"To gain the favor of Old Zhu, this junior is incredibly fortunate, truly fortunate!"
Yang Wanli's expression was a mix of surprise and inexplicable apprehension. For the esteemed Gang Leader of the Money Gang to be so humble in front of him, it greatly pleased Bamboo Five Peaks.
He still remembered how the previous Gang Leader Chen always put on airs in front of him, always playing the part of being neither humble nor arrogant, which had long annoyed Bamboo Five Peaks.
It was just a pity that this person was too slippery; even the dead end of the Ministry of Justice Prison couldn't kill Chen Tan.
On that day, Belgrade retreated in haste. Although Bamboo Five Peaks was on site, he was held back by the experts from the Internal Affairs Bureau.
By the time he entered the prison to check, there was no trace of Chen Tan. He was neither seen alive nor dead, clearly having taken the opportunity to escape.
Because of this, Bamboo Five Peaks grumbled about Belgrade for several days, and frequently mentioned to Prince Zheng that the Great Desert people could not be trusted.
But no matter what, Chen Tan hiding was no different from him dying.
They took the opportunity to spread the news of Chen Tan's death and let the new Gang Leader take over the Money Gang, which would yield the same result.
If Chen Tan dared to show himself, they would just kill him again.
For Prince Zhengs Mansion, whether Chen Tan was truly dead or falsely dead, or died sooner or later, made no difference.
As long as he didn't get in the way, no one cared about the life or death of such a small fry.
"You said everything is ready on your side?"
Bamboo Five Peaks coughed dryly, pulling his thoughts back.
He was pleased for now, but he still remembered there was serious business to attend to.
And what he said to Yang Wanli was true; he genuinely thought highly of this new Gang Leader of the Money Gang.
If Yang Wanli had been the Gang Leader before, there wouldn't have been so many troubles later on.
"Old Zhu, this junior has investigated thoroughly."
"Tomorrow, two Fourth Rank experts from the Red Scarf Squad are going out of the city to handle some business, leaving only the most mysterious Mo Tiansheng to guard the city."
"If Old Zhu can seize this opportunity to eliminate these two, it will undoubtedly deal a huge blow to the Red Scarf Squad."
"By then, with only the elusive Mo Tiansheng left, the Red Scarf Squad will surely be unable to stand alone."
"At that time, with the Red Scarf Squad destroyed, the Money Gang will easily reclaim its underground industries."
"This truly is a heaven-sent opportunity due to Old Zhu's immense good fortune!"
Bamboo Five Peaks immediately burst into laughter upon hearing this, but then seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
"What about that Mo Tiansheng? Can you also bring him here? I'll just catch them all in one go today."
"Only two Fourth Rank individuals, and I have to personally make a move? That's a bit of an overkill."
Bamboo Five Peaks was indeed accustomed to the comfortable life of a retainer, even finding such an opportunity troublesome, intending to eliminate all Red Scarf Squad experts in one go.
Yang Wanli cursed "old fool" inwardly, but his eyes darted around, and he immediately had an idea, sincerely saying:
"Old Zhu, this junior thought the same."
"But upon careful consideration, it's not a good idea for Old Zhu to act in the capital. After all, there are many eyes and ears, and if someone accidentally witnessed it, it wouldn't be good to have gossip about His Highness Prince Zheng."
"Nonsense!" Bamboo Five Peaks immediately flicked his sleeve, appearing somewhat angry: "It only takes a moment for me to kill a few Fourth Rank individuals. How could anyone witness it?"
Although Bamboo Five Peaks spoke tough, he also considered the risks involved.
He also suddenly remembered that when Prince Zheng sent him to monitor the Money Gang, he specifically instructed him to act discreetly.
However, having this matter exposed by Yang Wanli always made him lose face, making him seem thoughtless.
But what kind of person was Yang Wanli? Reading expressions was his specialty.
Bone shrinking and disguise were Yang Wanli's forte.
But many people only focused on the technical aspect of the form, ignoring the essence.
Disguise was originally for impersonating others. If one only had the appearance, it was merely the most superficial technique. The most important thing was the demeanor.
Therefore, Yang Wanli was very good at observing others, which was also the essence of why he was so smooth as a double-crosser.
Yang Wanli instantly saw through Bamboo Five Peaks's thoughts and immediately offered a considerate way out.
"That is natural. Old Zhu's strength is beyond doubt, but when we work for His Highness Prince Zheng, we must always be cautious."
"It's better to be safe than sorry."
"This junior is humble and weak, so I tend to worry a lot."
"As for that Mo Tiansheng, he is truly too mysterious, but this junior has also made some efforts. I plan to inform the Money Gang's hall masters about the matter outside the city as well, letting them participate to put pressure on the Red Scarf Squad."
"When the Red Scarf Squad gets the news, they will naturally concentrate their forces and try to ambush us. That will be the time for Old Zhu to catch them all!"
Bamboo Five Peaks listened to Yang Wanli's plan and asked with great confusion:
"Can your several hall masters defeat two Fourth Rank experts?"
"You can say that, but the Red Scarf Squad also has to believe it, right?"
Yang Wanli had just said that most of the hall masters were currently incapacitated.
With the two Fourth Rank experts of the Red Scarf Squad together, would the Money Gang's hall masters going there be causing trouble? Wouldn't they be going to their deaths?
"Uh…"
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Yang Wanli's face. The Money Gang being so disregarded didn't sit well with him as the Gang Leader.
But Yang Wanli immediately found a way to explain himself: "It's the Money Gang's usual practice: if we can't win, we spend money to hire people from the martial world. We can spread the word that experts hired by the Money Gang are going to assassinate those two. The Red Scarf Squad will surely be prepared then."
"But when releasing the news, we must be careful with the timing; if we scare them away directly, it won't be worth it…"
Yang Wanli showed hesitation, but cursed inwardly.
This Bamboo Five Peaks was too demanding. He asked him to kill two Fourth Rank individuals, yet he still wasn't satisfied and wanted to lure Mo Tiansheng as well, to resolve everything at once.
Yang Wanli hadn't expected this old man to be so greedy. He knew very well that the more he said, the more flaws he would expose.
At this moment, he put on a troubled expression, wondering how to deal with the situation.
Bamboo Five Peaks was quite old and not as easily fooled as ordinary people.
Yang Wanli assumed that Bamboo Five Peaks would have no reason to be afraid of dealing with a few Fourth Rank individuals.
Moreover, the Red Scarf Squad had never leaked any information about having a Third Rank expert.
Yang Wanli originally thought this matter wouldn't be difficult, but he didn't expect the difficulty to lie in Bamboo Five Peaks's greed.
"This junior has thought about it, and Old Zhu is very right."
"If we can't catch them all in one go, it's indeed easy to alert the enemy."
"If Mo Tiansheng is scared and never dares to show his face again, I'm afraid it will leave future trouble."
"In that case, let's forget about tomorrow's matter for now. This junior was too abrupt today."
Yang Wanli said, looking as if he was about to bow and take his leave.
But Bamboo Five Peaks wasn't in a hurry at all. Instead, he said to Yang Wanli with a smile:
"Young people still need to be patient."
"If your Money Gang holds out for a few more days, there will definitely be a better opportunity."
"I will wait here for Gang Leader Gang Leader Yang's good news."
"See him out!"
Yang Wanli bowed respectfully, a smile on his face, but his heart was filled with bitterness.
He never expected that the plan, which had been going so smoothly all along, would encounter such a snag at such a simple step.
Yang Wanli gritted his teeth, swallowing the bitterness, not daring to show the slightest emotion.
He was escorted out by Bamboo Five Peaks's attendants, looking regretful.
Bamboo Five Peaks watched Yang Wanli's departing back until he disappeared from his sight, then suddenly muttered to himself:
"Investigate the source of this information, and then keep an eye on Yang Wanli and the Money Gang's hall masters' movements."
At this moment, a response came from within the room:
"Old Zhu, we don't have enough manpower to tail them."
Bamboo Five Peaks said impatiently: "You don't need to personally tail those hall masters; just find someone else to do it."
"But for the information and Yang Wanli, I want you to personally keep an eye on them."
After a moment of silence, a concise response came from the shadows:
"Understood."
Bamboo Five Peaks nodded slowly, relieved, upon receiving the reply.
Yang Wanli had been acting in this room for half a day, yet he hadn't detected anyone else in the room at all.
Bamboo Five Peaks was not a fool. Ever since the suspicious incident at the Money Gang last time, he had requested some manpower from Prince Zhengs Mansion for assistance.
Although he was a Third Rank expert and had no problem fighting head-on, as the saying goes, 'everyone has their specialty.' Professional matters still required professionals to handle them.
The Prince Zhengs Mansion's secret guards were elites specifically responsible for intelligence gathering and close protection, a force in Prince Zheng's hands no less capable than the Internal Affairs Bureau.
The previous investigation into the Money Gang's hall masters was conducted by the secret guards.
Otherwise, Bamboo Five Peaks would still be unclear about what had happened until today.
Bamboo Five Peaks wasn't suspicious of Yang Wanli now, but rather, with the secret guards helping him, there was no reason to act rashly.
Moreover, his positive view of Yang Wanli was genuinely not just politeness, so he specifically wanted to put him to the test.
Bamboo Five Peaks, of course, knew that opportunities were rare, but he deliberately interfered with Yang Wanli's plan to see his reaction.
Yang Wanli's previous performance had still satisfied Bamboo Five Peaks.
After all, if it were him encountering such a situation, he probably would have lost his temper long ago.
"A teachable young man. It's indeed not bad if the Red Scarf Squad kills a few more hall masters."
"But if the information is true, I can play around with the identity of a dead person."
Bamboo Five Peaks pondered silently, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Where there are people, there is conflict.
Bamboo Five Peaks was indeed a retainer of Prince Zhengs Mansion.
But just as Yang Wanli had said earlier, there was a significant difference in the magnitude of the credit earned during the process of taking over the Money Gang.
Moreover, it was precisely the time for Prince Zhengs Mansion to use the Money Gang. If he could make everyone in the Money Gang as respectful and obedient to him as Yang Wanli, he would have even more opportunities to gain merit later.
But before that, Bamboo Five Peaks still had something he absolutely had to do.
Those Money Gang hall masters who had schemed against him could not be allowed to live.
However, Bamboo Five Peaks found it inconvenient to act personally in this matter, so he had to use others' hands or names.
Bamboo Five Peaks leisurely sat back in his reclining chair, gently rocking, enjoying the moment.
Whether the news Yang Wanli brought was true or false, and whether he acted tomorrow or not, were both acceptable outcomes.
One could say that tomorrow's events would entirely depend on Bamboo Five Peaks's mood.
This kind of randomness also brought Bamboo Five Peaks a great sense of security.
Bamboo Five Peaks hummed a little tune, tapping his fingers on the armrest, looking utterly carefree and at ease.
That night.
Li Xuan routinely came to Yang Wanli for intelligence exchange.
"He refused?"
The incomprehension in the telepathic message was extremely obvious. Yang Wanli, fearing he would be misunderstood, immediately explained in detail the conversation between him and Bamboo Five Peaks today.
Yang Wanli was still the same as before, seemingly handling gang affairs, but his left hand was subtly writing on the table.
After Yang Wanli finished describing the events, Li Xuan again sent him a telepathic message:
"Someone is watching you tonight. Their method of concealing their presence is very clever; they are definitely not from your Money Gang."
"Bamboo Five Peaks might not truly be giving up on this opportunity."
Upon hearing this, Yang Wanli's eyes narrowed slightly, but he maintained his original posture.
Li Xuan was currently lying on the rooftop, hands tucked into his sleeves, eyes closed, looking as if he were dozing off.
But in reality, he had secretly expanded his perception to its maximum, fully aware of the surrounding situation.
Ever since he encountered someone as sensitive to gazes as Belgrade before, Li Xuan had developed the habit of no longer using his eyes to observe surveillance targets, opting instead to use his perception whenever possible.
At this moment, on a tree directly outside Yang Wanli's room window, Li Xuan detected a different aura.
Through this method, Li Xuan could only determine that the person monitoring Yang Wanli was not an Upper Three Ranks expert.
But to dare to break into the Money Gang's main headquarters alone, he should at least be Middle Three Ranks in strength.
However, the method of concealing his presence greatly interested Li Xuan.
This person was dressed in black, covered by a strange cloth, with only a slit exposed to observe Yang Wanli in the room.
Yang Wanli's room had a charcoal fire, so the window was open.
The cloth covering the black-clad figure also seemed a bit strange, appearing to have light-absorbing properties, almost merging with the darkness.
His aura was also well-contained; ordinary experts would simply be unable to detect him.
But the current Li Xuan could even see through Zhao Feng's stealth, let alone this kind of method.
"Don't meddle with Bamboo Five Peaks's side anymore. Tomorrow, I will continue to spread news within the team. After you receive the news, just react normally, showing regret, and there's no need to report to Bamboo Five Peaks again."
"I will investigate the background of the person monitoring you. Until I contact you, proceed as usual."
With that, Li Xuan fell silent.
Yang Wanli breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had sent Mo Tiansheng away.
These past few days hadn't been easy for him, caught between various factions and enduring immense pressure.
If he slipped up one day, Bamboo Five Peaks would be the first to not let him off.
Therefore, Yang Wanli was very concerned about the plan to ambush Bamboo Five Peaks tomorrow.
During the day today, Bamboo Five Peaks pushed him to the brink of losing his composure several times. Fortunately, Yang Wanli managed to keep his cool.
Now that Mo Tiansheng told him not to worry about tomorrow's matters, Yang Wanli was more than happy about it.
"Chen Tan, you bastard, when all this mess is over, I'll make sure you call me Dad for a few years, no matter what!"
Yang Wanli fumed to himself, and his movements in handling gang affairs couldn't help but become a bit more forceful.
...
The next morning.
The secret guard delivered a message to Bamboo Five Peaks.
"Mo Tiansheng and Jiang Shanao have gone out of the city to handle business, leaving Wei Zhen to guard the city."
"Yang Wanli received the news, merely shaking his head in regret, and made no further moves."
The reclining chair stopped rocking, and Bamboo Five Peaks had already stood up.
"It seems no one has ever seen Mo Tiansheng's true face, right?"
"Good, I will go out of the city and see how formidable this person truly is."
Bamboo Five Peaks immediately asked the secret guard for the specific intelligence, then headed to the location indicated in the intelligence.
After Bamboo Five Peaks left, another secret guard suddenly appeared.
"Prince Zheng has ordered us to follow Old Zhu and assist in the operation."