I Have A Qi Fortune Altar.

Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Zhu Sihai
 

Zhu Sihai narrowed his eyes and said,

“Well, let’s send an invitation and ask this Officer Chen to our Beihai Gang. I, the Gang Leader myself, want to test his mettle to see if he really has what it takes, or if he’s just all show and no go.”

“With the Gang Leader taking action, everything is settled!”

Somebody at his side started to flatter him.

“Gang Leader, there’s trouble!”

Suddenly, a Beihai Gang member clad in black clothing rushed into the hall, knelt on one knee on the ground, and cupped his hands in salute.

“What has happened?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s the panic!”

Several Hall Masters from the Beihai Gang immediately rebuked.

The kneeling gang member opened his mouth slightly and said hurriedly, “To report to the Hall Masters, outside… there are government officials everywhere.”

“What?”

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“What did you say?”

“Government officials?”

Several Hall Masters stood up hastily.

Zhu Sihai, who was fiddling with an iron ball in his hand, squeezed it slightly, revealing a hint of panic in his heart, but he maintained a calm demeanor as he rebuked the Hall Masters,

“Government officials? What’s there to panic about? The sky isn’t falling!”

The Hall Masters pursed their lips, not daring to argue, but their gaze still rested on the gang member on the ground.

Zhu Sihai frowned and asked in a low voice,

“How many people have come from the government?”

“At a rough count, at least fifty or sixty men, all armed with knives, and some even holding hand crossbows, heading towards the hall. By now, they’re probably already here.”

“Fifty or sixty men, all armed with knives, and even hand crossbows…”

Zhu Sihai felt uneasy and said quickly,

“Who is leading them?”

“I… I don’t recognize him. He seems very young, and some of the older government officials… they’re all following behind him…”

Zhu Sihai immediately stood up; he guessed the identity of the visitor.

The newly appointed arrest officer of the County Government, Chen Yuan!

He hadn’t waited for him to send the invitation; Chen Yuan had taken the initiative to show up, and with hostile intent!

Taking a deep breath, Zhu Sihai with hands behind his back said,

“Gather the disciples of the gang. We’ll meet this Officer Chen!”

…

…

“Brother Yuan, should we make a move?”

Wang Ping moved closer and asked in a lowered voice.

Everyone was arranged in a fan shape surrounding the entrance of the Beihai Gang. The atmosphere was tense and electric. The gate guards of the Beihai Gang were trembling in their legs.

Chen Yuan raised his hand:

“No need to take action yet, wait for Zhu Sihai to come out!”

Wang Ping nodded, then silently stood behind Chen Yuan.

Before long, a hearty laugh emerged from inside the Beihai Gang:

“What kind of wind has blown Officer Chen our way? It is truly an auspicious occasion for our Beihai Gang…”

Then, the sound of footsteps followed as more than thirty Beihai Gang members poured out of the door, each holding weapons, watching Chen Yuan’s group of government officials with vigilance.

Upon seeing this, without anyone’s command, eight White Servants armed with hand crossbows stepped forward in a line, aiming at the Beihai Gang members.

Chen Yuan’s expression was indifferent as he gazed at a slightly overweight middle-aged man emerging from inside. He was dressed in a long robe made of expensive silk, his face was cruel, but he bore a smile.

It was the Gang Leader of Beihai, Zhu Sihai!

Bone Refining Level of cultivation. However, Chen Yuan had also heard that due to the relaxation of martial arts, his strength had greatly declined. He just didn’t know if it was true.

As Chen Yuan sized up Zhu Sihai, Zhu Sihai was also meticulously examining the young man in front of him. If he were in different clothes, Zhu Sihai would definitely think Chen Yuan was a wealthy young master.

“Officer Chen.”

Zhu Sihai clasped his hands together, his speech very polite.

“Gang Leader Zhu…”

“This is quite a show of force. Has my Beihai Gang violated any laws?” Zhu Sihai asked, raising an eyebrow at the government officials behind Chen Yuan.

“It seems Gang Leader Zhu has already learned something. Indeed, I have received reliable information that there are hidden members of the No-Life Sect within the Beihai Gang. The County Magistrate has ordered me to thoroughly investigate the Beihai Gang!” Chen Yuan said, looking directly at Zhu Sihai.

“Could it be Officer Chen is joking? How could my Beihai Gang, clean and innocent, collude with the thieves of the No-Life Sect?” Zhu Sihai’s expression darkened.

“The Huang Family also said they did not collude, yet weren’t they eradicated all the same? Do I need to elaborate on the relationship between Beihai Gang and the Huang Family?”

“You…”

Zhu Sihai found himself at a loss for words, wanting to curse out loud that the Huang Family was slandered, but he did not dare to say it.

It wasn’t just his own opinion, most in Ping’an County felt that the Huang Family had been falsely accused, with the No-Life Sect being nothing but a pretext since the government had not captured any real culprits.

Zhu Sihai felt that Chen Yuan wanted to re-enact the Huang Family’s tragedy on the Beihai Gang.

“Officer Chen can conduct his search, but he will need to present evidence!” Zhu Sihai stated in a muffled voice.

Chen Yuan chuckled lightly and proclaimed loudly:

“I, Chen Yuan, do not need evidence to conduct a search!”

Zhu Sihai took a deep breath, his gaze shifting around. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said:

“Officer Chen, may I have a word with you in private?”

Seeing that his goal had been reached, Chen Yuan nodded and replied:

“Sure.”

…

…

In the main hall of the Beihai Gang.

Chen Yuan, Zhu Sihai, Wang Ping, and a hall master of the Beihai Gang with a scar on his face were seated around a table, on which fourteen exquisite dishes were placed.

“Officer Chen, this is some fine wine, please.”

Zhu Sihai was exceedingly polite.

“Gang Leader Zhu should drink first,” Chen Yuan glanced at the wine and chuckled lightly.

Zhu Sihai, very perceptive, smiled and without further persuasion, lifted his cup and drained it in one gulp.

Watching Zhu Sihai’s mannerisms, Chen Yuan smiled. He had not come with the intention of annihilating the Beihai Gang. While it was possible to do so at a certain cost, if the Beihai Gang were eradicated, who would provide the monthly 200 taels of silver stipend that Li Mingqi received?

Chen Yuan himself couldn’t afford it, as he had made a military pledge with Li Mingqi that Beihai Gang would be dealt with by the next day.

Thus, from the beginning, Chen Yuan’s goal was to wear down Zhu Sihai’s sharpness, to better negotiate terms and settle accounts with Wang Meng from before.

Of course, if Zhu Sihai really failed to recognize the situation, Chen Yuan wouldn’t hesitate to finish him off. He could simply trouble Tie Qinghua or someone else to fully take over the Beihai Gang’s territory.

But if so, the northern part of Ping’an County wouldn’t settle down quickly, and County Magistrate Wu Qingfeng would likely interfere, leading to potential problems, and Li Mingqi’s evaluation of him would considerably worsen.

Wang Ping was already starving, and upon Chen Yuan’s signal, he eagerly tucked into the dishes, admiring Brother Yuan immensely in his heart for ensuring they got to enjoy such a good meal as promised.

Unlike Wang Ping, who was wolfing down his food, Chen Yuan’s interest seemed lacking. He wasn’t going to risk big for small. If there was something in the food, it would be a loss.

Of course, that was unlikely. Zhu Sihai wouldn’t be so foolish.

Zhu Sihai, noticing Chen Yuan’s lack of interest, lightly clapped his hands and said:

“Officer Chen, try the next two dishes, they’ll surely whet your appetite.”

No sooner had he spoken than an old man wearing a white hat came through the door, carrying a small basin and laughing:

“Haha, the chicken soup is here…”

———

Thanks to book friend Red Dust Yi Ze for the reward of 1500 point coins.