Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Chapter 276 Everyone who sees it gets a share, half for each person

"Master Liu, Bai Mincang sneaked into my Li family's warehouse in the middle of the night and set it on fire."

"You think you can just dismiss us with a flimsy excuse about a shipment worth over 30,000 yuan?"

Li Jinrong's face trembled with rage, and he didn't even glance at the silver note.

"Do you really think the Li family is easy to bully?"

"Young Master Li, you can't say that."

Liu Qikui, holding a black silk umbrella, stood motionless in the same position as when he handed over the silver notes.

"Bai Mincang acted rashly; I will give you an explanation when I get back."

"But the goods didn't catch fire, and no one was injured, so there's still room for maneuver."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, but paused slightly at the end of his sentence, his tone turning serious, "Young Master Li, are you sure you want to overturn the table with the Green Gang over this?"

"Master Liu, don't try to intimidate me with the Green Gang. Our Li family isn't a lump of dough to be kneaded."

The fat man's pupils contracted, and his face turned extremely ugly. "Bai Mincang can burn the goods tonight, and he can come to take my life tomorrow night."

As he spoke, his temper flared up, and he took half a step forward.

He let the mud and water from the ground splash all over his trousers.

"I'm putting this out there today: I'll compensate you with the goods at the original price of 30,000 yuan."

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"Either hand it over to the authorities, go through the police station's procedures, and detain those who should be detained, and sentence those who should be sentenced..."

"Thirty thousand silver dollars? To be handed over to the officials?"

Liu Qikui looked as if he had heard an utterly absurd joke, a very faint smile curving his lips.

"Your Li family doesn't have that much influence to make the Green Gang pay such a sum of money."

He slowly put the silver notes into his pocket before raising his eyes to look at the fat man.

"Moreover, I must take these people with me tonight."

The fat man's face stiffened, and before he could react, he saw Liu Qikui raise his right hand and make a gesture behind him.

In the darkness, a flurry of footsteps immediately followed.

It was too dark to see the exact number of people, but just the shadowy figures outside the courtyard gate suggested there were at least twenty or thirty people.

The guards from the Li family present immediately tensed up, and several of them had already reached for the weapons at their waists.

But what truly froze the atmosphere was the aura emanating from those people.

Four masked figures stood at the southeast corner of the courtyard wall; judging from their build, they appeared to be one woman and three men.

His body was as straight as a pine tree, and his breath was long and steady.

The raindrops landed less than three inches from their heads before flying off at an angle.

This is the outward expression of Qi and blood, a sign that one has reached a certain level in martial arts.

Those who cultivate their qi and blood martial arts can easily take on ten opponents.

Among these four, the one with the highest cultivation level was not much different from Li Zhong; both of them had reached the threshold of achieving the "copper skin and iron bones" level.

If they join forces and charge in, the Li family's guards won't be able to stop them at all.

Moreover, among Liu Qikui's men, there were several with sinister auras, clearly belonging to the underworld.

Chen Mo stood three steps behind Li Jinrong, his gaze sweeping over the crowd without making a sound.

Surprisingly, they were all acquaintances.

Hong Gu was dressed in a short outfit typical of the Green Gang, with her hair pinned up under the brim of her hat, making her look like a slender young man at first glance.

Standing next to her was Chen Youzhi, who was half a head taller than her. His face was covered by half a mask, with only his eyes showing.

Their gazes met briefly with Chen Mo through the rain before they tacitly looked away.

Chen Mo shifted his gaze expressionlessly, glancing at the group of people cultivating their Qi and Blood martial arts.

Although the four people were wearing masks, they had long been exposed to his divine sense.

The one leading the group was clearly Old Zhou, with whom he had a conflict before.

Fang Yingxue's teammates.

I never expected to run into you here.

Chen Mo's lips twitched slightly.

interesting.

Just then, Li Jinrong turned his head and glanced at him, his eyes flashing.

This is asking him if he can handle the risks.

Chen Mo instantly understood his thoughts, nodded slightly, and took a few steps forward to stand next to the fat man.

It was a brief glance, but many people present noticed it.

Liu Qikui's gaze then fell on Chen Mo, scrutinizing him from head to toe, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

"This young man looks unfamiliar. Where are you from?"

"I've met most of the Li family members, but I don't think I know anyone like you."

"He's just a nobody, no need for you to bother, Master Liu."

""

Chen Mo glanced indifferently at the people behind him, feeling a bit of a headache.

Twenty or thirty Green Gang thugs, plus a few old acquaintances from the Zhenyi Division.

If it really came down to a fight, all these people combined wouldn't be enough for him to take on with one hand.

But the question is, what happens after the treatment?

With such a commotion, there's no way to suppress the news.

Chen Mo's thoughts raced, but he showed no sign of it on his face, standing casually beside Li Jinrong.

"An unknown nobody?"

Liu Qikui repeated it to himself, giving him a deep look, "Since you are unwilling to reveal your background, I will not force you."

""

"It's still my Green Gang's reputation that's not prestigious enough; we can't even keep an unknown nobody in check."

Upon hearing this, the twenty or thirty people behind him all took a step forward in unison.

Several men in short-sleeved shirts standing in the front row had already slipped their hands into the side openings of their jackets, revealing pistols tucked into their waistbands.

Li Jinrong's expression changed, and he subconsciously tried to step forward.

Chen Mo reached out to stop him and looked up at Liu Qikui.

"What Master Liu said is true."

"The Green Gang's reputation is well-known; who in the entire Tianjin area doesn't know it?"

"But a title might fool others, but it's probably not enough to fool me."

As soon as he finished speaking, his aura suddenly changed.

A trace of the pressure from the Condensing Fiend Realm was revealed, pressing down squarely on Liu Qikui alone.

There is another option: to subdue the old man.

As long as the other party backs down, this matter won't escalate tonight.

Across from him, Liu Qikui was about to switch the umbrella handle to his right hand when he suddenly felt a jolt.

The black silk umbrella slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a thud.

Behind the silver-rimmed glasses, his eyes were wide open, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints, as if he had seen something terrifying.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on my forehead, mingling with the rain and streaming down my face.

Before the people behind him could react, they saw that Master Liu suddenly froze, not even picking up his umbrella from the ground, standing there like a wooden stake in the rain.

Old Zhou and his companions in the southeast corner also noticed something amiss, their eyes, visible through their masks, filled with disbelief.

This kid is acting very strangely.

Three breaths later, Chen Mo finally withdrew his oppressive aura.

Liu Qikui swayed twice and almost fell headfirst.

His henchman quickly grabbed his arm. "Master Liu? What's wrong?"

"fine."

He took two deep breaths, wiped the rain off his face, pushed away his henchman's help, and bent down to pick up the black silk umbrella that had fallen to the ground.

When he straightened up again, his expression had changed.

However, the look in her eyes as she looked at Chen Mo concealed a hint of apprehension that she couldn't hide.

For a brief moment, he felt as if he were being targeted by a ferocious prehistoric beast.

That kind of fear that seeps into your bones has nothing to do with courage or experience; it's purely the instinctive reaction of an ant facing its natural enemy.

The other person didn't even do anything; just a glance at him almost made him lose his composure in public.

Where did the Li family find this person?

Liu Qikui's mind raced as he calculated the benefits, but his expression returned to normal.

"Young Master Li is right, Bai Mincang did go too far tonight."

Upon hearing this, not only his underlings but even Li Jinrong were stunned for a few seconds.

They were at loggerheads just a moment ago, but changed their tune in the blink of an eye?

He glanced at Chen Mo subconsciously, understanding the situation quite well.

He didn't say it aloud, but the tension in his face lessened.

Liu Qikui continued, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, but the meaning behind his words had softened considerably: "However, the amount of 30,000 silver dollars is indeed not something I can decide on my own."

"The Green Gang has its own rules, and this is the one I can make decisions about."

He held up five fingers and waved them in the rain.

"Five thousand."

Li Jinrong frowned, about to speak, but Liu Qikui didn't give him a chance to interrupt, "If Young Master Li thinks this number is not enough, then go through the official channels. Report to the authorities where necessary, and arrest people where appropriate."

"Both options are on the table; Mr. Li, you can make the decision yourself."

This sounds like a handover of power to the Li family, but in reality, everyone present knew the truth.

If the matter is reported to the authorities, the police department could drag on for a year or two just going through the procedures, and it's uncertain whether Bai Mincang will ultimately be convicted.

Li Jinrong narrowed his eyes and stared at Liu Qikui for several seconds.

"OK."

He gritted his teeth, looking very unwilling. "Since Master Liu has said so, if I keep harping on it, it will make our Li family seem ungrateful."

"Five thousand it is, but you have to keep a close eye on him. If this happens again..."

""

"There won't be a next time," Liu Qikui interrupted him, his tone resolute.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the atmosphere gradually shifted from tense and confrontational to the polite exchanges between businessmen.

The rain was still falling, pattering softly against the black silk umbrella.

Chen Mo stood to the side and could notice that the fat man's shoulders had loosened slightly by an inch.

He looked tough just now, but I bet he was nervous inside.

Liu Qikui closed his umbrella, cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Mo, said nothing, and turned to walk into the rain.

The twenty or thirty people behind him retreated like a tide, and the four masked figures in the southeast corner of the courtyard wall glanced at Chen Mo one more time before disappearing into the night.

The gate was closed again, and the guards went to inspect the walls and warehouse doors and windows.

Only Li Jinrong and Chen Mo remained in the courtyard. A thin layer of rainwater had accumulated on the ground, reflecting the light of the lanterns under the eaves.

Just as Chen Mo was about to speak, Li Jinrong turned around, clasped his two thick hands together, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to him, and smiled like a Maitreya Buddha.

"Uncle Chen, thank you so much for tonight."

"It's nothing."

Chen Mo waved his hand, not saying anything more.

Li Jin took out the five thousand taels of silver notes from his pocket and divided them into two stacks by the light of the lamp in the corridor.

One stack is thick, the other is thin.

Without hesitation, he handed over the thick stack of papers. "Uncle Chen, this is yours."

Chen Mo glanced down and roughly estimated that it was no less than three thousand taels.

"Too many."

"Not much, not much. If it weren't for you tonight..."

Li Jinrong was so anxious that the flesh on his face scrunched up, and he still wanted to persuade her again.

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Mo reached out and pulled half of the banknotes from the stack, then handed the other half back to the fat man.

"Everyone who sees it gets a share, half for each person."

He paused for a moment, watching Chen Mo put the silver note back into his pocket, then looked at the remaining half in his hand, and suddenly smiled.

This amount of money was nothing to him, but the idea of ​​splitting it in half made him feel inexplicably comfortable.

"Okay, then I won't be coy."

The fat man, beaming with joy, stuffed the remaining silver notes into his pocket, then waved to Li Zhong, who was standing under the eaves, and handed him the thinner portion.

"Uncle Zhong, distribute this money among the brothers. Everyone who keeps watch tonight will receive an extra month's pay."

Li Zhong took the silver note, nodded slightly to Chen Mo, and turned to leave.

"I'm leaving too. Are you coming back with me or staying here?"

Chen Mo took out his pocket watch; the hands had just passed one in the morning.

It seems there's still time to go and find that guy surnamed Wang.

"Go? Where to?"

Li Jinrong's smile vanished. "It's the middle of the night, why don't you just sleep at my place?"

"Let's do it another day."

Chen Mo closed his pocket watch, looked up at the rain, and said, "I still have some things to take care of later."

"Alright then, you can go ahead if you have something to do. I'll go back with Uncle Li later."

Outside the dock, Liu Qikui held up a black silk umbrella, his pace quickening slightly compared to when he arrived.

Twenty or thirty people followed behind them the whole way, but no one dared to utter a sound.

Although Grandpa Liu's complexion had returned to normal, those who had followed him for more than three years knew that the faster he walked, the heavier his heart was.

After turning two corners, the lanterns of the warehouse disappeared completely.

Liu Qikui suddenly stopped and raised his hand in greeting.

The group behind them immediately stopped.

He turned around, his gaze passing over the few men in short clothes and landing on the four masked men at the very back.

"You guys go back to the gang first, Lao Zhou, come over here for a second."

The men exchanged glances, not daring to ask any further questions, and led their twenty or thirty men onward.

The footsteps faded into the distance, leaving only Liu Qikui and the four masked figures at the alley entrance.

The rain became even finer, falling almost silently on the black silk umbrella.

"You all saw what happened in the warehouse courtyard just now."

Old Zhou took off his mask, his face still showing a hint of surprise and disbelief.

The three people behind him also took off their masks one after another.

"Does anyone know that young man?"

There was a brief silence for two or three seconds before Old Zhou gave a wry smile. "Master Liu, I know this man."

"Oh?"

"His name is Chen Mo, from the Inspection Bureau."

"People from the inspection bureau?"

Liu Qikui frowned, a glint in his eyes behind his glasses. "When did the Investigation Bureau produce someone like this?"

"He killed Minister Sun's brother-in-law, Mr. Liu, you should have heard about it."

"Minister Sun?"

He raised his head, his gaze sharpening. "Sun Changhai, who died in the Japanese concession?"

"right."

"Sun Changhai is no pushover. His brother-in-law was killed; do you think he can just swallow this insult?"

"That kid was lucky; Grandpa Sun died before he could get his revenge."

After listening, Liu Qikui's expression changed several times, and he remained silent for a good ten seconds.

The alley was so quiet that only the sound of water dripping from the eaves could be heard.

"Was it good luck? Not necessarily."

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"What is his home address?"