Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1829 Underground Layout
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Seeing that Tan Yashuang was temporarily silenced, Chen Zhang timely steered the conversation back on track: "Since Brother Tang is straightforward and likes to speak frankly, then I will also state our position and plan directly."

He paused, then held up one finger:
"Option 1: Maintain the existing structure with the basic structure unchanged, but integrate the new order. The Rust Brothers can continue to be responsible for the daily order maintenance and security of the 'Rust Corridor'. You have been operating here for many years, are familiar with the environment and potential risks, and have rich experience."

Chen Zhang emphasized the other party's role, then changed the subject, "However, our four families (Chen, Yang, Ximen, and Ma) will officially move into the Rust Corridor, establish representative offices, and have the right to patrol."

"In exchange, the Iron Rust Brothers shall not charge any tolls or protection fees of any kind when any caravans, personnel or supplies of our Fighting Soul City pass through the Rust Corridor."

"At the same time, the four of us will take 30% of the toll fees and other derivative profits from the rusted corridor."

As the core artery of the underground network in Huagai District, the Rust Corridor is not a simple tunnel.

Most of it relies on naturally formed underground caves, fissure networks, and some ancient mine tunnels, which were painstakingly opened up, widened, and reinforced by successive occupiers who spent countless manpower and resources.

It connects important underground nodes and underground black markets in several nearby areas, making it a veritable "transportation artery" of Huagai District and even the underground world of Tiandou City.

In a world like Douluo Continent where soul power dominates, there are no shield tunneling machines with astonishing efficiency like those on Earth (Douluo's technology tree is more focused on soul guidance applications than large-scale engineering machinery), making it extremely difficult to excavate and maintain a main road of this scale over the long term.

They will face numerous deadly threats, including landslides, groundwater seepage, piping (Tian Dou City is close to the Tian Shan Plateau, with extremely rich groundwater resources and a huge volume of water, reaching 50 billion cubic meters per year), mudslides, and ferocious or bizarre underground soul beasts (including terrestrial, aquatic, plant-based, and even flying types).

Therefore, any force capable of occupying and effectively maintaining such a main road must possess formidable military strength and organizational capabilities, which is the foundation and primary source of income for the Rust Brothers.

The routes of corridors often need to be carefully designed to avoid the official massive underground drainage system as much as possible, so as to avoid conflicts and overlapping dangers.

After stating the first point, Chen Zhang, without pausing, extended his second finger:

"Option 2: The entire Iron Rust Brothers will be incorporated into the Chen family's Embroidered Uniform Guard, becoming its independent 'Iron Rust' combat battalion."

"Brother Tang himself will be appointed as the commander of the 'Rust Battalion' and will enjoy the same treatment and resources as the elders of the Chen family; all your loyal, reliable, and capable brothers will be granted official Jinyiwei status, treatment, and promotion system."

"Discipline must be strictly followed, but the Chen family will treat everyone equally and reward merit accordingly; the Chen family will provide better equipment, soul tools, and systematic training in battle formation soul skills."

"This plan means that you will officially transform from an underground gray armed force into a regular armed force within the Chen family's ranks, and your status and future prospects will be completely different; of course, the jurisdiction of the Rust Corridor will be completely transferred to the Chen family."

“Of course, this is just a template. You can also choose any one of our four families, as they are all of the same type. For example, Brother Tang is skilled with knives, so you can choose the Ximen family. When it comes to the art of the knife, the Ximen family is the best in the world, something Brother Tang surely knows.” He then extended his third finger, his gaze sweeping over Tang Hengyu, Tan Yashuang, and Hahn Connery, the shrewd and silent leader of the Jingcheng Chamber of Commerce, who had been listening intently.

Option 3: Cooperative operation and deep integration.

"We, the four of us, are taking the lead and inviting the three of you to jointly contribute funds and efforts to establish a new joint organization—the Huagai District Underground Network Joint Management Committee."

"This 'Joint Management Committee' is responsible for the overall planning and development of underground resources in the entire Huagai District, including but not limited to minerals, rare medicinal herbs, and special soul beast resource points; trade routes, mainly the optimization and management of the Rust Corridor and other important passages; the establishment of a security and defense system, integrating the forces of all parties and setting up a joint guard; and dispute arbitration."

"As the leading party and the main security provider, we will occupy a large share, but the other parties, as long as they make outstanding contributions, will also be able to obtain stable and generous returns far exceeding those of their previous independent operations."

"This third path is one of genuine risk-sharing and benefit-sharing, with a focus on long-term common development."

After Chen Zhang finished speaking, he leaned back slightly, picked up the spiritual tea beside him, and took a sip: "Brother Tang, there are three paths, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The first is to maintain the status quo while improving and integrating it; the second is to completely integrate into our system; and the third is to create a completely new cooperation model. I ask that you carefully consider which path to take, Brother Tang, and there is no need to rush to answer."

After listening to Chen Zhang's three well-organized and comprehensive plans, Tang Hengyu's thick eyebrows shot up sharply.

His scarred face showed no obvious change in expression; he neither slammed his fist on the table in anger or opposition, nor did he reveal any joy or agreement.

He remained silent, his deep, sharp, and rock-solid gaze slowly sweeping over Chen Zhang, Ma Zhibin, and the few people sitting quietly behind Chen Zhang.

His gaze was heavy, carrying the iron-blooded aura honed by countless battles and a cold indifference that saw through life and death, as if he were weighing a battle concerning the life and death of the entire Rust Brothers.

He did not immediately respond to the core exchange conditions in the first proposal regarding "30% profit" and "toll exemption," as if they were merely details to be discussed.

His silence seemed more like waiting for Chen Zhang to lay out the cards in his hand—two other, more disruptive options—on the table before he could strategically assess the cost, risk, and possible future of each choice.

The air in the entire council hall became even thicker and heavier because of Tang Hengyu's calm, composed, and poised demeanor.

Tan Yashuang's narrow phoenix eyes swept over Tang Hengyu, then glanced at the seemingly insignificant Hahn beside her, a slightly self-deprecating sneer curling at the corner of her lips: "It seems that Hahn and I are the same?"

“Yes.” Chen Zhang nodded, his tone flat. “No matter which path you choose, the core framework remains the same. The contribution of the Rust Brotherhood, the Shadow Sisterhood, and Mr. Hahn’s network of channels to the new order in Huagai District will determine your future space and level of respectability.”

He held up three fingers and said clearly, “For each of you, although the paths may differ, the core is still three things: hand over 30% of your income to the newly established joint inspection team, be incorporated into the organization, and engage in in-depth cooperation within the framework of the new order. The difference lies in the form of cooperation and the degree of autonomy you have.”

(End of this chapter)