Yang Jian knew a bit about Fang Zhicheng's situation, understanding he was just a minor leader in the Xichuan Gang with twenty to thirty men.
The territory around Liuqiao Village and the bus station was originally under his control, but it was later seized by Cheng Guang of the Yunan Gang.
Conflict between the two had always existed, but Fang Zhicheng had lost more than he won. This time, Yang Jian had accidentally crippled Cheng Guang, giving Fang Zhicheng an opportunity to reclaim his lost territory in one go.
As the saying goes, a cowardly soldier makes a cowardly unit, and a cowardly general makes a whole army cowardly. Gang disputes also reflect the ability of their leaders.
Cheng Guang was a ruthless man, always charging to the front in fights, his moves fierce and with a stubborn strength. He wasn't unintelligent either, which was why his men dared not fall behind, thus consistently dominating Fang Zhicheng.
But after Yang Jian crippled him, his men became a scattered mess. Without a leader, they couldn't resist Fang Zhicheng's assault, suffering heavy casualties. The remaining ones could only submit to Master Fo.
Fang Zhicheng was considered capable, having controlled the Liuqiao Village area for three to four years. After regaining the territory this time, he quickly took over Cheng Guang's illicit businesses, which had kept him busy recently.
"Little Yang, I never expected your martial arts to be so formidable. You not only crippled Cheng Guang and Ah Liang, but even Master Fo was put in his place before you. You're amazing."
After a brief introduction of his situation, Fang Zhicheng praised Yang Jian profusely.
Yang Jian gave a wry smile, "Brother Cheng, I had no choice. He wanted my life, and I couldn't just wait to die."
"Remarkable. I've been in the underworld for so many years, and you're the first person to take on an entire gang single-handedly. Master Fo's influence in Dongjiang is considerable; even our boss doesn't have his power."
"Stop, stop, Brother Cheng, don't flatter me. I'm not as formidable as you say. I might end up dead in the street by Master Fo's hand one day." kanshuwu.net
Fang Zhicheng suddenly became serious. "Little Yang, I invited you here today to discuss this very matter. Master Fo is a very insidious person and holds grudges. You publicly embarrassed him, and he will definitely retaliate.
Therefore, I'm inviting you to join our team today. Forget working at the fruit market. The profits from Liuqiao Village and the bus station, after paying our boss, I'll split half with you. Moreover, you'll call the shots here.
This way, you'll not only have a substantial income but also effectively avoid Master Fo's revenge, or at least not face him alone."
Yang Jian had no interest in participating in gang disputes. Fang Zhicheng's offer was tempting; his annual income would likely exceed five hundred thousand, but it came at a price. Fighting and killing might become the norm.
However, the threat from Master Fo was real. The boss's wife had also said similar things that afternoon, and he had to consider it seriously.
Seeing Yang Jian's silence, Ma Yuan became anxious. "Brother Yang, agree to Brother Cheng. Honestly, working under Master Fo's nose makes me nervous every day. If you join Brother Cheng's team, Liuqiao Village will be our territory, and Master Fo won't dare to cross the line and start a war easily."
Fang Hai also chimed in, "Yes, Brother Yang. If you join our team, our status in the Liuqiao Village area will be rock solid, and we can even expand our territory. Master Fo offered you five hundred thousand to be a bodyguard, but here you'll be a boss, and your income will be more than five hundred thousand."
Yang Jian shook his head. "I have no interest in being a boss. Thank you for your offer, Brother Cheng. Let's talk about this later; I'll consider it."
Fang Zhicheng didn't press. "Alright, I welcome you anytime. Also, our boss Zheng wants to meet you. When do you have time?"
"Boss Zheng? Who is that? I don't know him."
"Little Yang, because you dared to confront Master Fo, your name, Yang Wu, has spread throughout Dongjiang. If you're willing, many influential figures want to recruit you. Our boss is Zheng Jingfa, the leader of our Xichuan Gang, and his strength is comparable to Master Fo's."
"Let's talk about it later. I can't afford to associate with such an important figure. For now, I just want to work honestly. The risks in the underworld are too great, and I don't want to get involved. I'm sorry, Brother Cheng."
"It's fine. Come find me anytime you change your mind. We won't talk about this today; let's drink. We won't go home until we're drunk."
Fang Zhicheng knew that haste makes waste. He couldn't rush to win Yang Jian over; when Master Fo truly began his retaliation, Yang Jian would naturally change his mind.
The group clinked glasses and enjoyed a hearty spicy hot pot. Afterward, Fang Zhicheng wanted to go singing, but Yang Jian declined. He knew that Dongjiang's nightlife was famous nationwide, and so-called singing usually involved illicit activities.
This was dangerous because such entertainment venues were subject to frequent police inspections. If he were caught, he would be arrested, and he didn't want to take that risk.
Besides, it wouldn't be safe to return late. If Master Fo really wanted to deal with him, nighttime was the best time to act. Better safe than sorry; it was best to avoid wandering outside.
Fruit Market.
The security department office was brightly lit. Master Fo, accompanied by several bodyguards, came to hear the reports from Ah Chao and the market security captain.
"Master Fo, Yang Wu had been very well-behaved recently, leaving early and returning late, with no unusual activity. However, he met with Fang Zhicheng tonight. They are currently drinking at the Sichuan Flavor Hot Pot on Binjiang Road."
Ah Chao's task during this period was to track and investigate Yang Jian.
Master Fo's previously smiling face instantly turned grim. "He is indeed colluding with Fang Zhicheng. If he had continued to work honestly for Dan Wei and not blocked my financial path, I would have let him off the hook. Since he's with the Xichuan Gang, he cannot be spared.
"Should we act today?"
"Not today. His counter-attack capability is too terrifying. Without firearms, it's difficult to harm him. Fang Zhicheng's counter-attack this time has already severely weakened us. I don't want my brothers to get injured while dealing with Yang Wu."
"Then how do we get him?"
"How's the investigation into his background coming along?"
"We haven't uncovered any personal information about him yet. We only know that he lives in a very small room with Old Ma and his son.
We also haven't found his residence registration information with the community or the local police. He has almost no recreational activities; except for tonight, he has never gone out at night.
I suspect he committed a crime in his hometown and is a fugitive, and his name, Yang Wu, is probably fake too."
Ah Chao had put considerable effort into tracking and investigating Yang Jian.
Master Fo frowned. "Has Dan Wei registered his identity information?"
"I was afraid of alerting him, so I didn't investigate at Dan Wei's place. I doubt we'll find any useful information there, as most people working in commercial establishments are temporary workers, and the boss might not know all employee information."
"Hmm, in that case, tomorrow the security department will closely monitor Yang Wu's delivery schedule. As soon as he returns with his goods, notify me immediately. He dares to challenge me, Master Fo. I want to see his true colors and find out what kind of monster he is."
Master Fo's originally kind smile suddenly turned ferocious and terrifying.