Outstanding Issues

2024-07-31

Song Changming had noticed it as well. In fact, over the past year, the Nine Bends Society had expanded at a remarkably rapid pace.

At this point, the Urban Patrol Guard Headquarters was in a turbulent period of competition for the Director's position and transition between old and new leadership. No one had the mind to pay attention to the Nine Bends Society right under their noses. Even the old Director, who was about to retire, could not be bothered to deal with it.

Thus, it was only natural that the Nine Bends Society had become so rampant that public resentment was boiling over.

"Over the past year, the Nine Bends Society has nearly swallowed up every gang in the Houli Street area, large and small. All gambling dens and underground bank operations are secretly run by Nine Bends Society members. This truly cannot be delayed any longer.

"If we keep letting them grow, this bone will only become harder and harder to chew!" Song Changming said.

In truth, he had already felt more than half a year ago that the Nine Bends Society was wildly ambitious and needed to be suppressed.

However, Liang Chuanshan had been entirely focused on becoming Director at the time and had paid no heed to his advice, so the matter had been put off until now.

"Have you found out how many members the Nine Bends Society has? And how many Martial Artists?" Liang Chuanshan asked.

"We have not investigated the Martial Artists in detail, but just counting the members out in the open, there should be around this many." Song Changming held up three fingers.

Three hundred gang members!

Liang Chuanshan immediately furrowed his brow. That was only the number of gang members openly running around everywhere. If they included those secretly cultivated, the number would only be greater!

Even if more than half of them were ordinary people and Martial Artists made up only a small proportion, it still gave him a headache.

The armored patrol guards of the Urban Patrol Guard Headquarters numbered barely a hundred in total. If they truly fought the Nine Bends Society, even if they won, they would inevitably suffer grievous losses.

"We should have suppressed them sooner." Liang Chuanshan sighed and shook his head.

After thinking it over, Song Changming said, "This is a problem left behind by the previous Director's tenure. It has nothing to do with you. Perhaps we could seek assistance from the Urban Patrol Guard Headquarters in other districts."

Liang Chuanshan waved his hand and rejected the idea outright.

"This is my first move since taking office. Not only are the other Urban Patrol Guard Headquarters watching us, but even the headquarters is assessing my caliber, determining whether I am truly fit for the position of Director.

"We cannot seek outside help in this matter, at least not openly. Otherwise, even if we obtain reinforcements, my ability to lead will be questioned."

This matter could only be resolved by the Urban Patrol Guard Headquarters under his command.

Song Changming nodded after hearing that and did not press the matter further.

He only offered suggestions. Whether Liang Chuanshan accepted them was entirely up to him, and Song Changming would not dwell on it.

"This matter needs further preparation. Also, I have not mentioned it to anyone else yet, not even Lu Gang. Do not let word get out," Liang Chuanshan said to Song Changming after pondering for a moment.

"Yes." Song Changming agreed.

He knew that moving against the Nine Bends Society was already set in stone. It only remained to be seen when Liang Chuanshan would give the order.

"The Nine Bends Society..." Song Changming pondered as he left the inner chamber.

The fact that they had so easily wiped out the Qinghe Gang back then showed their strength. This battle would certainly be difficult.

Before then, he needed to improve his strength as much as possible in case he encountered danger.

The days of training were dull and tedious, but Song Changming did not keep his head down and train bitterly all the time. Occasionally, he relaxed at home, raised silkworms, teased birds, walked the dog, or went to Spring Breeze Garden for wine and courtesans, looking for a bit of fun.

Life had countless flavors, and the key was to experience them. Practicing Martial Arts was only one part of it.

That day, at Spring Breeze Garden.

Liang Chuanshan brought Song Changming to entertain an honored guest.

"Brother Zhou, how does this Spring Breeze Garden on my Houli Street compare to Piaoxiang Pavilion on Jinxiu Street?" In a private room on the second floor, Liang Chuanshan raised his cup toward the middle-aged man seated beside him.

The man's complexion was sallow, his eyes narrow and long, and he wore two small mustaches.

He looked utterly unremarkable, but Song Changming, who had come along, did not dare underestimate him in the slightest. He knew that this man was one of the Patrol Captains at headquarters!

He was also the first person Liang Chuanshan had befriended at headquarters after becoming Director.

"Ho ho, it is excellent. Not inferior in the least!" Zhou Sixin laughed, clinking the rim of his cup against Liang Chuanshan's. In theory, a Director ranked above a Patrol Captain.

However, Liang Chuanshan was a newly appointed Director in a local branch, while this man was a Patrol Captain at headquarters, making the situation different.

Most people in the government offices tacitly regarded officials working at headquarters as holding higher status than those serving in branch offices.

Moreover, Liang Chuanshan, as Director, had no authority over a Patrol Captain at headquarters. They had no superior-subordinate relationship.

Above headquarters were the officials serving in the County Governor's Mansion. They were the center of power for the entire Prefecture City, even all of Donglai Commandery, and held an even higher status.

Therefore, to Liang Chuanshan, this Patrol Captain from headquarters was an honored guest.

Song Changming sat to one side, half a body-length behind them, merely listening in silence without speaking.

The two chatted about all sorts of things. Just as they had drunk several rounds and were flushed and warm with drink, a commotion outside the private room interrupted their conversation.

It sounded as though someone had overturned a table and was causing trouble.

Liang Chuanshan's expression darkened.

"What is it?"

The patrol guard standing watch outside pushed open the door and entered. "Someone is causing trouble in the main hall."

"To make trouble in a place for listening to music and drinking, those people truly have no sense of propriety," Zhou Sixin said, faintly hearing the noise outside.

"Brother Zhou, forgive the poor hospitality. Changming." Liang Chuanshan looked at Song Changming beside him.

Song Changming understood and rose to walk out.

In the second-floor hall, several tables had already been overturned into a complete mess, and dishes were scattered all over the floor.

On the raised platform, the woman playing the zither and the dancers covered their faces and wept in fear.

The madam stood nearby, frantic with anxiety.

Several guests were lying on the ground, their faces being slapped by someone.

"You said I wasn't refined enough?" The burly man rolling up his sleeves and slapping them glared with wide eyes.

"Mercy, sir." The few guests whose faces had been slapped swollen pleaded indistinctly, their mouths full of blood.

"Now you know to beg for mercy? Weren't you quite the talkers just now?" The burly man bared his teeth in laughter.

Several others standing around him laughed loudly as well.

"I want to hear Phoenix Seeks Phoenix, and I want Miss Yu'er to play it for me personally! Even if the Heavenly King himself comes, it won't change a thing!" the burly man said tyrannically to the madam.

Seeing his hands covered in blood, the madam trembled all over and was so frightened that she nearly could not stand.

The surrounding onlookers all fell silent. No one dared say another word.

"Why are you fighting here?" At that moment, Song Changming walked straight over. After sweeping his gaze across the scene, he could roughly guess what had happened.

"Where did this brat come from? You dare meddle in other people's business?" Seeing Song Changming approach as though no one else was there, one of the men beside the burly man stepped forward, intending to teach him a lesson.

He was not on duty now, and since he had come here for entertainment, Song Changming naturally was not wearing his official uniform. He had only brought a Side Saber, and it was not an Official Saber, so no one recognized him.

Seeing the man's disrespect, Song Changming did not waste words. He stepped forward to meet him and slapped him across the face.

Though he had not used his full strength, the force in that palm was still not something an ordinary person could withstand.

With a single slap, he sent the seemingly fierce man flying to the ground. His head smashed into the floorboards, cracking them open. He could not even let out a groan before passing out.