"This is my big brother, Sha Meng. This is Ah Xuan. Call him Brother Meng."
"Hello, Brother Meng." Wang Xuan respectfully bowed to Sha Meng.
Sha Meng sat there and looked Wang Xuan up and down before nodding with a smile. "Not bad, kid. You've got the makings of me back in the day. Work hard!"
"I wouldn't dare compare myself with Brother Meng. Who in the underworld doesn't know how formidable you are? Compared with you, I'm still just a small fry."
"Not bad. You sure know how to talk. Go sit over there. Anyone who can enter our Fragrant Hall has a promising future. Study hard!" Sha Meng was very pleased by Wang Xuan's respect. Although he himself was arrogant, he especially liked having the younger brothers under him treat him with respect and courtesy.
Wang Xuan returned to the wall and sat in the third row. A moment later, Baki came over as well. He still wasn't qualified to sit at the table, but his status was fairly high, so he sat in the second row at the back.
Not long after, Camel walked in from outside. A smile tugged at the corners of Wang Xuan's lips. Just as expected, he looked exactly like Chen Huimin.
Camel seemed very pleased. He sat in the seat of honor and chatted with the various branch bosses. Once the pleasantries were more or less over, Camel cleared his throat and said, "I asked everyone to come here early today for two reasons. First, the day before yesterday, Sha Meng's subordinate Baki led people to wipe out the Jackals of Hong Yi Society. Second, since Mong Kok has already been taken by our East Star Society, we naturally can't hand it back. We also need to discuss how to divide up the territory today."
Mong Kok wasn't a large place. Compared with the territories controlled by the bosses present, it was nothing, but it was a prosperous district with plenty of profits to be made. Naturally, all the bosses present had their own ideas, but none of them had a reason to speak up.
Seeing that no one was saying anything, Camel turned to Sha Meng. "Your subordinate handled this matter. Why don't you say something?"
"Whoever took it gets to claim it. Our East Star Society rewards people according to their achievements. Baki contributed to the society, so we naturally can't let our younger brothers lose heart!" Sha Meng glanced at the other bosses present and spoke without yielding an inch.
Contributing to the society wasn't the same as contributing to themselves. The membership fees they handed over ended up in Camel's hands and those of a few retired bosses. What did it have to do with the branch bosses below them? If Baki took over the territory just like that, Sha Meng's strength would expand considerably. Naturally, that wasn't something the other branch bosses wanted to see.
Although they were all part of the same society, in reality, the grudges between the branch bosses could be deeper than those they held against outsiders. At the very least, the East Star Five Tigers were extremely hostile toward one another. Besides, the greater one's strength, the more benefits one could claim in the future. Everyone wanted to sit in the position of Dragon Head, but in the end, it all came down to strength.
"Rewarding achievements is a given, of course. But although Mong Kok isn't large, it has plenty of profits. It can easily be made into an independent district. When it was in the hands of Hong Yi Society, it was already a separate district. It wouldn't be convenient to merge it directly into Sham Shui Po!"
The speaker was Da Dong, nicknamed the Nameless Tiger. He was currently the strongest branch boss in the East Star Society. He was Dragon Head Camel's trusted aide, the second-in-command of Xing Ying Society, and had long black hair that reached his shoulders.
"Da Dong, what the hell do you mean? You're deliberately going against me, aren't you?" Sha Meng's golden hair practically stood on end with rage. This was cutting into his flesh!
"I don't mean anything by it. I'm just discussing the matter as it stands. Baki has rendered meritorious service to the society, so he naturally deserves a promotion. He was already in charge of several streets before. Now that he's being promoted, he should naturally become a branch boss!"
Da Dong stood up from his seat, looked around at the younger brothers sitting in the two rows outside, and continued loudly, "Could it be that after all these promotions, he's still just a younger brother? If everyone suppresses their subordinates and refuses to let them rise, just like you, Sha Meng, wouldn't that chill the hearts of the brothers below? Who would be willing to risk their lives for the society in the future? Isn't that right, everyone?"
"Right, definitely right!"
Who among the younger brothers sitting outside didn't want to rise? Yet in this situation, no one dared to speak. They merely stared at Sha Meng in unison.
The other branch bosses present also chimed in one after another. Da Dong's words had been too ruthless. At a time like this, if any boss dared to say no, the people's hearts would scatter and the whole group would become impossible to lead!
Sha Meng felt his scalp go numb under everyone's gaze. The younger brothers' eyes burned with fervor—a stubborn yearning and longing to rise in status. At that moment, he didn't have the nerve to stand opposed to all of them.
"Of course I want my own men to rise. Da Dong, don't you dare pin that accusation on me! I have no objection to this matter. Let Dragon Head decide." Sha Meng cursed Da Dong before resentfully sitting back down.
Since everyone was in agreement, Camel could naturally make the decision. Still, he couldn't let Sha Meng suffer a loss. After all, it was his subordinate who had earned the merit, so he naturally had to receive some of the credit as well. Being Dragon Head wasn't so easy.
"Stop arguing. We'll do as I say!" Camel tapped the table and continued, "Baki will be promoted to branch boss, and his territory will be Mong Kok. The territory in Sham Shui Po will be handed over. As for Sha Meng, reduce his membership fees for this year by twenty percent. Consider it a reward for him."
Camel made the decision on the spot. No one lost out from this arrangement. Sha Meng hadn't expanded his influence, but he had received compensation. The society couldn't be said to have lost, either. The annual membership fees Mong Kok could provide would definitely exceed twenty percent of Sha Meng's share. Baki's promotion also gave the younger brothers below hope. All in all, it was a solution that benefited everyone.
"Baki, bring a chair over and sit here. From now on, you're also one of our East Star branch bosses. Work hard and contribute more to the society!" Camel called out to Baki.
Baki stood up excitedly and bowed deeply to Camel. "Thank you for promoting me, Dragon Head. I'll do everything I can to serve the society from now on."
"Thank you for looking after me, Brother Meng." He turned and bowed to Sha Meng as well, showing that he still remembered Sha Meng and would follow his lead in the future.
Sha Meng nodded at Baki, feeling reasonably satisfied. At least for now, Baki didn't seem like an ungrateful bastard. As for the future, who the hell knew?
After thanking everyone he needed to thank, Baki carried a chair over and sat at the very end.
"Baki, I heard you have a fierce man under you. One man with one blade chased several hundred people away. Introduce him to everyone!" Camel said to Baki with a smile.
"Ah Xuan, stand up and introduce yourself to everyone!" Baki called out excitedly.
Fuck, it's finally my turn to make an appearance. Sitting in the back just now and watching a group of bosses discuss the world from the center, Wang Xuan had been extremely envious. Besides, wasn't this exactly what his mission was about?
He just needed to climb higher—higher than Camel!
"Greetings, Dragon Head. Greetings, bosses. Greetings, brothers. My name is Wang Xuan. You can just call me Xuan Zai!"
Of course, not just anyone could call him Xuan Zai. It was like with Stephen Chow: at first, everyone called him Xing Zai, then Ah Xing, and later Brother Xing and Master Xing!
Someone one generation above him could call him Ah Xuan. Someone two generations above him could call him Xuan Zai. Those of the same generation or younger had to call him Brother Xuan!
Anyone who dared to use the wrong form of address was either looking down on Wang Xuan or was his enemy!
Before you continue