Chapter Thirty-Six: Cao Xiangming

“Brother Wu, there’s one more thing!” After resolving the doubts in Zhang Wu’s heart, Ding Li couldn’t wait to steer the conversation towards the main topic. But Zhang Wu seemed to anticipate this, giving a slight smile and speaking first, “Brother Li, you want to ask about the Duanzhou Gang, right? Unfortunately, I don’t have any information about them! However, I did have some brothers gather intel on the Three Heroes of Duanzhou this afternoon—they’re not simple characters! This information should be useful to you!”

“It’s useless now!” Ding Li forced a bitter smile, his mood sinking as he shook his head and sighed, “Alas! The Three Heroes of Duanzhou have been silenced! Two are dead—I was too late and only managed to save one!”

“It seems the situation is indeed complicated.” Zhang Wu was clearly taken aback, though it seemed he had already considered such an outcome. He quickly regained his composure, pondered for a moment, then looked at Ding Li with a grave expression and began to analyze, “Brother Li, the information I have on the Three Heroes isn’t much, but it’s reliable! The three of them have been at the docks for years. Although they never formed a gang of their own, they were not people to be trifled with—not even the former Xunzhou Gang under Lai Wu wanted to provoke them. And from what I know, they’re not fools. They shouldn’t have deliberately stirred up trouble when our Nanhai Gang is at its peak. The only explanation is that they were being used by someone. But what confuses me is, what could have made them suddenly join forces and oppose us?”

“That’s no longer the key point. As for what motivated them, I’ll find out once Wang Ling, the one I rescued, recovers.” Ding Li had already reached similar conclusions after the conflict with the Three Heroes earlier that day. Since the matter was already clear, he didn’t want to dwell on it. He shook his head indifferently, then looked at Zhang Wu, furrowing his brow as he asked in a low voice, “Brother Wu, have you ever heard of someone named Cao Yin? He was the one who targeted the Three Heroes. When I left, I heard someone shout, ‘Young master, Cao Yin is dead!’ Clearly, someone is pulling the strings behind Cao Yin.”

“You, you...” As Ding Li spoke, Zhang Wu’s jaw dropped wide enough to fit a duck egg, his expression so exaggerated it was as if he’d seen a ghost. For a long moment, he couldn’t manage a complete sentence. “Brother Li, you—you’re saying you killed—killed Cao Yin?”

“Yes, killed him in passing.” Ding Li’s offhand reply made him notice Zhang Wu’s unusual reaction. Realizing there was more to it, he quickly pressed, “What? Brother Wu, you know this Cao Yin?”

“Know him? More than just know him! He’s an old acquaintance!” Zhang Wu’s tone was gritted and vicious, as if he wished he could tear Cao Yin apart himself. Still, he wore an incredulous expression, thinking for a moment before calming himself and explaining to the impatient Ding Li and Saiyijia, “You said those people called out ‘young master’ when they discovered Cao Yin was dead—that means it’s clear! The mastermind behind the Three Heroes is definitely the young master of the Cao Trading House, Cao Xiangming! Cao Yin was one of his most trusted men, and also one of the Cao household’s bodyguards. Besides Cao Yin, there are four others—Cao Si, Cao Chen, Cao You, and Cao Hai.”

“So many?” Saiyijia, who was standing by, was shocked. “Brother Wu! How do the Cao family have so many people? Why is there only you in the Zhang household? Isn’t the balance of power a bit too lopsided?”

“Hah! What you’ve seen is just the tip of the iceberg of the Zhang Trading House!” Zhang Wu gave a mocking laugh, as if ridiculing Saiyijia’s question, or perhaps looking down on the Cao men he’d just mentioned. As he spoke of the Zhang Trading House, a hint of pride appeared on his face, and his chest unconsciously straightened. “Our Zhang household is merely the young master’s residence! The real manpower is with the Master! You know Uncle Xiang, don’t you? Years ago, a single stomp from him would shake the whole Guangzhou Prefecture! Don’t be fooled by his age now—ten ordinary men wouldn’t be his match!”

“No way! Uncle Xiang, who looks like he can barely walk, is actually that tough?” Saiyijia’s jaw dropped even wider than Zhang Wu’s earlier, his face a picture of disbelief.

“You know far too little about the strength and history of the Zhangs—not even a scratch on the surface!” Zhang Wu curled his lip, this time clearly showing disdain for Saiyijia, but Saiyijia didn’t mind. On the contrary, he nodded thoughtfully, then bowed his head in contemplation.

“Brother Wu, since it’s the work of the Cao Trading House, it seems they’re getting impatient.” Ding Li had no interest in Saiyijia’s curiosity. Now that he’d taken over the Nanhai Gang, he needed to face many things himself. He was well aware of his position: any direct conflict between the Zhangs and the Caos would see himself and the Nanhai Gang as the first line of defense. Now that he knew the Cao Trading House was behind the scenes, he had to be vigilant and analyze what might come next.

“Of course! It would be stranger if they could stay calm!” Zhang Wu’s expression returned to calmness. The Nanhai Gang had been established precisely to counterbalance the Chaozhou Gang, supported by the Cao Trading House, and even to suppress them. The fact that the Cao Trading House was making a move was entirely expected—indeed, forcing them to act was Zhang Mingzhi’s very intention from the start.

“Brother Wu, since we have our answer, I want to ask—based on what you know, what might the Cao Trading House do next?” Ding Li wasn’t as unruffled as Zhang Wu. Right now, he was little more than a weapon for the Zhangs—perhaps just a bullet. Though Zhang Mingzhi valued him, Ding Li knew it was all just a transaction. Zhang Mingzhi had saved his life, and Ding Li had decided to repay him with his own, but he had no intention of dying blindly. At the very least, he wanted to be prepared. Besides, Ding Li was never one to sit and wait for death.

“It’s hard to say!” Faced with Ding Li’s earnest question, Zhang Wu could only shake his head helplessly, forcing a wry smile as he explained to the clearly surprised Ding Li, “Brother Li, I mean it—it’s really hard to say! You know, it’s been three years since our Zhang Trading House had any direct, large-scale conflict with the Caos. The disputes these days are just minor skirmishes—nothing that would require someone like me to step in. So, I really can’t imagine what their next move might be.”

“What? Brother Wu, how can you give me an answer like that?” Ding Li immediately grew anxious. He knew little about the Zhang Trading House, even less about the Caos, and had only just recovered from his injuries, unfamiliar even with the Nanhai Gang now under his command. After hearing Zhang Wu’s answer, he jumped to his feet, glaring in dissatisfaction, “Brother Wu! As the Art of War says, know yourself and your enemy, and you need not fear a hundred battles! Right now, I know almost nothing about the Caos, barely anything about the Nanhai Gang, and the Caos are about to make their move. You can’t just expect me to walk in unprepared and get myself killed, can you?”

“Brother Li, calm down, calm down!” Zhang Wu hurriedly stood, awkwardly pushing Ding Li back into his seat and scratching his head in embarrassment. “Look, don’t worry about dying! If that were going to happen, the young master wouldn’t have gone to save you in the first place, right? So relax!”

“Relax? The Cao family is clearly targeting the Nanhai Gang and me. How am I supposed to relax?” To Ding Li, these words sounded like empty reassurance. He knew Zhang Wu wasn’t trying to brush him off, but he was still frustrated. Whether he was a weapon or just a bullet, he didn’t want to be sacrificed without knowing why. He understood Zhang Wu’s reasoning, but simply couldn’t accept it—going to war without any intelligence was something he’d never done before.

“Alright, Brother Li, I’ll gather information immediately, but you’ll have to work hard too. You must get the Nanhai Gang in order as quickly as possible. After all, the Chaozhou Gang, backed by the Cao Trading House, is nothing like the Three Heroes of Duanzhou. Even if you can fight, you can’t take on the whole Chaozhou Gang by yourself, right?” Zhang Wu’s face flushed with embarrassment. He knew this was his oversight, and though Ding Li was angry, he didn’t argue. Instead, he calmly analyzed and offered solutions, “Also, the young master is still at Fuxu Harbor, but we have to keep our own house in order! Let’s hold steady for now. I’ll go to the Master and consult with Uncle Xiang, and get some intelligence from him. If we work together, we’ll be fine!”

“Hmph! At least that’s something I can accept!” Ding Li grumbled, knitting his brow before pressing, “Brother Wu, forgive me for asking, but why hasn’t the young master returned? Is Fuxu Harbor really that busy? Also, working with you is fine, but honestly, your performance just now has left a lot to be desired…”

“Heh… Brother Li, you’re joking. Things have been too quiet lately—I got careless! It won’t happen again!” Zhang Wu forced a laugh, patting his chest and promising Ding Li, then, after a moment’s thought, added awkwardly, “Brother Li, as for the young master’s business at Fuxu Harbor—that’s complicated, but it doesn’t concern our current situation. We’ll talk about it later. Right now, the pressing matter is to anticipate the Cao Trading House’s next move, decide how we’ll respond, and set the course for the Nanhai Gang’s future!”

“Right, that’s exactly what I wanted to discuss with you!” Ding Li nodded, pondering for a moment before looking around the hall, frowning as he made a quiet suggestion, “Brother Wu, I haven’t eaten since lunch—could we talk over a meal? And some wine, if possible.”

“Hahaha! Of course! If Brother Li says so, how could there be a problem?” At these words, Zhang Wu threw back his head and laughed, all previous awkwardness forgotten. He clapped Ding Li heartily on the shoulder and joked, “You still look sturdy enough! Come, to my place—plenty of food and wine!”