Martial arts immortality begins with upgrading buildings.

The announcement ended quickly.

Chen Qing stepped down from the platform and came to the Shangquan Gang members.

"Ah Qing, well done!"

Zhou Tao patted Chen Qing's strong arm, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.

Chen Qing nodded and smiled, then looked at the group of laborers from the Shangquan Gang and said solemnly, "From now on, I will not take a single penny of the wages earned by the Shangquan Gang; they will all belong to you."

"Ah Qing, how can you do this? If you don't take our money, how will you explain it to the Tongfu Gang?"

"Yes, we are already very satisfied with almost double the wages."

"Yes, we must not be treated specially."

The members of Shangquan Gang repeatedly waved their hands in refusal.

Chen Qing raised his hand to smother the flames and said in a deep voice, "Without your support, I wouldn't have been able to become a martial arts master so quickly. Now that I'm a leader, I can earn quite a bit. I'll cover the cost for you, no need to say anything more."

The crowd exchanged glances, and seeing Chen Qing's resolute tone that brooked no argument, they had no choice but to remain silent.

Chen Qing then looked at Zhou Tao and instructed, "Uncle Zhou, could you please go and find the leaders of the other groups? I have some things to tell them."

Zhou Tao nodded quickly and turned to leave.

Before long, he arrived before Chen Qing with several leaders of the Liugou Gang.

"Master Chen!"

The group quickly bowed and saluted, keeping their heads down and not daring to meet Chen Qing's gaze.

"Don't be nervous."

Chen Qing smiled and said, "I've invited you here for only two things."

His gaze swept over the group, and his voice deepened: "First, from today onwards, no bullying is allowed on the docks. You all need to keep an eye on your own men. If anyone dares to break the rules, don't blame me, Chen Qing, for being ruthless."

The leaders nodded repeatedly.

"Secondly, if anyone is bullied or encounters any trouble, they can come directly to Uncle Zhou, and he will relay the message to me."

Chen Qing glanced at everyone and said calmly, "From now on, Uncle Zhou will collect the dock's commission. All other rules will remain the same."

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, we will definitely do as you say!"

The leader of the Liugou gang took the lead in expressing his opinion, and the others echoed his sentiments.

Chen Qing turned to Zhou Tao and said sincerely, "Uncle Zhou, I'd appreciate it if you could help me collect the commission from now on."

Zhou Tao felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

He understood that this was Chen Qing's trust in and respect for him.

Entrusting him with the task of collecting commissions is tantamount to making him Chen Qing's spokesperson at the docks.

From then on, everyone at the docks treated him with great respect.

Zhou Tao was just a leader of the Shangquan Gang, a mere laborer, and he never dreamed he would have such a high position.

"Aqing, don't worry, I will definitely handle this matter well."

Zhou Tao nodded vigorously, his voice slightly choked.

The leaders tactfully took their leave.

Chen Qing then called over Da Niu and several of his childhood friends and instructed them, "From now on, you'll be supervisors at the docks, overseeing the loading and unloading work. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, come find me."

"Don't worry, Brother Qing, we'll definitely get this done!"

Da Niu and his friends were so excited that their faces turned red, and they patted their chests to assure him.

Chen Qing patted Da Niu on the shoulder, then said to Zhou Tao, "Uncle Zhou, come with me to Fu Man Lou. Steward Zhao is still waiting. We'll have a meal with some merchants at the dock later to finalize the dock rental."

Zhou Tao was taken aback for a moment, then followed.

Fu Man Lou is the best restaurant on the dock. Zhao Hai had already arrived in a private room on the second floor.

There were also seven or eight big merchants sitting at the table who transported goods in Micangdu.

Chen Qing led Zhou Tao to a seat, and Zhao Hai got straight to the point, discussing dock rentals with the businessmen.

To put it bluntly, it's protection money.

Chen Qing didn't say much, just listened from the side.

Zhao Hai offered a price even lower than during the Yihe Gang era, and the merchants were all overjoyed and readily accepted it.

"Mr. Chen is young and promising. With you in charge of Micangdu in the future, we can do business with peace of mind."

As they left, the businessmen present all raised their glasses to toast Chen Qing.

Chen Qing toasted back with tea instead of wine.

With the matter at the dock settled, Chen Qing bid farewell to Zhao Hai and Zhou Tao and headed into the city alone.

They quickly arrived at the courtyard of the Wuji Boxing Club.

"Hello, Senior Brother Chen!"

"Senior Brother Chen is here?"

As Chen Qing stepped into the outer courtyard, the apprentices all greeted him warmly.

Chen Qing nodded in response, without stopping.

Ever since he broke through to the Martial Master level and entered the sect, the attitude of the outer academy students towards him has completely changed.

From initial disdain and isolation to current awe and fawning.

This is precisely the change brought about by overwhelming power.

"Junior Brother Chen, why are you only arriving now?"

Guo Hong stepped forward, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Some personal matters took up my time."

Chen Qing replied.

"I'll take you to the inner courtyard."

Guo Hong didn't ask any further questions and turned to lead the way.

The two walked along the covered walkway and soon heard shouts coming from inside.

The inner courtyard was much more spacious than the outer courtyard, with blue bricks paving the ground. Weapon racks were filled with knives, spears, halberds, and swords, and several disciples were practicing their boxing techniques in the courtyard.

Upon seeing a newcomer enter, the inner courtyard disciples all stopped what they were doing and curiously looked at Chen Qing.

"Is this the new guy?"

"That's him, the one with inferior aptitude who broke through in forty days."

The crowd's eyes swept over Chen Qing, some with curiosity, some with scrutiny.

In the crowd, Shen Yifei glanced at Chen Qing, his face showing undisguised disgust.

A tall woman beside him noticed his expression and asked in a low voice, "Junior Brother Shen, do you have a grudge against this person?"

"He's just a piece of trash with inferior aptitude; I don't really have any dealings with him."

Shen Yifei shook his head, a hint of disdain in his smile.

The sound wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of several disciples nearby.

They exchanged a glance, and when they looked at Chen Qing again, their gazes held a different meaning.

Since Shen Yifei was dissatisfied with this newcomer, they naturally had to keep their distance.

After all, Shen Yifei has superior physical constitution and outstanding talent, making him the disciple in the inner academy with the best chance of breaking through to the external strength level.

His father was the captain of the county garrison, and his family was very prominent.

No one wanted to offend Shen Yifei for the sake of a mediocre talent with inferior potential.

Chen Qing had no idea what these people were thinking. He and Guo Hong walked all the way to an old locust tree.

Hong Zhenbang was resting with his eyes closed, gently rocking back and forth in a rocking chair.

"Master, Chen Qing has arrived."

Guo Hong said softly.

Hong Zhenbang opened his eyes, glanced at Chen Qing, and said in a flat tone with a hint of dissatisfaction, "You've only just entered the inner courtyard, and you're already so lazy. What kind of future do you have?"

Chen Qing stood quietly without offering any explanation.

Seeing that Guo Hong's attitude was upright, Hong Zhenbang's expression softened slightly, and he waved his hand to signal Guo Hong to step down.

"Once you enter the martial arts world, you become a formal disciple of the Wuji Fist Society. When you're out in the world, you represent the face of Wuji Fist. There's a saying you need to keep in mind."

Hong Zhenbang slowly stood up, hands behind his back, and said in a deep voice, "Disciples of Wuji Fist must have backbone when they're out in the world. If you encounter trouble and are in the wrong, it's not shameful to take a step back. If you are in the right, then fight back with your fists. If you can't win, come back and talk to me!"

"This disciple has remembered."

Chen Qing nodded in agreement.

"The outer courtyard teaches you to build a foundation and nourish your qi and blood. Once you enter the inner courtyard, I will teach you the true art of killing!"

Hong Zhenbang's gaze sharpened, and a murderous intent suddenly flashed in his eyes.