5: rule

Inside Liu Kui's booth, the smell of alcohol had not yet dissipated, but the atmosphere had changed completely.

Lin Mo sat upright in the seat of honor, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the tabletop, making steady thumping sounds.

One and Four stood behind him, like two silent iron towers.

Liu Kui and his two trusted guards stood below with their hands down, the cold sweat on their foreheads not yet dry, their posture respectful to the point of being humble.

"How many available men does the Gang have now? Specifically, how many teams are they divided into? Who manages the docks, and who manages the gambling dens and brothels? How much is the monthly income, and what are the expenditures?"

Lin Mo's questions came one after another, clear and direct, without any nonsense.

Liu Kui did not dare to hide anything and told him everything in detail.

Counting himself and three minor leaders, the Black Fish Gang had a total of forty-two people.

The docks were watched over by a minor leader named 'Scarface' with twelve men.

Two gambling dens, 'Hall of Joy' and 'Ruyi Hall', were managed by minor leaders 'Smiling Tiger' and 'One-Eye' respectively, each leading seven or eight subordinates.

The three brothels were jointly managed by Scarface and Smiling Tiger, who took a monthly cut.

The rest were just a disorganized rabble who followed along for a meal.

After deducting the bribes for the Patrol Inspection Department, the cost of supporting the Gang members, and Liu Kui's own squandering, it was considered good if a hundred or so taels of silver remained each month.

"To what extent are you bribing the Patrol Inspection Department?" Lin Mo pressed.

"Every month, we pay twenty taels to Inspector Wang, and the bailiffs and runners below him add up to another dozen or so taels. If someone dies or things get too loud, we have to pay extra to settle it."

Liu Kui said with a bitter face, "Young Master, there's only so much profit in Qingyuan Town. The White Sand Gang is about the same, and we still have to guard against them seizing our territory."

Lin Mo quickly calculated in his heart.

The Black Fish Gang's structure was loose, its management was crude, and its profits were low; it was entirely a motley crew relying on ruthlessness to huddle together for warmth.

But this also meant that there was huge room for improvement.

For him, what he needed in the Early Stage was exactly such an inconspicuous organization with a basic framework to serve as a source of intelligence, a channel for supplies, and a preliminary cover for force.

"Starting tomorrow, the Gang's rules must change," Lin Mo spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an unquestionable authority.

"First, all income, whether from the docks, gambling dens, brothels, or protection fees, must be counted and recorded daily in duplicate. You keep one copy, and the other is to be sent to a place I designate every three days."

He needed clear accounts to eliminate corruption and to help him understand the economic pulse of this world.

"Second, the Gang members will be divided into three teams. One for the docks, one merging the gambling dens and brothels, and another mobile team.

Each team will have a captain and a vice-captain who report directly to you. Personnel will be reassigned, and I want to see the list and capability assessments."

"Third, reduce unnecessary expenses. Your allowance will remain as it is for now, but the cut from the gambling dens and brothels will be reassessed; you are not allowed to drain the pond to catch the fish.

For those small shops that pay honestly, you can provide some protection, such as helping to drive away other thugs."

Liu Kui listened in a daze. These clear and logical measures were not at all what a Martial Artist who only knew how to fight and kill would think of; they were more like those of a manager from a large Family.

His awe of Lin Mo deepened, and he hurriedly nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, Young Master is wise! I will get on it tomorrow!"

"Regarding the White Sand Gang, prioritize stability for now. Restrain your subordinates and do not take the initiative to provoke them.

But if they invade, there is no need to endure it; fight back. Use your own discretion, but don't let it get out of hand." Lin Mo needed to keep a low profile, but he couldn't appear weak and easily bullied.

"Understood! Don't worry, Young Master, those grandsons from the White Sand Gang—I, Old Liu, have wanted to deal with them for a long time!"

Liu Kui patted his chest, then asked cautiously, "Young Master, about the martial arts guidance..."

Lin Mo glanced at him: "Handle the matters at hand first. It depends on your performance." An empty promise, but he had to keep him dangling.

He then asked about other factions in Qingyuan Town and whether there were pharmacies, blacksmith shops, bookstores, or other places nearby where he might come into contact with martial arts or knowledge.

Liu Kui answered to the best of his knowledge, pouring out the pitiful rumors he knew about the distinctions between Martial Artists like 'Skin Refining', 'Bone Forging', and 'Inner Breath'.

Though fragmented, it gave Lin Mo a more concrete concept of the power levels in this world.

"Alright, that's all for tonight."

Lin Mo stood up, "Remember, my existence is top secret. To the outside world, you are still the leader of the Black Fish Gang. If there's something, I will have someone contact you."

He pointed to One, "Get to know him. From now on, when he or someone carrying my token comes, it represents my will."

"Yes! Kui will definitely keep it in mind!" Liu Kui bowed to see him off.

Lin Mo left the Hall of Joy with One and Four, as silent as when they arrived.

Returning to the River God Temple, Two and Three were already on guard on the perimeter.

Several other Death Warriors had also returned, bringing back the scattered supplies and intelligence collected today.

Sitting on the simple straw bed, Lin Mo reviewed tonight's actions.

Controlling Liu Kui was only the first step.

The goal was to use Liu Kui's hand to reorganize the Black Fish Gang, gradually transforming it into a tool that obeyed his orders while using the Gang's channels to obtain more stable resources and information.

"Tomorrow, let Five (Basic Forging Perception) go around the blacksmith shop in town to see if he can learn something or get some useful ironware.

Six (Basic Herb Identification) will continue to operate in the mountains and forests outside the town to identify herbs; it would be best if he can find something valuable or body-strengthening.

Seven and Eight..." Lin Mo arranged the tasks for the Death Warriors for the new day one by one.

His own task, besides continuing to adapt to and control his daily surging power, was to start trying to deduce possible entry-level martial arts paths from the fragmented information provided by Liu Kui.

Even the crudest breathing methods or exertion techniques would do.

At the same time, he needed to find suitable Cultivation methods for the Death Warriors; since 80% of their Cultivation results would be fed back to him, this was the fastest way to improve.

A few days later, Lin Mo received the reorganized roster and the first set of accounts from the Black Fish Gang.

Liu Kui's execution was decent; at least the surface-level work was quite presentable.

There seemed to be some complaints in the Gang, but under Liu Kui's suppression, no waves were made. The White Sand Gang's side was also temporarily calm.

Through the Black Fish Gang's channels, Lin Mo obtained some basic supplies.

More durable clothing, some dry rations, and he even got a short blade of decent quality and a few crude medical books and miscellaneous notes.

Money also began to accumulate slightly.

He also had Liu Kui secretly inquire about where there were widely circulated, low-threshold martial arts Foundation Establishment methods, or where a real Martial Master could be hired—even if it was just for basic guidance.

Price was not an issue—Lin Mo demonstrated a bit of "financial power"; from the Death Warriors the System summoned daily, he could occasionally obtain some strange little items.

One inconspicuous jade pendant, which he had Liu Kui take to pawn, actually fetched fifty taels of silver, which further convinced Liu Kui that Lin Mo had an extraordinary background.

Beneath the calm, undercurrents surged.

Lin Mo knew that his disguised identity as a "Martial Artist" and his indirect control of the Black Fish Gang could not be hidden from everyone forever.

The White Sand Gang's probing, potential dissenters within the Gang, or even the attention of the government or outside forces were all potential threats.

But he was not flustered. Every day, his physical fitness was increasing at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people. Every day, another loyal Death Warrior with special basic skills would be added to his subordinates.

Under his arrangement, these Death Warriors were like nodes on a spider web, relying on the River God Temple and the Black Fish Gang to quietly penetrate, learn, observe, and accumulate in Qingyuan Town and its surroundings.

Power was settling, and the network was being woven.

Lin Mo stood by the dilapidated threshold of the River God Temple, looking at the scattered lights of Qingyuan Town in the distance.

Having been here for only ten or so days, he had already transformed from a dying refugee into a hidden figure who secretly controlled a Gang, possessed immense strength, and had "extraordinary people" serving under him.

But it was not enough, far from enough. Qingyuan Town was too small, and the Black Fish Gang was too weak. The gates of martial arts had only just revealed a sliver of a gap.

He needed more time, more Death Warriors, more power, and... to truly step onto the path of cultivation in this world.

"Tomorrow will be another new day," Lin Mo whispered to himself, turning to walk into the shadows of the temple.

The System's summoning cooldown was about to refresh; new power and new chess pieces were waiting.