Over the next few days, the Money Gang began to take action against the Red Scarf Squad.
However, the Red Scarf Squad was no longer what it used to be, with many skilled individuals joining its ranks.
Among them were the Game Warden North Team, temporarily resting in the capital, the Unbreakable Vajra Jiang Shanao, who was hired to work, the renowned hero Mo Tiansheng, famous throughout the Northeast, and many other aspiring individuals drawn by the Red Scarf Squad's reputation.
Due to the Red Scarf Squad's core principle, all those attracted to it were pure-hearted individuals.
After all, in such an organization, besides fulfilling one's desire to do good deeds, there wasn't much else to expect.
The Red Scarf Squad had a special monthly allowance and reward system for every official member, which, though not much, was enough to cover living expenses entirely.
But if one wished to get rich from this money, it was better to change professions early.
Consequently, most people who specifically joined the Red Scarf Squad did so to find a job where they could get paid for doing good deeds.
After all, with their skills, they could earn money doing anything in the martial arts world; it was more about enjoying psychological satisfaction.
Yet, this seemingly loose organization appeared extraordinarily united due to a shared ideology.
Yang Wanli, following Bamboo Five Peaks's instructions, began to cause trouble for the Red Scarf Squad.
Of course, every action was secretly planned by him and Li Xuan, almost entirely within their control.
Li Xuan deliberately allowed the Money Gang to gain a slight advantage first, then began to counter with the team's various experts, causing the Money Gang's actions to repeatedly fail.
Judging from the apparent strength of both sides, this was the expected outcome.
The Red Scarf Squad had Mo Tiansheng, Wei Zhen, and Jiang Shanao, three Fourth Rank masters, while the Money Gang, having lost Chen Tan, didn't even have a single presentable Fourth Rank master.
Among the few hall masters, there was indeed one Fourth Rank, but he was completely inadequate; against the Red Scarf Squad's Fourth Rank masters, he couldn't defeat anyone.
Moreover, Li Xuan seized an opportunity to cripple this hall master, ensuring he would be bedridden for quite some time.
The other hall masters of the Money Gang were mostly at the peak of the Fifth Rank, which was even less impressive.
Although the Money Gang was the largest gang in the world, it clearly had a serious deficiency in top-tier combat power.
When Chen Tan first established the gang, it was primarily for convenient trade and wealth accumulation; it only gradually changed its nature later.
Even so, the Money Gang still did not change its primary objective of earning money.
Although there were no masters guarding the gang, there was enough money to solve all kinds of problems.
However, a considerable amount of wealth accumulated by the Money Gang had vanished with Chen Tan's "demise."
This was why the Money Gang was so weak that it couldn't even deal with the Red Scarf Squad.
Of course, Li Xuan and Yang Wanli's behind-the-scenes manipulation also contributed significantly.
On this day.
In the Money Gang's deliberation hall, a cloud of sorrow hung heavy.
It seemed that whenever they gathered here recently, the atmosphere was always like this, making it impossible to be happy.
"Gang Leader Yang, over the past few days, our operations have suffered heavy losses; if we continue, it might shake morale," one hall master advised.
"I know. I had hoped to gain some initiative, but I didn't expect the Red Scarf Squad to have grown to such an extent."
Yang Wanli also feigned a worried expression.
He looked around, and less than half of the hall masters remained in the deliberation hall.
The rest of the hall masters were severely injured and bedridden, needing several months to recover before they could get up.
But Yang Wanli, as the Gang Leader Yang, felt no pity at all.
These hall masters being ambushed was all part of his design.
Even though Yang Wanli was now being polite to these hall masters, he had no good feelings for them in his heart. Even if these people currently supported him as the Gang Leader Yang.
If it weren't for these short-sighted individuals, how could the Money Gang have let the Prince Zheng take advantage of them by bringing a wolf into their home?
If they had all honestly followed Chen Tan, Yang Wanli wouldn't be in such trouble now.
Yang Wanli was now losing count of how many factions he was double-crossing.
Chen Tan, the Money Gang, the Red Scarf Squad, the Prince Zhengs Mansion...
If Chen Tan were still the Gang Leader Yang, Yang Wanli wouldn't have to worry so much.
He looked at the remaining hall masters' distressed expressions and cursed inwardly:
"Serves them right! They brought it upon themselves!"
The Money Gang's hall masters, according to the plan previously set with Yang Wanli, originally intended to use the Red Scarf Squad as a pretext to demonstrate the Money Gang's value, then play hard to get, and secure a more important position in Prince Zheng's heart.
But now, it was good; the Red Scarf Squad was quite cooperative, only their attacks were a bit too ruthless, almost crippling the Money Gang.
If this continued, what room would the Money Gang have to play hard to get? They were on the verge of being annihilated by the Red Scarf Squad, and at that point, what value would they have in Prince Zheng's heart?
"Gang Leader Yang, Gang Leader Yang!"
"Hmm?"
Yang Wanli snapped back to attention when he heard the call.
"Gang Leader Yang, what should we do?"
"In the past, we could spend some money to hire experts to help, but now the gang's finances are a bit tight..."
The hall masters also began to complain.
"If it weren't for that Chen Tan selling off the fundamental assets, how could my Money Gang have fallen to such a state?"
"Gang Leader Yang, in my opinion, we should quickly reclaim those properties in the west of the city; otherwise, it's inevitable that we'll exhaust our resources."
"And those few families who have always been on good terms with our Money Gang, shouldn't we ask them for help?"
"Recently, they haven't been interacting with us much, let alone the important business they used to do with us."
The hall masters spoke one after another, expressing their thoughts.
Yang Wanli listened, a cold smile in his heart, but on his face, he still feigned a worried expression.
Back then, why did Chen Tan divide the underground industries and hand them over to Ankang Princess?
Didn't Chen Tan, as the Gang Leader Yang, know that these were the Money Gang's treasure troves, the geese that laid golden eggs?
The layout of the capital, if divided into east and west, could be separated into Wannian County and Changan County.
Wannian County had the East Market, and many nobles lived in the north, with many aristocratic families in the wealthier neighborhoods.
One of the Money Gang's important businesses was to help these nobles in the capital do things they found inconvenient, thereby earning some hard-earned money.
Of course, the hard-earned money was secondary; the main purpose was to maintain connections with these nobles.
And these connections were all personally handled by Chen Tan in the past; it could be said that the Money Gang's relationships were maintained solely by Chen Tan.
When Chen Tan discovered that Prince Zheng's influence in the gang was growing, and he felt he couldn't suppress it, he resorted to a drastic measure, handing over the underground industries to Ankang Princess.
Firstly, it was to establish a connection with the Imperial family and secure a fallback.
After all, anyone with some insight in the Great Xing Dynasty could clearly see the conflict between Emperor Yongyuan and Prince Zheng.
As the saying goes, there can't be two suns in the sky, nor two kings for the people.
But everyone could see how great Prince Zheng's power and prestige were.
If you were Emperor Yongyuan, wouldn't you be wary?
Chen Tan seeking out Prince Zheng's staunchest enemy could only be considered his basic move.
If he didn't even have this much skill, he wouldn't have been able to navigate among the major powers in the capital for so many years, making the Money Gang prosper.
It's just that when good days last too long, some people lose sight of their own importance.
And these hall masters, who couldn't figure out their own positions, also caused the second effect of Chen Tan's plan to be almost useless.
Chen Tan's second purpose in dividing the Money Gang's underground industries was to make the gang's main income dependent solely on his connections.
But he didn't expect that the hall masters were so bewitched by Prince Zheng's aura that they overlooked this point and directly overthrew Chen Tan.
Prince Zheng had also made efforts to bring Chen Tan under his command, but Chen Tan's stance was truly firm, which made Prince Zheng lose patience, leading him to orchestrate Chen Tan's elimination.
None of the hall masters present were innocent in this matter.
Now that things were irreversible, they began to hesitate, even being persuaded by him to be two-faced.
In Yang Wanli's eyes, these people deserved to die.
The hall masters still thought that the nobles of the past came for the Money Gang, unaware that Chen Tan was the true golden signboard.
Among those who came to the memorial service a few days ago, how many truly gave face to the Money Gang? They just came to see if the Money Gang, without Chen Tan, was still worth using.
Moreover, some things can be hidden for a while, but not forever.
Once it was known that the Money Gang had been subdued by Prince Zheng, perhaps some would come to curry favor and seek connections, but those who genuinely came to the Money Gang for business would likely all disappear.
From now on, the Money Gang's livelihood would only consist of serving Prince Zheng.
When Prince Zheng achieved great things in the future, he would then find the Money Gang an eyesore.
At that time, how many would have a good ending?
It was a pity that such a simple truth, apart from Chen Tan the Gang Leader Yang, few in the gang could understand.
Yang Wanli recalled so many years of effort, which had made the Money Gang more and more prosperous, earning it the title of the number one gang in the world today.
But who could have predicted that the Money Gang would disintegrate from within, for such a foolish reason?
Perhaps when Chen Tan was betrayed and thrown into prison that day, he must have found it incredibly laughable.
After all, the Money Gang was his life's work.
Thinking of this, Yang Wanli sighed with deep emotion.
The hall masters thought Yang Wanli was worried about the Red Scarf Squad, so they didn't dare to interrupt rashly, quietly waiting by the side.
Yang Wanli stopped thinking further, put away his emotions, and let these doomed souls continue towards their demise.
"It's probably not that easy to reclaim the underground industries. The Red Scarf Squad must understand the stakes and certainly won't let us succeed easily."
"And I hear the recipients of those industries are tough nuts to crack; if we provoke another party, we might not be able to withstand it."
"As for those connections in the city..."
"I won't hide it from you brothers; they all gave face to the former Gang Leader Yang, Chen Tan. Last time, when they came to pay respects, most only sent representatives, and their attitudes were very distant."
"Now, with our pathetic state, I'm afraid we won't even be able to knock on their doors."
Yang Wanli's blunt words left the hall masters silent and devastated.
They understood the logic, but they couldn't just sit there and wait for death, could they?
Previously, they thought that without Chen Tan, they still had Prince Zheng as a powerful backer, and the Money Gang's future development would only be smoother.
But who would have thought that Bamboo Five Peaks, that old lecher, would stand between the Money Gang and the Prince Zhengs Mansion, leaving them in such a dilemma?
If they bowed their heads this time, Bamboo Five Peaks would probably even dare to sleep in their homes.
The hall masters had all witnessed that old lecher's shameless behavior firsthand.
But if they didn't bow their heads, having lost Chen Tan and without Prince Zheng's reliance, who could the Money Gang depend on?
The hall masters placed their last hope on Yang Wanli, their new Gang Leader Yang, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Yang Wanli gritted his teeth, seemingly having made some decision.
"No, I'll go find Bamboo Five Peaks for help!"
"Gang Leader Yang~"
The hall masters all called out in unison, their emotions exceptionally complex.
They, of course, understood that at this moment, they could only rely on Prince Zheng's power.
But they had already fallen out with Bamboo Five Peaks; going to him now, wouldn't that be inviting humiliation?
As for directly approaching the Prince Zhengs Mansion, that brought them back to their initial problem.
Between Bamboo Five Peaks, a Third Rank martial artist, and their Money Gang, Prince Zheng could only make one decision.
Even they themselves didn't believe that Prince Zheng would severely punish Bamboo Five Peaks for the Money Gang's sake.
The hall masters also couldn't understand how their Money Gang had fallen into such an awkward predicament.
To think that their Money Gang was a formidable force in the martial arts world, yet at this moment, they felt as aggrieved as a widow being bullied by her husband's family in turn.
They all knew that Yang Wanli going to beg Bamboo Five Peaks would surely not end well, but at this moment, for the survival of the Money Gang, someone had to do it.
"Enough, it's come to this, there's no other way!"
"Gang Leader Yang~~~"
Each of the hall masters, renowned heroes in the martial arts world, were now moved to tears by Yang Wanli.
Regardless of anything else, this new Gang Leader Yang was truly honorable.
If it weren't for the Money Gang's deteriorating situation, Yang Wanli would surely have been able to lead the Money Gang to a new era, experiencing a second spring and becoming a legendary Gang Leader Yang.
Yang Wanli stood up abruptly, closing his eyes in an internal struggle, seemingly preparing himself mentally, his hands trembling slightly.
After a long while, Yang Wanli opened his eyes again, filled with determination.
"The gang is entrusted to you brothers; I'll be back shortly."
Leaving these words, Yang Wanli rushed out of the deliberation hall.
The hall masters quickly followed to the door, repeatedly sighing and calling out:
"Gang Leader Yang~ Oh, Gang Leader Yang~~~"
This scene was as if Yang Wanli was going to brave a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, making some immense sacrifice.
In short, the hall masters were weeping, their voices filled with sorrow, as they watched Yang Wanli's retreating figure disappear from their sight.
The moment Yang Wanli's figure vanished around the corner, one emotional hall master's legs gave out, and he sat on the ground, wailing:
"How did my Money Gang come to this? How did it come to this?"
...
A quarter of an hour later, Yang Wanli had appeared in the small courtyard at the street corner and was granted an audience with Bamboo Five Peaks.
The Yang Wanli who had just moments ago been resolute and ready to sacrifice himself now wore a completely different expression.
Yang Wanli scurried obsequiously to Bamboo Five Peaks's side, bowing and scraping as he said:
"Old Zhu, everything is ready. We're just waiting for you to make a move and wipe out the Red Scarf Squad's petty scoundrels in one fell swoop!"
Bamboo Five Peaks lay on a recliner, fanning himself, his eyes not even open, and said meaningfully:
"Hmm?"
"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me unless it's important?"
"What? Is your Money Gang so useless?"
Yang Wanli didn't care about Bamboo Five Peaks's disdain for the Money Gang, nodding repeatedly and saying:
"That's not it, how could our Money Gang be compared to Old Zhu? Those few useless hall masters are slow-witted and clumsy, and several of them are almost beaten to death by the Red Scarf Squad."
"If you don't make a move, this Money Gang will be wiped out!"
Upon hearing this, Bamboo Five Peaks nodded in satisfaction, then asked Yang Wanli:
"So, Gang Leader Yang, you mean I'm coming to the Money Gang's rescue in its time of crisis?"
Yang Wanli didn't even have to think, immediately replying instinctively:
"Naturally. The Money Gang is currently in grave danger, which is why I came to ask Old Zhu for help."
"When the time comes, let alone Prince Zheng, whoever asks me, I will only have this one answer!"
Bamboo Five Peaks immediately burst into laughter, stood up by pressing on the armrest, and paced a few steps around the room.
He laughed for a good while before turning to look at Yang Wanli, his eyes filled with appreciation.
"Gang Leader Yang, I have met countless people in my life, and rarely have I misjudged someone."
"But I see you, you truly have a lot of potential!"