Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Jiang Xue struggled free from Zhang Qiu's embrace, stood up, and faced everyone, saying, "Since Zhang Qiu is like this, I have my own thoughts. Since the establishment of the Hall Society, apart from Yang Yu, the development within the school has been managed by Gao Zhi, Zhao Pingchuan, and Wang Zhengxiang. All three halls are led by men; this gender imbalance is not acceptable. I have long had the idea of forming a female team, and starting today, I will implement it. Taolengman, Tao Ya, from now on you two will be the guardians of our Butterfly Hall."
Taolengman felt disappointed that Zhang Qiu did not allow him to join but was reignited with enthusiasm upon hearing Jiang Xue's words. Tao Ya also lowered her head in agreement with Jiang Xue's idea. Jiang Xue smiled and said, "Since you both agree, then it's settled. Next, we will start recruiting for Butterfly Hall."
Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue in surprise and asked, "Xue'er, did you already have this plan? You even thought of the name for the hall."
Jiang Xue replied with a smile, "Of course I had a plan. How could I be Sister Zhang without anyone under me? So what do you think of the name Butterfly Hall?"
"It's beautiful! Such a lovely name feels a bit wasted in the underworld."
"Are we in the underworld?"
"No, no! What we do is not as dark as those who preach loyalty and morality."
Jiang Xue gave her hall a pleasant name, prompting Gao Zhi and Wang Zhengxiang to follow suit and say, "Brother Qiu, we also want to name our halls."
"Of course! As the society grows stronger, every department needs a name. I have a suggestion; let me know what you think."
Seeing that everyone was listening, Zhang Qiu deliberately teased them by picking up a piece of lamb and putting it in his mouth while saying with a smile, "Hurry up and eat; if you don't eat soon, this meat will be overcooked."
"Brother Qiu!" Gao Zhi shouted loudly, "Aren't you supposed to help us name our halls? Why are you eating instead?"
"Names need to be given, but we also need to eat." Zhang Qiu picked up another piece before continuing, "Actually, naming is quite simple. You three represent three halls: Middle Hall, Lower Hall, and Upper Hall."
"Huh?"
Zhang Qiu's suggestion left Zhao Pingchuan, Gao Zhi, and Wang Zhengxiang astonished. In Gao Zhi's view, they should at least have names like Dragon Hall or Tiger Hall; calling them Middle Hall and Upper Hall seemed like something only found in history—what was the point of that in the underworld?
Zhang Qiu observed the reactions of the three people, and Jiang Xue, who was unrelated to the name change, couldn't help but chuckle when she heard the name Zhang Qiu suggested. Zhang Qiu said, "You all don't understand, do you?"
"That's right, Brother Qiu. We really don't understand. Isn't Zhongmen Xiashang just a title from the Three Provinces and Six Ministries?"
Zhao Pingchuan added, "Exactly, Brother Qiu. We're in the same club; why use such an official title? Besides, it sounds a bit... scholarly."
"I have a different perspective. The Three Departments of Zhongmen Xiashang were established in ancient times for talented individuals. Our Hall Society is already a well-known name; if we don't have corresponding departments, wouldn't that seem a bit half-hearted? The Three Departments of Zhongmen Xiashang sound quite imposing; which club would dare to take such a name?"
"Brother Qiu, I still think it's quite strange," Gao Zhi said honestly. He felt that instead of calling it Zhongtang, names like Longtang or Hutang would be more impressive.
"And you, Zhao Pingchuan? You don't like it either?"
Seeing Zhao Pingchuan nod, Zhang Qiu smiled helplessly and said, "Alright then, let's drop it. After all, these names were just spontaneous ideas of mine. Since you all don't like them, we won't use them. I'll give you full autonomy; you can decide on the name yourselves."
"Really, Brother Qiu?" Gao Zhi was genuinely worried that Zhang Qiu would insist on using those names.
"Of course it's true. In our Hall Society, everyone has the opportunity to make decisions. You can think about the names for the hall first; there's no rush to decide. The reason I specified the hall names is that I want to conduct an experiment within the club."
"What kind of experiment?" everyone at the table asked in unison.
Zhang Qiu replied, "Let me ask you this: isn't it popular for enterprises nowadays? Even some family businesses are starting to transform into modern corporate models?"
"Brother Qiu, what does this have to do with us?"
"It has everything to do with us because I want to use this model to manage our club. There's a saying that wealth doesn't last beyond three generations; whether it's a business or a club, it's hard to escape this curse unless we reform and manage the club with modern methods."
The death of Meng the Boss greatly impacted Zhang Qiu. The strongest gang in Beilan County was now facing a crisis due to the leader's passing. Given the current situation, the Stone Dagger Gang was on the verge of collapse if they made even the slightest mistake. Zhang Qiu pondered this for an entire night, realizing that the root cause was the outdated management model of the Stone Dagger Gang.
All power within the Stone Dagger Gang was held by Meng Tuanjie and Brother Leopard, along with Third Brother. As long as Meng Tuanjie was alive, the Stone Dagger Gang remained a formidable force. However, once Meng Tuanjie was gone, no one could suppress Third Brother, not even Meng Tuanjie's son, Scorpion. Now, if Third Brother began to vie for power, the Stone Dagger Gang would inevitably split into two or more factions. The glory of the past would fade with Meng Tuanjie's death, and this great ship known as the Stone Dagger Gang was likely to sink. Therefore, Zhang Qiu began to formulate new plans for Hall Society.
Zhang Qiu initially intended to hear everyone's opinions, but it seemed that few understood his reforms. Gao Zhi said, "Brother Qiu, I trust you completely. Whatever you decide is fine with me; I fully agree."
Wang Zhengxiang echoed Gao Zhi's sentiments. Zhang Qiu looked at Zhao Pingchuan, who usually considered matters more thoroughly than others, and smiled, "Zhao Pingchuan, what are your thoughts?"
Zhao Pingchuan took a piece of lamb and put it in his mouth like Zhang Qiu did. Gao Zhi anxiously patted Zhao Pingchuan on the back and said, "Come on, Zhao Pingchuan! Why are you keeping us in suspense like Brother Qiu?"
Zhao Pingchuan coughed repeatedly from Gao Zhi's pat and shot him a glare before saying, "I guess Brother Qiu is quite affected by Meng the Boss's death."
Zhao Pingchuan hit the nail on the head. Zhang Qiu responded, "That's right; that's exactly the reason."
Seeing that everyone was still puzzled, Zhao Pingchuan continued, "Brother Qiu just mentioned that wealth rarely lasts beyond three generations; any enterprise or organization struggles to escape this curse. In Beilan County, there have been many large gangs throughout history, but how many names do people actually remember? Most have faded into obscurity over time. We already knew about the discord within the Stone Dagger Gang when we met Brother Leopard at the station. Now that Meng the Boss has died, chaos is inevitable."
"Exactly!" Zhang Qiu took over. "Therefore, we need to reform and control all factors within manageable limits from the early stages of development. Currently, our gang has five main factions: Yang Yu has been responsible for external affairs; Gao Zhi oversees our school; Zhao Pingchuan and Zhengxiang manage their respective areas; and now we have Jiang Xue's Butterfly Hall. My vision is for Gao Zhi's faction to handle combat, Zhengxiang's faction to manage intelligence, and Zhao Pingchuan's faction to enforce discipline—together forming our gang's core strength."
Zhang Qiu then turned to Yang Yu and said slowly, "Yang Yu's faction will serve as our gang's sharp blade, developing as a special unit. As for Xue'er’s Butterfly Hall, it will be like a thorny rose—beautiful yet deadly. The five faction leaders and I will form our decision-making body. Routine matters can be handled freely; however, any significant issues concerning the gang must be approved by a majority—three or more individuals—before implementation."
Qiu Wan noticed everyone staring at her in silence and asked, "Why are you all looking at me like that? Speak up."
"Brother Qiu," Gao Zhi said, "is it really necessary? You are the president; everything is up to you. I absolutely trust your judgment."
Wang Zhengxiang added, "Yes, Brother Qiu; just make the decision."
Zhang Qiu looked at Yang Yu, who was smoking and exhaling clouds of smoke. Upon meeting Zhang Qiu's gaze, Yang Yu smiled and nodded. Then he glanced at Zhao Pingchuan, whose expression clearly showed strong agreement. Zhang Qiu chuckled, "What I just said is my decision."
"In order for our club to stand strong, I believe such a design is necessary. Even as the president, I cannot act unilaterally. After all, people are always influenced by emotions and their environment; sometimes they can be impulsive and easily lose their heads. However, after discussions among the six of us, it becomes different. This way, even if something happens to me, the club can still operate as usual."
"Brother Qiu, what do you mean by that?" Gao Zhi asked. Zhang Qiu's words sounded less like reforming the club and more like preparing for a farewell.
Yang Yu extinguished his cigarette and sat up straight. "Brother Qiu, I agree with whatever you do, but you can't get into trouble!"
"Yeah, Brother Qiu."
Listening to everyone's concerns, Zhang Qiu felt warm inside, even more so than when eating hot pot. He said, "At this point, I won't hide anything from you all."
With that, everyone exchanged glances. Could it be that their leader had something else to conceal?
Zhang Qiu took out the White Tiger pendant from his collar and held it high in his hand. "Recently, two groups of people have come looking for me because of this. They all want to obtain it. This pendant is my family heirloom; I cannot give it to anyone. There is a story behind this pendant that I haven't shared with you before. It's quite fantastical; you might think it's just a story, but that's okay—I hope it remains just a story."
Zhang Qiu recounted the tale of the White Tiger and its legacy from beginning to end. Except for Jiang Xue, who already knew, the others listened in astonishment. Finally, Zhang Qiu said, "This summer vacation, I will be going to the Kingdom of Tanzania in Africa. Accompanying me will be an American girl named Lucia. Some of you may have seen her; she was the leader of the exchange group from Aton High School that visited our school recently. The photo was given to me by Yang Yu; in it, the prince of Tanzania is wearing a pendant exactly like mine. Therefore, Lucia and I have decided to meet him. However, the situation in Tanzania is unstable with frequent riots, so I have some concerns. But don't worry; I will take good care of myself and return safely to see you all."
Comment 0 Comment Count