Chapter 197: A New Official Takes Office

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan was promoted as he wished, and before leaving, he made one last squeeze.

Prison Clerk Fan remained in his post and didn't follow Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan when he left. In his own words, "I have to guard the Heavenly Prison for my clan uncle; I can't let others ruin this place."

Bah!

It was clearly that Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan looked down on Prison Clerk Fan, thinking his ability was insufficient and that he was always holding him back. Even though they were of the same clan, he wasn't willing to promote him.

Prison Clerk Fan was terrified and lonely in his heart.

He was afraid that the new Jiang Jiang Yucheng would cause him trouble.

He was restless for several days until the new Jiang Jiang Yucheng took office.

The new Jiang Jiang Yucheng's surname was Niu—Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu, a native of the capital who had previously worked in a county government office below. It was unknown whose door he had gone through to be transferred to the Heavenly Prison as a Jiang Jiang Yucheng.

As soon as he arrived, he convened a meeting of all prison clerks and emphasized one point: maintain the status quo! He told everyone not to be nervous and to do things as they had done before.

With this statement, all the prison clerks expressed their support, and many felt relieved.

Chen Guanlou believed that everyone was relieved too early. Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu had just arrived and hadn't figured out the situation yet, so maintaining the status quo was a certainty. Once he figured out the situation, the "three fires" of a new official would definitely be lit.

He decided to give Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu a generous gift to lay a good foundation.

Of course, he couldn't give this generous gift alone; it was most appropriate for the four squad leaders to pool their money to give the gift.

Shi Hong was the first to be unhappy.

He had spent a fortune on Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan and even sent his cousin before he could get the position of squad leader. Now that Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan had been promoted and left, the capital he had invested had just been recouped, and he had only made a small profit, yet he was being asked to give a gift to the new Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu.

It felt like he had worked hard for a whole year just to earn money for the Jiang Jiang Yucheng. Then, wouldn't he be at a huge loss for being this squad leader? It would be better to go back to being a prison guard; at least he wouldn't have to worry so much.

"Hong Tou, you must have a long-term perspective. Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu has just taken office; he certainly won't leave for two or three years. Isn't two or three years enough for you to recoup your capital? Conversely, Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu has just taken office, and if you are ignorant and offend him, do you still want to work for the next two or three years? If you don't work, there are plenty of people below waiting to grab it; they are just lacking an opportunity."

Wu Bantou Wu's words were rough but reasonable; they belonged to the category of sincere advice, truly planning for Shi Hong.

Shi Hong was unwilling, but he also knew that if he stubbornly refused to give a gift, he would definitely be the one to suffer in the end. He pulled a long face and asked, "How much to give?"

Wu Bantou Wu looked at Chen Guanlou. "Chen Tou, how much do you think is appropriate?"

"How about fifty taels each?"

"That's a bit too much." Wu Bantou Wang had a pained expression; unlike Chen Guanlou, who was full if he ate alone, he had a heavy burden. His entire family of over a dozen people relied on him to eat, and the children still needed to study, so the expenses were quite high. Every cent of his money had to be calculated carefully.

Shi Hong echoed him repeatedly. "Fifty taels is too much; wouldn't thirty taels do?"

He could still bear thirty taels, but fifty taels would be like cutting his flesh.

Among the four squad leaders, Chen Guanlou was the one without burdens, not even having a family. Plus, with the trade of antiques and calligraphy, he was the one who wasn't short of money.

The other three squad leaders hadn't thought about doing the antique and calligraphy trade, but they had no backer or background, no connections, and were afraid of being cheated. An antique worth a thousand taels taken to the market would be priced at ten taels by an antique shop, without even room for bargaining—it was truly enough to make one vomit blood. Moreover, the backers behind the antique shops were all big figures that small prison guards couldn't afford to offend. It was destined that they couldn't do this profitable business.

Fortunately, Chen Guanlou knew the principle of not eating alone, and every time there was a deal, he would share a little. As a result, the three squad leaders were also willing to introduce the imprisoned officials in their jurisdiction to Chen Guanlou, just asking to share a portion.

However, such deals were rare after all, and not every imprisoned official was driven to the point of selling the precious antiques and calligraphy in their homes. Sometimes they couldn't open a deal for a month or two, which was a common occurrence.

Chen Guanlou tapped the table lightly. "I've inquired a little about this Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu. He previously worked in the torture chamber of a county government office below and can be said to know the inside story of the prison very well. If you give too little, you won't be able to please him and will even offend him. I don't think you all want your money to go down the drain. Since we want to befriend Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu, why not be generous? What do you all think?"

Wu Bantou Wang frowned, holding his pipe and smoking continuously, filling the room with the smell of smoke that wouldn't dissipate.

Wu Bantou Wu's expression was relaxed, appearing indifferent. He was good at management, and besides the income from the Heavenly Prison, he had other businesses outside. Fifty taels wasn't a burden.

Shi Hong had a pained expression, clearly unwilling.

Chen Guanlou increased his force, striking the table, instantly drawing the attention of all three men. "If everyone has no objections, it's settled. Hand over the money tomorrow, and we'll all go see Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu together. Also, I'll book a top-tier banquet at Guanmei Tower and invite two singers."

"That would be more than fifty taels." Shi Hong said first. "Are we also going to Zui Xiang Lou to order a top-tier girl? That would be at least ten taels, and if we book for the night, we have to add more money."

This account couldn't stand careful calculation. Every time he calculated it, he felt pained.

"Brother Hong, have a broader perspective, a bigger picture. Don't just stare at the petty gains right in front of you; you need to look further ahead," Chen Guanlou said.

Shi Hong's mouth twitched, and he snorted coldly, but didn't refute.

Wu Bantou Wu laughed. "If Hong Tou is not convenient, I can lend it to you. The interest will be cheap for you, how about that?"

"Many thanks for Wu Bantou Wu's kindness, no need!" Shi Hong had a cold expression. If he really had to borrow money, he would rather find Chen Guanlou; at least he didn't charge interest. Unlike Wu Bantou Wu, who ate people without spitting out the bones—charging interest for short-term borrowing between colleagues. It was no wonder no one liked him.

Wu Bantou Wang sighed. "Chen Tou's words make sense. If you give too little, not only will you be despised, but you will also offend people, and the money will be wasted. It's better to give more to win favor. Whether it's Guanmei Tower or Zui Xiang Lou, according to the rules, we will split it equally. I hope a big fish comes soon to make up for this loss."

"Why not knock Liu Daowen for another sum." Shi Hong had a black heart.

But he was opposed by the other three present.

"The Heavenly Prison has the rules of the Heavenly Prison; we cannot break the rules."

"That's not how things are done; if you break the rules, be careful of retaliation."

"Brother Hong, don't just keep shearing the same sheep. There are so many disgraced officials in the Heavenly Prison, and there will be a steady stream of them in the future. Look further ahead, have a broader perspective."

"Knocking Liu Daowen is simple, but the aftermath is difficult. What if Jiang Jiang Yucheng Niu has a black heart and asks us to hand over another five thousand taels? Where would we get the money? Although Liu Daowen is a prisoner, don't forget that behind him is Jiang Tu. Jiang Tu crushing us to death wouldn't be harder than crushing an ant. Yu Zhaoan, who was so powerful, was still schemed against by Jiang Tu."

Everyone spoke at once, and Shi Hong's face turned blue, purple, and then white. He had made a fool of himself again and was laughed at by his colleagues. The average IQ of the four squad leaders had been lowered by him.

How embarrassing! ===== CHAPTER 198 =====