abcnovels
Chapter 209 - 209: 205: Monthly Achievements
Chapter 209 - 209: 205: Monthly Achievements
Chapter 209 - 209: 205: Monthly Achievements
Translator: 549690339
“Arrange a time with Old Bai, I have some errands to run.”
“Need any help?” The spells couldn’t be sold off, and Old Xu was feeling rather dejected. He responded listlessly.
“No, I’m just going to see Gong Zheng.”
“Alright, I’ll go over to Old Bai’s to look at the calligraphy and painting.
Remember to come over later!”
Tang Luo nodded, waved at him, and took a different path on Linfu Street. Star Pavilion is near Fengqing Alley on Linfu Street, not far from Mi Bai’s booth.
Although it’s not yet time for Star Pavilion to open, quite a few fellows were already waiting in front of the pavilion’s platform, roughly about a hundred or
SO.
These were all the young men who were supplying spiritual power. Tang Luo was delighted, his eyes squinting in joy.
His internal spiritual power had now reached 12619 points.
If not for the use of the Immortal Wind Cloud Body Technique several times and an unnamed fire once, he should have had another 500 points. But his current progress was also good, and every day he was growing at a rate of 34.2.
Tang Luo never slackened.
Although Star Pavilion is still a money-losing venture with no earnings, he knew that in the future, it would become a strong force under his arrangements.
Circling the platform in front of the pavilion, Tang Luo arrived at the back of Star Pavilion. Seeing that there was no one around, he lifted a stone slab. This was a hidden door he had left for himself, specifically for this kind of situation.
The secret passage leads straight to the secret chamber. So when Tang Luo came out from the secret chamber, Hua Ji, Ying Hongyuan, and Gong Zheng were already waiting at the door.
It was not because they were psychically connected with Tang Luo, but because whenever the stone slab of the secret passage moved, a bell would ring inside the pavilion, alerting the people inside that someone is using the secret passage.
“No need for formalities.” Tang Luo waved his hand to let the three get up, then turned to Hua Ji and Ying Hongyuan and said, “Leave Gong Zheng here, and you two go about your own business.
Leading Gong Zheng into the secret chamber, Tang Luo seated himself on his chair. He looked up and down at Gong Zheng with his head tilted, not uttering a word. He was surprised to see Gong Zheng all in one piece. He had feared that Gong Zheng would have fallen due to issues with his martial arts and had hurriedly sought a technique for him to boost his combat power.
It now seemed that the script for giving him assistance in his hour of need was gone.
“Tell me, how have things gone this month?” Tang Luo asked with a smile. At last, hearing Tang Luo speak, Gong Zheng let out a sigh of relief and replied, “This month, I have reorganized the Righteous Gang and regained control of West City Street. Now, the gang controls over a thousand beggars, more than 500 thieves, over 300 prostitutes, and more than 400 thugs. Additionally, three martial artists from the Mortal Realm have been subdued. As long as you give me more time, I guarantee to bring back the Righteous Gang’s heyday.” “Well done.” Tang Luo raised an eyebrow, “You’ve managed to pull such a big operation together in such a short time. You’re really a genius at mixing in
society.”
Gong Zheng made a bitter smile and a salute, “Your compliment is far too generous, Sir. I simply follow your directives.”
“So, is the Righteous Gang back to their old ways?” Tang Luo asked nonchalantly as he lightly tapped the table with his fingers.
Gong Zheng gritted his teeth and replied: “We are doing the same things as before.”
The traditional activities of a gang are nothing more than controlling beggars, trafficking people, forcing good women into prostitution, running gambling dens, and loan sharking.
These are also the things Gong Zheng is best at, so it was a given that he would have gone back to his old ways in order to support so many people in the past month.
“Well then, from now on, stop all of the Righteous Gang’s old tricks,” Tang Luo said calmly.
Gong Zheng’s face suddenly changed, and he asked with difficulty, “Sir, I don’t understand.”
If they stop doing these businesses, where will the Righteous Gang’s income come from7 Without income, how to control such a large share? After all, the reason these thugs are willing to follow the Righteous Gang is for money.
“Is such a simple order too hard for you to understand?” Tang Luo frowned, looking somewhat displeased.
Gong Zheng smiled bitterly, “Of course I can understand it. But without these businesses, how can the gang survive?
People need to eat, and this is the most realistic problem. To eat, you need money. As a gang, if they don’t control beggars and hoodlums, if they don’t control prostitutes and gambling houses, how can they maintain hundreds of thugs?
Gong Zheng had always thought that Tang Luo wanted to control the Righteous Gang to keep tabs on information, but if he really did as asked, their source of information would be completely cut off.
But what he didn’t know was that when Tang Luo wanted the Righteous Gang, he was not there to collect money or
“Not only that, but from today, I want to establish a rule for the streets of West City,” Tang Luo said lightly, elbows propped on the table and fingers interlocked in front of him.
“There can be beggars on the streets, but not due to gang persecution. “There can be prostitutes in the alleys, but not forced into it.” “As for the gambling dens you run, trapping people before lending them money, forcing them to sell their children and wives, close all of them.” “Lastly, if there’s another case of kidnapping children or women on the streets of West City, I’ll hold you accountable.”
What was Tang Luo practicing martial arts so diligently for? It was to change this world, more precisely, to change the things in this world he didn’t like. But with his current strength, trying to change Xiling according to his own will was beyond reach, but controlling a small part of it was not a problem, it did not involve conflict of interests and was relatively simple to operate.
However, these requirements, which were simple and easy in Tang Luo’s view, sounded like beautiful fairy tales to Gong Zheng. He said bitterly, “Sir, I can’t do it!”
“Oh? What’s the problem?” Gong Zheng let out a sigh, thinking Tang Luo had simply idealized the situation too much, which was why he posed these requirements. As a young master of a prominent family, he didn’t understand the practicalities of running a gang, so Gong Zheng explained, “If we do as you say, the Righteous Gang will only dwindle and be replaced by others. Even if I don’t get involved in these businesses, other gangs will. And they will use their earnings to arm themselves, weakening us. These ways of making money will become knives aimed at the Righteous Gang, Sir. Please reconsider!”
-Why would it weaken the gang?” Tang Luo asked with great interest. Gong Zheng answered, “Because these businesses are what sustain the gang. The wandering martial artists on the streets only care about money, not people. If we lose these sources of income, how do we feed them?” “Then let’s first solve the income problem for the Righteous Gang.” Tang Luo casually said, if he wanted the Righteous Gang to change its image, he couldn’t let its members starve to death. Taking away one of their livelihoods meant replacing it with another.
The replacement for the Righteous Gang’s income would be in this new policy. Tang Luo asked, “Have you seen the new policy in Xiling?”
-Sir your strategy is remarkable. You casually abolished Xiling’s centuries-old ban’on farming, leaving me in great admiration!” Gong Zheng saluted with wholehearted respect.
“I’m not asking for your flattery. I’m asking if you saw any opportunities in the new policy.” Tang Luo ignored Gong Zheng’s crude praise. Gong Zheng had been hesitating at the mention of abandoning the old ways of the Righteous Gang, so where was this ‘remarkable strategy’ he was talking about? Absolute rubbish..