Leaving Jiang He's barracks, Liu Tiezhu hadn't gone far when he heard the sound of a table being overturned inside. This time, he knew he'd infuriated Jiang He and his two companions, settling the score for their earlier scheming against him.
Exiting the barracks, Liu Tiezhu headed straight to the Jinyuan Pawnshop in the north of the city. He'd already taken the benefits from Ming Zhenglong's side, but Ming Jiacheng's share hadn't been given yet. Beyond collecting perks, he had important business to attend to. To crush Ming Tianfeng completely, relying solely on Ming Zhenglong wasn't enough. So, he needed to come here and fan the flames.
Liu Tiezhu was received by Liu Jingui, who led him into a side hall and told him to wait. After the time it took to drink a few cups of tea, Ming Jiacheng walked in with a smile. Last night, he'd taken down four of Ming Tianfeng's strongholds, reaping even greater rewards than Ming Zhenglong. Besides supplies worth over five hundred thousand, he'd also recruited sixteen hundred men, with losses of only a dozen or so. This success was entirely due to Liu Jingui's brilliant strategies, which convinced many garrison commanders to surrender without a fight.
Ming Jiacheng handed Liu Tiezhu a cigarette and said with a grin, "Brother Tiezhu, I was just about to send someone to find you. Didn't expect our minds to be in sync—you came before I could dispatch anyone."
Liu Tiezhu didn't believe Ming Jiacheng's nonsense. He took the cigarette, lit it, took a few puffs, and said, "Brother Ming, I'm sure you know why I'm here. You raked in so much last night—aren't you going to leave me a little something?"
"It's already prepared for you." Ming Jiacheng grinned, pulling out a paper bag. "This is what we agreed on: a fifty-thousand reward for the major tip. I, Ming Jiacheng, never break my word. Count it."
Liu Tiezhu took the bag and said, "No need to count. I trust your character, Brother Ming—you wouldn't cheat us little guys."
As Liu Tiezhu finished speaking, Ming Jiacheng pulled out another ten thousand. "This is an extra bonus. Keep the tips coming, and I, Ming Jiacheng, won't short you your share when I profit."
Liu Tiezhu accepted without hesitation. After stashing the money, he said, "Brother Ming, what are your plans for Ming Tianfeng next?"
Ming Jiacheng paused. "Brother Tiezhu, there are no outsiders here. Speak your mind."
"Since you put it that way, I won't hold back. With the current situation, aren't you thinking of taking Ming Tianfeng down in one go?" Liu Tiezhu said.
Ming Jiacheng exhaled smoke and replied, "I've thought about it. Ming Zhenglong just sent someone to discuss it with me. But Ming Tianfeng isn't easy to deal with—I still don't know how many troops he's hiding. Besides, that kid Ming Zhenglong isn't genuinely interested in cooperating. If he can't hold his ground and pulls out mid-battle, I'd take a huge loss."
Hearing Ming Jiacheng's analysis, Liu Tiezhu thought to himself that Ming Jiacheng was indeed a wily old fox, so thorough in his considerations that he'd be hard to fool. But he'd come prepared. As the saying goes, men die for wealth, birds for food. If he could dangle a massive benefit in front of Ming Jiacheng, he'd definitely take the bait.
After a moment's thought, Liu Tiezhu said, "Brother Ming, this is actually easy to solve. Since Ming Zhenglong isn't sincere, we can just go through the motions with him. First, join forces to pressure Ming Tianfeng—then won't he be forced to move his troops? Once he does, you'll see exactly how many he has left. On my end, I've already sent people to secretly watch Ming Tianfeng's men. If he shifts his forces, I can sniff out his hidden assets."
At this, Ming Jiacheng's eyes lit up. If Liu Tiezhu could uncover Ming Tianfeng's secret holdings, it would be a massive boon for him. Wiping out all those hidden assets would double his strength. But he didn't let excitement cloud his judgment. Liu Tiezhu was helping him so diligently—it couldn't be just for a few thousand in rewards. Besides, Liu Tiezhu knew the value of each asset. After calming down, Ming Jiacheng immediately grew suspicious of Liu Tiezhu's motives.
"Brother Tiezhu, do you really want Ming Tianfeng to fall that badly?" As he spoke, Ming Jiacheng stared straight at Liu Tiezhu, gauging his reaction.
"Brother Ming, you know about my feud with Ming Tianfeng. If he doesn't fall, I will. I'm still young—I don't want to die." Liu Tiezhu's words were logical and left no holes.
"And if one day I turn on you, will you use the Ming family's power to get back at me?" Ming Jiacheng pressed, not letting up.
Liu Tiezhu replied, "Brother Ming, you're joking. That day will never come between us."
Ming Jiacheng's face remained stern. "Why?"
Liu Tiezhu said, "By then, you'll be the head of the Ming family. Why would you bother with a nobody like me? Besides, we have no conflicts. You wouldn't want to get rid of someone loyal to the Ming family, would you?"
Hearing this, Ming Jiacheng burst into laughter. He didn't believe Liu Tiezhu, but the answer satisfied him. First, he truly didn't see Ming Zhenglong as a threat, so the position of family head was already his for the taking. Second, Liu Tiezhu had a point: if he genuinely served the Ming family, Ming Jiacheng would hate to lose such talent.
"You've got a way with words. Stick with me from now on. I'll pay your salary as usual, honor all the conditions I promised, and give you an extra six thousand a month. But I have one condition: absolute loyalty. If I become the Ming family head, I'll guarantee you a place in the family."
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu felt a surge of satisfaction, knowing Ming Jiacheng had begun to trust him. But he couldn't agree just yet. Agreeing too readily would diminish his value in Ming Jiacheng's eyes and hinder his future plans. After some deliberation, Liu Tiezhu said, "Brother Ming, can I have some time to think about it?"
"Still need to think?" Ming Jiacheng's eyes showed surprise. In the past, when he offered such terms, people would eagerly accept, even grovel. Now Liu Tiezhu was asking for time? Could someone have offered him better terms?
After a moment's analysis, Ming Jiacheng asked bluntly, "Brother Tiezhu, be honest with me—has Ming Zhenglong offered you better conditions?"
Liu Tiezhu waved his hand. "Brother Ming, you've misunderstood. Ming Zhenglong hasn't offered me anything. Putting me in the position of battalion commander was just using me. Your offer just now—I need time to digest it."
Hearing this, Ming Jiacheng relaxed. "Fine, I'll give you three days. Let me know your answer then."
Liu Tiezhu nodded, but a new idea was already forming in his mind.