An hour later, all the bosses of the major casinos, brothels, restaurants, and inns in the Happy Forest gathered in the grand hall of the Drunken Moon building, exchanging polite greetings but wearing bitter expressions on their faces.
It's pretty normal for those in their line of work to pay tribute to the gang every month. But have you ever heard of anyone paying three times a month?
At the beginning of this month, Happy Forest was under the control of the Green Bamboo Gang, to whom they had already paid once.
But just as they finished paying, the Flying Eagle Gang took over the Happy Forest.
Having been exploited by the insatiable Liu Sandao, they were already hurting, and now with Su Xin stepping in, they'll probably have to bleed once again.
"Boss Liu, Boss Huang, you all came quite early today. Did you inquire about what kind of person this Boss Su is?" someone asks the two bosses sitting in the front row.
Among these businessmen, the richest are Boss Liu, who runs a brothel, and the very Drunken Moon building belongs to him.
Next is Boss Huang who runs a casino. His Shunde Casino is among the top five in the whole of Changning Prefecture.
Boss Liu may run a brothel, but he has a handsome appearance, refined and upright.
Although he is middle-aged, at first glance, he seems more like a Confucian scholar than a brothel owner.
As for Boss Huang, he is short and fat, and despite looking like a wealthy man, his face carries an expression of bitterness and resentment.
His casino makes a fortune daily. He was already ransacked severely by Liu Sandao, and now who knows how Su Xin is going to exploit him.
So, in response to the inquiry, Boss Liu keeps his silence with a smile, while Boss Huang retorts bitterly, "Who knows what kind of person he is? He's definitely no good. I heard he has just brutally beaten up the owner of Wang's Medicine Shop."
Hearing this, the others exchange glances. This new Boss doesn't seem to be a pleasant character either.
However, they are not worried about Su Xin hurting them. Their status is different from that of Fatty Wang, the medicine shop owner.
They have large businesses, with hundreds of people under them to feed. They are all well-known figures in Changning Prefecture.
If the Flying Eagle Gang dares to attack them openly, it would create a major scandal, something the authorities would not ignore.
"Boss Su has arrived!"
The announcement from a gang member outside the door abruptly interrupts the owners' chaotic thoughts.
Looking at the young and handsome Su Xin walking into the hall, all the bosses feel a bit awkward.
Seeing Su Xin being so young, it is difficult for them to call someone not yet twenty years old their Boss.
Even though it's awkward, they have no choice but to tolerate it. Su Xin is now not only in charge of Happy Forest but is also an adopted son of Third Master Tiger.
Ji Gang and the serious-faced Li Huai following him were sent by Tiger Third Master himself as support for Su Xin.
"Dear bosses, I am Su Xin, newly in charge of Happy Forest. I will need your care and support in the future."
Su Xin took his place at the head of the table, and, with a beaming face and a polite bow, greeted the audience.
The bosses, glancing at Boss Huang, whispered to each other, "This Su doesn't seem so bad. He's not as brutal as you described. At least he seems much better than Liu Sandao."
Liu Sandao, oppressed for many years, went wild the moment he assumed power.
"Su Boss, you are too polite. In the future, we need you to shield us against storms and waves," replied the boss of Drunken Moon with laughter.
"Boss Liu, you're too courteous. As the saying goes, 'take people's money, dispel disasters.' Having received the regular money from all of you, would we, the Flying Eagle Gang, ever let anyone bully you?"
Upon hearing Su Xin's words, the owners could not help but think to themselves, "Bully us? We should be thankful if you, the Flying Eagle Gang, refrain from bullying us."
Just as he was saying this, Su Xin suddenly changed the subject. "Speaking of regular money, there's actually something I wanted to discuss with you all today."
Hearing Su say this, all the owners thought to themselves, "Finally, he's getting to the point."
They had already guessed what Su Xin wanted to discuss with them today--it was all about money.
As the saying goes, 'new king, new rule.' When Happy Forest was managed by the Green Bamboo Gang, they had to provide thirty taels of silver as regular money each month.
Then Liu Sandao came along, and it became fifty taels.
Now that Su Xin is here, despite looking young and friendly, they feared he wouldn't ask for less.
Boss Huang said with a sarcastic tone, "I must say, the rules of your Flying Eagle Gang are quite bizarre. We've just settled on the regular money at the beginning of the month, and now you're changing it?"
His Shunde Casino is a money-spinner, and Liu Sandao had extorted quite a lot from him previously.
That's why he was very sensitive about the term "tribute money" and couldn't help but mock.
However, after saying this, he regretted it. After all, Su Xin is a boss of the Flying Eagle Gang, and he has control of the Happy Forest.
While it's clear they could not do anything to him, secretly making things difficult for him or even forcing him out of business in Happy Forest would be pretty easy.
The simplest way would be to have some gang members stand at the entrance of his casino, driving people away. In just three days, his casino would be forced to close down.
Fortunately, Su Xin did not take offense but simply glanced at him and continued, "Rules are made by people. If Liu Sandao can set rules, why can't I, Su Xin? I have now decided that everyone's regular payments will be completely waived!"