Glasses clinked amid lively toasts at the Fortune Restaurant.
After they raised their glasses and drank together, Li Nanshu said, "I can put up some money."
Li Xiuwen could not help taking another look at her.
She seemed gentle and agreeable on the surface, but she had ambitions of her own.
Zhao Dalong wanted to organize a hometown association in Fragrant Sea and gather people around him. Surely he had more in mind than simply helping one another. Perhaps he intended to strike out on his own and form a gang someday.
Ding Sheng considered it for a moment, then said, "I can find you an office. As for the hassle of registering the association and all that, I'll get someone to take care of it."
Although he had found his grandfather, the Newspaper Tycoon, the old man now had plenty of children and grandchildren. Ding Sheng's standing in the family was not particularly high.
As a newcomer, he would struggle to build a power base within the family, so he could only look elsewhere.
Since Zhao Dalong wanted to start a hometown association, he might as well go along with it. He could draw on its strength in the future, too.
Zhao Dalong turned to Li Xiuwen with a smile. "A Wen, what about you?"
Li Xiuwen hesitated briefly, then smiled. "I don't have the resources. I'm afraid I'd only drag you down if I joined."
Zhao Dalong smiled. "That's fine. Just put your name down. We're only getting started. It wouldn't look good with so few members."
Li Xiuwen said, "Wouldn't I just be making up the numbers? Wouldn't that embarrass you?"
Zhao Dalong said, "Exactly, we just want you to make up the numbers... Hahaha, I'm kidding. Don't take it seriously.
"A Wen, I reckon the four of us must be blessed with incredible luck to have escaped the Snake Den alive! Our fortunes have to be strong!
"You're struggling now, but that doesn't mean you have no hope of making it big someday. Don't you agree?"
Zhao Dalong looked at Li Nanshu and Ding Shao. Both smiled and nodded slightly.
Ding Shao smiled. "A Wen, you should still dream. What if it comes true? Before I came to Fragrant Sea, I never imagined I'd end up where I am today."
Zhao Dalong said, "Come on, join us. With the association backing us, we can share insider information and resources that outsiders could never get access to."
Li Nanshu's eyes curved as she gave Li Xiuwen a meaningful look. With a faint smile, she said, "Come on, A Wen."
Li Xiuwen thought for a moment, then said, "All right. I'll join and muddle along."
He was still weak, so having a mutual-aid group of people from home was no bad thing. Whether he needed it or not, it would give him connections.
In his previous life, he had been too withdrawn. He had always thought university clubs were useless, only to discover their value when he graduated and started looking for work.
Even in the legal profession, the Law School circles in Capital City stuck together. The more people he knew, the more chances he had of getting referrals for good positions.
The same applied to martial arts.
Once he became strong, he could stay or leave as he pleased anyway.
Zhao Dalong patted Li Xiuwen's shoulder. "Think about it. Our association has an heir to a Newspaper Tycoon and a disciple of Ye Tiannan. What a future we've got ahead of us.
"If someone pushes you around out there, just tell them you know my Sister Nanshu and Ding Shao. Won't that make them think twice? It'll also be easier to get people to do things for you. This is a society built on connections!"
Once all four had agreed, Li Nanshu asked, "What should we call the association?"
"The Prosperity Society," Zhao Dalong said. "Those Foreign Devils are exploiting the fact that Great Sheng is a step behind in technological development and imposing a technology blockade. We'll use the martial way to turn the tide and make Great Sheng prosper!"
"The Foreign Devils in the Colonial Government might not like that name," Li Xiuwen said.
"True..." Zhao Dalong smiled. "See, A Wen? You're thorough. You're useful after all. I'm just a roughneck."
"Then how about the Shengxing Society? If the Foreign Devils ask, we'll say it was named after me," Ding Sheng said with a smile.
Zhao Dalong's eyes shifted thoughtfully before he smiled. "Good name. Once we've grown big and strong, we'll change it back to the Prosperity Society."
"As for the position of president..." Ding Sheng mused.
"If none of you mind, let me shoulder the burden. I'll handle the grunt work. After all, I run in those circles and know quite a few people." Zhao Dalong thumped his chest and volunteered.
"All right. My master won't let me get too distracted by worldly affairs anyway. You're the best choice," Li Nanshu said.
Ding Sheng smiled. "Agreed."
Li Xiuwen naturally had no objections. He was focused on practicing his boxing, had neither money nor status, and certainly had no time or energy to help manage things.
"I hereby declare the Shengxing Society founded! Zhao Dalong, president; Ding Sheng, vice president; Li Nanshu and Li Xiuwen, members! Cheers!" Zhao Dalong raised his glass.
Everyone drained their glasses. Looking at the feast covering the table, Li Xiuwen smiled. "Can we start eating now? This meal is what I came for."
Iron Plate Dry-Fried Shrimp, Chili Chicken Diced, Boiled Beef, Nine-King Eel Paste... The spread was enough to make anyone's mouth water.
"Eat! Order more if it's not enough! It's my treat, so eat all you want!" Zhao Dalong declared generously.
Ignoring the looks from the others, Li Xiuwen tucked in with gusto.
Watching him, Li Nanshu smiled faintly. It was as though she had returned to their early days in the Snake Den, when they fought over scraps of rotten char siu.
Zhao Dalong drank with his arm around his female companion, gazing out at the ships coming and going in the harbor and the glittering forest of neon beyond, full of confidence.
Ding Sheng remained expressionless and did not touch his chopsticks. Over the past year, he had already eaten his fill of every delicacy imaginable.
He watched Li Xiuwen stuffing himself with an indifferent gaze, occasionally glancing at Nanshu out of the corner of his eye.
Zhao Dalong, meanwhile, occasionally glanced at Ding Sheng.
"Oh, right, Ding Shao. Haven't you been practicing martial arts?" Zhao Dalong asked casually.
Ding Sheng shook his head and said flatly, "I don't have the aptitude, so I couldn't be bothered. Boxing is pretty boring, too.
"You train through the bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of summer, and by the time you're old, you're riddled with injuries and chronic ailments. Yet you still can't withstand a single shot from a 'Thunderheart Palm.'"
"What's a Thunderheart Palm?" Li Xiuwen asked, curious.
Zhao Dalong smiled. "It's a handgun favored by martial artists in the underworld. Small and handy, it can be concealed in your palm, but one shot can shatter a trained fighter."
"Oh." Li Xiuwen continued eating and drinking. Looking at Zhao Dalong, he asked, "Is there any way to get one? The walled city is a real mess. It'd be good to have one for protection."
Zhao Dalong said, "They're hard to get. All of them are made by the Foreign Devils... and they're expensive. I'll keep an eye out for you."
"All right. Let me know how much it costs when the time comes," Li Xiuwen said with a smile.
"Talking money hurts our friendship!" Zhao Dalong readily agreed, though he did not really take it to heart.
Knowing that A Wen was not doing particularly well, he had shifted his attention to Ding Sheng and Nanshu.
The Shengxing Society would need those two's help to rise in the future.
Reunited after a year, they had all changed.
Their circles were different, their perspectives were different.
Though they had gathered together, things were no longer as simple as they had been at the beginning.
That was human nature. By continuing to include A Wen, he was already being a loyal friend.
"Burp..." After several rounds of drinks, Li Xiuwen rubbed his stomach. Some untouched dishes he had packed to take away sat on the table. "Everyone, it's getting late. Time to head back."
Zhao Dalong said, "All right. If you have time, we should meet here every so often."
"All right." Li Nanshu rose and cupped her fist in farewell. "Take care of yourselves here in Fragrant Sea."
With that, she left, her steps light as a dragonfly skimming the water. Before long, she was downstairs.
Ding Sheng watched Li Nanshu walk away, then withdrew his gaze. "I'm off too. Dalong, come to me if you run into trouble."
Once everyone had left, Zhao Dalong went into the restroom with his arm around his female companion, displeasure written all over his face. He seemed like an entirely different man from moments before.
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