gnovel Chapter 38 "From this day forward, that territory belongs to the Chao family."
Chapter 38 "From this day forward, that territory belongs to the Chao family."
Liu Bei did not answer him, but turned to look at Wu Yong.
"Scholar, you speak."
Wu Yong stood up, waving his feather fan, and walked to the simple map in the hall.
He used his fan to draw a circle on the map of Yuncheng County.
"Please take a look, everyone. This Yuncheng County has a permanent population of tens of thousands, and countless merchants come and go from the north and south. The town is lined with shops and vendors, and the daily turnover is well over a thousand strings of cash."
"In this city, there are as many as four or five hundred idlers like the Black Tiger Gang. They have no land, no skills, and make a living by extortion. The government can't control them all, and the people suffer greatly."
Wu Yong paused, then looked away from the map and at the crowd.
"My brother's intention is to put all these people under his control."
"Captain Wu is unparalleled in bravery and his name resounds throughout Shandong. With him in charge, he will subdue the most arrogant Black Tiger Gang with lightning speed. The rest of the small fry will naturally surrender at the mere sight of him."
Upon hearing this, Wu Song nodded.
This is something he's good at.
Wu Yong continued, "This is what is meant by 'establishing authority'."
"After establishing authority, the next step is to 'establish rules'."
"We need to establish a completely new set of rules for these four or five hundred people. From now on, they are not allowed to harass the people, steal chickens or dogs, or extort money from them."
Upon hearing this, Sun Sheng couldn't help but interject, "Sir, if we don't allow these things to be done, what will these people eat and drink?"
This is exactly the issue that everyone is concerned about.
Wu Yong smiled.
"This is the third and most crucial step in my brother's plan—'profiting'."
He walked to the table, dipped his finger in the tea, and drew the character "保" (bǎo, meaning "protect") on the table.
"From now on, we will protect all the shops and vendors in Yuncheng County."
"We will discuss with them the possibility of them paying a fixed 'security fee' each month, based on the size of their business."
"Once you pay this money, we guarantee that no more hooligans will bother them. If any thugs from out of town come to cause trouble, we will handle it."
"Payment is only required once a month, with clearly marked prices, and no deception of the young or old."
Wu Yong raised his head and looked at the stunned crowd.
"Consider this: for those merchants, would they rather be harassed by different hooligans every day, doing business in constant fear, or would they rather spend a small amount of money each month to buy peace and quiet?"
"As for those hooligans, would they rather go hungry, be constantly talked about behind their backs, or receive a fixed monthly wage and transform themselves into 'local militia' members responsible for maintaining order in the area?"
"In this way, rioters became local militias, extortion became taxation, and chaos became order."
"We thus became the second yamen (government office) in Yuncheng County, besides the official government."
"This is my brother's plan."
After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
Lei Heng opened his mouth wide, as if a fist could fit inside.
He spent his entire life as a constable, and all he knew was how to catch thieves.
Who would have thought that a thief could become a tax collector?
A layer of cold sweat had seeped out from Song Jiang's back.
Such methods and such a mindset are hardly those of a rural village head.
He wanted to transform a mob into a force that could be commanded.
They even turned a shady business into a stable source of income.
Only Wu Song frowned deeply.
He stood up, faced Liu Bei, and said in a deep voice, "Brother, please forgive my bluntness."
"This sounds like a good thing. But in the end, isn't it just condoning those scoundrels extorting money from the people?"
"How is this any different from a highway robber?"
"In my life, Wu Song has hated nothing more than such unjust acts. If it were merely a matter of fighting the Black Tiger Gang, I would gladly oblige. But if it were to ask me to help them extort money from those small-business people, forgive me... forgive me for not being able to comply!"
His voice was strong and resonant.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.
Everyone looked at Liu Bei, wanting to see how he would respond.
Liu Bei was not angry.
He walked up to Wu Song and patted him on the shoulder.
"Erlang, sit down and let me ask you a few questions."
Wu Song sat down as instructed, but his expression remained unpleasant.
Liu Bei asked, "Tell me, were these ruffians in Yuncheng County there before you arrived, or did they appear after you arrived?"
Wu Song replied, "Of course it has been there for a long time."
Liu Bei then asked, "Is it possible for the government to completely eradicate them?"
Wu Song fell silent.
Liu Bei continued, "Since they cannot be eradicated, they will continue to exist. As long as they exist, they will need to eat. And as long as they need to eat, they will oppress the people. Is this correct?"
Wu Song bit his lip and nodded with difficulty.
That makes sense.
Liu Bei smiled.
"So you see. The problem isn't whether they accept money or not, but how that money should be collected, who should collect it, and where it's used after it's collected."
"Nowadays, the collection is chaotic, everyone is collecting, and after collecting, it's only used for their own eating, drinking, gambling and whoring."
"And I want them to collect it in an orderly manner, with only our family doing the collecting. After that, besides paying them wages to support our families, what am I supposed to do with the remaining money?"
Liu Bei looked out the window, his tone gentle.
"This money can be used to buy more grain, and during years of famine, we can open the granaries and distribute food to help those who cannot survive!"
"We can recruit more refugees, give them food and work, so they won't starve or turn to banditry!"
"We can also build boats and dredge waterways, so that boatmen who make a living from the water can have a stable livelihood!"
He turned around abruptly, looking intently into Wu Song's eyes.
"Erlang, tell me. We're both taking money, but is what I'm doing the same as those bandits who only know how to satisfy their own selfish desires?"
Wu Song was completely stunned.
He originally thought that Liu Bei just wanted to take the opportunity to amass wealth.
Unexpectedly, he possessed such profound planning and such a benevolent heart.
He transformed a group of thugs and ruffians into a group of useful people!
Wu Song stood up, took two steps back, and solemnly bowed to Liu Bei.
"My brother's ambition far surpasses that of Wu Song."
"It was I, your humble brother, who judged you by my own petty standards."
"Brother, if you ever need me, I, Wu Song, will gladly die for you!"
Once the plan was agreed upon, the atmosphere in the hall changed completely.
Lei Heng hung the broadsword on the table back on his waist, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"Brother, when do we make our move?"
Liu Bei did not answer; his gaze turned to Sun Sheng.
Where is the Black Tiger Gang's headquarters?
Sun Sheng quickly bowed and said, "Brother, it's in Xiawazi, north of the city. That's their territory, and ordinary people don't dare to go near it."
Xiawazi is the most chaotic and shady place in Yuncheng County.
There you'll find the cheapest prostitutes, the dirtiest taverns, and casinos that never close.
Liu Bei nodded.
"Brother Lei."
"Brother, please give your orders!"
"Take a few trusted brothers and guard the street corners outside the Xia Wazi area. Don't get involved, just keep watch. If any government officials come, step in and say you're a江湖人 (jianghu person) seeking revenge to settle a personal grudge."
Lei Heng patted his chest.
"Don't worry, brother, I know this well!"
This is how a gang fight was characterized as a matter of the martial arts world where the government could not intervene.
Liu Bei then looked at Sun Sheng.
"Take your men and go to Xiawazi. Find the Black Tiger Gang and tell them that from this day forward, that territory belongs to the Chao family."
Sun Sheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart, as if his blood was boiling.
This is to send him to take the lead and ignite the first spark.
"Brother, I..."
Liu Bei raised his hand to stop him from speaking.
"All you need to do is light the fire. Leave the rest to Wu Erlang."
Sun Sheng looked at Wu Song, who was sitting to the side, slowly wiping his fist with a cloth.
Those hands had large, thick knuckles, as if they contained boundless power.
He felt reassured and nodded emphatically.
"I understand!"
Liu Bei finally looked at Song Jiang and Wu Yong.
"Let's go have some tea."