Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking...

In the front hall of the Jiangning Guild Hall, a dozen or so merchant representatives had already filled the room.

The long wooden bench creaked from being squeezed together, and the air was filled with the smell of stale tea and burnt cheap tobacco.

Rice sellers, cloth shop owners, pastry makers, teahouse owners—they were all small business owners from the south of the city.

Everyone had an account book in front of them, but no one opened it.

Li Ping leaned back in the chair at the head of the table, his fingers tapping absently on the surface. The old, faded dagger at his waist hung askew.

Qian Duo stood close by, clutching the account book tightly to his chest, his fingernails scratching white marks into the cover.

"Now that everyone is seated here," Li Ping began, "let's just discuss one rule."

The old rice shop owner was the first to speak: "Sir Li, we naturally want to abide by the rules, but if those ruthless people outside don't, our small business..."

"On this map, I set the rules."

Li Ping spread the map of the south of the city on the table. "If anyone doesn't recognize it, my men will teach them."

Everyone in the room laughed.

Everyone in the south of the city knows how the Jiangning Guild Hall "reasons" these past few months.

The Green Wolf Gang was scattered, the Iron Fist Gang surrendered, and even the remnants of the Green Wolf Gang were wiped out—this logic is clear enough.

The cloth shop owner tentatively asked, "Lord Li, how does the guild plan to collect the tributes from the streets going forward?"

I don't collect protection money.

Li Ping said, "This is called membership fee."

"Once you pay the money, the association will guarantee your safety and I will handle any disputes."

Li Ping paused for a moment, then added, "As for the membership fee, it's 10% of the turnover."

"Too much?"

"No, no, no," the old shopkeeper waved his hands repeatedly, "It's too cheap. Those beasts from the Green Wolf Gang used to ask for 30% off right away, and you—"

Don't equate me with those thieves.

Li Ping interrupted him, "They only care about extorting money from the area. I took the money to ensure this street can operate legally."

Qian Duo chimed in from the side, "Gentlemen, please rest assured! My master hates messy accounts the most. I scrutinize every single transaction. If the year-end ledger is laid out here and there's even a penny short, you've ruined my business!"

The people in the room looked at each other in bewilderment.

Just then, a commotion broke out outside the door.

A shop assistant from the cloth store rushed in, his face pale: "Lord Li, someone's smashing up stalls at the east end of the street!"

Before Li Ping could even get up, Qian Duo jumped up first: "Who dares to ruin our business?"

"Three hooligans, drunk, smashing up any stall they see."

Li Ping turned to look at the room full of shopkeepers: "Perfect timing, everyone, take a look at what you're buying with your membership fees."

He raised his hand.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Da Niu and Er Hu returned from the street corner, escorting three drunkards. They knelt down at the door and immediately paid for the damaged goods.

The room fell silent for a moment.

The cloth shop owner stroked his chin: "At this pace... the constables from the yamen are probably still putting on their boots."

"The guild hall has taken the money," Li Ping said, "so it has to take responsibility."

The middle-aged man making pastries asked in a low voice, "Lord Li, are you really not losing money by doing this...?"

Whether I lose money or not is my business.

Li Ping glanced at him, "But anyone who ruins their reputation for honesty, fair pricing, and customer service can get out of the south of the city."

The teahouse owner raised his hand: "Sir Li, what if someone deliberately causes trouble? For example, if my tea is bad and they insist on a refund?"

"The association has someone specifically in charge of this matter."

Li Ping pointed at Qian Duo, "From now on, go to him for these kinds of disputes. Whoever he rules wrong, they have to accept it."

Qian Duo grinned: "Gentlemen, rest assured, while I may be stingy, I'm absolutely impartial in making judgments!"

Someone muttered under their breath, "What if they made a mistake because of the money?"

Li Ping heard this and turned to look at the man: "If the judgment is wrong, I'll take the blame. But if anyone uses this as an excuse to cause trouble—" He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.

The room was quiet for a moment.

The old rice shop owner was the first to stand up, cupping his hands in greeting, and said, "Lord Li, I am willing to pay the membership fee."

Seeing this, the others also stood up.

I'm willing too.

Count me in.

Li Ping nodded: "Then starting today, this area in the south of the city will be governed by the new rules."

Qian Duo took out the prepared agreement and distributed a copy to each merchant.

The convention lists three rules and membership fee standards, with a signature area at the bottom.

More than a dozen merchants signed the papers one after another.

After the meeting, the old manager of the rice shop was the last to leave.

He walked to the door, then suddenly turned around and bowed to Li Ping.

Li Ping helped him up: "Get up. I'm here to do business; this isn't proper."

"Lord Li, this is not an appointment ceremony!"

"The old shopkeeper's eyes were a little red. 'The Green Wolf Gang has been ripping us off for three years. What you've given us isn't rules, it's a way out for us lowly commoners!'"

Li Ping was silent for a moment: "Focus on doing business."

The old shopkeeper nodded, wiped his eyes, and turned to leave.

Qian Duo watched his retreating figure and whispered, "Sir, look how much he's crying..."

How about we raise it to 15%?

"Even a 50% reduction in revenue hurts my heart."

"Be content," Li Ping said, carefully putting away the signed agreements. "If you drain the pond to catch all the fish, and everyone runs away, how are you going to collect the money from ghosts?"

"But dozens of brothers in the backyard are asking for meat, and this membership fee isn't even enough to fill a tooth gap!"

"The big money is all in the arena, the docks, and the intelligence booths."

"Li Ping said, 'The membership fees are just bait to test the waters. As long as we secure the southern part of the city, we'll get the lion's share.'"

Qian Duo seemed to understand but not quite, so he put the agreement away in the cabinet and locked it up.

That afternoon, the news spread like wildfire through the streets and alleys. Near tea stalls and in front of grain shops, several shopkeepers huddled together, heads close together, whispering amongst themselves.

Have you heard?

Jiangning Guild Hall only charges 10% of the membership fee.

"One-tenth?"

The Green Wolf Gang used to take 30% of the profits.

"Furthermore, Lord Li said that the guild hall keeps account books and will allow us to review them at the end of the year."

"In this world, are there still people who do business like this?"

By evening, more merchants were coming to the door, all wanting to join after hearing about the new rules.

Qian Duo was so busy he barely had time to breathe, registering members, issuing agreements, and collecting membership fees one after another.

Li Ping leaned against the railing, looking downstairs. Su Wan had walked up to him at some point.

"Quite a commotion"

"At the very beginning," Li Ping said, "the nails in the south of the city haven't been driven all the way in yet."

Which way to go?

"And then—" Li Ping looked at the street in the distance, "it's time to go smash other people's rice bowls."

Su Wan didn't speak, she just stood there quietly.

Qian Duo ran up from downstairs: "Sir!"

Fifteen more merchants came this afternoon!

"Have you registered everything?"

"They've all been registered."

Qian Duo opened his notebook. "Including those from this morning, there are now a total of forty-three merchants under the jurisdiction of the guild hall in the south of the city."

Li Ping took the notebook and glanced at it: "Continue collecting them, but remember one thing—the rules cannot be relaxed."

"Understood!" Qian Duo ran downstairs excitedly.

At night, Li Ping marked the locations of the newly added merchants on the map, from Rice Shop Street to Wharf Alley, from the East City Wall to the West Archway—the commercial lifeline of the south of the city was largely under the control of the guild hall.

The old cat came up from the secret room and saw Li Ping still studying the map.

"Sir, are you still up so late?"

"Looking at the map," Li Ping pointed to several blank areas, "These streets aren't covered yet."

The old cat peeked over and said, "These streets are all narrow alleys; there's not much business here."

"The alleyways are also part of the southern part of the city," Li Ping said. "Since we're going to manage them, we should manage them all."

Old Cat nodded: "I'll have Ah Si go over there tomorrow."

"Hmm," Li Ping put the map away. "By the way, any activity from the Blackwater Gang and the White Tiger Hall?"

"Yes," Old Cat lowered his voice, "the leaders of the two gangs met at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion last night."

What did you talk about?

"have no idea"

Old Cat shook his head. "The informants at Drunken Immortal Pavilion only saw them go in; they didn't hear what they said."

Li Ping was silent for a moment: "It seems the south of the city is safe, but the people outside are getting restless."

"Sir, before they unite, shall we strike first and eliminate these two?"

"What's the rush?" Li Ping said. "How can the fish bite if they don't blow bubbles? Wait until they dart out, then we can easily catch them all in the net."

The old cat nodded thoughtfully.

The next morning, a long queue formed again in front of the guild hall. This time, it wasn't just merchants who came, but also several street vendors—selling candied hawthorns, mending pots, and selling needles and thread.

Qian Duo stood at the door registering people, sweating profusely from the work.

Li Ping stood on the second floor watching, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The rules of the south of the city have been established.

But trouble from outside the city is about to arrive.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the window.

Da da da

The rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly shattered the tranquility of the street. Li Ping's hand, which was resting on the map, paused slightly. He looked up and saw billowing dust rising from the far end of the street corner.