When Qin Mu saw Qin Qiong again, it was already midnight. His tired appearance surprised Qin Mu, and he was also injured.
"Father! What happened to you!" Qin Mu asked worriedly, helping Qin Qiong sit down. His concern was genuine; after months of living together, he had clearly felt Qin Qiong's deep affection for him. At the same time, he was also very surprised that Qin Qiong, with his abilities, was injured. This showed just how strong the enemy was. If they had truly attacked, who knew how many would have died or been wounded.
"It's nothing! Just a minor injury. I ran into three skilled fighters, and it took me a bit of effort to take care of them," Qin Qiong said coolly. The three he fought must have fared terribly. Even Qin Qiong's punches could be deadly.
"Are you really alright? Let me take a look!" Qin Mu asked, worried that Qin Qiong was putting on a brave face. He reached out to take his pulse. Having studied medicine for a while and with his current understanding of the human body, he could tell whether the body was healthy or not, and of course, there was nothing wrong with him.
"I said it's nothing, so it's nothing!" Qin Qiong said nonchalantly, but he did not refuse his son's kindness and let him take his pulse.
Qin Mu focused his attention and felt Qin Qiong's pulse. It was only slightly weak, but the blood flow was strong, so there was no major problem.
"Why don't you go home and rest!" Qin Mu said reproachfully.
"Isn't it because I'm afraid your Aunt Zheng will worry! There's nothing wrong, why make things so complicated?" Qin Mu said, withdrawing his hand.
Okay, that's a valid reason. Not wanting family members to worry is a thoughtful thing to do.
"Then you rest, Dad. I'll have someone bring you food."
"Okay, go ahead and do your thing," Qin Qiong waved his hand and said.
The chefs at the Six Doors were trained in the same way as those at Ruguilou, and they owned four restaurants. They made a lot of bones every day, so overall, their lives were pretty good.
Qin Qiong was unharmed, and Qin Mu wasn't in a hurry to ask why there were experts involved. He turned back to his busy interrogation work. This time, the number of people arrested had more than doubled, reaching nearly three thousand! Although some were just people who went there to consume goods or were unsuspecting servants, about two thousand people were still related to the case. This interrogation work was no easy task.
As darkness fell, the Six Doors were brightly lit, and everyone was working around the clock, eager to get results quickly and find out the whereabouts of those who hadn't been caught on the outskirts.
On a dark and windy night, perfect for murder and arson! Many of those captured are vicious and ruthless; there's little room for sympathy for them. First, we need to identify the ringleaders, then torture them. As for gentler methods, those will have to wait until later, when we conduct a more in-depth investigation.
The interrogation and arrest continued the next day, but the personnel on the field were once again replaced by an elite team.
Given the physical condition of the soldiers in this world, they can go without sleep for a day or two without any problems, let alone after a short rest. Most importantly, all the constables of the Six Doors have undergone Qin Mu's training, which teaches them to empty their minds and enter a deep sleep—a skill they must learn. Therefore, a short sleep is sufficient, and as long as it's not prolonged, there won't be any issues.
Without special training, it is difficult for people to withstand torture and forced confessions. First, the lower-ranking officers are used to confess the leaders, then the higher-ups are interrogated with torture, and finally the higher-ups are used to identify the subordinates. In this way, the interrogation work proceeds very smoothly.
However, the subsequent capture operation was different from the last one; it was very unsuccessful. It seemed as if they had all disappeared overnight, and apart from a few small fish and shrimp, there was no other harvest.
"Pah! That's outrageous! Not only did they escape, but they also left nothing behind!" After a busy day, they hadn't caught many people. It was like a heavy punch hitting thin air. When Cheng Huaimo and the others returned to the Six Doors, they were all furious.
"What's the rush! We've already caught so many, haven't we?" Qin Mu said calmly. As he spoke, he kept putting food on Princess Changning's plate.
"Are we just going to let those guys go like this?" Cheng Huaimo asked, displeased.
"Now that we know who they are, we can catch them one by one. All land under heaven belongs to the emperor. Issue a notice and see what they do!" Qin Mu waved his hand and said.
“That’s right. As long as we know the name and it’s still in Chang’an, we’ll find it eventually.” Liu Renshi picked up a piece of meat from the hot pot and said while eating.
“Yes! When it comes to information, you Bad People are very well-informed! Now it’s up to you!” Cheng Huaimo said, his eyes lighting up.
"Don't worry, although the Bad Guys only have three thousand members, they are all legitimate. There are many more who are our informants. Finding someone won't be difficult! It's just that things are tense lately, so they will definitely hide for a few days. After a while, I guarantee that as soon as they show their faces, the Bad Guys will know." Liu Renshi nodded vigorously.
Come to think of it, most of the Bad Guys were originally hooligans from Chang'an, familiar with the area! They all had their share of cronies, so getting information was indeed easier for them than for the Six Doors.
"Thank you, Brother Liu!" Qin Mu put down his chopsticks and bowed in thanks. Knowing that Liu Renshi was Liu Hongji's son, he naturally had to be polite to him.
"We're here to cooperate with you, to share the burden, so we won't end up like today, unable to help at all!" Liu Renshi said somewhat embarrassed. All day, the Bad Guys had only led the way and helped with the encirclement and escort; only Master Lu had actually taken action, which was why Liu Renshi felt somewhat ashamed.
"Brother Liu, what are you saying! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to find out about so many places," Qin Mu comforted him. Through a day of interaction, he could see that Liu Renshi was completely different from his father, Liu Hongji. He was a very honest young man, or more accurately, a very simple person.
"But compared to them, they are far inferior!" Liu Renshi shook his head slightly as he glanced at the constables in the distance.
“Brother, this is different! The constables of the Six Doors, apart from the guest officers, are all former soldiers.” Cheng Huaimo patted him and explained.
Liu Renshi realized that the thugs were just ordinary hooligans, incomparable to soldiers, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed. It was like being in the same shop, where everyone else had beautiful women, while his shop was full of ugly women! He hadn't thought much of it before, but now the difference was too obvious.
"Brother Liu, I wonder what your main source of income is?" Qin Mu asked.
Don't assume that soldiers only receive salaries and have no other income. If they relied solely on the government's meager stipends, they'd probably all die of hunger, unless they were all part of the Xuanjia Army. Ordinary soldiers are called Fubing, and they take turns on garrison duty. They own land, so a lower stipend doesn't bother them. The border regions have taxes and also taxes, but Qin Mu doesn't believe that the thugs and ruffians who live in Chang'an year-round are capable of farming.
"Our main income comes from protection fees for the shops. Of course, we also contribute. We help resolve any troublemakers or thieves," Liu Renshi explained somewhat embarrassedly.
Just as his father had said, it seemed he was right. Qin Mu thought to himself, then asked, "So how much do you charge?"
"The price varies depending on the business the merchant is in. We can't charge too little for small businesses!"
"Do you think this amount of money is enough for your expenses?" Qin Mu asked again.
"Not enough! Just enough to get by," Liu Renshi replied. Although he wasn't involved in collecting money or anything like that, he was still on patrol, so he knew his subordinates well.
"Brother Liu, do you think there's any difference between taking money from merchants and those thugs? Even though you did put in the effort!"
“I also think this is not good, but what will happen to the brothers if we don’t take money? Their government salaries are only enough to eat, and many of them have wives, children, and elderly parents.” Liu Renshi said, blushing.
“I also have ways to improve their lives, so they don’t have to go door-to-door collecting money like beggars or thugs,” Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Really?" Liu Renshi asked, his eyes wide, ignoring Qin Mu's harsh words.
"Of course it's true!" Qin Mu nodded.
"Brother Qin, please show us a way out. On behalf of my brothers, thank you!" Liu Renshi said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
"Of course, of course. We're all doing this for the safety of Chang'an, so helping each other is only right," Qin Mu waved his hand. Then, without keeping him in suspense, he continued, "If you collect money like this, not only will the merchants resent it, but the court certainly won't like it either; they just won't bother with it. But if someone complains and submits a memorial, then His Majesty will have to intervene, whether he wants to or not."
"Yes."
"In that case, why not let the merchants pay voluntarily?"
Paying money to get things done by government officials isn't considered bribery, whether in this world or some other ancient world. Only accepting money to do bad things constitutes bribery. The imperial court has always turned a blind eye to such things.
"Willing to pay money voluntarily? Do you mean you want someone to deliberately cause trouble?" Liu Renshi's expression changed slightly.
"Of course not!" Qin Mu shook his head and said.
"Protection fee, that's what local thugs call it. From now on, we can call it a security management fee. As long as the merchants pay, you'll arrange for people to patrol on time! Sincerely help them, and the merchants will pay willingly," Qin Mu explained.
"Isn't this much different from now?" Liu Renshi asked blankly.
"Indeed, there isn't much difference, but don't you think this is more formalized and reasonable? You are an official government office! Going to collect money and voluntarily giving money are completely different things," Qin Mu reminded him.
"Then how much should we pay?" Liu Renshi asked, nodding as if he understood but not quite.
"You'll need to set the prices yourselves. Different prices will naturally require different amounts of money. But one thing is certain: once you've taken the money, you must do it properly. Regular patrols are necessary to protect not only the merchants but also the people. This is how you can distinguish yourselves from street thugs."
Qin Mu had investigated the Bad Guys. Originally, he mainly wanted to see how they worked, but he found that the Bad Guys really lived up to their name; they were indeed bad!
“Yes, you make a good point,” Liu Renshi nodded in agreement.
"This is only the first option!"
"Is there another way?" Liu Renshi asked in surprise.
"There are plenty of ways to make money! How much can you possibly get from a merchant?" Qin Mu said with a hint of disdain.
“I heard that Brother Qin owns several restaurants and makes a fortune every day!” Liu Renshi said.
"That's just a way to make money; it's not suitable for you."
"Then what should we do?" Liu Renshi asked Qin Mu, ignoring his food.
"What's most abundant in Chang'an? People! More people mean more opportunities. You can't even make a living by doing some business!"
"Doing business? We're all roughnecks, how would we know anything about business!" Liu Renshi said with a wry smile.
"Hehe! Some things can be done as long as you have hands! Don't worry, leave this to me!" Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Okay! Thank you so much!" Liu Renshi said with a simple and honest smile.
Qin Mu's main reason for courting the Bad Guys was their extensive network. These local bullies, though lacking in martial prowess, were truly powerful and controlled their territory, possessing vast knowledge of information sources. Their low combat skills simply meant they weren't highly regarded. The court's aim in incorporating them was merely to reduce petty squabbles in Chang'an. Every year, new young people grew up and became new hooligans; relying solely on the Bad Guys to maintain order was undoubtedly insufficient and ineffective.
However, with the Bad Guys and the Six Doors combined, things are different. Whether it's for investigating cases or dealing with gangsters, information is the most crucial element. Turning the Bad Guys into good guys, especially their cronies, into the Six Doors' outer circle, would not only increase the Six Doors' sources of information but also significantly reduce security problems at the grassroots level in Chang'an.
It's nothing more than solving their livelihood problems. Most hooligans become hooligans because they are lazy and unwilling to work, not because they are not smart. On the contrary, most hooligans are very smart.
Qin Mu's plan was to gather those people together and train them when he had some free time. He wasn't going to train their martial skills, but rather to train their obedience using the methods of training soldiers.
There's a famous saying in another world: an army is a great melting pot; even a piece of scrap iron can be transformed into fine steel if thrown in. This has been proven, and Qin Mu certainly wouldn't mind using it.
Once they're trained, we can assign them tasks; that's not a problem! As long as they're willing to work, Qin Mu has plenty of things for them to do! Compared to farming, it's much easier, so these trained hooligans should have no problem.
As for the three thousand main members of the Bad Guys, Qin Mu really thought of teaching them a few businesses. He had just solved the problem of most of the coachmen in Chang'an, so why not have the Bad Guys form a coaching company?
As for the issue of the arduous work of coachmen, it requires brainwashing them to feel that being a coachman is for gathering information. This will definitely reduce their resistance. Also, there are docks; Chang'an has many waterways, so boatmen can also establish their own shipping companies.
There are also tea shops. They don't need fancy locations or bustling areas; the best ones are large and inexpensive places where a large pot of tea can make many cups, given the quality of the tea. Add some fruits, and a simple, inexpensive tea shop is set up. Presumably, many people who are resting or bored would be willing to spend a copper coin or two to sit for a while.
There are also some matters that are inconvenient for the Six Doors to handle, which can be handed over to the Bad Guys. This will not only increase their income, but also preserve the image of the Six Doors.
For example, in the case of brothels, if Qin Mu wanted to regulate the brothels in Chang'an, there would inevitably be those who would resist. In that case, some special methods would be needed. Coincidentally, the Bad Guys are skilled in these things. Qin Mu doesn't trust them to honestly collect protection money. He'll use some underhanded methods—intimidation, threats, and disruption—and with that whole scheme, the merchants would probably be scrambling to pay him.
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