"Is there no one else at your house?"
"That's all."
"..."
Wu Shuangren asked a few more questions and learned that the other person had grown up in the village and had never been anywhere else.
It wasn't until a few days ago, when Xu Yu's mother passed away, that he obeyed her wishes and came to West River Market to find work.
It just so happens that the Fist Academy is currently very popular and recruiting boxers. Xu Yu learned about the treatment of boxers here from other people, so he came looking for it.
Moreover, Xu Yu probably genuinely didn't know he had Traits; he only knew he had been strong since childhood.
"Okay, from now on, you'll work for me, and I'll provide you with food and lodging, and pay you your wages."
Wu Shuangren spoke decisively.
Xu Yu looked up. "Is it all-you-can-eat?"
"Certainly."
"... I ate a lot."
Wu Shuangren got up and went outside to have the waiter bring the food over.
Actions speak louder than words.
Next, Wu Shuangren witnessed Xu Yu's appetite—
Five pounds of rice and over seventy steamed buns!
It's hard to imagine how such a thin body could hold so much food.
Xu Yu ate until his stomach was slightly bloated, then let out a satisfied burp.
He wiped his mouth with his hand, looked at Wu Shuangren, and said with a bright look in his eyes, "As long as you make sure I'm fed, I don't need anything else. I'll work for you, I'll do anything you ask!"
Wu Shuangren: "Including fighting?"
Xu Yu paused for Xu Yu, then nodded vigorously. "Including fighting!"
Wu Shuangren smiled.
He stood up, walked over, and patted Xu Yu on the shoulder:
"Okay, from now on I'm your older brother, you'll follow me."
Xu Yu nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Wu Shuangren then had someone arrange for him to take a bath, change his clothes, and sleep in a private room.
"You're planning to take this person in?"
Only after Xu Yu had fallen asleep did Mo Zhengxing find Wu Shuangren and ask him a question.
Wu Shuangren nodded. "This person has excellent potential and will be a good helper in the future. He said he's from Wang Clan Village in Cang County Xi Province. Have someone go there to find out about him."
"Good."
Mo Zhengxing nodded in agreement. Even if Wu Shuangren hadn't mentioned it, he would have arranged for someone to investigate.
Do you have any wine?
Wu Shuangren suddenly asked.
"Ah?"
Mo Zhengxing was stunned.
Wu Shuangren around him and laughed, "Come on, have a couple of drinks with me!"
Mo Zhengxing looked surprised; even when Wu Shuangren won the duel that day, he hadn't shown this much joy.
It's just taking on a subordinate, is it really that big of a deal?
Mo Zhengxing didn't understand at all.
He didn't know that Wu Shuangren was happy for more than just accepting Xu Yu.
Instead, it might allow me to recruit more talent in the future based on the Traits I see.
All the heroes of the world are before my eyes!
P. S.: Next week we'll be competing against Sanjiang, which is very important and will determine how far this book can go. I hope everyone will check in every day to read it.
76. Even in old age, true friends still hold their swords (6000+ words, please continue reading)
The morning after receiving the Xu Yu, West River Market was still shrouded in a thin mist. Most of the shops along the street had already opened, and the market was bustling again.
Wu Shuangren stood at the window on the second floor of the Fist Academy, looking out at the street, holding a cup of warm tea in his hand.
In the morning mist, the sound of orderly footsteps came from the east.
A smile appeared on Wu Shuangren's face.
In the light mist, a group of 150 men in uniform gray uniforms marched in formation, five men in a row, their steps perfectly synchronized, making a steady 'tap-tap' sound on the bluestone slabs.
They were not wearing leather armor, but each of them carried a spear, and a third of them had round shields on their backs.
This is the second batch of militia transferred from Bo County!
The recruitment in Bo County had already been completed. After the previous 'survey,' the 100 men were quickly recruited, and they were trained according to the training model left by Wu Shuangren.
After winning the martial arts competition, Wu Shuangren wrote to Bo County, asking them to recruit another hundred people!
After a period of training, the 150 militiamen who had the longest training time were sent to West River Market first.
Now, 150 militiamen have arrived.
Including the newly recruited 100 militiamen, the size of the Bo County Militia has now grown to 300 people.
One hundred people were in Bo County, and two hundred people came to West River Market.
On the one hand, West River Market needs more manpower.
On the other hand, the local militia in Bo County dared not leave the city at will, as too many people were stuck in the county town and could not make any use of their skills.
Wu Shuangren's next plan is to have Bo County recruit another batch of new soldiers after a period of time, and then send the veterans who have been trained for a while to West River Market.
The group stopped in front of the Fist Academy. Standing at the front was a young man in his early twenties with a resolute face, named Chen Tie.
He is a relative of the Wu Clan.
Xu Nanzhi's home is not in Bo County, so she has no relatives there. However, Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu are both from Bo County Bo County, and they have a lot of relatives there.
After Wu Shuangren gained power, many relatives came to his door, and many wanted to use connections to get into the militia and make a living.
However, Wu Dongrong blocked them all.
He was a prison warden, and in the eyes of his relatives, he was practically the King of Hell, making him perfect for playing the villain!
Wu Dongrong stepped in front to block the way, which relieved Wu Shuangren of a lot of worries.
However, Wu Shuangren had already considered that if he wanted to continuously expand the scale of the militia in the future, he would inevitably need some trustworthy people to help him manage it.
In this era, people from the same state or hometown naturally feel a sense of belonging, and the cohesion of clans is arguably the strongest in this era!
The powerful clans throughout the Wu Dynasty almost all rose to prominence through their clans.
The five most famous clans in the world represent the pinnacle of clan development.
At least in the early stages of his 'entrepreneurship,' Wu Shuangren could not avoid this clan-based model.
So he wrote to Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu, asking them to select some young, hardworking, and reliable relatives from their families to join the militia.
But there's one condition—you are absolutely forbidden from telling anyone that you're related to Militia Commander Wu!
If discovered, immediately expel them from the training camp and never use them again!
Therefore, among the 150 militiamen who came this time, more than a dozen were relatives of the Wu Clan and Liao Clan.
Chen Tie, who was standing in the front row, was promoted to squad leader based on his outstanding performance in training.
Wu Dongrong had informed Wu Shuangren of all these people and events in advance through a letter.
Wu Shuangren put down his teacup, slowly walked downstairs, and went out with Mo Zhengxing to greet everyone and arrange accommodations.
Fist Academy surrounding houses have all been renovated and together can accommodate more than two hundred people.
The news of the Fist Academy's "reinforcements" quickly spread throughout the entire West River Market.
On the afternoon of the day the militia arrived, a huge notice board was hung in front of the Fist Academy, with red paper and black lettering that read:
"The West River Market Fist King Championship will be held in three days at the central open space. Boxers who fight elsewhere are welcome to register. The ultimate winner will receive thirty strings of cash and a ' West River Fist King ' gold belt!"
Mo Zhengxing also hired dozens of people to spread the word by beating drums and gongs along the streets of West River Market.
The news spread like wildfire, and by evening, the entire West River Market knew about the upcoming grand event.
This is Wu Shuangren's next move. He deliberately waited until his own reinforcements arrived before making his move, in order to put the Xie Clan under the greatest pressure!
The next day at 9:00 AM, Xie Jingshan's carriage stopped in front of the Fist Academy.
The driver was a sturdy man; he jumped off the cart shaft and set up the footstool with clean, efficient movements.
Xie Jingshan lifted the car curtain and slowly stepped out of the car.
Today he wore a long red silk robe, a jade belt around his waist, a square scarf on his head, and a large jade thumb ring on his hand.
Wu Shuangren and Mo Zhengxing, who had already received the invitation, went out to greet him. After exchanging pleasantries, they invited him into the Fist Academy.
The three entered a private room on the second floor of the Fist Academy, where a waiter brought them tea.
Xie Jingshan picked up the teacup, gently blew on the tea foam, but didn't rush to drink it.
He turned to Wu Shuangren and Mo Zhengxing, and said sincerely, "Militia Commander Wu's martial arts are superb, and Boss Mo's business acumen is also admirable. This Fist Academy is truly impressive. I've been in business for most of my life, and I have to admit defeat."
Mo Zhengxing's expression was strange. He knew that Xie Jingshan must have thought that the Fist Academy's series of methods were his own idea.
Indeed, to outsiders, Wu Shuangren's martial arts skills were so high that he certainly wouldn't be able to spare any attention to studying how to do business.
It's a pity you don't know that some people in this world are unreasonable...
Mo Zhengxing sighed inwardly.
Xie Jingshan put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly:
"Since the Fist Academy opened, West River Market has gained another avenue to wealth. Xie is a businessman, and seeing this path to riches, he naturally wanted to try it out. However, now that things have come to this, Xie has to admit defeat."
As he spoke, he bowed to Wu Shuangren and Mo Zhengxing.
For someone of his status as the head of the Xie Clan, this gesture was incredibly humble!
Wu Shuangren and Mo Zhengxing naturally exchanged pleasantries.
Both of them knew why Xie Jingshan was behaving this way—
The Fist Academy proposed a ' Fist King Championship ' and even took the initiative to invite boxers from Xie Clan Boxing Arena to participate, which was practically a game-changer for the Xie Clan's boxing business!
Because Wu Shuangren is in charge at the Fist Academy, as long as he is there, the title of 'Boxing King' will definitely belong to the Fist Academy.
If the Xie Clan sends boxers to participate, they are only promoting the Fist Academy and offering their own face to be beaten.
If the Xie Clan doesn't send anyone to participate, they can only watch helplessly as the Fist Academy builds momentum. Once the 'Boxing King' is chosen, the Fist Academy will have established its dominance. Whether in terms of 'name' or 'reality,' the Fist Academy will be the highest arena for the West River Market boxing competition!
Once this stage is reached, the Fist Academy can open more rings, gradually taking away Xie Clan's boxing business until it achieves a monopoly in West River Market!
Xie Jingshan had foreseen this, which is why he took the initiative to visit today, and with such a humble attitude.
He actually came to surrender.
Inside the room, Xie Jingshan continued, "This constant fighting between the two families isn't good for either of them. The Fist Academy is certainly powerful, but if the Xie Clan continues to refuse admission fees and things just drag on like this, it will be difficult for the Fist Academy to develop. Therefore, it would be better for the two families to cooperate."
"How would Chairman Xie like to cooperate?"
Wu Shuangren asked calmly.
"Simple." Xie Jingshan smiled broadly. "Let the Xie Clan's boxers also receive training at the Fist Academy, to learn how to fight more spectacularly. In the upcoming Fist King Championship, Xie Clan family boxers will also participate, and our two families will take turns crowning the champion—this year, the Fist Academy's boxer will win, and next year, the Xie Clan family's boxer will take the crown. The audience will have something new to watch, and both our families will make money."
He paused, then held up two fingers. "Of course, we absolutely cannot let the Fist Academy suffer a loss. I, Xie, am willing to give up 20% of the academy's profits."
As he said this, he kept his eyes fixed on Mo Zhengxing, because he felt that since today's business was being discussed, it would definitely be with Mo Zhengxing, Wu Shuangren was just there to keep things under control.