Chapter Thirty: Actions Rely on the Mind

After the people from the Duanzhou Gang departed, the conflict was, for the moment, resolved. Yet Saiyigad’s face was still clouded with resentment, and he seemed reluctant to even speak to Ding Li. Ding Li did not force the issue; instead, he first soothed the members of the Nanhai Gang and distributed medicine money to the brothers who had been beaten. He repeatedly warned everyone that they must not deliberately provoke trouble in the future—otherwise, he would be the first to deal with the offender himself.

Once everything was settled, Ding Li prepared to leave the docks. But upon returning to the carriage, he realized that Saiyigad was still sulking. With a helpless shake of his head, Ding Li stood by the carriage and waved, calling out, “Saiyi! Let’s go, time to head back! What are you lingering here for? Are your hands itching? Planning to unload some cargo from the boats?”

Saiyigad let out a disgruntled huff, shook his head dejectedly, and followed Ding Li onto the carriage.

“What’s this? Still angry?” Ding Li teased as he climbed aboard, giving Saiyigad a playful punch and patting him a few times on the shoulder.

“I wouldn’t dare! You made yourself clear in front of everyone, Brother Li—how could I say anything more?” Saiyigad turned away in protest, squirming in the cramped space, but he could not escape and his face was still full of complaint.

“Oh! So you really are upset!” Ding Li was a little surprised, finally realizing that Saiyigad felt he had lost face in front of the younger brothers earlier. He patted Saiyigad’s shoulder, smiling with resignation. “Alright! I was in the wrong just now, I didn’t consider your feelings in front of the others. Let me apologize to you now, will that do?”

“That’s not necessary!” Saiyigad was a bit embarrassed that Ding Li would apologize first; he scratched his head awkwardly and glanced at Ding Li, then frowned and changed the subject. “Brother Li, I still don’t get it—why did you let those so-called ‘Three Heroes of Duanzhou’ go? Letting them off so easily is too good for them!”

“Saiyi, sometimes, solving problems doesn’t rely on fists alone.” Ding Li slowly raised his fist and waved it in front of Saiyigad, then smiled faintly and tapped his own temple. “You need to use your head.”

“My head?” Saiyigad was momentarily stunned, staring at Ding Li for a while. Suddenly, he seemed to understand and asked thoughtfully, “Brother Li, what do you mean? Are you saying this isn’t as simple as it looks?”

“Of course! What did you think?” Ding Li shot him an approving look, then, after a moment’s consideration, explained with some caution, “I didn’t press the Three Heroes of Duanzhou for their reasons, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. And even if I had asked, they might not have told me the truth. But think about it—we’re just starting to establish the Nanhai Gang, and even the Cao Guild and the Chaozhou Gang haven’t made a move. Yet suddenly, the Duanzhou Gang appears? Isn’t that suspicious?”

“Yes! Brother Li, that’s exactly what I thought!” Saiyigad nodded vigorously and continued the analysis. “It’s too out of the ordinary! No one had even heard of the Duanzhou Gang before—they must be a recent creation. I didn’t want to let them go because I was hoping to dig out the force behind them. They must be acting on someone’s orders, otherwise how could they be so bold? Everyone in Guangzhou knows we work for the Zhang Guild—surely they know too!”

“You’re right, they do know. Their actions proved as much, and they even know about our business with Lai Wu.” Ding Li nodded in agreement, then shifted the conversation. “But Saiyi, here’s where you’re mistaken. In my estimation, they might not be acting on someone’s direct orders.”

“Manipulated!” Saiyigad blurted out, looking at Ding Li for confirmation. “Brother Li, they’re being used! That’s it—they’re pawns!”

“Exactly, I think so too,” Ding Li praised, then continued in a low, meaningful voice, “Every conflict, at its core, stems from the most basic interests of both parties. The Three Heroes of Duanzhou must have crossed paths with us because our newly established Nanhai Gang clashes with their interests. That’s why they were resistant.”

“And at that moment, some scheming people took advantage of the situation. The Three Heroes of Duanzhou were pushed to the forefront without even realizing it!” Saiyigad nodded gravely and picked up the thread. “Brother Li, if there’s any interest conflict between us and them, it’s exactly what they said—their days at the docks aren’t easy. Maybe things are just starting to shift, but if someone exploited this, they’d believe that sooner or later, we’d crowd them out completely!”

“Your analysis is correct, but that’s just the root of the conflict between us and the Duanzhou Gang. Now, it’s almost certain they were manipulated.” Ding Li nodded in agreement, then shook his head and fell silent for a moment. Finally, he lifted the carriage curtain, calling to the driver, “Find a few skilled carpenters in town—I need to furnish my new house. And a couple of good music shops, too, we’ll stop by on the way.”

“Right away, Brother Li! Don’t worry!” The coachman, Old Zhang, smiled back. This new master was easygoing and kind, which made his work all the more pleasant.

“What’s this about, Brother Li?” Saiyigad was baffled. Once the curtain was down, he hurried to Ding Li’s side, full of questions. “Weren’t we just talking about a hidden force behind the Three Heroes? Why are you off to look at furniture and musical instruments?”

“That hidden force—there’s nothing we can see, and even guessing might get us nowhere. We might as well take care of other business for now.” Ding Li shrugged with an air of mystery, patted Saiyigad’s shoulder, and seeing the confusion on his face, laughed and advised, “Don’t overthink it. Everything must be done step by step. Besides, they’re the ones who are desperate to cause us trouble. There’s no need to rush—sooner or later, they’ll come knocking again.”

“Alright, I’ll do as you say.” Saiyigad nodded, half understanding, but felt Ding Li had a point.

“And Saiyi, there’s one more thing to remember.” After a moment, Ding Li continued to instruct him. “No matter what happens, you must keep your footing and your mind clear. It doesn’t matter so much whether we know what the enemy is thinking or doing. What matters most is knowing what we want, what we plan to do. Never let the enemy see through your intentions.”

As he spoke, Ding Li lifted the curtain again and glanced carelessly outside, his lips curling into a knowing smile as he sighed, “Take right now for example. There’s no telling how many people are tailing our carriage. Every move we make will be reported to that force behind the scenes in no time.”

Now Saiyigad truly grasped Ding Li’s intentions. He slapped his thigh in excitement and exclaimed, “Brother Li, you’re luring the tiger from the mountain!”

“Uh…” Ding Li was momentarily taken aback, then nodded and shook his head, neither confirming nor denying Saiyigad’s conclusion.

Ding Li’s counter-surveillance skills were exceptional, and his suspicions proved correct. All along the way, even just by peering out the window, he counted at least a dozen groups of suspicious figures. The other side was indeed well-trained—in order to avoid exposure, they even used relay tactics while tailing him. By Ding Li’s reckoning, no fewer than fifty people were tracking his movements—a considerable operation, which only piqued his curiosity further.

The coachman, Old Zhang, had been assigned by Zhang Wu and was a native of Guangzhou. He had worked for the Zhang family for more than a decade and knew the city like the back of his hand. He was well aware of Ding Li’s status and, in just over an hour, took Ding Li to three long-established carpentry shops and two musical instrument stores.

By now, Ding Li truly carried the air of a local magnate. Never one to trouble himself over money, he spent freely. In every shop he visited, he placed order after order, throwing around dozens or even hundreds of taels of silver as if it were water.

Of course, none of the orders were paid in cash. With the Zhang family and the Nanhai Gang’s names behind him, the owners of those old shops were as cunning as foxes. Every one of them insisted on payment only upon delivery and inspection; when Ding Li offered to put down a deposit, they would shake their heads emphatically, utterly refusing to accept even a single coin. Some even joked that they’d stop taking orders altogether if he pushed the point.

Ding Li was happy to go along, and after a token protest, he accepted the arrangement with a smile. When he finally left the last music shop, he stood beneath an old, peeling nanmu signboard and could not help but sigh at how pleasant life was with power and influence.

Saiyigad, following behind him, had little appreciation for Ding Li’s musings. His nerves somewhat impervious, he hadn’t given such things a thought. Exiting the music shop, he stretched broadly, then glanced around and was drawn to a commotion on a nearby street. Standing on tiptoe to peer over the crowd, he nudged Ding Li and suggested eagerly, “Hey, Brother Li, looks like there’s a quarrel over there! Let’s go take a look!”

“Hm?” Ding Li followed the direction of his gaze, then glanced up at the blood-red sunset on the horizon. After a brief pause, seeing Saiyigad’s anticipation, he nodded and signaled to the coachman. “Old Zhang, let’s not head back just yet. Let’s go see what’s going on with all those people gathered over there.”

“Of course, Brother Li!” Though Old Zhang was middle-aged, he was a born busybody, and as the Zhang family’s personal coachman, few dared to cross him. He was never one to shy from trouble. At Ding Li’s word, he agreed at once, jumped down from the carriage, and, while eyeing the distant crowd, pulled the carriage to the roadside. He called after Ding Li’s retreating figure, “Brother Li, you two go ahead. I’ll be right behind you!”