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After a great battle, the government army suffered a crushing defeat, and seven or eight nearby garrisons were breached by pirates. The people of Panyu City were in a panic, and countless dignitaries fled.
Now that the war has finally been put down, although the city still has some post-war desolation, it has barely regained its former peace.
The only problem is that there are too few boats at the dock. However, summer is not the best time for sailing. When the wind and waves die down in autumn, things should be fine.
While most people were still in fear, there were a few who had already started to show their talents.
When he returned to Panyu these days, Boss Liang walked with a breeze, his back straight, and he almost smiled with eight teeth showing.
It’s no wonder that he was so complacent, because he made a fortune from this gamble.
Originally, the Liang family also followed the Ghost Scholar into the war, but fortunately, when the time came, they decided to sit on the fence and switched sides on the battlefield, surrendering to the Red Flag Gang.
Later, when he encountered an attack by government troops, he gritted his teeth and did not escape in the chaos. He also led a fleet to guard the nearby islands.
This was of course a huge risk, and seeing the mighty official ship frightened everyone out of their wits.
However, once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Boss Liang can only follow the orders of the Red Flag Gang and be on high alert. He does not seek to achieve any merit, but only to save his life.
Who could have imagined that in just a few days, the situation would be completely overturned. So many government troops were crushed by the combined forces of the Red Flag Gang and the Green Phoenix Gang. The island guards didn't even engage the enemy head-on, but instead secretly pursued the troops as they fled, even capturing several government ships.
What happened next was even more bizarre. Getting the government to pay a ransom—wasn't that something an ordinary person could do? And yet, the officials actually caved. If even the imperial court demanded money to redeem the prisoners, how could the fleets and merchant gangs that had previously rashly attacked the Red Flag Gang escape?
It was the Liang and Qian families who had brought their men to Panyu to collect their debts, and Boss Liang had watched the entire situation unfold. The coalition forces apprehended a total of eight families, each with a minimum of 20,000 taels and a maximum of nearly 50,000 taels. All of them paid full compensation. Looking at the sullen faces of the heads of the families, Boss Liang felt incredibly pleased. The comparison with these idiots only made him seem even more clever! See? Now that even the government has given up on the Red Flag Gang, wouldn't these vassals be able to take advantage of their power?
However, this arrogance only lasted until he entered the door. Once he stepped through the door of the fish stall, his shoulders involuntarily shrank, and he walked into the living room with his head lowered. Seeing the two people sitting there, he hurriedly saluted: "My humble servant Liang Wu greets Shopkeeper Sun and Shopkeeper Zhong!"
It's no wonder he was extra cautious; these two masters were incredibly influential. Shopkeeper Zhong was the head of the Guangfa Fish Stall, a long-established local in Panyu, and considered a Red Flag Gang spy. Shopkeeper Sun was even more impressive; rumor had it he was one of the four top leaders of the Red Flag Gang and a trusted confidant of the gang leader. How could he dare offend him?
"Sit down and talk."
Upon hearing Manager Sun's instructions, Boss Liang quickly thanked him and sat down next to the bench.
Sun Erlang didn't bother to be polite and said directly, "In two days, we will officially collect the money for hanging the flag. Did you convey all your wishes?"
Boss Liang smiled and said, "How dare I be lazy? Don't worry, Manager Sun. All the merchants and fleets in the city have already known about this matter and are just waiting for the order from the gang."
Boss Liang marveled at this "flag fee" for a long time; he hadn't expected the Red Flag Gang to come up with such a scheme. "Flag" meant flying the Red Flag Gang's flag on a ship. A fee was charged based on the size of the vessel, ranging from twenty or thirty taels per year for a small boat to over a thousand taels for a large vessel. This fee was paid annually, and once paid, one could remain safe from pirates, whether in the Red Flag Gang's territory in the South China Sea or the Qingfeng Gang's in the East China Sea. If they were unlucky enough to encounter a robbery, the Red Flag Gang would dispatch troops to quell the ransom. The kidnappers demanding ransom would be killed, and even pirates who committed murder and robbery might not escape the Red Flag Gang's pursuit.
Of course, this is not mandatory, and you can choose not to pay if you don't want to. However, a fleet with such audacity probably can't even leave the South China Sea. The Red Flag Gang can even defeat the imperial army, so it's not a big deal to deal with a few disobedient sea merchants.
To put it bluntly, this is a bribe, and the amount collected is less than you might think. After all, it's not a customs duty, there's no need to inspect the cargo, and it's paid annually, with guaranteed safety. They're all seafarers, so deducting a small amount from their profits is worthless, and they can also sell themselves to the emerging hegemon of the South China Sea. It's a good deal no matter how you look at it.
Sun Erlang nodded slightly. "After you've finished these, take the boat to Xishan Island. From now on, that area will be patrolled by the Red Flag Gang, and all ships entering and leaving will be carefully inspected."
Boss Liang was startled. They were about to raise their flags, so they definitely had to secure a spot near the estuary. He'd thought they'd choose a sandbar or something, but who would have guessed they'd settled on Xishan Island? This was a large island across the sea from the Doumen Fort, with garrisons stationed not far away. The Red Flag Gang was truly audacious!
However, on second thought, he became excited again. Wasn't it because the Red Flag Gang was so powerful and fearless of the imperial court that they dared to settle on Xishan Island? Patrol work was indeed somewhat offensive, but it also brought great power. For a vassal like him to have scored such a good job was truly a stroke of luck.
After saying yes repeatedly, Boss Liang didn't dare to stay any longer and left happily.
After the others left, Sun Erlang said to Zhong Ping, "I should go to Xishan Island in a couple of days. I'd like to trouble you to keep an eye on the Panyu situation."
Zhong Ping smiled and said, "Brother Sun, you're too polite. We all serve the leader, so there's no such thing as trouble. If you want to build an island, you can go to the nearby boat village to recruit some people. Some people didn't obey our Red Flag Gang before, but now no one will make such a mistake."
A stunning victory brought universal admiration. Those cunning Tanka people now saw the situation clearly: the Red Flag Gang was undoubtedly superior to the imperial court, and since they weren't exploiting them, no one dared to cause trouble anymore. This change in attitude among Tanka people, both within and outside the country, meant that pirates were practically extinct in the vicinity. With all of them flying flags, fewer merchant ships would dare to engage in covert operations, effectively completely dominating the South China Sea.
Sun Erlang was not surprised by this change at all. He smiled and said, "It's a good thing to have someone to use. There have been quite a few deserters recently. I also want to win over some and bring them directly to the island to work."
Zhong Ping then expressed surprise: "They all escaped from the navy camp or the garrison. Will we get into trouble if they all stay?"
"This is also what the gang leader meant. He wants to establish his authority in the neighborhood." Sun Erlang explained.
The gang leader said that? Oh, that's all right then. Zhong Ping immediately laughed, "That method does work. By the way, I heard that Master Lu will be coming to Panyu soon. Is everything ready for the house?"
He is in charge of Panyu intelligence, how could he not know this information?
Sun Erlang shook his head. "Mr. Lu is the one who arranged all the bank's affairs. We just need to keep an eye on them."
He spoke vaguely, but Zhong Ping understood the deeper meaning. Lu Jian wasn't a member of the Red Flag Gang, only an ally. With such a major move underway, the two leaders in charge of Panyu affairs had to keep a close eye on him. However, if Lu Jian truly joined them, the Red Flag Gang's influence in Panyu would increase significantly, making both his and Sun Erlang's missions much easier.
Zhong Ping chuckled, "I've met Mr. Lu a few times, and he's quite talented. He's also good-looking and wealthy, so maybe he'll catch the eye of the gang leader in the future."
He was old enough that he couldn't help but talk about family matters sometimes. Besides, the leader was a woman. Whether she would marry or choose a son-in-law was a very important matter for the Red Flag Gang, so it was no wonder he was concerned.
Sun Erlang's brows furrowed. "Manager Zhong, these aren't things you and I should worry about."
Zhong Ping was startled, then immediately straightened his expression: "That's right, it's my fault for talking too much."
He had also been in Panyu for too long, and he had forgotten his limits when he was in charge of things. This was indeed not something that his subordinates should discuss, at least not in front of outsiders.
Sun Erlang did not continue this topic and started talking about the reconstruction of Xishan Island.
Lu Jian was now truly preparing to return to Panyu. After ten days of grappling with Tian Yu, they had finally established the bank's framework. The next step was selecting shareholders and setting up the bank, something Lu Jian, the head of the bank, had to do personally.
Cheng Xi once again escorted him to the dock. "I'm busy, so I can't go to Panyu with you. Just go ahead and do your job. If there's anything you can't handle, just contact the two leaders, Sun and Zhong."
She spoke with a certain casualness, as if she didn't care at all about leaving something as important as China Construction Bank in outsiders' hands. Of course, Lu Jian wouldn't be so foolish. Now that the situation between him and the Red Flag Gang had reversed, it was almost impossible for him to bring down the Red Flag Gang, while it would be easy for them to kick him out of the group. This sense of imbalance would only grow stronger unless he could find a new source of support, such as managing the "China Merchants Bank" that was bound to shock the world.
Even when I had made up my mind to bring down the Lu family and leave my good stepmother dead without a burial place, I had never felt this nervous. This wasn't just about destroying something, it was about building something from scratch...
However, thinking of this, Lu Jian couldn't help but laugh: "You started from scratch and were able to build a behemoth like the Red Flag Gang. Now that I have so many supporters, what am I afraid of?"
He certainly didn't "start from scratch." The bank already had a model, and so many people were working hard on it. Even the brand-new "exchange" was planned by Cheng Xi. He was just a "treasurer," someone who implemented the will of the master. Faced with such a situation, she certainly wouldn't worry.
Fortunately, Lu Jian also understood the significance of the bank and didn't mind being temporarily inferior to others. Once this matter was truly accomplished, the relationship between the two would surely change, right?
This guy is really full of confidence, but a professional manager should have this kind of courage. Cheng Xi also smiled: "When the bank is built, don't forget to ask me to cut the ribbon."
It was a joke, but Lu Jian's pupils narrowed slightly before he smiled. Nowadays, when the Red Flag Gang launches a new ship, they unfurl colorful ribbons and celebrate with a "ribbon-cutting." Cutting the ribbon for a bank, wouldn't that mean she'll be at the grand opening? With her current status and position, how much surprise and shock would she cause if she showed up in Panyu? She was as audacious as ever.
But it's fine this way.
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