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墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Qiu carefully pondered Zhao Pingchuan's words. From the moment he first entered this circle, he knew that in Beilan County, the Stone Dagger Gang, Lin Tao, and Sister Hua were in a three-way stalemate. In just a few months, the Stone Dagger Gang and Lin Tao Gang had both been destroyed, and the Hall Society had suddenly become the largest gang in Beilan County, enjoying a good reputation among the younger generation.
In Zhang Qiu's impression, Sister Hua had always acted low-key. While the Stone Dagger Gang and Lin Tao Gang fought fiercely against each other, Sister Hua managed to remain stable without getting involved. During countless major conflicts, many middle-level gangs in Beilan County tried to take advantage of the chaos, yet none of Sister Hua's subordinates had ever clashed with anyone.
Zhang Qiu gained a new understanding of Sister Hua; such decisiveness was not something an ordinary person could possess. Sister Hua was even more formidable than her public image suggested; after all, a hibernating snake is most venomous. Fortunately, the Hall Society and Sister Hua had never had any conflicts and rarely crossed paths in terms of interests. Sister Hua primarily operated two major red-light districts in Beilan County and also owned a medium-sized private club that provided high-end services, areas where the Hall Society had not ventured.
The only time Zhang Qiu interacted with Sister Hua's people was at a market in the South District when he rescued the Black Stocking Woman from being bullied by a drunkard. From Sister Hua's care for the Black Stocking Woman, it seemed that she was quite kind-hearted. Thinking of this made Zhang Qiu smile; his home was right within Sister Hua's territory. He thought perhaps it would be a good idea to find a time to talk with Sister Hua.
Zhang Qiu looked at the Brothers present and wanted to hear their opinions. "Come on, everyone, what do you think about our relationship with Sister Hua?"
Zhang Qiu needed to know the Brothers' views; the rules were set by him, and he couldn't make decisions alone. Under no circumstances should power be concentrated in one person's hands; this was a conclusion Zhang Qiu had drawn from a series of events in Tanzania.
"Brother Qiu, it's still the same: whoever stands in our way will be flattened!"
Gao Zhi was the first to speak up, his loud voice echoing throughout the room.
"Brother Qiu, I think we should perhaps maintain the status quo."
"Wang Zhengxiang, why are you being overly cautious again? Who in Beilan County is our opponent now?"
"Gao Zhi, everyone can express their opinions; don't interrupt others." Zhang Qiu shot Gao Zhi a glare. Gao Zhi sulkily lowered his head while Zhang Qiu turned back to Wang Zhengxiang. "It's fine; you can continue."
"I just feel there's no need to conflict with Sister Hua." After Gao Zhi's interruption, Wang Zhengxiang's voice was already quite low.
"I agree with Zhengxiang's view." Zhao Pingchuan's words came like thunder, contrasting sharply with Wang Zhengxiang's tone. Everyone turned their attention to Zhao Pingchuan, who met their gazes confidently and said, "We have never had any disputes with Sister Hua; I believe this tacit understanding can continue. The battle between the Stone Dagger Gang and Lin Tao Gang has caused severe social repercussions. He Jun—Brother Qiu's uncle—seized this opportunity to crack down on public order. Anyone causing trouble at this time is clearly asking for trouble; such actions are extremely unwise."
Gao Zhi was eager to argue but was silenced by a look from Zhang Qiu. "Let Zhao Pingchuan finish speaking, then you can express your thoughts freely."
Gao Zhi reluctantly closed his mouth as Zhao Pingchuan continued, "The Hall Society has nominally become the largest gang in Beilan County, but in reality, it may not be as deeply rooted as Sister Hua. Sister Hua has been operating for so many years and is quite powerful, while we are like a giant's skeleton without the muscle to fill it out. Most of the members of the Hall Society come from students, who are our first backbone. The later additions from society and those absorbed from the Stone Dagger Gang have not fully integrated into us. Although we are formidable, we should not be arrogant; overconfidence leads to defeat."
Zhang Qiu looked at Gao Zhi and said, "What are you thinking? It's fine now."
"Anyway, I feel that sooner or later, we will have to confront Sister Hua."
"Of course, you might be right, but that confrontation is not now. I also agree with Zhao Pingchuan's view that we need time to digest after taking in too much at once. For a while, it's best for the Hall Society to recuperate. I forgot to mention earlier that the group of mysterious individuals who attacked White Day Fire were arms dealers from the capital. They are powerful; we've already clashed with them in Africa. Their leader is named Zhao Yuanjia, and he explicitly told me he would target the Hall Society."
After Zhang Qiu finished speaking, Gao Zhi immediately dismissed the idea of swallowing up Sister Hua, furrowing his brow in thought. Zhang Qiu timely added, "Zhao Yuanjia cannot spare any effort to deal with us right now; he is already overwhelmed. However, we need to use this time to strengthen ourselves because our confrontation with Zhao Yuanjia will be far more serious than one with Sister Hua."
Zhang Qiu noticed the change in atmosphere and smiled, "It's good to know this; we still need to do what we must. Just like Gao Zhi said, whoever stands in our way will be flattened, no matter who they are!"
Yang Yu, sitting nearby and playing with a fruit knife, suddenly stabbed it into the office desk and shouted, "Whoever stands in our way will be flattened!"
The fruit knife rattled as everyone shouted in unison, "Whoever stands in our way will be flattened!"
With Yang Yu's encouragement, morale rose. Zhang Qiu then instructed Zhao Pingchuan, "Contact Sister Hua and arrange a meeting to discuss this matter. You need to handle it personally and do it quickly."
"Don't worry, Brother Qiu; I'll take care of it."
Yang Yu asked, "Brother Qiu, what do you plan to do when you meet Sister Hua?"
"We'll find out if she is friend or foe by making contact."
Qiu Wan smiled faintly while Yang Yu also grinned; Zhang Qiu's smile was all too familiar to him. With Jiang Xue's help, Zhang Qiu piled all the roasted ducks onto the table and said with a smile, "Alright, alright, I understand everything I need to know. You all take your roasted ducks back to eat. The chef told me that heating them up in the microwave will enhance the flavor."
"Gao Zhi, why don't you take all these roasted ducks with you?"
Zhao Pingchuan joked with Gao Zhi, who waved his hands repeatedly and said to Zhang Qiu, "Brother Qiu, don't forget the medicine you promised to give me."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely give you what I owe you!" Zhang Qiu replied with a smile. "I've been out for so long; I need to take Xue'er home to see my parents. Let's get together another day."
The group accompanied Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue downstairs to catch a taxi, with Lucia joining them. As Zhang Qiu watched Jiang Xue and Lucia being affectionate, he felt a bit neglected. Tao Ya had been left with Taolengman by Zhang Qiu, and he thought that since the two sisters had been apart for as long as he had been separated from Jiang Xue, it was time for this inseparable pair to be together again.
Suddenly transitioning from winter back to summer, Zhang Qiu found it hard to adjust and was still sweating in the air-conditioned car. Passing by the Red-Light District, Zhang Qiu noticed that the Black Stocking Woman's house had its door tightly shut. The taxi sped by, and he didn't have time to see much before they moved on. The taxi stopped at the intersection, and after walking a few dozen meters, they arrived at home. Zhang Qiu sighed, finally back. Even though this was a rented place, he could feel the warmth of home everywhere.
A large black lock hung on the heavy iron gate of the yard. Zhang Qiu took out his key and opened the door. His parents were not home, so he settled Jiang Xue and Lucia inside and said, "Sit here for a while; I'll check if there's any fruit in the fridge."
"You stay here with Lucia; I'll wash the fruit and put the roast duck in the fridge," Jiang Xue said as she got up and pushed Zhang Qiu down onto the sofa.
While Jiang Xue went to wash the fruit, Zhang Qiu did not remain seated on the sofa. He got up and walked over to his shelf, looking at the array of items before suddenly turning around and hurriedly going to his bedside. He pulled out a sealed bag containing the book "A Brief History of Ukrainian Tractors," which had accompanied him through many trials. He didn't take it out but placed it back on the shelf along with its transparent waterproof bag.
Jiang Xue entered with a plate of apples and smiled when she saw Zhang Qiu organizing things. "You can't wait to see it as soon as you're home; come eat some fruit."
Zhang Qiu turned around and smiled, saying, "This book has special significance for me."
"Oh?" Jiang Xue approached the shelf. "Can you tell me about it?"
"Of course." Zhang Qiu took Jiang Xue's hand and sat her down on the sofa, sharing stories about that book along with his own experiences. Many of these stories Jiang Xue had already heard at her mother's house, but this particular story was new to her. She couldn't believe that this book had gone through such twists and turns. Seeing Jiang Xue staring at him in amazement, Zhang Qiu gently pinched her soft cheek and laughed, "Are you stunned?"
"You’re the one who’s stunned." Jiang Xue shot him a glance, then remembering Lucia was beside them, she picked up an apple and said, "Lucia, eat an apple; let's ignore him."
"Fine, if you’re ignoring me, I’ll make a phone call."
Zhang Qiu walked into the yard and called Bai Jingwei. He intentionally chose not to make the call inside to avoid Jiang Xue's presence. When the call connected, Bai Jingwei's cheerful voice came through: "Zhang Qiu, are you having fun back home?"
"While I am happy, there is something on my mind."
"I have something to tell you that will surely put your mind at ease."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiu immediately became interested and asked, "What is it?"
"The Zhao Family is finished."
"What?" Zhang Qiu did not understand.
"Zhao Yuanjia, the Zhao Family, is completely and utterly finished." Bai Jingwei paused for a moment and smiled, "Now that you’ve heard this, can you relax for the summer?"
"You’re not joking with me, are you?" Zhang Qiu found it hard to believe. How could such a massive entity as the Zhao Family just be gone?
"I’m definitely not joking. I can tell you the details, but you mustn't spread it around. Just keep it to yourself. What do you think?"
"Alright!"
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