Cheng Susu’s face was quite grim. Having the hairy-faced Thunder God Monkey King curse Magistrate An right in front of her was hardly a comfortable experience for her. After all, Magistrate An had saved her life; if Magistrate An and his wife hadn't taken her in, she couldn't imagine what state she'd be in now. However, seeing that we were good friends, Cheng Susu held her tongue and remained silent.

I said to Sun Dasheng, “Indeed, what a coincidence. I’m heading to Shuangcheng in a few days too—that’s the capital. I’ve long looked forward to visiting, Little Brother.”

Sun Dasheng clapped me on the shoulder. “You’re growing up, you little rascal. Seeing this makes your big brother happy too. If you hadn't yanked me out of that Divine Egg pit that day, this big brother would have been gutted long ago. I’ve been wanting to properly thank you, but back then, one, I was broke, and two, you were always too busy. I never managed to find you. Now, I have some spare cash, and you look quite relaxed. Since we bumped into each other today, let’s go have a drink.”

I glanced up at the sun in the sky. It was nearly afternoon; what good was drinking now? “Perhaps another time, Big Brother Sun. I appreciate the offer, truly, but I need to accompany Susu back to the county office to collect her luggage.”

“Going back to the county office again?” Sun Dasheng asked doubtfully. He never had a good impression of officials.

Old Six, standing nearby, gently nudged him. “Big Brother, this young lady is Magistrate An’s adopted daughter.”

Sun Dasheng looked instantly embarrassed. He cupped his hands towards Cheng Susu. “My apologies, sister-in-law. I didn’t realize you were Magistrate An’s—Magistrate An’s adopted daughter. Big Brother here is a rough man; I speak as I am. Don't take it to heart.”

Sun Dasheng’s address of “sister-in-law” made Cheng Susu slightly uncomfortable as well, but she didn't correct him, merely offering a slight smile. “There will always be friction between officials and the common folk, hehe. It’s nothing.”

Sun Dasheng stopped the pleasantries with Cheng Susu. He clapped my shoulder and started pulling me toward the street. “Finally caught you! No one leaves until we’re drunk. Since the Three Saints died, Old Six has come up with plenty of ways to bring in revenue. The Flying Fish Gang is rolling in dough! We’ll buy whatever you want to eat. If that doesn’t work, we’ll buy a whole pig and stew it! We’ll focus only on the fatty parts—guaranteed to be delicious, one meal will make you crave two, and two will make you crave the next one.”

I nearly gagged. While pork was indeed tasty, focusing only on the fat! The last time I volunteered to help the county transport the Divine Eggs, Sun Dasheng, to show his gratitude for saving his life, gave me all the fatty meat from his and Old Six’s bowls, insisting I eat it all, until I was so sick I almost threw up right there.

I wanted to refuse, but Sun Dasheng, utterly unconcerned with formalities, ignored my feelings and dragged me toward a tavern by the roadside. Helpless, I could only cast an apologetic glance back at Cheng Susu. She smiled sweetly and followed quietly behind me.

I thought to myself, forget it. As long as I don't have to eat that fatty pork, I’ll drink a couple of cups with him and chat. There’s plenty of afternoon left anyway; I’ll treat it as an afternoon respite.

＊＊＊＊＊＊The two burly men from the Flying Fish Gang saw their target attempting to slip away and exchanged a look before giving chase from behind. Just then, a rickety pig cart rumbled through the middle of the street, temporarily blocking their path. At that moment, the Short Man also caught up. “What’s going on? You let them get away and still expect your pay? That’s ten iron coins! Why are you getting less sharp? If Boss Sun finds out, won't he chew us out?”

One of the burly men said, “Don’t worry, Short Brother. They won't escape. That alley has no forks; we’ll just chase straight in. With a woman in tow, I doubt he can run fast.”

The Short Man said, “Then hurry up! Beat him up, scare the girl a bit, and let that Boss of ours play the hero saving the damsel again. Then we wrap it up, hand over the money, and Boss Sun will surely praise us for doing a good job.”

In the Shuangcheng Kingdom, there were no horses or cattle. Better-off families used pigs to pull carts. Once the decrepit pig cart had finally passed, the three men sprinted towards the alley entrance. The Short Man rarely took action himself; mainly, his strength was too weak, and many folks he tried to intimidate were not scared once they saw him. Thus, he usually stayed behind the scenes. This time, seeing the target was a pale-faced youth accompanied by a delicate young woman, he decided to step forward and put on a show himself.

“This road is mine, this tree was planted by me…” The Short Man jumped to the alley mouth, put his hands on his hips, and began shouting. However, just as he uttered the first character, one of the burly men clamped a hand over his mouth and lifted him aside.

The Short Man struggled, pulling the hand away. “Are you an idiot? Why are you holding me? You two can shout; can’t I shout once to look imposing?”

The Short Man was greatly surprised. “Ah, Boss Sun and Sixth Brother are inside robbing someone? Let’s hurry in and help!”

The burly man said, “It would be better if Boss Sun was inside robbing, cheering him on would be fine. But the Boss seems to be embracing that pretty boy!”

The Short Man spat. “Pah! Do you think Big Brother is like you, grabbing me whenever you get the chance? Boss Sun is the mighty Sun Dasheng! He likes women, not men. Last time we went to the theater, we even hired a girl—wow, she was beautiful! She had that wild, teased-out explosion of hair. In all my time running around, it was the first time I’d seen one like that. That untamed energy is unforgettable; Big Brother and I were busy all night.”

Here, patriarchy was rigid, but societal openness existed, though only for men. Women were only "open" if they were in specialized professions. Another burly man snuck over to eavesdrop for a moment, then returned wiping cold sweat from his brow. “It’s a good thing that pig cart blocked the road, or we would have rushed in recklessly.”

“What happened? Did the Boss pretend to be intimate while secretly robbing him?”

“Robbing my ass! Do you even know who that pale-faced kid is?”

The Short Man said, “He must be that beautiful woman’s lover. That young woman does have a fine presence. Did the Boss take a liking to her? Good thing we didn’t show up, or we would have ruined the Boss’s fun, which would have been shameful.”

The burly man snapped, “Shut your mouth if you don’t know anything. That man is the Divine Doctor Zhao!”

“Ah!” The Short Man and the other burly man immediately clamped their mouths shut, not daring to utter another incoherent word. Who was the Divine Doctor Zhao? He was Sun Dasheng’s savior! At a moment of extreme crisis, he risked his own life to pull Sun Dasheng, who was too weak from hunger to escape the dangerous location, to safety. Furthermore, the Doctor showed no arrogance about his life-saving deed; he didn't flaunt his status as a savior. He repeatedly came up with ingenious ideas that allowed the laborers to complete the Divine Egg transport task more efficiently, saving time and effort. That evening, Sun Dasheng and Old Six even got the chance to eat free, whole roasted pig because of him.

Recently, when Sun Dasheng had some spare money, he wanted to treat the Doctor to a meal as thanks. But after searching everywhere, he learned the Doctor had been promoted and was now serving as a Divine Doctor in the provincial capital. Though they couldn't reach him, the news delighted Sun Dasheng more than hearing of the rise of the Three Saints. Of course, he was happy that his brother’s savior was achieving success.

Speaking of the death of the Three Saints, the Flying Fish Gang benefited the most. Before, with the Three Saints suppressing them, they couldn't collect protection fees effectively. When they tried to rob people on the road, they often ended up getting beaten themselves. They scraped together meager earnings only to have a large portion taken by those three fellows, as the Saints had the Dog Advisor backing them, whom the Flying Fish Gang dared not offend.

Later, the Flying Fish Gang went into temporary closure for reorganization. These men stayed home for a few days, and when they finally ventured out, they suddenly realized the world had changed: the Three Saints had kicked the bucket, and the Dog Advisor had been beaten half to death, confined to his home, unable to show his face. It seemed as if the Flying Fish Gang was the only power left standing.

After much investigation, they learned that the person who killed the Three Saints and battered the Dog Advisor’s backside was the Divine Doctor Zhao from the Flying Eagle Prefecture—the same Zhao Qian who had devised clever tricks for the laborers. When Sun Dasheng learned this, he laughed twenty-eight times consecutively, and after that, never mentioned it again. Outsiders didn’t know, but the men of the Flying Fish Gang knew: the more Sun Dasheng respected someone, the less he spoke of them.

Understanding this, the Short Man wiped cold sweat from his brow. “That was a close call.”

The two burly men repeatedly agreed. “Yes, a very close call. If we had injured him, Boss Sun would have skinned us alive later.”

The Short Man glared at the two men. “Injured him? Let me ask you two—do you think you are stronger than the Three Saints?”

The two burly men replied, “Brother Short, that’s an odd question. If we were stronger than the Saints, would we have let them walk all over us back then?”

The Short Man retorted, “Exactly! That man, unarmed and alone, managed to kill the Three Saints. If the three of us had charged in just now, we’d probably be dead. So, being skinned by Boss Sun would be the lighter punishment. The severe consequence would be offending that fellow—we’re no match for him.”

“You’re right,” the two burly men suddenly recalled this point. The news of him dispatching the Three Saints in the rain instantly spread throughout Flying Fish County. The common folk exaggerated his miraculous skills vividly, saying he killed two Saints just by sneezing after getting rained on, and then killed the third with a stomp of his foot.

“It’s all that fat bastard’s fault!” the Short Man grumbled hatefully. “That guy held a grudge against him and must have known his identity, yet he never told us! He almost made us offend our Boss’s benefactor and nearly caused us three to be mistaken for the New Three Saints!”

“Indeed!” The two burly men also remembered this matter. “That fat guy has malicious intentions. Even if the person in the alley had no skills, he is Boss Sun’s savior, which makes him our savior too. How could we let our Big Brother act disloyal and unrighteous? Let’s go back and settle scores with him!”

The Short Man was shrewd. “Wait a moment. We need to figure out an excuse first, or the Flying Fish Gang’s reputation will be ruined later. If people think we can’t protect them, who will come to us for help? If Boss Sun finds out we ruined the gang’s reputation, he won’t just break our bones; he’ll tear us apart.”

Three heads leaned together, grinning slyly.

Niu Pang was standing anxiously in the distance. Those two men had turned into the alley, and then those three fellows also disappeared. Although the money was still in his hand, Niu Pang didn’t care about the money now; he cared about whether the job could be done right.

In truth, the Short Man and his two companions had misunderstood Niu Pang. Niu Pang had no idea who killed the Three Saints. Folk rumors could sometimes be correct, but Niu Pang was an insider. He only knew the official announcement released by the yamen: the Three Saints had killed each other fighting over who would ascend to marry Fairy Xian'er, an incident completely unrelated to the Divine Doctor Zhao. Since the matter involved the Ascending Fairy, Niu Pang wished those three goons would die sooner—one less romantic rival, after all.

Seeing the three thugs who were supposed to be chasing them emerge from the distance, Niu Pang rushed over anxiously. “How was it? How was it? Did you stop them?”

The Short Man’s expression turned serious. “Uh… gentlemen, we’re working officially now. Onward!”

The two burly men said nothing. One seized Niu Pang, while the other delivered a heavy punch right to his face. Niu Pang had only just been battered half to death with a stool, and this sudden attack nearly stole the remaining half of his life. “What… what are you doing! I am your employer! Why are you hitting me? I have money; I’m the one paying you to hit others!”

The Short Man viciously kicked Niu Pang’s knee, sending him crashing to the ground. The Short Man thought: He almost made me a sinner in the eyes of my Big Brother, and I almost offended Divine Doctor Zhao! If I don’t beat you half to death today, I’m not the Shorty! But outwardly, he shouted, “Damn it! We only recognize money, not people! That boss just now paid us one hundred iron coins to beat you! Take it, boys, he paid more!”

The Short Man feared Niu Pang would pull out more iron coins right then to counter-offer for Zhao Shenyi. So, he deliberately inflated the price. Hearing this, Niu Pang finally ‘understood’ the situation. While shielding his face, he yelled, “Stop hitting! Stop! He offered one hundred coins, right? I’ll offer one hundred fifty! You—you go back and beat him!”

The Short Man waved his hand, making the two burly men pause. “Fine, we work for money! Bring the money, and we’ll go beat him!”

Niu Pang fumbled in his pocket. “I don’t carry that much money on me! I’ll owe you; I’ll repay you heroes immediately later.”

The Short Man ignored him and waved his hand; the two burly men resumed kicking. Niu Pang cried out, “Stop, don’t hit! I am the young master of the Niu family! We have plenty of money at home. Am I short of one hundred fifty iron coins? I’ll give you two hundred—no, two hundred fifty!”

“You look like two hundred fifty!” The Short Man stepped onto Niu Pang’s chest. “Listen, buddy, we run an honest business here. Whoever pays more, we beat for them! And we don't do credit! If you owe us, or he owes us, who cares? This is a life-or-death business; there’s no way we’ll let debts slide. Today, you’re just going to have to take it.”

＊＊＊＊＊＊“In the beginning, I never imagined the benefactor was the legendary Divine Doctor Zhao, who performs Cesarean sections,” Sun Dasheng said while drinking and eating meat. “After we parted ways at the county office gate that day, the Flying Fish Gang went into hiding for a while due to poor business, so we didn't know your whereabouts. When we finally re-emerged, we learned the Three Saints at the city gate were dead, and the Dog Advisor had been beaten up. After sending men to inquire discreetly, we found out that Little Brother Zhao was the Divine Doctor Zhao. I never expected you, a frail scholar, to possess the skill to kill the Three Saints! You truly rid our Flying Fish County of three great scourges.”

I thought of the many versions Wahani had told me—tales claiming I could kill someone with a nose-pick used as a concealed weapon. Although the authorities had officially released the cause of the Three Saints' deaths, the common folk preferred to believe the legendary stories because they desperately needed heroes. But how many knew that the Three Saints were truly killed by me and Cheng Susu, just without all the exaggeration? In reality, I risked my life in a desperate gamble to barely scrape through.

Scholar Old Six said, “Big Brother, since Divine Doctor Zhao has the skill to save you, killing the Three Saints is no difficulty. It’s true what they say: never judge a person by their appearance.”

Sun Dasheng raised his cup to invite me. “Exactly, exactly! Old Six speaks well. Scholars use elegant words. Little Brother Zhao’s timely and firm pull saved me. There were over twenty people down in that pit; only you possessed the skill to rescue someone.”

Sun Dasheng didn’t know that if he hadn't grabbed my ankle, I wouldn't have gone to pull him. Now, feeling like a life-saver made me uneasy. “Heh heh, Big Brothers, let’s not mention it. It was an unintentional act at the time. Let’s drink instead.”

Scholar Old Six toasted me. “Mr. Zhao is the first person I’ve ever met who possesses such great merit yet remains humble. All of us in the Flying Fish Gang hold you in the highest esteem.”

I changed the subject. “I’ve heard you mention the Flying Fish Gang several times just now. Little Brother doesn’t quite understand; could you two tell me about it?”

Sun Dasheng laughed. “What’s there to tell? The Flying Fish Gang is just a gang I formed with a bunch of idle friends. We usually collect protection fees and pull off some robberies.”

Scholar Old Six explained, “Mr. Zhao, please don’t misunderstand. When we collect protection fees, we truly do work for people. If a shop has problems, we brothers genuinely fight with others. This place is quiet; no one else can hear. As for robberies, we only target government officials and landlords. As for the poor, even if we wanted to rob them, they don’t have much worth taking.”

Essentially, the Flying Fish Gang was the organized crime syndicate of Shuangcheng Kingdom, albeit one with a relatively cleaner reputation. I laughed. “You could say you are heroes who rob the rich to help the poor.”

Scholar Old Six chuckled. “What heroes? Heroes carry out justice on behalf of Heaven. We purely do this for our own food and drink. We can’t just let the brothers under us starve, can we?”

Heh, this was a textbook criminal organization, only concerned with its own interests. I said, “It’s nothing. I have a good friend who is also in this line of work. Don't look down on organized crime; there’s a lot of scholarship involved in it. And if developed properly, it can bring in more money than some large corporations in the future.”

Scholar Old Six’s expression shifted. “I’d be honored to hear Mr. Zhao’s teachings.”

Sun Dasheng earnestly said, “Little Brother Zhao, Old Six here is educated. His schemes are why he serves as our Flying Fish Gang’s strategist. His contribution is the biggest reason the Flying Fish Gang has seen such great recent profits.”

Old Six countered, “Big Brother, if we’re talking merit, it all goes to Mr. Zhao. If he hadn't killed the Three Saints, what good would all my schemes be? None of them could have been implemented. He cleared the obstacles in our path. We should thank him profusely.”

Sun Dasheng said, “Don’t scholars often say, ‘Great kindness requires no words’? That’s my sentiment exactly. Little Brother Zhao, if you want my head, just say the word, and I’ll cut it off myself anytime to repay this debt of gratitude.”

Sun Dasheng sounded very sincere, which startled me. “Big Brother Sun, that’s too serious. What good would I want your head for? I’d be scared sleeping alone at night.”

Sun Dasheng and Old Six burst out laughing. “Yes, Little Brother Zhao has a beauty as his companion; having a stinking monkey head around wouldn't be fitting.”

Sun Dasheng, with his full beard, did resemble a monkey—which was why I gave him the translated name Dasheng (Great Sage/Monkey King). Scholar Old Six asked me for advice on running a criminal enterprise, so I vaguely mentioned some simple ideas that might be useful to them, such as smuggling salt, counterfeiting iron coins, running a brothel, or loan sharking and setting up gambling dens. Collecting protection fees and running security were basic operations, but since Flying Fish County had limited resources, the Flying Fish Gang wouldn't achieve much greater success here.

“Listening to you speak is better than reading ten years of books!” Old Six exclaimed sincerely. I wondered if their local studies included gang management, heh. I only had previous experiences to draw from to give targeted advice; after all, Zhu Da’s Brotherhood Alliance ran things at a world-class level—even a middle-schooler on Earth would know that much.

Sun Dasheng said, “Little Brother Zhao is the first person whose advice my strategist has praised so highly! From now on, you must come often to guide our work. You are the strategist’s strategist—in short, the Military Military Advisor.”

Old Six and I exchanged a look and burst out laughing. I said, “Big Brother Sun, as I mentioned earlier, Little Brother is heading to the capital in a few days, so I probably won’t see you for a while. But if I venture further away, I will definitely bid you farewell in advance.”

Old Six said, “A true man’s ambition lies in the four directions. A promising person like Mr. Zhao naturally won't settle for staying in Flying Fish County. If the opportunity arises and the time is right, our Flying Fish Gang will also expand toward the capital. The waters in Flying Fish County are too shallow. In the future, I hope Mr. Zhao won’t hesitate to offer instruction.”

Scholar Old Six indeed had foresight. With his support, perhaps Sun Dasheng’s Flying Fish Gang could truly grow large. Neither of these two men had bad intentions. If they controlled the underworld, it might even be a blessing for the Shuangcheng Kingdom.

I replied, “I dare not presume to instruct; if we have time, we can certainly share drinks and conversation.”

Sun Dasheng asked, “Where does Little Brother Zhao live? I’ll have my men send you some money to use in the meantime.”

I laughed. “Thank you, Big Brother Sun, but Little Brother isn’t short of money right now.”

Sun Dasheng grew anxious. “No, no! How can you not accept money? I’ll feel terrible! Look, you’ll need money for marrying and having children—there are so many expenses! How can you not be short? Brother has money now; if you’re polite with me, I’ll get angry!”

I explained, “Big Brother Sun, I truly am not short of money. My friends and I have even invested two thousand iron coins to start a company.”

“Oh? Such a grand undertaking! May I ask which company?” Old Six inquired.

“Yuejin Construction Engineering Company,” I told Sun Dasheng truthfully.

Sun Dasheng declared, “Good, I’ll remember that. Your business is my business. When you go to the capital, my brother will watch over your company; no one will dare lay a hand on it. Of course, when you return, no one will dare touch you either. If he dared to kill the Three Saints, no one in Flying Fish County would dare to provoke you.”

The village rumors, I suppose, weren't entirely without merit; at the very least, my 'notorious reputation' had spread far enough that anyone harboring ill intentions toward me would have to think twice. Seeing that the sky was already darkening, I said, "Brother Sun, Sixth Brother, your younger brother has pressing matters today and cannot keep you company any longer. Please forgive me."

The wine had been drunk and the talk concluded, so Sun Dasheng offered no further resistance. "Brother Zhao Qian," he said with a nod, "we brothers should certainly spend more time together in the future. I won't impose on you further today. Farewell."