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墨書 Inktalez
This excuse is Lu Xian. Although I still don't know how to utilize Lu Xian, he is the only bridge that can help me reach an agreement with Xiang Nanyuan.
After saying all this, you still haven't told me anything I want to hear. Do you think that just by talking about how impressive Ye Tong is, he will help you?
I asked Lu Xian with a smile. He sighed after hearing my words and said to me, "I'm not saying he's impressive; I just want you to know that I realize what I'm saying is pointless. My situation is already dire. If I die, you will be the last person of the Lu Family."
Upon hearing Lu Xian's words, I frowned. Does this guy really think that way? Or is this just a smokescreen to gain my sympathy?
"Don't overthink it. The age-old truth remains: the victor takes all. The current situation means that only one of us brothers can survive. If I were in control of the situation, I wouldn't hesitate either."
Lu Xian smiled and said. I nodded in agreement, believing what Lu Xian had just said. Perhaps he isn't a good person—he could kill his own kin—but even if he doesn't act, Lu Ding Tian won't survive either.
He has some sense of bloodline awareness, which is normal; he worries that even if he dies, I won't survive either.
"Since you say so, then I have nothing more to say. I believe in your sincerity. If you can guarantee that you will absolutely follow my orders, I can consider giving you a way out."
I smiled at Lu Xian. In the struggle for interests, there are no eternal enemies or friends; everything is driven by profit.
"You? Considering giving me a way out?"
Lu Xian became interested upon hearing my words. I nodded, and he immediately asked, "Are you saying you will help me plead with Ye Tong to find a way to protect me?"
"What do you think my chances of success would be if I followed your suggestion?"
I smiled and asked Lu Xian. In his eyes, Ye Tong was merely the only person with the power to protect him at this moment. As for whether Ye Tong would actually protect him, Lu Xian wasn't sure either; he was just taking a gamble.
"Thirty percent."
Lu Xian replied. Although it was only thirty percent, I could still see happiness in his eyes; having a thirty percent chance of survival was certainly better than dying.
"I can guarantee you a hundred percent!"
I said with a smile, and Lu Xian was taken aback.
"What?"
"I don't want your wealth; I'm sure there’s a corner of this world where you can live quite well."
I asked Lu Xian with a smile. He quickly questioned me, "On what basis do you give me such a big guarantee? Ye Tong might not agree. Do you have any way to persuade Ye Tong?"
"There must be more than just Ye Tong who can offer you shelter in this world," I replied with a smile. If I throw Lu Xian into Jinshan Jiao, even if Nan Hongmen has powerful connections, it would be a dream for them to kill Lu Xian.
"Do you know of any other forces? Are they strong enough to protect me under the threat of Nan Hongmen? What do they have to gain by taking me in?"
Lu Xian asked me a flurry of questions, his excitement palpable. I smiled faintly, assuring him that my connections with Jinshan Jiao were solid.
"I won't bore you with unnecessary details. I, Lu Yan, can guarantee your safety here, but only if you follow my orders. You know as well as I do that you can't rely on Ye Tong; only I can keep you alive, and only I can bring about your demise!"
I said this with a smile, and Lu Xian paused, looking into my eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "I'd rather trust you than rely on Ye Tong's slim chances! Regardless of our past grievances, you're still my brother!"
I chuckled softly at his words. It seemed a bit premature and perhaps even sycophantic; after all, I was not truly his brother.
The first task I assigned Lu Xian was to transfer all his subordinates to me before the three-month deadline. Previously, it was Lu Fei who clashed with Lu Xian, and most of Lu Xian's men had grievances with Lu Fei rather than with me. Thus, this task wouldn't be too difficult; all it required was sufficient assurance from my side.
Lu Xian complied without hesitation; those under him were of no use to him anymore. He diligently began communicating with his trusted subordinates, encouraging them to join me. Within days, several of Lu Xian's men approached me, and suddenly my standing in Qing Gang soared. With the addition of Lu Xian's strength to mine, I now controlled nearly seventy percent of Qing Gang's power!
The remaining thirty percent was led by Chen Duozhu and the remnants of Lu Ding Tian. However, these transfers were conducted discreetly. With wolves in front and tigers behind, I needed to have some hidden trump cards up my sleeve.
The next thing I needed to do was monitor Nan Hongmen's movements. With Lu Xian no longer a threat, Nan Hongmen would inevitably make new moves to support others in vying for the position of gang leader. But there were no suitable candidates left in Qing Gang; the only one I suspected might have been compromised by North Hongmen was Chen Duozhu!
What I could think of, Xiang Nanyuan could also consider. I had Lu Xian test the waters with Xiang Nanyuan to see whom he intended to support for leadership again. However, Lu Xian reported back that Xiang Nanyuan hadn’t revealed anything and seemed quite displeased with him.
He was indeed troubled; he wanted to come to me but lacked confidence because there was no reason for me to cooperate with him. He also wished to approach Chen Duozhu but knew that Chen Duozhu might not be clean either. Yet he couldn't just watch as Qing Gang was gradually swallowed by North Hongmen, which left him feeling anxious.
"Third Brother," he said to me, "you've already grasped most of Qing Gang's power. If you were to suddenly eliminate Chen Duozhu now, North Hongmen would have no choice but to collaborate with you. Moreover, North Hongmen has never confirmed whether Chen Duozhu is connected with them; if you take him out, North Hongmen would have to swallow their pride and acknowledge your supremacy."
Lu Xian’s loyalty during this period was undeniable; it wasn’t just because I was his brother—this current situation meant that only if I thrived could he thrive too.
I understood what he meant: concentrate power entirely in my hands so that my status would rise accordingly. But what difference would it make? Even if I became the leader of Qing Gang with unlimited power, could I prevent Qing Gang from becoming cannon fodder in the conflict between Southern and Northern Hongmen?
I smiled and asked Lu Xian this very question.
"No," he replied quickly, "but you would have more say! If you become the leader of Qing Gang with absolute authority, even Ye Tong would have to give you some respect! Even if we become cannon fodder in the end, you'd still be able to negotiate terms with North Hongmen."
I chuckled at his words; I understood his point well enough. If I centralized power within Qing Gang, even if we later teamed up with North Hongmen to eliminate Nan Hongmen, I'd still have the right to negotiate terms and ensure that Qing Gang wouldn’t be completely wiped out.
But what good would that do?
I didn’t believe that North Hongmen would spare Qing Gang after dealing with Nan Hongmen; what I wanted was mutual destruction—not a single dominant force!
I refrained from explaining my thoughts to Lu Xian; there was no point in elaborating further. It was time for me to plan a grand scheme!
Three months had passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, all of Lu Xian's loyal subordinates had become my people, but everything was done secretly; aside from Lu Xian's die-hard followers, no one else knew.
For instance, there were two elders under Chen Duozhu's command whom I chose not to recruit. Chen Duozhu was currently trying to win them over, and if they were to pledge allegiance to me as well, the risk of exposure would be too great.
However, having these loyalists from Lu Xian was enough. When the time came for me to need them, once everything was set in motion, Lu Xian's loyalists could summon back about ninety of Lu Xian's former subordinates, all of whom would be mine.
The three-month deadline had arrived, and I had fulfilled my promise by sending Lu Xian away. In these three months, I had accomplished many things: consolidating Lu Xian's former faction and establishing a good relationship with the North Hongmen. Just a couple of days ago, I even contacted Xiang Nanyuan from the Nan Hongmen.
Since Lu Xian's downfall, Xiang Nanyuan had been like a monkey in the desert—frustrated and helpless! He was anxious but could only stare in despair. Eventually, he sought out Chen Duozhu, but it yielded no results. Just when he felt most helpless, I appeared.
Even if Xiang Nanyuan doubted my sincerity, at this point he had no other options but to apologize for past grievances and promised that he would cooperate with me moving forward.
However, his promises were essentially worthless; if betraying me could bring him the benefits he desired, he would do so without hesitation.
With connections established with both the Nan Hongmen and North Hongmen, I discreetly sent off Lu Xian and boldly summoned everyone from the Qing Gang. I was preparing to inherit Lu Ding Tian's position and become the leader of the Qing Gang!
The first announcement I made was that Lu Xian was the one who had murdered Lu Ding Tian. I also claimed that just two days prior, I had obtained video evidence of Lu Xian committing the crime. Upon learning this, Lu Xian fled from Huaxia at the first opportunity.
This revelation undoubtedly stirred up a storm during the meeting.
It was indeed Lu Xian who did it! This ungrateful wretch! How dare he kill our Old Leader! He truly deserves to be struck down by heaven!
Damn it! The Old Leader raised him and made him the esteemed young master of the Qing Gang! How could he betray the Old Leader? I am issuing a manhunt order right now! We must kill this bastard!
As the video played out, nearly everyone stood up to curse Lu Xian. Many insisted that we must find him and avenge our Old Leader. Some even claimed they had suspected it was Lu Xian all along, asserting that Lu Yan could never have committed such an act—flattering me in the process.
But I merely smiled and quietly sat in my seat of honor, watching each of them perform their roles.
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