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墨書 Inktalez
I fell into deep thought after hearing this; that old man was indeed not easy to fool!
So what should we do from now on? Are you two just going to reconcile like this? Even if Xian Shao Ye is willing, I am not! The old man's matter must be resolved! We can't just let it go without clarity!
After Chen Duo finished speaking, others immediately echoed his sentiments. I must admit, Chen Duo had considerable influence among these people, much more than Zhang Feihai!
At this moment, I began to wonder why North Hongmen didn’t choose him for support. Isn’t he stronger than Zhang Feihai? Could it be that Chen Duo is too loyal to Lu Ding Tian, and North Hongmen fears he won’t listen?
The old man’s issue must be addressed, but then again, everyone knows that the culprit is either me or Lu Xian. Since it’s a matter between us brothers, we can resolve it behind closed doors without involving the power of Qing Gang. We shouldn’t let Qing Gang suffer losses. Here’s the plan: give us three months. After three months, I assure you that Lu Xian and I will have a resolution.
I said that this was merely a delaying tactic; I am not suited to be the leader of Qing Gang. It’s better to keep things murky under my control.
At this point, people began to look at the silent Lu Xian, and someone finally spoke up.
“Xian Shao Ye! Why have you been quiet? Are you feeling guilty because Yan Shao Ye is here?”
Nonsense!
Lu Xian was visibly agitated.
“What do I have to feel guilty about? I just think that Lu Yan makes a valid point! I was merely considering Hongmen’s intentions towards us!”
Lu Xian frowned; he was a smart man and knew he had no other choice but to cooperate with me in this delaying tactic.
Hearing our discussion, aside from those loyal to Lu Xian, others began to murmur among themselves.
Our decision was certainly beneficial for them, but I still felt it wasn’t enough. To ensure they would watch the show obediently, I needed to provide some guarantees.
Moreover, we were all part of Qing Gang, future comrades in the struggle against Hongmen. Regardless of whom they currently supported between us brothers, once we resolved this matter, no matter who survived, we would guarantee that there would be no repercussions and that Qing Gang would not suffer losses.
As soon as I finished speaking, the discussions grew louder. I had protected their interests and alleviated their concerns about who would rise between me and Lu Xian.
As long as I could assure them of their benefits, I could lead most of them by the nose.
“Just because you say so doesn’t mean it’s true! Our Xian Shao Ye hasn’t spoken yet!”
Someone interjected. I looked at Lu Xian. Whatever I said now, he had to agree with. Naturally, he had to say yes. At this moment, he seemed to have calmed down a bit and realized that his earlier silence had caused many to doubt him. He began to speak at length about unity.
But in reality, hardly anyone was listening.
What occupied their minds was only their own interests; they were thinking about what would happen if they followed my suggestions and what would happen if they didn’t.
With the assurances from both me and Lu Xian, albeit only verbal guarantees, the crowd became immensely pleased—whether they were loyal to Lu Xian, former subordinates of Lu Fei, or even loyal old ministers of Lu Ding Tian. None wanted any losses from our conflict.
Regarding the matter of Lu Ding Tian, I also provided assurances that we would deliver results in three months. That seemed acceptable enough.
But Yan Shao Ye and Qing Gang are too significant to be without leadership for even a day. Now that neither you nor Xian Shao Ye can take over as the head of Qing Gang, what should we do?
Chen Duo asked me. After considering it for a moment, I replied, "I remember that Qing Gang used to have an Elder Council, right? Why don’t we establish one now? However, since Lu Xian and I shouldn’t be involved in deciding how it’s formed or who holds what position, let’s have you, Chen Duo, take charge of it. How does that sound?"
I smiled as I spoke and turned to Lu Xian, asking, "You don’t have any objections, do you?"
I felt this was the best course of action.
Lu Xian nodded. He seemed much calmer now and had regained his composure, speaking with the same bravado as before.
Establishing the Elder Council was the best option for me. Lu Ding Tian had abolished the council because it was prone to usurp the head's authority. If we temporarily opened up this power now, it would only make it harder for Southern and Northern Hongmen to control Qing Gang.
Hmm? That idea isn’t bad.
Chen Duo nodded in agreement without further discussion. In fact, my decision to have Chen Duo handle this task was intentional. I had been observing Zhang Feihai closely, but since my arrival, he hadn’t said much and his expression had been sour.
It was clear that he was unhappy about my presence, and it was evident that his abilities and charisma were no match for Chen Duo’s. So why hadn’t North Hongmen approached Chen Duo instead of him? Or had North Hongmen already approached him and then made a big show of bringing Zhang Feihai in to support Chen Duo? After all, Chen Duo now wielded a significant portion of power within Qing Gang.
I handed him the authority precisely to observe what he would do with it—whether he would lean towards North Hongmen’s interests.
Since everyone seems to agree with my proposal, let’s conclude today’s meeting here. You all should get back to your tasks; hasn’t Wanqing Group been paralyzed for several days? It’s about time everyone returned to work. A large office building without even a receptionist is quite unacceptable.
I said with a smile, but in reality, aside from my own people, no one really paid attention to my words. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they all left. I let my people go too, but Lu Xian's subordinates lingered around him, whispering quietly. They must have been surprised by Lu Xian's performance today and were likely asking him what had happened.
But Lu Xian certainly wouldn’t share any details.
"You all can leave too," Lu Xian told his subordinates.
"Xian Shao Ye, this...?" Wu Haiqing, Lu Xian's top subordinate and a former elder of the Elder Hall, looked at Lu Xian with a questioning expression.
"You all can go," Lu Xian waved his hand dismissively until everyone had cleared out. After a few minutes of silence, he turned to me and asked, "What kind of trick are you playing? I can’t believe you’re genuinely trying to help them like this."
I chuckled at his words; indeed, my delaying tactic was entirely for my own benefit. I didn’t want to help them too much—it was exhausting.
"I’m not trying to imply anything; there’s no need for us to engage in empty talk. Right now, I need Qing Gang to maintain its current state. If you cooperate, that would be ideal; but if you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to release that video and let everyone know you’re nothing but a wolf cub who killed his own father."
I said with a smile as I walked out of the conference room. There was no need for me to say much more to Lu Xian; he just needed to understand that I held leverage over him. All he needed to do was comply.
As I stepped out of the conference room, I noticed a crowd waiting for me outside, all supporters, including Zhang Feihai.
"Yan Shao Ye, you're back! If you hadn't come, Lu Xian would have taken over Qing Gang, and we would have had a tough time ahead. Now that you're back, you must do something for us!"
Wang Shu, the old steward of Lu Ding Tian, grabbed my hand when he saw that Lu Xian hadn’t come out with me. Although Wang Shu held no real power within Qing Gang, many listened to him. Having been closest to Lu Ding Tian, he understood his thoughts best. Thus, he had initially sided with Lu Fei against Lu Xian.
"Don't worry, Wang Shu. Now that I'm back, I will definitely contend with Lu Xian. This isn’t the place for a discussion; let’s find somewhere else to talk."
After I spoke, I led everyone to a restaurant where we could eat and chat. These people would be useful to me in the future, so I needed to get to know them better.
During the meal, many of them flattered me, including Zhang Feihai. However, I sensed some insincerity in his words; he didn’t seem as eager for my return as he claimed.
At one point during the meal, Zhang Feihai stepped out to take a phone call. Without a doubt in my mind, I knew it was North Hongmen calling. When he returned after the call, his expression was noticeably darker.
After we finished eating, I dismissed everyone, but Zhang Feihai lingered behind. I knew he had something to say.
"What did North Hongmen want from you?" I asked with a smile as he approached.
Zhang Feihai chuckled and replied, "Yan Shao Ye is indeed clever; you know I came back to convey a message from North Hongmen."
I smiled back and told him there was no need for pleasantries—let's get to the point.
"Alright then," he said. "You’ve seen the situation with Qing Gang. I know you have some grievances with North Hongmen in the past, but those can be resolved. Shouldn’t you consider letting North Hongmen assist you at this time?"
I raised an eyebrow and countered, "How exactly does North Hongmen intend to help me? What would they want in return?"
"It's quite simple," Zhang Feihai said. "Get rid of Lu Xian and prevent him from inheriting Qing Gang. What North Hongmen can do for you is support your rise to the top of Qing Gang."
He smiled as he spoke. I nodded in understanding; at this point, all his assurances were just empty words—North Hongmen would play their games regardless. They simply wanted to use me.
But I was willing to be used by them—or rather, we could use each other.
I neither accepted nor rejected Zhang Feihai's proposal; instead, I wanted to test North Hongmen's sincerity and observe their true intentions. For instance, why hadn’t they chosen Chen Duo for support? There was still much for me to investigate.
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