Chapter 710: Stay (Part 2)

Everyone was panting heavily, their clothes soaked with sweat.

Feng Mountain hadn’t taken first place.

Of course, that was because he had deliberately gone easy on them. If he had gone all out, none of these veterans would have been a match for him.

‘As the boss…’

‘If I fight my own employees for first place, it would make me look petty.’

The winner was a veteran nicknamed Tire, who grinningly collected his winnings from the others.

But getting his hands on the money wasn’t going to be that easy.

The veterans swarmed him, chanting that since he’d won, he had to treat everyone to drinks at the bar.

The pot from seven or eight guys was only about seventy or eighty US Dollars. A few rounds at the bar would probably cost him more than that.

Tire was a good sport, though. Still grinning, he clutched the cash tightly in his fist, then waved his arm grandly and called out to the others.

“Come on, to the bar! It’s on me!”

The veterans erupted in cheers.

Feng Mountain declined their invitation with a smile.

“You guys go on ahead. I’m going to pass. I’ve got some things to take care of.”

He then beckoned to Yves and Paine. “You two can head to the bar in a bit. Come with me to the warehouse first.”

The three of them followed the gravel path to the warehouse.

Gordon and his three brothers were standing by the entrance, leisurely smoking.

When they saw Feng Mountain, they jumped as if they’d been scalded, quickly extinguishing their cigarettes and frantically stuffing the butts into their pockets.

“Boss!”

“Is it ready?” Feng Mountain asked gently, a warm smile on his face.

Gordon hurriedly straightened up. “It’s all ready.”

Feng Mountain nodded in satisfaction and led the still-baffled Yves and Paine into the warehouse.

Once inside, the two of them finally saw what was going on.

The warehouse’s previously cluttered supplies had been stacked neatly in a corner. In the middle of the room stood a slightly worn table and a few chairs.

A single lamp hung over the table, casting a dim, yellowish beam of light directly onto its surface.

The rest of the warehouse was pitch-black, splitting the space into two separate worlds.

The scene gave off a powerfully oppressive feeling. Yves and Paine exchanged a look, both of them invariably thinking of scenes from a mob movie.

“Fuck’s sake, Gordon! I told you to clear out the warehouse for a temporary office. What is this?” Feng Mountain asked, exasperated, pointing at the table and chairs. “A mob deal?”

“But Boss, you told us to give it some atmosphere,” Gordon explained with a bewildered look, scratching his head as if he were completely in the right. “I copied it one-to-one from a scene in *The Godfather*.”

“Fuck’s sake, get *The Godfather* out of your head.” Feng Mountain rolled his eyes, shaking his head in resignation. Gordon’s ideas were giving him a headache.

He then looked at the equally dumbfounded Yves and Paine and pointed to the empty chairs at the table. “Have a seat.”

The lamplight fell over the three of them like a thin veil.

The dim yellow light created a sense of mystery, but being in a warehouse, it just felt eerie.

You had to admit, Gordon’s design was creative. The light hit the three of them right at the forehead, making the contrast between light and shadow exceptionally sharp.

Combined with the pitch-black surroundings and the faint movement of figures in the shadows, the whole scene had the grainy feel of an old film noir.

Anyone who didn’t know better would absolutely assume they’d stumbled upon a gang transaction.

“Shit!”

Feng Mountain felt it too—the atmosphere was just too much like a mob deal.

‘But it’s too late to change it now.’

Forcing down his discomfort, he pulled a stack of envelopes from his pocket.

“Men, this is a bonus for all your hard work. Jenny wrote everyone’s name on an envelope, so hand them out when you get back. And one more thing, make sure the guys send the money home to their families. Don’t let them piss it all away on booze.”

As Feng Mountain spoke, he handed the envelopes to Yves and Paine.

“Boss, we don’t need this. The salary you pay us is more than enough,” Yves said, quickly waving his hands to refuse the extra money.

Paine nodded in agreement, feeling that he had also been fairly compensated.

“Bullshit. I’m no cheapskate. Hard work deserves to be rewarded. Now take it before I get nasty!”

Feng Mountain shot them a glare.

It was enough to stop Paine from refusing again.

Seeing the resolute look in his boss’s eyes, Yves knew it was useless to refuse any further. He stood and took the envelopes.

“That’s more like it,” Feng Mountain said with a satisfied smile, nodding. “I don’t let my people work for free.”

‘I took these veterans in, let them live in the Crown Territory, and helped them with their PTSD. I gave them a safe place to call home.’

‘And these guys didn’t hold back. They followed me all over, worked their asses off, and even took risks doing some illegal things.’

‘Sure, they get a salary of 4,000 US Dollars a month now.’

‘It’s barely enough to support a family.’

‘But as their boss, I can’t just ignore their contributions.’

‘Since they’re out here grinding with me, giving their time, energy, and even taking risks, they deserve to be rewarded for it. I can’t let them toil for nothing.’

‘Otherwise, who would want to stick with me?’

‘Only if I treat these brothers with sincerity will they follow me with sincerity. That’s the only way the Crown Territory will prosper.’

After Yves accepted the envelopes, Feng Mountain chatted with them for a few more minutes, gave them some instructions, and then sent them on their way.

“Gordon!” Feng Mountain called out into the darkness with a sigh.

“Boss.” Hearing his name, Gordon quickly emerged from the shadows.

“Sit down. These are for you and your brothers,” Feng Mountain said, pulling four more envelopes from his pocket and placing them gently on the table.

“We get some too?” Gordon was stunned. He stared at the envelopes on the table in astonishment, his mouth hanging slightly open. He seemed to want to say something but was lost for words.

‘The four of us were basically convicts.’

‘We were caught poaching in the Crown Territory. If this had happened anywhere else…’

‘Trespassing on private land to poach… we could’ve been shot dead and the state troopers wouldn’t have batted an eye.’

‘But the boss just brought us back to the Crown Territory. It was called ‘labor reform’ in name, but our treatment was the same as any regular employee.’

‘Room, board, and a steady job.’

‘It’s a hundred times better than those poor bastards who get thrown in jail for poaching and spend their days trying not to drop the soap.’

‘And yet, Gordon had never imagined they’d be getting a bonus on top of all that.’

A wave of complex emotions washed over him: he was moved, he was grateful, but more than anything, he was filled with admiration for Feng Mountain.

Feng Mountain looked up at the man before him, his gaze gentle and expectant.

“Take them. Your labor reform is over. You four can choose to leave, or you can stay on at the Crown Territory as official employees…”

“I’m staying, Boss! I don’t want to leave the Crown Territory!” Gordon blurted out, cutting Feng Mountain off.

His expression was urgent. He leaned forward slightly, his hands clenched unconsciously, betraying his inner tension and excitement.

His gaze then lingered on the envelopes on the table.

A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes. He didn’t know how much money was inside, but knowing the boss’s generosity, it was sure to be a hefty sum.

He was torn—on one hand, he coveted the money; on the other, he couldn’t bear to leave the Crown Territory.

But after only a moment’s hesitation, Gordon gritted his teeth as if he’d made up his mind. He pushed the envelopes back toward Feng Mountain, his voice firm and sincere.

“Boss, I don’t want the money. In all my time here at the Crown Territory, I’ve been shown a respect and dignity I’ve never known before. It’s only here that I feel like I’m living like a person.”

“I want to stay. I want to become a member of the Crown Territory.”

Gordon had barely finished speaking when the other three poachers—Parker, Abbot, and Daniel—emerged from the darkness.

They walked up to stand behind Gordon, their eyes fixed on Feng Mountain with anticipation.

Their gazes were filled with yearning—a yearning to stay, a yearning for a fresh start.

Parker was the first to speak, his tone full of resolve.

“Boss, we don’t want the money either. We just want to stay. We’ll even farm the land or grow vegetables if you’ll have us.”

Abbot and Daniel nodded vigorously in agreement.

‘This time in the Crown Territory had been a turning point in their lives.’

‘It had given them more than just a place to stay; it was a chance to start over, the warmth of being respected and accepted.’

‘They cherished that feeling beyond measure and were willing to do anything to keep it.’

‘Even if it meant doing the most menial, back-breaking work.’

‘They had to stay.’