Chapter 9: Reshaping Dragon Soar

Zhao Ze looked at Lin Feng, who had grown somewhat despondent, struck by Lin Feng’s skills. He’d always considered himself the top fighter in Zhanhai City, yet to be so easily defeated by a so-called wastrel young master was a blow he hadn’t anticipated. In surprise, Zhao Ze said, “So you really are Lin Feng. We all misjudged you. They say you’re the biggest good-for-nothing in Zhanhai, but it seems the real failure here is me!”

“All these years, you’ve won half of Dragon Soar Society’s territory, and your standing in the organization is second only to the previous boss. But in the areas you controlled, you never sold drugs or committed murder. That’s a rare thing,” Lin Feng said with some admiration, looking at Zhao Ze. Though Zhao Ze had left the army to join a gang, he’d managed to maintain his integrity, and Lin Feng truly appreciated and respected that.

“I told you I want to unite all the underground forces in Zhanhai. Zhao Ze, I need your help. You’re a soldier—you wouldn’t want Zhanhai to descend into chaos because of the gangs, would you?” Lin Feng invited him.

“What? You want to get involved with the underworld and want my help? Does your father know about this, and does he approve?” Zhao Ze asked, puzzled.

“I’ll speak to my father about it myself. Yes, I want your help. I don’t have the time to manage the society myself, so I want you to become the new leader of Dragon Soar and reorganize it properly. From now on, all our members will have honest jobs. As far as I know, Dragon Soar has a near monopoly on the city’s entertainment venues. The Li family took far too much profit in the past; from now on, that profit will go to our brothers, and the surplus will be used as a development fund for the society. As long as everyone has stable work and an honest income, who would still want to fight and kill?” Lin Feng sighed.

Zhao Ze hesitated. He didn’t know if he should accept Lin Feng’s proposal, and after a long pause, he faltered, “I…”

“Besides, I can make you a hundred times stronger than you are now. Follow me, and your future won’t just be a small Zhanhai City—your life will be extraordinary,” Lin Feng continued to tempt him.

“All right, I’ll follow you. From now on, you’re Young Master Lin to me. I’ll reorganize the society as quickly as possible,” Zhao Ze finally agreed, moved by the promise of strength.

“Good. Excellent. Do your best to clean things up. Remember, the underground world must be kept stable. All entertainment venues are to be free of prostitution, gambling, and drugs, and none of our brothers are to touch such things. Ensure the safety of our venues. Anyone who causes trouble in our territory—deal with them harshly,” Lin Feng said with satisfaction. With Zhao Ze’s allegiance, the first step in his plan was already a success.

Having convinced Zhao Ze, Lin Feng glanced hesitantly at the remaining four people, as if considering something. After a moment’s pause, he said, “As for the four of you…”

“Young Master Lin, these four are the heads of our various branches. They’ve always worked well with me, and they haven’t done anything excessive over the years. None of them have blood on their hands. Could you let them stay?” Zhao Ze quickly spoke up, seeing Lin Feng’s hesitation and fearing he meant to purge the rest.

“Tell me about your roles in the society. I’m no butcher—I only kill my enemies,” Lin Feng said, addressing Zhao Ze’s concerns.

“Hurry up, all of you, and explain your positions to Young Master Lin. From now on, you’ll address him that way,” Zhao Ze urged the four, worried Lin Feng might change his mind. Clearly, the recent killings had left a deep impression on Zhao Ze.

“Wang Hu. I retired from the army with Zhao Ze, though he’s my senior,” said the youngest of the four.

“Sun Long. I joined Dragon Soar with Brother Zhao, but my branch isn’t as strong as his. Among this group, I have the least power and influence,” said the man beside Wang Hu.

“Vermilion Bird. When my parents passed away, Brother Zhao gave me money to settle down. I’ve been following him ever since, and I’m in charge of intelligence for the society,” said the only woman among them.

“Black Tortoise. I was the last of us to join Dragon Soar, and I’m responsible for discipline and punishment,” said the oldest, a middle-aged man.

After hearing their introductions, Lin Feng smiled slightly, then spoke to them with gravity, “I understand your roles. Vermilion Bird, you’ll continue handling intelligence, but I want you to quickly build up your staff. If you need anything, go straight to Zhao Ze—he’ll support you fully. I want to be aware of every ripple in Zhanhai. Wang Hu, you’ll assist Zhao Ze. Sun Long, you’ll handle all our fighters—any time force is required, I’ll come to you. Black Tortoise, you’ll remain in charge of discipline, and show no mercy when it comes to prostitution, drugs, or gambling.”

“Yes, Young Master Lin! We won’t disappoint you!” the remaining people in the room answered in unison.

“Zhao Ze, I’ll leave things here to you. You can each take a share of the confiscated assets—the rest goes back to the society, since it was all taken by the Li family over the years. I’m leaving now; make sure you get everything sorted as soon as possible,” Lin Feng instructed Zhao Ze privately.

“Don’t worry, Young Master Lin. I’ll handle it—I stake my life on it!” Zhao Ze promised earnestly.

“Good, I believe you. Next time we meet, it’ll be time for your strength to advance,” Lin Feng said. With that, before anyone could respond, his figure vanished like a ghost, and by the time the others looked up, he was gone.

Seeing Lin Feng disappear in an instant, Zhao Ze shook his head with a wry smile, turned to the others in the room, and said, “Young Master Lin truly is a remarkable man. If I hadn’t fought him today, I’d still be a frog at the bottom of a well, blind to the world outside.”

“Indeed, Brother Zhao. I’d heard the rumors of Zhanhai’s number one wastrel, but never imagined it was Young Master Lin. He really fooled us all,” Wang Hu added in wonder.

“We can’t call him that anymore. Since Young Master Lin doesn’t want to be exposed, don’t go spreading it around. We know, and that’s enough—let’s not ruin his plans,” Vermilion Bird cautioned Wang Hu.

“Right, be careful how you address him from now on. I believe that after tonight, Dragon Soar will enter a new era. Brother Zhao, we’re willing to support you,” Black Tortoise, the most composed among them, said to Zhao Ze.

“Let’s all work hard and trust Young Master Lin. But first, we’d better deal with these three corpses,” Zhao Ze said helplessly.

Lin Feng could have left quietly, but he chose to depart in such a dramatic way to awe those in the room—a bit of showing off, in truth.

“Well done, boy. Looks like I underestimated you,” Mo Tian teased Lin Feng on the way back.

“Ah, it’s all thanks to your guidance, Grandpa Mo. Everything is your credit,” Lin Feng said ingratiatingly.

“Speak plainly,” Mo Tian said, shooting Lin Feng a look.

“I really have to thank you. If I hadn’t met you, I’d still be an aimless second-generation rich kid,” Lin Feng said, this time in earnest.

Hearing Lin Feng’s sincerity, Mo Tian was uncharacteristically moved. He counseled, “It’s not all my doing. I was willing to teach, but you were willing to learn—that’s what matters. But you must keep up your practice of the Emperor’s Manual. Your own strength is the foundation; everything else is fleeting. Even if you lose everything, as long as you have strength, you can win it all back.”

“Thank you! I realize now that the law of the jungle never changes. Mo Tian, I’ve got the underworld under my control, but what about business? Am I supposed to go work at my father’s company?” Lin Feng asked.

“Your father’s company is too small in scope, and it’s mainly real estate. From what I’ve seen, real estate firms are everywhere in this world of yours, but there are few tech enterprises. That’s because Mercury’s technology isn’t advanced. As it happens, I have an abundance of technological know-how. Go register a tech company—make technology your main focus in business,” Mo Tian said confidently.