In the Zhao Mansion, Zhao Hu was sound asleep in the arms of a concubine. Suddenly, the main door was kicked open. A dark shadow leaped onto the bed and bit hard on Zhao Hu's calf.
Zhao Hu let out a startled scream and woke up from his dream. When he opened his eyes, a thunderclap roared across the sky. In the flickering lightning, he clearly saw Xiao Jingcheng sitting at the table opposite the big bed.
Zhao Hu was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. He pushed the concubine beside him awake and hurriedly sat up on the bed. He fumbled to put on his clothes while the concubine rushed to light the oil lamp. As the room brightened up, Zhao Hu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said to Xiao Jingcheng:
"E-elder brother, why didn't you send someone to let me know when you came?"
There was a hint of complaint in his voice.
"I once said that I have another way for you to make money. Do you want to join me?" Xiao Jingcheng asked.
Ah?!
Now?
Zhao Hu couldn't help but look out of the window. It was a violent storm outside, and the air was stuffy and hot. How could they make money at such a time?
However, only a fool would turn down the chance to make money. Zhao Hu gritted his teeth and said, "Of course I will!"
Xiao Jingcheng said, "Now, immediately gather all your men here. I have something important to tell you."
Zhao Hu was very efficient. In just the time it took to drink two cups of tea, all his thugs and minions had gathered in the main hall of the Zhao Mansion, filling it to the brim.
Xiao Jingcheng sat on the main seat. His unruly and imposing manner made everyone present subconsciously hold their breath. They didn't dare to make a sound but couldn't help stealing glances at him.
So, the General Tunri was so majestic and valiant! No wonder he could defeat Zhao Hu. It would be quite prestigious to follow such a person!
The hall was completely silent. Xiao Jingcheng didn't rush to speak but lowered his head to take a sip of the tea in his hand.
It was Zhao Hu who couldn't hold back first. He stepped forward obsequiously, rubbing his hands and bowing with a smile. "Elder brother, look, everyone is here. What exactly is this important matter you want to tell us?"
Xiao Jingcheng put down his teacup and then looked up. First, he asked Zhao Hu a question:
"How many people are there in total here?"
Zhao Hu was taken aback. He realized he had never really counted. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "There should be... around twenty or thirty."
"I need an exact number. If you don't even know how many men you have under you, do you still want to make big money with me?" Xiao Jingcheng's voice sank, and his sharp gaze made Zhao Hu shiver.
Why did it seem that after seeing the General Tunri's face clearly, he looked even more terrifying?
Zhao Hu didn't dare to delay. He quickly got up to count the heads. After counting back and forth three times, he said to Xiao Jingcheng, "Elder brother, there are thirty - six people here. If you include me, it's thirty - seven."
Thirty - seven people were enough.
Xiao Jingcheng remembered that on the incomplete map Ye Wanmian had drawn for him, Dongli Town was divided into sixteen parts according to the four directions of east, south, west, and north.
He stood up from the chair and looked at the crowd in front of him. He said in a deep voice, "Those of you here who are under twenty years old, stand in the front left. Those between twenty and twenty - five years old, stand in the front right. Those between twenty - five and thirty years old, stand in the back left, and those over thirty years old, stand in the back right."
Although they didn't know what he was up to, after his order, everyone subconsciously did as he said. The hall was in a bit of a mess for a while, but soon, they were divided into four groups according to their ages.
Zhao Hu had run a gambling house in the town and been domineering for several years. He had followers of all ages under him, but the majority were young men under twenty, a total of twenty.
These young men were in their prime. Spoiled by their families, they were lazy and didn't want to work in the fields, so they simply followed Zhao Hu to make a living under him.
There were ten people between twenty and twenty - five years old. Some of them were already married. To support their families, they thought it was easy to make money with Zhao Hu, so they came to join him.
Tang Kang, who was about the same height as Xiao Jingcheng, was one of them.
The rest were all over twenty - five years old. These were Zhao Hu's good brothers who had followed him for many years and were also his trusted lieutenants.
Xiao Jingcheng had a rough idea in mind. He whistled, and Sangbiao, along with Juanmao and Heibei, a few dogs, ran in from outside and obediently squatted down in front of him.
"Listen up." Xiao Jingcheng said to the crowd in front of him, "As you all should have seen, there has been a sudden and heavy rain today, and there is no sign of it stopping yet."
"If this rain continues, the river will surely rise. Dongli Town is located beside the Caisang River. If the water level rises, do you know what will happen here?"
Everyone was taken aback when they heard this and couldn't help looking at each other. One of them whispered, "It will be flooded by the big water."
The people in Dongli Town lived near the water, and they encountered such situations several times every year. Some people didn't take it seriously and said:
"It's the same for one or two days at this time every year. The river surface does rise, but it has no impact on Dongli Town. The rain will stop in a couple of days. There's no need to be so nervous."
Xiao Jingcheng looked at him and said, "Can you predict the weather? You say it will stop in two days, and it will? "
The man subconsciously avoided his gaze when he was looked at like this and whispered, "No."
Xiao Jingcheng said coldly, "Natural disasters are merciless. No matter when this rain stops, the hidden danger always exists. If that really happens, the fertile fields will be flooded, the houses will be destroyed, and all the family property accumulated over the years will be ruined."
"By then, you'll have no home. You'll only become refugees, let alone make big money, live in big houses, and lead a good life."
Seeing that everyone was frowning worriedly and started whispering to each other, Xiao Jingcheng stopped talking.
One person said, "So, General, do you mean that... we should pack up our things right away, abandon Dongli Town, and find a safe place?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he was loudly interrupted by someone beside him:
"If you want to go, go. I'm not leaving! Dongli Town is my root. I grew up here, and I'll die here!"
"That's right. We'll die here!"
The others started to make a racket, and their faces showed a bit of dissatisfaction.
Seeing Xiao Jingcheng raise his hand, the dogs like Sangbiao, Juanmao, and Heibei barked loudly, scaring everyone into shutting up quickly.
Xiao Jingcheng said, "I don't want you to abandon Dongli Town and leave alone. On the contrary, I want you to go out immediately and remind the townspeople from house to house to quickly pack up their valuables and move to a safe and open place."