Free Web NovelChapter 108: Chapter 107: Power, Wealth, Arts, and Martial: Young Master Zhang
The entire tabloid was filled with stories hyping up Fu Juemin’s performance at the Hualin Restaurant banquet seven days prior.
It described him as dashing and elegant, arrogant and domineering, and told of how he stunned the entire room with a single palm strike.
This was followed by all sorts of speculation about his identity and origins. Some said he was Madam Ding’s illegitimate son, fostered by another family before she made her fortune. Back then, with the chaos of constant gang warfare, it wasn’t safe to reveal his identity. Now that the situation had stabilized, she had brought him back to personally groom him.
Others claimed he was the posthumous son of the late Qinglian Gang elder from the "Wan" generation—the very man who had promoted Madam Ding. Now, she was installing him to take over the gang.
Still others said he was the illegitimate son of Mayor Wen Zhiqiu. Having just returned from studying abroad with nowhere to go, he was entrusted to the care of the mayor’s close female confidante, Madam Ding.
Reading the various rumors left Fu Juemin speechless. ’How utterly absurd.’
After all, Madam Ding Moshan’s rise from nothing in the vast city of Shenghai to her current monumental success was already the stuff of legend.
The sudden appearance of a mysterious "close nephew" naturally piqued everyone’s curiosity and appetite for gossip.
"Aren’t they afraid of someone burning their office down..."
Fu Juemin put down the tabloid and instructed Big Cat, "I’m not interested in this kind of thing. Don’t bother showing it to me next time."
To his surprise, Big Cat replied calmly, "Madam left this paper for you. She said that with your intelligence, Young Master, you should be able to see what she’s trying to tell you."
Fu Juemin froze for a moment, then picked up the tabloid to examine it again.
After reading it through again, Fu Juemin seemed to understand something. He said thoughtfully, "The Four Young Masters of Shenghai... Who are the other three?"
"There are four, to be exact."
Big Cat, as if he had been waiting for this question, began to explain slowly, "Shenghai has always spoken of the ’Four Young Masters’—representing power, wealth, culture, and martial arts. They are considered the four most prominent figures of the younger generation.
"Young Master Quan, Luo Chengying. His father is Luo Zhengxiong, the Commander-in-Chief of the Jianghai Defense Command. He commands tens of thousands of elite troops and is the only person in Shenghai that even Mayor Wen Zhiqiu must treat with caution.
"Young Master Cai, Shen Yijun. His father, Shen Chongshan, is the Chief Director for China of the International Trading Company and the President of the Huazong Chamber of Commerce..."
Big Cat paused before continuing, "The Shen Family has always been a prominent family in Jiangnan. Shen Chongshan is considered the core representative of the Jiangnan financial clique in Shenghai.
"Although this Shen Yijun is not the legitimate heir—just the son of a concubine—he is the leader of the Shen Family’s younger generation."
"...Young Master Wen, Chen Qingyuan, courtesy name Yuebai. His father, Chen Huaijin, is the current president of the *Xin Republic Daily*. He also controls several other newspapers like the *Xilin Times* and the *Chunshen Daily*. He has immense prestige in literary circles and is considered the mouthpiece for the current Xin Republic’s Government..."
"As for the Young Master Wu that you displaced..."
Big Cat said, "This one’s background is relatively ordinary. His name is Zhao Tianpeng. His father, Zhao Jigang, is the current president of the Shenghai Martial Dao Association, with numerous escort agencies and martial arts halls under his name. In his youth, he won the title of ’Shenghai Martial Champion’ for one season.
"Oh, and Zhao Jigang’s first wife originally came from our Qinglian Gang’s canal transport operations. But now... that side of the family doesn’t really acknowledge the connection anymore."
"Culture, Martial Arts, Power, Wealth..."
Fu Juemin’s knuckles tapped lightly on his knee as he muttered to himself.
"It’s Power, Wealth, Culture, and Martial Arts."
Big Cat corrected him.
"So they’re ranked."
Fu Juemin nodded, then immediately asked, "Then where do I rank now among these so-called Four Young Masters of Shenghai?"
Big Cat replied, "Third. After Power and Wealth, but before Culture and Martial Arts."
’It seems Aunt Ding’s power in Shenghai is truly extraordinary, enough to place me above the sons of the government’s mouthpiece and the President of the Martial Dao Association.’
’It made sense,’ he thought. ’Setting aside her position in the Qinglian Gang, her close relationship with Mayor Wen alone puts her leagues above most others.’
It was just that she previously had no heir to represent her, so she wasn’t a factor in the rankings.
Ding Zhao’an, the one Fu Juemin had sent flying with a slap at the Hualin Restaurant, was merely an adopted son. And what was an adopted son worth? Which big shot in Shenghai didn’t have a few of them? Even his own Second Uncle, Fu Guoping, had taken an adopted son back in the day.
In this day and age, adopted sons were the most worthless. An adopted son who couldn’t prove his worth was simply expendable.
"So what is Aunt Ding’s intention here?"
Fu Juemin looked at the large words "Four New Young Masters of Shenghai" on the tabloid and asked calmly, "Does she want me to take the initiative and integrate into this circle?"
Big Cat shook his head. "Madam’s exact words were: If you can integrate into it, Young Master, she won’t stop you. If you don’t want to get involved, then you don’t need to pay it any mind."
"I understand."
Fu Juemin nodded slowly. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he asked, "Power, Wealth, Culture, and Martial Arts each have their own moniker. Now that I’m one of the Four New Young Masters of Shenghai, what do people call me?"
"Young Master Qing, Young Master Ling, and also..."
Big Cat paused, then said, "Young Master Zhang."
"Just because I slapped Ding Zhao’an at Hualin?!"
Fu Juemin was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing.
「Fifteen minutes later.」
Fu Juemin had changed into a well-fitting suit and was walking out of Ink Garden, flanked by Big Cat and Kitty.
His father, Fu Guosheng, had recently been busy with the new shop on Southern Country North Road. It seemed he had once again found a purpose for the second half of his life.
As for the others, Xu Xinyi was staying with Lin Wanrong, and they would probably move in here after a while. Li Tong’s situation, however, was less certain...
Lost in thought, he arrived at the entrance to Ink Garden before he knew it.
On a large, flat clearing stood four brand-new, luxurious black sedans.
Dozens of Qinglian Gang men, with pistols tucked at their waists, stood at attention by the cars. Upon seeing Fu Juemin, they bowed in unison. "Greetings, Young Master!"
The wave of sound startled the roosting birds in the garden. Fu Juemin stared at the grand spectacle before him, his mind momentarily drifting.
He recalled his time on the Luan River, and his first days in Shenghai, feeling that the turns of a person’s fate were truly as unpredictable as the rising and falling of the tide.
"Shenghai, the Magic City... Magic City, Magic City..."
He couldn’t help but whisper, "It really is quite fantastical."
Shaking his head, he got into the most luxurious and stately of the vehicles, a stretch limousine. The driver respectfully asked from the front, "Young Master, where to?"
Fu Juemin straightened his cuffs and said calmly, "To... the Ancient Examination Garden of the Former Dynasty."
"Yes, sir."
.......
「On the streets of Shenghai.」
A luxurious, sapphire-blue J-model sedan was parked arrogantly at an angle across the road.
On the bustling street, it blocked nearly half the road. Yet, not a single passing vehicle dared to honk or protest; they all just detoured cautiously around it.
Sunlight glinted off the car’s sleek body. The rear window was half-open, and the blue-tinged smoke of a cigar curled out.
An arm clad in a pure white shirt was draped casually over the windowsill. A gold watch set with a massive emerald was on the wrist, refracting a blinding, mesmerizing light in the sun.
The watch’s owner was noisily flipping through a newspaper in his hands when he suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
"Young Master Zhang?"
"Who knows how much longer that mayor, Wen Zhiqiu, will even last. Ding Moshan can barely protect herself, and she picks now to trot out some illegitimate son... Heh..."
With that, he flicked his wrist and tossed the newspaper out the window.
"To the Xianlido," a languid voice drawled.
"Get Yuebai and Zhao Tianpeng. That punk Zhao Tianpeng is probably hopping mad right about now..."
"Yes, Young Master."
The sapphire-blue sedan suddenly let out a beastly roar, startling several fashionably dressed "modern girls" nearby into a fit of screams.
Then, amid a peel of loud laughter, the car’s engine thundered as it sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake....
