Chapter Ten: Coercion from Two Factions

Before Yang Ze even had a chance to receive the letter, Old Xie had already stepped forward and taken it into his own hands.

"Second Young Master, you must be cautious. Our enemies are the Ten Thousand Sharks Gang and the Sea-Terror Gang. Neither of them are honorable people. If they've tampered with the letter and you fall into their trap, it would be disastrous," Old Xie warned.

The steward, hearing this, managed an awkward smile. "You must be Old Xie. Indeed, those who are truly on the inside are more meticulous. It was careless of me. But I've already opened this letter and checked it. I don't believe there's any problem."

"Better safe than sorry. You never know with these things," Old Xie replied, tearing open the envelope as he spoke and handing the letter inside to Yang Ze.

Yang Ze took it and saw that there were only seven words written. But upon reading them, his expression turned grim.

Old Xie glanced at the letter and immediately caught the words: "Left by the Ten Thousand Sharks and Sea-Terror Gangs."

It was a brazen slap in the face. After causing such trouble, they still dared to leave a note so openly, as if telling everyone they had no fear of the Yang family.

Even Yang Ze, who had no intention of clashing head-on with these two gangs—especially when the Yang family was so vulnerable—could not help but seethe with anger. A direct conflict would only harm his own interests. But their actions made their intentions clear, and if he refused to respond, the Yang family's reputation would suffer. If that led to internal dissent, he would be in even more trouble.

"Since all this happened, have any of you had contact with members of the two gangs?"

"No."

"Did either gang send anyone to propose a meeting or negotiations with me?"

"No, they did not."

"Very well," Yang Ze said coldly. "So they want us to walk right into their trap and let them hold all the cards. What's your name?"

"My name is Yan Bawei."

"Steward Yan, send two men to approach those two gangs and probe their intentions. The most important thing is to gauge their attitude. As for anything else, nothing should be revealed. Remember, do not lose the initiative."

"Understood." Yan Bawei immediately withdrew after receiving Yang Ze's order. With no powerful backers, he dared not defy Yang Ze.

Watching him leave, Yang Ze felt helpless. He had no choice but to trust Yan Bawei and hand him such a crucial task after just meeting him.

He couldn't send Old Xie—he needed Old Xie for his own protection and couldn't afford to reassign him.

After assigning tasks, Yang Ze didn't order the restaurant to be repaired immediately. Instead, he left it in its damaged state, merely having people keep watch over the premises.

Then, taking his group, he found an inn to rest. But before long, Yan Bawei returned in a hurry, barely catching his breath.

Yan Bawei stood before Yang Ze, panting heavily. Old Xie quickly poured him a cup of water, and Yang Ze waited patiently for him to recover before speaking.

"Second Young Master, there's been a change. Our men haven't even set out yet, but the Ten Thousand Sharks Gang and the Sea-Terror Gang have both sent people here, demanding to see you by name."

"They want to see me? Who did they send?" Yang Ze's curiosity was piqued.

"Just two of their underlings, waiting outside the restaurant. I've had our people keep an eye on them so they don't leave. What do you think we should do?" Yan Bawei said, awaiting instructions.

Yang Ze took a sip of water and replied, "They really don't take the Yang family seriously, do they? Just two underlings think they can see me? Who do they think I am? Send them back and tell them to send someone with real authority. Otherwise, there's nothing to discuss!"

No sooner had he spoken than a commotion erupted outside the inn, voices shouting the Yang family's name. Yang Ze's eyes grew cold.

"They're making a spectacle of us, using their underlings as bait. Now they've blocked our door and drawn a crowd. If we don't come out now, it won't look good. Let's go—I want to see what tricks they have up their sleeve."

Hearing the jeers and insults from outside, Yang Ze realized the two gangs had joined forces to corner him.

Yang Ze led his group of over twenty out of the inn, only to find more than fifty men outside, split into two camps and surrounding the entrance.

On the left, over twenty men wore blue robes. Their leader had a steely face, high cheekbones, and a severe expression.

"That's Geng Song, Deputy Leader of the Ten Thousand Sharks Gang!" someone behind Yang Ze whispered.

On the right, over twenty men wore blue-and-black striped clothing. Their leader was a burly man with a large axe slung over his back, his eyes filled with contempt.

"That's Niu Juli, Deputy Leader of the Sea-Terror Gang!" another voice identified him.

These were not ordinary men. As deputy leaders, both were top experts in their respective gangs, their skills at the advanced stage of Qi-Channeling.

Yang Ze had heard of them, and now, recognizing them, he felt a chill run down his spine. Geng Song and Niu Juli had brought more than fifty men, most of them skilled fighters. If a fight broke out now, they would surely be defeated.

Despite knowing the odds, Yang Ze could not let any fear show. He stepped forward and spoke.

"Gentlemen, you've come with such a crowd. Are you here to issue a formal challenge, or to give the Yang family an explanation for last night's incident?"

"So you're the second son of the Yangs? Seems your family really has no one left, if they send a wet-behind-the-ears brat like you to negotiate," sneered Geng Song, his words dripping with mockery.

"Just a brat—no need for so much talk," Niu Juli cut in harshly. "Listen, kid, I don't care which Yang son you are. You have two choices: either pull your people out of Ningyu Street and hand over that land to us, or give us a thousand taels of silver to compensate for our losses. I'll give you one day to decide. If you don't give me a perfect answer by tomorrow morning, this axe of mine will split every one of your heads in two, and I'll toss them on Tairong Street for everyone to see what happens to those who cross us."

Niu Juli's tone left no room for negotiation. As he spoke, the combined gaze of over fifty men bore down on Yang Ze, an invisible pressure mounting.

Yang Ze's face remained expressionless throughout, a calmness that even Old Xie, standing by his side, silently admired.

"I'll give you my answer tomorrow," Yang Ze finally said.

At these words, the faces of the Yang family members turned grim, while the men from the two gangs burst out laughing, hurling insults and mockery.

Yang Ze ignored them and returned to the inn. The two gangs, having had their fun, didn't press further and dispersed.

Back inside, the cramped room filled with grumbling voices, some eager to rush out and fight. Irritated, Yang Ze sent everyone away, keeping only Old Xie and Yan Bawei.

Neither man spoke at once, understanding why Yang Ze had acted as he did. In such a situation, a show of humility was necessary—otherwise, a fight would have broken out, and gang members were not known for adhering to rules. Blood would certainly have been shed, and Yang Ze's own safety would have been in jeopardy. Both men were secretly relieved that Yang Ze had not acted recklessly.

"Steward Yan, I now consider you one of my own. Are you willing to join me in this endeavor?" Yang Ze asked.

"I am—absolutely. Please command as you see fit, Second Young Master."

Yan Bawei was determined to help Yang Ze resolve the crisis. If the Yang family simply gave in to the gangs' demands, Yang Yuanzhen would be furious, and Yan Bawei would lose his job—or worse, his life. Yang Ze was now his only hope.

"Good. Get me a detailed map of the two gangs' strongholds in the southern part of the city—every crucial detail you can find, and fast. You have three hours."

Yan Bawei bowed and hurried off to gather intelligence.

"Old Xie, send word back to bring out as many guards as possible—preferably those with some connection to me, so they're trustworthy. Be discreet, and keep it to as few people as possible."

Old Xie gave Yang Ze a searching look but asked no questions, knowing to simply follow Yang Ze's instructions.

Left alone, Yang Ze sat before ink and paper, glanced at them, and began to write.

...

When the events outside the inn were relayed to Yang Hai in a letter, a radiant smile blossomed on his face.

"You see, I always said my second brother was weak and incompetent. I didn't expect the Ten Thousand Sharks Gang would help me stage such a fine show—bringing all their men and scaring my brother witless. I thought it would take days for this performance to end, but it looks like it will be over before it even begins.

Heh, two choices—I'd like to see which one he picks. No matter what, he's finished. Hahaha!"