Jaguar cars have always been among the most coveted models for male drivers worldwide! They exude masculinity! As a car enthusiast, I naturally love them.
I took out the key that Eighth Master had given me, and then patted the little pig: "Thank you."
He sighed, then took his leave.
My brothers behind me had already swarmed forward, shouting excitedly. Some had even jumped into the convertible, yelling, "Brother Wu, come on, let's go for a spin!"
Although I really liked the car, I still smiled and tossed the keys to a guy sitting in the front: "You guys go ahead and get in!"
The guy who caught the car keys was clearly surprised, then shook his head repeatedly, jumped out of the car, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Brother Wu, you..."
"We're all brothers here, so my car is everyone's car. If you like it, feel free to take it and drive it." I smiled, then left these guys behind and pulled Ciro outside.
But I couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
Eighth Master, Eighth Master, have you already started using the tactic of "secretly sowing discord" so quickly?
It's just a car. Although I like it, I know the loyalty of my men is more important. Sure enough, my action immediately drew cheers from behind. Xiro and I stood outside the warehouse and watched as four people squeezed into the car and started it…
The top-of-the-line engine roared to life, and then, like a whirlwind, the car shot out of the garage...
The guys who hadn't managed to squeeze onto the bus cheered and chased after it from behind.
"Let's take a walk." I patted Xiluo on the shoulder. Xiluo looked at me blankly for a moment, then nodded.
We walked side by side along the path beside the warehouse toward the dock. The van we had driven there was parked there. Once we got there, I took out a cigarette, and Ciro and I each lit one, then squatted down next to the van.
"Siro, how do you think I've treated you?" I sighed.
"Nonsense, of course it's great." Xiluo laughed and punched me in the chest.
I nodded: "Yes, you are my first friend after I came to Canada."
Then, I asked with a smile, "So, what do you think of Eighth Master's arrangements for today?"
"Huh? What?" Xiluo was taken aback.
He's still young, after all... The thought had barely crossed my mind when I couldn't help but chuckle. Speaking of youth, I'm actually a year younger than Xiluo, but I've experienced far more than him.
“Sha Hu was killed, and the Luo Clan Association also collapsed. The territory he left behind is neither big nor small... But do you think such a territory needs two big brothers?” I simply stopped beating around the bush and asked Xi Luo directly.
Xiluo's expression immediately changed, and he blurted out, "Xiao Wu, do you doubt me?" He looked at me and said seriously, "I treat you as a brother. You are better than me in every aspect. Although Eighth Master asked me to take over that territory with you, I know that you are the boss... I will not compete with you!"
He spoke very seriously, and his eyes were sincere. I smiled, looked at him, and said softly, "Of course I believe you."
Xiluo looked at me with some confusion...
This guy is still a bit simple-minded. He has the youth and impulsiveness I had back then, but he still lacks a lot of experience. However, his impulsive nature makes him easily manipulated.
"I'm not going to talk about our relationship. I'm just talking about this territory... Does a territory need two bosses? It's like a car, does it need two drivers?"
This time, after listening to me, Xiluo began to think seriously.
He wasn't a fool, after all; he was a clever fellow. He quickly figured it out: "You mean, it's Eighth Master's arrangement..."
"Hmm." I sighed, sat down on the ground, stretched, and smiled. "Siro, do you remember what I told you in Vietnam... This world is simple, this world is complex..."
When Tiger was around, Eighth Master saw my potential and abilities, and he genuinely admired me. He then intentionally promoted me to a new position as a counterweight to Tiger.
Just like the collaboration with the Hells Angels, back then, Eighth Master didn't allow Tiger to get involved, but deliberately promoted me. That's the kind of tactic they used.
Now, Tiger is dead... and I...
I think that Eighth Prince must have some regrets in his heart.
After all, I climbed too fast.
I have skills; I impressed a lot of guys at the gym. I have potential; I made my pledge of allegiance beautifully. Finally, I killed Sha Hu, the top fighter of the Hua Gang, a Double-Flower Red Stick! And all in full view of everyone!
Finally, I also went to Vietnam and successfully completed my mission!
All of this made me stand out among the many brothers under Eighth Master! My reputation and prestige are almost unmatched among the younger generation!
Ironically, Tiger died under these circumstances!
Tiger, who could always keep me under control, is dead!
“Eighth Master is the boss, and the boss’s position isn’t easy to hold.” I smiled. “So, sometimes he needs to use certain methods to control his subordinates, which I understand, and there’s nothing wrong with that… However, perhaps I should also restrain myself a bit.”
I sighed, looked at Xiluo, and slowly said, "Before, Eighth Master had Tiger and me under his command. But now, Tiger is dead... so I've become 'Tiger,' and you've begun to play the role I once played. Do you understand?"
"No way..." Xiluo was still a little confused: "Eighth Master should know that we have a good relationship, so why would he choose me..."
I smiled and gently tapped Xiluo's chest: "You are the most capable among the younger brothers. Eighth Master has no other choice..."
I stretched and yawned, and just then, those guys drove my car around in circles outside. The people behind me took off their coats and waved them wildly, and cheers came in waves.
I felt a little down.
Eighth Master... Hey! Eighth Master...
Actually, I never intended to oppose him. But the fact that he's so eager to suppress me now is rather disheartening.
Xiluo was still deep in thought, and I knew it would be difficult for him to figure things out anytime soon, but I wasn't in a hurry. I had a lot of confidence in Xiluo, and I firmly believed that no matter how Eighth Master divided them, my feelings for him would not change.
If it were someone else, I might not be able to guarantee anything. But Xiluo… I believe I understand his character far better than I do Eighth Master!
"Alright, let's go, lest these kids go too far." I patted Xiluo on the shoulder, then let him pull me to my feet. "Come on, let's go see our new territory... Today should be a happy day. After all this time, we finally have our own place!"
I yelled at my brothers who were shouting and yelling, "Let's go!"
I then jumped into the van and watched with a smile as those guys messed with my new car.
"Xiao Wu," Xi Luo sat down beside me, looking at me, "you're my brother, you'll always be my brother! Even if in the future you and Eighth Master..."
I immediately frowned and snapped, "Don't say anything more!"
Xiluo was taken aback. I changed to a slightly calmer tone and looked at Xiluo: "I understand what you mean... but things aren't that bad yet."
The second part, Chapter Two: The Road to Success (Interlude)
The Luo Clan Association in Shahu is not large in scale; among Chinese community organizations in Vancouver, it can only be considered second-rate.
Originally, the territory belonging to the Sand Tigers consisted of only one and a half streets located on the east side of Chinatown. It was described as "one and a half streets" because it was a T-junction. The vertical street belonged to the Sand Tigers, while the horizontal street, with the intersection as the boundary, had Sand Tigers on the left and another gang on the right.
On this half-street that belongs to me and Xiluo, there are two restaurants, a teahouse, six shops of various sizes, and... a "meat market" (that is, a brothel).
Coincidentally, I had been to this "meat farm" once before.
It was in this meat processing plant that I first did something for Master Ba, fulfilling my "pledge of allegiance" by killing Sha Hu's younger brother, Sha She, with a razor.
Now, including myself, Xiluo, and the seven brothers from the repair shops I brought who had been to Vietnam with me, there are nine of us in total.
Before we took over, this half-street was also controlled by our people, but these were all people arranged by Tiger. I recognized some of them, I think I saw them at the repair shop, and I didn't recognize others.
The composition of Eighth Master's forces is quite complex. Generally speaking, we have some territory of our own, but not much. The people in the auto repair shop are all elites and loyal followers, while those outside are mostly peripheral members.
The composition of these "peripheral members" is somewhat complex. After all, the Big Circle has existed in North America for twenty years, and in that time, a new generation has emerged. The peripheral members are no longer as tightly organized and highly loyal as the original Big Circle. To localize, the peripheral members have absorbed many local Chinese, commonly known as "ABCs." These Chinese Canadians, while their ancestors came from China, were born and lived in Canada and speak English better than Chinese.
Furthermore, some of the peripheral members even included foreigners.
In terms of quality, these peripheral members are of varying quality.
Our group of nine drove to our territory. Previously, this territory had been taken over by Tiger, who had set up his headquarters in a Chinese restaurant.
The restaurant originally belonged to the Luo Clan Association of Sha Hu. After Sha Hu's death, it was taken over by Eighth Master's men. According to the rules of the underworld, no one objected, and all legal procedures were naturally handled by lawyers.
There were lawyers in the organization. I met one of them and the other staff member who stayed behind at the restaurant; they were both middle-aged men. I recognized one of them; the other was an outsider.
I signed the documents with my lawyer, and after that, the restaurant became my property. And this restaurant is the only property on this street that truly belongs to the Luo Clan Association. The others are just entities that pay a fixed percentage of their income, similar to "protection money."
As for that meat processing plant, it certainly belongs to us, but I'm not going to be foolish enough to put it under my own name. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, I'll be in trouble.
Then, I had all my people on this street gathered. I ordered the restaurant to close for the day, and I set up a few tables on the second floor as a welcome banquet for my new subordinates.
After taking stock, Xiluo and I now control a total of twenty men. Most of them are peripheral members who make a living by collecting protection money and the kickbacks from drug dealers. I also learned that the person in charge of the original "meat farm" was Sand Snake's mistress, and all the profits went directly into the pockets of the Sand Tiger and Sand Snake brothers.
Now that the Sand Tiger and Sand Snake brothers are dead, and their mistress has run away, the situation is a bit chaotic, and their income has plummeted.
After thinking about it, I decided to give the order to shut down that meat processing plant. I had other plans.
The banquet included guests from the venue and the owners of several shops on the street. I could clearly sense their wariness towards me, but each of them gave me a rather sizable gift.
I'm not particularly interested in these social engagements, and I simply don't want to expend too much energy on this place.
Those people were all arranged by Tiger. I don't expect to be able to subdue them in just one or two days. Besides... it's only a street and a half, such a small place, how much influence can it have?
The total income for the year was only a little over 200,000 yuan, and half of that was the restaurant's profit.
If they were only relying on protection money from this one and a half streets, I reckon the Luo Clan Association would have disbanded long ago.
This situation left me somewhat speechless, both amused and exasperated.
The Luo Clan Association is already considered a second-rate gang in Chinatown. So what about those smaller organizations?
The organizations, big and small, have split into small pieces... There are so many gangs, it seems like a lot, but each gang is actually doing very poorly... No wonder they can't beat us even when they're all together for so many years!
Even an idiot knows that in every industry, resources must be centralized. Only by concentrating resources and allocating them rationally can maximum efficiency be achieved.
It's laughable that these Chinese gangs have been fighting for so many years, yet they still don't understand such a simple principle.
Of course, I also know that there are many historical reasons behind this.
Many Chinese associations use names like "So-and-so Clan Association" or "So-and-so Hometown Association." These names clearly indicate that they are formed based on kinship, blood ties, or regional connections.
Many industries have been passed down from generation to generation, so how can they be merged just like that? Most people still have outdated thinking and would rather stick to their ancestral businesses and barely make ends meet.
I held my wine glass, with Ciro sitting beside me, followed by the seven guys from the auto repair shop who had come with me. The shop owners were all obsequious, their faces plastered with fake smiles. I had no intention of trying to build rapport with them.
As for the underlings sitting below, I know that most of them harbor some resentment towards me. After all, I'm the new boss, and everyone is afraid that I'll affect their interests.
“I know…” I stood up with a smile and spoke loudly. The room immediately fell silent. I continued, “…I know that you all have some concerns about my coming here today… concerns that I might change the rules, concerns that I might be a new broom sweeping clean…”
My gaze swept across the entire room, but no one spoke; they all stared at me expectantly.
"Don't worry, everyone, I won't ruin your business." I said with a smile, "The old rules will remain the same... I know that if we change the rules, many people will not be used to it, so let's keep everything as it is!"
I saw many people breathe a sigh of relief.
"However!" I raised my voice and suddenly shouted, immediately making the people below perk up and look at me nervously.
I solemnly said, "A country has its laws, and a family has its rules! I treat everyone well, and I hope everyone will abide by the rules! I looked at the previous accounts today... I won't go into what loopholes there were, you all know what I mean!"
No one spoke...