Among the Three Gangs and Four Associations in Changning Prefecture, the Green Bamboo Gang and the Flying Eagle Gang were the weakest. The two gangs were evenly matched.
Although the Green Bamboo Gang had lost that battle over Happy Forest, they hadn't actually lost many men. You could even say they'd willingly given the place up.
After all, Happy Forest hadn't been worth much before. They were lucky to collect four or five hundred taels in monthly dues. Why fight the Flying Eagle Gang to the death over a place like that?
So the two gangs fought only one battle before the Green Bamboo Gang yielded Happy Forest and withdrew to Yongle District, right next to Joyful District.
But now, seeing Happy Forest thriving under Su Xin's control, and hearing that its monthly profits came close to a hundred thousand taels, the Green Bamboo Gang grew even more envious.
Zhang Hong, the former underling in charge of Happy Forest, was especially furious. He nearly spat blood on the spot.
When he'd been in charge of Happy Forest, he'd lived hand to mouth. After paying respect to his superiors and handing out the rest to his men, there hadn't been much left for him each month.
But once those Flying Eagle Gang bastards showed up, Happy Forest had turned into a gold mine. Plenty of people in the Green Bamboo Gang secretly mocked Zhang Hong, saying he'd been begging for alms while clutching a golden rice bowl.
And after they'd given up Happy Forest, their senior leader, Dai Chong, had only assigned him a short street right beside it to watch over. It had just a few dozen shops—not even as good as Happy Forest.
That night, Zhang Hong went out patrolling the streets after a hearty meal, bringing a few underlings with him. He looked up and saw the brightly lit Happy Forest across the way, and his resentment flared.
"Damn it! When I was in charge of Happy Forest, why didn't those merchants give me a cut? Do they think the Green Bamboo Gang has no one?"
One of the underlings behind Zhang Hong chimed in, "Don't get mad, Brother Hong. Those merchants are just shameless! I heard that when that kid from the Flying Eagle Gang showed up, he immediately crippled Old Huang, who ran the gambling house. After that, the whole bunch obediently handed over their cut."
Zhang Hong picked his nose and snorted. "Damn it, if I'd known, I should've been harsher back then. I could've made a killing before I left, instead of ending up so down and out."
"Huh? Brother Hong, look! Isn't that one of the Flying Eagle Gang's guys?" one of the gang members said, pointing around the corner of a restaurant.
The restaurant stood between Yongle District and Happy Forest, clearly visible as soon as they looked up. At that moment, a man dressed in the Flying Eagle Gang's uniform was drunkenly relieving himself there.
It was payday, and they'd been paid ten taels each—an amount that had left the gang members ecstatic.
Few people who joined a gang were the sort to live an honest, quiet life. Most believed in living for today, and after getting paid, of course they'd go out to enjoy themselves right away.
So several gang members who were on good terms had gone to the restaurant for a big meal and plenty of wine. This time, though, they didn't dare eat and drink without paying. They settled their bill properly.
After all, the events of that day were still fresh in their minds. Boss Su wasn't someone you could afford to cross.
The man finished, shook himself, and pulled up his trousers. A silver ingot fell from his clothes.
At the sight of the ten-tael ingot, about the size of a fist, the eyes of Zhang Hong's underlings turned red.
Sometimes, their pay for an entire year didn't even add up to ten taels. Yet any random member of the Flying Eagle Gang could now pull out ten taels of silver.
After the man finished relieving himself and turned around, he spotted Zhang Hong and the others.
The Flying Eagle Gang had fought the Green Bamboo Gang several times, so he recognized them. But then he gave them a scornful smile, weighed the silver in his hand, and turned to leave.
So what if you're a junior leader? Our Flying Eagle Gang still drove you out. And now that we're working under Boss Su, we're living better than you ever did as a junior leader!
That scornful smile sent Zhang Hong into a rage.
"Damn it, some nobody dares laugh at me? Drag him over here and beat him!"
The man realized something was wrong and tried to run, but he was too drunk to walk straight. He'd barely taken two steps before Zhang Hong and the others pinned him to the ground and began kicking and punching him.
"I'm with the Flying Eagle Gang! This is Flying Eagle Gang territory! You'll regret it if you try anything. My boss won't let you get away with this!"
Zhang Hong sneered. "Your boss? That snot-nosed brat? I'll beat you to death today. Let's see what he can do about it!"
Fists rained down like drops of water. At first, the man cried out in pain a few times, but eventually he fell silent.
"Stop!"
Zhang Hong shouted. One of his underlings went over to take a look, then swallowed nervously. "Brother Hong, he's been beaten to death!"
The men exchanged glances, realizing they were in deep trouble.
They'd only meant to teach the man a lesson. But they'd had a few drinks before heading out, too, and hadn't held back. They'd actually beaten him to death.
Fights between gangs were nothing unusual. Even killing people in a gang war was perfectly normal.
But those were decisions made by the gang leaders. If anyone died, the leaders handled the authorities and took care of the aftermath.
If people at their level killed someone on their own, it wouldn't be so easy to deal with. Their actions could even spark another war between the two gangs.
"Brother Hong, what do we do now?" The gang members were at a loss.
Zhang Hong looked around. There was no one from the Flying Eagle Gang nearby. The men who'd come with the dead man were probably still inside the restaurant, drunk out of their minds.
"No one saw us. Let's get out of here first. This is Flying Eagle Gang territory, so we'll report it to the senior leader."
Zhang Hong cursed himself for losing control. He'd beaten a member of the Flying Eagle Gang to death, and there was no way he could handle this himself.
And if he reported it to their senior leader, Dai Chong, he'd probably have to fork over a hefty sum. The man was as greedy as they came.
Dai Chong, the Green Bamboo Gang's senior leader, was addicted to gambling. His love of money came from his love of wagering it away.
Zhang Hong went straight to Jinsheng Gambling House, the biggest gambling house in Yongle District. It didn't take him long to find Dai Chong.
Dai Chong was over fifty, tall and burly, and a Drum-Beating Gold Hammer, half his height, rested beside him.
Thanks to his unusual weapon, he had a formidable nickname in Changning Prefecture: the Heaven-Shattering Hammer.
"Boss, I've gotten myself into a bit of trouble," Zhang Hong reported cautiously.
Dai Chong seemed to have won some money and was in a good mood. He asked lazily, "What trouble have you gotten into this time?"
"I accidentally beat a member of the Flying Eagle Gang to death."
"Oh, that's nothing. I'll go tell the Flying Eagle Gang in a bit. Ten taels should cover the funeral expenses." Dai Chong still sounded unconcerned.
Zhang Hong stared at him, dumbfounded. That was it? Somehow, it didn't feel right.
"Boss, won't the Flying Eagle Gang start another fight with us over this?" Zhang Hong couldn't help asking.
Dai Chong waved a hand. "Don't worry. There won't be a fight. Even if we wanted one, the Flying Eagle Gang wouldn't. You don't understand what's going on higher up.
"By the way, we're one short for a game, and you're here now. Sit down and play a few rounds with me."
Still baffled, Zhang Hong was dragged over to the mahjong table. He knew only one thing: it seemed he wouldn't have to take responsibility.
The next morning, in the Happy Forest branch hall, Su Xin sat in the main seat, his face dark as he stared silently at the body on the floor. The other gang members stood below in silence.
"What exactly happened?" Su Xin asked slowly.
Huang Bingcheng looked furious. "The Green Bamboo Gang did this. Last night, these brothers went out drinking. When they came back, they found him beaten to death and dumped in the street."
The gang members below were all furious. The men who'd gone drinking with the victim that night had bloodshot eyes. They believed their carelessness had gotten their brother killed by the Green Bamboo Gang.
"Have you notified the gang?" Su Xin asked.
"The higher-ups knew even before we did. Third Master Hu sent someone over this morning with ten taels of silver. He said it was the funeral money from Dai Chong, the Green Bamboo Gang's senior leader." Huang Bingcheng looked bitter and resentful.
"Crack!"
Su Xin hurled the teacup in his hand to the floor.
The gang members below were furious too.
Their monthly pay was ten taels. Now someone had been beaten to death, and they'd offered just ten taels for the funeral. It was a deliberate insult!
"What does the gang say? Are we just going to swallow this?"
Su Xin was confused. The Green Bamboo Gang and the Flying Eagle Gang had been enemies for a long time. The Green Bamboo Gang had killed one of their men, yet the higher-ups were willing to let it go. Something wasn't right.
Huang Bingcheng said helplessly, "They didn't say so outright, but that's clearly what they mean."
The gang members below looked at Su Xin expectantly, wondering how Boss Su planned to deal with it.
Aside from a dozen or so veteran members of the Flying Eagle Gang, Su Xin's men were all young recruits.
These young men still had fire in their hearts.
They knew that if they fought the Green Bamboo Gang, they might die. But they still couldn't stomach it. The Green Bamboo Gang had killed their brother, tossed them ten taels, and walked away without a backward glance.
By contrast, the older men who'd been in the gang for years were much calmer.
The struggle between two gangs wasn't so simple. Even if they were going to fight, the order had to come from above.
The higher-ups had made it clear that they didn't want to act. If Su Xin went with the few men under his command, they'd only be throwing their lives away.
"Boss, what do we do now?" Huang Bingcheng asked quietly.
Su Xin rubbed his chin, feeling caught between a rock and a hard place.
If he didn't fight, the little authority he'd worked so hard to establish would likely be wiped out.
But if he did fight, what could he do without reinforcements from the Flying Eagle Gang's higher-ups? Fight with these young recruits he'd just brought in?
After considering it for a moment, Su Xin made up his mind. "I, Su Xin, will never let my brother die in vain! I'll go ask my foster father to send men, and we'll make the Green Bamboo Gang answer for what they've done!"
The gang members immediately perked up. Boss Su hadn't let them down after all!
He had the men carry the dead gang member away for burial, then told Huang Bingcheng to bring five thousand taels in banknotes and go with him to see Third Master Hu.
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