Chapter 528 - 348: Others Are Afraid of the Powerful Figure Behind You, But I’m Not

Chapter 528: Chapter 348: Others Are Afraid of the Powerful Figure Behind You, But I’m Not

"Hey, you two little ones, don’t leave yet. I’ll get some fish for you," the shop owner said, turning and running into his restaurant.

Seeing the human, the Little Black Cat and Little White Cat were about to leave, but when they heard him say he would get them fish, they paused to see what would happen.

The shop owner didn’t keep the two stray kittens waiting long. He soon reemerged from his restaurant, and just as he’d promised, he had indeed gone to get them fish.

The Little Black Cat and Little White Cat watched the chubby human approach with two small fish in his hands and immediately backed away.

Seeing how wary the two stray kittens were, the shop owner gave up on getting closer. He tossed the two fish toward them.

The Little Black Cat and Little White Cat sniffed the fish. Finding them fresh, each cat immediately snatched one up and, without a moment’s hesitation, turned and left.

"Come back around this time tomorrow, and I’ll give you more fish!" the shop owner called out to the two departing kittens.

Even though he knew the kittens probably couldn’t understand him, he couldn’t resist shouting after them anyway.

「...」

「Spirit Realm, Dongwu City.」

Early in the morning, the Red Blood Gang’s docks were already bustling with activity. Workers who had arrived at dawn moved with practiced speed, unloading cargo from the steamships moored at the riverbank and hauling it into the dockside warehouses.

Red Blood Gang members, acting as overseers, patrolled the grounds, their gazes sharp as they watched the laborers.

The moment they spotted anyone slacking, they would shout a reprimand. The more hot-tempered ones would walk right up and deliver a swift kick or a crack of their whip.

Despite this physical abuse from the Red Blood Gang members, none of the long-suffering workers dared to fight back.

There was no shortage of people desperate to earn this grueling wage. Anyone who dared to resist would be fired on the spot, their job given to someone else.

With entire families depending on the pittance they earned from their back-breaking labor at the docks, the poor workers had no choice but to swallow their anger and silently endure the beatings and verbal abuse.

Not far from the docks, in a small grove of trees, Lin Li stood under the shade of a large, leafy tree. He watched as the Red Blood Gang’s most important enterprise continued to flourish in the distance.

’I took out the Red Blood Gang’s leader and dozens of his men. Why isn’t there the slightest sign of chaos?’ Lin Li was baffled. He decided to find someone and ask around.

A bustling commercial street was located not far from the Red Blood Gang’s docks.

The street’s existence in this otherwise remote area was largely due to its proximity to the docks.

Some of the cargo from the docked steamships was brought here to be sold, and over time, it developed into the lively commercial district it was today.

Lin Li still hadn’t eaten breakfast. He left the docks and found a teahouse on the commercial street that served a morning menu, asking the waiter for a private room.

From his private room on the third floor of the teahouse, Lin Li sat at a table by the window. Gazing into the distance, he could faintly make out the Red Blood Gang’s docks.

The waiter brought the breakfast Lin Li had ordered to the table: steamed buns, spring rolls, tea-leaf eggs... Plate after plate was set down until more than a dozen dishes covered the table.

If the table could have held more, Lin Li would have ordered even more.

"Enjoy your meal, sir. Just call me if you need anything else," the waiter, a boy of no more than fifteen or sixteen, said respectfully after setting down the last dish. He then turned to leave.

"Wait a moment, please," Lin Li said, setting down his teacup and stopping the waiter.

"Yes, sir? What can I do for you?" the waiter asked.

"I’d like to ask you about something," Lin Li said, pulling a Fifty Copper Coins banknote from his pocket and placing it on the table. The meaning was clear without a word being spoken.

The waiter’s eyes widened, and he stared intently at the banknote on the table. The longing in his heart was written all over his face.

After all, having dropped out of school at a young age, he earned only Fifty Copper Coins for a full day of back-breaking work at the teahouse.

"Sir, ask whatever you like. As long as it’s something I know..." the waiter said, his eyes still fixed on the banknote.

"I heard the Red Blood Gang’s leader was taken out not long ago. Is that true?" Lin Li asked casually, feigning uncertainty so convincingly it seemed genuine.

"It is. The story’s been spreading like wildfire. Everyone’s guessing which big shot the Red Blood Gang’s leader must have offended to get himself killed," the waiter said.

’I’m no big shot, but everyone suspecting the Gang Leader was killed for offending some powerful figure is actually a good thing for me,’ Lin Li mused. He then questioned the waiter further.

"So it is true! The Red Blood Gang’s leader was quite a figure. I’m surprised the gang hasn’t descended into chaos now that he’s gone."

Seeing that Lin Li didn’t know why the gang was still stable, the waiter’s face lit up with an "I-know-all-about-it" expression as he spoke eagerly.

"Sir, I know about that! I heard the reason the Red Blood Gang hasn’t fallen apart is because their newly appointed leader convinced some powerful figure to act as their patron.

That’s how they avoided being attacked by other gangs while they were severely weakened.

In fact, I heard that the day after their Gang Leader was killed by an unknown assassin, their arch-rivals, the Flying Dragon Gang, showed up. The Flying Dragon Gang’s leader brought his men that night, surrounded the Red Blood Gang’s men, and told them to pack their things and clear out.

If the Red Blood Gang hadn’t produced a golden token from that powerful figure, the Flying Dragon Gang would have already taken over the docks..."

"So that’s what happened. Do you know who this powerful figure backing the Red Blood Gang is?" Lin Li inquired.

"That, I don’t know," the waiter said, shaking his head.

It was perfectly normal for the waiter not to know who the Red Blood Gang’s patron was.

He was just an ordinary person, after all. If he had known the identity of the major figure behind the Red Blood Gang, Lin Li would have begun to suspect the waiter’s identity.

Lured by the money, the waiter told Lin Li everything he knew about the Red Blood Gang. Through this questioning, Lin Li managed to gather a good deal of recent intelligence on them.

"Sir, is there anything else you’d like to ask?" the waiter said when Lin Li fell silent.

"That’s all. Thank you," Lin Li said with a smile.

"Then I..." The waiter’s gaze drifted down to the Fifty Copper Coins banknote on the table.

"You’ve earned this. Take it," Lin Li said, pushing the banknote toward the waiter.

"Thank you for the tip, sir!" The waiter pocketed the banknote, his face beaming with joy, and left the private room.

"Heh... Don’t think you’re safe just because you found some powerful backer.

Others might be afraid of your patron, but I’m not."

After the waiter left, Lin Li gave a cold chuckle. He peeled a tea-leaf egg, his eyes on the faintly visible docks in the distance as he muttered to himself.

In the distance, on the Red Blood Gang’s docks, Fang Jingtang—the popular choice for the new Gang Leader—was patrolling with a few of the gang’s minor bosses.

As they surveyed the flourishing scene at the docks, looks of relief appeared on their faces.

After all, just a short while ago, the Red Blood Gang had been on the verge of collapse.

Now that the crisis had passed, everyone felt that the Red Blood Gang’s future was only going to get brighter.

「...」