Chapter 81 - 80: I Don’t Have to Profit, But the Liu and Li Families Must Lose

Chapter 81: Chapter 80: I Don’t Have to Profit, But the Liu and Li Families Must Lose

The morning mist had scattered, revealing the backyard of the Water Patrol Bureau on the banks of the Canglan River.

A dark mass of figures knelt on the bluestone pavers.

These men had been kneeling all night.

The frost and dew had soaked through their coarse cloth garments.

The chill seeped through the cracks in their kneecaps, piercing straight to the bone.

A few of the older ones were on the verge of collapse, yet no one dared to move an inch.

Compared to their own lives hanging by a thread,

kneeling for one night was nothing.

The Black Shark Gang, with its several hundred members, had been wiped out just like that.

What did that make them, a bunch of small fry?

The sound of footsteps came from the covered walkway.

Everyone trembled, burying their heads even lower.

Zhao Laosuan immediately rose from a bench in the corner, rubbing his frozen hands together as he hurried over.

Following him were three other men with equally bloodshot eyes, and his daughter.

They had been the ones who voluntarily kept watch here last night.

Zhao Laosuan knew that his surrender the day before

had only given him a slight head start.

Now was the time to prove his worth.

"Director."

Zhao Laosuan stopped two paces before Lu Jing’an, his voice hoarse as he offered his greeting, his eyes filled with blood vessels.

Lu Jing’an gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping past the man’s shoulder.

He scanned the group of figures cowering in the yard like quails.

"You’ve worked hard."

"Not at all, not at all!" Zhao Laosuan waved his hands repeatedly, stepping aside to clear the path.

With steady steps, Lu Jing’an walked to the pearwood desk that had been set up in the center of the yard.

He brushed his robes aside and sat down.

On the desk, beside a bronze brush rest and a few blank sheets of official paper,

he saw that someone had already replaced the tea with a hot cup, and the stool had been padded with a thick, soft cushion.

Another cup of tea, now cold to the touch, sat nearby, prepared much earlier by subordinates who hadn’t dared to interrupt.

His fingers tapped lightly on the smooth surface of the desk.

TAP. TAP.

The sound wasn’t loud, but it felt like a hammer blow to everyone’s heart.

The kneeling Water Bandits shuddered in unison, struggling to lift their stiff necks.

Countless gazes, a mixture of fear, pleading, and a final sliver of hope,

focused on Lu Jing’an’s emotionless face.

Lu Jing’an’s voice, as crisp and cool as the morning mist, carried clearly to every ear:

"Right now, you have two paths before you."

The courtyard fell so silent you could hear a pin drop, broken only by suppressed gasps.

"Listen to me, and I’ll let you live."

"Disobey me,"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over them like a bolt of cold lightning,

"and I’ll send you to meet the Black Shark Gang."

"The choice is yours."

’These aren’t two paths.’

’This is clearly only one path to survival!’

"We’ll listen! We’ll listen to whatever Director Lu says!"

"Have mercy, Director! We’ll be obedient!"

"Please, Director, give us a way to live!"

A chorus of pleas and pledges erupted, trembling with the relief of having survived a catastrophe.

"It seems you’re all intelligent men." A deeply sarcastic smile touched Lu Jing’an’s lips.

Silence immediately fell upon the crowd below.

Lu Jing’an leaned back slightly and continued:

"The Canglan River’s shipping lanes are unsafe, and merchants have suffered for too long.

The Water Patrol Bureau has a duty to act, and we plan to form an Escort Team."

The men’s eyes lit up.

"You’ve spent your lives making a living on the river.

You’re the most familiar with the waterways, the undercurrents, the weather, and all the ’friends’ along the way."

"I plan to entrust this matter to you."

’An Escort Team!’

’This is a job that would let us go straight!’

Many of them couldn’t hide the joy on their faces.

"However."

With that one word, Lu Jing’an suppressed the burgeoning excitement.

"You came too late.

Therefore, you will not be granted official status.

To the outside world, you are still Water Bandits."

Hope, having just been kindled, was half-extinguished. Many of their faces turned pale.

But Lu Jing’an looked at Zhao Laosuan. "As I said, the earlier you made yourself known to me, the more you would benefit."

Zhao Laosuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he bowed even lower.

"You, and these men under you,

will serve as non-staff personnel for the Water Patrol Bureau, responsible for managing the others."

After speaking, Lu Jing’an glanced at the ashen-faced group of Water Bandits and added unhurriedly,

"Of course, if you perform your duties well in the future, the number of non-staff positions may well increase."

A twist of fate!

A glimmer of light pierced through their despair, a light that seemed just within reach if they leaped for it with all their might.

The flames of greed and anticipation rekindled in many of their eyes.

In this dog-eat-dog world, a hope that is visible but not guaranteed

is often a more powerful motivator than despair for making men risk their lives.

Lu Jing’an looked away from them and said to Zhao Laosuan,

"I’ll give you half a day to discuss and draw up a charter.

How the Escort Team will operate, what the rules will be.

Have it on my desk by this afternoon."

"Yes, Director!" Zhao Laosuan agreed loudly, then asked tentatively, "Director, as for our Escort Team, what exactly will we..."

"Collect a reasonable security fee to ensure the safe passage of traveling vessels.

If you encounter other Water Bandits, eliminate them if you can. If you can’t, report them to the Water Patrol Bureau immediately."

Lu Jing’an’s instructions were concise.

Understanding dawned on everyone.

’This work isn’t fundamentally different from what we were already doing.’

’It’s just wrapped in a semi-official skin, making it safer and giving us justification.’

"Rest assured, Director, we will do our utmost for the Water Patrol Bureau and ease your burdens!" Zhao Laosuan slapped his chest in assurance, and the kneeling crowd echoed his sentiment.

Lu Jing’an waved his hand dismissively and rose to leave.

"Director!"

Zhao Laosuan suddenly spoke up. Seeing Lu Jing’an stop and look back,

he wrung his hands, a look of awkwardness and earnestness on his face.

"Director, I... I have a personal matter. I’d like to ask for your grace."

Lu Jing’an glanced at him. "Follow me."

「...」

In the Director’s office, the faint scent of sandalwood burned.

Behind the mahogany desk stood a wall-to-wall bookshelf, next to neatly stacked case files.

On a small table by the window, a set of celadon tea ware steamed.

Zhao Laosuan stood on the floor, so polished it could be used as a mirror, not knowing what to do with his hands and feet.

He snuck a glance up and saw Lu Jing’an leaning casually against the back of his chair.

"Speak," Lu Jing’an said.

Zhao Laosuan swallowed, lowered his head, and spoke in a dry voice:

"Director, I want to... I want to ask for your grace and let my daughter stay and work at the Bureau.

She grew up on a boat, but she’s timid.

She’s never been involved in any of our dirty business. I beg you to give her a safe place. Sweeping, laundry, cooking—she can do it all!"

As he finished, he dropped to his knees with a THUD.

His forehead pressed against the cold floor, his posture humbled to the dust.

Lu Jing’an remained silent, his fingers gently stroking the Paperweight.

’A clever man.’

’Voluntarily sending his own daughter here as a hostage to show his loyalty.’

’And also to leave himself a way out.’

’If Zhao Laosuan missteps in the future, his daughter will be the first to suffer.’

’Conversely, if he serves me diligently,

his daughter will have a relatively stable position here at the Bureau.’

"Can she read?" Lu Jing’an asked.

Zhao Laosuan’s shoulders trembled, and he buried his head even lower.

"N-No... The girl hasn’t had that good fortune.

Director, she can do manual labor. She won’t be a freeloader!"

"I’ll arrange for someone to teach her to read and do arithmetic."

Lu Jing’an’s tone was flat, but it made Zhao Laosuan snap his head up, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"If she learns well, she can stay at the Bureau as a clerk. If not, we’ll discuss other arrangements."

Zhao Laosuan was stunned for a moment, then immense joy flooded his heart.

He kowtowed heavily, his voice choked with emotion.

"Thank you, Director! Thank you for your immense kindness!

From now on, my life, Zhao Laosuan’s life, belongs to you, Director! I will serve you to the death!"

"Get up." Lu Jing’an raised a hand. "Do your work well, and you will naturally have a bright future."

"Yes! Yes!" Zhao Laosuan scrambled to his feet and backed out of the room with a thousand thanks, gently closing the door behind him.

The office fell silent.

Lu Jing’an leaned back slowly, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

’Being an official is indeed quite a challenge for me.’

His refusal to grant the Water Bandits official status, keeping even Zhao Laosuan as non-staff, was a deliberate move with deep implications.

He absolutely could not let this affair become fodder for rumors, giving others a pretext to accuse him of collusion between officials and bandits.

If it ever became necessary, these men were just ’Water Bandits privately colluding and impersonating officials.’

’What does that have to do with my Water Patrol Bureau?’

As for Zhao Laosuan, he was just a non-staff member temporarily hired to run errands, completely disposable.

’But Zhao Laosuan’s act today, sending his daughter as a hostage...’

’...was it simply to secure a future for her while showing loyalty, or did he vaguely see through my intentions?’

’Of course, it doesn’t matter if he saw through it or not. They wanted a way to live, and I gave them one. That’s enough.’

’Chaotic times are like a river, and the hearts of men are like water.’

’It’s all just a matter of guiding the flow to one’s advantage, with everyone taking what they need.’

「...」

In a wing of the backyard, Zhao Laosuan and a group of Water Bandits, their eyes red from lack of sleep but their spirits high, were crammed together, clamoring noisily.

A literate Water Bandit was pushed forward to take up the brush, while the others chattered, throwing out ideas.

"Cargo ships should be tiered by weight and cargo value! For expensive goods like silk, medicine, and opium, we have to charge more!"

"Passenger ships by head count! Charge the poor less, charge the rich masters and madams more!"

"What about ships from Lou Mountain and Xiao County? Shouldn’t we ’take care’ of them?"

"Of course! They oppose the Director, so we must charge them ten times as much!"

"What about the Lu Family’s ships?"

"Nonsense! We don’t charge the Director’s family’s ships, obviously! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

More than three hours passed.

A freshly inked "Provisional Charter of the Canglan River Escort Team" was drafted.

Though the handwriting was crooked and the language crude, the articles were surprisingly detailed.

Zhao Laosuan rolled it up carefully and respectfully presented it on Lu Jing’an’s desk.

Lu Jing’an unrolled it, his eyes sweeping quickly over the contents.

The charter mainly specified the fee structure.

Cargo ships were to be charged based on tonnage and the value of their goods.

Passenger ships were charged per head, also divided into various classes.

A special note was included.

"For ships registered to Lou Mountain and Xiao County, a tenfold surcharge will be applied."

As for the Lu Family fleet, it was, naturally, "exempt from inspection and fees."

"It’s taking shape." Lu Jing’an put the paper down and nodded.

A pleased expression appeared on Zhao Laosuan’s face.

"However, a few changes are needed," Lu Jing’an said, his tone casual but carrying an air that permitted no argument.

"Please instruct us, Director," Zhao Laosuan said, bowing quickly.

"For the ships from Lou Mountain and Xiao Mountain, ten times is too little. Make it twenty."

Zhao Laosuan’s brush tip paused.

"If it’s a ship from the Liu Family or Li Family, make it thirty times."

Zhao Laosuan sucked in a sharp breath. ’Thirty times?’

That was practically equivalent to stripping away most of the profits from their water transport businesses!

But he didn’t dare ask questions and quickly jotted it down.

"Also," Lu Jing’an leaned back in his chair, "the Lu Family’s ships are to pay the full escort fee, in accordance with the charter."

"Huh?"

This time, Zhao Laosuan was truly stunned.

"Director, this... We’re charging the Lu Family’s ships too?"

Lu Jing’an turned his gaze to him, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

"My Water Patrol Bureau has always treated everyone equally.

Now that we’ve established a charter, how could we make an exception for our own?"

Zhao Laosuan blinked, his mind racing.

A few thoughts flashed through his head, and he suddenly understood.

’The Water Patrol Bureau belongs to Director Lu. The money collected just goes from his left pocket to his right.’

’But on the surface, it’s all above board. No one can find any fault with it!’

’It even silences those who would accuse Director Lu of abusing his power for personal gain.’

’Brilliant, simply brilliant!’

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Laosuan gathered his courage and asked,

"Director, setting the rate at thirty times for the Liu and Li Families...

...they... I’m afraid there won’t be much profit left for them.

What if they stop using the waterways, or simply resist and refuse to pay? Our income..."

Lu Jing’an picked up the warm teacup and blew gently at the non-existent leaves floating on the surface.

His voice was quiet, but it carried an icy finality:

"This is money the Water Patrol Bureau can afford not to make."

He lifted his eyes, his gaze as deep and cold as a winter river:

"But the Liu and Li Families... must pay."