owlsbooks 63. Situation
63. Situation
As night deepened, the study in Moyu Manor remained brightly lit. Lin Mo sat upright behind a large desk, with several files and a finely drawn map of Jiangzhou City and its surrounding waters spread out before him. The canal wharf area was specially circled in vermilion ink, making it particularly eye-catching.
Uncle Fu stood by with his hands at his sides, reporting the latest intelligence he had gathered.
"Master, according to intelligence, this afternoon, the deputy leader of the Golden Dragon Gang, 'River-Turning Dragon' Jiang Kui, personally led a group to attack the Angry Wave Gang's headquarters at Pier 3. The two sides fought fiercely for nearly half an hour. The Angry Wave Gang suffered seven dead and fifteen wounded, and two warehouses at Pier 3 were burned down. Jiang Kui was hit in the left arm by an arrow, but the injury is not serious."
"Han Che, the leader of the Raging Waves Gang, known as 'Wave-Breaking Blade,' has declared that he will take Jiang Kui's head to pay tribute to his fallen brothers. It seems that Li, the head of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's Office behind them, has tacitly approved of Han Che's revenge."
"In addition, a senior manager of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce secretly met with Shen Jiao, the leader of the Golden Dragon Gang, yesterday. It is unclear what they discussed, but Shen Jiao subsequently ordered the contraction of some of the peripheral forces, seemingly concentrating the elite forces at the headquarters and several core docks."
Lin Mo listened quietly, his finger slowly moving across the map, finally stopping at the area representing the canal wharves. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, as if they could pierce through the paper and see the undercurrents beneath.
"What were the losses on both sides? Specifically, how many skilled fighters were there?" Lin Mo asked.
Uncle Fu, prepared for this, immediately replied, "According to preliminary statistics, in the past half month, the Golden Dragon Gang has lost three branch leaders and more than forty skilled fighters have been killed or wounded; the Raging Waves Gang has suffered slightly greater losses, with four hall masters killed and nearly fifty skilled fighters killed or wounded. Both sides have suffered even more casualties among their lower-level members, estimated to be over a hundred each. Currently, the Golden Dragon Gang has about 120 to 130 core skilled fighters left who can be deployed for combat, while the Raging Waves Gang may have less than a hundred. However, both sides have been replenished by their backing forces. The Golden Dragon Gang has recruited a new batch of desperate criminals, while the Raging Waves Gang has had some skilled fighters who appear to have government connections secretly join them."
Lin Mo nodded slightly; the casualty figures were higher than he had anticipated. It seemed the mastermind behind it was determined to make these two local tyrants fight to the death.
"What's the government's attitude? Besides that Chief Clerk Li, what's been done by the Prefectural Governor's Office and the Garrison Command?"
"The governor's office issued several proclamations to reassure the people and sent yamen runners and a small number of soldiers to patrol the dock area, but the effect was minimal, clearly a perfunctory effort. Commandant Zhao of the garrison did send more men to the perimeter of the dock, but ordered them not to go into the conflict area, clearly sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight."
A cold sneer appeared on Lin Mo's lips. This attitude from the government was exactly what he expected. The interests involved in the canal transport system were deeply entrenched, and the government itself was not monolithic. Some wanted to profit from the chaos, while others chose to protect themselves. Those who truly wanted to quell the unrest were outnumbered and outmatched.
His gaze fell on the map again, his mind racing with calculations.
The Golden Dragon Gang and the Raging Waves Gang are like two vicious dogs tearing each other apart over a piece of fat meat. The Four Seas Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Canal Administration behind them are the owners holding the leash, wanting to use the vicious dogs to gain profits, but also not wanting them to completely get out of control or perish together.
Now, these two vicious dogs have gone berserk, and their owner is losing control of the situation.
This was exactly the opportunity he had been waiting for—when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.
However, how can this "fisherman" obtain the greatest benefit with the least cost? Directly engaging in a head-on battle with the two injured but still fierce dogs and their owner is definitely not the best strategy.
"Uncle Fu, how many people can we mobilize at our manor right now?" Lin Mo asked after a moment of contemplation.
After a moment's thought, Uncle Fu replied, "Within the manor, there are thirty core guards who have undergone rigorous training and are absolutely reliable; each can handle their own affairs. We can probably gather about fifty skilled and clean-background martial artists who are affiliated with us on the periphery. If needed, we can also draw some good fighters from our properties in the city, but the number will be small, and it would be easy to expose our identities."
In total, they numbered less than a hundred. Compared to the more than two hundred core experts on both sides in the dock area, and the potential hidden forces behind them, this number seemed meager.
But Lin Mo wasn't worried. The balance of power wasn't a simple numbers game.
What he possesses is an informational advantage—a thorough understanding of both sides' strengths and weaknesses, and a prediction of the situation's trajectory.
He possesses strategic vision—knowing when to advance, when to retreat, and how to leverage external forces.
What he possesses even more is the experience accumulated in his previous life and the strength cultivated in this life, as well as the prestigious title of the Seven Absolutes Sect's enshrinement, which, although not easily used, is enough to intimidate many people at crucial moments.
"Quality over quantity is key," Lin Mo said calmly. "We don't need to defeat them head-on. We just need to deliver a fatal blow when they are at their weakest, or... become the 'balancers' they have to rely on."
He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the faint outline of Jiangzhou City in the darkness in the distance.
"The two gangs have been fighting fiercely for so long, but in reality, they've both left themselves some room to maneuver because they're afraid of a third party intervening, afraid of ending up with both sides severely weakened and benefiting the other side." Lin Mo's voice was calm and resolute. "So, what we need to do now is not to jump in immediately, but... let them fight more confidently and thoroughly."
Uncle Fu's eyes flickered slightly: "What does the Master mean?"
"Don't they all suspect the other side has hidden tricks up their sleeves, and are worried about direct interference from the forces behind them?" Lin Mo turned around, his eyes flashing with calculation. "Then we'll help them 'eliminate' these concerns."
He walked back to his desk, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, quickly wrote a few lines on a blank piece of paper, and then handed it to Uncle Fu.
"First, have our men disguise themselves as remnants of the Raging Waves Gang and attack a warehouse belonging to the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce in the west of the city. The operation must be swift and ruthless, but we must leave behind 'conclusive' evidence pointing to the Raging Waves Gang."
"Secondly, similarly, find a few unfamiliar faces, pretend to be members of the Golden Dragon Gang, and go cause some trouble for the family of one of the concubines secretly supported by that Master Li. They should also leave the mark of the Golden Dragon Gang."
Uncle Fu took the note, his heart pounding as he read the concise yet menacing instructions. This was meant to add fuel to the fire, escalate the conflict, and drag the forces behind them deeper into the mess.
"Furthermore," Lin Mo continued, "have our people planted on both sides spread some messages at the right time. To the Golden Dragon Gang, tell them that the Canal Transport Office is preparing to join forces with the garrison battalion to help the Raging Waves Gang completely eliminate them; to the Raging Waves Gang, tell them that the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce has hired a 'Black Fiend' expert at a high price, who will arrive soon to behead Han Che."
Uncle Fu took a deep breath and fully understood Lin Mo's intention. This was to create panic, forcing both sides to believe that they were at a critical juncture of life and death, thus forcing them to use all their trump cards in a final battle.
"Master is brilliant! With this plan, it will be difficult for these two gangs not to fight to the death!" Uncle Fu praised sincerely.
Lin Mo shook his head: "This is just the initial setup. The real key lies after their final battle."
His gaze returned to the canal wharf on the map.
"When their elite forces are wiped out and both sides are severely weakened, the dock area will inevitably descend into chaos and be leaderless. At that time, both the government, which is trying to stabilize the situation, and the merchants, who are eager to restore the canal transport, will need a capable, powerful, and 'relatively clean' force to take over this mess."
"And our Moyu Manor happens to meet this condition." Lin Mo's tone carried an undeniable confidence. "We are not a traditional Jianghu gang, our manor's businesses are clean, and we have no deep-seated hatred with either side. I myself also hold the position of a retainer of the Seven Absolutes Sect, which is enough to earn the trust of the government and the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce."
Of course, behind this "trust" inevitably lies an exchange of interests and a power struggle. But Lin Mo is confident in his ability to handle it. As long as he first seizes control and establishes a firm foothold, the subsequent integration and cleanup are merely a matter of time.
"Go ahead and proceed according to plan." Lin Mo waved his hand. "Remember, all operations must be conducted in secrecy. We must never let anyone find out that it is our manor that is behind this."
"This old servant understands!" Uncle Fu bowed and accepted the order, then quickly left the study.
Silence returned to the study. Lin Mo stood alone before the desk, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
Seizing control of the Grand Canal was not merely for immediate wealth and power; it was a crucial step in his strategic maneuvering in the underworld. By controlling this vital north-south artery, he could weave a more extensive information network, mobilize more resources, and accumulate greater capital to find a way to break the seal and meet future challenges.
What he lost in his past life, he will take back in this life, with interest. And it all begins with the Jiangzhou canal transport.