Chương 167: Consolidating Power

Having taken the trouble to set up such a massive chessboard, Song Que naturally wouldn't ignore it. That night, he had constantly been observing the entire subsequent sequence of events in secret through Lightning's vision! From the Dong Manor to the docks, seeing Old Wu and Old Xu not disappoint his expectations and lead this fire directly to the Lingjiang Gang, this 'slut' finally breathed a sigh of relief in satisfaction! Chaos! The more chaotic, the better!

It's best if they are so busy that they don't have time to pay attention to a small shrimp like me, Baby Song! Sigh, for the sake of arranging work for this guy Du Ruhui, Boss Song has truly poured his heart out!... The next morning, the ordinary commoners could all feel the heavy atmosphere in the city. It was as if a formless dark cloud loomed over Qinghe, ready to unleash a furious storm at any moment. The commoners' sense of smell was incredibly sharp!

Seeing that things boded ill, many had long since closed their doors and locked their gates, determined to hide securely at home to guard against unexpected disasters. Therefore, when Song Que entered the city, the crowds on the streets were extremely sparse. The few people who had to go out for business merely kept their heads down and hurried along, not daring to stop for a single moment. Leading Brother Hong and Nie Feng, the group arrived at the County Office.

Waiting outside after someone ran in to report, it wasn't long before they saw Wu Yi run out with a grave expression.

"A'Que, you're here. Quickly follow me inside! A very serious incident happened in the city last night, and it involves you as well!"

'Actor Song's' acting skills weren't just for show! Hearing this, his face immediately displayed a panicked expression:"Brother Yi, what happened?!"

"Let's go inside first, then talk." Leaving that sentence, Wu Yi remained silent, leading the group of four to meet Wu Tian.

"Uncle!"

"Lord Wu!" Having not rested all night, Old Wu looked exhausted, merely sitting there rubbing his forehead and nodding:"No need for formalities. Sit down." Finding a seat for himself, Grandee Song didn't bother with tea or water, immediately asking anxiously:"Uncle, what happened in the city last night?"

"Let A'Yi explain it to you." Following his uncle's instructions, Wu Yi finally recounted the entire story from beginning to end for the group. Once they understood the full situation, Zhong Hong and Nie Feng couldn't help but feel terrified inwardly! Brother Hong was terrified because the event was too shocking! Old Nie was terrified because his Young Master's methods were truly ruthless! He truly killed three birds with one stone, uprooting all three factions in one fell swoop!

If the Lingjiang Gang's foundation wasn't in the Commandery City with a deep heritage, they would have had a hard time recovering from this blow!

"The Blood Demon Cult's power is actually so deeply rooted! I was wondering yesterday how that old thief Lu Tianxiong's cultivation suddenly surged so drastically! So it was all achieved through demonic arts! I almost fell for those demonic practitioners' schemes! Fortunately..." Boss Song patted his chest in lingering fear, looking exactly like someone who had just survived a disaster. Wu Tian sighed with a gloomy face:"Indeed it is.

If it weren't for your matter this time, Song Que, who knows how many more crimes they would have continued to commit! These past few days, there have been numerous reports of missing persons from the surrounding villages and towns! I reckon they were all secretly murdered by these demonic practitioners to steal their blood essence! As a Head Constable, I didn't find a single clue! I am truly ashamed of this official uniform!" Old Wu, you're thinking off track!

The culprits are a group of mountain bandits elsewhere! Boss Song secretly curled his lip. Originally, he had hesitated about whether to burn those bastards from the Rooster Stronghold as well, but thinking it would easily expose him, he decided against it. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I'll find a chance to wipe those guys out later. Anyway, their base is still at Eagle's Sorrow; they can't escape my, Boss Song's, palm!

"Uncle, there's no need to blame yourself! It's mainly because the villains were too cunning! Didn't even close associates like Dong Zheng and Lin Ping get deceived and led around in circles?" This matter had screwed Old Wu over quite badly! But speaking impartially, Wu Tian's performance in this position was truly too subpar! If he wasn't someone close to him, Song Que might not have minded exposing his dereliction of duty! The atmosphere in this Qinghe City was truly too terrible!

Gangs ran rampant, local tyrants bullied the streets, and now even demonic practitioners had made it their nest! Regardless of whether it was due to Wu Tian or objective reasons, he definitely bore responsibility. Looking at society today, it was the same everywhere. Yellow Leaf Town was like this, now Qinghe, plus Lingjiang, and there were probably many more out there. Boss Song didn't want to manage this mess of a situation.

"Uncle, with such an incident happening, will there be any problems with my duel wager contract?"

"A'Que, rest assured! There won't be any accidents regarding your matter! You can immediately go take over the properties in a bit." Hearing his question, Old Wu cracked a rare, genuinely happy smile for him.

"It's just that you need to be mentally prepared. Last night, the people of the Fierce Tiger Gang looted everything and fled! Aside from some superficial furniture at Lu Tianxiong's residence, we didn't find any other wealth! The other properties are likely the same; you shouldn't expect much. Furthermore, regarding the Fierce Tiger Gang's headquarters, this place might be sealed off for a very long time. Even I can't say clearly when it will reopen." Hehe, Old Wu bringing this up makes Grandee Song happy!

Everyone didn't know that those foolish Tigers had been thoroughly scammed by him! The whole group had happily gone on a 'trip' yesterday, traveling light! They didn't take a single copper coin, contributing everything to Boss Song! He didn't know if those idiots would die of anger when they heard the news! But even if they didn't die, what awaited them in the future would be a series of tragic days! May fellow Daoists die, but not this poor Daoist!

This had nothing to do with personal grudges; it was purely a matter of opposing stances! Fellow Daoists, Amitabha! As for the Fierce Tiger Gang's headquarters, although it was a bit of a pity, one couldn't be too greedy in life, right? Besides, it would still belong to him, Song Que, in the end; it wasn't going anywhere. Moreover, he was currently building a new headquarters for the Shunfeng Escort Agency at the West Gate, so he didn't really care much for this place.

Having received the desired answer, Boss Song stayed and chatted with Old Wu for a bit longer before taking his leave. Brothers are in a hurry to transfer the properties to my name!... Welcome Wind Pavilion. The top floor here was fully booked today. Song Que sat leisurely drinking tea, waiting for the managers of those properties to arrive and report on their work. The first to arrive were Guan Xing and a few high-ranking members of the Shunfeng Escort Agency.

As soon as he entered the door, Old Guan couldn't contain his excitement and bowed:"Boss! Congratulations! One of the two major gangs in Qinghe City is now completely under your ownership!"

"Haha, Uncle Guan, there is no need for formalities. Everyone, quickly sit down!"

"Thank you, Boss!" The group bowed respectfully and found seats for themselves.

"Boss, there were too many people yesterday, and I couldn't squeeze in to congratulate you in time! Please don't blame me!"

"It's fine, Uncle Guan! There's no need to mind such minor details. Managing such a large gang in the future will leave me short on manpower; I still need you all to exert more effort!" Hearing Boss Song's words, the group following Guan Xing was thrilled! Hadn't they come to seek shelter with Song Que precisely to seek a better future?! They just didn't expect happiness to arrive so suddenly and quickly! It truly left people unprepared!

Guan Xing was naturally extremely happy that his boss had acquired such a massive faction! With the backing of the Fierce Tiger Gang, the Shunfeng Escort Agency would undoubtedly develop fiercely once again! Hearing the boss's tone implying he wanted to entrust him with heavy responsibilities, he was very moved. But thinking of his family's ancestral business, Old Guan couldn't help but feel a hint of sorrow.

"Boss, I wonder how you plan to handle the Shunfeng Escort Agency?"

"Oh? Uncle Guan, you still want to continue managing Shunfeng?"

"I won't hide it from you, Boss. Truly, that place is the blood, sweat, and tears left behind by my father! Thinking that there might be a day when I can no longer work for Shunfeng, I truly feel reluctant." Even knowing that transferring to the Fierce Tiger Gang would naturally be better, thinking of his family business, Guan Xing spoke honestly.

"Haha, if Uncle Guan doesn't want to leave, then continuing to stay at Shunfeng is fine! After all, I don't plan to merge it into the Fierce Tiger Gang. In the future, the Shunfeng Escort Agency will continue to operate independently! Uncle Guan, you can continue managing it for me!" Song Que wouldn't tell everyone that Old Guan's decision was incredibly wise! The others only felt that compared to the weak Shunfeng, the Fierce Tiger Gang's power was vastly greater right now!

But they didn't know that in Boss Song's heart, gangs had their limitations! His main goal in this life was business! The gang was merely an auxiliary service! With the vast amount of modern knowledge in his head, missing out on this path to wealth through business would be a colossal waste! But naturally, once Shunfeng developed exponentially in the future, given Old Guan's capabilities, he wouldn't be able to continue managing it. However, entrusting it to his care during this phase left Song Que quite reassured.

Therefore, he accepted his request without hesitation.

"Thank you, Boss!" Guan Xing said joyfully, able to continue keeping Shunfeng. Furthermore, with the Fierce Tiger backing him, he had the confidence to carry this signboard forward, bringing honor to his ancestors in the future! Looking at the group of Shunfeng high-ranking members fidgeting restlessly around him, Song Que smiled:"You all don't need to worry either. Later, register with Brother Nie Feng beside me! If anyone wishes to transfer to the Fierce Tiger Gang to develop, feel free to propose it!

At this stage, I am most in need of talent! I need trustworthy people like you all to help!"

"Thank you, Boss!"...

"Thank you, Boss!" The group of escorts excitedly cupped their hands, their faces flushed red! Only then did everyone, fully satisfied, begin chatting happily.