Taking the Stage

Si Ming felt that a large number of characters had been hit by the gun. The concepts of Easterners and Westerners were indeed very different. The heroes in the hearts of Easterners were closer to the chivalrous style, who would leave after accomplishing their deeds and keep their merits and fame hidden.

However, the traditional chivalrous costumes were too plain and lacked any personality. Paired with the Five-Color Team setting, they were incredibly awkward, almost like the original design. Si Ming thought hard for a while and, recalling the puppet shows he had seen in his previous life, suddenly had an idea.

"If we're going to do it, we should do it properly. Disguise alone won't do. We need a magnificent appearance and a resounding proclamation to recite every time we appear. That's how we intimidate the villains and make them tremble at the mere mention of our name."

Si Ming had already given up on himself. Since he was going to be awkward anyway, he might as well be awkward in a more classy way. No one knew what he was thinking, so no one objected.

That night, Yu Shuying led a group of her men to the designated location, a park. Late at night, no one lingered there, and the open space made it perfect for a group fight.

In Su State, gang fights require careful location; it must be a secluded spot, never in a busy city, and absolutely no ordinary civilians can be harmed. Otherwise, the Mohist Knight Guard will come after you in no time. Situations like those in Hong Kong movies, where two gang leaders and their henchmen are dining in a hotel, and a disagreement leads to a brawl that smashes tables and chairs, scaring other diners into fleeing, will not occur in Su State, at least not in the cities. As for the countryside, there's not much profit to be made there, and generally no gang would be so bored as to go to the countryside to collect protection money.

In another scenario, the hotel owner, knowing a conflict might occur, might set aside a large hall for both sides to vent their frustrations. Whether or not the losing party should be charged after the fight depends on the hotel owner's influence. If they are powerful enough, they can recoup their costs; if not, they simply have to accept their loss.

But no matter which one, you are not allowed to harm innocent bystanders. The government is too lazy to care if your gang members fight to the death; they're all worthless anyway. Once you're in this line of work, don't expect the government to protect your personal safety. But if you hurt civilians or affect local security, you'll have to go to the big boss for a chat and have someone from the gang take the blame. If someone dies, that's a major incident, and the culprit must be caught and imprisoned. Otherwise, the Mohist Knight Guard will be causing you trouble every day, and even the most powerful gang will collapse.

When Yu Shuying arrived at the park with her group, there were already hundreds of people waiting there. They all looked fierce and menacing, with some of them exuding a strong murderous aura, clearly having taken many lives. The group was huddled together, and the air was filled with a tense atmosphere.

"Chief, leader, should we retreat first? There are so many of them, and they're clearly not following the rules; they've called outsiders for help," one of the subordinates suggested to Yu Shuying with some fear.

Just because they don't follow the rules doesn't mean we have to.

Yu Shuying countered with a question, then looked at the anxious crowd and said, "Anyone who wants to leave can leave now. I won't stop you, nor will I retaliate in any way. Just don't show your face on my turf again. You don't need to doubt me; I've always been kind and generous, and that's plain for all to see. There's no need for me to lie about something like this. But let me make this clear: those who aren't leaving now are only allowed to lie down later. Otherwise... hmph, if I'm determined to take revenge on someone, no mountain can protect you."

Using poison to control her subordinates was merely a temporary measure. As her territory expanded, Yu Shuying couldn't poison all the members who joined the gang. Firstly, it would damage her reputation, making it difficult for anyone to join the Green Snake Gang. Secondly, it was too time-consuming and energy-intensive, as it wasn't simply a matter of administering poison; she would also need to provide antidotes periodically to prevent the poison from taking effect. Even if she could manage all of this, others might secretly make antidotes, or her opponents might exploit her.

Now that the Green Snake Gang is on the right track, Yu Shuying will naturally no longer use such controversial methods. Now she recruits her subordinates by offering high welfare and high wages, which is a typical capitalist's face.

After hearing Yu Shuying's words, the members of the Green Snake Gang looked at each other, most of them hesitant, unsure of what to do. On the one hand, the Green Snake Gang's benefits were indeed good, with monthly salaries paid on time and insurance provided for each member, unlike other gangs where they didn't know where their next meal would come from and could only get bonuses by working for their superiors. On the other hand, tonight's situation looked like a trap, with the other side far superior in both numbers and strength. If they lost their lives, even the best benefits would be useless.

"I'm sorry, Chief, I have elderly parents and young children to support. My whole family depends on me. I really can't lose my life here. Please spare my life."

A man who looked rather scholarly stepped forward and spoke in a trembling voice.

Yu Shuying glanced at him and said, "If I told you there would be no danger tonight, and that you were only here to be spectators, responsible for cheering from the sidelines, would you be willing to stay?"

The man hesitated for a moment, then said, "Chief, I'm sorry..."

Yu Shuying stared at the other person, her gaze seemingly piercing their soul. "You do have parents, but no children. You also have two older sisters who support your parents, and you've never shown any filial piety, have you?"

The man stammered, "No, no, I sent over five hundred yuan home last month..."

Yu Shuying interrupted, "So you're just simply afraid of dying."

When his intentions were exposed, the man's face turned pale, and he trembled uncontrollably. He wanted to shout that he was ready to fight to the death, but he didn't have the courage. He felt that the gazes of others on him were either gloating or contemptuous.

Just when he thought he was doomed, Yu Shuying waved her hand and said, "Get lost, I don't need cowards here."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'hey'? I, Yu Shuying, live by the law and I believe in 'trust.' I never do anything two-faced. I know many of you look down on my age and gender, but that's alright. A person's reputation and credibility are built step by step. When I unify the underworld of this state, all of this will become unimportant. Since I said I would let you leave safely, I won't go back on my word."

"Thank you, Chief." The man was so grateful that tears welled up in his eyes, and he quickly turned and ran away.

"You're welcome, because you'll definitely regret your decision today in the future."

The people Yu Shuying chose tonight were all talents she deemed qualified to become mid-level members of the gang. As long as they passed the test, they would be promoted immediately. That's why she didn't bring the original Green Snake Gang members. They had met Si Ming and knew that their gang leader had a peerless expert helping them, so they weren't afraid of being ganged up on. The test was meaningless to them.

Yu Shuying then looked at the others and urged, "Alright, anyone else who wants to leave, hurry up. Now that I've proven my credibility, you can leave with peace of mind. Don't worry about me retaliating later—if I lose tonight, what power will I have to retaliate?"

Her attitude was almost as if she was worried no one would leave, and this attitude, in turn, gave everyone more confidence.

The Green Snake Gang expanded too quickly and lacked sufficient talent. Therefore, Yu Shuying's selection criteria were not high. She only needed someone who was loyal or intelligent. As long as one of these qualities was sufficient, she would pass the test. Anyone with a brain would understand that she would not willingly throw her life away.

After that, another four or five people left one after another, less than 10% of the total, which had a negligible impact on morale. Those who remained cursed the group as traitors and cowards.

After eliminating the dregs, the remaining team was more cohesive. When Yu Shuying led the group into the venue and faced the stares of hundreds of people, her subordinates only felt slightly nervous, and no one was afraid or stopped.

"Chief Yu, I saw your group loitering around the park just now, and I thought you were going to run away at the first sign of trouble!"

A burly, bald man with a thick gold chain around his neck stepped forward and said jokingly, "Hey, it seems a few people are missing. That's not good. Chief Yu, how about borrowing a few men from us? Don't worry, the price is guaranteed to be fair, no cheating on anyone, young or old?"

The gang members behind him immediately joined in the laughter, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

Yu Shuying glanced around and found that several of the major gangs in Linked Mountains City had arrived, and it looked like a brawl was about to break out. The current situation was exactly the same as when she was in Tange City. She could only sigh that people in gangs really do have the same thought process, and even the brain-damaged parts are in the same place.

"Dealing with idiots all day is making my mind sluggish."

Chapter 425 Making a Grand Debut

Yu Shuying said, "I only invited the Spirit Toad Gang, so why are the Three Rivers Society, the Golden Lion Hall, and others also here?"

"Who's 'Wait'? We're the Axe Gang! Are you deliberately underestimating us, you little wench?"

The Axe Gang leader pulled out a large, gleaming Xuanhua axe and glared angrily.

The burly, bald man sneered, "Don't blame us for breaking the rules. It's just that your Green Snake Gang's methods are too wicked and have ruined the traditions of the underworld. If we let your Green Snake Gang in, I'm afraid that within a few months, the entire Linked Mountains City will become your Green Snake Gang's territory. So we have no choice but to strike first and keep the enemy out."

The Golden Lion Hall also said, "As long as you promise never to set foot in Linked Mountains City again, we might be willing to spare your life. After all, we have no past grievances or recent feuds, so why not leave each other alone and live in peace?"

Yu Shuying sighed and said, "What a pointless suggestion. Shut up! I'm about to be suffocated by your stupid breath! 'Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.' Neither of these two things do you understand. No wonder you can only be in the underworld, and in such a lowly state. What underworld tradition? It's laughable! The only true tradition in the underworld is—might makes right!"

The Axe Gang leader blinked and said to the other bosses, "What this girl said makes a lot of sense; I can't even refute it."

The burly, bald man said, "That makes sense, but the key point is that our fists are clearly bigger!"

He made a gesture, and immediately three people stepped forward. All of them were people with long and powerful auras, and their Internal Cultivation had actually reached the eighth level. With such abilities, they could live a good middle-class life even without being involved in the underworld. It seems that the Spirit Toad Gang spent a lot of money to lure the three of them to abandon the light and join the dark side.