Chapter 82 - 81: Treasure Cave

Chapter 82: Chapter 81: Treasure Cave

Lu Jing’an’s words made Zhao Laosuan understand everything instantly.

Zhao Laosuan immediately straightened his back and gave Lu Jing’an a heavy fist-and-palm salute.

His voice was hoarse but laced with ruthlessness. "Rest assured, Director. Leave this matter to us.

"We aren’t good at escorting, but if you want to ensure a ship can’t leave the port..."

He grinned, the unique hostility of the Water Bandits flashing in his eyes.

"Our brothers are very familiar with that."

With his worries resolved, Zhao Laosuan became a chained mastiff. His fangs were still sharp, but he would only bite the targets designated by his master. For Lu Jing’an, this situation couldn’t be better.

After the Escort Team’s charter was finalized, Zhao Laosuan led his men out of the Water Patrol Bureau silently that very night.

At the pier, Chen Xuan was already waiting quietly with his subordinates. Once they arrived, Chen Xuan and the others distributed the firearms and ammunition seized from the Black Shark Gang one by one.

Zhao Laosuan received a long rifle. As his fingertips brushed over the cold barrel and the smooth wooden stock, his heart trembled. The others also let out low gasps.

Having drifted on the river for half their lives, these Water Bandits had never seen such excellent goods. Not to mention them, even the former Black Shark Gang absolutely lacked such equipment. If the Black Shark Gang truly had these, the Canglan River would have been a completely different world long ago.

These firearms were naturally funded by the Liu Family and the Li Family for the Black Shark Gang. Unfortunately, before the latter could even warm them up, they all fell into Lu Jing’an’s hands.

Now, Lu Jing’an transferring them to Zhao Laosuan served two purposes: first, making the best use of everything. Second, if anyone investigated the origin of the firearms in the future, this hot potato would naturally force those two families to reap what they had sown.

The next morning.

The streets and alleys of the Lou Mountain and Xiao Mountain counties were still shrouded in early mist. The crisp and urgent cries of the newsboys tore through the silence.

"Extra! Extra! The Water Patrol Bureau has wiped out the Black Shark Gang, captured the bandit leader ’Dragon King’ alive, and executed over a hundred bandits on the spot!"

"Read all about it! The decade-long water menace of the Canglan River has been cleared out in a single day!"

The name of the Black Shark Gang was enough to make anyone in the three counties pale in fear. Having run rampant across the Canglan River for over a decade, they had hijacked countless ships and killed innumerable people.

The Government Office had repeatedly failed to suppress them, yet they had actually been uprooted by the newly established Water Patrol Bureau within seven days?

Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, stuffing Copper Coins into the newsboys’ hands and unfolding the newspapers that still smelled of fresh ink.

The massive front-page headline and the on-site photographs were glaringly obvious:

The officers and soldiers of the Water Patrol Bureau stood solemnly with their guns, while a row of corpses covered in white cloth was stacked along the shore. The defeated man bound and kneeling in the middle was none other than the once-terrifying Dragon King.

"Good! Great!"

At the entrance of a teahouse, an old man slammed his trembling hand on the table and stood up. "These godforsaken Water Bandits finally get what they deserve today!"

Soon, the sound of firecrackers rang out with a loud CRACKLE across several streets, as if it were the New Year. The commoners gathered at the intersections, discussing animatedly, their faces mostly filled with delight and relief.

In stark contrast to the jubilation on the streets, the atmosphere within the high walls and deep courtyards of the Liu Family and Li Family was oppressively heavy.

In the main hall of the Liu Family, Patriarch Liu viciously slammed the newspaper in his hand onto the Huanghuali table, the pages scattering with a loud RUSTLE. He stood by the window with his hands behind his back. His silhouette was like a mountain, yet it exuded a freezing chill.

Standing below him was Director Liu—the one who had previously led troops to eradicate the Black Shark Gang multiple times, only to return in disgrace every time.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Those trash from the Black Shark Gang were actually this weak!"

Patriarch Liu did not turn his head. His voice was as cold as the ice of Jiang Xin. "It is exactly this bunch of trash that made you fail six times in six years without achieving a single shred of merit."

Director Liu’s face turned pale, choking on his words.

"Pass down the order." Patriarch Liu turned around, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "From today onwards, all cargo ships of the Liu Family leaving the port must not fly our family crest. Use the flags of other families instead.

"Double the Guards on the ships, but they must keep a low profile. It’s best to set sail at night."

Director Liu was puzzled. "The Black Shark Gang is gone; the River should be peaceful now. Does Lu Jing’an dare to openly use official ships to rob us?"

"The Black Shark Gang is indeed gone," Patriarch Liu sneered. "But Lu Jing’an will soon have an even more obedient and ferocious dog in his hands. By then, the ones robbing your ships won’t be the Water Patrol Bureau, but the new Water Bandits."

He paused, his tone heavy. "The shipments cannot stop. We cannot afford to delay the munitions orders from above. Even if we can afford the financial compensation, we cannot afford to lose our future prospects."

Inside the Li Family mansion, dark clouds also loomed.

Patriarch Li gripped his teacup, his knuckles turning white. He dealt with the Void Trading House business, and the shipping schedules were of the utmost urgency. The penalty clauses in the contracts with the Voiders could bankrupt a person.

Therefore, the Li Family chose the exact same approach as the Liu Family. They didn’t fly their own flag and had their cargo ships leave the port discreetly.

At this moment, the masters of both families finally tasted the feeling of shooting themselves in the foot.

Compared to the desolation of the Liu Family and the Li Family, the Lu Residence was as bustling as a marketplace that day.

Special Commissioner Zhou from the Provincial Government, who had previously met Lu Jing’an once, visited Yin Mountain County again. This time, he brought an official commendation order issued by the province, along with a group of reporters from the Provincial City.

For such a face-saving event, how could there not be reporters present to witness it?

In front of the Water Patrol Bureau, Lu Jing’an wore a crisp, dark cyan director’s uniform. With a posture as straight as a pine tree, he received the certificate of commendation from Special Commissioner Zhou amid a flurry of camera flashes.

He raised his hand in a salute, his demeanor as steady as a mountain. There was not a single trace of arrogance on him; only a sharp glint in his eyes, like a sword hidden in its sheath.

Once the formalities concluded, they moved to the inner hall of the Lu Residence.

Special Commissioner Zhou shed his bureaucratic posturing and spoke to Lu Jing’an with a beaming face. "Young Master Lu is truly an outstanding young talent!

"It has only been a few days since we last met, and you’ve already given us such a great gift.

"When Secretary Hu saw the news in the province, he praised you repeatedly.

"He said you fought this battle beautifully and in a timely manner!"

Lu Jing’an bowed slightly, his words humble. "You flatter me, Commissioner.

"I, Lu, merely happened to be at the right place at the right time. The truth is, it was all due to my father’s years of management.

"It was only because our brothers risked their lives in battle that we achieved today’s results.

"Jing’an dares not claim credit for this."

Special Commissioner Zhou smiled and waved his hand. He sat down on the mahogany chair and accepted the tea served by the maid. "You don’t need to be overly modest, Young Master.

"Man proposes, God disposes.

"Without you overseeing the operations and seizing the opportunities in battle, even the best foundation would inevitably fall into chaos."

He blew on the tea foam before shifting his tone and addressing Lu Huaiqian, who was accompanying them. "Director Lu, Secretary Hu asked me to express his gratitude to you in person.

"With the clearing of the Canglan River this time, the Lu Family has truly solved his urgent crisis."

Lu Huaiqian’s expression was respectful as he stood up and replied, "Sharing Secretary Hu’s burdens is Lu’s duty."

Special Commissioner Zhou nodded. Setting down his teacup, he lowered his voice slightly, but every word was clear. "Secretary Hu also asked me to bring a message.

"Today, the navigational routes of the Canglan River represent the future of the Lu Family.

"As long as you can stabilize this waterway, there’s an eighty percent chance that the position of Director of the Public Security Bureau will belong to the Lu Family."

Faced with such an empty promise, Lu Huaiqian and Lu Jing’an naturally weren’t interested in their hearts. However, they still had to put up a good front.

After all, Secretary Hu still didn’t know who exactly was backing the Li Family. Only by deeply binding Secretary Hu to the Lu Family could they force the Bai Family to step into the fray. In doing so, the Lu Family’s chances of winning would also increase slightly.

When he left, Special Commissioner Zhou took away quite a few local specialties of Yin Mountain County. After Special Commissioner Zhou’s departure, Lu Jing’an went to find his Third Uncle.

Lu Jing’an had already finished Refining all the Divine Souls of the Black Shark Gang. Aside from extracting a Smoke Cultivator-related entry from the Dragon King—[Dark Smoke and Miasma]—there were no other entries.

The main reason was that the strength of these Water Bandits was simply too poor. Using two white [Dark Smoke and Miasma] entries, Lu Jing’an consumed 3 Energy Points to synthesize a new green entry.

Of course, Lu Jing’an’s true harvest wasn’t this entry.

From the Dragon King’s memories, Lu Jing’an had discovered the Black Shark Gang’s Treasure Cave. Inside lay the gold and silver treasures the Black Shark Gang had plundered over the past dozen years.

Lu Jing’an definitely couldn’t let the Water Patrol Bureau handle this matter. He could only entrust it to Lu Huaisan.

Only the treasures found by Lu Huaisan would belong to the Lu Family. In essence, anything found by the Water Patrol Bureau wouldn’t belong to the Lu Family.

Having Lu Huaisan go was a flawless plan that no one could find fault with.