Free Web NovelChapter 371: Chapter 213: Meeting an Old Acquaintance
Cheng Guanghai returned to the underground tunnel and had the Mole Beast continue its work.
Meanwhile, Cheng Zongyang remained in the tunnel, discussing matters with his father.
The central transfer plaza in the tunnel network spanned roughly a third of an acre. In the future, it would serve not only as a hub for transporting goods but also as a storage area. It would take a few more days to finish, but the main access tunnels were already operational.
Of course, they still had to install tunnel gates and arrange the Geomagnetic Stones.
This would ensure that only their own people could use the tunnels to get in and out.
It was already nighttime when Cheng Zongyang and Zhou Zhendong returned to the County Town.
From now on, Cheng Zongyang planned to bring Zhou Zhendong along for everything, as he needed him to start making contact with certain people.
「The Celestial Break Gang.」
Cheng Zongyang sought out Li Xian.
"Zhendong told me the rescue was successful because a child from the gang warned you in time. Do you know who he is?"
Li Xian, who was in the middle of handling gang business, looked up and smiled.
"It was Ye Shaoning. The Gang Leader already rewarded him with a courtyard home, grain, and money. We didn’t make any arrangements for his Martial Arts training, as you already had plans for him. He’s the one who saved the Gang Leader’s life. If he hadn’t delivered the message, Cheng Yuanli and the others wouldn’t have arrived in time to save him."
"I see," Cheng Zongyang said. "Where is he now?"
"He should be at home right now," Li Xian replied. "He’s still just a boy, so he lives with his family."
"Alright."
Cheng Zongyang nodded and left the Celestial Break Gang’s headquarters.
After leaving, Cheng Zongyang said to Zhou Zhendong,
"That Ye Shaoning is a sharp kid, very clever. His aptitude for Martial Arts isn’t what’s important to us. I’m planning to have you take him on. Teach him Martial Arts until he reaches Entry Grade, and for the rest of his time, we’ll arrange for a tutor to educate him."
Zhou Zhendong looked puzzled. "You have a specific use for him?"
He knew Cheng Zongyang’s methods well. There was always a purpose behind his actions; he never made arrangements like this without a reason.
Cheng Zongyang gave a slight nod and continued as they walked, "He’s young, clever, and competent. I intend for him to gather all the orphans—not just from Jade Peak County, but eventually from the surrounding towns, neighboring county towns, and even other counties."
"That way, you can step back from that task, and he can be responsible for the orphans. I’m going to establish a secret intelligence network, and I’ll have Zongliang make contact with him as well." freewebnσvel.cøm
"Of course, this is a long-term plan, not something that will happen overnight. Building up their strength and knowledge will take time. That’s why Ye Shaoning’s development is crucial. In addition, this will give the family a way to scout for promising new talent."
Hearing this, Zhou Zhendong understood the implications and what needed to be arranged. "Not a problem," he replied. "How many resources should we allocate to his training?"
Cheng Zongyang thought for a moment. "Make contact with him first. You can decide the details. The boy is focused on getting his parents medical treatment, prioritizing that and his training over money. That shows he’s strong-willed and devoted to his family. People like that aren’t the type to be ungrateful; we can invest in him without worry. We’ll just bring his parents to live in our village in the future."
"Done! I’ll personally arrange it," Zhou Zhendong agreed at once, knowing exactly what to do.
Over the next few days, Cheng Zongyang took Zhou Zhendong to visit the Xu, Qiu, and Ding Families in turn, introducing him to each of them.
He also expressed his gratitude to Ding Wu for intercepting He Shujun. As a reward, he gave him a bottle of Red Blood Pills, explaining their effects, and promised deeper cooperation with the Ding Family in the future.
This convinced Ding Wu that his decision to intercept He Shujun had been the right one. All the promised benefits were now materializing, and he was deeply grateful.
’At least one thing is certain,’ he thought, ’the Ding Family’s position is secure!’ ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
’Of course, that’s as long as I stay out of trouble and don’t make any waves.’
On the morning of the twentieth, Cheng Zongyang took Zhou Zhendong to visit Li Mingxin.
Li Mingxin hadn’t contacted him in the past few days, nor had he made any moves regarding the operative’s disappearance. It was as if nothing had happened.
If the captive, He Shujun, hadn’t admitted to being from the Li Courtyard, Cheng Zongyang would have assumed he was just an operative from some other power, or perhaps a lone rogue.
Since the other party didn’t mention it, Cheng Zongyang naturally feigned ignorance.
Before his visit, the Xu, Qiu, and Ding Families had all come to see Li Mingxin. Having replaced the previous families and expanded their territories, they were naturally expected to pay double the tribute.
Cheng Zongyang’s visit was intended to gauge Li Mingxin’s current stance, convey his own position, and make Li Mingxin aware of Zhou Zhendong’s existence.
Unsurprisingly, Li Mingxin’s attitude remained unchanged. The tribute from West City would stay the same. After all, Cheng Zongyang’s territory hadn’t expanded; the other three families were the ones who had grown.
As far as Li Mingxin was concerned, as long as the tributes kept coming, he didn’t care how the other factions arranged themselves.
After Cheng Zongyang and Zhou Zhendong left, Li Tonghua asked,
"Why didn’t you demand the man back? Wei Ming is a rare talent."
Li Mingxin replied calmly, "He’s not a talent if he gets caught. That’s just his fate. Given Cheng Zongyang’s methods and temperament, he surely guessed we were the ones who sent him."
"Since he didn’t press the issue, didn’t bring it up himself, and even came to pay his respects today, he’s showing that he will abide by my rules. He’s making it clear he wants to treat this as if it never happened. Therefore, we don’t need to concern ourselves with it."
Li Tonghua didn’t understand this approach. The Li Family had no reason to be wary of a minor family; getting them to do something should only take a single word.
But seeing Li Mingxin close his eyes to rest, he swallowed the words he was about to say.
