Chapter 51

The five ruffians didn't know what was happening, but they didn't dare to disobey, quickly standing up to follow. The other boys exchanged glances and also followed, very curious and knowing that following Zhao Jin wouldn't be dangerous. After Chen Sheng turned back to call Chen Hong, the two brothers quickly caught up.

When they walked out of the cargo yard, Zhao Jin looked at the intersection again, but still didn't see the figure of Mu Shulan. It had been three days since he last saw her, which was truly strange.

Zhao Jin led everyone a few steps, and the other boys knew they were heading to the southern part of the city.

"Big Brother Zhao, where are we going?"

"You'll know when we get there."

Zhao Jin gave a brief answer. The boys were puzzled but didn't dare to ask again.

In less than half an hour, they arrived at the Black Tiger Wealth God Temple in the southern part of the city. Last time, it took so long because there were many people to greet and chat with along the way. This time, they took a shortcut from the Wu'an Gate in the western part of the city, which wasn't far at all.

The vendors at the temple entrance were gone, and a young man with his sleeves folded was on guard. Seeing a group of children approaching, he couldn't help but feel curious. But when he saw the five ruffians, his face immediately turned cold, and he shouted loudly, "Erdou, you scoundrels, why aren't you running away? Do you really want to be thrown into the river by Boss Cheng?"

Hearing this, the five ruffians trembled and immediately stopped moving forward. Zhao Jin, however, walked over confidently. The young man on guard was not the same as last time. Seeing this boy walk over confidently instead of the usual timidity, he felt a bit strange and swallowed the dirty words he was about to say. He gruffly said, "Go play somewhere else, this isn't a place for kids."

"Big Brother, I am Zhao Jin, the son of Zhao Zhentang. I came here with my father last time. Could you please go in and tell Big Brother Tongtou that I want to see him?" Zhao Jin said clearly.

"You little brat..." The young man was about to scold him but then thought about how he had just called "Boss Cheng" and the boy mentioned "Tongtou," plus the name of his father. He pondered for a moment, his face darkening, and then pushed the door open to go inside.

After a short while, the sound of footsteps was heard, and Cheng Tongtou walked out confidently. Unlike his fawning attitude toward Zhao Zhentang last time, he now looked imposing. He glanced at Zhao Jin's back, and without turning around, Zhao Jin knew the five ruffians had retreated in fear. Then Cheng Tongtou looked at Zhao Jin, frowned, and then forced a smile, "Young Master, what brings you here this time?"

Although his words were polite, anyone could see his impatience. Cheng Tongtou was giving face to Zhao Zhentang, not to Zhao Jin.

Seeing Cheng Tongtou come out, the boys immediately became tense. Chen Sheng gripped the short stick in his hand, and the others did the same. While waiting at the Black Tiger Wealth God Temple, Liu Yong had already told them about Cheng Tongtou's reputation. The boys from the southern part of the city knew how powerful this local tyrant was, and those from better-off families were seeing a gangster for the first time, feeling both excited and nervous.

"Uncle Cheng, I have a favor to ask."

Hearing the word "uncle," Cheng Tongtou's smile became more genuine. He was afraid that Zhao Jin would be as disrespectful as his father, which would make him lose face in front of his subordinates and make things difficult.

"Say it, Young Master, I'll see if I can help," Cheng Tongtou said, still not committing fully.

Zhao Jin looked back at the five ruffians and then said, "Uncle Cheng, Chen Erdou and the others have done wrong and have been punished. I heard you want to drive them out. They all have families. If they leave Xuzhou, it will be a tragedy for their families. So I want to ask Uncle Cheng to let them stay."

Cheng Tongtou frowned, thinking that it was Zhao Jin who punished them, and now he was asking for mercy. Children act too casually, and it would be embarrassing to take them back after punishing them. Moreover, if he didn't take strong action, he wouldn't be able to face Zhao Zhentang if he asked.

Thinking this, Cheng Tongtou coughed and was about to refuse, but Zhao Jin said, "Uncle Cheng, these five people didn't know the gravity of their actions and acted recklessly. Now they know they were wrong and will be more cautious. If you let them stay, they will be grateful and work hard. Such people will be useful to you, Uncle Cheng. Why drive them away?"

Hearing this, Cheng Tongtou was immediately interested. As a local tyrant, he didn't have many people he could use. Hearing Zhao Jin's analysis, he thought it was feasible.

"Rest assured, Uncle Cheng, this is also my father's wish," Zhao Jin added.

The false expression on Cheng Tongtou's face disappeared, and he looked at Zhao Jin with confusion. After a moment, he smiled and sighed, "Old Zhao has a good son!"

After saying this, Cheng Tongtou's face regained its authority, and he said to the five ruffians behind Zhao Jin, "You five are lucky. The Young Master actually spoke up for you. You can stay, but work hard, or I won't spare you!"

Hearing this, the five ruffians were stunned. Not only were they stunned, but the boys watching behind them were also stunned. They had been extremely nervous, thinking the matter wouldn't be resolved, but Zhao Jin was calm and spoke confidently, and in the end, such a powerful person actually agreed.

After a moment of silence, two people happened to walk by, and seeing the scene, they hurriedly turned away. This finally made the five ruffians react. They knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Boss, thank you for your kindness."

"Why thank me? You should thank the Young Master from the Zhao family!" Cheng Tongtou said irritably. The five ruffians suddenly understood. Thinking about the few hundred coins Zhao Jin had given them and the snacks to fill their stomachs, plus his intercession, they were overwhelmed with emotion and kowtowed with tears, saying, "Great kindness from the Young Master, great kindness."

Zhao Jin didn't pay attention to them, turned around, and smiled at Cheng Tongtou, bowing and saying, "Thank you for your generosity, Uncle Cheng. I'll take my leave now."

Cheng Tongtou smiled at Zhao Jin, and after a moment's thought, he took out a piece of silver from his pocket, bent down, and handed it to Zhao Jin, saying, "Young Master, take this to buy some candy."

"Uncle Cheng, you've already helped a lot today. How can I accept more from you? I'll take my leave." Zhao Jin didn't take the silver and smiled as he continued to take his leave, turning to leave.

The boys followed in a daze. They felt that what had just happened was incredible. When had people their age been able to interact with adults so equally?

Cheng Tongtou stood at the door, watching the boys walk away, and muttered, "Not simple, not simple at all!"

After saying this, he glanced at the five ruffians and said coldly, "You five go home and stay there. Come back to me at this time tomorrow, and I'll give you some work to do."

Cheng Tongtou went into the courtyard, and the young man on guard said with surprise, "You five are lucky. Before, you weren't even considered errand boys, but now you're in."

In the gang, there were close and distant subordinates. Chen Erdou and the five ruffians didn't count at all, at most they were peripheral members, using Cheng Tongtou's name to deceive others. But this time, they had turned a misfortune into a blessing and actually made it in.

Chen Erdou and the others were still in a daze. Hearing the young man's sarcastic words, they subconsciously looked in the direction Zhao Jin had left, their eyes filled with gratitude.

On the way back, everyone was quiet. They hadn't walked far when they saw a familiar person, Dong Bingfeng. He wasn't very close to Zhao Jin or the core group at the cargo yard, so he hadn't come along. He didn't expect to see them here.

Dong Bingfeng and his two bodyguards were there, their horses tied to the side. Seeing Zhao Jin and the others approach, Dong Bingfeng paused, gathered his courage, and asked, "Big Brother Zhao, what did you go to do? Do you need any help?"

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