Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

"Hey, have you heard? Master Lin only has one hand, and with a snap, Song Mazi's arm was broken!" In the dilapidated teahouse, a man with a gap in his teeth spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he had witnessed it firsthand.

The old hand squatting nearby sneered, "That's all ancient history! Do you know who's in charge in the western part of the docks now? Even Master Zhang Biao has to be incredibly polite and give way to Third Master! He's practically splitting the shares in half!"

"Is it really that amazing?" someone leaned closer and whispered, "My cousin works as a laborer in the muddy fields, and he says that the line of people wanting to work for Third Master is so long it could stretch from Zuixianju to the docks!"

"Of course! With a master like that, even facing mountains of knives and seas of fire would be worthwhile!"

Such discussions quietly circulated in the shacks, gambling dens, and dilapidated teahouses of the "muddy land." Envy, awe, curiosity, and a touch of natural yearning for the strong stirred the minds of many men who were struggling at the bottom of society and saw no way out.

At the heart of all this, Lin Feng appeared unusually calm.

He took out money and let Liu Sandao and Hou Qi rent a small, semi-old courtyard house with a small yard in a relatively less chaotic area near the dock at the western end of "Muddy Hollow".

The courtyard wasn't large, with three main rooms, two wing rooms on the east and west sides, and a small backyard. The walls were high and the gates thick. Although dilapidated, with some tidying up, it would be secluded enough and large enough to house his current core team. Lin Feng named it "Sanheyuan" (Three-Courtyard House), meaning "favorable timing, advantageous location, and harmonious relationships"—understated yet revealing an unusual ambition.

He didn't launch a large-scale recruitment drive; instead, he had Liu Sandao and Hou Qi carefully select five more men from the previous group of local strongmen and those who had performed reasonably well the previous night. These were all young men who were quick-witted, agile, and had connections in the "Muddy Land" but few ties. With Liu Sandao, Hou Qi, "Mudfish," and "Iron Head" added to his repertoire, he now had about ten men he could use.

With manpower and a foothold secured, opportunities for wealth soon came knocking.

Manager Li of "Jinxiuge" beamed with smiles as he personally delivered the contract, his posture extremely humble: "Third Master, from now on, the safety of our shop on the waterways will depend entirely on you! This 'Peace Money'..."

Lin Feng didn't reply. The lean "Iron Abacus" stepped forward, his fingertips pointing at the contract details, his voice flat but authoritative: "Manager Li, take half the value, settled every ten days. The type and quantity of goods, and the time and place of handover, must be communicated one day in advance. Any objections?"

Shopkeeper Li, a bead of sweat on his forehead, glanced at the composed Lin Feng and nodded repeatedly, "No objection, no objection! Third Master's strict discipline is a blessing for Xiaohao!"

But that wasn't enough. Lin Feng's gaze drifted to the faint sounds of the dock's commotion outside the window.

"Brother Liu," he tapped the rough sketch on the table, "besides Zhang Biao, who else are the local bullies in the western part of the docks?"

Having spent years in the "Muddy Land," Liu Sandao knew the docks like the back of his hand. Pointing to the sketch, he explained, "The docks are divided into three sections: East, Central, and West. The East section is mainly for official ships and large merchant ships, controlled by the Grand Canal Administration and a few well-connected large merchant firms—it's impenetrable. The Central section is the most diverse, with cargo ships, passenger ships, and fishing boats—a melting pot of all sorts of people. The biggest power is the 'Grand Canal Gang,' which controls the porters, small-scale smuggling, and protection money collection. The West section is our 'Muddy Land,' the most chaotic, mostly small, dilapidated boats doing shady business. It used to be divided between Boss Biao and two other small factions, mainly collecting 'water fees' and transporting 'smuggled goods.'"

He paused, glanced at Lin Feng's expression, and continued, "The other two forces are: one is 'Water Rat' Chen Laizi, who has dozens of dilapidated boats and specializes in smuggling contraband at night. He's ruthless and vicious, but not a significant force. The other is 'Cross-River Dragon' Song Mazi, whom you injured at the dock. He's a leader of refugees from the north, with many thugs under his command. They've seized a small piece of territory in the western district and extort small merchants and fishing boats passing by, constantly clashing with Boss Biao."

Lin Feng pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Liu Sandao and Hou Qi: "Brother Liu, take two men and go talk to those unruly ones under Chen Laizi, especially the boat managers. Tell them that following that cowardly good-for-nothing Chen Laizi will lead nowhere. I, Lin San, am short of brothers who can run boats and dare to do so. The rules remain the same, but the income will be 30% higher than following Chen Laizi."

Divide and win over, and strike at the root of the problem!

A glint flashed in Liu Sandao's eyes, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Yes! Master Lin is brilliant!"

"Hou Qi," Lin Feng said, looking at the excited Hou Qi, "take 'Mudfish' and 'Iron Head' to find out what's going on with Song Mazi's 'Northern Men'."

Knowing yourself and the enemy is the only way to survive a hundred battles.

"Yes, Master Lin!" Hou Qi rubbed his hands together, eager to prove himself.

Liu Sandao and Hou Qi accepted the order and left, their steps carrying a swift and decisive air.

Lin Feng sat back down at the table, looking at the rudimentary sketch, his finger slowly tracing the western area. The western dock area, considered a "muddy swamp" by all sides, was, in his eyes, an excellent springboard and testing ground. Its chaos and lax management made it easy to hide and develop. Controlling it was tantamount to controlling the waterway's throat; it allowed him to either engage in the more profitable smuggling or ensure his own stability.

More importantly, he wanted to establish the true identity of "Third Master Lin" here! Not as a subordinate to Zhang Biao, but as a powerful figure that could be respected and even feared by various forces! Only in this way could he attract more capable people to join him, and accumulate enough capital and power to deal with truly behemoths like Zhou Wenyuan and the Prince of Qi!

In the following days, news kept coming in:

Lin Feng's offer and the strength he displayed greatly tempted these men who were already dissatisfied with the cowardly Chen Laizi. Although no one had openly defected yet, the secret exchanges and communication had already significantly reduced Chen Laizi's control over the ships.

Song Mazi has indeed become much wealthier lately, with his men enjoying constant feasting and even acquiring new weapons. Moreover, every two or three days, he secretly sends his trusted confidants by boat upstream, seemingly to retrieve something. A few nights ago, it seemed like he saw men resembling government troops near the dilapidated warehouse where Song Mazi was staying…

Government troops? Lin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. How could Song Mazi, a leader of a displaced people, be involved with government troops? Was it a coincidence, or... was there someone else behind Song Mazi? Thinking of the well-trained men in black who raided the docks at night, Lin Feng's mind was filled with doubts.

It seemed that the water at the dock was deeper and muddier than he had imagined.

That afternoon, the gatekeeper opened the door and brought in a middle-aged man dressed in a respectable silk robe, looking like a butler, but with a somewhat anxious expression.

"Master Lin! Master Lin! We've finally found you!" The steward bowed urgently to Lin Feng as soon as he entered, his voice filled with urgency. "My surname is Zhao, and I'm the manager of the 'Fu Rui Xiang' rice shop in the East City. My master has an urgent matter and would like to ask Master Lin for your assistance!"

"Fu Rui Xiang" Rice Shop? Lin Feng vaguely remembered it; it was one of the major rice merchants in the prefecture, with a sizable business and seemingly powerful connections. How did such a merchant end up with him, the newly minted "Third Master Lin" from this "muddy place"?

"Manager Zhao, there's no need for such formalities. What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?" Lin Feng gestured for him to sit down and talk.

Manager Zhao had no desire to sit and stood, urgently saying, "Master Lin, it's like this. My master transported a shipment of top-quality new rice from the south the day before yesterday, a full twenty boatloads, worth tens of thousands of taels! But the fleet was robbed by a group of river pirates near Black Stone Beach!"

"The bandits have sent a message demanding 50,000 taels of silver from my master. It must be delivered to the Dragon King Temple on the north bank of Black Stone Beach at midnight in three days to ransom the people and the boat. If they don't pay by then, they'll... they'll kill us and sink the ship!" Manager Zhao's voice trembled. "My master is frantic. If we report it to the authorities, the bandits might kill us, and they might even kill the rice if we delay too long. We've heard of your exceptional skills, Master Lin, and your formidable reputation at the docks. That's why we've sent this humble servant to ask you... could you possibly find a way to rescue the people and the boat? As for the reward, Master Lin will certainly not be shortchanged!"

Lin Feng pondered for a moment and said, "Manager Zhao, go back first and tell your master that I, Lin San, have taken on this deal."

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhao grasped at a lifeline, expressing his gratitude profusely. He left behind a five-hundred-tael silver note as a deposit, along with detailed information about the location of the robbery and the characteristics of the fleet, before hastily departing.

Lin Feng called Liu Sandao and Hou Qi over and explained the situation.

Then he paused, looking at the setting sun in the west, and said with unwavering resolve, "We're going to wade into these muddy waters! Not only will we rescue people and seize grain, but we'll also use this opportunity to show everyone in this prefecture, by land and water, that my name, 'Third Master Lin,' isn't just for show! Anyone who dares to lay a finger on my turf should be prepared to have their claws chopped off!"

Liu Sandao and Hou Qi were greatly encouraged and replied in unison, "Yes!"

A new storm is brewing on the river.