Cui Renfu was completely dumbfounded as he looked at the blood and flesh scattered on the ground, his face ashen and his body trembling.
Luo Keji’s face revealed a meaningful expression, with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, he said, "Congratulations, you are now the new Gang Leader of the Cao Gang."
Cui Renfu slumped into a chair, feeling no joy in his heart, with a vacant expression on his face.
It wasn’t until a moment later that he gradually came to his senses, his face showing a stiff and miserable smile as he knelt down, pressing his forehead to the ground, and cried out sincerely, "Cui Renfu thanks the lord for his cultivation, promotion, and kindness, which I will never forget."
Luo Keji nodded and said with a faint smile, "I’ll give you one month to settle the matters of the eighteen water routes. If I hear any news about infighting in the Cao Gang after that, you will be the one held responsible."
Cui Renfu replied continuously, "This subordinate will keep it in mind, please rest assured, my lord."
Luo Keji didn’t bother to say more and went straight out.
Cui Renfu knelt and turned towards Luo Keji, watching him stride away with great swings of his gait.
The members of the Cao Gang felt an unease in their hearts, and as Luo Keji walked past them, they all knelt down on the ground as if by an unspoken agreement.
Fang Zhixing followed Luo Keji as he was leaving, and as he boarded the ship, he glanced back and saw all the members of the Cao Gang kneeling down, creating a dark and impressive scene.
The months-long internal strife of the Cao Gang had been quelled just like that.
Luo Keji, parachuting in, had cleanly and efficiently resolved all conflicts.
Violent and straightforward!
Without any dragging or delay!
The truth about how the old Gang Leader died didn’t really matter to Luo Keji.
The Cao Gang needed a Gang Leader, and he needed an obedient servant.
After all was said and done, the situation could be extremely complicated, or it could be...
That’s just how it was!
"Hmm, mission accomplished with perfection."
Luo Keji boarded the warship, facing the wind, and laughed wantonly to himself.
The fierce wind over the lake, carrying a faint scent of water plants, blew Luo Keji’s hair high, giving him an air of exuberant spirit.
"Set sail for the County!"
the warship quickly left Lianpeng Lake, entered a tributary, and then turned into the majestic Qingshui River.
Fang Zhixing quietly sat inside the cabin, with Xigou obediently lying beside him.
"Damn it, this Luo Kezhao is so capricious and inscrutable. It’s impossible to fathom his thoughts."
Xigou couldn’t help but exclaim.
Fang Zhixing curled his lip and replied, "I’m afraid, that’s precisely the modus operandi of an elite scion from a noble family."
Scions of noble families range from the foolish to the elite.
Luo Kezhao was the former, while Luo Keji was the latter.
Xigou was left tongue-tied and said speechlessly, "Luo Keji and his father Luo Peiyun are completely different in style.
Following Luo Peiyun, you could slack off at work, enjoy yourself and play without restraint.
But serving under Luo Keji, I’m afraid life would be difficult and fraught with hardships."
Fang Zhixing said with a grin, "Judging by Luo Keji’s behavior, he is someone who doesn’t care about the process and only seeks results.
Well, serving a leader with such a mentality, as long as we can provide him with the results he wants, he will most likely not interfere too much with the details."
Xigou retorted with wide eyes, "The problem is exactly that, Luo Keji’s mood is unpredictable, and it’s hard to know what kind of results he wants. One moment of carelessness, and you might offend him."
Fang Zhixing pondered in silence.
Suddenly, Wen Yulin peered into the cabin from outside and motioned with a wave, "The eldest young master is calling for you."
Fang Zhixing immediately perked up and left the cabin, following Wen Yulin.
In casual conversation, he asked offhandedly, "Brother Wen, are we almost at the County?"
Wen Yulin nodded, his response devoid of emotion, "Yes, we are about thirty or forty water routes away from the County."
Fang Zhixing understood and said no more.
He wasn’t very familiar with Wen Yulin and couldn’t have much of a conversation, so he left it at that.
Fang Zhixing quickly entered the command room and saluted, "The eldest young master summoned me, are there any orders?"
Luo Keji was lazing about, toying with a green apple in his hand, inhaling its aroma and said faintly, "A bit further ahead, about ten li from here, there’s a ’Yun Meng Manor’. Run over there and snap it up for me, don’t mind the cost."
Fang Zhixing accepted the order without hesitation.
Afterward, Luo Keji did not offer him any information about what Yun Meng Manor was, who its owner was, or why he wanted to buy the place.
Fang Zhixing chose not to inquire further and quickly left the command room.
Back in the cabin, he inquired among the people present.
To his surprise, not one person had heard of Yun Meng Manor.
Suddenly, the warship docked at the shore.
Fang Zhixing and Xigou disembarked.
Wen Yulin came over and reminded, "Brother Fang, after you buy Yun Meng Manor, wait there, the eldest young master will come over soon."
Fang Zhixing replied, "Understood."
The warship soon set off again, moving forward and gradually fading into the distance.
Seeing this, Xigou looked around with curiosity and suspicion, "Where is that manor, I don’t see it anywhere."
They were at the bank of Qingshui River, surrounded by a dense forest.
Before them lay a simple ferry crossing and a stone path that spread out into the depths of the forest.
Fang Zhixing’s gaze flickered, and he immediately followed the stone path forward, walking not more than three li before a slope appeared in front of him.
"Hey, there seems to be a mountain over there."
Xigou lifted his head and looked towards the top of the slope, where the corner of an eave peeked out through the foliage.