Gacha games can't save this bizarre world.

Zhao Hao was utterly baffled: "You're perfectly capable of running a lucrative business selling adult products, why don't you go and instead set your sights on this tiny... underground bestselling book industry! How could you be so pathetic?!"

Damn, these days even writing about the Imperial Uncle is getting attention?

In fact, selling face powder is a very profitable business in America, to the point that the competition is fierce.

Sure enough, this small group of Mo Du Ge (a type of yakuza) suffered a setback in the fierce competition, and their business was severely suppressed.

One of Zhao Hao's "loyal readers" thought of a brand new, promising, and blue ocean industry that he had seen in the last month or two!

This industry is great! It has a steady cash flow, growth potential, and it's not easily embezzled!

So they came up with the idea of ​​arresting the author, locking him in a dark room, holding a gun to the back of his head, and forcing him to publish the book!

In other words, Gou Quan was quite vigilant and ran away with the bucket immediately. If he had been caught by those drug dealers, they would have killed him without blinking an eye. They were far more ruthless than street gangs.

This isn't a huge deal, after all, it's just a small group selling drugs. If all else fails, they can always go through Colt and use official channels.

However, this incident reminded Zhao Hao of something. He remembered that after he helped the National Martial Arts Academy fight in the ring, Uncle Tie reminded him not to get involved in the affairs of the Red Gate and the Italians.

Is there some connection between them?

Zhao Hao couldn't figure it out, but that didn't matter. There was someone who probably knew something—that's right, it was Fatty!

------------

Chapter 103 The Red Gate and the Master Chef

Zhao Hao knew that Fatty had close ties with the Song people's gang on Amei's side. That gang was the Red Gate!

Zhao Hao borrowed the temple's phone to call Fatty: "Fatty, your brother Gou is being bullied, are you going to do anything about it?"

The fat man roared, "Who dares to bully my brother Gou?! I'll beat him to death!"

Zhao Hao: "They're a bunch of clueless drug dealers who bullied Fatty, your brother Gou. They have over a dozen guns!"

The fat man's voice seemed to come from near and then away: "Hey, hey, hey~ I can't hear you, the call quality is terrible~"

Okay, enough joking, let's get down to business.

The fat man asked what had happened, and Zhao Hao explained in detail.

Finally, he asked, "Fatty, what's this Song Dynasty gang, the Big Circle? Is it the Red Gate? Did they have a conflict with the Mafia before?"

The fat man clicked his tongue on the other end of the phone: "To tell you the truth, it's a long story—a child without a mother. Actually, the Song Dynasty gang and the Red Gate are two different things..."

The history of Hongmen is very long, and it is said that it can be traced back to 600 years ago!

Although we now know that the Song Dynasty lasted for a thousand years, those thousand years were not without its problems and setbacks.

Not to mention the various natural disasters that occurred during that time, the major changes caused by the spiritual energy tides in the inner world were all extremely violent natural disasters.

Let's talk about man-made disasters.

The Celestial Empire has always valued fortune and destiny, which is an overview of the direction of spiritual energy.

Although the Central Plains is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources, fortunes change!

After the Song Dynasty almost lost its capital to the Jin Dynasty, it faced two more major crises, both caused by invasions by foreign tribes.

First was the grasslands. At that time, so many heroes in the Central Plains were suppressed for a hundred years. It wasn't until the grassland kings and their grandsons died of old age and the grassland khanates split up that they were able to launch a counterattack and completely defeat the nomadic peoples of the grasslands.

Another one is the barbarian tribes outside the pass.

At that time, natural disasters and man-made calamities came together, internal traitors colluded with foreign invaders, and the old emperor died suddenly without leaving a will. Several princes and even vassal kings were restless... In a short time, the protective barrier of the nine provinces was destroyed, and the country was in ruins within a few months. The court even considered moving the capital.

Finally, Emperor Hongwu (Zhao Yuanzhang) rectified the chaos, defeated numerous rivals, withstood the pressure, first quelled the rebellion, and then launched a counterattack...

The earliest prototype of the Red Gate appeared six hundred years ago when it was resisting the invasion of the grasslands. It was an extraordinary organization formed by a large group of folk Qi cultivators, that is, extraordinary individuals, who fought a desperate battle against the grassland nomads who had obtained a century of fortune.

Later, when the barbarian tribes from beyond the Great Wall invaded, it once again seized the opportunity to develop vigorously, and had a very significant influence along the coast.

However, as the Song Dynasty gradually stabilized, many things became too powerful to manage. The Red Gate, which was no longer tolerated by the court, chose to cut its losses and develop overseas.

Over the past two or three hundred years, it has taken root in many countries and maintained close ties with the Song Dynasty court or royal family.

The so-called Song Dynasty gangs mentioned by Zhao Hao were mostly ordinary people's gangs located on the outskirts of the Red Gate.

These gangs naturally have very complex internal distinctions, and their intricate slang is like a foreign language.

However, to outsiders, these complex groups surrounding the Red Gate are referred to as a single entity called the "Big Circle."

Zhao Hao had heard Uncle Tie mention before that there were superhumans in the Red Gate, but he never expected it to be an old-fashioned organization of superhumans.

And it's quite prosperous, with many branches and sects.

He then asked, "What about the Red Gate and the Italian Mafia?"

The fat man picked his nose on the other end of the phone and replied, "What else could it be? It's a turf war!"

"Is the Red Gate, a superhuman organization, fighting the Mafia for territory?"

"Hey, don't get it now?" The fat man's voice on the phone was smug. "Who said the Mafia is just an ordinary gang? They started in Sicily, and some families even became the underground emperors of Italy. Could that be possible without superhuman support?"

Zhao Hao never expected that the Mafia would also have superhumans. Just imagine the scenes from *The Godfather*—what would it be like if *X-Men* or *The Avengers* were added?

No, no, no, Italy is close to the Pope... Could it be that "By the Holy Light, that territory is worth fighting for? Hallelujah!"

Zhao Hao: "I never imagined that nowadays, you can't even join a gang without a superhuman as your backer!"

The fat man scoffed, "Which of those organizations that have grown so large over a century ago doesn't have superhumans behind them? Even many of America's big tycoons and families have their own superhumans. It's just that superhumans have been stagnant for the past few hundred years. It's only in the last ten years, with the resurgence of psionic energy and everyone's lives improving, that they've become active again."

The fat man continued, "As for the Red Gate and the Mafia... two tigers cannot share one mountain! In recent decades, America has become more and more prosperous, and Liberty City has become more and more bustling. The Mafia and the Red Gate have always had minor conflicts, and they have been making a lot of money in recent years."

He whispered, "A while ago, the head of the Red Gate suddenly fell seriously ill and couldn't manage affairs, so those Italians started making trouble. On the surface world, it's not clear yet, at most it's just the two sides fighting, or sending gunmen to kill each other's representatives. But among the superhumans, the fighting is fierce! I've done several jobs for them!"

Zhao Hao asked curiously, "Fatty, what's your identity? Are you also from the Red Gate?"

The fat man shook his head on the other end of the phone: "No, not entirely, or rather, half?"

Zhao Hao: What? Only half? Where's the other half? Is it part of the Mafia?!

The fat man said, "I don't have much of a background; I'm kind of self-taught. But the path to transcendence has some connection to the Red Gate, and I also have good relationships with quite a few people there. I'll have to help you out!"

"The reason I was able to come to Ami was because a friend from the Red Gate pointed me in the right direction, and I've received a lot of help since then. Of course, even close brothers keep clear accounts, and I get paid for my work too~~~"

Zhao Hao satisfied his curiosity and began to think about how to survive.

"When will the Red Gate and the Mafia finally settle things? What about Gou Quan's side?"

The fat man said, "Well, it's hard to say. Originally, the Red Gate was stronger, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to keep the Italians in check. It's just that we like to hide our strength and don't show all our power. But now it's different. The old leader suddenly fell seriously ill, there's no one in charge of the gate, and the infighting is fierce... Now it's about evenly matched, and it's unlikely that there will be a result in the short term."

"But don't worry, this is a small matter. I'll find a trusted gang to report those Mo drug thugs. Ah Mei's police will take care of them!"

"Holy crap, you actually called the police? You have no sense of honor!"

"Bah! What's the point of talking about chivalry with people from the martial arts world?"

……

With the fat man taking on the job, Zhao Hao was finally relieved.

He told Gou Quan to stay in the temple for a few more days, and to come out only when Fatty called.

Just as he was about to leave, the Venerable Zhidian returned from begging for alms.

The monk Zhidian looked to be in his fifties or sixties, the kind of person who looks like an old man but is actually quite young.

He's definitely bald, but he doesn't have any scars on his head from quitting incense.

He was wearing a yellow patchwork robe that looked old and a bit dirty, a pair of cloth shoes with many layers of soles, and carrying a transparent bowl that looked like it was made of glass and a bamboo staff.

The Venerable Zhidian was very tall, over 1.9 meters, with a square face that gave him an air of authority, and his eyes were half-open, his expression quite calm.

However, if the person said they were going to beg for alms, why was there no food in the transparent bowl, but instead a handful of banknotes in their hand? It looked like at least two hundred dollars!

So being a monk is this popular in America? Buddhist communities are all one family!

“Amitabha Buddha~ Where does this benefactor come from?” Abbot Zhidian spoke, his voice loud yet deep, revealing a calm and serene quality.

Before Zhao Hao could answer, he continued, "It's alright, the reason is unimportant. Fate has led you here, and Buddha has made his own arrangements. Let's go to the main hall to pay our respects to Buddha and offer three sticks of incense!"

Gou Quan from the side hall rushed out: "Hey, Master Chef, this is my friend! The Zhao Hao I've been talking about all along!"

The head chef's expression changed. "Oh, I thought it was a sucker coming to my door! Never mind, I'm going to change my clothes." With that, he strode away.

What did I just hear? A fat sheep coming to the door?

Zhao Hao's expression: (°ー°〃).

Gou Quan whispered, "Be very polite when you talk to the master chef. He's extremely petty!"

At this moment, Zhao Hao was extremely worried that Gou Quan would be slammed against the wall and die, coughing up blood!

According to Gou Quan, Master Zhi Dian's fighting prowess is unparalleled.

Even after witnessing Zhao Hao's terrifying training, Gou Quan still believed that Zhao Hao was no match for him.

"In the beginning, the Fu Lu Temple was just being built in this area. You know what kind of place this is..."

"A street gang came to collect protection money, and the master chef easily dealt with them with one hand. Later, twenty-six burly, dark-skinned men arrived, along with several guns! He was beaten horribly! Twenty-five of the twenty-six men ended up in intensive care. And in the end, the master chef escaped punishment because of his religious affiliation..."

"After that, those people tried everything—arson! framing! sniping!—but the master chef dealt with them all with ease. In the end, they were genuinely afraid, and even began to idolize him. They were completely subdued!"

"There were even gang members who came to learn kung fu! In the end, they paid tuition and carried water for a year!"

Zhao Hao was puzzled, "They paid tuition but carried water for a year for nothing, and learned nothing? What are those people capable of?"

Gou Quan spread his hands: "If you haven't learned it, it means you're not sincere!"

Zhao Hao: ...That sounds familiar!

Gou Quan didn't forget to praise the Venerable Zhi Dian: "By the way, the Venerable Master's divination is very accurate. People often come to the temple to draw lots."

Zhao Hao became interested; he had just witnessed a method of prophecy before.

He asked, "Oh, what kind of magic is it?"

------------

Chapter 104 Broadway Snow

When Gou Quan heard Zhao Hao's question, he was beaming with pride and said, "Just yesterday, when I came here, I even ran into someone who came to the temple to fulfill a vow!"

"A young white man in his early twenties..."