Initially, the Civil and Martial Association participated in fundraising for the anti-Japanese war. However, as the first generation of the Civil and Martial Association laborers aged and their children grew up and became the second generation of the Civil and Martial Association members, the nature of the association gradually changed.
Chinese people faced discrimination in Britain, Civil and Martial Association initially fought against discrimination, turned to fighting against other white gangs. Their nature and character quickly declined. The older generation of Chinese laborers worked hard and diligently, and even if they did not become extremely wealthy, they were usually well-off. The second generation of the Civil and Martial Association, however, became more aggressive and ruthless. They gathered together, took pride in their gang, and were determined to surpass their fathers and do things that their fathers admired. But what they did most often was fight with local gangs.
The Civil and Martial Association and the Cray Brothers only clashed once. The Cray Brothers publicly claimed a Wo Ping resolution, but in reality, a member of the Cray Brothers assaulted a member of the Civil and Martial Association. A minor leader of the Civil and Martial Association personally visited the Cray Brothers and told them, "The Britain like to use nitroglycerin to blow up banks for robberies, but they like to blow up half of Eastern District London. There's a truck full of explosives parked outside the Eastern District police station right now. Either apologize and pay compensation, or detonate it now and let that gay member of parliament you bribed clean up the mess."
Chapter 461 Six Harmonies, Spring Together
Golden-Tooth Lei and a group of Fuyixing's uncles sat at the head of the Xiang Hall, looking at the four brothers kneeling below.
Among the kneeling people were two seasoned veterans of the same generation as Golden-Tooth Lei, who remained expressionless despite their advanced age. The other two were their trusted henchmen, who wore expressions of resentment and occasionally glanced up at Golden-Tooth Lei sitting above them.
Golden-Tooth Lei rubbed a jade thumb ring in his hand without saying a word, but one of his uncles couldn't hold back and spoke first.
"It's only natural for people to do shady things when they're in the business. Which one of you here hasn't done shady things? Ah Lei, Bingqiang and Wenshan are already quite old, and you've actually managed to open a gang... If word gets out, other gangs will laugh at you."
Golden-Tooth Lei grinned, revealing his gold teeth. His nickname was Golden-Tooth Lei, but he originally only had one gold-plated tooth. He had recently replaced his rotten teeth with pure gold ones, thus solidifying his reputation as Golden-Tooth Lei.
"Brother Shan, Brother Qiang, Uncle Chuan is pleading for you. Do you have anything to say?"
The Big Brother kneeling in the Xiang Hall, Bingqiang, snorted, "I have nothing to say. You're the Boss, and if you say we're not allowed to do shady things, I'll just not do it. But Boss, with so many people in Fuyixing, if we don't do shady things, are we supposed to eat at your house?"
"I never said you weren't allowed to do shady things. I forbade you brothers from getting involved in the opium and other drug business anymore. Don't you know why?" Golden-Tooth Lei said slowly to Bingqiang. "You have eight Opium dens. I know you lost a lot of money after stopping the opium business. Have I ever wronged you? I entrusted you with the business of the four warehouses in Mr. Chu. Chu Xiaoxin's newly opened Pharmaceutical Factory. You could make a fortune every month while lying in bed without moving, and all your subordinates would have jobs. You promised me with a smile that you would stop the opium business. Now look what you've done! You've taken all the money from the legitimate business and the income from the Opium dens Boss. You clearly think I'm a sucker. I'll fuck your mother!"
Golden-Tooth Lei grabbed a teacup and threw it at Bingqiang. Bingqiang dodged it and tried to stand up to argue with Golden-Tooth Lei. He was of the same generation as Golden-Tooth Lei, and he was only kneeling because of the memorial tablet behind Golden-Tooth Lei, not because he was kneeling to Golden-Tooth Lei. Now that Golden-Tooth Lei was in a rage, he certainly didn't want to show weakness.
But before he could even stand up, he was kicked hard in the back! He fell to the ground, his head pinned to the ground and unable to move. His trusted lieutenant, who was tied up and listening to Golden-Tooth Lei's reprimand, tried to get up to save his Big Brother, but was hit on the back of the head and knocked unconscious.
Gao Lao Cheng, expressionless, stepped on Bingqiang's head and looked at Golden-Tooth Lei.
Just as Golden-Tooth Lei's uncles from Fuyixing were about to speak, Golden-Tooth Lei turned to look at them. Now that Golden-Tooth Lei had dealt with Tan Changshan and the others, the remaining uncles from Fuyixing were all pushovers, whom he had long since crushed and tormented at will. At most, they would only say a few meaningless words based on their seniority.
"Uncles, you don't respect me, your Boss, and treat me like an idiot. How should we deal with someone like Bingqiang? I gave him the benefits from Zhengxing, and he promised to quit the opium business, but now it's clearly... Sigh, Bingqiang himself probably wouldn't have the guts. I wonder if anyone is backing him up." Golden-Tooth Lei looked at his uncles with a sarcastic expression.
The uncles who had initially wanted to speak up for Bingqiang were rendered speechless and obediently shut up after hearing Golden-Tooth Lei's last words.
"Since you uncles have nothing to say, Ah Shing, drag Bingqiang out. Take back all the money, and return the Opium den to the gang leader. Leave him two Gambling dens for his retirement." Golden-Tooth Lei waved his hand at Gao Lao Cheng.
Gao Lao Cheng waved his hand, and someone dragged Bingqiang and his underlings out of the Xiang Hall.
Golden-Tooth Lei looked at Wenshan with a gloomy expression. "Brother Shan, Bingqiang treated me like a fish on a chopping block, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Wenshan's face was already slightly sweaty, and his eyes showed a hint of panic.
"He treated me like a sucker, but at least he still considered me a fellow disciple. You, however, treat me like an enemy." Golden-Tooth Lei said slowly, "I heard you spent a lot of money to go to Hanging Neck Ridge to find those Kuomintang deserters to shoot me in the back?"
Wenshan swallowed hard. "Brother Lei, it wasn't me, it wasn't me! I didn't do it."
"Isn't it a bit too late to say it wasn't you? You agreed to take five hundred catties of opium, but I wouldn't let the brothers in the gang do drug dealing, so you killed me for five hundred catties of opium?" Golden-Tooth Lei took out a cloth bag the size of a handkerchief from his pocket, untied it, revealing three yellow croakers inside, and threw the gold in front of Wenshan: "High price, three yellow Golden-Tooth Lei for my life, Golden-Tooth Lei? Do you still want to find the person who took the yellow croakers and bring him to you for a face-to-face confrontation?"
Seeing the gold lying before him, the elderly Wenshan kowtowed repeatedly to Golden-Tooth Lei, crying, "Brother Lei! I was blinded by greed... I'm not human, please let me go..."