Duan Hu

Xu Yi did not understand the painstaking efforts of Duan Hu.

Hearing Duan Hu say it was "not cheap," he assumed it would cost a significant amount of money, so he placed his one remaining silver dollar on the counter.

Duan Hu chuckled:

"It's not a small amount, but it's nowhere near enough."

Xu Yi placed the remaining half of the Fox Incense on the counter.

Duan Hu froze for a moment.

He cast a suspicious glance at Xu Yi.

Then, he extended his right hand, pinched the Fox Incense between two fingers, and brought it to the tip of his nose to sniff—

His expression changed drastically! He suddenly flipped his hand, covered the Fox Incense with a book, and looked up to peer outside the shop.

Seeing no one entering, Duan Hu breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze toward Xu Yi having completely shifted:

"Little Junior Brother, oh Little Junior Brother... this brother of yours truly underestimated you!"

In Duan Hu's eyes, being able to calmly produce this half-stick of incense was proof enough of Xu Yi's capability!

Duan Hu recognized that this Fox Incense was Spirit Remains, but he neither asked about its origin nor how Xu Yi had obtained it, simply instructing:

"If you have any more of this stuff, Little Junior Brother, bring it here without hesitation; I will certainly give you a good price!"

Xu Yi said:

"Naturally.

Since Second Brother says so, this piece of incense is enough to handle this job."

Duan Hu did not hold back:

"Of course, there's no need for formalities between family. While this item has no set market price, it is extremely valuable. It is not only enough for this job, but more than enough!"

Xu Yi cupped his hands, his words earnest:

"Second Brother treats me with benevolence and righteousness; you are my own brother! In the face of our brotherhood, what is a mere piece of incense? Take it and use it as you please!"

Duan Hu was clearly very pleased and satisfied with these words. He valued the righteousness of the pugilistic world above all else, and hearing Xu Yi speak this way, a smile spread across his stern face.

The spreading smile washed away the sternness and lingering suspicion Duan Hu had held just moments before:

"Good brother, I'll take on the task you need done!"

"Go and prepare yourself. I will find some reliable helpers, and when the sun sets, come find me again."

Xu Yi bid farewell to Duan Hu and left.

Xu Yi arrived at a small teahouse and study behind the 38th Shop District, located behind Room 123. He spent two copper coins on a cup of tea and a book of strange tales, reading for the entire afternoon.

Since arriving in this world, Xu Yi had spent all his leisure time in this teahouse and study.

In the blink of an eye, the sun began to set. Xu Yi checked the darkening sky, bid farewell to the teahouse owner, and returned to Duan Hu's Peacekeeping Hall.

It was not yet six in the evening, but the Peacekeeping Hall was already closed.

Unlike other businesses, the Peacekeeping Hall only closed when there was work to be done.

Xu Yi knocked on the door with three long taps and one short one. The door opened a crack, and Xu Yi slipped inside to find two other men besides Duan Hu in the cramped Peacekeeping Hall.

The two men were dressed plainly, with faces so ordinary they would disappear in a crowd. Upon seeing Xu Yi's attire and recognizing him as a Green Gang enforcer, they immediately showed respect, cupped their hands, and spoke a few lines of underworld jargon, to which Xu Yi responded in kind.

In the public perception, Green Gang enforcers were the most reckless hotheads, the most unscrupulous thugs in the underworld, and the most obedient to their bosses.

Such people were fearless in a fight and, due to their lack of moral fiber, felt no psychological burden when committing evil deeds, which was how they became gang enforcers and donned this "black dog skin" that even their own parents wouldn't recognize.

The system of underworld jargon was highly complex, serving as a secret language for gang members to identify friend from foe. Xu Yi had learned some from Mr. Ye Hai, but he still did not fully grasp it.

From their jargon, Xu Yi gathered that these two were brothers from another branch of the Green Gang who were close with Duan Hu; they had worked together before and shared a bond forged in life-and-death situations.

The 38th Shop District was vast, and because it ran along the Green Shore River, it had significant depth. As far as the Green Gang alone was concerned, there was more than just the Golden Orchid Nunnery branch.

Other gangs of various sizes were also accommodated here.

Duan Hu had already scouted the location and made a plan during the day. Now that he had clarified the situation regarding Lingtong Hall, the four of them took advantage of the night to walk along the street to the large factory area behind Room 56 of the 38th Shop District.

Walking one hundred meters into the second row of the factory area, they saw a low factory building made of blue bricks.

The factory had two stories, topped with a traditional Chinese pitched roof covered in black machine-made tiles, and the walls were painted with yellow lime.

Puxi was prone to rain, and after years of wind and rain since its construction, the paint on the walls had faded severely, turning almost white.

"It looks sturdier and larger than a typical residential house, but it lacks the grandeur of the large factories on the Bund."

At the base of the walls grew patches of plantain and goosegrass, the corners piled high with black-green moss. Beyond the corners, where the ground dipped and water pooled, insects swirled and frogs croaked incessantly.

The air was thick with the heavy scent of machine oil and unknown industrial emissions; only the most resilient weeds could bloom with vitality in such an environment.

According to their previous discussion, Xu Yi would find a way to circle around and enter the second-floor office to steal the factory's lease, business contracts, and company seal.

Duan Hu and the other two helpers would enter through the main entrance to create a commotion and buy time for Xu Yi.

Xu Yi headed toward the back of the factory into the night and, sure enough, saw the back door Duan Hu had mentioned—

Behind the blue-brick factory, a heavily rusted folding staircase sat, one side embedded in the concrete ground and the other leading directly to the second floor of the factory.

Xu Yi lightened his footsteps, using the cover of the near-total darkness to ascend the stairs, creeping stealthily onto the platform outside the second floor of the factory.

He tilted his head to listen; in less than three minutes, shouting and cursing had already erupted from within the factory.

Duan Hu and his two accomplices had already begun.

Xu Yi leaned sideways against the security bars of the iron platform outside the second floor, peering cautiously into the window.

Inside the glass was an office containing three desks, with very few documents scattered upon them.

An iron bookcase on one side of the office was filled with complete sets of books, their seals still unbroken, arranged neatly on the shelves—clearly just for show, never having been read by anyone.

Xu Yi shifted his position toward the other side of the window, and a figure came into view.

It was a woman. She sat by the innermost desk, her face obscured, dressed in a tight-fitting cheongsam embroidered with gold thread and red flowers. She reclined on a brown leather executive chair with her legs propped up on the desk, and beside her shoeless feet sat a locally manufactured Yamei Model 1651 radio.

Xu Yi faintly heard the sound of music; the woman must have been listening to a song.

She was just a woman; he could easily charge in, subdue her with his fists and feet, and then search for the company seal and transaction contracts.

He took a step forward, wanting to see into the blind spot of the room to confirm if she was truly alone.

It was with this very step that the iron plating beneath his feet groaned with a harsh, grating screech.

The woman immediately lifted her head and looked toward the window.

Xu Yi dodged violently, hiding behind the wall before she could catch sight of him.

The woman rubbed her eyes, seeing nothing outside the window, and assumed it was merely a cat that had wandered onto the iron walkway.

She lay back down, closed her eyes, and returned to enjoying the music from the radio.

The woman had not seen Xu Yi, but Xu Yi had seen her.

Having caught a clear glimpse of the woman's face, he leaned against the wall, his mind momentarily unable to process the sight.

That woman was none other than Ji Xiao, whom he had already refined into Fox Incense!