Chapter 7

In a room at a railway guesthouse near the city, four men of different ages were drinking. The dishes to go with the alcohol were simple: a plate of fried peanuts and a pound of pig's head meat.

In the past, such people would have stood out in the small town, as the town's transient population was not large, and any stranger would be noticed.

However, during this period, hundreds, if not thousands, of people from all over the country and abroad had come to the town to attend Liu Yunjiao's funeral, so these four men were not so noticeable.

"Sixth Brother, we are here to attend Old Man Liu's funeral. You need to be more restrained and not cause trouble here."

The oldest man, who was in his early forties, took a sip of erguotou and smacked his lips, then said, "Sixth Brother, what did you do when you went to see the Sun brothers yesterday?"

"Big Brother, I had business with the Sun brothers in the past. Since I'm here, I should pay them a visit, right? Otherwise, others might think we're being rude."

Sitting opposite the middle-aged man was a young man in his late twenties, about 1.7 meters tall, very thin, with a sharp face and monkey-like features. His eyes darted around, giving an impression of instability.

"You're full of mischief, Sixth Brother. Why would you go to see those two for no reason?"

The middle-aged man knew his subordinate's character well. Seeing his indifferent expression, he said, "Old Man Liu's status in the underworld is not to be underestimated. If we cause trouble, we won't be able to come north of the Yangtze River in the future. Don't have any ulterior motives."

"What Old Man Liu? He just lost a battle and fled to Taiwan back then."

Sixth Brother pouted and said irritably, "This old man has been gone for decades, yet he still commands such respect after death. Our gang has hundreds of members now. Why do other sects treat us with such indifference?"

In this society, people are always divided into different classes, and the underworld is no exception. From the imperial court to the common people, everyone can be categorized.

In the upper nine classes, there are: 1. Buddha, 2. Immortals, 3. Emperors, 4. Officials, 5. Distillers, 6. Pawnbrokers, 7. Merchants, 8. Landowners, 9. Farmers.

There are also middle and lower nine classes.

The middle nine classes are: 1. Scholars, 2. Doctors, 3. Feng Shui masters, 4. Fortune tellers, 5. Painters, 6. Physiognomists, 7. Monks, 8. Taoists, 9. Musicians and chess players.

The lower nine classes are: 1. Shamans, 2. Prostitutes, 3. Witch doctors, 4. Watchmen, 5. Barbers, 6. Musicians, 7. Actors, 8. Beggars, 9. Candy makers.

For thousands of years, the status in the underworld has been passed down from these twenty-seven classes. Although there are only twenty-seven classes, the actual number is much larger.

For example, the fifth class in the lower nine, "barbers," includes foot care, waiters, cart pullers, massage therapists, shop assistants, dancers, and other service industry workers.

The four men drinking looked neatly dressed, but they were actually members of a beggar gang from a southern city. They had a patch on their clothes in an inconspicuous place, which could be easily identified by experts.

The middle-aged man was surnamed Hao, with a fat head and big ears, looking kind and benevolent, but he was actually the leader of the beggar gang in that southern city. He would smile even when stabbing someone, earning him the nickname "Smiling Tiger."

Sixth Brother was a key member responsible for collecting children from various places, known for his arrogance and cruelty.

"Big Brother, why do we have to come all the way here to pay respects to this old man? We could just enjoy ourselves at home."

Sixth Brother drank a cup of wine and showed a look of indignation. They had traveled a long distance to attend Liu's funeral, but the Liu family treated them coldly, which made the young and fiery Sixth Brother very upset.

"You don't understand anything. Although Old Man Liu has been in Taiwan for decades, he has many disciples and old friends. Who in the martial arts world north and south of the Yangtze River would not give him some respect?"

Although Hao was scolding, his face still smiled. "Our gang is not well-regarded in the underworld, and we have done many bad things. This time, we came not to seek anything but to build connections, which might be useful in the future."

The beggar gang and the prostitute gang have a long history but are always looked down upon and lack martial power. In many conflicts, they are often the ones who suffer the most.

So Hao took the opportunity of Old Man Liu's death to come and pay respects, offering a substantial amount of money for the funeral, hoping to build good relations with the martial arts world.

However, to Hao's surprise, the Liu family did not give them any face, not even informing them of the funeral day, and they missed the final banquet.

Being treated with such contempt, even Hao, with his deep scheming, was furious, and thus had his subordinates buy food to drink in the guesthouse.

"Damn it, Big Brother, I can't stand it. Why can the women from the Orchid Gang sit in the hall, but we have to drink here?"

Sixth Brother suddenly slapped the table, his eyes red, and said, "And those lowlifes are included in the outer eight gangs, but we are excluded. What the hell is this?"

"Hmm? Sixth Brother, be quiet, don't say things recklessly." Hao was taken aback and asked, "Did you see clearly? Are there really people from the Orchid Gang here?"

The Orchid Gang is one of the outer eight gangs in the underworld, essentially prostitutes. Although they are the most despised in the underworld, they are also indispensable.

Society can do without the corpse handlers of western Hunan or the craftsmen who make mechanical devices, but the Orchid Gang cannot be eliminated.

Throughout history, regardless of official suppression or public opinion, the Orchid Gang has always thrived, especially in the southern city in the 1990s.

Of course, not all women in the entertainment industry are part of the Orchid Gang. On the contrary, most of the women working in nightclubs are not from the underworld. The Orchid Gang has a special mark, often a phoenix embroidered on their clothing.

Although Hao led a gang of beggars, he also looked down on the women in the entertainment industry, so he was angry when he heard Sixth Brother's words.

"Big Brother, I rely on my eyes for a living. How could I be wrong?"

Sixth Brother took a sip of wine and smacked his lips, then said, "Isn't that slut the PR manager of a big tycoon? If she's not from the Orchid Gang, you can gouge out my eyes!"

Although beggars have no social status and are often despised or pitied, Hao and his men lived more comfortably than most people.

As a high-ranking member of the southern beggar gang, Hao had been a millionaire for several years, and with the expansion of their business, they were making a fortune, accumulating a large amount of black money.

As part of the first generation to get rich during the reform and opening up, Hao and his men were no strangers to the entertainment industry. The tycoon Sixth Brother mentioned was the owner of the most luxurious nightclub in their city.

Hao had known the PR manager, but during the funeral, he was too busy socializing to notice as clearly as Sixth Brother.

"Damn it, the Liu family is too disrespectful!"

Thinking that their status was considered lower than prostitutes by the Liu family, Hao could no longer suppress his anger. He slammed his wine glass on the table and said, "Sixth Brother, buy tickets. We're leaving today. Our faces may not be precious, but we don't need to stick to others' cold butts!"

"Don't, Big Brother. Since we're here, we should take something back!"

Seeing that he had successfully provoked Hao, Sixth Brother smiled and said, "Big Brother, why not take a couple of people back? You've been eyeing the market by the Pearl River. We're short of people."

"That's right, Big Brother, Sixth Brother is right."

Hearing Sixth Brother's words, a man in his mid-thirties nodded and said, "There are many Hong Kong and Macau people in the Pearl River area, and they are generous. If we can take over that territory, we will rule the Pearl River Delta."

"Hmm? Second Brother, you think so too?" Hao turned to look at him.

The man speaking was named Qi Baoyu, originally from western Hunan. Due to the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, he had committed many crimes and later moved to the coastal city, where he met Hao.

"Big Brother, find two children, cut out their tongues, break their legs, and leave them at the customs gate. We can make at least a thousand yuan a day. I think it's feasible."

Qi Baoyu looked decent but was full of mischief. He was the second-in-command of the beggar gang and often came up with cruel and inhumane ideas.

Hao thought for a while but still shook his head, saying, "But the distance is too far. What if something happens on the way?"

It's not that Hao was a good person, but the distance from Cangzhou to their city was thousands of miles, making it difficult to bring people back. PS: Dear readers, please vote for the recommendation!

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