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墨書 Inktalez
Holding the list in Xin Yi's hand was like a sharp butcher's knife, weighing heavily on the hearts of those present, and the hall fell into a dead silence.
After a long while, a sound of "click" was heard as Xin Yi produced a lighter that was engulfed in flames. The flame slowly approached the list, igniting the paper, which emitted a wisp of blue smoke before disappearing onto the floor of the hall.
"Wow..." A thunderous applause erupted from below. If the initial applause for Hong Tianhu was polite and respectful, this round of applause came from genuine admiration, especially from those who feared their names might be on that list; they nearly applauded their palms raw to express their affection for the new Third-in-Command.
In truth, Xin Yi understood better than anyone else that this was a show arranged by Hong Tianhu, intended to help him quickly establish authority and win people's hearts among the gang members. Xin Yi certainly would not miss such an opportunity, and the effect was as good as expected. In reality, there was no actual list; it was merely a few useless scraps of paper.
Xin Yi raised a hand to signal for silence, and the enthusiastic applause came to an abrupt halt. Only then did Xin Yi begin to speak: "Since I have been favored by Third-in-Command and all of you to lead Three Tiger Hall, I have the responsibility to ensure that all brothers in Three Tiger Hall can live well! No one is born to enjoy fighting and killing all day long. I believe all of you also seek a stable life, pursue your own careers, and desire a complete and warm family. Am I speaking what is in your hearts?"
"Yes! Third-in-Command is right!" Voices of agreement rose from below.
"If you all think that what Xin Yi says makes sense, then I announce: Three Tiger Hall will cease to exist starting today!" Xin Yi paused deliberately at this point.
The crowd below looked puzzled, unsure of what this new Third-in-Command meant. Just after being appointed, he immediately announced the dissolution of Three Tiger Hall. What could this possibly mean?
"Starting tomorrow, we will begin establishing 'Three Tiger Group!' All brothers from Three Tiger Hall will not only be employees of Three Tiger Group, enjoying a fixed monthly salary, but I will also allocate a portion of the shares from your venues to you, my brothers!"
As applause began anew from below, Xin Yi quickly halted it and continued: "Moreover, Three Tiger Group will no longer collect protection fees from any groups or individuals. However, we will continue to maintain order for everyone! We aim to create a stable and peaceful Longchuan!"
"Wow!"...
"Good!"...
This time, not only the members of Three Tiger Hall, but even all the guests applauded enthusiastically. Although these guests had shown respect towards Three Tiger Hall, they were actually intimidated by its underworld influence and had regularly paid substantial protection fees. The so-called protection fee simply guaranteed that Three Tiger Hall would not trouble them after receiving payment. Besides Three Tiger Hall, there seemed to be no other force willing to cause trouble; thus, these fees were essentially tributes to Three Tiger Hall. With the new Third-in-Command publicly announcing that they would no longer collect these fees, it was naturally a cause for celebration.
Everyone couldn't help but look at this new Third-in-Command of Three Tiger Hall with newfound respect. Implementing such sweeping reforms right upon taking office was no ordinary feat! While they admired him, there were also murmurs of concern; indeed, it seemed that the younger generation was pushing forward! However, some worried about Xin Yi's actions—like Hong Tianhu. By doing this, Xin Yi effectively cut off most of Three Tiger Hall's economic sources. Previously, there weren't many legitimate businesses under Three Tiger Hall, and collecting protection fees had been its largest source of income. Once this source was severed, how would so many brothers in Three Tiger Hall survive?
But Hong Tianhu was worried, yet he could not overturn Xin Yi's decision. He also vaguely felt that the young man before him must have his own unique ideas. Since he had said he wanted to ensure a good life for the brothers of Three Tiger Hall, then he should trust him.
After exchanging a few trivial remarks, Xin Yi stepped aside. Hong Tianhu made some polite comments, and the guests had mostly finished eating, so he instructed to clear the banquet and move on to the next segment. The next segment was merely a platform for business people to communicate, so it was skipped.
Xin Yi avoided many people trying to strike up a conversation and walked alone to an open area outside the hall. He looked up at the overcast sky, feeling the heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He understood Hong Tianhu's intention; he wanted to use him to lead Three Tiger Hall to glory. However, he was not very sure about what steps to take next. Relying on collecting protection fees was clearly not a sustainable path. To lead Three Tiger Hall to glory, it was necessary to develop its own industry, which was why he had decisively made that decision earlier on stage. As for what kind of industry to develop, he could only take it one step at a time.
While he was sighing, Lijie gently approached him, took his hand, squeezed it tightly, and said, "I believe in you!"
Xin Yi felt warmth in his heart; those few words were heavier than a thousand speeches. Only at such moments did the power of trust and support feel particularly strong. Xin Yi also held Lijie's small hand tightly and said gratefully, "Thank you!"
Regarding the handling of Lufei and others, Huang Mang and the others were quite experienced. Xin Yi only knew that Lufei and his bodyguards, along with the unfortunate Bald Brother, had been lying in a hospital in Longchuan City for two months and had not dared to show their faces in public for at least half a year.
The next day, Xin Yi rushed to Three Tiger Hall to discuss the establishment of Three Tiger Group with Hong Tianhu, Huang Mang, and several respected older brothers. Since Hong Tianhu insisted on no longer managing internal affairs of the gang and wanted to enjoy his old age, Xin Yi did not insist either but allocated thirty percent of the shares of Three Tiger Group under his name. Huang Mang temporarily took on the role of chairman of Three Tiger Group, while several respected older brothers served as directors of the group to assist in managing internal affairs. As for Xin Yi, he did not hold any position in Three Tiger Group. Although Huang Mang repeatedly requested that Xin Yi become chairman of the group, Xin Yi did not agree. He said, "It doesn't matter who among us brothers takes charge; if you take it on, it's just like I'm taking it!" This made Huang Mang, a sturdy man of seven feet tall, feel slightly emotional; after fighting all his life and thinking he might die on the streets one day, he never expected to walk on the right path and even become a chairman.
Huang Mang knew very well that this chairmanship originally belonged to Xin Yi. On the surface, Three Tiger Hall looked prosperous; however, when they conducted financial audits, they realized that there had been no savings over the years. The funds for establishing Three Tiger Group all came from Xin Yi's contributions. Xin Yi allocated one billion from his account not only to maintain the daily operations of Three Tiger Group but also established an investment company under Three Tiger Group that hired specialized financial experts for investment and operations.
The headquarters of Three Tiger Group was located in Century Building beside Vatican Square in the city center. This building was originally the headquarters of real estate tycoon Century Spring but collapsed overnight due to multiple failed real estate investments that led to a broken capital chain, leaving behind several unfinished properties. The former headquarters of Century Spring was purchased by Three Tiger Group for six hundred million and served perfectly as its headquarters.
Aside from some entertainment venues originally operated by Three Tiger Hall, Three Tiger Group had no other sources of income. The revenue from those entertainment venues was merely a drop in the bucket for the entire group. All original brothers from Three Tiger Hall had signed formal employment contracts with Three Tiger Group; although most had nothing much to do, Xin Yi still paid them fixed monthly salaries as promised initially. This enormous expenditure caused headaches for Huang Mang as chairman and several other directors; if this continued with expenses exceeding income, Three Tiger Group would eventually face bankruptcy. However, these men clearly were not cut out for business; trying to calculate profits with hands accustomed to wielding knives posed challenges for Huang Mang and his fellow directors.
Xin Yi was not anxious; during his free time, he would visit the headquarters of Three Tiger Group to chat with idle Brothers there and found joy in it. Whenever Brothers saw Xin Yi, they respectfully called him Third-in-Command until Xin Yi corrected them several times before they began addressing him as Brother Xin. Now the brothers at Three Tiger Hall had spread incredible tales about their new Third-in-Command—saying he not only excelled in Kung Fu but could take someone's head from miles away; that he possessed immense wealth capable of casually throwing around hundreds of billions in assets; some even claimed he was the son of a central Chief from Heavenly Pride Nation... These rumors were as fantastical as they came; if Xin Yi heard them himself, he might even envy himself! Now seeing this legendary Third-in-Command so young yet approachable filled Brothers with both awe and warmth; working under such an outstanding Third-in-Command felt like an unparalleled honor!
The reason Xin Yi was not anxious was that he had already set his sights on several unfinished properties left behind by Century Spring. He heard they were about to be auctioned soon and planned to bid on at least one property and find qualified contractors to revive these stalled projects.
As for the idle brothers under him—aside from those working in entertainment venues—there were about a hundred or so without tasks.
Xin Yi took the elevator up to the chairman's office on the Eighteenth Floor where Huang Mang and several older brothers were scratching their heads in frustration; continuing like this every day was not a solution! Unfortunately, despite their efforts, these big men couldn't come up with any ideas. Just then they saw Xin Yi enter; Huang Mang hurriedly approached him saying, "Third-in-Command! You finally made it! We are all about to worry ourselves sick!"
"Second Brother, didn't I tell you? Don't call me Third-in-Command, just call me brother." Since becoming the Third-in-Command of Three Tiger Hall, Xin Yi had been calling Hong Tianhu big brother and Huang Mang second brother.
"Alright, Third Brother, having so many people idle isn't a solution. Our monthly expenses aren't small. What do you think we should do?" Huang Mang said anxiously, rubbing his hands.
"Second Brother, I'm here today for this matter."
"Oh? Do you have a plan?"
"Here's the thing: you should talk to someone familiar with the brothers below and find one hundred brothers with decent Kung Fu. I need them for something. Once they're sorted out, we can fill the remaining vacancies with the idle brothers."
"What? Are we taking action? Who are we going after this time?" Huang Mang and a few other big brothers perked up immediately and asked eagerly.
"Look at you all, even as board members you're still so eager for fighting and killing?" Xin Yi laughed.
"Hehe, it's an old habit," a few of the older men chuckled awkwardly.
"I need these people for something else," Xin Yi said.
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