My Word Is Law!

Su Xin felt not a shred of worry after crippling Tang Taihe.

In truth, the moment he laid eyes on Master Li, he knew Tang Taihe must have been acting under the instructions of Third Master Hu; otherwise, he would never have dared to provoke him.

It was precisely because he knew Third Master Hu was backing Tang Taihe that he had acted so ruthlessly. He did this to demonstrate his own unyielding stance to Third Master Hu.

If there are matters to discuss, let us speak openly. If you want to reach out from the shadows and play petty tricks, then for every hand you extend, I shall hack it off!

Following this gang war, Su Xin's merits and reputation had reached a pinnacle. Never mind Third Master Hu—even if the gang leader himself wanted to move against him, he would have to consider the sentiments of the brothers within the gang.

After taking Yongle District, Su Xin did not continue the offensive. Instead, he told Huang Bingcheng to open recruitment wide, regardless of whether the recruits had previously belonged to the Green Bamboo Gang. He took everyone, no questions asked.

However, these new recruits naturally could not enjoy the same treatment as Su Xin's old brothers.

Their monthly pay was only two taels, and they would not be taught cultivation techniques, only simple, basic martial skills.

Any organization requires distinct tiers to facilitate management and maintain vitality.

The veterans knew the newcomers' treatment was inferior to their own, which gave them a sense of superiority and made them cherish their current positions all the more.

As for the newcomers, they would covet the veterans' benefits and climb the ranks with all their might, hoping for the day they could stand on equal footing.

Three days after Su Xin ceased his offensive, the gang war between the two factions came to a complete end.

The result went without saying: the Green Bamboo Gang suffered a crushing defeat, losing an entire district and a half. Three of their major leaders were dead, two of whom were loyalists to their gang leader, Wei Feng.

It could be said that the pitiful Leader Wei had become a commander without an army; it was doubtful whether his orders could even make it out of the main headquarters.

The most dazzling figure of this war, and the one who gained the most, was undoubtedly Su Xin.

A minor leader, leading fewer than two hundred men, had single-handedly seized the entire Yongle District. This merit was significant enough that it should have been enough to promote Su Xin directly to the rank of major leader.

However, Su Xin was simply too young. The high-ranking members of the Flying Eagle Gang felt uneasy about letting such a youth become a major leader and stand on equal footing with them.

Thus, no one brought it up, not even the gang leader. Consequently, Su Xin remained a minor leader in name, albeit one who governed an entire district and commanded more territory than any major leader.

Although his status remained unchanged, the implicit benefits were substantial.

After this battle, Su Xin's prestige among the young members of the Flying Eagle Gang was at its zenith; almost every young man viewed him as an idol.

As a result, many youths serving under other minor and major leaders flocked to join Su Xin. Combined with those he had recruited in Yongle District, his forces surged to over a thousand men.

While the Flying Eagle Gang did not forbid members from switching bosses, such actions were a blow to the pride of the other leaders, and they certainly harbored grievances.

Yet, with Su Xin's reputation currently soaring, and given that those who left were mostly new, unremarkable youths, the other leaders chose not to stir up trouble. They merely grumbled in private rather than jumping out to provoke him.

The impact of the gang war only affected a small portion of the population.

Ordinary people still had to live their lives, and the vast Yongle District returned to tranquility in less than three days.

Three days was enough for Su Xin to settle his new recruits, and it was time to re-establish the rules.

When the Green Bamboo Gang managed Yongle District, they naturally had their own rules, but now, Yongle District belonged to Su Xin.

There was a branch office in Yongle District previously established by the Green Bamboo Gang; Su Xin had Huang Bingcheng change the sign, and it was ready for use.

However, the office was rather small—not even as large as the one in Happy Forest—leading Su Xin to secretly disparage the Green Bamboo Gang for being stingy.

"Old Huang, have the big merchants of Yongle District arrived?" Su Xin asked.

"Everyone on the invitation list is here. Given your fearsome reputation, they would have to be tired of living to dare stay away."

Su Xin wanted to set new rules for Yongle District, but for whom were these rules intended? Naturally, for these wealthy merchants.

The most important source of income for a gang is the monthly protection money paid by these merchants. Therefore, after every gang war, the first people the new master of the territory must meet are the shop owners.

Happy Forest alone had over a hundred storefronts, and the vast Yongle District was ten times its size, with over a thousand shops. It was impossible to invite every single owner.

Small tavern owners and the like naturally had no qualifications to attend.

Those qualified to be invited by Su Xin were the big merchants who controlled dozens of shops and earned over ten thousand taels a month. Even in Yongle District, there were barely a hundred such people.

Su Xin walked into the hall, which was packed with over a hundred people, making it feel somewhat cramped.

Seeing Su Xin enter, the group quickly cupped their hands and said, "Boss Su."

They dared not offend this red-hot rising star of the Flying Eagle Gang.

Merchants, after all, value harmony as the source of wealth. As long as their interests were not touched, why would they bother offending these ruthless gang members?

Su Xin sat at the head of the table and said in a clear voice, "Gentlemen, I believe you all know why I have summoned you today.

I am a man who dislikes beating around the bush. This place used to be managed by the Green Bamboo Gang, but now it belongs to me, Su Xin. Naturally, the monthly protection money will have to change."

The model of Happy Forest could not be replicated, and Su Xin had no intention of reforming Yongle District.

If he wasn't going to reform, how could he increase revenue? The answer, naturally, was to find a way to raise the protection money.

Upon hearing the words "protection money," the expressions of the shop owners below turned sour.

After all, this money was like cutting flesh from their own bodies; who would be happy about that?

Of course, they had prepared themselves before coming, as this was not the first time such a thing had happened.

Every time a gang war occurred and the territory changed hands, the protection money inevitably rose. They were somewhat accustomed to it.

"The protection money previously set by the Green Bamboo Gang was thirty taels per person. From now on, it will be fifty taels."

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the shop owners below turned black.

This Boss Su looks young and harmless, but his methods are truly ruthless.

A shop owner stood up excitedly and shouted, "Boss Su, this is nothing but extortion! Raising the fee by nearly double all at once—isn't that going a bit too far?"

In truth, fifty taels of silver would indeed be a heavy burden for the owners of small taverns.

But for these wealthy merchants, whose monthly net profits exceeded one hundred thousand taels, it was really nothing at all.

What they were resisting was the precedent itself.

If you come today and raise the protection fee from thirty taels to fifty, who's to say you won't raise it to one hundred tomorrow?

After a few rounds of this, who knows if the fee might climb to one thousand or even ten thousand taels? Such exponential growth was unacceptable, even to these wealthy merchants.

Su Xin looked at the agitated shop owner with indifference. "It seems this owner is a bit too emotional. That's not good. Interrupting someone while they are speaking is very impolite. Li Qing, go over and help this owner sober up."

Li Qing, standing to the side, immediately stepped forward, grabbed the shop owner by the head, and began slapping him repeatedly, drawing continuous screams of agony.

With Li Qing's current strength, after just a few slaps, the shop owner's mouth was filled with blood, and he was left gasping for breath, on the verge of collapse.

At this moment, aside from the groans of the shop owner, there was not a single sound in the room.

The wealthy merchants were so terrified by Su Xin that they were like cicadas in late autumn, not daring to even draw a full breath.

This Boss Su was far too savage; to use such heavy-handed tactics on the very first day, all because someone interrupted his speech, was truly chilling.

Su Xin stood up and looked down at them, saying coldly, "I hope you all understand: I didn't call you here today to negotiate the increase in protection fees, but to issue an order!"

I don't care what the rules of the Green Bamboo Gang were, but now that Yongle District is under my management, you will follow my rules.

"The old way of collecting monthly fees was per capita; now, it will be changed to be collected per shop."

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of some merchants turned even darker and more bitter; this blow was far from light.

Among the nearly one hundred wealthy merchants present, aside from those running gambling dens or brothels—highly profitable businesses that could stand alone—there were also merchants running cloth shops, grain stores, and the like.

Such shops were found on almost every street, and some individuals owned over a dozen locations. By Su Xin's new rule, each of them would have to pay over a dozen times the protection fee.

Though the crowd was dissatisfied, no one dared to speak up.

They had seen Su Xin's hardline stance; the one who had stuck his neck out was already being used as a warning to the others, currently lying on the ground half-dead.

Looking at the crowd below, Su Xin said calmly, "There is no need to pull such long faces, as if you've suffered some great injustice."

"The Green Bamboo Gang charged lower fees before, but their members didn't shy away from skimming off your profits, did they?"

"Now that Yongle District is under my management, if anyone dares to harass your shops, they will be dealt with according to gang rules!"

"Furthermore, if any street thugs come to cause trouble, you can also have my men handle it."

The wealthy merchants below looked at Su Xin with suspicion. If he could truly guarantee that, then the extra protection fee might actually be worth it.

In the past, members of the Green Bamboo Gang loved to come in groups to disrupt their business. Although they didn't take much, it affected their reputation, and that loss was far greater than fifty taels.