Taking Underlings

"I made it up myself. Do you believe me?" Li Changfeng teased.

"I do! I've never seen such a martial art before. It's truly incredible!" the gang leader said respectfully.

"Hero! Please take me as your disciple and teach me martial arts, all right?"

"Taking disciples? Forget it. Help me plow the fields and weed the crops from now on. If I'm in a good mood, I might teach you a few moves."

The gang leader hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth. "Big Zhuang, you'll be my boss from now on. Even if you won't take me as a disciple, it's not too much to acknowledge you as my boss if you're willing to teach me a few moves."

My mediocre skills might be enough to bully ordinary people in this world, but against anyone who knows even a little martial arts, I'd be beaten to death in minutes. Forget taking disciples. Taking in a few underlings, though, wouldn't be bad. At least I won't have to work so hard in the future, Li Changfeng thought.

"Hahaha! Good, then follow me from now on. But your boss is a little hungry right now, and I'm short on cash. I wonder if you could help me out?" Li Changfeng said pointedly.

The gang leader instantly understood what Li Changfeng meant.

He immediately shouted, "Get the hell up, all of you! Everyone, hand over some money to show respect to the boss! If anyone dares object, ask my fists the size of sandpots first!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Everyone hurriedly handed over some money to Li Changfeng, pounding their chests and swearing that they would follow Big Zhuang from now on as his lackeys.

"One more thing! Don't call me Big Zhuang anymore. What the hell kind of name is that? Call me Changfeng or Brother Feng. Don't call me that name again, understand?"

The underlings all replied, "Understood, Brother Feng!"

At that moment, the little brat hiding nearby ran over. He rubbed his clasped hands together and looked at Li Changfeng with the fawning grin of an ungrateful cur. "Boss! You're amazing! You took down so many people in just a few moves. This little brother is a bit short on cash. Could you spare me some money?"

"Heh. Haven't you been beaten enough? Want a few more hits?" Li Changfeng said disdainfully.

"Fuck you! You still dare ask the boss for money? You useless piece of trash ran off by yourself the moment anything happened, and you've still got the nerve to ask the boss for money? Boss! Just say the word, and I'll beat him until even his mother can't recognize him!"

"D-Don't! Brother! I know I was wrong. I'm leaving right now!" With that, he immediately ran off without a trace.

"Let's go! We'll all get something to eat! After that fight, everyone's stomachs are growling!" With that, the group hurried to a restaurant for a meal.

Inside the restaurant, Li Changfeng wolfed down the food on the table, taking huge bites of meat and washing them down with mouthfuls of wine. His face was covered in grease as the underlings flattered him. "Boss, what an appetite! The way you eat is so imposing. We're impressed!"

"Urp!"

Li Changfeng let out a full belch and said contentedly, "Three years! Do you know how I spent those three years? This is the first time in three years that I've eaten meat, drunk wine, and eaten until I'm full. This feels incredible!"

"Boss! With your strength, why are you only a vegetable farmer? Joining the streets would be far better than your current situation!"

"Sigh! It's a long story."

Could I tell you that I died three years ago while saving my teammates and woke up in this world? That I'm carrying a whole pile of trouble on my back? I don't want to farm vegetables either! Li Changfeng thought.

Seeing that Li Changfeng did not want to talk about it, the underling wisely did not ask further.

"What are your plans from here on, Boss? If you want to work under Gold Master, I can introduce you to him. With your strength, you could become a minor leader under Gold Master in no time. You'd earn far more than you do selling vegetables."

"Sigh, forget it. I'd rather remain a vegetable farmer. It strengthens the body and lets me practice martial arts too. Where do you think this strength of mine came from? I grew it from farming vegetables. I even named this fist technique the Vegetable Farming Fist!" Li Changfeng bluffed.

"Boss! You gained this strength from farm work? Is that really true?" the gang leader asked in surprise.

"Heh! Don't you believe it! How would a vegetable farmer like me have the means to learn martial arts? I had an epiphany while farming vegetables. Come help me work more often in the future, and when I teach you a few moves, you'll understand." Li Changfeng continued bluffing.

"Is that so? Don't worry, Boss. I'll come help you work every day from now on and learn your Vegetable Farming Fist!" the gang leader said solemnly.

You expect a dignified armed police officer like me to join the underworld? No chance. I'll just fool this kid into doing more work for me and treating me to more good food, Li Changfeng thought.

"Oh, right! I still don't know your names."

The gang leader replied, "Boss, just call me Tie Niu."

The other gangsters answered as well, "Chang Mao, Lai Li Tou, Er Gouzi, Hei Gouzi."

"Good! I'll remember your names. It's about time I left. Remember to come help me work in the fields tomorrow! I'm off!"

When Li Changfeng returned home, he heard a harsh, grating voice.

"Well, well, isn't this the eldest of the family? So mighty and impressive! You're so capable, yet when you saw your younger brother getting beaten, you didn't step in to help. You went off to eat and drink your fill by yourself, and you didn't even bring anything back for us. Are you even human?"

"Heh. Your son knows perfectly well what he did. It's only natural for him to get beaten after stealing from someone. When he saw me arrive, he even pushed all the blame onto me. Like mother, like son," Li Changfeng said mockingly.

"Li Changfeng! Is that how you speak to your second mother? You have no respect for your elders, and you think you're in the right? How much money did you get today? Hand it over now, and I'll pretend none of this happened."

"Hehe, so that's what you're after. You want my money? No way!"

"I won't give you any money. Even if I have money, I'll use it to buy medicine for my father. Don't try to use seniority to pressure me. I won't accept it. If your son wants it, let him come take it himself!"

"What? You don't dare? In my eyes, your son is nothing but trash. He never studies, he gambles, he steals, and he still talks about earning scholarly honors. It's the biggest joke in the world."

"Y-You... you... you!" The second mother was so furious that she could not say a word.

"Enough! What are you arguing about? Dazhuang earned that money himself, so it belongs to him. The family only relies on him to work now. None of you have any right to criticize him. This matter ends here. Stop arguing!" Li Changfeng's father said.

Once the head of the household had spoken, everyone fell silent.

The little brat glared at Li Changfeng with resentment, inwardly confused. Ever since Li Changfeng collapsed from exhaustion while working three years ago, he's been like a completely different person after waking up. He's nothing like that simple, honest vegetable-farming boy from before. How strange!

Seeing the resentment in the little brat's eyes, Li Changfeng sneered inwardly. What can a piece of trash like you accomplish by glaring at me? What a joke.

The next morning.

Those underlings indeed arrived at the fields on time to help Li Changfeng work. Thinking that they could learn the Vegetable Farming Fist by working more in the future, every one of them labored hard while Li Changfeng lounged comfortably atop a pile of straw and fed them nonsense.

Watching them work hard, Li Changfeng said leisurely, "Remember this! The Vegetable Farming Fist has three great principles. First, hoe the ground. Second, sow the seeds. Third, water them! Understand?"

"Understood!"

"Louder! Didn't you eat?"

Everyone shouted, "Understood, Boss!"

Li Changfeng nodded as he watched them work diligently. It somewhat resembled how instructors used to drill soldiers, and the sight reminded him of the comrades he had served with.

Suddenly, as if he had noticed something, Li Changfeng shouted, "Er Gouzi, what the hell are you doing? You can't even hoe a single patch of land?"

"What the hell are you good for? You eat more than a dog, but you're worse than one! Look at Hei Gouzi. One swing of the hoe clears a patch, then he sows the seeds and waters them in one smooth motion. How perfect!"

Hei Gouzi was unexpectedly praised and scratched his head with a foolish grin. "I've done farm work before, so I'm familiar with it. That's why I can do it so well."

"Er Gouzi, have you been visiting brothels too often? I told you to stay away from those places. What, are your legs weak and your body out of strength today?" Tie Niu teased.

After being scolded mercilessly, Er Gouzi said shamefully, "I know I was wrong, Boss! I won't go to those places again." As he spoke, he worked even harder.

"Chang Mao! You look ridiculous with that wild mop of hair. Cut it off! It hurts my eyes."

Chang Mao smiled bitterly. "Boss, my name is Chang Mao. If I cut my hair, can I still be called Chang Mao?"

"Hahaha! Chang Mao, you look just like a beggar right now," Lai Li Tou laughed loudly.

"What are you laughing at? Your mangy head looks even uglier. You might as well shave it bald. You'd even save on lamp oil at night," Li Changfeng said sharply.

"Boss, please stop scolding us! You've scolded almost everyone already. We'll work even harder, don't worry!" Tie Niu said with a bitter smile.

"Fine! I won't scold you anymore. Keep working. I'll go take care of something first."

That afternoon, after finishing their work, everyone lay exhausted beneath a large tree to rest in the shade. Suddenly, they caught a fragrant scent and sprang up in alarm, shouting, "That smells so good! Where is it coming from? Find it quickly, I'm starving to death!"

"Hey! Come over here, everyone. I roasted a few chickens in clay pots. You've all worked hard, so come eat!" Li Changfeng said with a smile.

"Holy shit! Boss, you can do this too? You're unbeatable!"

Everyone was already starving. They wolfed down the clay-roasted chicken and said between bites, "Boss! This chicken is so delicious! Where did you learn to make it?"

"I made it up myself. Do you believe me?"

"I do! I believe anything Boss says!" Tie Niu said firmly.

"If I told you the shit over there was edible, would you believe me?"

"Th-That... Boss, stop messing around. I'm serious."

Li Changfeng patted Tie Niu on the shoulder and laughed. "Hahaha! I'm joking, good brother!"