Chapter 27

"Why isn't anyone speaking? Is what Li Qing said wrong?" Su Xin looked at the silent crowd below and asked.

Li Qing rubbed his slightly red eyes and smiled awkwardly, "Boss, don't take it to heart. I was just venting, talking nonsense."

"Li Qing, you weren't talking nonsense. What's wrong with doing it for money? I, Su Xin, will speak openly today. I joined the Flying Eagle Gang for money and power!"

Looking at the crowd below, Su Xin shouted loudly, "We are all fine young men. Who wants to be a laborer for life, watching others drink and eat meat while we can't even fill our bellies with bran and vegetables! Once you enter the world of the gang, if Li Qing is willing to risk his life to leave a legacy for his family, do you dare to do the same!"

"We dare!"

The gang members below had bloodshot eyes. Even those who had been in the Flying Eagle Gang for several years were stirred by Su Xin's words and roared out loud.

"Being brave is not enough! You need strength! Even if you have the heart to eat meat, you don't have the fate to do so!"

Su Xin pulled out the heavy sword from his waist and suddenly plunged it into the ground, shattering the three-inch-thick marble floor!

"Strength is what gives you ambition. I, Su Xin, have reached my current position not by luck, but by strength!"

Su Xin pointed to the east, "The seven-story Shenglong Tower in Changde Fang, the tallest and largest building in Changning Prefecture, where only the nobles could stand at the top and overlook the land. Now, in Changning Prefecture, there are no more than ten people qualified to stand at the top of Shenglong Tower. But I, Su Xin, swear that within three years, I will stand there and trample all of Changning Prefecture under my feet!"

Dominant!

The gang members below were stirred by Su Xin's words, their blood boiling.

If anyone else said these words, they would be mocked for being overambitious. But Su Xin, who had secured his position in Kuailelin within a month and successfully assassinated Dai Chong, becoming a hero in the Flying Eagle Gang, had the right to say these words.

As Su Xin said, his current position was not due to luck, but to strength!

"Starting today, I will take turns teaching you internal skills and martial arts. If you want to climb up, you must first have the strength to do so! Remember, I, Su Xin, do not keep useless people. If you want to drink and eat meat, and stand higher, you must train hard and fight hard! If you just want to earn a living, don't blame me for being unsentimental, just get out! You can still carry heavy loads at the city gate and won't starve to death! Now, I ask you one last question, do you want to eat meat, or do you want to go back to the shacks in Changle Fang and eat bran and vegetables!"

"Meat!"

"Meat!"

"Meat!"

A group of gang members with bloodshot eyes shouted. Everyone present, except for Li Hua, even the cunning Huang Bingcheng, had bloodshot eyes and joined in the shouting.

What Su Xin said today was something no one had ever told them before. Even those who had been in the Flying Eagle Gang for several years had never heard such words. The higher-ups in the Flying Eagle Gang only told them to be loyal to the gang, and that the gang would not treat them unfairly, but in the end, they learned to be slick and to avoid danger.

Now, Su Xin was telling them what ambition was! This was a seed, a seed that could make them go further. Even if their potential was limited in this life, as long as this seed sprouted, they would not be mediocre and unproductive.

The higher-ups in the Flying Eagle Gang did not dare to say these things, because loyal people were easier to control than ambitious ones, even though the former would seem lifeless.

But Su Xin was not afraid. As long as his strength was strong enough, no matter how strong others were, they could only look up to him from below.

In the hall, the seed of ambition gradually sprouted, and the atmosphere was thoroughly stirred. Su Xin secretly smiled.

These people were easy to deceive, or rather, they were too naive. A few words could stir their desires.

In his previous life, Su Xin had given motivational speeches to hundreds of employees. Talking about ideals, life, and struggle, plus promotions, raises, and marrying a rich and beautiful woman, it took nearly an hour to barely stir up the atmosphere.

Compared to the slick young people in his previous life, these gang members who came from the slums and could barely read were much easier to deceive.

"Starting today, one-third of the people will go to Kuailelin for regular patrols, and the remaining two-thirds will come to the training ground to practice internal skills and martial arts. Li Hua will be responsible for teaching you real combat."

The nearly two hundred people's shift schedule had already been arranged by Huang Bingcheng the day before. Those on duty for patrols were sent away, and the rest were all packed into the training ground behind the hall.

The training ground was originally just a backyard, and with over a hundred people, it was a bit crowded, but they could still move around.

"Old Huang, go tell Boss Liu and the others to rent their backyards. They don't use them anyway."

Next to the Kuailelin hall were the Drunken Moon Tower and a hotel. The backyards were just used for storing miscellaneous items. Su Xin thought they could probably get them for free.

In the morning, Su Xin didn't teach them much, just had them memorize the internal skill and practice it at home. After all, this was a matter of talent, and although everyone could practice, the results would vary.

For example, Tiger San and the three hall leaders were about the same age, but Tiger San had not been able to open all thirty-six acupoints in decades, while the three hall leaders had already opened seventy-two acupoints and were at the middle stage of the Afterbirth realm.

The spiked short sticks that Su Xin had asked Huang Bingcheng to make were completed by several blacksmiths working together. Each person got one and started practicing the dog-beating staff technique.

The eight-character mantra of the dog-beating staff technique was simple, but it required a lot of practice to use it proficiently.

The real focus was in the afternoon, when Li Hua began teaching them real combat.

Li Hua had once said that he didn't learn any sword techniques; his skills were all honed in real combat, which boiled down to three words: fast, fierce, and accurate.

These three points were the foundation of any martial art, simple and practical.

This method was similar to Jing Wu Ming's fast sword. Su Xin had once thought about giving Jing Wu Ming's fast sword to Li Hua.

However, Jing Wu Ming's fast sword was too special, and others couldn't even start practicing it. If Su Xin hadn't had the 5% proficiency bonus from the system, he probably wouldn't have learned it either.

The Great Mount Sword Technique didn't match Li Hua's style, and forcing him to learn it would not increase his combat power but would affect his own fighting style.

The only two martial arts techniques Li Hua could practice, Su Xin had to wait until he found a suitable one to give him.

He wasn't afraid of Li Hua's betrayal because Li Hua had never been Tiger San's man. Tiger San and Li Hua were at most mutually beneficial, while Ji Gang was Tiger San's man.

Li Hua's personality made it unlikely that any superior would consider him a trusted confidant.

Only Su Xin didn't take it seriously. In his view, people like Li Hua were the safest because they needed very little. Without a huge temptation, he wouldn't easily betray.

In his previous life, Su Xin had managed hundreds of people for nearly ten years. He had seen all kinds of people.

The old engineers in the company were all arrogant, but they were the easiest to manage.

On the contrary, those who always smiled and showed respect were the ones who would stab you in the back when you weren't paying attention.

Li Hua's method of teaching the gang members was brutal.

It was more like one-sided torture than teaching.

He directly had five gang members stand up and attack him with the spiked short sticks, while Li Hua only had a wooden sword.

Five against one, but the five gang members were beaten and stabbed by Li Hua, howling in pain.

Even with a wooden sword, the sharp edge, under Li Hua's strength, could leave a bloody mark, and any hit would leave a bruise.

After beating each of the five, he told them what to do, then beat them again, repeating the process until they could last ten moves against him before changing to the next group.

This method made the gang members complain, but because of what Su Xin had said earlier, they endured the pain.

No one wanted to go back to the slums and eat bran and vegetables!

After watching for the afternoon, although some complained of pain, no one grumbled, and Su Xin nodded in satisfaction.

Li Hua's method was indeed brutal, but it was also effective.

His subordinates were young and strong, but in real combat, they were probably not even as strong as street thugs.

Their foundation was too weak, so this method of forced growth was the only way to make them grow quickly.

"Old Huang, tell everyone not to go home for dinner. After training, they will eat here. Every day, they will have enough meat and steamed buns, but no alcohol," Su Xin instructed Huang Bingcheng.

"These little brats are lucky to have a boss like you," Huang Bingcheng immediately flattered.

Su Xin shook his head and said softly, "Not necessarily. Maybe they did something bad in their past life?"

Huang Bingcheng scratched his head, and Su Xin walked away.

In the following days, the training continued as scheduled. In the morning, Su Xin was in charge, and in the afternoon, Li Hua taught them combat skills.

Although the gang members were hammered and suffered, the results were immediate.

At least the nearly two hundred people, if any one of them was picked out, could last ten moves against Li Hua.

A few days ago, it took five of them to barely last ten moves against Li Hua.

During this time, some people wanted to join Kuailelin, but most were rejected by Su Xin, leaving only a few with good physical conditions, about twenty people.

It wasn't that Su Xin didn't want more people, but more people would bring unnecessary trouble.

Ordinary small leaders had only dozens of subordinates, at most a hundred.

Su Xin's nearly two hundred subordinates were already far beyond the standard. Tiger San had only about six hundred subordinates.

If a small leader had nearly as many subordinates as a large leader, what would he be up to? Tiger San wouldn't let it go easily.

Su Xin didn't want to break with Tiger San yet. Although they were already estranged, at least the surface respect had to be maintained.