Chapter 76 - 75: Encirclement and Suppression of Water Bandits 3

Chapter 76: Chapter 75: Encirclement and Suppression of Water Bandits 3

The arrival of visitors at the Water Patrol Bureau did not surprise Lu Jing’an in the least.

In fact, it was the two Black Shark Gang spies hidden in the crowd outside the Water Patrol Bureau who were truly agitated.

They were currently craning their necks, eyes wide as they tried to peer inside.

Veins bulged on their necks; they looked as if they wanted to physically throw their eyeballs through the door.

They wanted to see just who was so bold as to disregard the Dragon King’s words.

Who would come looking for Lu Jing’an at this critical moment?

The group that burst through the door moved with extreme speed, every one of them with their head wrapped in black cloth.

All that was visible were pairs of eyes, each holding a different expression.

"Did you get a clear look? Who was it?" one spy asked his companion urgently, his voice low.

The other spy craned his neck even further,

but all he could catch was a futile glimpse of a few black-robed corners disappearing swiftly into an inner room.

He shook his head in frustration. "They were too fast, like phantoms. I couldn’t see their faces at all."

He narrowed his eyes, recalling the fleeting glimpse he’d gotten of their Body Skill, and said hesitantly,

"However, judging by the way they burst in, they have some serious agility skills.

It looked like the style the ’Water Kite’ gang usually uses."

It wasn’t just them. Far outside the Water Patrol Bureau, a crowd had gathered.

A crowd of onlookers, held back at the perimeter by armed Water Patrol officers, were also whispering amongst themselves.

If not for the few Water Patrol officers in their crisp, new uniforms blocking the way like statues,

someone would have likely already lost their patience and rushed in to rip the masks off the newcomers.

「Inside the Water Patrol Bureau.」

Lu Jing’an watched calmly as the row of black-clad figures knelt before him, his expression unperturbed.

He set the blue-and-white porcelain cup in his hand down on the table, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

It made a crisp CLICK that was exceptionally clear in the silent room.

"The fact that you came shows you still have a sliver of remorse in your hearts, that you know how to find a way to survive." Lu Jing’an’s voice was steady, betraying no emotion.

"I understand why you’ve covered your faces with black cloth. I understand your apprehension and your worries.

"You’re afraid of being recognized, afraid of word getting out, afraid of the Black Shark Gang hunting you down afterward."

After a brief pause, Lu Jing’an’s gaze slowly swept over the bowed heads and faintly trembling shoulders below.

"I won’t force you to remove your masks right now."

"But there is one thing you must understand."

"The sooner you let me see your faces, the sooner I know who you are..."

Lu Jing’an’s tone remained even, but it carried an undeniable weight.

"...the more benefits you will receive in the future."

"And the brighter your prospects with me will be."

With that, he leisurely pulled a solid gold pocket watch from his coat.

SNAP!

He flicked open the cover.

He glanced down at it.

The hands on the watch face, gleaming with a cold silver light, pointed to three in the afternoon.

From the moment he had announced the "seven-day limit" to the reporters on the docks...

...exactly one hour remained.

Once the time was up, Chen Xuan would act on his command.

The group of Water Bandits kneeling below couldn’t see each other’s expressions clearly,

but the anxiety and hesitation permeating the air was almost palpable.

Several of them exchanged swift glances.

Finally,

the leader kneeling at the very front, a man with a lean, powerful build, gave a firm nod.

He was the first to reach up and tear the black cloth from his face.

Seeing this, the others gritted their teeth and followed suit, pulling off their own masks.

One by one, faces—some coarse, some pale, some scarred—were revealed in the dim, yellow light.

"So it is that bunch of killers from the Water Kite!"

"A bunch of spineless cowards!"

"Just you wait. The Dragon King won’t spare them. He’ll exterminate their entire clan for this!"

Lu Jing’an’s gaze fell on the leader’s face.

Surprisingly, the man’s features were rather plain and honest.

His skin was dark and deeply wrinkled, like an old farmer weathered by years of wind and sun, or an honest laborer from the docks.

Only the glint of wariness and shrewdness that occasionally flashed in his eyes betrayed that he was no common man.

"All of you, get up. Find a seat so we can talk." Lu Jing’an gestured with his hand.

Having shown their faces, they had thrown all caution to the wind.

The men helped one another to their feet, then awkwardly found seats on the benches and empty chairs along the wall.

"Aren’t you afraid of the Black Shark Gang?" Lu Jing’an asked, looking directly at the leader.

The leader’s name was Zhao Laosuan. He rubbed his calloused palms together and gave a bitter smile.

"Afraid? Of course, we’re afraid. For those of us who make a living on the River, whose stomach doesn’t twist at the name ’Black Shark Gang’?"

Then his tone shifted, and a deep resentment flared in his eyes.

"But the Black Shark Gang isn’t leaving us any way to survive!

"They used to take a fifty percent tribute, which was already like being skinned alive, but now they’ve raised it to ninety percent!

"We live by the sword, and if we hand over ninety percent..."

"...the remaining ten percent isn’t even enough to feed our brothers. They’re basically forcing us to jump into the River!"

Lu Jing’an’s knuckles tapped lightly on the tabletop. "Why is the Black Shark Gang being so harsh specifically with you? Is there bad blood between you?"

At these words, the color drained from Zhao Laosuan’s face.

He shifted his body, trying to further conceal an exceptionally small, thin figure hiding behind him.

The "little one" kept their head down, their face smeared with what looked like mud or soot.

Zhao Laosuan gritted his teeth so hard they audibly scraped. He squeezed the words out from between them:

"The leader of the Black Shark Gang... somehow, he saw... he saw my daughter. Now he insists on this whole ’Dragon King’s Wedding’ farce."

"I refused, so they gave the order: the tribute was raised to ninety percent, effective immediately!

"If we can’t pay, we get dealt with according to their rules!"

"The Dragon King’s Wedding?"

Lu Jing’an raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like a fine arrangement. Marry off your daughter, and you’ll have the Black Shark Gang’s protection from now on. Wouldn’t that make operating on the River more convenient?"

"A fine arrangement?"

Zhao Laosuan’s head snapped up, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like an enraged, cornered animal.

"That bastard leader ’gets married’ dozens of times a year.

"Have any of the girls he’s ’married’ ever been seen again?

"No one sees them alive, and no one finds their bodies dead!

"It’s a pit of fire! It’s Yama Hall!

"I’d rather push my own daughter into the River than send her to that den of demons!"

Lu Jing’an nodded, not pressing the issue. Instead, he posed a much colder question. "Last question. How many people have you killed?"

Zhao Laosuan’s face went pale. He hurriedly tried to explain, "Director Lu, please understand, we usually just rob passing merchant vessels. We’re after their goods, not their lives, unless..."

"Just answer the question. How many."

Lu Jing’an’s voice didn’t rise, but it carried a sharp, chilling finality that cut off his explanation.

Zhao Laosuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his temples.

Under Lu Jing’an’s placid gaze, he finally slumped and admitted:

"Fi...five. They all resisted too fiercely, or... or it was an initiation forced on us by the Black Shark Gang."

Lu Jing’an listened, his expression unchanging.

He simply gave a soft, "Hm."

The atmosphere in the room grew so thick you could barely breathe.

After a few moments of silence, Lu Jing’an suddenly asked, "You’ve been waiting for a while. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

Zhao Laosuan was taken aback, not expecting the sudden change in topic. He shook his head instinctively. "N-no, not hungry. Thank you, Director Lu."

Lu Jing’an didn’t press him. "Then we’ll wait a little longer."

"Wait?"

A young Water Bandit sitting behind Zhao Laosuan couldn’t help but speak up.

He had a scar across his face, and his eyes were full of impatience.

"Director Lu, we’ve risked our lives to come here and pledge our allegiance. What are we waiting for? Is it that you don’t trust us?"

Lu Jing’an glanced at the young Water Bandit before his eyes returned to Zhao Laosuan’s shocked and uncertain face. He said slowly,

"I’m waiting, of course, to remove the greatest weight from your hearts.

"If the Black Shark Gang isn’t dealt with, even if you pledge yourselves to me today, will you ever be able to sleep soundly?

"Will you be able to serve me with a clear conscience?"

At these words, Zhao Laosuan’s expression changed dramatically, and he shot up from the bench.

"Director Lu, you... you’re going to move against the Black Shark Gang?!"

Lu Jing’an smiled faintly and shook his head.

His tone was as casual as if he were discussing some trivial matter. "Not just the Black Shark Gang,"

He paused, then added, each word perfectly clear, "but everyone who has yet to come ashore."

Zhao Laosuan sucked in a sharp breath.

He stared at the still-young, even handsome director of the Water Patrol Bureau before him.

As he looked at the seemingly gentle smile playing on Lu Jing’an’s lips, a chill shot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

’He’d originally figured that Lu Jing’an’s announcement in the papers was just a strategy.’

’A classic divide-and-conquer tactic, meant to lure in a few desperate Water Bandits.’

’He’d get some intelligence, build up his own reputation... a simple case of mutual exploitation.’

’He never imagined this young director was actually serious!’

’And so arrogant, too! To think he could round up all the Water Bandits on the Canglan River who hadn’t surrendered in one fell swoop?’

"Director Lu!"

Zhao Laosuan’s voice was strained with urgency.

"The Black Shark Gang is not to be trifled with!

"They’ve operated on the River for years; their roots run deep.

"Their main den is incredibly well-hidden. On the entire River, the number of people who know the exact location of their Water Stockade won’t exceed this many!"

He exclaimed, holding up five fingers.

"We only stumbled upon a clue by pure chance. Director Lu, if you don’t even know where their nest is, how can you possibly wipe them out?"

’To Zhao Laosuan, Lu Jing’an’s plan was nothing but blind arrogance, a reckless pursuit of fame.’

’If the Black Shark Gang were that easy to destroy...’

’...the other gangs on the River, big and small, would have united to overthrow them long ago.’

’The most likely outcome was that the Water Patrol Bureau would be all thunder and no rain.’

’They’d just arrest a few nobodies to pad the numbers, then trumpet their glorious victory.’

’And as for them, the traitors who had revealed their faces so early, they would become the primary targets for the Black Shark Gang’s bloody vengeance. They’d never be able to set foot near the Canglan River again.’

The more he thought, the more fear and regret consumed him.

Zhao Laosuan abruptly grabbed his daughter’s slender arm and turned to head for the door.

"Where are you going?"

Lu Jing’an’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it felt like an invisible wall blocking their path.

Zhao Laosuan stopped in his tracks and turned back.

His face was a tangled mess of fear, desperation, and the resolve of a final, desperate gamble.

"Director Lu! I have the exact location of the Black Shark Gang’s Water Stockade!

"If... if you would just be merciful, Director Lu, and let us go. Give us a chance to live."

"Let us leave, and I’ll draw you a map of the location right now and give it to you!"

He gripped his daughter’s arm so tightly his knuckles turned white, as if he were clinging to his last straw of hope.

Hearing this, Lu Jing’an leaned back slightly, resting against the back of his chair.

He steepled his fingers, watching Zhao Laosuan thoughtfully.

"So, what you’re saying is, you’re convinced I can’t destroy the Black Shark Gang, and you’re afraid of getting caught in the crossfire?"

With a THUD, Zhao Laosuan fell to his knees again. This time, his daughter knelt with him, her small body trembling violently.

"Director! Director Lu! We only came here because we had no other way to survive.

"I’m begging you, please give us a chance to live! The Black Shark Gang... they’re really not people you can afford to cross!"

「Outside the Water Patrol Bureau, in the shadows near the entrance.」

The two Black Shark Gang spies had overheard most of the conversation, and cruel sneers spread across their faces.

"Now they’re scared? Too late!"

"I’ll follow them in a minute. You stay here and keep watch."

"We can’t let them leak the location of the Water Stockade!"

The two were whispering to each other when, from inside the Water Patrol Bureau,

Lu Jing’an’s voice—calm and unruffled, yet tinged with a faint, almost curious tone—drifted out clearly:

"You have the location of the Black Shark Gang’s Water Stockade..."

He paused, as if stating the most mundane fact in the world,

"...but why on earth would you think that I don’t?"