The Black Tiger Gang Sends Someone

The next morning, Zhang Meng arrived at his doorstep with his men.

"Master Lin, I..." Seeing Lin Xu open the door, his eyes lit up, and he bowed and scraped, but Lin Xu waved his hand to stop him, "Don't do these things at home. Also, don't use those underworld terms to address me. Either call me by my name or call me A-Xu."

"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Xu." Zhang Meng nodded repeatedly with a smile, his back hunched. "Look at me, I've made you sound old."

"A-Xu, who's here?" Mother Lin called from inside the house.

"A friend," Lin Xu replied casually. "We'll go out for a walk first, then we'll be right back."

He then went out of the house, glancing at the bags full of gifts that Zhang Meng and his henchmen were carrying. "Just leave them by the door, let's go for a walk."

Zhang Meng responded and quickly put down the gifts, following behind.

"Is everything settled?" Lin Xu asked casually as he walked down the stairs.

"You can rest assured about my work. I've already dealt with Liang Hu's trusted men in the gang. There will be no future trouble!" Zhang Meng patted his chest and assured them. "I heard that Liang Hu offended you, and the brothers in the gang were in a frenzy. The news spread, and within an hour, the heads of those thieves were brought over by my underlings."

Lin Xu nodded slightly. It wasn't difficult to lie in front of this illusion master, but it was difficult to lie without him noticing.

"How many people are in the Black Tiger Gang now?" As they walked down the street, passersby quietly avoided this unusual group, their gazes filled with envy and awe.

"Brother Xu, the gang now has over a thousand brothers, all of them tough guys," Zhang Meng quickly replied. "Besides me, there are seven adventurers from the Spirit Realm, all of whom survived the trials."

Lin Xu frowned slightly. "Seven adventurers? Why didn't they join the Night Watchers?"

The Night Watchers is a state-supported transnational organization, equivalent to special police. They enjoy high social status, with salaries and benefits exceeding those of most jobs. Most importantly, their income is guaranteed regardless of circumstances; as long as they don't die, they can live off their earnings for life.

Zhang Meng smiled awkwardly, "Well... the brothers are used to their freedom and can't stand being restricted."

Lin Xu understood; not all adventurers obeyed the law. Even he himself had been forced to kill someone.

These adventurers, however, lacked his talent and luck. Their abilities were mediocre, and when they broke the law, they left a criminal record with the Night Watchers. Although they were no longer pursued for their past actions due to the low level of social danger, they could forget about being accepted into the organization.

A genius like him, who became a mid-level professional right after completing his trials, and a rare magic-based one at that, would be highly sought after by any faction. Of course, such a mere "flaw" would be ignored.

This is ultimately a world where the extraordinary and the technological coexist, unlike my previous life.

Lin Xu sighed slightly and stopped at the steamed bun shop by the roadside, "Uncle Xu, busy?"

"Ah~ A-Xu, Brother Xu, you're here?" Uncle Xu, a middle-aged man, looked up from his busy work and was immediately surprised and delighted. For a moment, he didn't know where to put his hands. "I only heard about you this morning. Amazing, amazing, A-Xu! Our Seven-Li Market has finally produced a genius!"

His tone was full of emotion, tinged with obvious envy. "Brother Xu, you haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you? Here, here, freshly steamed buns, your favorite pork and scallion filling..."

Lin Xu smiled and accepted the steamed bun, "Uncle Xu, you're too kind. What's with all this talk of genius? We're just neighbors, aren't we?"

He touched his pocket, then froze, a hint of embarrassment creeping onto his face.

Oh no! I forgot I was wearing a Daoist robe and didn't bring any money!

It's not his fault; this era is far from safe. Even though evil spirits rarely appear in broad daylight, people can sometimes be far more dangerous than evil spirits.

This authentic Daoist robe comes with its own defensive magic, making it much safer to wear than ordinary clothing.

"Brother Xu, I have some money here..." Zhang Meng hurriedly stepped forward to pay, but Uncle Xu waved his hands repeatedly, "No, Brother Xu is doing me a favor by coming here, how can I accept the money? Take it back, take it back..."

Lin Xu sighed inwardly and shook his head, "Uncle, please keep it, otherwise I'll be too embarrassed to come over again."

After leaving the steamed bun shop, he continued to ask, "How many gangs are there in Meng City? Who controls them?"

"There are seven gangs in Meng City, all supported by the major Lineage and groups in the city. The Black Tiger Gang used to follow the Chen Lineage. I heard that Liang Hu followed Chen Lingfeng before he founded the Black Tiger Gang, but he was removed from the gang after getting into trouble," Zhang Meng quickly said. "Although our Black Tiger Gang has only been established for four or five years, it is already one of the three major gangs in the city. Apart from the Lord Guan Society and the Iron-Blood Alliance, the others are small gangs with less than a hundred people, not worth mentioning."

Lin Xu pondered for a moment, "The three major gangs in the city should all be members of the Chen Lineage, right?"

"Brother Xu, you're absolutely right!" Zhang Meng gave a thumbs up. "Before, the Jiang Clan in Meng City could rival the Chen Lineage. After the Jiang Clan was defeated, the Chen Lineage family took over Meng City. Chen Lingfeng was all-powerful; anyone who wasn't one of his either left or died."

Lin Xu nodded. He knew Chen Lingfeng's style from the attack on the Jiang Clan last night. "From now on, I want to establish myself in Meng City. The Black Tiger Gang needs to help me keep watch in the shadows. I don't expect you to be of much use, but news from the city can't be leaked."

"Don't worry about that. I, Zhang Meng, may not be good at anything else, but I was famous for being a gossip when I was young. I definitely won't let you down." Zhang Meng said quickly, then paused, cautiously observing Lin Xu's expression. "Brother Xu, there's something I need your advice on, so the brothers can have a plan."

Lin Xu's gaze swept across the street, and he saw a familiar figure getting into a car in the crowd. It was the person who had been watching him from across the street last night.

He casually asked, "What's up?"

"You and the Chen Lineage are at odds, aren't you?" Zhang Meng asked cautiously, then quickly explained, "It's not that I have any ulterior motives. We gangsters have to figure out who's on our side and who's the enemy, otherwise we won't even know how we died."

Lin Xu smiled and said, "Do you think Chen Lingfeng, given his personality, would tolerate my growth and expansion in Meng City?"

"Impossible, Brother Xu. You may not know, but Chen Lingfeng is known for his domineering nature. He treats Meng City as his own territory and won't tolerate anyone."

"I have a buddy who works for the Night Watchers. Once, he got drunk and cursed Chen Lingfeng in front of me, saying that the guy was ruthless and cunning, that he had plundered all the resources of the Spirit Realm in Meng City and used them to pull strings for higher-ups..." Zhang Meng his head, his tone certain:

"A few years ago, a Lineage rose to prominence in the county below and wanted to expand into the city, but then their genius died. Everyone in the underworld says it was Chen Lingfeng who did it. That Lineage was still a vassal of the Chen Lineage. He can't even tolerate his own people, let alone someone as important as you?"