from the businesses. He was using the dock’s own operating funds to cover what he owed the Helmsman.”
“That’s why the brothers on the dock had such grievances against Chen Qi — that money should’ve been partly theirs…”
As Liu Yuan laid it all out, the picture finally came into focus for Li Suifeng.
Over the past several years, the Canal Gang’s grip on Nanyang Prefecture had been slipping.
And the brothels and taverns on dock street — which of them didn’t have powerful backing?
The biggest brothel on the strip, the Cuihong Pavilion, was Canal Gang-operated, managed by none other than Branch Retainer Jiang Cheng — an eighth-rank fighter. The second-largest brothel, the Yichun House, had the Divine Fist Gate behind it.
The Divine Fist Gate’s master was one of Nanyang Prefecture’s most renowned experts, a sixth-rank martial artist.
【Ding!】
【Money is a man’s courage. A Host destined to become the world’s supreme villain cannot be subsidizing the Branch out of his own pocket.】
【Task: Successfully collect all outstanding protection fees.】
【Task Reward: Life-Death Talisman (maxed).】
Li Suifeng’s expression betrayed nothing as he read the task reward.
The Life-Death Talisman was a treasure indeed. Once he had it, he could plant the talisman in a few key figures within the Nanyang Branch. When the time came to fight for the Helmsman’s seat, the path would be that much smoother.
“Liu Yuan — notify every business. In three days, we meet at the Riverside Pavilion to discuss the matter of their dues.”
“Anyone who doesn’t show will face the consequences.”
Liu Yuan’s heart gave a jolt.
He pressed his fists together in a salute and said:
“Rest assured, Boss Li. I’ll make sure every last one of them gets the message.”
…
At the Canal Gang’s Nanyang Branch headquarters.
Qi Hu, Liu Zhenhe, and Qin Wuyang — the three most powerful figures in the Nanyang Branch — sat together in the council hall.
“Li Suifeng is nothing but a peak ninth-rank. You really think handing the Linshui Docks to him is appropriate?” Qin Wuyang regarded Elder Qi with narrowed eyes.
Qi Hu drained a cup of hot tea in one gulp and chuckled.
“Our branch is shorthanded as it is. Chen Qi was peak ninth-rank too, and Li Suifeng is a few years younger than he was. If Chen Qi could manage the docks, Li Suifeng can too.”
“None of us are getting any younger. We should be giving the young ones their chance. The retainers all have their own responsibilities — if we don’t let Li Suifeng handle the docks, are we old men supposed to manage them ourselves?”
Qin Wuyang’s voice turned icy. “I was against it when the Helmsman put Chen Qi in charge of the docks in the first place. Look at the mess he made of the place over two years.”
“I say we send an eighth-rank retainer. Jiang Cheng is already over there running the Cuihong Pavilion — just have him take on a bit more…”
Liu Zhenhe said nothing, merely watching the two elders with a thin smile.
He’d only been transferred to the Nanyang Branch a little over two years ago. These two old foxes had been making his life difficult since day one. With no reliable people of his own to deploy, he was perfectly content to sit back and watch the tigers fight.
Just then—
“Report!”
Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. A Canal Gang disciple rushed into the council hall and dropped to his knees.
“Word from the Linshui Docks.”
“Li Suifeng clashed with Chen Heizi on the dock. Li Suifeng killed him.”
SLAM!
Qin Wuyang’s palm cracked against the table as he shot to his feet, his glare fixed on Qi Hu.
“This is the man you recommended?”
Liu Zhenhe gave a slight nod and turned to Qi Hu.
“That… is a bit much. They were all brothers in the gang, after all.”
Qi Hu’s brow furrowed. He hadn’t expected Li Suifeng’s methods to be quite this heavy-handed.
But he’d already taken the money. A deal was a deal.
He glanced at Liu Zhenhe and smiled.
“Li Suifeng certainly handled this poorly.”
“But you both know the situation at the Linshui Docks — every faction out there is circling like vultures. Chen Qi’s death might very well have been their handiwork. Why not let Li Suifeng play the front man and draw them out? Let’s see which factions are making moves against us.”
“If Li Suifeng fails to collect from those businesses — same as Chen Qi — we can punish him then, on grounds of killing a fellow member.”
Qi Hu’s face was all smiles. He’d promised Li Suifeng the Linshui Docks, nothing more. If the boy couldn’t hack it and lost his head in the process, well — that was hardly Qi Hu’s problem.
He’d taken the silver, done his part. If things fell apart after that, there was nothing more to be done.
Liu Zhenhe nodded slowly and looked to Qin Wuyang.
“Elder Qin, what do you think?”
“I think Elder Qi makes a fair point.”
“Hmph!” Qin Wuyang snorted coldly.
You’re the Helmsman and you’re already siding with him — what am I supposed to do, argue with both of you?
Seeing that Qin Wuyang had no further objections, Liu Zhenhe spoke:
“Then it’s settled.”