Half-human, half-ghost, the number one divine fist

Tapping.

Rong Chongming led Chen Cang, walking unhurriedly through the somewhat noisy corridors and front hall of Jinrong Casino.

He deliberately slowed his pace, occasionally pointing to a spot and whispering something, appearing as if he were carefully nurturing a younger generation.

Chen Cang lagged half a step behind, bowed slightly, listened attentively, and scanned every corner of the gambling den, every busy or peeping figure, measuring and memorizing.

For gang members, the top position is a good stepping stone to advancement.

Passing through a moon gate, we arrived at a relatively quiet corner of the backyard, far away from the hustle and bustle of the gamblers.

Rong Chongming stopped and turned around. The gentle smile he wore in public faded, replaced by a more direct expression, one that suggested an exchange of interests.

"Chen Cang, I have seen your character and temperament."

Rong Chongming got straight to the point, his voice low but clear, "Among the younger generation in the association, you are outstanding. You are calm and ruthless, which is very good."

Chen Cang bowed his head: "I owe it all to Uncle Rong's promotion; I will never forget it."

"Promotion is one thing, but you still have to walk your own path."

Rong Chongming pulled a bulging cloth bag from his pocket and stuffed it into Chen Cang's hand. It felt heavy in his hand. "Here's one hundred silver dollars. It's a personal gift to you. Study hard and work hard."

One hundred silver dollars!

This is a huge sum of money for an ordinary family, enough to live comfortably for several years.

Even for a Stone Skin Warrior, it is a substantial resource, enough to purchase high-quality medicinal herbs and plasters.

Chen Cang did not refuse, but steadily accepted it and put it in his pocket, his face still calm: "Thank you, Uncle Rong."

"The money is for you to use where it's needed."

Rong Chongming stared at him. "You are now at the peak of the Stone Skin stage. I can feel that your Qi and blood have been refined to a considerable degree. But the transition from Stone Skin to Iron Vein is another transformation. I need you to step into the Iron Vein stage as soon as possible... preferably within six months! Once you become Iron Vein, your grasp of many things will be completely different."

The implication in his words was quite clear.

Only those with iron will have the confidence and strength to truly dominate a gambling den, and only then can they better resist pressure from Huai Ren Tang or other sources.

After much deliberation, Chen Cang emerged as the most suitable candidate he had his eye on.

He is calm and composed, has good talent, and is at the peak of the Stone Skin realm. More importantly, he has been stuck at this level for more than two years and will soon have a chance to step into the Iron Tendon realm.

It would be inappropriate to directly install steel bars.

Arranging a stone veneer would be much more appropriate.

Once Lin Fusheng dies, Chen Cang has a 70% chance of taking the top position if he puts in the effort.

"Don't worry, Uncle Rong."

Chen Cang straightened his back slightly: "I've been stuck at the Stone Skin Perfection stage for two years, but recently I've indeed felt the barrier loosening, and my qi and blood showing signs of consolidating and transforming into strength. I'm very confident I can break through this barrier in two to three or four months!"

"good!"

Rong Chongming smiled with satisfaction and patted him on the shoulder. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. You saw what happened with Lin Fusheng; the situation was beyond our control. Once his 'mission' is over and this position as the head of the gambling den becomes vacant, I will do everything in my power to promote you. Then, you will be the rightful head of Jinrong Gambling Den! The prerequisite is that you have to be strong enough!"

"I see."

Chen Cang nodded emphatically, his eyes resolute, "I will never let Uncle Rong down."

"Yes, get to know this place well. Figure out the people's hearts, the rules, and the ways to make money as soon as possible."

Rong Chongming gave him one last piece of advice before leading him to other places.

On the other side, at the corner from the gambling den's front hall to the accounting room, Hua Wendong and his trusted men were coldly watching Rong Chongming and Chen Cang's departing figures.

A weasel-faced henchman leaned close to Hua Wendong's ear, lowering his voice with a hint of schadenfreude: "Brother Hua, did you see that? That kid is Chen Cang, Uncle Rong's new 'precious gem.' I heard he's reached the Stone Skin Realm and is almost there! Look at how enthusiastic Uncle Rong is; he can't wait to replace that short-lived Lin Fusheng!"

Another burly thug sneered.

"That kid Lin Fusheng was acting tough with us just now, not appreciating our kindness! Now he's dumbfounded, isn't he? That old fox Rong Chongming has even arranged his own affairs! The moment he breathes his last, Chen Cang will be sitting in his place! Tsk tsk, he really doesn't know what's good for him!"

"Exactly! They think they're so great!"

"Brother Hua, should we go and give him another nudge? He must be panicking right now, maybe he'll change his mind?"

Hua Wendong snorted coldly upon hearing these words.

A disdainful smile curled at the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with malice.

"Give him pointers? Go beg him again? That's giving him too much face!"

"hiss..."

Hua Wendong lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, slowly exhaled the smoke, and continued leisurely, "He's the one who should be worried now, not us. Rong Chongming has brought the replacement right under his nose. This is blatantly telling him that you're doomed, the position is taken, and nobody cares about you anymore."

He flicked his cigarette ash and said with certainty, "Just wait. Before long, once he understands his situation, realizes that even the little 'dignity' he has left before he dies will be squeezed dry by Rong Chongming, and that we've left him a way out, he'll come knocking on our door like a stray dog, begging us to take him in."

"Then things won't be so easy to talk to. We'll have to teach him a lesson about how to wag his tail and how to show loyalty. Does he really think he's someone important? How laughable."

Upon hearing this, his subordinates nodded in agreement.

Each of them wore a knowing and mocking smile, as if they could already see Lin Fusheng's desperate and pitiful state.

......

Time slipped by unnoticed, and it was already afternoon.

The sunlight, carrying a lazy warmth, filtered through the translucent glass paper pasted on the street-facing windows of the gambling den, casting blurry patches of light on the ground.

The air was filled with the smells of tobacco, sweat, cheap tea, and a lingering, restless atmosphere of money and desire.

Spring has arrived, and all things are coming back to life.

Outside, the sounds of rickshaw bells, vendors' drawn-out cries, and the occasional car horn create a unique, noisy background ambiance characteristic of the streets during the Republican era.

Just then, a slightly worn black Austin car, with a slight engine groan, awkwardly pulled up in front of the imposing but dusty gate of the Jinrong Casino.

The car door opened, and first emerged a slender leg wearing black leather shoes with straps and sheer stockings. Then, a woman wearing a light purple indigo cheongsam and a thin woolen short coat stepped out of the car, looking somewhat reserved.

She was in her early thirties, with delicate features and a scholarly air about her, but her eyes held a composure that she was trying hard to maintain.

Her hair was tied into a simple bun at the back of her head, adorned with a plain silver hairpin, and she carried a slightly worn leather handbag.

These days, it's a rare sight to see a woman alone in a gambling den, a place teeming with all sorts of people.

Moreover, she was well-dressed and her demeanor was completely out of place amidst the surrounding noise.

Two thugs leaning against the doorframe, chatting idly while smoking cigarettes, immediately noticed her. Their gazes swept over her, less frivolous than they usually were towards female customers, and more scrutinizing and wary.

Women who dare to come here alone are either ignorant and fearless, or they have something powerful behind them and are not to be trifled with.

The two exchanged a glance, and one of them stepped forward and asked, in a fairly polite manner:

"Madam, would you like to play a couple of rounds? Or are you looking for someone?"

The woman tightened her grip on her purse, took a deep breath, met the thugs' gaze, and spoke clearly but with a slight tension: "Gentlemen, I am from the Linjiang Police Station branch in Songjiang City, wife of Inspector Qi. My surname is Lin, Lin Ruoyin."

Inspector?

The two thugs at the door raised their eyebrows and became slightly more serious, but they did not show much respect or fawning.

In the eyes of ordinary people, patrol officers are figures of authority, but in the eyes of a deeply entrenched gang like the Tongxin Society, especially a patrol officer from a branch office, their status is just so-so, roughly equivalent to a powerful boss in their gambling den, or perhaps even slightly less.

After all, the boss directly controls the gambling den's profits and has a dozen or so thugs, making him a truly powerful figure.

"Oh, so you're Mrs. Qi."

The thug who had spoken earlier nodded, his tone indifferent, "May I ask what brings Mrs. Qi here? Or does Inspector Qi have business with us?"

Lin Ruoyin shook her head, her gaze passing over them, trying to look into the gambling den, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

"No, it's a personal matter. I heard that the foreman here is Lin Fusheng, is that right, Mr. Lin?"

The two thugs exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with understanding followed by a rapid cooling of interest.

It turns out they were looking for Lin Fusheng.

"Yes, there is a foreman named Lin."

One of the henchmen answered lazily.

"I'm his aunt," Lin Ruoyin quickly said. "Could you two please take me to see him? Or perhaps inform him for me?"