The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

Just then, a slow, steady clapping sound came from the stairwell on the second floor of the hall.

A tall, thin, middle-aged man with a refined appearance slowly walked down the stairs, wearing a gray-blue robe with five wave patterns embroidered in silver thread at the hem.

He clapped as he walked, his smile gentle and refined, but there was no hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Chief Shangguan, your skills are truly impressive. Even the peak fifth-rank Master Luo couldn't withstand three moves from you. You probably can't find another person with such skill at Tongzhou Wharf."

The man stopped three steps in front of Shangguan Jin Hong, with his hands behind his back. "I am Qiu Wu, Chief Shangguan. I have long admired you."

Shangguan Jin Hong bowed slightly, his face still showing a calm and composed demeanor.

He knew, of course, that Qiu Wu had been watching from upstairs.

From the moment Luo Heng slammed his fist on the table, he sensed a faint, almost imperceptible aura locking onto him from the second floor.

The aura of a seventh-rank martial artist blended with the river breeze at the dock, making it impossible for ordinary people to distinguish.

But he is Shangguan Jin Hong, whose perception was honed to a razor-sharp level back in the Money Gang days.

"Chief Qiu is too kind. Hall Master Luo's fist technique is powerful, but he seems to be out of sorts today. Please have a seat."

He pointed to the only table next to them that hadn't been overturned, and the two sat down again.

The attendants straightened the two chairs and stepped aside, leaving only the two gang leaders in the hall separated by a messy wine table.

Qiu Wu cut to the chase, no more beating around the bush: "Chief Shangguan, we are both sensible people. Luo Heng's actions today were not what I wanted."

"But he was right about one thing—the workers' association did steal a lot of business from the sand gang this year."

"The Tongzhou Wharf is a lucrative market, with the canal gangs accounting for 40%, the sea sand gangs accounting for 40%, the remaining 10% being small-scale merchants and less-than-truckload shipments, and the remaining 10% being government-run canal transport."

"Your association originally only made a living from small-scale trading and less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, and I never interfered with that."

"But recently your organization's dispatch room has extended into the berths of the Hai Sha Gang, Chief Shangguan. This is against the rules."

"For three hundred years, the Tongzhou Wharf has been divided into two areas: the canal gangs and the sea sand gangs. The deep-water berths are located in the southeast of Tongzhou and have always been managed by the sea sand gangs, while the less-than-truckload (LTL) berths are located in the northwest. This is an old rule at the wharf."

"If you want to break this rule, those three slaps just now are not enough."

Shangguan Jin Hong picked up the last wine glass on the table, took a sip of the remaining half glass of wine, and looked directly at Qiu Wu.

The composure he had shown in front of Luo Heng was now somewhat restrained, replaced by a more profound and steady aura: "Chief Qiu has made things clear, so Shangguan won't hide anything either."

"Shangguan naturally understands the old rules of the docks, but rules are made by people."

"In previous years, deep-water berths were only managed by the sea sand gang. When there were many ships, cargo piled up, and when there were few ships, the berths were vacant."

"The workers' association isn't here to seize territory. The workers' association wants to cooperate with the Hai Sha gang. The deep-water berths will belong to Gang Leader Qiu, and the packing and unloading will belong to the workers' association."

"The workers of the labor union are dispatched by Chief Qiu according to the shipping schedule. The labor union pays its own wages and compensates for any cargo damage. The Hai Sha Gang does not have to pay a single penny."

"If Chief Qiu is willing, we can draw up a contract now. If not, I will go back now and never set foot on the Hai Sha Gang's dock again."

His words were extremely concise.

The conditions are presented to you; the choice is yours.

There was no haggling, no ambiguity.

Qiu Wu remained silent for a moment, then picked up the wine pot, poured himself a cup of wine, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. As he put down the cup, his gaze suddenly sharpened: "Chief Shangguan, the negotiations are going well, why hide your true intentions?"

"Just now, when you struck Luo Heng in the chest, a peak fifth-rank martial artist was sent flying with a single blow, without even a single crease appearing in the fabric of his chest."

"This is not something a fifth-rank cultivator could do. You've been hiding your cultivation level, and you've deliberately hidden it for me to see."

Shangguan Jin Hong gently placed the wine glass on the table, slowly stroking the rim of the glass with his fingers, and pondered for a moment.

He knew that Qiu Wu would ask this question sooner or later.

The reason I used 50% of my strength instead of 30% in that palm strike was to let Qiu Wu see it.

But I couldn't let him see through me, so I only revealed half of it.

This is about discretion, and also about leverage.

"Chief Qiu has a good eye." He raised his head, his gaze frank. "However, everyone has their own difficulties. My strength doesn't lie in my fists, but elsewhere."

"Now that we've laid our cards on the table, let's be even clearer. The Hai Sha Gang has powerful backers. If Shangguan were all alone, he wouldn't be sitting here drinking with Gang Leader Qiu today."

"Oh?" Qiu Wu raised an eyebrow, picked up the wine pot and poured himself another cup. "Where is the 'elsewhere' that Chief Shangguan is referring to?"

"Heshengyuan".

"The Workers' Association and Heshengyuan have a long-term cooperative relationship, and all of Heshengyuan's goods are transported by the Workers' Association."

"As Chief Qiu probably knows, Heshengyuan is now a major player in Beijing's business world..."

He held up one finger, "And the major owners of Shengyuan have a deep partnership with the Marquis of Anxi's mansion."

"Half of the military grain transport contracts of the Marquis of Anxi were handled by the workers' association."

"Shangguan is a rough man who doesn't understand the rules of the court, but he knows the weight of the Marquis of Anxi's mansion in the army."

"If Chief Qiu signs a contract with Shangguan today, the Hai Sha Gang will become half a family member of the Marquis of Anxi's mansion."

"Of course, these words were not spoken by the Marquis of Anxi's residence; they were something Shangguan came up with himself, but that's how things are."

"Conversely, does Chief Qiu think it's more worthwhile to have one more formidable opponent at the docks, or one more friend who can speak with the Ministry of War?"

Qiu Wu fiddled with the empty cup in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.

The hall was so quiet that only the sound of the river breeze pattering against the windowpanes could be heard.

He finally spoke, his voice even lower than before: "Chief Shangguan, every word you said today carries weight, but the heavier the word, the more it needs to be verified."

He put down his wine glass, stood up, and said, "How about this, we each compromise. The packing and unloading workers at the deep-water berths will have 30% of their earnings given to the workers' association, with contracts signed quarterly."

"If you can fulfill your promise today in three months, we can renew the contract." He suddenly stretched out his hand. "But before signing the contract, I have one more request. I was itching to show my skills after seeing Chief Shangguan make his move."

"Let's stop here, without a clear winner or loser, and just consider ourselves friends."

Shangguan Jin Hong knew that this was the real highlight of the night.

Luo Heng's three palm strikes were merely an appetizer; Qiu Wu's probing was the main course.

He placed his wine glass on the table, stood up, and reached out to shake Qiu Wu's hand: "Please."

The two released their grip at the same time and each took three steps back.

The air in the hall suddenly froze, like the calm before a storm.

Qiu Wu's gray robe fluttered without wind, and the blood and qi power of a seventh-grade martial artist rose steadily.

The blue bricks underfoot shattered inch by inch, and the shockwaves scattered the broken porcelain pieces in all directions.

His weapon was a pair of Emei daggers that gleamed with a cold, eerie light when they slid out of his sleeve.

Shangguan Jin Hong stood with his hands behind his back, not revealing any weapons. His dragon and phoenix rings were wrapped around his waist, but he did not intend to use them.

Luo Heng is not worthy of being allowed to use the Double Rings, nor is Qiu Wu.

He simply raised his right palm slowly, palm facing outward.

Qiu Wu made the first move.

The Emei daggers, like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, pierced straight at Shangguan Jin Hong's throat.

The stab was so fast that it left only a silver streak in the air.

Shangguan Jin Hong sidestepped, and with the back of his right hand, he lightly flicked the thorn, using the force against it to deflect the thorn tip three inches off course.

The Emei dagger grazed his collar, and the force of the dagger severed a thread on his collar.

Taking advantage of the situation, Qiu Wu changed his move, using another Emei dagger to strike back from below, aiming for Qiu Wu's lower abdomen.

This move, "Fishing for the Moon at the Bottom of the Sea," is insidious and vicious, and is the Sea Sand Gang's trump card, specifically designed to break through hard qigong.

Shangguan Jin Hong slightly rotated his body, and his right forearm slapped the thorn from the side in a very small arc, deflecting the force of the thorn tip to his side.

His legs remained stationary.

He used only his right palm from beginning to end, striking, flicking, guiding, or pressing, each move was light and effortless, yet he neutralized Qiu Wu's fierce attacks one by one.

This is not just a difference in skill level, but a difference in the realm of martial arts mastery.

Qiu Wu's Emei daggers are fast and ruthless, but his speed comes from the speed of his moves, while Shangguan Jin Hong's speed comes from the speed of his predictions.

Every time, he could accurately predict the next landing point of the Emei Dagger, and then wait for it at that landing point.

After ten moves, the two stopped simultaneously.

Qiu Wu took three steps back, separated his hands, and put the Emei Dagger back into his sleeve, his expression changing several times.

From surprise and doubt to resentment, and from resentment to acceptance.

Then he suddenly burst into laughter, cupped his hands, and said, "I admire you. I, Qiu, will sign this contract today."

He laughed heartily, but beneath that hearty laughter lay a sliver of horror that only he knew.

Within ten moves, Shangguan Jin Hong did not make a single move, only defending and not attacking, and only used his right palm.

No matter how he changed his moves or how fast he sped up, he couldn't force out his left hand, let alone the weapon at his waist.

This ease and skill are enough to demonstrate it.

If it were a life-or-death struggle, he wouldn't last more than a hundred moves.

Shangguan Jin Hong withdrew his right palm, placed his hands behind his back again, and nodded slightly: "Chief Qiu is too kind."

The two sat down again, and this time the atmosphere was completely different.

Qiu Wu personally poured Shangguan Jin Hong a glass of wine, then filled his own glass as well. He then changed the subject, his tone less sharp and more genuinely curious: "Gang Leader Shangguan, you just said that your strength doesn't lie in your fists."

"I'd like to know, what did you gain by rising from a mere porter to where you are now? Money? Territory? Or something else?"

Shangguan Jinhong raised his wine glass and gazed out the window at the myriad lights of Tongzhou Wharf.

The last night boat was docking at the pier, its lanterns swaying gently in the river breeze.

In his previous life, he was the leader of the Money Gang, incredibly wealthy and powerful.

silver?

He had seen mountains of gold and silver, but they were nothing but dung.

Territory?

In his previous life, he built the Money Gang, a powerful force that spread throughout the country, but in the end, it all came to nothing.

He remained silent for a long time, then turned to look at Qiu Wu: "Shangguan is looking for peace of mind. There are thousands of brothers at this dock who rely on Shangguan for their livelihood. If Shangguan doesn't settle them down properly, he won't be able to sleep soundly."

Qiu Wu looked at him, suddenly laughed, shook his head and said he didn't understand.

At Tongzhou Wharf, peace of mind is more valuable than silver.

He raised his glass and solemnly said that if Chief Shangguan really only wanted to settle his subordinates, the Hai Sha Gang was willing to be his friend.

The two men clinked their glasses together, causing the amber-colored liquor to splash over the rim.