Underworld Chronicles: Qiao Si's Strategist, Xiao Ke, and Wang Weifan

Shortly after Qiao Si and his team finished their first project, they heard that a large area of ​​land in the center of Daoli District was slated for demolition.

Qiao Si then prepared to go to the developer's boss and try his best to win the project.

But by the time Qiao Si finally managed to contact the boss through various connections and with great difficulty, a demolition team surnamed Du had already beaten him to it and won the project.

What if someone beats you to it? Qiao Si sticks to his old tricks—steal it!

Qiao Si sent Li Zhengguang to the construction site to warn them first, adopting a strategy of diplomacy before resorting to force; if they didn't listen, then they would take action.

Li Zhengguang arrived at the construction site with two henchmen and found Boss Du. "Hello, are you Boss Du?" "My name is Li Zhengguang, from Longhua Company."

Because Qiao Si and his group were already somewhat famous, Li Zhengguang introduced himself as soon as he came up.

Ah, Mr. Li, please sit down, please sit down~~ Mr. Du had recently heard of Longhua Company, which had a great reputation. He had a bad feeling and poured Li Zhengguang a cup of tea first.

Ah, I'm not a boss. My boss is called Qiao Si. I don't know if Boss Du has ever heard of him.

"I've heard of it, I've heard of it. I wonder what brings you here today?" Boss Du couldn't help but ask.

"Our boss wants to discuss a collaboration with you," Li Zhengguang said, taking a sip of tea.

Upon hearing about cooperation, Boss Du's head buzzed. "Damn it, they've got their eyes on us."

Cooperation? How could someone as small-time as me be qualified to cooperate with you? Boss Li, are you joking?

"I don't have time to joke with you. Here's the deal: I won't keep you in suspense any longer. My boss wants to collaborate with you on that demolition project in Daoli District. We'll do the work, and you won't have to do anything. We'll split the profits 50/50 when it's settled. What do you think?" Li Zhengguang presented their terms.

At first glance, Li Zhengguang's offer seemed quite good. You didn't need to invest anything or worry about anything, and he would give you half of the profits for free. It felt like a pie falling from the sky, a good deed done anonymously.

But who is Boss Du? He's surnamed Du, and his ancestors might even be related to Du Yuesheng, the Shanghai gangster tycoon. He understood perfectly well what Li Zhengguang was saying.

These bastards are trying to get something for nothing. They want to seize the project he worked so hard for without spending a penny. He spent so much money and pulled so many strings to get it, how can they just give it away?

Giving half the profits without doing anything? Nobody would believe that. You're kidding me. Once he gives up the project and Qiao Si and his gang come in, he won't give him a penny.

"Boss Li, you see, although I'm the boss in name only, we're a partnership of several people. I can't make this decision on my own. We need to discuss it and then I'll give you an answer," Boss Du said evasively.

"Damn it, I'm not here to discuss anything with you today. I'm here to inform you. You have three days. After three days, we'll move in and get to work. Anyone who gets in the way will die." After saying this, Li Zhengguang and his two henchmen walked out without looking back.

"Damn it, a bunch of thugs, trying to rob me!" Boss Du cursed, watching Li Zhengguang's retreating figure.

Cursing is just a form of self-deception and doesn't solve any real problems. Boss Du had heard about Qiao Si and his gang's thuggish ways; they were a criminal gang whose style was to rob, smash, and loot.

Boss Du knew that reporting to the authorities would be pointless, so he resorted to violence. He found out that Yang Mantou's gang was quite powerful, so he asked someone to find Yang Mantou.

Boss Du gave Yang Mantou 10,000 yuan to protect the safety of the construction site, which was what Yang Mantou and his colleagues did, so they readily agreed.

After paying the money, Boss Du said, "Boss Yang, a man surnamed Li came yesterday and said that their boss, Qiao Si, is going to cause trouble at my construction site in three days. I'll have to ask you for help then."

"Damn, Boss Du, don't worry about it. I'm just doing my job. With me, Yang Mantou, around, I don't care if he's Qiao Si or Qiao Wu. Nobody will dare to cause trouble. Just do what you're supposed to do," Yang Mantou patted his chest and assured him.

Seeing how confident and self-assured Yang Mantou was, Boss Du felt a little relieved and went back to his work.

That very day, Yang Mantou had his underlings spread the word that he would protect Boss Du's construction site from now on, and anyone who caused trouble would be going against him, and he would make them pay a bloody price.

After hearing the news, Qiao Si and his men also spread the word that anyone who dared to stop them from entering the construction site two days later would suffer a terrible fate.

This is like two armies beating drums and sounding gongs before a battle, to boost their own morale and demoralize the enemy. They make a show of force to intimidate the other side and won't easily take action unless absolutely necessary.

Both Yang Mantou and Qiao Si have made their statements clear, and they are preparing weapons and manpower, ready for a fierce battle.

The story spread quickly and eventually reached Xiao Ke's ears. Xiao Ke thought to himself, "Damn it, I know both sides, and they're both tough guys. If they really fight, someone might get killed."

Xiao Ke is a loyal friend. He felt that both Qiao Si and Yang Mantou were good people, and he didn't want to see them fight each other and end up hurting each other, so he wanted to mediate between them.

It's almost been three days. On the first night, Xiao Ke invited Yang Mantou and Qiao Si out. Qiao Si and Yang Mantou have to give Xiao Ke face.

So, that evening, Qiao Si brought Li Zhengguang and Ma Long, Yang Mantou brought Wang Shuhuai and Liu Guoqing, Xiao Ke brought Wang Zhi, and Zhang Guangyue and Wei Qinggang, the three musketeers, and the group sat down together.

After everyone was seated, Xiao Ke began the introductions: "Let me introduce you. This is Qiao Si, Fourth Brother, and this is Yang Deguang, Yang Mantou."

Qiao Si and Yang Mantou had only heard of each other before and knew that the other was skilled in swords, guns, and cannons, but this was their first meeting.

Qiao Si and Yang Mantou exchanged a glance, nodded and smiled at each other. They already understood Xiao Keyue and the others' intentions.

Before the dishes were even served, Xiao Ke had Zhang Guangyue and Wei Qinggang fill everyone's glasses. "Come on, Fourth Brother, Mantou, this is the first time we've met, let's have a drink first."

As Xiao Ke spoke, he tilted his head back and downed the drink in his glass, and the others followed suit.

After putting down his wine glass, Xiao Ke said, "I'm sure you two already know why I called you here. Recently, people in the underworld have been saying that you two are going to have a fight. When I heard that, I thought, 'How can that be? They are both my brothers, Xiao Ke's brothers. I can't just stand by and watch my brothers kill each other.'"

So today I called both of you here to talk things out and see if there's a better solution. If we can avoid violence, we won't. We're all just trying to make a living; there's no need to fight to the death.

Now that Xiao Ke has made his statement, will Qiao Si and Yang Mantou continue their fight, or will they reconcile? Stay tuned for the next installment.