freenovelworld Chapter 873 The Flying Eagle Gang
Chapter 873 The Flying Eagle Gang
The day after Jia Yucun left, Lu Cheng made up an excuse and left the Lin Mansion alone.
When turning into a hidden alley, Lu Cheng quickly changed his clothes and shoes. Then his whole body became taller, and his face and skin color began to change.
In a short moment, Lu Cheng changed from an 11-year-old boy to a 30-year-old, rugged-looking adult. This was naturally due to the special skill "face-changing".
This skill can not only change appearance, but also change body shape, skin color, voice, etc., completely turning into another person.
Afterwards, Lu Cheng walked out of the alley and headed straight to the south of the city, where he came to a medicine shop with a sign that read "Huichuntang".
When the owner of the drugstore saw Lu Cheng, he immediately came up to him with a smile on his face and said, "Mr. Ding, you are here. Please come in."
Lu Cheng just casually glanced at the people who were buying medicine, then followed the shopkeeper into the backyard.
This medicine shop has two courtyards. The front facing the street is the shop, and the front yard is where herbs are dried, and pills and ointments are made.
At this time, a group of apprentices were busy drying and cutting herbs in the front yard.
After passing through the front yard and entering the backyard, the surroundings became much quieter.
Lu Cheng asked casually: "Old Li, how is business lately?"
"Recently, our business has been getting better and better. Especially after cooperating with various brothels in the city, our "Rejuvenation Pills" and "Dragon and Tiger Pills" have been recognized. This month alone, seven or eight merchants from all over the country have placed orders with us.
If it weren't for the restrictions on medicinal materials, our profit this month could at least quadruple that of last month. I have already sent people to speed up the purchase of medicinal materials and make pills..."
"Don't rush into anything. If you take too big a step, it's easy to get into trouble. You have to be able to earn money, but you have to be able to keep it. Especially at this time, you can't be blinded by the immediate benefits. Brothers, when you go out, keep your eyes open to avoid being tricked by others."
"Yes, the boss taught me that."
"How's the gang developing lately?"
"This month, we recruited 28 more people to join the inner hall, and 65 more people to join the outer hall. However, a team that was previously sent to Jinling encountered bandits on the way back, and lost two inner hall disciples and three outer hall disciples. Currently, there are a total of 148 inner hall disciples and 375 outer hall disciples on the list. Here is the detailed personnel project information, please take a look."
Lu Cheng took over the personnel accounts, looked through them roughly, and had an idea in his mind.
As early as last year, shortly after entering the Lin Mansion, Lu Cheng went out from time to time and began to organize and cultivate his own forces.
Yangzhou Prefecture is located at the center of water transport, and with its developed salt industry, it is natural that there will be water transport gangs and salt gangs.
The Cao Gang emerged in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. Initially, it was mainly composed of canal boatmen. Later, it absorbed more people along the way who relied on the canal transportation for their livelihood. It gradually grew stronger and formed a force spread across the north and south.
The previous emperor of this world once wanted to wipe out the Cao Gang and completely control the grain transport. He sent ministers to supervise the grain transport and eliminate the Cao Gang, but was resisted by the Cao Gang. There were many conflicts between the two sides, and even a civil uprising was almost caused.
In the end, the Cao Gang's power was broken up, and the imperial court had to stop in time.
The Cao Gang relied on the canal transportation for its survival, and as long as the canal transportation existed, the Cao Gang would never be extinct.
The situations of the Salt Gang and the Transport Gang are somewhat similar, but the Salt Gang is usually composed of some private salt dealers and does not have a unified organization, but just some scattered small gangs.
After Lu Cheng learned about the situation in Yangzhou Prefecture, he used force to subdue a branch of the Cao Gang. He then successively annexed two or three other Cao Gangs and Salt Gangs to form a new gang, the Flying Eagle Gang.
The Flying Eagle Gang has a more rigorous organizational structure, gang rules and discipline, and acts more secretly. Its business involves canal transportation, private salt, grain, medicinal materials, finished pills, etc.
Now, after nearly a year of development, the Flying Eagle Gang has been put on the right track, with its business in all aspects expanding and its staff gradually increasing.
In addition to the more than 500 disciples from the inner and outer halls on the list, the Flying Eagle Gang also has some peripheral forces, as well as some ordinary laborers, medical apprentices, etc. who have not joined the gang.
After looking through the account book in his hand, Lu Cheng put the book aside and asked, "Our team was attacked by bandits. What happened? Tell me in detail."
"Five days ago, this team was returning from Jinling. When passing through Maji Town, they were ambushed by a group of bandits. Those bandits had knives and bows and arrows. Our people were suddenly attacked and caught off guard, and several brothers were killed or injured.
The brothers fought and retreated, abandoning some goods and retreating from the enemy's ambush site. The bandits, seeing that they could not gain any advantage, robbed the goods we abandoned and fled into the woods.
After our people came back, I immediately sent people to investigate, and now we know the exact location and approximate number of this group of bandits. This group of bandits should have recently fled from the north. Judging from the knives and bows and arrows they carry, they look like the standard equipment of the border troops. They are very likely deserters..."
"I understand. I will take care of these. How many children are there at Young Eagle Hall now?"
"I just went to see it yesterday. There are currently 63 children, all learning to read and write with the two gentlemen."
"Keep a close eye on them and don't let the people below do anything rash. We absolutely cannot do anything like trafficking children!"
"Don't worry, boss. We will never do anything that goes against our conscience."
The Young Eagle Hall is also the place where the Flying Eagle Gang adopts orphans. Some of these orphans were rescued from human traffickers and could not find their original parents. Some were orphans and little beggars collected from all over the place.
These children are basically between 5 and 12 years old, which is the age for reading and studying.
The Flying Eagle Gang arranged two private tutors to teach them how to read and write.
When Lu Cheng is free, he will go there and teach these kids some things personally, teaching them the basics of standing meditation and boxing skills.
These children are raised by the Flying Eagle Gang and trained personally by Lu Cheng. They will become the most capable personnel in the future.
After learning about the gang's recent situation, Lu Cheng began to make arrangements: "Send more people to Jinling recently, and focus on the kidnappers active in the Jinling area to see if there is a little girl around ten years old with a cinnabar mole between her eyebrows. If there is, report the news to me immediately."
"Yes, I will arrange it right away."
After arranging everything, Lu Cheng went to a few other places, then changed back to his original appearance, bought a few strings of candied haws on the street, and returned to the Lin Mansion.
Now, after nearly a year of treatment, Lin Daiyu's congenital deficiency has been basically cured, and her body has completely recovered to normal standards. She is even healthier than other girls of the same age, and she no longer takes the ginseng nourishing pills.