Chapter 79: Jingkun's Rise to Power

"Have you said enough?"

Jiang Tiansheng couldn't stand it anymore.

"Alright, I'm done. We're all on the same boat, aren't we!" Jingkun swayed back to his seat.

"Ah Kun, are you trying to divide us into ranks!"

Jingkun looked at Jiang Tiansheng with a provocative expression: "I'm just discussing the matter on its merits. When the higher-ups want the subordinates to get things done, shouldn't rewards be given according to merit?

No matter how high your position is, if you're interrogating a prisoner, if you've made a mistake, you have to own it."

Jiang Tiansheng's expression remained unchanged as he calmly asked, "If you have something to say, say it directly. No need to beat around the bush."

"Fine, then I'll speak plainly. The Dragon Head of Great Prosperity should be elected once every three years by rights, but all these years it's been you, Brother Sheng, sitting in this seat."

"I think it's fine. Great Prosperity has been doing quite well these past few years!" Jing Ma spoke up.

"But I'm not doing well! I think there should be a re-election this year!" Jingkun's voice rose a few notches involuntarily.

Jingkun's words echoed through the main hall, and the faction leaders sitting at the conference table didn't react much.

But the senior members below were all shocked, turning to look at Jingkun in unison.

Brother Chao nodded in agreement and said, "To be honest, Ah Kun has made a lot of money for the Triad Society these past years. Even if there's no great merit, there's at least hard work!"

Jiang Tiansheng stared at Jingkun and smiled faintly, "Do you really want to sit in this seat?"

"By the rules, there should be an election every three years. Don't I have the right to run? Brother Yao, you tell me!"

Jingkun turned his gaze toward Chen Yao beside Jiang Tiansheng.

"Yes!" Chen Yao didn't even lift his head, replying flatly.

Hearing that Jingkun wanted to run for Dragon Head, the most anxious was actually Da B.

Da B slammed the table and pointed at Jingkun, cursing angrily, "Jingkun, what are you saying!"

Jingkun didn't pay any attention to Da B and just kept talking on his own.

"How many things have I done for the Triad Society all these years!

Brother Chao, in '78 when we hacked those Dai Huen Jai together in Nam Tin, how glorious that was, do you remember?"

"I remember!"

"Later the gang gave orders for me to kill Shapi and take back the fish market in Hong Zai, and I got it done. Then I fought my way into Tsim East, hacked Chen Qi to death, and ended up doing three years hard time.

Judging by merit, I absolutely qualify for this seat, right!"

"Right!" There was not the slightest anxiety or anger on Jiang Tiansheng's face. Instead, he wore an enigmatic smile.

"And besides, all these years, whenever brothers from the Triad Society came to me for help, when did I not put up money and men and get things done properly!"

"Yeah, Ah Kun has indeed done a lot of things these past few years!"

"That's right, he's really helped everyone out a lot!"

Not only the faction leaders in front, but even the senior members sitting in the back began to whisper.

Jingkun made a lot of money moving powder, and with money and men in hand, there were indeed quite a few people in Great Prosperity who had received favors from Jingkun.

If not for Jingkun moving powder, he would indeed be more suited for the Dragon Head seat than Jiang Tiansheng.

"Brother Sheng, you sit in an air-conditioned room all day blowing cold air, commanding from afar. Of course it's comfortable. We're out running errands all day, it's exhausting!"

Jiang Tiansheng rested both hands on the table, his gaze sweeping across everyone present, taking in every person's expression.

Then he nodded gently, "Hong Kong people all like voting, and I'm a very democratic person.

If everyone has someone in mind, I'm willing to step aside and yield to the worthy."

Before the crowd could react to Jiang Tiansheng's words, Da B shouted at Jingkun with an indignant face, "Jingkun, scheming against me is fine, but scheming against Mr. Jiang too — that's going too far!"

"Your men botched the Macau job, and I haven't even settled accounts with you yet!" Jingkun cast a disdainful glance at Da B.

Chen Hao Nan stood up and said, "I'll take full responsibility for the Macau matter. It has nothing to do with Brother B and Mr. Jiang!"

"You'll take responsibility? With what? If you take it, you'll die ugly!"

Not just Jingkun, many people in the main hall couldn't help but curl their lips seeing Chen Hao Nan like this.

Chen Hao Nan was truly overestimating himself.

Perhaps being spoiled by Da B usually, he'd somewhat lost sight of his own weight.

Today's situation was clear to most people present.

Jingkun was fundamentally after the Dragon Head seat. The Macau matter was just a pretext and wouldn't affect the final outcome at all.

Even without the Macau matter, Jingkun would naturally have found other reasons to challenge Jiang Tiansheng.

"Enough, sit back down!" Jiang Tiansheng looked displeased and snapped at Chen Hao Nan, then turned to look at Jingkun.

Jingkun exchanged a glance with Jiang Tiansheng and also sat back in his seat.

"Brother Yao, you preside over the situation."

Chen Yao heard Jingkun's words and asked Jiang Tiansheng, "Mr. Jiang, every brother present today has the right to vote, correct?"

"Correct!" Jiang Tiansheng nodded.

Besides the twelve faction leaders present, there were also several dozen senior members.

However, these senior members, apart from some who were directly under the main hall, were all subordinates of those faction leaders.

They would of course vote following their own bosses.

The final voting result still depended on the twelve faction leaders.

"I'll give everyone two minutes to think. Brothers, whoever wants to vote for Jingkun, please raise your hand."

Many people began to whisper, looking at one another.

Amid the noise, Chen Mo could still hear a lot of information.

Most people were planning to go with the flow.

Two minutes passed quickly.

Chen Yao was the first to raise his hand: "If Jingkun takes this seat, I'll be the first to support it. Jingkun is right—the position of Dragon Head should go to whoever is capable."

The main hall fell instantly silent.

Everyone knew that Chen Yao had always been fiercely loyal to the Jiang family.

No one expected that Jingkun would have quietly won over Chen Yao without anyone noticing.

Only Chen Mo noticed that when Chen Yao raised his hand, the corner of Jiang Tiansheng's mouth twitched upward for a brief instant.

On the surface, Chen Yao appeared to have been bought off by Chen Yao, but in reality, he was feigning betrayal under Jiang Tiansheng's arrangement.

These two were clearly putting on a two-man act for everyone to see, wanting to use this opportunity to see exactly who had truly sided with Jingkun.

Seeing Chen Yao raise his hand, Brother Chao and Ma Wangjian followed suit and raised their hands as well.

Brother Ji hesitated slightly, then also raised his hand.

Then came Thirteen Sister and the Han Bin brothers, and finally Liang Ma, Tai Zi, and the others all raised their hands one after another.

It was unclear whether they were acting on Jiang Tiansheng's instructions or simply following the crowd.

After all, whether or not they raised their hands would no longer affect the outcome.

The remaining big shots also raised their hands one after another once the boss had raised his.

In the end, the only ones in the main hall who hadn't raised their hands were Da B and a few of his subordinates.

Da B looked around, furious, pointing at everyone and shouting angrily: "What are you doing! How has Mr. Jiang treated you all this time! Put your hands down, all of you!"

Then he pointed at Chen Yao and roared: "You were the first to raise your hand, so I'll be the first to hack your whole family to death!"

Chen Yao gave Da B a cold look: "Da B, before you speak, please think things through first!"

Jiang Tiansheng reached out to stop Da B, who had stood up, and said with a calm expression: "The election is fair, and I am willing to accept reality."

This seat will henceforth be occupied by Ah Kun."