Reform

Half an hour later, the owners of the casinos, brothels, restaurants, and inns in Happy Forest had all gathered in the main hall of Drunken Moon Pavilion. They greeted one another with clasped hands, every one of them looking troubled.

For people in their line of business, paying protection money to a gang every month was perfectly normal. But had anyone ever heard of paying it three times in one month?

At the beginning of the month, Happy Forest had belonged to the Green Bamboo Gang, and they had already paid once.

But just after they had paid, the Flying Eagle Gang had taken over Happy Forest.

After Liu Sandao, that insatiably greedy fellow, had squeezed them dry, they were already smarting. Now Su Xin had arrived, and they would probably have to bleed heavily all over again.

"Boss Liu, Boss Huang, you two got here early today. Have either of you found out what kind of person this Boss Su is?" someone asked the two owners seated in the front row.

Among these merchants, the richest was Boss Liu, who ran brothels. Drunken Moon Pavilion was his property.

Next came Boss Huang, who ran a casino. His Shunde Casino ranked among the top five in all of Changning Prefecture.

Though Boss Liu ran a brothel, he was a handsome man with a refined, upright air.

Even in middle age, at first glance he looked more like a scholar teaching at an academy than a brothel owner selling flesh.

Boss Huang, on the other hand, was short and stout. Though he looked like a wealthy gentleman, his face was full of bitterness and resentment.

His casino raked in money every day, but Liu Sandao had recently fleeced him mercilessly. Now he had no idea how badly Su Xin would bleed him.

In response to everyone's questions, Boss Liu merely smiled and said nothing, while Boss Huang replied viciously, "Who knows what kind of man he is? He's certainly no good. I hear he just beat the owner of Wang's Pharmacy half to death."

At that, everyone exchanged glances. It seemed their new boss was no easy person to deal with either.

Still, they weren't worried that Su Xin would lay a hand on them. They were nothing like Fatty Wang, the man who ran a pharmacy.

They had large businesses, with hundreds of people making their living under them. They were also prominent figures in Changning Prefecture.

If the Flying Eagle Gang dared to beat them to death or cripple them on a whim, the consequences would be far too serious. The authorities wouldn't stand by and do nothing.

"Boss Su has arrived!"

A gang member's announcement from outside cut off the owners' anxious speculation.

As they watched the young, handsome Su Xin enter the hall, the owners all felt a little awkward.

Su Xin was simply too young. Having to call a man under twenty "Boss" felt strange to them.

But no matter how awkward they felt, they could only put up with it. Su Xin wasn't merely a low-level leader in charge of Happy Forest; he was also Third Master Hu's sworn son.

Ji Gang and the stone-faced Li Huai following behind him had been sent by Third Master Hu to back him up.

"Gentlemen, I'm Su Xin. I've only just taken charge of Happy Forest, so I'll be counting on all of you to look after me."

Su Xin took the seat of honor, smiling as he cupped his hands toward everyone. He looked every bit the amiable host.

The owners secretly glanced at Boss Huang. Boss Su seemed like a decent fellow. He didn't look as vicious as Boss Huang had said—not nearly as bad as Liu Sandao, at least.

Liu Sandao had endured years of frustration, and once he rose to power, he'd become a petty tyrant. His manner had been utterly arrogant.

"Heh heh, Boss Su is too kind. From now on, we'll be counting on you to protect us," Boss Liu of Drunken Moon Pavilion replied with a smile.

"Boss Liu, you're too kind. As the saying goes, when you take someone's money, you solve their problems. Since we take your protection money, how could we let anyone bully you?"

Hearing Su Xin, the owners couldn't help thinking to themselves: Someone bullying us? We'd be thanking heaven if the Flying Eagle Gang didn't bully us.

Speaking of which, Su Xin suddenly changed the subject. "Since we're talking about protection money, there is something I'd like to discuss with all of you today."

At his words, the owners all thought the same thing: At last, he's getting to the point.

They had already guessed why Su Xin had summoned them today. It boiled down to one thing: money.

As the saying went, a new emperor brought in his own ministers. Back when the Green Bamboo Gang had controlled Happy Forest, the protection money had been thirty taels a month.

After Liu Sandao took over, it had risen to fifty.

Now Su Xin had arrived. Though Boss Su looked young and amiable, they feared he wouldn't be any less greedy.

Boss Huang spoke in a sarcastic tone. "I say, Boss Su, your Flying Eagle Gang sure has strange rules. You only set the protection fee at the beginning of the month, and now you're changing it?"

His Shunde Casino raked in money every day, and Liu Sandao had squeezed him hard not long ago.

So he was especially sensitive to the words protection money, and couldn't help taking a jab.

But as soon as he'd said it, he regretted it. After all, the other man was a low-level leader in the Flying Eagle Gang, in charge of Happy Forest.

Su Xin couldn't openly do anything to him, but it would be easy to make life difficult for him behind the scenes—or even drive his business out of Happy Forest.

The simplest way would be to have a few gang members stand outside his casino and turn everyone away. In less than three days, the place would be shut for good.

Luckily, Su Xin didn't take offense. He merely glanced at him and continued, "Rules are made by people. If Liu Sandao could set them, why can't I, Su Xin? I've decided that from now on, I'll waive everyone's protection fees!"

As soon as Su Xin said this, everyone froze.

If he didn't collect protection money, what would he and his men eat and drink?

The Flying Eagle Gang didn't pay its members a monthly salary. The money they had came from following their respective leaders, who were responsible for paying them.

Without the protection fees, Su Xin's sixty or seventy men would scatter in less than three days.

Boss Liu chuckled. "Boss Su, you must be joking."

Su Xin shook his head. "I'm not joking. I don't plan to collect protection fees anymore, but I do intend to collect something in a different way."

Hearing this, everyone understood. They also felt a measure of disdain for Su Xin.

It was just a new bottle for old wine. Why all the pointless talk? Did he think changing the method made him special?

"Boss Su, please explain what you have in mind," Boss Liu said tactfully.

Su Xin stood up. "It's very simple. I want a ten-percent stake in each of your businesses, with dividends paid out every month."

His words left the entire room stunned.

No one had expected Su Xin to be so greedy. He'd opened by demanding a ten-percent stake.

His appetite was so enormous that calling it a lion opening its mouth wide was an understatement!

Ji Gang, standing behind Su Xin, wore his usual smile. No one knew what he was thinking.

Li Huai showed no expression at all. He stood there with his deathly face, as if he hadn't heard Su Xin speak.

Huang Bingcheng, guarding the doorway, was secretly anxious.

Su Xin hadn't given him the slightest hint before they came. If he'd known Su Xin would do this, he would definitely have tried to stop him.

"Boss Su, you're not joking, are you?" Boss Liu forced out a strained smile.

Their businesses—especially casinos and brothels—could make over ten thousand taels in pure profit in a good month.

At that rate, a ten-percent stake would mean a thousand taels. It was dozens of times higher than the previous protection fee. This was practically carving the flesh from their bones!

Boss Huang gave a cold snort. "Boss Su, they say the human heart is never satisfied, and a snake tries to swallow an elephant. I, Old Huang, have been making my way in Changning Prefecture for years, and I've never heard of such a rule! Even the Three Heroes Association, the strongest of the Three Gangs and Four Associations, has never taken a stake in our businesses!"

If Su Xin went through with this, Boss Huang would be affected the most.

His Shunde Casino made the most money, so naturally he'd have to pay more than the other merchants.

Su Xin raised a hand, signaling for everyone to calm down.

"Please hear me out. I'm not asking for a stake for nothing. I have a way to double each of your monthly profits."

Hearing this, everyone curled their lips, clearly unconvinced.

Boss Huang was even more sarcastic. "Oh? Boss Su has that kind of skill? I, Huang, have been in business for decades, and even I wouldn't dare make such a claim."

Su Xin ignored him and looked at Boss Liu. "Boss Liu, I hear Drunken Moon Pavilion used to be the biggest and most luxurious brothel in Changning Prefecture. Why doesn't it measure up to the brothels in the center of Changning Prefecture anymore?"

Boss Liu smiled bitterly and explained, "It's all because of the capital relocation. Back when Changning Prefecture was the capital, the central districts like Changde Ward were where the imperial city stood. They had to keep up appearances, so casinos and brothels were all forbidden.

"That's why everyone opened their casinos, brothels, and other places in Joyful District, on the outskirts, where they could entertain the sons of the nobility, wealthy merchants, and the like. Even the name Joyful District came from that.

"But after His Majesty moved the capital, Changning Prefecture no longer had so many restrictions. A few sizeable casinos and brothels gradually sprang up in districts like Changde Ward.

"Since the places on both sides were much the same, people naturally chose somewhere closer to home, rather than riding in a carriage for half an hour to get all the way out to Joyful District.

"If it weren't for the old customers who still came out of nostalgia, even the last remaining Happy Forest in Joyful District might not have survived."

The other owners present nodded. They had all lived through that era, so they knew exactly what had happened.

They had, in a sense, prospered because of Joyful District and declined because of it.

After the Great Zhou Dynasty moved its capital, some shrewd people had already bought land and built establishments in districts like Changde Ward, closer to the center. By the time the others caught on, not even a patch of land for an outhouse remained.

Su Xin sat down and tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table. "Boss Liu explained it very well. At its root, Joyful District's decline comes down to two words: location.

"Because it's far away, when the scale and decor are the same on both sides, customers are naturally reluctant to pass up places close by for somewhere farther away. If that's the case, why haven't you considered reform?"

"Reform? What are we supposed to reform?"

Boss Huang scoffed. "Our businesses are already among the biggest in Changning Prefecture. Even if we invested more money in renovations, they'd only be a little nicer.

"That small advantage wouldn't bring in large numbers of customers. We might not even earn back what we spent on the renovations!"

Su Xin shook his head. "I'm not talking about renovating. I'm talking about reorganizing Happy Forest through better service."

Service?

The owners looked at one another. The word felt unfamiliar to them.

"Happy Forest is lined with casinos, brothels, restaurants, and inns. In the end, they're here to provide customers with four things: food, drink, entertainment, and pleasure.

"But we're not doing a good enough job. We're not making things convenient enough for our customers.

"If a customer has a young lady beside him while he's gambling, I'm sure he'll place his bets more boldly.

"If he wins, he'll reward the young ladies. If he loses, they'll soothe him with gentle words and help him raise his spirits again.

"And when he gets tired of gambling, he can have food and wine from the nearby restaurants brought out whenever he wants.

"Once he's had his fun and grown tired, the inn is right behind him. There's no need to hurry home; he can simply stay in Happy Forest.

"So my idea is to break up all the businesses in Happy Forest and reorganize them, so that every casino has a brothel, tavern, and inn nearby.

"No matter what a customer wants to do, he'll be able to do it as quickly as possible."

When Su Xin finished speaking, the owners stared at him for a moment, then slapped their thighs in unison. How had they never thought of this idea?

Customers had done this before, of course: they'd first gone to a brothel to find a group of young ladies, then taken them to a casino to have fun.

But only the most extravagant customers would do that.

Happy Forest was a long street. It took fifteen minutes to walk from one end to the other, and the price went up if the young ladies had to travel that far.

Shunde Casino had become so popular not only because it was large, but also because Drunken Moon Pavilion was right next door.

Su Xin's idea wasn't new. Many casinos abroad in his previous life operated this way. Put simply, it came down to four words: the customer comes first.

None of the owners present had spent all those years in business without being clever. With just a little prompting from Su Xin, they understood.

Boss Liu asked cautiously, "In that case, wouldn't some of us have to move our businesses and relocate?"

Su Xin nodded. "That's right. But the plots in Happy Forest were all planned in advance, and they're more or less the same size. If you swap locations, none of you will be losing out. The only real difference between your establishments is the decor.

"You all have substantial businesses. You should be able to afford to renovate. And you can move the furnishings from your old premises into the new ones. I'm sure you can afford that much."

The owners considered it, and all of them were somewhat tempted.

If they were simply renovating, they'd be throwing money into a hole and wouldn't even earn back their initial investment.

But if they combined it with Su Xin's plan, they might actually have a chance to turn things around.

Huang Bingcheng hurriedly handed Su Xin a cup of tea.

He was thoroughly impressed with his boss now. Su Xin had such a sharp business sense that if he went into business, he might even drive every merchant in the room out of the market.

Ji Gang, standing behind Su Xin, was also shocked. It seemed he'd underestimated Su Xin a little.