What Old Wolf? Just a Sick Dog

"Congratulations, Boss Su—no, I should call you Head Chief Su now. The youngest Head Chief in Changning Prefecture, tsk tsk, it truly is enviable."

Tie Wuqing, the Chief Constable of the East Twelve Wards, walked over with a smile, his hands still fiddling with two heavy iron balls.

Su Xin turned around and cupped his hands. "Constable Tie, please don't mock me. This so-called Head Chief is nothing more than a title."

Tie Wuqing shook his head. "This is more than just a reputation; it is a symbol of status. Before yesterday, you, Su Xin, were unknown, but after yesterday, who among the Three Gangs and Four Associations in Changning Prefecture doesn't know your name?"

In the vast Changning Prefecture, there were tens of thousands of gang members, but only the Head Chiefs were considered true power brokers worth remembering by other factions.

Su Xin did not continue to feign humility, instead asking, "Constable Tie, what brings you to my neck of the woods today?"

A faint smile played on the corners of Tie Wuqing's mouth. "Naturally, I've come to ask for your help. I intended to come two days ago, but seeing you were locked in a heated battle with the Green Bamboo Gang, I didn't want to trouble you."

"Then I thank you for your consideration, Constable Tie. As long as it is within my power, feel free to speak."

Befriending Tie Wuqing was something Su Xin had planned from the very beginning.

As the Chief Constable of the East Twelve Wards, Tie Wuqing's status ranked within the top ten of the entire Changning Prefecture yamen; he was worth the investment.

"It's like this: the Prefect's son went to the Happy Forest to play two days ago, but his purse was stolen.

Losing money would be one thing, but his purse contained a piece of warm jade passed down from the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions. It is a priceless treasure, impossible to buy even with gold.

I have been quite busy lately and cannot spare the manpower. If you can find this jade, that would be best, but if you can't, it doesn't matter—just find someone to take the fall.

The Prefect's son is currently furious. Just give him an explanation as soon as possible so he can vent his anger."

Su Xin pondered for a moment. "Is the Prefect's son certain the purse was stolen, rather than lost?"

"Certain. His clothes were sliced open without him even noticing. It was the work of an old hand."

After a moment of thought, Su Xin said, "Rest assured, Constable Tie. Whether I find the jade or not, I will give you an answer within three days."

"Very well, then I shall wait for your good news, Su Xin."

Tie Wuqing turned and left, rolling the iron balls in his hands, a cryptic smile lingering on his lips.

The last time he saw Su Xin, he was merely a low-level thug managing the Happy Forest; now, he had become a Head Chief guarding an entire ward.

The speed at which this young man climbed was beyond his imagination.

After Tie Wuqing left, Su Xin said to Huang Bingcheng, "Go to the Happy Forest and inquire about every detail of the Prefect's son's visit. Turn over every pickpocket and thief in the Happy Forest. I want to see who is so blind that they dare to steal from the Prefect's son."

Huang Bingcheng nodded and immediately led his men toward the Happy Forest.

Less than an hour later, Huang Bingcheng returned with the news.

"Boss, things are a bit tricky."

"What happened?"

Huang Bingcheng frowned. "I questioned Boss Liu carefully. When the Prefect's son arrived at the Happy Forest, he went straight to his Drunken Moon Pavilion. His purse was still with him when he left; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to pay the bill.

But after leaving the Happy Forest, he intended to go to the Yongle District to eat the osmanthus chicken at Zhou's Shop. By the time he went to buy the chicken, his purse was already gone."

Su Xin mused, "That means the purse was stolen between leaving the Drunken Moon Pavilion and entering the Yongle District. Can you confirm if it was a pickpocket from the Happy Forest?"

Huang Bingcheng shook his head. "Definitely not. Ever since we took control of the Happy Forest, those petty thieves on the streets have been cleared out. The purse was certainly not lost in the Happy Forest."

"If it wasn't the Happy Forest, then it must be the Yongle District. Who is the biggest pickpocket boss in the Yongle District?" Su Xin asked.

In the pickpocket trade, there was always a leader.

Those who dared to operate alone on the streets faced only two outcomes: either they were hunted down by local pickpocket rings and had their hands broken—as these groups would never allow anyone outside their ranks to steal their livelihood—or they were caught in the act and dragged to the authorities.

Only by joining a group would the leader help you clean up the mess when you slipped up, though, of course, you had to hand over a portion of your monthly income.

Huang Bingcheng said, "That is exactly why it is tricky. The pickpocket boss of the Yongle District is no ordinary man. His nickname is Old Wolf. It is said that in his early years, he established a stronghold in the deep forests of Xiangnan, with hundreds of fierce men under his command.

However, rumor has it he offended a young hero from a martial arts sect, who single-handedly dismantled his stronghold. He barely escaped, only to be betrayed by his own men and severely wounded, losing an eye in the process. He then went into seclusion in Changning Prefecture.

Although Old Wolf was heavily wounded, his martial foundation remained, and his methods were ruthless. He quickly brought the hundreds of pickpockets in the Yongle District under his command. He didn't even give face to the former Head Chief, Dai Chong.

After you assassinated Dai Chong, Boss Chen of the Green Bamboo Gang took his place. It is said he once tried to collect protection money from Old Wolf, but he suffered a secret loss and returned in disgrace, never daring to mention it again."

A look of disdain appeared on the corner of Su Xin's mouth. "A failure, nothing more. What is there to fear? Moreover, he is a failure without a shred of confidence, actually using his own defeat as a pretext for bragging. Truly pathetic and sad."

"Bragging?" Huang Bingcheng asked in surprise. "Are you saying he told these stories himself?"

Su Xin said coldly, "Since you said he was a bandit who established a stronghold, such people would usually want to hide their past. How else would others know these details so clearly?

Most of these rumors were likely spread by him to let people know of his former glory and instill fear.

He gave himself the nickname Old Wolf, but does he really think he is a fallen wolf king? In reality, he is just a sick dog that has lost its courage. What is there to fear?

Even if he made Dai Chong and Boss Chen suffer, those two were nothing more than souls under my sword."

Huang Bingcheng thought about it and realized it was true; his boss was not someone Dai Chong or Boss Chen could compare to.

"Let's go. We'll go meet this sick dog. Do you know where he is?"

"The former Green Bamboo Gang members will surely know."

Su Xin now had many men who were originally from the Green Bamboo Gang. Huang Bingcheng pointed to a gang member guarding the hall and asked, "Do you know where Old Wolf is?"

The gang member nodded and said, "I do. He's over at Blackwater Street."

"That's perfect. You lead the way."

With a familiar guide, they arrived at Blackwater Street in less than a quarter of an hour.

Blackwater Street in Yongle District was essentially a slum, much like the one in Joyful District.

Although the location of Yongle District was not as remote as Joyful District, every district inevitably had its wealthy areas and its slums.

Just as Joyful District had Happy Forest, no matter how impoverished it might be.

The long stretch of Blackwater Street was shrouded in overflowing sewage, the dilapidated street surface was left unattended, and merchants were pitifully scarce.

Even the Green Bamboo Gang usually wouldn't come to this place to collect protection money, as there were simply no shops to extort.

The pedestrians on Blackwater Street looked at Su Xin and his group with eyes full of vigilance, some even flashing with fierce glares.

If it weren't for the fact that Huang Bingcheng and the guiding gang member were wearing Flying Eagle Gang uniforms, they likely would have come out to strip them clean long ago.

These people were somewhat savvy; they knew who controlled Yongle District now and dared not be too presumptuous in the face of the Flying Eagle Gang.

The guiding gang member said cautiously, "Boss, these people aren't to be trifled with. The majority of them are a pack of pickpockets under Old Wolf.

They may be pickpockets outside, but once they reach Blackwater Street, they become vicious criminals. Here, they truly dare to kill."

Su Xin nodded, his mind already beginning to churn.

If Tie Wuqing ever needed someone to take the fall for a crime in the future, this place would be an excellent choice.

There wasn't a single decent soul on Blackwater Street; if you grabbed ten of them and beheaded them one by one, you'd likely find only one who didn't deserve to die.

When the time came, whatever kind of person Tie Wuqing needed, he could just go to Blackwater Street, grab them, and send them over. It wouldn't matter if they actually committed the crime or not—he could just pin it on them.

The gang member led Su Xin and his group directly to the deepest part of Blackwater Street, where there stood only a single house—a structure with walls painted black, lacking even windows, save for the door.

Two fierce-looking men stood at the entrance. Seeing Su Xin and his group approach, both revealed expressions of disdain: "What are you Flying Eagle Gang people doing here? Do you want to learn from those trash in the Green Bamboo Gang and provoke our boss?

Let me tell you, while our boss doesn't want trouble, he isn't someone you can bully! Whether it's your Green Bamboo Gang or the Flying Eagle Gang, this Blackwater Street will always be run by my boss!"

The small gang member leading the way naturally wouldn't have dared to provoke Old Wolf and his men on Blackwater Street before.

But now, with the legendary Boss Su Xin of the Flying Eagle Gang behind him, what did he have to fear?

"Pah! You run Blackwater Street? This entire Yongle District belongs to my boss, Su Xin! Now that Boss Su is here in person, why haven't you told Old Wolf to come out and welcome him?" The small gang member borrowed his superior's authority, putting on quite a show of force.

One of the men glanced at Su Xin and said dismissively, "Your Flying Eagle Gang lets a greenhorn be a big boss? It seems your Flying Eagle Gang really has no one left."

Su Xin flashed a smile at the man. For some reason, the man felt a chilling, bone-deep cold envelop him, as if the person smiling before him wasn't a handsome young man, but a tiger ready to devour him!

He wanted to say something, but the next moment, a brilliant flash of sword light filled his pupils!