Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

Early on the third day.

Inside the old shipyard in the west of the city.

Three black boats were steadily moored on the water.

The ship's hull, which is over two zhang long, has extremely clean lines.

The boat is painted with a dark gray matte paint, blending into the river's color from a distance. If it were to hide in the reeds, even an old boatman who has spent half his life on the river would have difficulty spotting it.

The iron ram at the bow gleamed coldly in the sun, and a Maxim heavy machine gun with a gleaming barrel was mounted in front of the deck.

Early this morning.

It was just delivered by the Governor's Office.

Dozens of boxes of bullets were also delivered.

"Great ship!"

The Sea Dragon Gang brothers standing on the shore cheered.

The leader was Zhou Lang, the head of the second branch.

This man was originally a boatman on the river, spent a few years among river bandits, and was later conscripted into the navy.

His swimming and marksmanship are both exceptional.

For this first trip across the river today, Lin Ji appointed him to lead the team.

"Is everything ready?" Shen Jinluan stood on the earthen slope by the shore, wearing a red cheongsam that fluttered in the wind.

"Ready!" Zhou Lang responded loudly.

Lin Ji stood beside Shen Jinluan, disguised as someone inconspicuous.

Ten ships were built yesterday, and that evening Chen Tianze personally went to the Haijiao Gang to complain about the bandits disturbing the people, asking Lin Ji to come up with a solution.

He readily agreed.

It'll be a good opportunity to see just how good these brothers from the Sea Dragon Gang really are.

"Let's go," Lin Ji said calmly.

With a wave of his hand, Zhou Lang sent twenty brothers jumping onto the boat one by one.

The boat dipped slightly before steadily moving forward, its bow cleaving through the river and splashing white spray, heading towards the downstream waters frequented by river bandits.

"Old man, is everything alright this time?" Shen Jinluan turned to look at Lin Ji, her tone filled with anticipation.

"No problem." Lin Ji smiled and looked at the distant waves.

After an hour's journey, the boat arrived at Wild Chicken Bay downstream.

This place has a winding river with lots of reeds, and has always been a hideout for river bandits.

Countless merchant ships passing by were robbed on ordinary days. The government's navy was disorganized and unable to control this area. Over time, it became the domain of river pirates.

When the bandits' sentry boats saw only three boats approaching, they assumed they were easy prey.

Shouting and yelling, they pushed three or four small sampans out of the reeds.

The pirates on the boat all carried knives, their faces etched with the marks of wind and sun, looking fierce and menacing.

"Stop the boat! Pay up and we'll let you pass!" The leader of the bandits raised his dagger and spoke in a hoarse voice.

Zhou Lang stood at the bow of the ship, sneered, and waved his hand: "Attack!"

"Da da da da—"

The Maxim machine gun roared instantly, spitting fire and raining down bullets.

The two sampans at the front were shot through on the spot, and the pirates fell into the water like dumplings being dropped into a pot, their blood instantly staining a patch of the river red.

The remaining bandits were completely bewildered.

They've been robbing and plundering for so many years, and they've never seen such fierce firepower!

This is no merchant ship, it's a government warship!

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" the bandit leader yelled, and was about to disappear into the reeds.

But it was too late.

With a wave of his hand, Zhou Lang sent the boat crashing directly into the bandit leader.

The iron ram at the bow slammed into the sampan with a loud crash, smashing the small sampan to pieces.

"Go!" Zhou Lang shouted, and the twenty brothers drew their short-handled knives and jumped over the ship's side.

The thirteen short-handled blades were unleashed with swift and ruthless speed, each strike aimed at joints and vital points.

These bandits were a disorganized rabble and no match for the group. They screamed in agony and were wiped out in no time.

It took less than an hour from leaving the cabin to annihilating the enemy before the gunboat turned back.

The head of a bandit leader was hanging on the side of the ship, and the cabin was piled high with captured opium, silver dollars, grain and cloth, so much so that the ship was drafted several feet deeper.

When the boat docked, a large crowd of people had already gathered on the shore.

They were all fishermen and boatmen along the coast, who had suffered at the hands of river bandits for many years.

Upon seeing the bandits wiped out and their heads displayed, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Many boatmen who had been sailing for years bowed repeatedly to the hull of the boat, murmuring their thanks.

"Well done!"

"Thanks a lot to the guys from the Sea Dragon Gang!"

"That's great! We don't have to be afraid of sailing anymore!"

Cheers rose and fell, and the river breeze carried the sounds of thanks far and wide, reaching the ears of the men on the boat, whose upper bodies were tattooed with ferocious dragons.

No one mentions the Sea Dragon Gang's past practice of collecting protection money anymore.

These days, anyone who can keep the area safe is considered a good person.

The news quickly reached the governor's mansion.

Chen Tianze looked at the account book that had been handed over. The stolen goods he had seized amounted to almost half a year's worth of military pay.

He slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter.

"Excellent! Excellent Lin Ji! Excellent Haijiao Gang! This is practically a godsend delivered to our doorstep!"

He paced around the study with his hands behind his back, feeling increasingly pleased with himself.

The military pay hole that had been weighing on my mind for more than half a year was finally filled!

They also have the funds to deal with the troops coming from the north.

……

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Tsing Yi Gang.

Shen Jinluan sat on the armchair, legs crossed, slowly puffing on her jade pipe, exhaling smoke rings that floated in mid-air.

Her eyes and brows were bright and beautiful, yet she carried an oppressive aura of someone who had long held a high position, making Du Qingyi feel uneasy.

This woman is no longer the "Madam" of the Sea Serpent Gang who needed to depend on men.

"Chief Shen is truly a heroine among women," Du Qingyi said with a smile, offering her compliments.

"In just a few days, the river bandits have been wiped out, and even the governor's mansion is praising you."

He cursed under his breath.

Ever since this woman hooked up with Lin Ji and got in touch with the governor's mansion, she's been swaggering.

Previously, the Haijiao Gang and the Qingyi Gang could divide Jiangcheng equally, but now, the latter, under the banner of the government, are in charge of business on the river, and their power is about to surpass ours.

"Chief Du is joking." Shen Jinluan flicked her cigarette ash and smiled faintly.

"It's all for the people of Jiangcheng."

Du Qingyi's eyes darted around, she leaned forward, and lowered her voice:

"But Chief Shen, we're all from江湖 (jianghu) gangs, and getting so close to the government... Besides, you're Mr. Lin's wife. Aren't you afraid of what your fellow江湖 (jianghu) members will say?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jinluan glanced at him, her peach blossom eyes filled with a hint of mockery.

"Chief Du should worry about his own affairs," Shen Jinluan said, twirling her pipe in her hand.

"Recently, there have been more and more homeless people in the city, and the shops in the south of the city have been in trouble several times. Your area is crowded and noisy, so you'd better keep a close eye on it."

Du Qingyi's smile froze.

He has indeed been having a headache lately because of the issue of refugees.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a rebuttal for a long time.

Shen Jinluan watched him suffer a setback, a faint smile playing on her lips, and slowly took another drag of her cigarette.