After the gunfire ceased, not a single member of the Zhang family army remained alive. Yang Hua waved his hand, and everyone quickly surrounded the area. Finding any Zhang soldiers who weren't quite dead yet, they promptly finished them off with another shot. Half an hour later, all the Zhang family's weapons were confiscated, along with over five thousand dollars and several hundred rounds of ammunition.
"Leave the Liu family village to you. Also, send two sharp-eyed men to keep an eye on Chen Zhiqiang near the Ming family estate." Liu Tiezhu patted Yang Hua on the shoulder and left the battlefield first. The Liu family village now had only a dozen or so people guarding it. If Yang Hua couldn't handle that, then he didn't deserve to be the team leader.
It was already afternoon when he returned to the camp. Yan Wanli reported that Ming Zhenglong's men had come three times, and Ming Jiacheng's men had also come twice, asking him to come back and discuss some matters with them. Liu Tiezhu thought it over and immediately understood why Ming Zhenglong was looking for him at this time. The annihilation of the Zhang family army at Maotou Ridge, along with the performance of the Ming Zhenglong brothers at the family meeting, must have pushed Ming Tianfeng into a corner. At this point, Ming Tianfeng's smartest move would be to secretly summon his men to protect his personal safety.
Ming Zhenglong, noticing Ming Tianfeng mobilizing his forces, believed this was an opportunity. Liu Tiezhu had previously discussed with Ming Zhenglong that once Ming Tianfeng called in his men, they could roughly gauge his strength and how many members he had left. He had also convinced Ming Zhenglong and Ming Jiacheng to join forces and strike while the iron was hot to take out Ming Tianfeng. Timing it out, Ming Tianfeng should be mobilizing his men by now. Otherwise, Ming Zhenglong and Ming Jiacheng wouldn't be so anxious.
Having figured it out, Liu Tiezhu headed straight for the Ming residence. Ming Lei received him again, but this time led him to Ming Zhenglong's back garden. There, Ming Zhenglong sat in a pavilion, smoking gloomily. Whatever was troubling him had his brows knitted into a single line. Seeing Liu Tiezhu approach, he stubbed out his cigarette harshly, lit another, and offered one to Liu Tiezhu.
"Third Master, what's troubling you?" Liu Tiezhu took the cigarette and lit it, feigning ignorance.
Ming Zhenglong nodded, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said, "Ming Jiacheng agreed to cooperate, but I'm worried that old fox might stab me in the back." He wasn't naive; he was also wary of Ming Jiacheng. Previously, when he'd laid out his terms, Ming Jiacheng kept saying he'd think it over. But this time, he'd sent men proactively, not only dropping his earlier demands but also agreeing that after taking out Ming Tianfeng, they'd split all resources evenly. Ming Jiacheng's sudden eagerness made him suspect a trap.
Liu Tiezhu exhaled smoke and said, "Third Master, your caution is justified. We do need to watch out for Ming Jiacheng. But I think guarding against him is a matter for later."
Later? Ming Zhenglong looked puzzled.
As if reading his mind, Liu Tiezhu explained, "Third Master, think about it—what's Ming Jiacheng most worried about right now? I'd guess he's also afraid you'll betray him. So I predict he won't pull anything during the cooperation; it wouldn't serve his interests. If you were to switch sides to Ming Tianfeng, he'd lose everything. Your goals align with Ming Jiacheng's; he won't strike now."
Ming Zhenglong pondered this carefully. A few minutes later, his furrowed brow relaxed. Liu Tiezhu's analysis was correct—Ming Jiacheng turning on him now would be like lifting a rock to drop on his own foot.
"Brother Tiezhu, so you're saying it's okay to cooperate with Ming Jiacheng?" Coming back to himself, Ming Zhenglong still wanted Liu Tiezhu's advice.
"Third Master, I can't advise you on cooperation. If you think it's viable, then go ahead." Liu Tiezhu wasn't foolish; he refused to give a definitive answer. That way, even if something went wrong, Ming Zhenglong couldn't pin it on him. Besides, by asking this way, Ming Zhenglong clearly already had an answer in mind.
"You sly dog..." Ming Zhenglong chuckled and said no more.
Seeing his goal achieved, Liu Tiezhu made an excuse to leave. After seeing him off, Ming Zhenglong turned his gaze back to Ming Lei.
"Do you think that kid's reasoning is sound?"
"Given the current situation, the best course is indeed to cooperate with Ming Jiacheng. His analysis makes sense—Ming Jiacheng won't betray us now, unless he doesn't want Ming Tianfeng to fall. But we can't let our guard down; we have to be wary of Ming Jiacheng trying to kill two birds with one stone," Ming Lei said.
"By the way, what do you make of the Zhang family army at Maotou Ridge?" Ming Zhenglong pressed on.
Jiang Jianming had already given him a detailed report on the Maotou Ridge incident. Liu Tiezhu's few dozen men had wiped out over two hundred Zhang soldiers without a single casualty. Such a feat had stunned him once again.
Ming Lei replied, "That kid is indeed talented. If he genuinely pledges allegiance to us, he'd be a great asset. But someone this cunning and capable won't stay under anyone's thumb. I suggest you use him and then dispose of him, Third Master."
"What a shame." Ming Zhenglong sighed, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Liu Tiezhu was talented, no doubt, but if he couldn't be used, he'd have to be eliminated.
While Ming Zhenglong was harboring murderous intent, Liu Tiezhu had already arrived at the Jinyuan Pawnshop.
"Brother Tiezhu, you're finally here! Master Ming has been waiting for you all day." Liu Jingui greeted him and led him to the back hall.
In the back hall's meeting area, Ming Jiacheng was absentmindedly sipping tea. He shared the same concerns as Ming Zhenglong, so he'd specifically called Liu Tiezhu over, intending to use him to probe Ming Zhenglong's stance.
"Brother Tiezhu, have a seat." Ming Jiacheng gestured for him to sit and handed him a freshly brewed cup of tea.
"Brother Ming, why the rush to call me over? Is something up?" Liu Tiezhu repeated his tactic, using the same approach he'd used with Ming Zhenglong.
"Today, Ming Tianfeng made a big move, mobilizing all his hidden forces. I had people secretly estimate it—about four thousand troops in total."
Four thousand troops? Liu Tiezhu was taken aback by the number. Based on his earlier predictions, Ming Tianfeng could at most muster two thousand. He hadn't expected it to be double that.
"Brother Ming, are you sure Ming Tianfeng mobilized four thousand troops?" Liu Tiezhu asked, startled, after recovering.
Ming Jiacheng said, "I didn't believe it at first, but after two rounds of investigation, we confirmed the number is accurate. Adding the thousand troops my father supports, that's over five thousand. That's why I agreed so readily to cooperate with Ming Zhenglong. But I'm also worried that kid might backstab me. Do you have any way to solve this problem?"