章 11: Chapter 8: Too Cruel To Kill, Let's Cripple It_1
編集者: Atlas Studios
The entire Changle Square only has one medicine shop, located right next to Happy Forest.
Others see Changle Square as a slum, devoid of wealth, and are unwilling to open a drugstore here.
People in Happy Forest may be wealthy, but how often do they get sick? Opening a drugstore here would just be a money-losing proposition.
But the Shopkeeper of Wang's Medicine Shop thinks more long-term than the others.
The poor don't seek medical treatment for minor ailments and endure as long as they can. They only come to the drugstore seeking medical care when they can't bear it anymore.
By then, he can demand exorbitantly high prices.
Even a sinking ship can yield a few nails, no matter how poor the residents of Changle Square are, they can still be squeezed for some profit.
Therefore, Wang's Medicine Shop does quite well in business. In fact, it earns more than some drugstores in flourishing markets.
The shopkeeper of Wang's Medicine Shop now in his sixties, fat all over, looks less like a doctor but more like a butcher.
At this moment, Shopkeeper Wang is admiring an emerald-green bracelet.
The jade bracelet is clear and bright like water, and it has some hollow patterns engraved on it, which looks very extraordinary.
"What a pity, there's only one of these bracelets. If there were a pair, the price could be multiplied several times.
I don't know which family that little girl belongs to. If I use some tactics, I might be able to get the other bracelet."
Shopkeeper Wang regretfully shook his head, returned the bracelet to its box, and planned to go to the pawnshop when he had time to exchange it for silver.
"Hurry up! Don't slack off! Otherwise, this month's wages will all be deducted!"
Shopkeeper Wang scolded the shop assistants in the drugstore, and was about to get up when he saw a handsome young man leading a little girl in.
Seeing this little girl, Shopkeeper Wang's eyes lit up. Isn't she the little girl who came to his drugstore to steal medicine a few days ago?
"Ha, you little girl dare to show up again! Last time you wasted so much of my herbs, this one bracelet can't compensate for that! Hand over the other one!"
Xin'er was scared by Shopkeeper Wang and clung tightly to Su Xin's clothes, complaining, "But I've already returned the medicine."
"Humph! Can the medicine touched by your dirty hands be used again?" Shopkeeper Wang sneered with a look of disdain on his face.
Su Xin patted Xin'er's little head and looked indifferently at Shopkeeper Wang, "What medicine is worth two jade bracelets?"
Only then did Shopkeeper Wang notice Su Xin and sneered: "You are this little girl's family, aren't you? Look carefully, what she took last time was pure Liaodong Korean Ginseng, all of which were transported from the Eastern Jin.
To transport it from Eastern Jin to our Great Zhou, it's a distance of tens of thousands of miles. Each piece of Korean Ginseng is worth hundreds of liang! She wasted seven or eight pieces in one go, can you afford to compensate?"
Shopkeeper Wang deliberately took out a box of Korean Ginseng wrapped in red cloth and put it in front of them, looking as if he had them in his hands.
"Liar! You're lying! What I took last time was not this at all!" Su Xing'er clenched her little fists and cried out in grievance.
"Humph! I say it is!" Shopkeeper Wang looked at Su Xin and sneered, "Kid, if you don't bring out the other jade bracelet, I'll report you to the authorities right now, and you can wait to eat jail food!"
Shopkeeper Wang was most experienced in dealing with common folks like Su Xin.
Just intimidate them with the official residence, and they would definitely submit obediently.
The north-facing gate of the government office was not for poor people since ancient times.
But to Shopkeeper Wang's surprise, he didn't see a trace of panic in Su Xin's eyes. This young man remained calm throughout.
After a long silence, Su Xin finally spoke: "I've never eaten jail food. But I believe you might not be able to eat anything soon."
"You dare threaten me?" Shopkeeper Wang sneered, "Do you know the Flying Eagle Gang? I pay them a few dozen taels every month as regular money. Do you believe that if I say the word, you'll be thrown out immediately with both of your legs broken by the gang members?"
"Master Huang, come in." Su Xin called out softly.
Upon hearing Su Xin's words, Huang Bingcheng immediately led eight gang members in.
"Yo! Master Huang, why are you here?" Seeing Huang Bingcheng, Shopkeeper Wang immediately ran over with his short, pudgy legs to welcome him.
Huang Bingcheng has been with the Flying Eagle Gang for more than a decade.
In the past, when Liu Sandao was the Gang Leader, he trusted men like Chief Sun who had been with him all along, but collecting regular money was still assigned to experienced old hands like Huang Bingcheng.
Therefore, Shopkeeper Wang is very familiar with him. When the Flying Eagle Gang first took over Happy Forest, he had also stuffed some silver into Huang Bingcheng's hands, hoping he would look after his shop.
"Boss, what are your orders?" Huang Bingcheng didn't even look at Shopkeeper Wang. Instead, he respectfully lowered his head and asked Qin Yu.
"Bo...Boss!?" Shopkeeper Wang was instantly stunned.
This young man was actually a member of the Flying Eagle Gang? And Huang Bingcheng, an old member of the Flying Eagle Gang, was actually calling him boss!
Huang Bingcheng glared coldly at Shopkeeper Wang: "Let me introduce you again, my boss, Su Xin, is the adopted son of Gang Leader, Third Master Tiger, a rising figure, and is in charge of Happy Forest.
Fatty Wang, you are indeed capable. You even dare to extort my boss, aren't you tired of living?"
Shopkeeper Wang broke out in a cold sweat immediately. His short little legs were trembling, barely supporting his chubby body.
For a businessman like him who had some minor assets, they were not afraid of the official residence.
If the official residence came to pick a fight, they could just spend some money to settle the dispute.
What they feared the most was actually the Flying Eagle Gang and similar organizations from the Jianghu.
Business is all about making peaceful profits. Encountering such a fiercely competitive gang, they could have ten thousand ways to ruin you.
Even if they don't take your life, they could still make it impossible for you to survive here.
"Boss Su, I was ignorant. Please spare me this time!"
Shopkeeper Wang made a pitiful face and promptly returned the bracelet to Su Xin, also cleverly adding a handful of silver notes. Su Xin glanced at them, and they were not less than three hundred taels.
"Spare you? Haha." Su Xin chuckled in confusion and left the shop with Xin'er in his arms.
Shopkeeper Wang was chilled by Su Xin's laugh, not understanding what he meant.
Huang Bingcheng followed after, his eyes flashing with a trace of ruthlessness. He whispered, "Boss, do you want to get rid of this Fatty Wang?"
Although Huang Bingcheng appeared servile in front of Su Xin, he was still a character who had been in the Flying Eagle Gang for more than a decade. Although he wasn't a great fighter, he had indeed killed people before.
Su Xin shook his head and lightly said, "The old man does not have many years to live, killing him would be too cruel. Just cripple him instead."
For some reason, hearing Su Xin's indifferent words, Huang Bingcheng felt a chill rising from his heart.
He nodded, went back into the shop.
Suddenly, Shopkeeper Wang's screams filled the room: "Don't come over! What are you all doing?! If you dare to hurt me, the government office won't let you go! Ah! Ah!"
Su Xin gently patted Xin'er's head and covered her ears, not letting her hear Shopkeeper Wang's screams.
Seeing Wang, who was lying on the ground without even the strength to groan, Huang Bingcheng rubbed his chin and said, "Alright, stop hitting him, we might kill him if we continue."
Hearing his command, the eight gang members stopped.
Looking at several employees of the medicine shop cowered in the corner, Huang Bingcheng sneered, "Bandage this fat bastard up. Don't let him die. If the government officials come, you should know what to say."
The several employees repeatedly nodded their heads. Even if they had the courage, they wouldn't dare to provoke the Flying Eagle Gang on their own.
"Xin'er, let's go home."
Su Xin picked up Xin'er, putting the bracelet into her hand, but a doubt arose in his heart.
This bracelet's design and materials were too good, it didn't seem to be something that the Su family could possess.
But Su Xin's memory of this body's childhood was already vague, even less clear than Xin'er's.
Having asked Xin'er a few questions and she also couldn't explain it, Su Xin decided to stop wondering about it.
After settling Xin'er at home and arranging for someone to take care of her, Su Xin sent for Huang Bingcheng: "Old Huang, gather all the shop owners in Happy Forest and meet at the Drunken Moon building for a meeting."
He still had to complete a main task to earn ten thousand taels of silver, and this money had to be made within Happy Forest.
However, he, Su Xin, was not Liu Sandao. Of course, he would not squeeze these businessmen to death. That would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Upon hearing Su Xin's words, Huang Bingcheng revealed an understanding expression.
A new official would definitely set three fires. When Liu Sandao took power, they had to present many gifts.
Now that the boss was Su Xin, if they didn't bleed a little, would they still want to mix within Happy Forest in the future?
Seeing Huang Bingcheng's expression, Su Xin knew what he was thinking. However, he didn't correct him. After all, he would understand everything by then.
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