Free Web NovelChapter 64: Chapter 64: Methods
BANG!
The gunshot startled the birds. Accompanied by the sound of ropes pulling on a mechanism, a dozen or so targets began to move swiftly along the tracks laid out on either side.
Another man grabbed a sandbag dusted with lime, swung his arm in a full circle, and forcefully tossed it high into the air.
Fu Juemin stood at his family’s private shooting range, holding a Hanyang-made long-barreled rifle in both hands. A black band was tied over his eyes as he continuously fired at the moving and airborne targets.
He fired, worked the bolt, and chambered the next round in a methodical rhythm.
With every shot, a target was hit. His posture was composed, and the transitions between his movements possessed an indescribable, natural fluency.
A moment later, after the expected box of ammunition was spent, Fu Juemin tore the black cloth from his face and casually tossed the rifle to a person at his side.
"Young Master, you’re incredible! Out of fifty targets, you only missed three."
"This Spear Technique... there are few in the entire Luan River Police Station who can compare..."
Wang Shuisheng, who was waiting at the side, had a look of sincere awe and admiration on his face. He exclaimed in amazement, "And the Young Master has only been practicing for a mere three or five days. If word of this got out, who would believe it?"
Hearing Wang Shuisheng’s compliments and praise, Fu Juemin remained expressionless, seemingly unsatisfied with the result.
He had activated his Talent, Yao Ling. It made no real difference whether his eyes were covered or not when he shot. During this time, he had mainly been practicing his proficiency with the gun and the so-called "feel" for it.
With his body control as a Blood Refining Realm Martial Artist and the Extraordinary Perception granted by Yao Ling, it was inevitable that his skill in Spear Technique would advance by leaps and bounds. There was nothing to be proud of.
"Next time we practice, find some pigeons, sparrows, or something... use live targets."
Fu Juemin gave the order in a flat tone, then turned to look at Cao Tian on the other side.
"How are your injuries?"
Cao Tian was dressed in a gray-blue short jacket and newly made multi-layered cloth shoes. His face was slightly pale, and he looked a bit thinner than before.
"It’s no longer a major issue."
Cao Tian replied. He had been shot in the abdomen that night. Fortunately, he was taken for medical treatment in time. Coupled with the powerful physique of a Blood Refining Martial Artist, he was able to get out of bed and walk on his own just two days after the bullet was removed.
"You still need to rest more. Don’t get into any fights during this time."
Fu Juemin thought for a moment, then asked, "What’s the news on the Black Shark Gang?"
Cao Tian answered, "On October 23rd, Song Lin hosted a banquet at Furui Tower. He invited many of the city’s wealthy families and extorted a total of over two hundred thousand silver coins. In the end, not only did he not pay, he even killed two of Furui Tower’s waiters."
"On the 25th, that man Song led his men to patrol outside the city. He destroyed two porridge stalls and killed more than twenty innocent refugees..."
"On October 26th..."
"...that man Song is now holding court and trying cases in the County Yamen. In two days’ time, he has killed quite a few more people... For cases he deems to be ’theft,’ ’adultery,’ or ’smuggling,’ regardless of whether there’s solid evidence, both the principal offenders and accomplices are executed by firing squad..."
Cao Tian paused after speaking, then added, "Also, Boss Chen of the West Gate Rice Shop and his family, who disappeared that night, are still missing."
Fu Juemin listened quietly. When Cao Tian finished, he showed no reaction, simply walking straight across the shooting range and toward the main house.
He had seen the paper detailing Song Lin’s crimes that Fu Guosheng had sent people to collect. Compared to what was written on that paper, Song Lin’s recent actions in Luan River were practically child’s play.
’Luan River isn’t like an ordinary small county. The canal runs through it, connecting it to Shenghai and Jinhai above, and to the Shuangguang Celestial Prefecture below. Luan River County is also home to many wealthy and powerful families. Even someone like Song Lin has to be somewhat cautious...’
As Fu Juemin was thinking, he found himself in the front courtyard, just in time to see a person walking briskly out of his family’s residence.
The person got into a car and sped away in the blink of an eye.
Fu Juemin watched the car disappear in a cloud of dust, his eyes glinting. He went straight to the study and knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in."
Fu Juemin pushed the door open and entered. He saw Fu Guosheng sitting behind a large desk, on which sat a carved, nanmu-wood pipe inlaid with gold.
A faint smell of smoke lingered in the room.
Fu Guosheng had never been a smoker.
"Father."
Fu Juemin took a few steps forward and asked in a low voice, "What did County Magistrate Hu come here for?"
Fu Guosheng, behind the large desk, looked up. Though his demeanor was as composed as ever, his eyes were filled with a deep weariness.
"He came to deliver a ’generous gift’ to us..."
Fu Guosheng casually tossed a document to him.
Fu Juemin picked it up and read it, his brows slowly furrowing.
"The Fusheng Trading Company? Didn’t it go out of business three years ago?"
"Special Envoy Song has decided to reopen it and has specifically designated our Fu Family to take over this business."
"It says here to ’settle the old accounts’..."
Fu Juemin pointed at the document in his hand and frowned. "Does Song Lin mean for us to first pay out of our own pockets to cover the deficit of several million silver coins from the Fusheng Trading Company’s bad debts?"
"What else?"
Fu Guosheng’s reaction was calm, as if he had long anticipated this, or perhaps, he had already been angry about it.
"Father, what is your plan now? If we don’t pay to cover the deficit within ten days, Song Lin will send men to arrest us and throw us in jail..."
As Fu Juemin was speaking, his gaze suddenly fell upon another official document on the desk.
His voice faltered. He casually picked it up, and as he saw what was written on it, his pupils contracted.
"A military service bond? Five hundred thousand silver coins per person?"
The situation was so absurd that Fu Juemin felt an urge to laugh out loud. ’How did he even come up with such a pretext?’ fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
This document, issued by the County Government, was even more interesting. It was about his second uncle, Fu Guoping, recruiting a private militia and building private fortifications.
The County’s meaning was that everything under Fu Guoping’s Civil Affairs Bureau was non-compliant. Now, every single member registered with the Civil Affairs Bureau would have to pay a "military service bond" of five hundred thousand silver coins.
If they failed to pay up, they would all be treated as rebels and punished accordingly.
How many men were there in the Civil Affairs Bureau?
Three or four hundred? Or perhaps four or five hundred? Fu Juemin didn’t know, but he knew that even if they bankrupted the entire Fu Family, they could never scrape together this sum.
"Then just have Second Uncle burn the roster."
"Your second uncle would do that, which is why they sent the document to me."
Fu Guosheng picked up his pipe, tapped it gently on the corner of the desk, and said flatly, "But even burning it would be useless. The master registry is in the county’s hands. If that Song Lin wants to add more names to it, it’s a simple matter of a few strokes of his pen..."
"Father."
Fu Juemin put down the document, his expression turning cold. "Are we just going to let them carve us up as they please?"
"I have my own plans for these matters."
Fu Juemin wanted to say more, but Fu Guosheng was already rubbing his temples and waved a hand to dismiss him.
Fu Juemin left the study with a grim expression and immediately summoned the butler, Uncle Chen.
After careful questioning, he learned that the actual situation was far worse than he had realized.
According to Uncle Chen, the Fu Family’s businesses had been obstructed at every turn recently. Not only were their goods at the docks repeatedly inspected and seized, but within their industry, they were also facing a subtle, joint boycott from several rivals. It wasn’t just the Fu Family, either; a number of businesses on good terms with them, like Xu Shirong’s Xu Family, had also been implicated...
’Are they preparing... to devour our Fu Family completely?’
Fu Juemin’s eyes flickered, his gaze growing colder.
He originally thought that Song Lin had become cautious and reined in his behavior after arriving in Luan River.
Only now did he understand. Song Lin had merely changed his methods, trading open robbery for a slow, painful death by a thousand cuts.
Fu Juemin stood before the entrance, flanked on the left and right by the Fu Family’s two stone guardian lions.
After a long moment, he took a deep breath, his expression gradually returning to calm.
"Uncle Chen."
Fu Juemin turned to the butler, Uncle Chen, at his side. "Is everything for my Medicated Bath ready?"
Butler Uncle Chen immediately nodded in response. "The water in the bath has been heated... The Young Master can have the medicine added at any time."
