Promise!

Chapter 54, Guarding

Seeing that Zhuang Jin had his own ideas, Bi Kai didn't say anything more.

Qian Wende noticed that the conversation had stalled a bit, so he immediately started to tease himself and open the conversation: "Hey, Brother Zhuang can go to the medicinal fields outside the city, but he doesn't want to go. I want to go, but I can't. I don't even have the qualifications!"

"Besides, I only have one month to choose my own missions. I've already used this month, and I don't know where I'll be assigned next month. If I'm assigned to the south of the city, near the Medicine King Gang, I'll be in big trouble."

He said with a bitter face, "I heard that the south of the city, near the Medicine King Gang, is much more dangerous than the north. It's said that out of ten people who go in standing, half will come out lying down. How do you think our Shen family compares to that place? It's like a meat grinder!"

Bi Kai listened with a serious expression, but he still had two months to choose his own tasks, so he didn't need to worry for now.

"Don't worry about this for now..." After hearing this, Zhuang Jin told him the news that Ping Yongfeng told him during dinner at the end of last month: there is an unspoken rule for these martial artists recruited from outside. If they fail to break through the second classics in three months or the third classics in six months, they will be exiled to the south of the city.

Speaking of which, he had just seen Bi Kai's reaction, as if he didn't know the news, and was secretly surprised. Chang Hetong hadn't told Bi Kai about this? But on second thought, he understood. Perhaps because Bi Kai still had two months of opportunities to choose his own reward, he wasn't in a hurry. At the same time, not telling him was also putting pressure on Bi Kai, making him feel a sense of urgency and seize the time to improve his strength.

"Really?" Qian Wende asked excitedly, but just as he opened his mouth, he slapped his mouth and said, "I'm sorry. How can the words coming from Brother Zhuang be false?"

Immediately, he secretly calculated: it will take three months to break through the second sutra. Last month was spent studying martial arts. Counting from this month, it is already the end of the month and is almost over, which means there are only two months left!
Qian Wende suddenly felt a sense of urgency in his heart, and secretly made up his mind that in the next two months, even if he had to sell everything he had, he would squeeze out enough resources for cultivation and raise his cultivation level to the second level.

At the same time, he was secretly glad that he learned the news from Zhuang Jin, otherwise he might be confused and thrown to the south of the city, near the Medicine King Gang, after the three-month period.

"So, it's right to follow Brother Zhuang. Not to mention the glory he'll gain from becoming a big shot in the future, just this casual piece of information or a single word could change your fate."

Qian Wende felt the real benefits of "licking Zhuang Jin", and was more determined to make licking Zhuang Jin his core task in the future and to make sure that he could lick Zhuang Jin comfortably and happily.

When Bi Kai heard the news, he frowned, but soon relaxed.

He was somewhat confident. He had good qualifications to begin with, and he had two months left to choose a mission. He could choose the job in the medicine fields outside the city, which gave him plenty of time to practice. In addition, he had the money his family had been supporting him with, as well as some subsidies from his uncle Chang Hetong. With a high probability of success, he could succeed!
Zhuang Jin observed the two men's expressions. Seeing that Bi Kai was confident, he looked at Qian Wende and said, "Don't worry for the next two months. You probably won't be assigned to the south of the city or the area near the Medicine King Gang. The east and south of the city are also not to be mentioned. The only places left are the Shen family headquarters, the medicinal fields outside the city, and the three places in the north of the city. They are all good."

He guessed that people like Qian Wende would most likely stay in the original streets in the north of the city. After all, the north of the city was relatively risky and more short of people. Besides, they had been there for a month and were more familiar with it!

Zhuang Jin had said his guess, and then said, "But after three months, it's up to you. Try to break through to the second level by then!"

"Thank you, Brother Zhuang, for your advice!" Qian Wende was quite generous. He picked up the wine glass and drank three glasses directly.

"By the way, tell Wu Hao about this news." Zhuang Jin had a good impression of Wu Hao. He knew that he was an honest man and had eaten his frozen persimmons before. Besides, it was just a matter of a word.

"Okay, I'll remember that. I'll definitely tell him."

If someone else had said this, Qian Wende would probably have laughed it off and forgotten it immediately. But since it was Zhuang Jin's instruction, it was naturally different. He nodded seriously, repeated it several times in his mind, and then said, "Just now Kaizi mentioned the medicinal fields outside the city. I'll also talk about the situation in the north of the city. The north of the city is very interesting."

"The north of the city used to be the government's headquarters. Below it were small gangs occupying a few streets, or at most a block. On top of the normal taxes, they collected protection fees and paid tribute to the government... Back then, it was difficult for our Shen family to get involved. But now, our Shen family and the Medicine King Gang are fighting, and the north of the city has become a battleground."

Qian Wende said, chuckling: "Now that the fighting has been going on, our Shen family and the Medicine King Gang haven't suffered any damage. Instead, those small gangs that occupied one or two streets, or even several streets, have been wiped out one after another. Now they have either defected to our Shen family or to the Medicine King Gang. The remaining small gangs won't be able to hold on for much longer."

"In my opinion, in a year or two at most, the north of the city will be dominated by our Shen family and the Medicine King Gang." 'Isn't this just the eldest and second in command fighting and killing the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth?' Zhuang Jin felt a sense of familiarity when he heard this.

"Those small gangs are backed by the government, so the government doesn't care?" Bi Kai asked.

"Why should we care?" Qian Wende asked in return, "No matter who it is, whether it's our Shen family or the Medicine King Gang, if they occupy the territory of those small gangs, they will get the share that should be given to the government."

Having said that, Zhuang Jin knew that under such circumstances, some of the hidden benefits of those under the government would still be lost.

"However, in a world of extraordinary power, the upper echelons of power are more resilient in suppressing those below them. Even if the interests of some people below them are infringed upon, it is difficult for them to retaliate."

"The government is allowing the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang to fight each other in the north of the city. I'm afraid it has something to do with the prefect! Perhaps they want to let the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang restrain each other, or in other words, let the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang fight more fiercely by releasing the fat piece of meat in the north of the city?" Zhuang Jin pondered secretly.

"How are things in other aspects?" Bi Kai asked.

"Hey, it's not bad. Most of the time I just deal with trivial matters on the streets. But there are benefits to it. It's just that I have less time for cultivation."

Qian Wende said this with an enviable look on his face: "Our team leader is the best! Not only do we not have to worry about these trivial matters, but we also get the biggest benefits... Oh, right, team leader can be a team leader at the third level. Brother Zhuang, are you almost there?"

"Not bad." Zhuang Jin didn't mention his own progress. Instead, he asked, "What does a team leader do? He can't just take the salary and benefits without doing any work, right?"

"That's impossible." Qian Wende shook his head repeatedly and explained, "Over here, the people who manage a street are the street guards. Under the street guards are three teams with three team leaders who are on night patrol. The three teams take turns, every three days. The team leaders are free the rest of the time and only need to go on night patrol. But that's when the danger comes. Those bastards from the Medicine King Gang will attack at night!"

"We encountered it once this month. Fortunately, we were prepared and discovered it in advance. We sent a signal and the enemy retreated."

"But, to be honest, there aren't that many sneak attacks like this."

Qian Wende said this, looking outwards, lowering his voice and saying, "Aren't there still some areas in the north of the city that haven't been occupied? It seems that our Shen family and the Medicine King Gang seem to have a tacit understanding to clear out the other small forces first."

"So, only the streets adjacent to our Shen family and the Medicine King Gang have more sneak attacks like this. You attack me, I attack you... Other places are much better."

At this time, Zhuang Jin suddenly asked, "Dezi, what realm is the street guardian of your street? Is it the Four Classics?"

"Yes, at the third level you can become a squad leader. I heard that at the fourth level you can become a street guard."

Qian Wende was very perceptive and realized what Zhuang Jin meant by this question. He added, "From what I've heard, our Shen family and the Medicine King Gang seem to have a tacit understanding in this regard. Those fighting in the north of the city are mostly members of the first and second rank classes, and some captains of the third rank class. The street guards rarely take action and basically just hold the line."

Zhuang Jin nodded when he heard this. After four months of self-selected tasks, he would probably be a seasoned warrior. By then, even if he was assigned to the north of the city, he would be at the level of guarding a street. In this way, his safety would be guaranteed.

……

(End of this chapter)