What Exactly Do You Want?

Lightning ripped through the dark, cloud-covered sky.

Rain Water was everywhere, both in the sky and on the ground. Large raindrops hit the water, and the splashes could even fall into the boat.

The Whale Gang members put down the coin Diao Pai and copper coins in their hands, took out raincoats from the waterproof compartment, and put them on.

April is warm, but if you get wet in the rain, you'll still shiver when the river wind blows.

"It's raining so hard."

"It's a bit cold, do you have any more raincoats? Get me one."

"They're all gone on the ship. Why don't you go ask on another ship?"

The shivering gang member stood up, looked around, and his expression became confused.

Ten feet away, everything was a blur of white, and the Rain Water was so dense it looked like a curtain. Everywhere there were splashes of water that collided and shattered, and occasionally a bolt of lightning would strike the water's surface.

Standing on the boat, he had no idea where the other boats were. Suddenly, a figure lifted the curtain and walked in.

The gang members were overjoyed and were about to borrow a raincoat when their throats were suddenly choked.

Something's not right! It's not one of the other gang members.

The figure wasn't using a boat; he was just standing on a piece of driftwood! How could anyone stand on just a piece of driftwood on a river in a downpour? The gang members were horrified and kicked one of the burly men in the thigh.

"Stop playing cards, someone's here!"

Who is it?

"The person we're waiting for!"

Upon hearing this, everyone perked up and stepped out of the awning, donning their raincoats.

One of them picked up an oar and rowed the small boat toward the figure. When they got closer, a thin man stood at the bow and shouted.

"Is the visitor the magistrate of the River Conservancy Office?"

The figure paused.

How do you know who I am?

The gang members exchanged glances, understanding each other perfectly.

The skinny man bowed and said, "My lord, my gang Gang Leader has been waiting for a long time. I wonder if he would do me the honor of meeting me? I will certainly treat you to the finest wine and food!"

Who is your gang Gang Leader?

"It's Liu!"

A thunderous roar echoed across the river, accompanied by a gentle sway of the rain curtain.

Liu Jie leaped across the small boat, its hull rising and falling, and in a few flashes, he arrived at the front. He strained his eyes to see the young man who had come from the front and was amazed.

At such an age, he was even younger than his son Liu Wenyang! Liu Jie's gaze froze, his thoughts inexplicable.

He had wasted half his life, yet he had mastered all Nine Apertures. He managed tens of thousands of fishermen in the Galloping Horse Extreme Realm, spending a huge amount of money. He couldn't even get the position of a ninth-rank Patrol Inspector, and was still controlled by a mere County Magistrate.

However, some people obtain official positions before they even reach adulthood, threatening his position...

Why is this so! I really want to kill all the corrupt officials in the world! Liu Jie remained calm and bowed, saying, "I have been waiting here for the magistrate of the River Conservancy Office for a long time, but I did not expect him to be such a young hero!"

"I am here in Feng Bu County on official business. I don't know why Gang Leader Liu is stopping me?"

Liu Jie pointed to the rain. "It's raining heavily today. You must be tired from your journey. Why don't you move a little further? I have prepared a banquet and am just waiting for you to arrive."

As they spoke, a two-story Painted Boat emerged from the rain, its glazed tiles gleaming brilliantly under the wash of the Rain Water.

"No problem, no problem."

Liang Qu smiled, completely unconcerned about being suddenly stopped on the river, and stepped onto the floating logs to board the Painted Boat.

Liu Jie followed closely behind, secretly admiring Liu Yi's accurate judgment. He wasn't afraid of the other party arriving late, but rather of the other party arriving early.

The broken logs floated and sank, and Liang Qu leaped up.

He controlled tens of thousands of fishermen in a county, and his wealth was immense, evident even from the wealth displayed on his Painted Boat.

The boat is made entirely of mahogany with exquisite carvings. It has two small pavilions with tiled roofs and colorful gauze hanging around them. There are even bonsai and mats, and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers.

A large table was placed in the middle, with two people seated there.

On the left Liu Yi, the second-in-command of the Whale Gang, who is thin and dressed in white.

On the right is Zheng Tianfu, the third-in- Whale Gang. He has a large frame and his hands are a size larger than the average person's, full of tendons.

More than a dozen core members stood on both sides, exuding an imposing aura.

What a grand display! How much silver must such a Painted Boat cost, and how many craftsmen must be employed? I wonder if Toad would accept it?

Liang Qu glanced around, his gaze deep and unsettling.

What a young official!

The thoughts that arose in Liu Yi and Zheng Tianfu's minds were exactly the same as Liu Jie's.

They knew from the beginning that the River Conservancy Office came from the Imperial Capital, and most of them were sons of officials. Could it be that this was the one in front of them? Liu Yi frowned slightly. He thought that it was remarkable that the water monster had attracted an official of the eighth or ninth rank, but he did not expect that it was a son of an official.

It's not easy to satisfy the appetites of the sons of officials, but since things have come to this point, we must face the difficulties head-on.

If we don't bring back the River Conservancy Office's tentacles, the Whale Gang won't have an easy time in Feng Bu County in the future. We must not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains!

Liu Yi and Zheng Tianfu lifted their hems, stood up, and bowed.

"My humble servants, Liu Yi Zheng Tianfu, pay their respects to Your Excellency!"

Liang Qu seemed not to hear, and went to the window to admire the scenery.

Liu Yi and Zheng Tianfu, who were bowing to each other, were caught in a dilemma: whether to put down their bows or not, a fire of anger rose in their hearts.

Even though it's their own territory, they came up here and gave us a show of force; what a display of official arrogance!

Liu Jie, who was following behind, said, "The beautiful scenery of the Jianghuai Marshlands is so captivating that it's no wonder you're so enchanted. But there's plenty of time in the future, so why don't you enjoy the food while you admire it?"

Liang Qu seemed to have just come to his senses. He pulled over a stool and sat down with an air of authority.

A maidservant stepped forward to pour tea, but Liang Qu waved her away. He rinsed his doucai cup with the tea and spoke.

"Such a large Painted Boat must have plundered a lot of the people's wealth, right?"

Liu Yi and Zheng Tianfu, who were sitting down next to him, froze.

"You're joking, sir..."

"Hey!" Liang Qu flipped his palm over. "No need for much talk, let's be frank and not waste time with all this fuss and wishy-washy talk."

You think I don't know? That Spirit Monster was something you hired someone to do, wasn't it? I've been doing this for years, with Fishing Wharf springing up everywhere I go, haven't I?"

Everyone was shocked. They never expected that the matter would be completely exposed as soon as the other party arrived in Feng Bu County! The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and many key members couldn't help but grip the hilts of their knives, their faces filled with chilling killing intent.

Zheng Tianfu looked at Liu Jie and saw that Liu Jie's expression had darkened and his hand was reaching for his waist.

They don't want to kill officials, and they don't want to make a big fuss, but if forced to, they are not powerless to do so!

"You're already losing your temper?"

Liang Qu rested his elbow on the table, lowered his palm, pinched the rim of the doucai cup with three fingers and spun it around, observing the patterns on it, and said with a smile.

"Do you think I don't know what you're up to by inviting me here? Don't you know why I got on this ship?"

Don't let my young age fool you; I know more about the ways of officialdom than you do. Just tell me, how much are you planning to give me? If I think it's appropriate, I'll go back, prepare a briefing, and leave immediately.

Turns out he's a seasoned veteran! The tense atmosphere eased once again.

"Hahaha, very good, very good! Truly, heroes emerge from among the young! You are a wise and generous man, Third Brother!"

Liu Jie laughed three times and waved his hand in acknowledgment.

Zheng Tianfu coughed twice, pulled out a stack of Silver Note from his sleeve, and respectfully handed them over. "Three thousand taels of Silver Note, Universal Treasure Tong Shun Bank. I wonder if this is enough as your writing fee, sir?"

"Three thousand taels?" Liang Qu sat up straight. "Is there a record of this? Can it be found in your ledgers?"

Zheng Tianfu chuckled, "Don't worry, sir, we know what we're doing."

Liang Qu picked up the Silver Note, unfolded it in front of everyone, and examined it repeatedly.

After a while, he slapped the Silver Note back on the table and shook his head.

"Not enough!"

"Not enough?"

Liu Jie frowned.

There are tens of thousands of fishermen, but the government will consume half of them. In addition, there are several hundred people in the gang, and everyone needs to eat. Three thousand Silver Note is already a significant expense.

"Our expenses are very high, and we really don't have any extra money. If you don't mind, we can postpone it for a while. In early May, the Whale Gang can provide another two thousand taels!"

"Not enough."

Still not enough? Liu Jie gritted his teeth and decided to drag the other party onto the same boat. "As long as you take good care of us in the future, twenty percent of the Whale Gang's profits will belong to you!"

Water-related matters are managed by the water authorities, and with officials from the River Conservancy Office taking care of them, they're not at a huge disadvantage.

Liang Qu still shook his head.

"This isn't enough, that isn't enough, sir, you're being too greedy. Our Whale Gang isn't a money exchange!" A cold glint flashed in Liu Yi's eyes.

Liu Jie raised his hand to stop his second brother. "I wonder how much you want, sir? Name your number. If we can fulfill it, the entire Whale Gang will do our utmost!"

"What I want is actually very simple, it's just..."

With a light twist of his three fingers, Liang Qu Doucai Bamboo Cup spin rapidly on the Machilus Nanmu Table, its bottom turning and rolling faster and faster.

"Your heads will do!"