Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes, focusing on the chicken soup. A fragrant aroma quickly filled the entire room.

"And this is..."

Chen Yuan turned to the old man.

Zhu Sihai chuckled:

"This is a master chef Zhu hired from the top restaurant in the prefectural capital. His chicken soup is incredibly tender. Even Prefect praised Uncle Shan's skill. Aside from women, my favorite thing is this chicken soup. I was planning to invite Chief Chen to a feast in a couple of days, but it just so happens to be today..."

"Oh? This old gentleman is so skilled that even the Prefect praises him. Did you figure it out yourself, or is it a family tradition?" Chen Yuan looked in surprise at the unremarkable old man before him.

"You are too kind, sir. I am not as amazing as they say. However, the taste is still acceptable. The ingredients are not very special, but the taste comes from the chicken."

"How so?"

Chen Yuan asked calmly.

"This hen has been raised for two and a half years, no more, no less. Only then can it be considered the best of chickens, just at its freshest..."

The old man spoke slowly and deliberately.

Chen Yuan chuckled inwardly. When the old man mentioned two and a half years, he thought he would start singing and dancing next.

"Uncle Shan, bring up the next dish," Zhu Sihai waved his hand and then motioned for Chen Yuan to ladle some chicken soup and taste it.

Although Chen Yuan ladled the soup, he didn't drink it. Zhu Sihai knew that Chen Yuan was extremely cautious and ladled a bowl for himself, bringing it to his mouth with a small spoon.

"Chief Chen, although chicken soup is common, you can't find such fresh chicken soup outside."

Chen Yuan smiled, took a small sip, and the taste was indeed good. Although it didn't have all kinds of seasonings like in his previous life, it had a unique flavor. No wonder Zhu Sihai liked it so much.

"The taste is indeed good. Gang Leader Zhu is fortunate."

"Haha, the fortune is yet to come..." Zhu Sihai laughed a few times. Uncle Shan, who had just gone out, returned, carrying a white porcelain plate.

On the porcelain plate were a dozen or so dark things, like black cucumbers, covered with rice-like thorns.

Uncle Shan placed the porcelain plate in front of Chen Yuan and left. Zhu Sihai pointed to the things in the plate and said:

"Does Chief Chen know what this is?"

Chen Yuan glanced at it and had a clear understanding in his heart, but on the surface, he pretended not to know and asked:

"Gang Leader Zhu, don't be so mysterious."

"Haha, forgive me, Chief Chen. This thing is extraordinary. I, Zhu, put in a lot of effort to get some from the prefectural capital. I was originally going to offer it to Huang..."

Zhu Sihai suddenly choked, but quickly pretended to be okay and said:

"It is said that this thing is a treasure from the East Sea. It is a great tonic, known as ginseng of the sea, and is also called sea cucumber."

"Things from the sea are indeed rare."

Chen Yuan knew that Qingzhou was very far from the East Sea, and he rarely heard news from there. It was indeed a bit of a connection for Zhu Sihai to get this thing.

"Chief Chen, try it quickly and see if it suits your taste."

Chen Yuan waved his hand, picked up the small bowl of chicken soup, and took a sip:

"Chen doesn't ki... Chen doesn't like things from the sea."

Zhu Sihai sighed:

"So be it, so be it. Then I, Zhu, will have a taste."

After taking a few sips, Chen Yuan put down his chopsticks at the right time and said solemnly:

"Gang Leader Zhu."

Zhu Sihai revealed a wry smile:

"Chief Chen, I swear, the Beihai Gang has absolutely nothing to do with the demonic people of the Unborn Church."

He didn't say anything like, "Search as you please," because that would mean non-compliance, and Chen Yuan could easily find so-called "evidence."

Chen Yuan raised a finger and waved it gently:

"That's not important."

Zhu Sihai stared intently at Chen Yuan.

"If I say the Beihai Gang is involved, then it is involved. If I say it's not, then it's not. An official's word is law, Gang Leader Zhu has been dealing with Chief Huang for so long, haven't you realized that yet?"

Chen Yuan's expression turned calm, and he squinted at him.

"You go out first?"

After a moment of silence, Zhu Sihai instructed the hall master beside him and then turned his gaze to Wang Ping beside Chen Yuan, the meaning already self-evident.

"You also go out and digest..."

Chen Yuan said softly.

Wang Ping nodded, paused his gaze on Zhu Sihai for a moment, turned around, and left with the man from the Beihai Gang.

In an instant, only Chen Yuan and Zhu Sihai were left in the room, and the atmosphere was a bit heavy.

In the end, Zhu Sihai took the lead in speaking:

"Chief Chen, just say what conditions you have. As long as I can do it, I will not refuse."

Chen Yuan: "It's not what conditions I have, it's what conditions are from above. It's already not easy for me to get to this position by luck. Why would I create more trouble?"

"Gang Leader Zhu, one can't help but be in a situation."

Zhu Sihai didn't speak, and it was even more impossible for him to believe Chen Yuan's nonsense. With that tough appearance before, he really got to this position by luck?

"Four hundred taels of silver per month. As long as Gang Leader Zhu can come up with this amount, the Beihai Gang can rest easy from now on." Chen Yuan held up four fingers.

Zhu Sihai's expression changed:

"Impossible, even if you destroy the Beihai Gang, you can't come up with this amount. It's really too difficult..."

Even giving it to the Huang family was only less than two hundred taels per month.

Opening his mouth and asking for four hundred taels, he really didn't treat silver as money!

He had a hidden anger. If it wasn't for Chen Yuan's identity, he would have already turned hostile. He might as well find another backer!

"Gang Leader Zhu, don't be anxious. It's not like I want this money. I'm just passing on a message."

Zhu Sihai breathed a sigh of relief:

"Please tell Lord Li that four hundred taels is absolutely impossible. The Beihai Gang can't come up with it."

"The Beihai Gang is the number one gang in the north of the city. How can it not come up with a mere four hundred taels?"

"Chief Chen also said that the Beihai Gang is only the number one gang, but it's not the only gang. There are nearly a hundred disciples in the gang, and the silver spent every month is not a small amount."

Chen Yuan leaned closer and said in a low voice:

"What if the Beihai Gang becomes the only gang in the north of the city?"

Zhu Sihai's heart stirred, and a gleam of light burst out in his eyes:

"What do you mean by this, Chief Chen?"

"Literal meaning. I will help the Beihai Gang clear all forces and let the Beihai Gang dominate the north of the city. Is Gang Leader Zhu willing to pay four hundred taels of silver every month?"

Zhu Sihai was silent for a long time, seemingly weighing something, staring intently at Chen Yuan:

"The Beihai Gang is already number one in the north of the city. Even if we wipe out the remaining forces, we can only come up with three hundred taels per month at most."

Chen Yuan stood up and raised his right palm:

"Alright, three hundred taels it is!"

The two high-fived to make an oath, looked at each other, and then revealed a smile at the same time.

Chen Yuan patted Zhu Sihai's broad shoulder and said in a low voice:

"From now on, in the north of Ping An City, in the day, I am the biggest, in the night, you are the biggest!"

————

Thanks to the big boss Phantom Ice Heart for the reward of 10,000 points!

Thanks to Swordsman book friend for the reward of 100 points.