2: Chapter 2 Wang Shi, would you be willing to acknowledge me as your elder brother?

Not long after, a woman wearing a coarse cloth skirt with a wooden hairpin in her hair walked into the room.

Although her features were merely delicate, her figure was quite voluptuous; she was none other than Chen Hu's mistress, Widow Wang.

"Brother Hu, you're awake. Are you hungry? I have pumpkin porridge and flatbread warming in the pot."

Widow Wang looked at Chen Hu with concern and said gently.

Although Widow Wang was a widow, she was only in her early twenties. She had married Peddler Wang at eighteen.

However, on the third day of their marriage, Peddler Wang carried his load out of the city to sell his goods.

Unluckily, he encountered mountain bandits, lost his goods, and lost his life as well.

Upon hearing the news, Peddler Wang's mother fell ill and never recovered.

Not long after, she passed away.

From then on, many malicious and covetous eyes surrounded Widow Wang.

Even some of the Wang family's relatives wanted to seize her property.

The Fierce Tiger Gang was the head of the three major Gangs in Changshou Ward.

Yuquan Street, where Widow Wang lived, happened to be under Chen Hu's jurisdiction.

Although Widow Wang tried hard to appear tough, she was, after all, a delicate woman. How could she fend off all those ill-intentioned people?

One day, a group of the Wang family's relatives forcibly broke into Widow Wang's home, wanting to seize the property and drive her away.

Chen Hu happened to be patrolling nearby with his men, so he brought them along to beat the Wang family's relatives and drive them away.

Widow Wang knew deeply that to protect her property and herself, she needed to find someone to rely on.

Upon learning that although Chen Hu was a Gang member, he still had a decent reputation, she got the idea to invite him to her home for a drink.

Afterward, the two of them got together.

Chen Hu waved his hand, looked at Widow Wang, and said: "Widow Wang, I ask you, are you willing to acknowledge me as your Big Brother?"

Widow Wang was stunned. She looked at Chen Hu with some astonishment, was silent for two seconds, and asked tentatively: "Brother Hu, have you not sobered up yet?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm just asking, are you willing to acknowledge me as your Big Brother?"

Chen Hu couldn't help but raise his voice; this concerned a certain function test of the System.

Widow Wang was startled and said grumpily: "Alright, fine, I'm willing, okay?"

With a thought, the System interface appeared.

Chen Hu's gaze landed on the column for the number of subordinates; the count had already become 12.

He was overjoyed. He clicked on the details, and sure enough, the name Liu Xiangyue had been added to the list of subordinates.

That's right, Widow Wang's name was Liu Xiangyue.

Putting away the System interface, Chen Hu instructed Widow Wang: "Bring the food to the hall, and then help me boil a pot of bathwater."

"Yes, Big Brother!"

Widow Wang replied with some resentment and turned to go to the kitchen.

Every time the number of subordinates reached a certain Breakthrough, he could get a lucky draw.

Therefore, Chen Hu used Widow Wang to conduct a test. As long as she verbally agreed to become his subordinate, his number of subordinates would increase.

Generally speaking, the number of subordinates under a small leader of the Fierce Tiger Gang was around 10.

It didn't matter if there were one or two extra, but too many would be a problem.

Because the salaries of his subordinates were paid by the Gang.

If there were too many subordinates, it would definitely attract dissatisfaction from the Gang.

Secondly, a portion of the grey income from this street had to be taken out and shared with the subordinates. If there were more subordinates, the silver each person received would decrease.

It was inevitable that subordinates would get ideas and switch to other small leaders.

"System, open the lucky draw interface!"

The next moment, a large roulette wheel appeared in front of Chen Hu.

Below the wheel, it was marked: Elementary Lucky Draw once.

"System, start the Elementary Lucky Draw!"

That's right, once the number of subordinates broke 10, he could be rewarded with one Elementary Lucky Draw.

The wheel began to spin.

"Stop!" Chen Hu shouted.

Instantly, the area pointed to by the wheel's needle erupted with a burst of golden light.

The System prompt sounded: "Congratulations to the host for obtaining one Bad Luck Card. The prize has been stored in the System space. Please claim it yourself!"

The next moment, a black card appeared in Chen Hu's hand, and the corresponding information also emerged in his mind.

This Bad Luck Card was not a one-time item, but a permanent one.

It could be used once a day, and the targeted object would continue to have bad luck for one day.

Chen Hu chuckled; he had already found the first target for the Bad Luck Card.

At this moment, footsteps came from outside.

Chen Hu put the Bad Luck Card into his Storage Ring and saw Widow Wang walk in carrying the pumpkin porridge and flatbread.

After eating and drinking, Widow Wang brought Chen Hu a cup of hot tea.

In terms of taking care of Chen Hu, Widow Wang had always been quite considerate.

After all, Chen Hu was her reliance; without Chen Hu, she feared that before long, she would be eaten down to the bones by others.

After drinking tea for a while, Chen Hu went to a simple bathroom.

Taking off his clothes, he revealed a sturdy body with a few hideous scars.

He joined the Fierce Tiger Gang at fourteen and was able to become a small leader at seventeen by risking his life.

He took out the Marrow Cleansing Pill and swallowed it.

Chen Hu felt his whole body start to heat up and sweat.

The sticky sweat was mixed with a fishy stench.

Following that, his bones also began to feel itchy and numb, and black mud gradually oozed out of his skin pores, carrying a foul odor.

After gritting his teeth and persisting for a quarter of an hour, he stopped heating up and sweating, and his bones were no longer itchy.

With a thought, the System interface appeared.

The column for talent had changed to Yellow Grade High Stage.

Previously, he was at the Mortal Body High Stage; he probably wouldn't have been able to reach the Tendon Refining Realm in his entire life.

Now, his talent had transformed into Yellow Grade High Stage, and his cultivation speed and efficiency would be greatly improved. Reaching the Bone Refining Realm was just around the corner.

Collecting his thoughts, Chen Hu took out the Essence Qi Pill and swallowed it.

As the medicinal power spread, a warm current instantly reached all parts of his body.

When the medicinal power was exhausted, Chen Hu felt full of energy, with inexhaustible strength.

At the same time, he felt that his own strength had surged by several percent, and his mind was clearer.

"Splash!"

After washing up, Chen Hu walked out of the bathroom.

But he felt a burning gaze.

"What, have you never seen a handsome guy?" The in-a-good-mood Chen Hu teased Widow Wang.

"Brother Hu!"

Widow Wang called out with a softened body. She didn't know why, but she felt that Brother Hu, after bathing, seemed like a different person, becoming full of masculine energy and more charming.

Chen Hu laughed, stepped forward, scooped up Widow Wang, and walked toward the bedroom with big strides amidst her exclamation.

Just as he threw Widow Wang onto the bed and intended to pounce on her, the sound of door-smashing came from outside, followed by Er Niu's slightly panicked voice: "Brother Hu, Brother Hu, come out quickly, something happened."

"Got it!"

Chen Hu suppressed the fire in his heart, pinched Widow Wang's face, and smirked: "I'll compensate you tonight!"

Arriving at the courtyard gate, he pulled it open and looked at Er Niu, who was panting outside the door with a look of panic on his face. Chen Hu couldn't help but feel his heart sink and asked: "What's the matter, rushing like this?"

Er Niu lowered his voice and said: "Brother Hu, Boss Xu is dead!"

"What?" Chen Hu was shocked.

Boss Xu was named Xu Gang; he was one of the big leaders of the Fierce Tiger Gang and also Chen Hu's direct superior.

When he first joined the Fierce Tiger Gang, he was begging for food under Xu Gang.

Because he dared to fight, he caught Xu Gang's eye and had always been well taken care of by him.

Later, Xu Gang's cultivation Breakthrough to the Late Skin Refining Stage, and he was promoted to a big leader.

It was also Xu Gang's strong support that allowed him to become a small leader.

Changshou Ward was composed of sixty-four streets.

The Fierce Tiger Gang monopolized twenty-eight streets, and the remaining forty-six streets were divided between the Venomous Snake Gang and the Wild Wolf Gang.

As a big leader, Xu Gang managed two streets under his name.

One was managed by Chen Hu.

The other was managed by another small leader under Xu Gang, Yang Shan.

Yang Shan was originally just an ordinary Gang member with a rather outstanding appearance.

Later, he got lucky and saved the daughter of Vice Hall Master Lian Qiao.

Under the care of Lian Qiao, he became a small leader.

At first, Yang Shan was respectful to the big leader Xu Gang, but after Yang Shan married Lian Qiao's daughter, he gradually stopped taking Xu Gang seriously.

Especially recently, there were rumors that Yang Shan was about to Cultivate the third level of the Fierce Tiger Force.

Once he cultivated the third level of the Fierce Tiger Force and reached the Late Skin Refining Stage, he might threaten Xu Gang's position.

This also made Xu Gang increasingly displeased and wary of Yang Shan.