Chapter 51: Managing Territory? That

"Ah! You want me to manage a territory alone?"

After leaving, Mei Yongning immediately sought out Lei Tang.

He relayed the matter Ye Tian had entrusted to him.

Upon hearing this news, Lei Tang was momentarily stunned.

"This... I don't know how!"

Although managing a territory sounded prestigious, Lei Tang carefully considered—he had no experience managing one alone; if he messed it up, wouldn't that betray Ye Tian's trust?

Thinking of this, Lei Tang became even less confident.

"What's so hard about it?"

Meanwhile, Shuangdao Jiang, upon hearing Lei Tang would be managing a territory alone, couldn't help but feel happy for his brother.

Indeed, working under Ye Tian meant you never got the short end of the stick.

As for Lei Tang's claim that he didn't know how to manage a territory, Shuangdao Jiang waved his large hand, dismissing it as nothing.

"Look at me—I manage so many taverns, and everything runs smoothly. If anyone causes trouble, you just hit back. What's hard about managing a territory?"

"..."

Mei Yongning stared at him in silence.

Your taverns run smoothly because you have dedicated scholars managing them—what does that have to do with you?

But as Shuangdao Jiang said, gang territory management basically means exactly that—after all, you can't realistically expect a bunch of illiterate brutes to handle administration and operations.

"That's true!"

Was managing a territory this simple? Lei Tang scratched his head, then nodded firmly.

He turned solemnly toward Mei Yongning.

"Mei Xiucai, go tell Boss I, Lei Tang, won't let him down."

After all, he now had territory under his command—somehow, his heart stirred with excitement.

"Not quite there yet."

Mei Yongning waved his hand with a smile.

"I'm just giving you a heads-up—the two streets' businesses still need repairs. Go over there only after they're done!"

"That's fine!"

Repairs? Don't know what that means!

But Lei Tang wasn't the type to overthink—he'd do whatever he was told.

"Mei Xiucai, it's getting late—why not have a drink with me before you go?"

Shuangdao Jiang invited Mei Yongning to sit down for a drink.

"Next time—Boss still has a lot to handle."

Hearing this, Mei Yongning suddenly remembered he still had urgent business to report to Ye Tian—he immediately prepared to leave.

"Alright, next time then!"

Seeing it was Ye Tian's matter, Shuangdao Jiang didn't press further.

"If you need anything, just say the word."

Though Shuangdao Jiang wasn't good with strategy, when it came to action, he never held back.

"Don't worry—I won't be polite."

I have to say.

Mei Yongning truly liked this atmosphere—unlike when he served under Lei Tang, where even among allies, one had to guard against scheming and betrayal.

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"Bāngzhǔ, what do we do now?"

City West and City North were far apart, and since it was late, Wang Tai's group didn't rush back to City North overnight.

Instead, they found an inn and rested temporarily.

But they didn't stay within Ye Tian's territory—they only found an inn after leaving Ye Tian's territory.

Probably worried that staying in Ye Tian's territory would invite trouble.

Inside the room, hearing others speak, Wang Tai slammed his wine cup onto the table—the rim cracked.

"Hmph, this won't be forgotten."

He'd been in the Jianghu for how many years? How long had Ye Tian been around? Never before had he been so humiliated in front of a junior—how could he let this go? Where would his decades of face go?

How would his men look at him?

In the Jianghu, what mattered most if not face?

"Today's youth have no manners at all."

He was a seasoned elder—he'd assumed his personal presence would make Ye Tian bow his head. Who knew he'd get this reaction?

"Once I settle the gang's affairs, Ye Tian's days are numbered."

In his gaze flickered sharp malice—but Wang Tai didn't plan to act against Ye Tian now.

It wasn't practical.

Wang Family Gang had too many internal problems; several rival gangs circled like vultures. Connections work once or twice, but not endlessly.

Hearing Wang Tai say this,

his subordinates around him dared not speak—only nodded obediently.

"Enough, enough—leave me alone to think!"

The more he looked at them, the more annoyed he became.

He'd hoped to bring a few strong young men to bolster his presence—but they were all empty shells—scared stiff by Ye Tian's glare, too cowardly to act. Pathetic.

If it weren't for the Wang Family Gang now being severely short-handed.

With servants like these, Wang Tai would have already moved to teach them a lesson.

"Yes, Bāngzhǔ!"

"Bāngzhǔ, you should rest early too!"

Seeing Wang Tai dismiss them, the men had no objections—in fact, they had long wanted to leave; staying here with Wang Tai always gave them a creeping sense of dread.

"Hmph!"

Watching the backs of the men leave, Wang Tai couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

A bunch of useless wastes.

Forget it—Wang Tai's greatest concern right now was still the affairs within the gang.

But.

"Back then, if we could found the Wang Family Gang, we certainly wouldn't be brought down so easily."

As an old veteran, Wang Tai was no stranger to ruthless decisiveness; he had merely fallen on hard times for now, but he believed that as long as he still lived, he would lead the Wang Family Gang back to its feet.

It was simply age catching up.

At night, he grew drowsy easily; after a few yawns, Wang Tai blew out the oil lamp and stopped overthinking.

He would sleep first.

The rest could wait until tomorrow, after returning to the northern part of the city.

Around the inn at night was far from quiet; this was the gang's time, and the streets were filled with the sounds of gang members drinking and reveling, lively and boisterous.

Under the moonlight.

Xiao Cao's thin, small figure leaped over the courtyard wall and entered the inn's back courtyard.

"Who's there?"

In Linshui City, nearly all territory belonged to various gangs, and businesses on those territories naturally had gang members guarding them—the inn was no exception.

Hearing the voice, Xiao Cao quickly crouched down, striving to remain unseen.

"What's there to worry about? Come over and have a drink."

"This noise? Must be some cat or dog. If it were a person jumping down, how could it make only such a light sound?"

The companion beside him waved his hand dismissively and came over with a cup of wine to urge her to drink.

"True."

That made sense.

How could a person jumping from the courtyard wall make only such a faint sound?

"Isn't it because I'm in a hurry? I just joined the gang and want to earn some merit to rise up."

"You're still too young!"

Rise up? Do you really think you can rise up so easily? Without money or connections, no matter how much merit you earn, you won't climb higher.

Only fresh recruits, greenhorns, still hold such naive fantasies; anyone who's been around long enough has already given up and gone idle.

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