Chapter 66: Chapter 64 Consignment
City Defense Division.
“Have you gathered clear information?”
Chen Mu listened to Liu Song’s report and spoke lightly.
Liu Song said from the side, “Reporting to my lord, the news comes from the Black Water Gang, it should be true.”
“Good.”
Chen Mu nodded slightly.
What he had asked Liu Song to investigate was the Zheng family’s smuggling of medicinal materials.
Among the deeds of the Zheng family, smuggling medicinal materials was not the most serious crime, but it involved the widest net; by uncovering this, they could uproot the Zheng family entirely, instead of merely catching two or three cats, big or small, for bullying or other minor offenses.
Indeed.
Chen Mu had never been interested in playing slow games of deception with the Zheng family.
In fact, something like smuggling medicinal materials in the current times had long been neglected by everyone, even the Imperial Court itself could not control this part; it was simply a way to make money, which the Zheng family had been doing for many years.
Chen Mu was the Prefecture Chief of the City Defense Division; to deal with the Zheng family, he did not need to bother arranging traps or deceptions, just grab any handle that was enough, and the real key was not what crimes the Zheng family had, but to cut through the mess quickly.
After all, the Zheng family also had Momentum behind them, and they were wealthy and well-established in Wutong Grove District.
Dealing with such forces, you either let them be or strike like thunder, pulling them up by the roots in one swift move, not giving any chance for the associated powers or the people behind the Zheng family to react.
Normally, this would not be easy; after all, the Zheng family was powerful. There were dozens of martial masters as Protectors and hundreds of house servants; they even didn’t fear a direct conflict with the City Defense Division, plus they had informants spread throughout the city. Any big move by the City Defense Division would often be met with swift reactions from them.
But…
Having just taken office, Chen Mu put up a large exercise regimen every morning and evening, causing chaos. After several days passed, all the families had gotten used to the activities of the City Defense Division.
Even though the number of people patrolling the streets had doubled within a few days, and the frequency of the three shifts of government officers assembling was even more numerous, these were merely seen as the blazes ignited by the new Prefecture Chief on duty, and not much attention was paid to them.
Chen Mu slowly walked to the window sill, looking out with his hands behind his back at the outer courtyard of the City Defense Division.
In the outer courtyard, a large number of government officers held Servant’s Knives as they practiced in unison; their shouting could be heard continuously, even several streets away, and it indeed looked quite impressive.
“Let it be tonight,” Chen Mu’s eyes flashed with a glimmer.
It was the fifth day since he took office, the perfect time when Wutong Grove had become familiar with him as the new Prefecture Chief, and had grown accustomed to the City Defense Division’s activities over the past few days.
…
Night fell.
Wutong Grove was busier than Ninth District during the day, but at night, it was pretty much the same; every household shut their doors tightly, and no one could be seen in the pitch-black alleys.
Two carts crawled slowly along the alley, approaching Wutong Grove. The carts were man-powered, trying their best to make no sound, with twenty or thirty people escorting the carts through the darkness.
Suddenly.
Under the cover of night, figures stirred, and about a dozen silhouettes appeared in front of the carts.
“What are you doing?” the group blocking the carts inquired in a hushed tone.
Among those escorting the carts, one person stepped forward slowly, revealing his face under the dim moonlight. He gestured with a slight bow to the dozen men in front and said, “Zheng family’s convoy; brothers, please let us pass.”
“Oh, I wonder who it is—it’s from Master Zheng’s residence…”
The dozen or so people who were stopping the cart all bowed with their fists and then made way for a passage.
The group escorting the cart was also used to it; they each gave a greeting and then resumed pulling the cart through the streets and alleys. Once they had fully entered the territory of Wutong Grove District, the expressions of everyone visibly relaxed.
“That’s better.”
The leader, Zheng Fu, let out a breath.
The name of the Zheng family might not carry as much weight in other parts of South City District, but once back in Wutong Grove, there was hardly any trouble, as few gangs were willing to cross the Zheng family.
The dozen or so people from before belonged to the Crocodile Gang, and once they saw it was a Zheng family cart, they let it pass without issue.
All who escorted the cart were the Protectors of the Zheng family. Now back in their familiar territory, they too relaxed considerably, even beginning to chat amongst themselves in hushed tones, gossiping about the taste of some widow in town.
However.
As the group was passing through an alleyway.
Suddenly, figures stirred, and twenty or thirty people emerged from both ends of the alley, blocking the entrance; turning to look back, another few dozen people appeared, blocking off the rear as well, their faces indistinguishable in the pitch darkness.
The people from the Zheng family were startled by this scene.
However, the leading Zheng Fu was not panicked. He walked forward a few steps, bowed with a fist to the figures, and in a low voice said, “I am Zheng Fu. Are you brothers from the Quicksand Gang, or the Black Water Gang? Please, let us through.”
This place was already within the territory of Wutong Grove, where the gangs active at night were only those few. The Zheng family had partnership dealings with the Quicksand Gang, and other gangs such as the thieves’ gangs did not interfere with each other’s business; the only one that had some conflicts, the Black Water Gang, did not have the foundation to have a hard confrontation with the Zheng family, so usually a simple greeting was enough to pass by.
However.
Zheng Fu’s words received no response.
The dozens of figures at both ends of the alley stood motionless, a somber gathering that seemed like a horde of specters in the darkness.
At this scene, Zheng Fu’s brow furrowed and he couldn’t help but speak in a stern voice, “Do you intend to cross the Zheng family? This is the territory of Wutong Grove. Think carefully, everyone.”
Generally speaking, when they were escorting carts, they would only run into trouble outside of Wutong Grove. Some gangs that were unfamiliar or newly risen might cause conflicts, but almost never inside of Wutong Grove.
However, at that very moment.
Torches suddenly ignited.
In an instant, the pitch-dark alley was illuminated, revealing a sight that made Zheng Fu’s pupils contract and a look of horror flash across his face.
He saw that the row of dark figures blocking the way in front and behind were all uniformly dressed in grey uniforms—they were dozens of government officers, with several blue-garbed Head Constables among them.
“Zheng Fu?”
Shang Qinglai, holding a torch, slowly walked out from among the crowd, his gaze deep as he looked at Zheng Fu and said, “Could you tell me… what exactly are you escorting on this cart?”
Zheng Fu’s face turned incredibly ugly.
He had never imagined that the ones stopping them in the middle of the night would be government officers from the City Defense Division. If it had been some other gang, it would have been one thing, likely a fortuitous encounter. But so many government officers were obviously targeting them directly.
Thinking of the events from some days prior, Zheng Fu’s complexion grew even uglier. This was clearly retaliation from that newly appointed Prefecture Chief, and the night was likely not going to end well. The key was to inform the family back home as soon as possible.
For now, he could only say in a deep voice, “Just some ordinary goods, nothing special. Perhaps Master Shang could do us the courtesy of turning a blind eye?”
“Ordinary goods, I think not.”
Shang Qinglai let out a cold laugh, waved his hand, and said, “Men, arrest them all!”
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