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

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The air at the dock seemed heavier and more oppressive than usual that day, and even the waterbirds that usually circled the river were nowhere to be seen.

The boatmen's chants were still ringing out, but the porters' pace had slowed considerably. Many of them would steal a glance at the old willow tree at the east end as they carried their sacks past.

Various factions also sensed the subtle atmosphere in the air, and people of all kinds scattered in twos and threes throughout the docks.

Several old boatmen from the canal gang appeared to be squatting on the shore smoking, but their eyes kept drifting towards the east.

For the first time ever, a warehouse manager from the Hai Sha Gang went outside to get some fresh air, holding a pot of tea and observing for a while.

Even in front of the large pot of soup simmering at the workers' association, there were more people pretending to be passing by than usual.

No one publicly took sides, but no one wanted to miss out on this good show.

At noon, Liu Mazi arrived with his Bamboo Gear Gang.

He clearly knew that many eyes were watching him at the docks today, and he was determined to crush this newly emerged workers' association in front of everyone.

Not only did they call on the seven or eight best fighters in the gang, but they also invited a few thugs from somewhere to help them, making a group of nearly twenty people, a dark and swarming mass.

Each person carried a bamboo pole about the thickness of a thumb on their shoulder.

This is the weapon the Bamboo Lever Gang uses for their livelihood. It's incredibly powerful, and if it hits someone, it can break bones and tendons.

Those who had been hit by bamboo poles on the docks all trembled at the sight of this formation.

Liu Mazi walked at the front, stood under the old willow tree, and shouted at the top of his lungs towards the warehouse, "Where's Shangguan Jin Hong? Tell that coward to come out!"

"You dared to tell me 'I know' just three days ago? Today I'll see what you really know!"

The voice was rough and shrill, making the leaves on the old willow tree tremble slightly.

The warehouse door was slowly pushed open from the inside.

Shangguan Jin Hong came out, bringing only six brothers with him, making a total of seven people including himself.

This number was carefully calculated by him.

Bringing too many would seem like an attempt to intimidate, while bringing too few wouldn't be intimidating enough; six is ​​just the right amount.

Seven people stood in a row, quietly in front of the old willow tree, all dressed in the coarse cloth shorts that porters were used to.

Some of their cuffs still had dust from carrying bags, and compared to the nearly twenty people opposite them, the disparity in numbers was pitifully small.

But his expression remained unchanged; he simply stood there quietly, his gaze sweeping across the faces of everyone in the Bamboo Gang from left to right.

Then he stopped on Liu Mazi's face and spoke in a calm tone, as if asking if the price of fish had gone up today: "Second Master Liu, a few days ago my men lost some things at your place, and you stole one of my brothers' wages. Today I've come to demand an explanation."

"Explanation?" Liu Mazi slammed the bamboo pole heavily on the ground, creating a shallow crater. "It's been the rule at the docks for hundreds of years: the porters and day laborers pump water for us every month."

"What kind of bullshit workers' association is this? You broke the rules, and you dare to ask me for an explanation?"

The bamboo-wielding gang behind him burst into laughter, their bamboo halberds thumping loudly on the ground, their imposing presence palpable.

Shangguan Jin Hong ignored the laughter.

He waved to the two young workers behind him, who had just had their wages stolen, and they came out of the warehouse with their heads down, their fingers still trembling slightly, not daring to look at the group of fierce-looking men opposite them.

Shangguan Jin Hong gently pressed his hand on the shoulder of one of the young men, then turned to Liu Mazi, his tone suddenly turning serious, no longer the casual tone he had used when discussing fish prices: "Since ancient times, the casual laborers at the docks have all voluntarily sought work."

"The rules for pumping water are set by you, not by the government, and certainly not by the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

"Today, the workers' association also set a rule: from today onwards, brothers who join the workers' association will only be paid according to their work and will not be exploited by gangs."

When he said that, the entire room fell silent for a moment.

This is the first time in the history of Tongzhou Wharf that someone has publicly exposed the old practice of gangs taking a cut of profits in front of various groups.

Liu Mazi froze for a moment, then his face flushed red. He pointed the bamboo pole at Shangguan Jin Hong's nose and cursed, "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already swung his bamboo bar down towards Shangguan Jin Hong's head.

The wind howled, and the strength of a third-rank martial artist was poured into this bar. If an ordinary, unranked porter were to be hit by this, his brains would splatter on the spot.

Shangguan Jin Hong did not dodge. He raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and caught the bamboo bar that was chopping down.

The bamboo bar landed in his palm with a dull thud.

It wasn't the sound of bones breaking, but the humming of the bamboo pole vibrating.

The full-force attack of a third-rank martial artist didn't budge in his hand, as if it had hit an anvil.

He didn't even step back an inch; his boots remained firmly planted on the muddy ground, barely stirring up any loose soil.

The onlookers' pupils contracted simultaneously, and even the old boatman from the canal gang who was squatting on the shore smoking in the distance paused in mid-air with his pipe.

Anyone could see that this effortless skill was not something a third-rank official could achieve; it was at least at the peak of the fourth-rank official, or even higher.

That's exactly the effect Shangguan Jin Hong wanted—to demonstrate strength around the fifth rank.

Just the right amount of power, enough to let people know he has strength, but not enough to cause unease for a force as powerful as the Grand Canal Gang.

Liu Mazi's expression changed drastically. He tried to pull the bamboo bar back with all his might, but the bar didn't budge.

Shangguan Jin Hong's five fingers tightened slightly, and the bamboo bar, as thick as a thumb, made a teeth-grinding crunching sound in his palm.

Cracks spread from between his fingers, and then with a snap, the entire bamboo pole broke in two.

Bamboo shavings fell onto Liu Mazi's boots. Liu Mazi stared blankly at the remaining half of the bamboo pole in his hand, his pupils suddenly contracting.

He didn't see how Shangguan Jin Hong made her move; he only felt a chill in his throat.

Shangguan Jin Hong's left hand had already gripped his throat, with just the right amount of force to make him gasp for breath without killing him on the spot.

He tried to struggle, but the five fingers were welded to his neck like iron hoops, and the more he struggled, the tighter they gripped.

My vision gradually darkened, my legs went weak and I couldn't stand up. I felt like a snake being held by its vital spot, suspended in mid-air.

Seeing this, some of the remaining dozen or so members of the Bamboo Gang wanted to rush forward to save the person, while others had already quietly taken a half step back.

Shangguan Jin Hong's gaze swept calmly over the group of people, past Liu Mazi's pale face.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was as clear as a blade slicing through sandpaper, reaching everyone's ears: "Anyone else want to try? Come on over. I, Shangguan, will keep you company to the end."

No one dared to move.

The Bamboo Lever Gang's formation had crumbled. The group of men who had been so fierce just moments before were now looking at each other in bewilderment, their bamboo levers unconsciously lowering.

Shangguan Jin Hong put Liu Mazi down, and before letting go, she straightened his wrinkled collar. Her movements were unhurried, and her voice was calm as water: "From today onwards, you are not allowed to touch anyone from the workers' association. You will return those two wages in full."

"If there's a next time, you won't walk out of this dock standing up. Get out."

When he let go, he even patted Liu Mazi on the shoulder, as if he were seeing an old friend off.

Liu Mazi collapsed to the ground, clutching his throat and coughing violently. He shuffled back three or four steps before being helped up by his two henchmen.

He didn't even dare to pick up the half of the bamboo pole that had fallen to the ground. He and his men slunk away, their pace many times faster than when they arrived.

The dock was quiet for a long time.

Then someone shouted "Boss Shangguan" at the top of their lungs.

The brothers from the workers' association started shouting, and later even some porters who weren't from the association joined in.

Shangguan Jin Hong ignored the shouts and turned back to the warehouse.

As I passed the old willow tree, I paused and glanced at the trampled mud beneath it.

There was the bamboo pole that had just broken in two, and two shallow furrows that Liu Mazi had rubbed into the ground while kneeling.

He said casually to the men behind him, "Pack up, we still have three more boatloads of cargo to unload this afternoon."

After that day, the porters at Tongzhou Wharf talked about two things by word of mouth.

First, the rules of the workers' association ensure fair job selection and unified distribution of money, with no middlemen taking advantage of workers.

Secondly, Shangguan Jin Hong's five fingers could easily break the bamboo bar.

No one dared to cause trouble on the workers' association's territory anymore, and even the thugs and hooligans on the docks avoided that area.

The number of members in the workers' association has expanded from the initial dozens to hundreds, and the members are no longer limited to dockworkers.

Local laborers, artisans, and peddlers also began to approach the organization, hoping to gain its protection.

All of this was merely the first move Shangguan Jin Hong made at the Tongzhou Wharf.