Zhang Tianlong was stunned for a long moment before snapping back to reality. "Captain, you're not joking with me, are you?"
Even though Liu Tiezhu's expression was dead serious, he still couldn't believe such good fortune would land on him. Besides, his gift was the smallest among all the squad leaders. In this era where interests reigned supreme, he didn't think Liu Tiezhu would hand him the assistant position.
Liu Tiezhu frowned. "What, you think I'm so bored I'd waste time joking around with you here?"
"What do I have to give in return?"
Zhang Tianlong might not be sociable, but he wasn't stupid. He understood that everything came at a price. Since he couldn't compete with the other squad leaders in gifts, he'd have to pay in some other way.
"From now on, you only take orders from me, and you're loyal to me alone. Can you do that?"
Liu Tiezhu didn't beat around the bush and laid out his thoughts directly.
"That goes without saying."
Zhang Tianlong agreed without a second thought.
After they sealed the deal, Liu Tiezhu left the military camp and headed straight for the Ming family. With the right person now in place, he had to strike while the iron was hot to avoid any complications.
Guided by the steward, Liu Tiezhu was led to a side hall in the Ming residence. After a few sips of tea, Ming Zhenglong arrived. His face was somewhat gloomy, as if he'd encountered something unpleasant. It wasn't until he saw Liu Tiezhu that he eased his expression, lit a cigarette, and started smoking.
"Third Master, regarding the matter you asked me to secretly investigate about Jiang He, I've made some headway."
Hearing this, Ming Zhenglong looked surprised. Blowing out a puff of smoke, he asked, "What have you found?"
"Two of Jiang He's businesses in the town."
As he spoke, Liu Tiezhu pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Ming Zhenglong. The paper recorded the staff and daily revenue of those two establishments. These were materials Jiang He had given him to curry favor with Ming Zhenglong.
"Not bad, not bad. I knew I hadn't misjudged you."
Ming Zhenglong laughed heartily, then took out a stack of bills and placed them in front of Liu Tiezhu. "I, Ming Zhenglong, never make empty promises. You've done well for me—these bills are your reward."
Liu Tiezhu didn't stand on ceremony and directly pocketed the money. His goal was the cash, and since Ming Zhenglong was offering, he wouldn't be polite. After taking the money, Liu Tiezhu said, "By the way, Third Master, it seems Jiang He and his two associates have become wary of you. According to my investigation, they've secretly trained quite a few people over the years."
At this point, he had to keep stirring the pot, making sure Ming Zhenglong's focus stayed fixed on Jiang He and his crew. Only then could he free up space to prepare other plans.
Ming Zhenglong replied, "I know all that, but I just don't know who their people are. Keep digging into Jiang He and the others. If you uncover anything valuable, I'll reward you handsomely."
In truth, his informants had already reported what Liu Tiezhu was saying. But Jiang He and his two associates had been very secretive, and the informants hadn't been able to pinpoint anything. The fact that Liu Tiezhu had uncovered Jiang He's businesses showed he had a knack for intelligence.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Third Master, uncovering Jiang He's secrets isn't hard. But I need your full support to make things easier."
"What support do you need? Just say the word. If I can provide it, I'll give you my full backing."
To keep Jiang He and his two associates under control, Ming Zhenglong was going all out this time.
Liu Tiezhu thought for a moment and said, "The biggest challenge right now is earning Jiang He's trust. If Third Master has any valuable intel I can pass to Jiang He, that would help. Only by successfully gaining his trust can I extract more information."
From Jiang He, he'd already gotten two businesses and a few thousand in bills. Now, he planned to get something from Ming Zhenglong to trade for more benefits with Jiang He. He believed Ming Zhenglong, eager to topple Jiang He, would be willing to bleed a little—just as Jiang He had sacrificed two businesses to help Liu Tiezhu gain Ming Zhenglong's trust.
Ming Zhenglong pondered for a moment and found Liu Tiezhu's reasoning sound. As the saying goes, you can't catch a wolf without risking a child. To uncover more of Jiang He's secrets, the only way was to make Jiang He trust Liu Tiezhu.
"Go back and tell Jiang He that the Jianghai Casino and Mingyang Hotel are my secret assets. In two days, I'll pull some people out and leave some funds behind. Then you can take Jiang He and his crew to raid the places."
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu felt a surge of glee inside but said, "I'll go back and tell him right away."
That's what he said, but his mind was elsewhere. He had no intention of telling Jiang He about Ming Zhenglong's two businesses—such juicy morsels were for him to keep. Jiang He might not fully trust him yet, but he definitely relied on him. He planned to pocket those two businesses himself. Ming Zhenglong would never know and would just blame Jiang He.
Ming Zhenglong patted Liu Tiezhu on the shoulder. "Hurry up and earn their trust. Try to squeeze out as much valuable info as you can. Stick with me, and I won't shortchange you."
Liu Tiezhu nodded, putting on a flattered expression. "Third Master, I won't let you down. Oh, and there's one more thing I need to report. About the supplies—Zhang Zhiliang asked me to deliver them to you tonight."
At this, Ming Zhenglong's face darkened instantly. "I knew those three foxes were behind the supplies. Since he's having you transport them, just take them straight to the camp. Handle them as you see fit. Also, about the captain's assistant position—did Jiang He and his crew approach you?"
Liu Tiezhu was startled. He thought their meeting with Jiang He had been discreet, but it seemed Ming Zhenglong's informants had caught wind of it. He'd been planning to bring up the assistant matter himself. Since Ming Zhenglong was asking, there was no point hiding it.
"Third Master, Jiang He did come to me and even laid out a lavish banquet. He wanted me to push Lin Changxing into the position. I suspect Lin Changxing is his informant."
Ming Zhenglong smiled, looking unsurprised. "And how did you respond?"
"I had no choice at the time, so I agreed," Liu Tiezhu admitted.
"And what are you thinking now?" Ming Zhenglong pressed.
Liu Tiezhu replied, "My thought is, of course, not to let Lin Changxing take the position. Otherwise, he'd be watching me, and I wouldn't be able to carry out many investigations."
Ming Zhenglong said, "If you don't let Lin Changxing take it, won't Jiang He and his crew suspect you?"
"That's where I need your cooperation, Third Master."
Ming Zhenglong's interest was piqued. "How do you need me to cooperate?"
Liu Tiezhu explained, "Third Master, you can simply say that my recommended candidate doesn't meet the requirements. That way, Jiang He won't blame me, and it'll dispel his suspicions, right?"
Ming Zhenglong thought it over and nodded. "Not a bad idea. Now, tell me who you have in mind."
"Zhang Tianlong. He's naturally aloof and doesn't curry favor with anyone. I think he'd be perfect for the captain's assistant. Someone like that, with his self-righteous attitude, couldn't possibly be Jiang He's man. Plus, I've thoroughly investigated him—his background is spotless. If we can recruit him to your side, he'd be a major asset."
Liu Tiezhu's words were a mix of truth and lies, and also a test for Ming Zhenglong. If Ming Zhenglong agreed to Zhang Tianlong, it meant he'd gained his initial trust. If not, it would indirectly show that Ming Zhenglong was still wary of him.