Ming Zhengrong's actions made Liu Tiezhu suspect that he, too, was under surveillance. But when exactly he had been watched, he had no clue at all. That was the real reason Liu Tiezhu broke out in a cold sweat. Whoever was tailing him was so well-hidden that if they meant him harm, killing him would be a piece of cake.
Liu Tiezhu calmed down and ran through everyone he'd interacted with in his mind, but still couldn't pinpoint who the spy was.
Seeing Liu Tiezhu's reaction, Ming Zhengrong knew his words had hit their mark. In truth, saying this was both a warning to Liu Tiezhu and an attempt to win him over.
Over the past few years, he had noticed the shift in Jiang He and his two companions. The reason he hadn't moved against Jiang He's group wasn't a lack of ability—it was that the timing wasn't right. If he took action against the three now, they would undoubtedly defect to Ming Tianfeng's side without hesitation. It was the same logic behind why Ming Tianfeng hadn't struck against Jiang Tianliang's collusion with the Li family.
Given the current state of the Ming family, none of the three brothers would easily eliminate those around them. Doing so would not only weaken their own strength but also give their rivals an opening. So, for the most part, Ming Zhengrong turned a blind eye to what Jiang He and the others were up to.
But Ming Zhengrong wasn't a fool. He wouldn't let Jiang He's group develop unchecked in the shadows. To curb them, he had racked his brains. Not only did he plant informants in the training camp to monitor their every move, but he also stripped them of real power, making them review officers.
As review officers in the camp, they only had authority over assessments, not the power to deploy the Ming family's action teams. Though Jiang He was the one assigning personnel for missions, the team members wouldn't move until Ming Zhengrong gave the nod.
Appointing Liu Tiezhu as the head of personnel deployment and coordination this time was another test. One, to gauge Jiang He's group's reaction. Two, to test Liu Tiezhu's capability. Liu Tiezhu's performance had left him very satisfied. But Jiang He's response was harder to read.
His reason for keeping Liu Tiezhu around was simple: to use him as a counterbalance against Jiang He.
"Brother Liu Tiezhu, you haven't given me an answer yet." Seeing Liu Tiezhu standing there silent for ages, Ming Zhengrong spoke up directly.
"Third Master, what answer?" Liu Tiezhu asked.
"Money, women, a higher position." "Which one do you want?" Ming Zhengrong said.
Unless Liu Tiezhu had a screw loose, he'd pick the higher position. With greater power, women and money would come knocking on their own.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Third Master, could you let me think it over?"
On the surface, this was a reward, but Liu Tiezhu knew that once he chose one, Ming Zhengrong would immediately lay out his conditions.
This answer caught Ming Zhengrong off guard.
"Brother Liu Tiezhu, I'll give you five minutes to decide." "After that, all offers are off the table." Ming Zhengrong's tone was domineering, leaving no room for argument.
Liu Tiezhu knew Ming Zhengrong was forcing his hand. He took a deep breath and decisively chose the higher position. Just as Ming Zhengrong had guessed, with more power, women and money would naturally follow.
"From now on, you're the commander of the action team." "The appointment notice will be delivered to the camp tonight." "Your next task, besides carrying out missions, is to keep a close watch on Jiang He and his men." "I'll give you three months to uncover Jiang He's hidden forces and dismantle them." "Can you do it?"
Ming Zhengrong's words were blunt and without any pretense.
Liu Tiezhu's heart raced again after hearing this. Ming Zhengrong's directness didn't stem from trust. He wasn't worried about Liu Tiezhu disobeying, which meant he had a way to control him.
"Yes!" Liu Tiezhu didn't dare overthink it and nodded in agreement. For now, he was at the mercy of others, so he had to play along and figure things out later.
"Good. Go back now. I'll have someone notify the camp later." Satisfied with the answer, Ming Zhengrong waved Liu Tiezhu off.
Back at the camp, Liu Tiezhu saw Jiang He and the other two already waiting for him at the entrance. Ming Zhengrong keeping Liu Tiezhu alone had them worried. If Liu Tiezhu had reported last night's events truthfully, Ming Zhengrong wouldn't let them off easy.
Especially after Zhang Zhiliang came back and reported that the blame had been pinned on him, Jiang He's eyelids had been twitching nonstop. Anyone with half a brain could tell from Ming Zhengrong's words that he suspected them.
Seeing Liu Tiezhu return, all three breathed a sigh of relief.
"Brother Liu, what did the Third Master say when he kept you behind?" Jiang He didn't beat around the bush, stepping forward to ask directly.
"He wants to appoint me as the commander of the action team, giving me full authority over all its affairs," Liu Tiezhu answered honestly.
Ming Zhengrong's plan was to use him as a sharp blade against Jiang He's group. He wasn't stupid enough to be Ming Zhengrong's puppet and let himself be led by the nose. Jiang He and his men were playing both sides, not loyal to Ming Zhengrong—that was something he could exploit.
Hearing this, Jiang He's face darkened completely. Ming Zhengrong's arrangement was clearly meant to strip them of all remaining power. Without power, they posed no threat to Ming Zhengrong. Once Ming Zhengrong stabilized his position, he'd definitely come after them.
Judging from how Ming Zhengrong had treated Zhang Zhiliang, it wasn't hard to guess. The other party must have known something about them, which was why he spoke so harshly.
Snapping back to reality, Jiang He pressed on, "Besides the appointment, what else did he say?"
"The Third Master already suspects you. He thinks you guys stole those supplies." "On top of that, he told me to keep an eye on you and find out the forces you've been building in secret."
Liu Tiezhu held nothing back, repeating Ming Zhengrong's words verbatim. He was turning the tactic Zhang Zhiliang had used on him—shifting blame—back on the three of them.
Sure enough, hearing this, Jiang He and his companions' faces twisted in fury.
"Bastard, I'll curse his ancestors!" "That son of a bitch wants to play it this way? Then we won't hold back either." "He's planning to wipe us out. We need to prepare in advance."
The three cursed loudly, their eyes darting around as they schemed.
Liu Tiezhu warned, "Brother Jiang, don't act rashly." "Actually, every move you make is under the Third Master's watch."
Hearing this, Jiang He let out a cold laugh. "Brother Liu, don't worry. I've known about the spies he planted for a long time." "If he wants our lives, I'll show him how foolish that idea is."
Liu Tiezhu breathed a quiet sigh of relief. From Jiang He's words, it was clear the three had long been aware of Ming Zhengrong's surveillance.