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

Chapter 1833 A Web of Romantic Debts and Bones

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The carved doors of the council chamber, which had just been opened, slowly closed behind Tang Hengyu and the other two.

Inside the hall, the smoke seemed to have dissipated somewhat.

Ximen Wenye opened his eyes a crack, a glint of light flashing in the dim light. Looking towards the doorway, he said calmly, "Hahn, once he walks out of this door, he'll probably be overjoyed."

Chen Zhang picked up the lukewarm spirit tea, took a sip, and nodded, saying, "Hahn is capable of running the underground black market in Huagai District so successfully right under the nose of the Bone Digging Gang. He must have both skill and connections. He deserves half a share of the profits."

He paused for a moment, "This 'Jingcheng Chamber of Commerce' is quite large, but it is ultimately an alliance, not owned by him alone. After deducting the profits for his subordinates, the costs of bribing various parties, and maintaining the operation of the vast network, the profit that ultimately ends up in his own hands is probably only about half a percent, or even less."

Yang Zhicheng, standing beside him, paused slightly, a knowing smile playing on his lips: "No wonder. Chen Zhang, you proposed keeping half of him, without him having to bear the exploitation of the Bone Digging Group anymore, and you even put our Soul Fighting City faction on your back..."

"If the subsequent channels are opened up, the whole business will only be bigger. His half-percent share will probably be more than before. It would be strange if he wasn't tempted."

Ma Zhibin poured the last bit of wine from the bottle into a small glass, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh: "Tsk! The key is that we're new here and completely clueless."

"These underground machinations and shady channels are not easy to figure out in a short time. Without a seasoned veteran who knows the ropes, it's not that easy. Consider this half-finished payment as a 'familiar face' fee. Let's stabilize his network first, and then we can slowly sort out the threads inside."

"He started from scratch and managed to climb to his current position amidst the chaos of various forces, becoming one of the 'top four' in the Huagai District. He certainly has some real skills." Chen Zhang affirmed Hahn's abilities. "Having emerged from the chaos of the times, he has excellent insight and shrewdness, and knows how to assess situations."

Yang Zhicheng stopped wiping the scabbard and said, "Therefore, in the early stages of our 'Huagai District Underground Network Joint Management Committee,' we really need a 'good manager' who is familiar with the local area and has managed the channels."

"As long as he knows what's good for him and handles things efficiently, he might be given a promotion in the Joint Management Committee. That would be better than completely dismantling his business and causing chaos."

Ximen Wenye stroked his short beard, turned his gaze to Ma Zhibin, and said with a hint of mockery and helplessness, "That Tan Yashuang... is the real hot potato. Luckily, none of the three of us chose her, she just stuck with you. Zhibin, this 'romantic debt' is something your old man and brother Zhicheng can't help you with, you'll have to bear it yourself."

Ma Zhibin nearly choked on the stench of the alcohol that had just slid down his throat. He glared at Ximen Wenye with annoyance: "Uncle Wenye! Uncle Zhicheng! What do you mean by 'clinging to me'? What do you mean by 'a romantic debt'? I'm so wronged!"

He quickly explained, "Chairman Tan chose our Ma family because he values ​​the Ma family's reputation and the Tan family's relationship! Besides, even if we were to be incorporated into the Ma family system, we couldn't just throw them into the Crimson Flame Army; at most, they would be affiliated with our Joint Management Committee..."

Yang Zhicheng chuckled and slowly interjected, "Just now at the meeting, who was it that was talking to that Miss Tan about 'the two families' long-standing friendship' and guaranteeing a 'dignified ending'? And what were those flirtatious words he said on the battlefield that day?" He paused, a glint of light in his eyes, "Most importantly, hasn't Tan Yashuang been extremely averse to any association with the Tan family's main branch all these years? But this time, she specifically chose your Ma family and even designated you to be in charge of the liaison. Why do you think she's clinging to you like this? Hmm?"

"What do you mean, 'blaming me'!" Ma Zhibin, his old face flushed with embarrassment, stubbornly insisted, "I was... prioritizing the bigger picture! Stabilizing the situation! It was a strategic choice made after weighing the pros and cons! You two shouldn't overthink it! Anyway,"

He muttered something in a low voice, then resumed his nonchalant expression, "Once Pei Xiaojun and the others finish this Gao Ying competition, I'll pack my bags and head back to Chang'an County! There's a ton of stuff waiting for me there, this mess in Huagai District... Isn't Zhixin in the capital? Let him worry about it!"

Ximen Wenye and Yang Zhicheng exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison, their expressions full of disdain, as if saying, "This is hopeless."

Yang Zhicheng said with exasperation, "You! Since you're going to dump this 'burden' on your cousin sooner or later, you might as well tone down your sleazy ways before you leave!"

"Don't keep flirting with girls until they actually think you're interested. If you walk away, they'll hold it against Zhixin and cause trouble for your cousin for no reason! You're always acting on impulse, and you've caused enough trouble already!"

Ma Zhibin was speechless for a moment before turning his head away sullenly: "Uncle Zhicheng, your mind works faster than a knife's edge; you can drag anything into this..."

"You, besides your precious son, what else have you ever really cared about?" Ximen Wenye bluntly exposed him, "At your age, you're still so irresponsible."

He shook his head, as if to shake off the casual chatter from before, and turned his gaze to Chen Zhang, his expression becoming serious: "Zhang, the people below have been extremely busy these past few days. Have they finally made some progress in sorting out that mess with the Bone Digging Group?"

The atmosphere in the hall immediately became more serious after the topic was changed.

Chen Zhang nodded solemnly: "That's about it. This Bone-Digging Gang has been entrenched for many years, its roots are all in Ironjaw Fortress, and their livelihood mainly consists of those same old businesses: human trafficking—especially kidnapping promising Soul Master talents and young women;"

"They mine the rare mineral deposits in the pits, such as black-veined iron, blue phosphorus stone, and the blue crystal sand that accompanies the valuable magic silver ore—well, mainly mined by the male slaves; and they hunt underground soul beasts to obtain their bones, blood, flesh, eyes, poison glands, and even soul cores."

"Finally, there's the rent and protection fee. Right here in Ironjaw Fortress, many Soul Masters who come down from the ground to do business or hunt Souls mostly live in Ironjaw Fortress. They also provide services such as hiring, Soul Hunting, and Hunters. So there are nearly three thousand people gathered here, most of whom are thugs, guards, miners, supervisors, and low-level Soul Masters they keep."

Zhu Yanfeng scoffed: "Hmph, every single one of these things falls on people! No wonder they're called the 'Bone-Digging Gang,' they're all about sucking the marrow from bones!"

Qin Luguang narrowed his eyes, looking completely matter-of-fact: "Otherwise, how could the underground city have hundreds of thousands of people entrenched there? Deep in the bustling capital, the underworld can operate without any scruples. These four families have basically monopolized all the gray industries."

(End of this chapter)