Martial arts immortality begins with upgrading buildings.

"I really misjudged him. That young man is so young, yet he has already figured out the ways of the porter business. He does have some talent."

Among the crowd, a hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the dignified old man.

"Uncle Li, what is the secret?"

The young master standing to the side asked with a face full of curiosity.

"As the saying goes, there are 360 ​​professions, and every profession can produce an expert. Every profession has its own way of doing things, and if you enter the field, you can master some special skills that others do not have."

Like the tomb raiders, who can locate burial sites and find the dragon veins. Like the paper craftsmen, who can control paper figures with a single stroke. Like the monks and Taoist priests, who can draw talismans and chant incantations to exorcise evil spirits. And like me, a martial artist, who can temper my body and break through all laws with my strength!

Although being a porter is a lowly profession, if you truly master it, you can be far more capable than the average person.

That pockmarked man was just a half-baked martial artist who hadn't even entered the gates. He died at the hands of a skilled porter because of his carelessness; it wasn't too unjust!

The old man stroked his beard and spoke slowly.

"So that guy is really that skilled. I was just worrying unnecessarily."

The young master chuckled softly, his gaze fixed on Chen Qing's figure.

A moment later, his face turned slightly pale, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"Young Master, are you alright?"

The old man asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just an old problem."

The young master shook his head, a hint of interest in his eyes. "My father sent me to study in the West, majoring in finance. Today, I've come across a promising stock, so I'll make an investment in it."

After saying that, he strode towards Chen Qing.

......

"Good lad! You've really figured out the ropes of this business?"

Zhou Tao's voice trembled as he asked, his face filled with disbelief.

"I do possess a special ability, which is why I was able to kick Zhang Mazi to death with one kick."

Chen Qing nodded in agreement, her voice tinged with undisguised exhaustion.

At this moment, he was so weak that he had no strength to launch a second attack. Fortunately, Zhang Mazi was kicked to death, so there was no need to finish him off.

He also had a kitchen knife hidden on him, just in case.

Fights at the docks often result in accidental deaths, and these incidents are usually handled by the respective gangs themselves, with the police rarely getting involved.

A laborer's life is worthless; once he dies, he's gone, and the gang won't bother to care.

But once a knife is used, the nature of the crime changes completely; it becomes premeditated murder.

If the police get involved, it could be a big problem.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly and the worst-case scenario did not occur.

Seeing that Chen Qing's face was pale, Zhou Tao thought he was frightened because it was his first time killing someone, so he quickly ordered the other laborers to help him up.

He then squatted down and began to carefully search Zhang Mazi's body.

Soon, he pulled a bulging cloth bag from Zhang Mazi's arms, which was full of ten-cash copper coins, the management fee he had collected from the laborers that morning.

Immediately afterwards, he took out five silver dollars from a hidden pocket at his waist.

Only after thoroughly searching Zhang Mazi's body and confirming that there were no other belongings did Zhou Tao stand up and order the laborers of the Shangquan Gang, "Drown Zhang Mazi's body in the river and clean it up properly."

Several experienced older laborers immediately stepped forward and skillfully began to dispose of Zhang Mazi's body.

Zhou Tao then walked up to Chen Qing, handed him the five silver dollars and a bag of copper coins, and said, "..."

"These five silver dollars are Zhang Mazi's private property. You can keep them. This bag of copper coins is the management fee he collected. You can't touch it. It has to be handed over to Master Qin for disposal."

"I see."

Chen Qing nodded, taking only the five silver dollars but not the bag of copper coins, his tone tinged with disgust, "Uncle Zhou, please give this money to Master Qin."

In his mind, these copper coins should have been returned to the hard-working laborers.

Everyone is struggling to survive at the bottom of society, shedding countless drops of blood and sweat to earn this meager income. They should not be exploited like this.

But in this day and age, people at the bottom of society have no human rights whatsoever. He is now powerless and has no ability to change anything, so he can only go with the flow for the time being.

As for people like Qin Gen who bully the weak and exploit laborers, he despised them from the bottom of his heart and disdained to associate with them.

"Okay, I'll handle this. You go back and get some rest and recharge."

Zhou Tao nodded, a smile hard to hide on his face.

Chen Qing killed Zhang Mazi, and the Qilu Gang could no longer stay at the dock. The steamship of the Daxing Trading Company returned to the hands of the Shangquan Gang, and everyone's livelihood was finally guaranteed.

"Okay, thank you for your help, Uncle Zhou."

Chen Qing thanked him wearily.

The image of Zhang Mazi's scarlet and pale face as he breathed his last flashed involuntarily into his mind, and his stomach churned. He gritted his teeth and forced himself not to vomit.

This was his first time killing someone. After the initial ferocity subsided, a strange sense of panic suddenly welled up in his chest.

Despite the sweltering heat, he felt icy cold all over, as if he had been thrown into a bone-chilling ice cellar.

He doesn't want to do anything right now, he just wants to go back to his shack and get some sleep. Maybe when he wakes up, all of this will be over.

Chen Qing refused Da Niu and the others' help and walked slowly towards the shack alone.

He hadn't walked far when he saw two figures, one old and one young, walking towards him.

The young man was dressed in a luxurious suit, while the old man wore a brocade robe; they were clearly wealthy and noble.

"Hello, sir. Let me introduce myself. My name is Song Zheming, and I am the young master of Daxing Trading Company."

The young man in the suit extended his hand and introduced himself with a warm smile.

"My name is Chen Qing."

Chen Qing subconsciously reached out and shook his hand, her eyes full of confusion.

How could someone like me, a lowly laborer, be approached by someone like him?

"I just witnessed your remarkable skills; you've already mastered the art of portering. I have high hopes for your future and would like to make an investment in you."

Song Zheming got straight to the point. Fearing that Chen Qing might not understand the word "investment," he explained, "To put it simply, it means I'll give you some money or do you a favor, and when you're able to do it in the future, you can pay me back double."

"I understand. May I ask how much money Young Master Song is willing to invest? And how much will he require to repay in the future?"

Chen Qing's eyes lit up, and even the biting coldness in his heart was mostly dispelled.

Is this a case of a thoroughbred horse meeting a discerning eye?

"No need to be so polite. I'm probably a few years older than you. Just call me Brother Song."

Song Zheming waved his hand and said with a smile, "Rather than giving you money directly, I'd rather give you a skill. I wonder if you're interested in learning martial arts?"

The business he's doing now requires more than just money; it also needs strong military support.

He never lacked money, and he had ordinary military support, but what he lacked was top-notch military force that could sweep away everything.

Investing in Chen Qing was just one of the few bets he casually placed, and he didn't have high expectations for it.

"Of course! Brother Song, can you help me learn martial arts?"

A look of anticipation appeared in Chen Qing's eyes.

"I can introduce you to a martial arts training program. You just need to register, and I'll take care of everything else."

Song Zheming nodded with a smile.

"Thank you so much, Brother Song! May I ask which connection you have?"

Chen Qing quickly asked.

"Go to No. 18 Baoshan Street in the south of the city tomorrow and just give me my name."

Song Zheming said slowly.