Night deepened.
The street.
Three figures walked side by side, but there were far more than just the three of them. Eight others were being dragged along the ground, strung together like a human centipede.
But on closer inspection, it became clear they hadn't been sewn together. Their hands and feet had simply been tied together with rope.
"Captain Song, have you offended anyone lately?"
Lin Fan knew he was asking a question he already knew the answer to. Who would try to take someone's life if they hadn't offended anyone?
Captain Song fell silent. He was trying to figure out what he'd done to offend someone, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with anything. It wasn't that he was reflecting on what he might have done wrong.
It was that he'd offended too many people.
Seeing Captain Song say nothing, Lin Fan sighed. "Looks like you're an upright and incorruptible man, Captain Song. You've offended far too many people."
Captain Song nodded.
That was certainly true.
He'd offended quite a few, but there was no helping it. He and criminals were mortal enemies. Once someone fell into his hands, no amount of pleading on their behalf would help.
"Brother, you were amazing just now."
Yang Ming finally found a chance to speak. His mind was filled with the scene he'd just witnessed.
And he'd gone from calling Lin Fan "Brother Lin" to calling him "Brother."
It was a shift in attitude brought on by admiration for the strong.
"Staff technique. It's just a rudimentary form of the Martial Way."
"The Martial Way? What's that?"
Yang Ming didn't understand. He'd never even heard of the Martial Way.
"The Martial Way is the ability to fight. One against ten, one against a hundred, splitting mountains and severing rivers. Anyone capable of that has mastered the Martial Way."
Lin Fan felt helpless. He could now fight ten men at once, but this wasn't the kind of one-against-ten he wanted. There was no sense of accomplishment in bullying ordinary thugs. What he wanted was the thrill of casually suppressing a Martial Way expert.
Yang Ming stared at him in disbelief.
He could accept one man fighting ten.
He could just about accept one man fighting a hundred.
But splitting mountains and severing rivers? What a load of bull.
"Brother, how could anyone split mountains and sever rivers?" Yang Ming shook his head. It was absolutely impossible.
Lin Fan didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Song Qing. "Captain Song, have you really never heard of the Martial Way?"
Song Qing had worked at the Security Bureau for so long that he was an old hand. Even if he couldn't do it himself, surely he'd heard of Martial Way experts.
"Never."
Song Qing didn't know where Lin Fan had heard about the Martial Way. He'd certainly never seen anyone as formidable as Lin Fan.
Of course, if being strong meant you could be called a Martial Way expert, then there were some. But that kind of strength came from constant training and building up the body.
He remembered when he was young, following his colleagues to arrest a criminal. The man had great strength, and three or four people couldn't hold him down. But he was only strong; otherwise, he was perfectly ordinary.
Before long, they arrived at the Security Bureau.
After a brief chat, Lin Fan said goodbye and turned to leave.
Song Qing watched Lin Fan's retreating figure.
Yang Ming couldn't wait any longer and spoke up.
"Master, you have to help me."
"Help you with what?"
"He's going to take the Security Bureau exam, right? When the time comes, you have to pull some strings and get him in."
"What, did he give you a bribe?"
"No. I just think being around him makes me feel incredibly safe."
"Safer than being around your master?"
"Definitely... No, not safer than being around you."
Yang Ming quickly shook his head when he realized what he'd let slip.
But Song Qing had been thinking the same thing. Lin Fan's identity was a little sensitive, since he was part of a gang, but Song Qing had asked around about his character during this time.
The residents near Jili Pier had good things to say about Lin Fan.
One old man in particular had praised Lin Fan so lavishly that you'd think there had never been a better person in the world. If Song Qing hadn't been sure the man was an ordinary resident, he would have thought he was Lin Fan's shill.
There weren't many people at the Security Bureau these days who were willing to get things done.
And even those who were willing couldn't always do what they wanted.
If they hadn't run into Lin Fan tonight, he and his disciple would probably have died there.
When Lin Fan got home, he wasn't in a hurry to sleep. Instead, he took out his books and reviewed his lessons, reinforcing what he'd learned. Once he felt he'd mastered everything, he took his staff outside and began training.
Hard work didn't always pay off, but with a cheat, it definitely did.
The fight earlier had earned him several proficiency points.
Basic Staff Technique was close to reaching perfection.
He didn't know what would happen once it reached perfection.
Would Basic become Intermediate?
Probably not, right?
The next day, at noon, in the dockside warehouse.
"Brother Lin, that sucker you mentioned has shown up."
Wu Yong rushed in excitedly, shouting. He didn't know what "sucker" meant, but judging from what Brother Lin had said, the sucker's arrival meant good times were coming again.
Sure enough, the brothers in the warehouse had stars in their eyes.
They were still savoring yesterday's delicious meal. It was the kind of feast they'd remember for a lifetime. They were just low-level thugs; how could they afford to go to Xianwei Tower? They could sell their asses raw and still not have enough.
They looked at Lin Fan with reverence. It was Brother Lin—only Brother Lin could let them experience a life like that.
"He's here? Great. Brothers, you haven't even had breakfast, have you?"
Lin Fan waved his hand, stopping his training, then picked up a towel and wiped himself down.
"Forget breakfast. I didn't even eat dinner last night."
"Same here."
"I didn't just skip dinner and breakfast. Last night, my wife even said I was as strong as an ox. That's the confidence all those delicacies gave me."
The unmarried thugs looked at him resentfully.
What was he showing off for? It was just a wife. He made it sound as if they didn't have one. Their five-fingered wives were much more considerate than his, and they had more tricks, too.
Outside, Steward Li looked toward the warehouse. That was right—he'd come again, hoping to press his advantage and win Lin Fan over with the speed of a thunderclap before anyone could blink.
After all, familiarity bred affection.
He refused to believe that with decades of experience in dealing with people, he couldn't win over this greenhorn.
He walked toward the warehouse, but before he could step inside, a dense crowd of people came into view. Lin Fan was clearly leading them, and the sight made Steward Li's heart tremble.
"Oh, Steward Li, what brings you here?"
Lin Fan played his part perfectly. There was no hint that it was deliberate.
Steward Li's face was piled with a professional smile. "I wonder if you're free at the moment, Brother Lin. I'd like to invite you to a nearby tavern for a few drinks."
"Of course. Since Steward Li has asked, how could I refuse?" Lin Fan said. Then he looked back at the brothers behind him, frowning in displeasure. "What's wrong with you? You see Master Li and can't even greet him? Have you forgotten how he treated you yesterday? You've eaten your fill, wiped your mouths clean, and now you don't recognize him?"
"Please, there's no need," Steward Li said, waving his hands repeatedly.
"Absolutely!" The thugs behind him immediately shouted in respectful unison.
"Greetings, Master Li!"
"Greetings, Master Li!"
Each wave of praise was louder than the last. Steward Li felt as though his heart had been spread with honey; the sweet rush was indescribable. Smiling, he raised his hand and returned their greetings.
"Brother Lin, why don't you all come along?"
"How could we? You already spent so much on us yesterday. This... this..."
"Ah, we're all brothers here. Why stand on ceremony? Unless you and your brothers look down on me, Li."
"How could we? Then we won't stand on ceremony."
"Hahaha, that's more like it."
Steward Li's generosity and loyalty practically overflowed from him.
Soon, the whole group set off for Xianwei Tower, the so-called high-end luxury restaurant that ordinary people could only gaze at from afar. But now it had become the canteen for the brothers at Jili Pier.
Throughout the meal, Lin Fan chatted warmly with Steward Li. They drank and talked until their cheeks were flushed and their ears were warm. Lin Fan's words made Steward Li's heart bloom, and he laughed without stopping. The things Lin Fan said made him feel as if he were floating on clouds. As he drank, the alcohol went to his head, leaving his face red and his mind pleasantly hazy.
In Lin Fan's view, if he wanted to keep this sucker hooked, he had to turn up the warmth.
The first time, they were strangers; the second time, they were familiar; by the third, they'd have their arms around each other's shoulders, calling one another brothers and chatting about everything under the sun.
Several days later.
The brothers at Jili Pier had eaten so well lately that they'd all put on weight. Their palates had grown so refined that, whenever their families occasionally had a good meal, they found it underwhelming and critiqued the meat in their bowls.
They'd go on and on about the texture of the meat and this and that, only to conclude that it still wasn't as good as the food at Xianwei Tower.
Their families thought they were crazy.
Sun Manor.
Steward Li kept his head down like a child who'd done something wrong, not daring to look Sun Xiao in the eye.
Sun Xiao sat in a grand armchair, studying the expense report in his hand. His expression remained calm, utterly unruffled, but his eyes had lingered on the figure of three hundred and seventy taels for a long time.
Three hundred and seventy taels. What did that mean?
It was more than an ordinary person could earn in a lifetime.
It was enough to hire professional assassins to kill more than ten people.
It could buy a three-courtyard residence in the central district of Yong'an City.
Sun Xiao said nothing, but Sun Yaozu couldn't hold back. "Steward Li, how have you been spending money these past few days? Eating dragon meat and drinking phoenix blood?"
"Eldest Young Master, I..."
Steward Li was at a loss for words. He didn't know how to explain it. Thinking back carefully, he'd been drinking himself into a stupor these past few days. Every time he woke up, it was already dark. His head throbbed, and his spirits were low.
He'd drunk himself sick.
Sun Xiao waved a hand. "Money means little to me. What matters is: what is that Lin Fan's attitude toward us now?"
His opinion of Lin Fan had risen even higher. The incident with Song Qing a few days ago hadn't been made public, but Sun Xiao knew Lin Fan had taken down eight thugs armed with deadly weapons using nothing but a stick he'd picked up off the ground.
That level of strength was unimaginable.
If he could really bring Lin Fan over to his side,
it would be like adding wings to a tiger.
"I..."
Before Steward Li could make an excuse, a servant hurried in. He bowed respectfully to Sun Xiao and Sun Yaozu, then said to Steward Li, "Steward, there's someone outside claiming to be from Jili Pier. He asked me to tell you that Lin Fan has invited you to a banquet at Xianwei Tower. He also said you absolutely must come, or you'll hurt a brother's feelings."
At these words,
Steward Li, who'd had his head lowered in shame, suddenly lifted it. His energy returned, and he coughed a few times before speaking. "Master, this humble servant has already made progress. I've infiltrated their ranks and become sworn brothers with Lin Fan. Even his men treat me with the utmost respect. I guarantee that within a few days, I'll win him over. I might even bring a whole group of followers back with him."
Sun Xiao nodded in satisfaction. "Good. As expected of Steward Li—you handle things steadily. Go on and continue your work. And don't worry about the expenses. If you can bring him over, your master will reward you handsomely."
"Yes, Master."
Steward Li answered and, as he left, glanced at the eldest young master. He didn't say anything, but his meaning was clear.
Eldest Young Master?
Hah!
Too green!
Too simple!
Too eager for quick success!
That was what he thought of the eldest young master.
If he wanted to learn the gang leader's composure, he still had a lot to learn and practice.
You've got a lot to learn, kid.
Before you continue