Chapter Ninety-Three: The New Gang Leader

The six men of the Azure Fire Gang no longer dared entertain any stray thoughts. Together, they folded their hands and said, “Hong Yunshan, Shan Youxin, Mo Jing, Tian Xi, Zhao Yaonong, and Zhou Zhi pay their respects to Patriarch Yang.”

Yang Cheng smiled and nodded. “Please, sit.”

Lu Baichuan had been invited precisely to play his part, a deliberate show of force meant to put the others in their place. Clearly, it had done the trick. As for Liu Changqing, Yang Cheng would not have been able to invite him even if he had wanted to, and if the man had come, he might not have cooperated.

Seeing the six of them sit down in restrained silence, waiting for his decision, Yang Cheng said, “Things were too busy yesterday, so I treated you all with less attention than I should have.”

Hong Yunshan hurriedly replied, “We would not dare say such a thing. We are offenders, yet Patriarch Yang still receives us with courtesy. We are deeply ashamed.” Shan Youxin and the others quickly echoed his words.

Zhao Yaonong had a straightforward nature and had been holding it in for two days. Unable to endure it any longer, he said bluntly, “Patriarch Yang has treated us well, and the six of us bear no resentment toward you. Victory goes to the strong, defeat to the weak. As for how you mean to deal with us, please speak plainly.”

Yang Cheng said, “I have no deep hatred toward any of you. There is no need to wipe you all out. Even Song Qinghuo’s death was not my original intention. My hometown has a saying: leave a thread in everything so that you can meet again another day.”

At these words, the six of them all relaxed at once and hastened to praise him. “Patriarch Yang is magnanimous beyond measure. We are utterly ashamed.”

Yang Cheng said, “I am a businessman. I have always believed that so long as two sides are not mortal enemies, things can be settled. If there is mutual benefit, the relationship can even be deepened and friendship made. There is no need to create more enemies. Today, you may all return in peace. Before you leave, I would like to ask what you intend to do next. Have you given any thought to gathering your men again?”

When they heard that he intended to let them go, their hearts lifted at once. But the meaning behind his last words was unclear, and none of them dared answer rashly.

If he was asking whether they wanted to regroup their followers, of course they did. Their livelihood depended on those men. Without their brothers, they would not merely lose their source of income; their enemies would surely seize the chance to come after them and avenge old grievances. By then, even their lives might be at risk.

But Patriarch Yang was probably probing them to see whether they still harbored thoughts of revenge. The six exchanged glances, and in the end Hong Yunshan, the most composed among them, said, “We had thought our lives would not be spared, and we have made no plans for the future. As for gathering our men again, that depends on Patriarch Yang’s meaning. If Patriarch Yang permits it, we will do it. If not, then we will not.”

Yang Cheng thought to himself that this old fox was as slippery as they came, not a single word leaking through. He smiled and said, “The gang is the very foundation of your livelihoods. I want you to gather your men again, but there is no need to keep the name Azure Fire Gang. You can change it.”

The others thought that Yang Cheng likely intended to take control of the gang. Yet for them, whether it was Song Qinghuo or Yang Cheng in charge made little difference. Whoever ruled, they had no real complaints. Street gangs were always a gray corner of society: looked down upon by the upper class and despised by the common people below. They fought and killed one another, seizing territory by force. Having a patron stronger than Song Qinghuo was, in truth, not a bad choice at all.

Hong Yunshan exchanged glances with the others. Seeing no objection on any face, he cupped his hands and said, “Patriarch Yang has disregarded old grievances and spared our lives. That alone is a great kindness. If Patriarch Yang is willing, we would gladly take Dao Bailiu as our gang leader and serve you faithfully.”

Yang Cheng waved a hand. “I said it before: I am only a businessman. I cannot be a gang leader. But I can recommend someone to be yours.”

Hong Yunshan asked, “May I ask which esteemed figure in your residence you have in mind?”

Yang Cheng said, “That person is Dao Bailiu.”

The six reacted differently at the name. Those who were friendly with Dao Bailiu were indifferent enough, but Hong Yunshan’s expression darkened. If it had been one of Yang Cheng’s own people, that would have been one thing. But Dao Bailiu was practically the gang’s second-in-command. In terms of seniority and prestige, that blunt young fellow was far below him.

Yang Cheng saw the look on his face and asked, “What do you think? If Song Qinghuo and Dao Bailiu were compared, which of them would make the better gang leader?”

After a moment of thought, Shan Youxin, who knew Dao Bailiu better than the others, cupped his hands and said, “I had never considered it before, but now that you put them side by side, Dao Bailiu is naturally the better choice. When the former gang leader was in power, he was cruel and suspicious. We worked in constant fear, always worried that we might make a mistake, and even when we had suggestions, we did not dare raise them. Brother Dao Bailiu is easygoing by nature, and both his strength and ambition are no weaker than Gang Leader Song’s.”

Yang Cheng saw that Hong Yunshan’s face had grown heavy and that he had some objections, so he said to him, “Old Hong, forgive my frankness. I know something of your past. If you were to take charge of a new gang, you would likely fall back into the same habits you had when you led a minor outfit before: cautious, conservative, clinging to the old ways. Before long, the people from the Eight Great Gangs would probably swallow you whole. If you were lucky, you might take in one or two small bosses. If not, you could even be driven out of South City.”

Hong Yunshan’s old face reddened. “I am ashamed.”

“But you, Old Hong, are both clever and brave. When Song Qinghuo was still alive, he mistrusted everyone and made it hard for you to display your abilities. I am not playing favorites when I say this, but Dao Bailiu is different. He is young, promising, and full of potential. He is easygoing and sincere, and he can accommodate all of your talents. More than that, he has long had great ambitions and will not be content to remain in a corner. Given time, he will surely build the gang into something far larger.”

“I spoke with him last night, and he praised your abilities without reserve. He even said that if he were the gang leader, he would make you his deputy and leave all major and minor affairs to you. He would also let Shan Youxin handle the internal and external communications, while the rest of you worked together. In that case, you would surely be stronger than you were under Song Qinghuo.”

Yang Cheng paused, then went on, “If things develop that way, your future will not stop there. It would not be impossible for all the underground forces in South City to fall under your control. Old Hong, think about it: would you rather be the leader of a small gang, guarding a tiny patch of ground and waiting for someone to swallow you up, or the deputy leader of a major one?”

The others were stunned. Unifying the entire underground world was unimaginably difficult, and none of them dared even dream of it. Yet once someone put such a grand vision into words, it was impossible not to feel one’s blood stir. If it truly could be achieved, then becoming the overlord of South City’s underworld would bring wealth and glory beyond counting. And they knew Dao Bailiu well: loyal, righteous, and deeply attached to old bonds. If he became gang leader, he would not treat them poorly.

Hong Yunshan rose and bowed. “Thank you, Patriarch Yang, for guiding me out of the fog. I had been trapped inside the situation and could not see the larger picture. My vision was too narrow. I am willing to support Dao Bailiu as gang leader and give him my full assistance. There is only one thing I do not understand, and I beg Patriarch Yang to enlighten me.”

“Ask freely,” Yang Cheng said.

Hong Yunshan said, “Dao Bailiu is a fine man, beyond reproach. But by nature he is kindhearted, chivalrous, and fond of justice, which is a weakness for anyone living on the edge. Many of the things our gang does are not fit to see daylight, and I fear that once he becomes gang leader, he will abolish them one by one. It is not that we wish to do such things. It is simply that there are too many mouths and too much chatter. The brothers in the gang have few sources of income, and without real benefits, I fear it will be hard to hold their hearts together.”

Yang Cheng smiled. “Before you came, you already took a look around my east and west compounds, did you not? I wonder what you thought of them.”

The six exchanged blank looks, not understanding his meaning. Shan Youxin said, “To answer Patriarch Yang, we do not understand your other businesses, but I saw the Yang Family furniture factory in the east compound packed to the rafters with no fewer than a thousand kinds of furniture. I heard that each item sells for two or three hundred spirit coins. Just that one business alone is astonishing. As for our gang, even if we fight and kill over territory and collect protection money for several months, the sum we make probably would not equal what Patriarch Yang earns in a single day.”

Hong Yunshan and the others were equally moved by it. Yang Cheng smiled and said, “The concern Old Hong raised is something Dao Bailiu and I already discussed. I had you tour the place not to show off my wealth. This is only one of my businesses. I merely wanted to tell you that I know how to make money, and you have enough manpower. If we cooperate, we can make money together. It is not a fear of too many men I have, but too few.”