Chapter 198: Chapter 122: The Way to Get Rich

Cheng Rui and the Prison Guards still stood at the entrance to the Prison, watching as Chen Cheng and his constables walked into the distance. Their expressions were rather complicated.

’Sigh... A post in the City Guard Department is so much better! Taking down a Jianghu Gang just like that, how much money is involved? I could probably toil away in this Prison my whole life and never earn that much! Chen Cheng has really struck it rich this time! And to think I tried to convince him to stay at the Prison. Heh... I was so shortsighted!’

As he lamented, Cheng Rui’s heart filled with envy, and his mind began to race.

’Maybe I should pull some strings and get myself a Chief Constable position at a City Guard Department Sub-Department?’

"Mr. Cheng, they’re long gone," a Prison Guard called out, reminding him.

Cheng Rui snapped back to his senses. Seeing all the Prison Guards staring at him expectantly, he immediately reached into his robes, fumbled around, and pulled out two taels of broken silver, placing it in that Prison Guard’s hand.

"This is from Mr. Chen for the brothers to get some drinks. Take it and split it amongst yourselves."

The Prison Guards were overjoyed. Two taels of silver! Even if everyone got a share, they’d each get eighty to a hundred cents. That was a huge sum!

Besides, earning this fortune had taken less than half an hour. It was incredibly easy. Every Prison Guard had the same thought, hoping Chen Cheng would start bringing prisoners to the Prison every few days... 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

...

Flurries of snow drifted down. The main street was nearly empty of pedestrians. A team of six Officials from the City Guard Department strode down the road, their boots making crunching sounds in the accumulating snow.

It was Chen Cheng and his five day-shift constables: Mu Song, the brothers Li Sheng and Li Lin, and two other Preparatory Constables.

They were short-staffed. The more powerful constables had all been assigned to the night shift, which made their current group seem rather outnumbered and isolated.

One Chief Constable, two official constables, and three Preparatory Constables. Compared to the usual teams of more than ten Officials that were often deployed, they could indeed be described as outnumbered and isolated.

But Li Sheng and the others strutted arrogantly, walking as if they owned the place. Their confidence, without a doubt, came from the man they respected most: Mr. Chen.

Li Sheng stuck close to Chen Cheng’s side and said, full of pride, "Mr. Chen, I never realized you were so well-liked at the Prison! Those Prison Guards treated us like family!

"You might not know this, but the Prison Chief, Cheng Rui, even called me Brother Li. This is the South City Prison we’re talking about! When other Chief Constables and constables come here, they usually get the cold shoulder."

Mu Song chimed in, "Exactly. Didn’t we get the cold shoulder from the Prison Chief at first, too? But as soon as he heard we were with Mr. Chen, his attitude did a complete one-eighty."

Chen Cheng didn’t break his stride. He snapped irritably, "Do more, brag less!"

"Yes, yes!" Li Sheng and the other man said hurriedly.

Seeing that he could barely keep up with Chen Cheng, and that the two Preparatory Constables behind him were panting for breath, Li Sheng ventured another question. "Mr. Chen, now that we have the confession, are we heading back to gather more men?"

"Gather more men? Aren’t there enough of us already?" Chen Cheng replied nonchalantly.

’The Tiger and Leopard Gang has nearly a hundred members. To take them down, shouldn’t we call in the night shift and ask for backup from the other constables at the Lishui Sub-Department?’

Li Sheng was suddenly filled with shock and doubt. He asked, "Mr. Chen, we’re going after the Tiger and Leopard Gang with just the few of us?"

Chen Cheng said, "Of course it’s just us. Do you think anyone else from the Lishui Sub-Department would back us up?"

"Ah... this..." Li Sheng was stunned.

The others also grew pale with fright.

On the surface, Jianghu Gangs feared the City Guard Department. But if truly pushed into a corner, they would fight an Official to the death. Once blades were drawn, they showed no mercy. You could lose your life on the spot. It wasn’t like it had never happened before!

"Relax. Once we get to the Tiger and Leopard Gang, none of you need to make a move. I have my own plans," Chen Cheng said, sensing their apprehension and offering a casual reassurance.

There were no true Martial Dao experts in the Qingshui Pier area. Not a single one was a decent fighter. Chen Cheng hadn’t given it a second thought when he first took office, and now that his strength had increased dramatically, it was even less of a concern.

As for the Zhou Family backing the Tiger and Leopard Gang, they wouldn’t dare send their experts to obstruct a City Guard Department Official’s investigation in broad daylight.

He had just gotten the confession from the South City Prison. He had to take care of the Tiger and Leopard Gang with lightning speed before they got wind of it.

...

「Lishui District, Lotus Pier territory.」

A grand mansion near Jishui Lake was the residence of Zhou Hongda, from the second branch of the renowned Zhou Family of the South City District.

It was a massive, four-courtyard estate with high walls, vast and lofty courtyards, and tight security, rivaling even that of an Inner City Clan.

Before the Zhou Family expanded toward the center of the South City District, this had been their ancestral home. Now, under the control of Zhou Hongda of the second branch, it remained as imposing as ever, the most prominent household in the Lotus Pier area.

In the main hall of the spacious and magnificent second courtyard, Zhou Hongda sat imposingly on a large couch made of zitan wood.

Zhou Hongda was a man in his forties, with a sturdy and robust build. He was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, carrying a powerful aura. In front of him, two young, voluptuous women in revealing dresses were carefully massaging his legs, while another woman behind him gently kneaded his shoulders.

The woman nestled in his arms peeled grapes and fed them into his mouth. For a prominent family, eating sweet, fresh grapes stored in an ice cellar during the winter was a rare luxury.

In their youth, Zhou Hongjun and Zhou Hongda had been renowned Martial Dao experts known as the Twin Heroes of the South City District’s Zhou Family. Now, after struggling for the better part of their lives, it was time for them to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

The two brothers clearly shared the same passions: women and money. This was especially true for Zhou Hongda, who surpassed even his elder brother Zhou Hongjun in this regard, keeping more than a dozen wives and concubines.