The Sand Gang Leader's Worries (Extra Chapter for Voted Tickets)

Su Xin's words were vague and cryptic, leaving everyone present at a loss.

You are young, so what? You have strength, so what? Does that have anything to do with you killing Hou Tong?

As for having rendered service to the gang, your contributions are indeed great, Su Xin, but precisely because of that, you cannot be let off lightly.

What if others start acting cocky and causing trouble the moment they make a contribution just like you? Wouldn't the gang fall into chaos?

Su Xin looked at Sha Feiying; he wasn't speaking these words for the others to hear—as long as Sha Feiying understood, that was enough.

Everyone here was a clever person. The look in Sha Feiying's eyes as he gazed at Su Xin became heavy; he had deciphered the meaning behind Su Xin's words.

Su Xin's three sentences were all meant to convey one thing: with me here, I can help you keep the three Hall Masters in check!

The situation in the Flying Eagle Gang was similar to that of the Green Bamboo Gang. Sha Feiying also had a son, but he was already old and frail, whereas the three Hall Masters were in their prime.

If Sha Feiying were to die one day, how could his son, Sha Yuandong—who was barely any better than the Green Bamboo Gang's Wei Feng—possibly control the Flying Eagle Gang?

The cautionary tale of the Green Bamboo Gang was right before their eyes; one had to be on guard!

As for the three Hall Masters of the Flying Eagle Gang, even if Lin Fuhu were loyal and supported his son, Sha Yuandong, would Dong Chengwu and Zhuang Li do the same?

Dong Chengwu went without saying. Although Zhuang Li appeared to be a smiling, good-natured man, he had been a notorious bandit in Xiangnan before joining the Flying Eagle Gang, known for his ruthless methods and for killing without blinking.

Others might not know, but Sha Feiying was well aware that even though Zhuang Li hadn't personally made a move in over a decade, he had been secretly practicing the Double-Edged Miao Saber that had made him famous!

If these two joined forces, could the simple-minded Lin Fuhu handle them alone? Clearly not.

At this moment, what Sha Feiying needed was someone whose interests differed from theirs but who could keep them in check—and that person was Su Xin!

Su Xin was young. Even if he had the strength and ambition, he couldn't suppress the other major leaders to usurp the throne; these veterans of the Flying Eagle Gang would never submit to him.

Su Xin had the strength. As long as he was given room to grow, he could absolutely contend with Dong Chengwu and Zhuang Li.

Su Xin had rendered service to the gang and was loyal to the Flying Eagle Gang. Lacking the conditions to usurp the throne himself, he could only support the Young Gang Leader to counter Dong Chengwu and the others.

Three sentences, three meanings—Sha Feiying understood them all.

Keeping Su Xin meant he could help him check the other two Hall Masters, whereas punishing Su Xin severely would only make his subordinates dissatisfied and cause unrest within the gang.

Moreover, given that Su Xin and Dong Chengwu were currently at daggers drawn, even if they wanted to unite in the future, it would be impossible.

As the Gang Leader, Sha Feiying saw much further than the others, so he decided: keep Su Xin!

"Infighting is a violation of gang rules. A matter of this magnitude cannot simply be brushed aside," Sha Feiying said slowly.

There was no look of surprise on Dong Chengwu's face. Su Xin had acted so excessively that even if Lin Fuhu wanted to speak for him, the Gang Leader would never tolerate it.

"Therefore, I have decided that all the territory under Third Master Hu shall be incorporated into the gang. He will be allowed to keep only ten subordinates, and the rest will be divided among the other major leaders."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

Wasn't Su Xin the one to be punished? How did it become Third Master Hu? Did the Gang Leader actually agree to let him take the fall for Su Xin's crimes?

Dong Chengwu stood up abruptly: "Gang Leader! It was Su Xin who killed Hou Tong!"

Sha Feiying glanced at him sideways and said, "Third Master Hu is Su Xin's foster father, his boss. He gave the order for Su Xin to kill Hou Tong. If Su Xin had refused, wouldn't that be unfilial and disloyal? Since that is the case, why punish him? Wouldn't that chill the hearts of the brothers in the gang?

In this battle against the Green Bamboo Gang, Su Xin single-handedly took down the Yongle District. Such a great contribution warrants his promotion to major leader. Since Hou Tong is dead, Su Xin shall take his place."

Seeing that Sha Feiying had made such a decision, Dong Chengwu felt hateful in his heart, but he had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept it.

Although the Flying Eagle Gang nominally required the Gang Leader to consult with the Hall Masters and major leaders before making decisions on major issues, in reality, as long as Sha Feiying was alive, the Flying Eagle Gang was his personal fiefdom.

This was a gang he had built with his own hands; the prestige Sha Feiying possessed was something even the three Hall Masters combined could not contend with.

The other major leaders felt a bit sour.

When they were Su Xin's age, they were still daydreaming about girls in brothels, yet Su Xin had already become one of the decision-makers of the Flying Eagle Gang.

And with the forces under Su Xin's command, once he became a major leader, he would be the strongest among them.

Dong Chengwu left with a flick of his sleeves, not leaving a single word behind. Seeing this, the others followed suit.

"Foster father, let's go," Su Xin said softly as he approached Third Master Hu.

Looking up at Su Xin, who showed no sign of joy, Third Master Hu sighed. In his heart, he no longer had the slightest desire to compete with Su Xin.

Now he understood Master Li's perspective: following a boss like Su Xin meant a limitless future.

Following his own aging self, one could only prepare for retirement.

After everyone had left, Sha Feiying remained seated in the head chair, motionless.

Rubbing his wrinkled brow, Sha Feiying didn't know if the decision he had made today was right or wrong.

Su Xin had ambition, strength, and methods—he could see all of that. This young man was certainly not someone to be trifled with; even the cunning and treacherous Third Master Hu had been completely manipulated by him.

But Su Xin's three sentences had highlighted his own importance, forcing Sha Feiying to keep him to check Dong Chengwu and Zhuang Li.

In truth, if there had been other candidates, Sha Feiying would never have chosen the overtly ambitious Su Xin.

"Sigh, I killed too many people back in the day," Sha Feiying muttered, rubbing his temples with a hint of regret.

When the Flying Eagle Gang was first established, there were over thirty major leaders, many of whom were stronger and more talented than Dong Chengwu and the other two Hall Masters.

But on that night, those who could not be controlled all died under Sha Feiying's blade.

"Father, hasn't your meeting finished yet?" A young man pushed the door open and entered, speaking with visible impatience.

This young man was only in his early twenties, and his brows still bore a faint resemblance to Sha Feiying in his youth. He was, naturally, Sha Feiying's only son, Sha Yuandong.

Sha Feiying had fathered him in middle age and held high expectations for his son, yet he had indulged him far too much, resulting in Sha Yuandong developing the temperament of a spoiled playboy.

The last gang war between the Green Bamboo Gang and the Flying Eagle Gang had been triggered precisely because he and Wei Feng of the Green Bamboo Gang were competing over a woman, an incident that had become a laughingstock throughout Changning Prefecture.

To start a gang war over a courtesan was, in the eyes of other gang leaders, an utterly inconceivable act.

"Yuandong, is there something you need from me?"

Sha Yuandong said brazenly, "I saw a fine horse from Eastern Jin in Changde Ward—a genuine Curly-Maned Lion. It's one hundred thousand taels, no bargaining, and I barely managed to snatch it away from the people of the Three Heroes Association.

But I didn't bring enough money, so I left men there to watch it. Father, give me one hundred thousand taels quickly; I'm going to go buy that Curly-Maned Lion right now."

"All you know is how to waste your life on trifles! You aren't a child anymore. When I die, the Flying Eagle Gang will eventually be handed over to you. With you like this, what will you rely on to manage the Flying Eagle Gang? Your Curly-Maned Lion?"

Sha Feiying's sharp reprimand instantly turned Sha Yuandong's face pale.

Although he felt frustrated that his son wouldn't live up to his potential, Sha Feiying truly couldn't bring himself to discipline him harshly.

Seeing Sha Yuandong so frightened, Sha Feiying's tone softened immediately.

"Yuandong, your father is already old and cannot protect you for a lifetime. Look at Wei Feng now; do you really wish to end up like him, a puppet controlled by your subordinates?"

Sha Yuandong replied dismissively, "Of course I won't end up like that piece of trash."

Sha Feiying snorted coldly, "Talk is cheap. When the opportunity arises, I will have you participate in gang affairs so you can familiarize yourself with the processes. If you can achieve some results, that would be for the best; otherwise, how will you ever command your subordinates in the future?"

Sha Yuandong said as if it were only natural, "This Flying Eagle Gang was founded by our Sha family. Given our family's prestige, who would dare say a word against us?"

A look of disappointment appeared on Sha Feiying's face. His son was still far too naive; if it were Su Xin, he would certainly never say such a thing.

Even in the imperial dynasties of the world, if an emperor were incompetent, he would be dragged off the dragon throne, let alone a small gang like the Flying Eagle Gang.

Thinking of Su Xin and then looking at his own son, Sha Feiying thought that if Sha Yuandong had even one-tenth of Su Xin's cunning, he wouldn't have to worry so much.

"That's enough, you may leave."

Sha Yuandong asked cautiously, "What about the one hundred thousand taels?"

Sha Feiying waved his hand wearily, "Go find Zhuang Li."

Sha Yuandong's expression brightened, and he immediately turned and ran out.

Meanwhile, after returning to the Happy Forest, Su Xin immediately dismissed everyone else.

From the moment Sha Feiying announced his promotion to Great Head, the system's voice had echoed in Su Xin's mind.

"Congratulations to the host for completing the main quest: Posture of an Overlord (Part II). Completion rate reached 50%. Reward: One designated category draw (above two stars, below three stars). Does the host wish to draw now?"

In that situation, Su Xin had decisively chosen 'no.' Although entering the space would only cause a momentary lapse in his focus, he still did not want others to notice.

After returning to the Happy Forest, Su Xin immediately announced he was going into seclusion and entered the system to prepare for the draw.

The last three intermediate draws had cheated him quite badly; if he were this unlucky again, it would definitely not be a matter of Su Xin's luck—it would mean the system was intentionally sabotaging him.

PS: Thanks to book friend Gao Shengnan for the tip.