They only took three minutes to agree on the plan.
The plan was simple, which was to have Wang Yunxiao and Lv'er pretend to be fooled, feign compliance and build a good relationship, so they would have the chance to meet the financial backer behind Lv'er. Once they could confirm the person's identity, the school would immediately call the police and arrest these ill-intentioned individuals.
The war had just ended, and the country was in need of major reconstruction, with a scarcity of labor force; it was guessed that even sewing machines in prisons were probably being overused (of course, this was just Wang Yunxiao's guess, as sewing machines weren't cheap at that time and not every household could afford one, it was more of a rhetorical metaphor).
However, to speak realistically, based on the information he collected in these days, the government's attitude toward social evils had always been very tough.
Principal Zhou was firm in his words, and even more so with his connections. As long as he made the phone call, the police station wouldn't dare to neglect their duties, so there was no need to worry about a scenario like in the movies, where police show up at the very end to "clean up the mess."
But after confirming the plan, Wang Yunxiao was lectured by Principal Zhou, spittle flying, for a full hour.
As for his capability, Principal Zhou was not too worried.
Anyone who could be called "Big Brother", no matter at what level, couldn't be said to be without skill.
What he was mainly worried about was Wang Yunxiao getting on the wrong path.
As the old saying goes, it's hard to learn the good but easy to slip into the bad.
This was especially true for gangs like Wang Yunxiao's, which had already mixed with society for a while before being caught and sent back to school to study.
In the eyes of other schools and teachers, they might have already been considered beyond redemption.
An ordinary teacher's monthly wage was only thirty to forty yuan, so why bother fretting over those dealing drugs?
Back at the dormitory, Wang Yunxiao called Youbing and Guozi together to start planning.
Speaking of these two's nicknames, to outsiders, they may not seem different. At breakfast, one could hear locals saying, "Master, give me two sticks of Guozi and a bowl of soy milk!" and then sit down with Youtiao.
But in reality, they are not the same thing.
Guozi refers specifically to pastries that haven't been fried and isn't limited to breakfast stalls; the mung bean cakes, osmanthus cakes, and pea yellow found in snack shops are also called Guozi, which is why in the locality they are also termed "Guozi shops."
The locals are particular about their breakfast, they insist on watching the chef take fresh dough and fry it on the spot, turning out golden-brown, crispy, and delicious Youtiao.
To put it simply, it's like the relationship between potatoes and fries.
Guozi got his nickname not only because he was thin but also because his real name was Zheng Nanguo, which was a pun.
His grandfather was considered a renowned and honorable man in Tianmen City, possessing excellent martial arts skills, having fought life and death matches, and battled the enemy, his imposing presence alone could keep thirty to fifty men at bay. His father's generation switched to business and no longer engaged in conflicts.
On the other hand, Guozi had enjoyed practicing martial arts since he was young and learned the expansive and forceful Tongbei Fist from his grandfather.
However, apart from having the financial means, the most important aspect of practicing martial arts is perseverance. One must train during the coldest of winter days and the hottest of summer days. However, these past two years of destitution had probably led to the neglect of his family's martial arts legacy.
There was certainly no good outcome if he were to compete on the stage, but if it were just a street fight, he had more than enough ability to handle it.
Don't be fooled by his skinny frame, resembling a stick; when he swings those fists, the average person really can't hold up against them. If it weren't for his impulsive nature and not so clever mind, it wouldn't be Wang Yunxiao's turn to be the boss of this little gang.
After listening to Wang Yunxiao's explanation, Guozi blinked and asked bluntly, "Boss, you just tell me how we're going to take him down?"
It didn't matter who they were going up against; he just wanted to know the time and place.
Wang Yunxiao quickly waved his hand and said, "Don't get excited. Here's what I'm thinking. You bring Loach with you, and come with me to see exactly what they're up to. Youtiao will lead Matuan, Youbing, and the rest to back us up. When the time comes, you follow my lead, and Youtiao will adapt to the situation on the spot depending on what happens."
The main reason for bringing Guozi and not Youtiao was because Guozi could really fight. If the other side dared to get tough, he could show his skills to take control of the scene.
As for Loach, as the saying goes, there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names. This kid was as slippery as his nickname suggested, with ancestors who ran a large carriage shop—that is, the kind you'd find in a transport hub. Always greeting people with a grin, his mouth was sweet as honey, making him likable.
Youtiao was smart but not good at talking. He usually carried an air of scholarly aloofness and harshness. If it weren't for Wang Yunxiao's protection, he would have been beaten to death by now. That's why Wang Yunxiao had him stay behind this time.
If everything went smoothly, fine. If some chaos broke out halfway through, it was only Youtiao who could decide whether to rush over with the guys to rescue someone or to run back and call the police.
After the discussion was settled and arrangements were made, the night passed without incident.
The next day at noon, Wang Yunxiao brought Loach and Guozi out to look for Lv'er.
Lv'er didn't dare hang around the school gate; that Wolf Fang Club in the security room was no joke. When Wang Yunxiao found him, he was hiding in a nearby alley, sneakily peeking around with a sleazy look on his face.
"Yo! Isn't that Brother Guozi!"
When Lv'er saw Guozi following Wang Yunxiao, his eyes lit up, and he rushed to greet them with a smiling face and a clasped fist bow.
Street loafers might not know much, but if you asked them who was good at fighting, they were sure to have a clear idea—borne out of hard-earned lessons from being beaten up.
Who could be provoked and who couldn't be—if a loafer didn't grasp these basic life skills, they would have long since been wiped out.
Although Wang Yunxiao was the leader of their small gang, Guozi had a bigger reputation in the loafer circle because he was good at fighting and ruthlessly vicious.
Having been robbed of five taels of silver and having waited in vain for a whole night, Lv'er was resentful but didn't dare to show it. He still had to speak softly, inviting Wang Yunxiao and the others into a courtyard in the small alley.
It was a fairly spacious courtyard, almost fifty square meters, tidy and clean, not looking like a common household's. The east wing backed onto the riverbank and there was a small side gate.
Lv'er whispered mysteriously, "Brother Yuanxiao, guess whose house this is?"
Wang Yunxiao couldn't care less about entertaining him. Whose house is it in relation to me? I don't know any of them anyway.
Seeing that Wang Yunxiao had no reaction, Lv'er's expression grew even more sleazy. He pointed at the locked main house and whispered, "Let me tell you, this is Old Blind Meng's extramarital residence; he set up his young wife here back in the day. You see that side gate? The goods Old Blind Meng used to transport were hidden in this courtyard. They would row across the river quietly, unload the goods, and move them out without a sound... Damn, he really hid it well, no wonder he made so much money!"
If it's hidden so deeply, then how did you manage to find it?
Wang Yunxiao kept a straight face on the surface, but inwardly he laughed coldly.
Old Blind Meng was once a prominent figure in Tianmen City, respected by both the underworld and the respectable, from all walks of life. People would give him some deference when they saw him.
On the surface, he was just a local tycoon, but privately, everyone actually knew that he had channels for smuggling foreign goods.
When he married his concubine and held a banquet, even street loafers like Wang Yunxiao and Lv'er were able to attend. From this small detail, it was evident that Old Blind Meng treated his friends from the Jianghu World impartially, leaving no room for criticism.
Even after he encountered misfortune, according to Lv'er, the street loafers still remembered his kindness and took care of his concubine and daughter.
As for why he encountered misfortune, that wasn't very clear. Logically, smuggling wasn't a capital offense, and those who dared to engage in such trade usually didn't have poor connections.
So although no one spoke about it openly, everyone was speculating that there had to be more to Old Blind Meng's misfortune than just smuggling.
In the smuggling business, the most important thing is to keep it hidden, and too much exposure can attract envy. The fact that Old Blind Meng's private residence ended up in Lv'er's hands somewhat inexplicably was something Wang Yunxiao just couldn't believe there wasn't more to.
But Lv'er was quite pleased with himself.
He assured Wang Yunxiao that the compound was safe and secluded enough to house a dozen Pai Gow tables. He planned to invite friends and relatives from the neighborhood, and with that, the business would be up and running.
Good grief, you have such a large compound, and all you think about is gambling. True to your original pursuit.
Wang Yunxiao looked around and asked Lv'er, "Whose courtyard is this now?"
The courtyard was kept very clean, not looking like it was uninhabited, but it certainly wasn't Lv'er's own property. It wasn't that he was underestimated, but expecting him to diligently clean such a large courtyard was like asking him to die. If he had that much diligence, he wouldn't be in such a situation.
"Hey, didn't I tell you? This is the secondary residence that Old Blind Meng set up for his concubine. Just her and his daughter live here,"
smiling, Lv'er said, "They work during the day and come back to stay at night. Just the two of them, a mother and daughter, they probably find it creepy to sleep here alone. They should thank us for using this courtyard; we're practically guarding it for them!"
Wang Yunxiao couldn't help but ask curiously, "So Old Blind Meng was executed, and the government hasn't confiscated this courtyard?"
Confused, Lv'er responded, "I'm not sure about that. Maybe Old Blind Meng kept it tight and didn't disclose it to the government?"
That was a bit beyond him.
Wang Yunxiao had no recollection of Old Blind Meng and didn't know the details, so he changed the subject, "So, brother, how do you plan on running this business? Have you figured out how to make money?"
Confused, Lv'er responded, "As long as we gather people here, won't we be able to make money? We'll earn however the outside casinos do!"
"So, what exactly is the plan?"
"We'll be the dealer, they lose money, and we earn it!"
Well…
Wang Yunxiao thought to himself, I still set my expectations too high for you.
Of course, you can't say that Lv'er's idea had any problem, it's just a normal thought for ordinary people.
Seeing others make money from running a restaurant, I want to run a restaurant and make money too.
Seeing others hit it big by writing novels, I want to write novels and hit it big too...
After all, he wasn't originally in this profession; at most, he was just a lousy gambler. The real professionals in this field had mostly gone to "eat peanuts" last year.
Before Wang Yunxiao could speak, Loach behind him couldn't help but laugh and said, "Brother Er, you're too soft-hearted. I've heard that all the dealers in those casinos used tricks, scaring those who win money and easing up on those who lose. Can you do any of that?"
He didn't even dare to say that you were too ambitious; he just said you were soft-hearted.
On hearing this, Lv'er's already not-so-pleasant countenance instantly turned as red and purple as pig liver, and he argued with his neck stiff, "They're all villagers, people we see every day. How could I cheat them..."
Exactly, villagers. The way Lv'er imagined making money was by using his "years of honed gambling skills" to swindle the naive kids around the neighborhood.
Wang Yunxiao sighed inwardly, now understanding why this fellow had managed to escape the previous two rounds of crackdowns on crime.
It's not that the cops weren't diligent; it's just that this mosquito leg's worth of meat really wasn't worth their effort.
If I don't give him a hand, who knows how he's going to handle what comes next in this drama.
Wang Yunxiao pulled Lv'er to his front, pretending not to notice the panic and flickering in his eyes, and instructed carefully, "This won't work, listen to my plan. Don't just go out and tell everyone you're gathering people to gamble here..."
Lv'er quickly waved his hands, "Of course not, I'm not stupid!"
"If you don't have the skills, don't try to act like the big bad wolf. Set up the place, hire a chef to take care of food and drinks, let them spend money here. When those two women come back, you arrange for me to meet them, give them a share of the profits, and have them take care of cleaning up. Then, you can tell people outside that this is Old Blind Meng's business. People say a skinny camel is bigger than a horse, still better than your face, right?"
After scratching his head for a while, Lv'er finally grasped the true meaning, and immediately gave a thumbs-up, praising, "Great idea! It's still Yuanxiao who's educated; you always think things through better than us. At first, I was thinking of doing it this way too, but my mind was all muddled, not sure where to start."
Next to them, Loach added with a chuckle, "What are you planning to play, Brother Er? If you're thinking of Pai Gow or dice, it's gonna be hard to explain if the cops show up. And, don't you also have to take care of the police somehow?"
Lv'er's legs trembled, and he quickly shook his head in denial, "Don't talk nonsense, what dice, no such thing. Yuanxiao is right, this is a legitimate business, can't mention anything related to gambling. I think card games are good, look at those bosses, grandees, rich ladies, they all play cards, what's it called again..."
"A delight for both refined and popular tastes!"
"Right, a delight for both refined and popular tastes. It's a refined matter! See, I just can't articulate well."
Lv'er, smiling, gave himself a little slap on the mouth, "Yuanxiao, you have the ideas, so let's let you decide. I'll just bring people over, and when we make silver, we brothers will be rich and live large, drinking and eating meat!"
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