Chapter 192: Chapter 192: You Think I’m Easily Scared!?
The Quicksand Gang truly lived up to its reputation as one of the four major gangs of White Stone City. After running rampant in the city for many years, their accumulated wealth and spoils were astonishing.
With a respectful expression, Shan Qiwang stood before Chen Ping’an, delivering a detailed report on the confiscation of the gang’s assets.
Though not much time had passed, the Garrison Commandant’s Office was remarkably efficient. By now, they had already cleaned out most of the Quicksand Gang’s holdings.
Chen Ping’an nodded slightly as he listened to Shan Qiwang’s report.
The raid was sudden, so the Quicksand Gang had no time to move their wealth. Most of their accumulated riches were still in the gang’s Treasure Vault. In addition to the wealth, the families of some of the mid-to-high-ranking members had also been taken into custody by the Garrison Commandant’s Office.
They were now being interrogated and processed in batches. Some had already been escorted to the White Stone City prison for further questioning.
"My lord, that’s the gist of it! Would you like to go and take a look?" Shan Qiwang asked, carefully watching Chen Ping’an’s expression.
Several Chiefs of the Patrol Office nearby couldn’t help but curse Shan Qiwang as a bootlicker under their breath when they saw his behavior. That being said, they were also faintly envious of him. In just a few days, he had already managed to build a relationship with Deputy Commander Chen.
But some people were just born to manage up. Even if the others wanted to learn, it wasn’t something they could pick up in a short time.
"Lead the way," Chen Ping’an said calmly, his expression unchanging.
"Yes!" Shan Qiwang responded, then walked ahead to lead the way for Chen Ping’an.
Along the way, they encountered many constables busy with their duties. Upon seeing Chen Ping’an approach, they all greeted him respectfully.
"Lord Chen!"
"Lord Commander!"
"..."
Only after seeing Chen Ping’an give a slight nod did these constables quietly offer a greeting to Shan Qiwang.
When a group of leaders are together, subordinates will always prioritize the highest-ranking one. The others can be temporarily set aside.
These constables, to be present here, were naturally the elite of the Garrison Commandant’s Office. Each and every one of them was well-versed in the ways of officialdom.
When Chen Ping’an walked into the main hall, it was already filled with wooden chests. Besides the chests, there were also various antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and decorative items.
Chen Ping’an’s gaze swept across the wooden chests; they were all filled with gleaming silver. Shan Qiwang had just reported to him that the total was around tens of thousands of taels.
’No wonder so many people, once they achieve some success in the Martial Dao, choose to form their own faction and dominate a region! The returns are simply too high. The wealth accumulated this way far surpasses what one could gain fighting alone!’
Tens of thousands of taels of silver—even an ordinary Martial Arts Master at the Third Stage of Inner Qi couldn’t produce that much cash! Yet, they had confiscated this much from the Quicksand Gang alone!
Of course, all this silver didn’t belong to a single person; it belonged to all the members of the Quicksand Gang. But regardless, as long as one was part of the gang’s upper echelon, they had immense control over this money.
For that matter, it wasn’t so easy to form a faction and dominate a region. The world only saw the successful ones, not how many had fallen in the shadows. The success of one Quicksand Gang was built on the collapse of tens, or even hundreds, of smaller gangs.
Chen Ping’an didn’t pay much attention to the silver or the surrounding antiques and paintings. He gave them a single glance before walking past them.
’These things are nice, but in the end, I can’t keep them all for myself.’
This operation to eliminate the Quicksand Gang had to be reported to the Weishui Garrison in a timely manner; it was a necessary procedure. Chen Ping’an had already arranged for Cheng Renjing to write the official document and have it sent to the Weishui Garrison.
The assets seized from the Quicksand Gang needed to be carefully inventoried. The Weishui Garrison would file a record; part of the assets would be transferred to the Weishui Garrison, part would go into the public funds of the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau, and a very small portion would be distributed as an extra reward to all the constables of the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau.
Simply put, these items didn’t belong to Chen Ping’an alone. The lion’s share went to the Garrison Commandant’s Office, and the rest was to be divided among everyone.
’However, the amount reported to the Weishui Garrison can be fudged a little. I can definitely skim quite a bit off the top from the ’moisture’ in the middle! But there’s a limit, after all. With so many eyes watching, I can’t be too greedy.’
Walking further inside, he found neat stacks of weapons and Cultivation Techniques.
Chen Ping’an walked over to the side and, with a flicker of interest, picked up a Cultivation Technique to leaf through. It was a Lower Grade Technique, the Eight Straight Fist Techniques.
Among the Cultivation Techniques confiscated from the Quicksand Gang, no superior cultivation methods were found. The highest-tier ones were only Mid-level Techniques. Naturally, techniques of this grade were beneath Chen Ping’an’s notice.
’Still, I have nothing better to do right now. This is a good opportunity. There’s no harm in recording these Cultivation Techniques into the Golden Finger Panel.’
The many constables standing in the hall were surprised that the Lord Deputy Commander would be interested in these mid-to-lower grade techniques. But seeing how seriously their lord was reading, they all stood ramrod straight, not daring to even breathe loudly, terrified of disturbing him.
Seeing how engrossed Chen Ping’an was, Shan Qiwang held his breath and focused, not daring to make the slightest disturbance.
In the vast hall, the only sound was that of Chen Ping’an flipping through the pages of the books.
Judging by the sound alone, an unknowing bystander would have thought they were in a study, not the main hall of a gang’s headquarters.
...
Crocodile Gang Headquarters.
Guan Baxian and Duan Peng were in high spirits, drinking together, when the voice of a minor leader from the Crocodile Gang came from outside.
"Gang Leader, Gang Leader, this is bad!"
The two were in the middle of their drinks, and being interrupted now, Guan Baxian was naturally displeased. But the voice from outside continued, "Gang Leader, this lowly one has urgent business to report!"
"Damn it!" Guan Baxian cursed as he slammed down his cup. "Little Brother Duan, don’t mind me! These bastards, I’ve really spoiled them rotten!"
"Brother Guan, please, go ahead! Don’t worry about me!" After a round of drinks, the two had grown quite close, and Duan Peng had already started calling him Brother Guan. He had thought it through by now: with the Quicksand Gang destroyed and Guan Baxian willing to take him in, staying with the Crocodile Gang wasn’t a bad choice at all.
Guan Baxian stood up, opened the door, and yelled, "What’s with all the racket! Can’t you see I have an important guest!"
The minor leader who had come to report looked frantic. "Gang Leader! I really do have urgent business to report!"
"What is it? If you have something to say, spit it out!"
The minor leader glanced cautiously through the doorway at Duan Peng inside, looking as if he was about to speak but then hesitated.
"Goddammit, what are you dawdling for! Spit it out! I’ve still got drinking to do!" Guan Baxian couldn’t stand his subordinate’s dawdling and was half-tempted to just kick him.
Startled, the minor leader couldn’t worry about Duan Peng’s presence any longer and hurriedly said, "Gang Leader, people from the Garrison Commandant’s Office are outside! They told us to hand over Duan... Duan Jingang, or else..."
"Or else what?"
"We’ll have to bear all the consequences!"
"Damn it, do they think I’m someone who scares easy!?" Guan Baxian’s temper flared instantly. He looked back at Duan Peng and said, "Little Brother Duan, just stay here and enjoy your drink. I’ll be right back."
With that, Guan Baxian stormed furiously out the door.
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