Chapter 24 Happiness Came Too Suddenly
"Xi Rong! You are truly my lucky star!" Fang Che excitedly slapped his thigh, almost breaking the table, which drew a glance from Li Hanzhou, who was resting with his eyes closed.
Unaware of what was happening, Fang Che excitedly told Xi Rong, "Great! We'll take all the kids you found, as long as they're trustworthy and have clean hands! They'll be responsible for relaying messages and delivering goods for the gang. They'll be under unified management and paid by the piece!"
Although Xi Rong couldn't understand the words that followed, she knew that Brother Che had agreed and would be doing serious work for his partners, so she immediately beamed with joy.
Fang Che had a well-thought-out plan: to build a team that could be spread all over the streets at the lowest cost, which could not only deliver messages, but also expand business in the future.
If Brother Li finds out, he'll definitely praise him for being smart.
He was thinking happily, unaware that not far behind him, Li Hanzhou, though his eyes were closed, was gently tapping his fingers on his knees.
Ah Gui leaned closer to Li Hanzhou, his voice filled with dissatisfaction: "Brother Li, he's having another wild idea. Taking in one girl isn't enough, he wants to find a bunch of homeless kids too? We're a gang, not a charity."
Li Hanzhou didn't lift his eyelids, his voice low: "If he likes it, let him do it."
"But……"
“Agui,” Li Hanzhou interrupted, “those neglected children, if used properly, can be eyes and ears.”
It's more convenient than having brothers on the surface.
Ah Gui was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.
Those unremarkable children were indeed unsuspecting.
He glanced at Fang Che, who was still whispering with Xi Rong, his eyes filled with complex emotions...
This pretty boy has a lot of crooked ideas.
Li Hanzhou's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.
He certainly didn't just condone it.
Fang Che's idea of a "delivery team" happens to fit into one part of his plan.
I never expected that this guy from Northeast China would come up with such an idea by accident.
Moreover, judging from how excited that kid is about this achievement, he's not bad at all.
At this moment, Fang Che limped over, a smile plastered on his face: "Brother Li! I've already talked to Xi Rong, she'll go contact those children right away. Our 'Express Intelligence Department' will be set up soon! From then on, no matter what happens in Kowloon, it won't escape our eyes!"
He patted his chest, almost choking.
Li Hanzhou slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Fang Che's face, which was flushed with excitement.
After a few seconds of silence, just when Fang Che thought he was about to be discouraged, he heard: "How much start-up capital do you need?"
Fang Che: "!!!"
Happiness came too suddenly! The big boss not only didn't object, but also offered to give me money!
He suppressed the urge to jump up and tried to appear calm: "Not much! In the beginning, it's just buying some food for the kids and getting some uniform armbands or hats. As the business expands, we might need a few used bicycles. Leave it to me, I'll make sure the money is spent wisely!"
Ah Gui rolled his eyes, thinking that Brother Li had been bewitched by this Northeasterner.
Li Hanzhou simply hummed in response and closed his eyes again.
Having received Li Hanzhou's approval and that small amount of "start-up capital," Fang Che was energized.
Despite the last bit of discomfort in his ankle, he pulled Xi Rong and Cheng Tie Niu along to the open space behind the stronghold to begin his "grand undertaking".
"Assemble! At ease! Attention! Count off!" Fang Che, hands on his hips, gave orders to seven or eight thin, pale-faced but bright-eyed children in front of him, trying his best to adopt the posture of military training.
The children looked at each other, unable to understand the Northeastern instructions.
Xi Rong whispered a translation: "Brother Che told you to stand up straight and count one by one."
After a few scattered roll calls, the scene became somewhat orderly.
Fang Che cleared his throat and began his "onboarding speech":
"Brothers and sisters! From now on, we're all in this together! Our department will be called 'Chefeng Express'! Our motto is speed, accuracy, and reliability! From now on, delivering messages, relaying information, and keeping watch will be our business! If we do a good job, we'll have meat buns every day and bonuses every month! We won't have to live a life of hardship and have to be subservient to others anymore!"
The children's eyes lit up when they heard "meat buns" and "bonus".
Cheng Tieniu chimed in with a goofy grin, "That's right! Follow Brother Che, and you'll get to eat meat!"
Fang Che nodded and began assigning tasks: "Xi Rong, you're the overall commander, responsible for dispatching and analyzing intelligence. Tie Niu, you're in charge of security, mainly to keep things under control. The rest of you, work in pairs, familiarize yourselves with the alleys in your assigned areas, and make sure you know every nook and cranny!"
He took out an old map that Xi Rong had somehow gotten her hands on, with several areas already marked out in pencil.
"Remember our motto: Chefeng Express, mission accomplished! Safety first, profit second! Anyone who dares to bully us, report to Brother Tie Niu, and we'll take them down!"
"Cut him down!" This is the phrase the children learned the fastest; though the pronunciation is strange, it's full of force.
The training was rudimentary, and the equipment was inadequate!
There were only a few cheap whistles and a few little red hats.
But these children learned extremely quickly in order to survive. With the guidance of Xi Rong, a local expert, in just two days, this team was able to move freely through the streets and alleys of Portland like local thugs, spreading rumors and messages.
Li Hanzhou occasionally stood at the window, watching Fang Che, with his handsome face, earnestly teach the little boy "how to politely collect errand fees," while Cheng Tieniu stood guard like an iron tower, and Xi Rong took notes in a small notebook.
The scene was both eerie and harmonious, occasionally bringing a faint smile to his cold eyes.
Ah Gui remained disdainful: "Brother Li, are you just going to let him run wild? What can a bunch of kids accomplish?"
Li Hanzhou simply said, "Having more eyes is always a good thing."
As it turned out, he was right.
That afternoon, Fang Che was gloating over the progress of his "business empire" and munching on a char siu bun that Cheng Tieniu had bought when Xi Rong slipped in like a nimble cat, her little face a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
"Brother Che! You've got something good to share!"
"What's the news? Dong Sheng Society is forcing people to sign contracts again?" Fang Che asked vaguely, a steamed bun in his mouth.
"No!" Xi Rong lowered her voice, "It's the cellar where the Dong Sheng Society keeps the 'flour'! My men saw Mad Dog Qiang and his men sneakily carrying several boxes in, like new stock! They were in a hurry, leaving only one person at the door to keep watch, and he was even dozing off!"
Fang Che sat up straight instantly, forgetting to even chew his steamed bun.
flour!
This is the bottom line that Li Hanzhou explicitly forbids, and it is also the source of Jiang Tianqi's exorbitant profits.
Take down this den...
His mind raced, and a bold plan instantly took shape.
"Great opportunity! Xi Rong, well done!"
He jumped up and rushed to find Li Hanzhou.
"Brother Li! A big fish has surfaced!" Fang Che reported excitedly, his eyes sparkling as he looked at him. "Shall we pull off a big heist? Take it down! It'll not only strike a blow against Jiang Tianqi, but also boost our reputation!"
Before Li Hanzhou could speak, A Gui sneered, "You think you can send those little kids in little red hats to deliver vegetables to Mad Dog Qiang?"
"Brother Gui! Don't look down on me!" Fang Che retorted. "Let's outsmart them! If brute force doesn't work, we'll use strategy!"
Li Hanzhou put down his teacup, his gaze sharp: "Is the information reliable?"
"Absolutely reliable!"
Li Hanzhou pondered for a moment. Taking down the Dong Sheng Society's drug warehouse would indeed severely damage their financial resources and also establish their authority within the He Yi Tang.
He looked at Fang Che: "What 'strategy' do you want?"
Fang Che perked up and leaned forward to whisper, "They're outnumbered and less vigilant. We don't need many men; quality over quantity! Have Brother Gui take a few skilled fighters to ambush nearby. Then... we can use a feint to lure them away!"
"How do you feign an attack? How do you lure the tiger?" Ah Gui raised an eyebrow.
Fang Che chuckled, revealing two small tiger teeth, making him appear both innocent and mischievous.
"Well, that's up to me and my 'Chefeng Express'!"
Half an hour later, near the abandoned ice room at the end of Portland Street.
Mad Dog Qiang's henchmen were dozing against the wall.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out, followed by the clear, chaotic shouts of several children:
"Fire! Fire!"
"Send men to clean up the place!"
"Run! The police have discovered the Dong Sheng Society's hidden powder!"
Shouts in authentic Cantonese came from different directions, instantly breaking the silence.
The henchman jolted awake, frantically looking around. He saw several figures wearing little red hats flash past the alley entrance.
He was terrified and, without thinking, scrambled into the cellar to report the news.
"Brother Qiang! Something's happened! The police are here!"
In the cellar, Mad Dog Qiang and his men, who were checking the new goods, suddenly changed their expressions.
"Damn it! How could it be so fast?" Mad Dog Qiang was both shocked and furious. "Quick! Go out the back door! Take as much cargo as you can!"
Just as they were scrambling to make their escape, the real "hunter" struck.
Ah Gui and two of his men pounced out from the shadows like ghosts, blocking the back door.
"Mad Dog Qiang, in such a hurry to leave? Won't you stay and have a chat?" Ah Gui twisted his neck, the scars on his face looking particularly ferocious in the dim light.
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