Chapter 23: The Art of the Bootlicker

The Burly Man’s eyes widened, his thoughts somewhat muddled by this unexpected maneuver, as he questioned, “Do you even know what that medicine does?”

“Not a clue.”

“And you just swallowed it whole?”

Quan Haoqing stated matter-of-factly, “Because Big Brother gave it to me! How could I not trust you, Big Brother? As long as I serve you wholeheartedly, Big Brother, would you ever mistreat me? Rest assured, Big Brother, from this day forward, I shall follow your lead in all things. Even if it meant elevating Big Brother to the status of a deity, I would absolutely make good on my word! I would not hesitate!”

The other subordinates, especially the Lean Young Man, witnessed this and internally exclaimed that Quan Haoqing was a bootlicker of a rare caliber. They immediately regarded Quan Haoqing as a threat and a rival, thinking, ‘This man’s sycophancy is no less than my own!’

What could the Burly Man possibly say?

Faced with such a fawning subordinate, how could he possibly refuse?

He could only vigorously pat Quan Haoqing’s shoulder.

“Good, good, good. Rest assured, if Big Brother has a single bowl of rice, you’ll never go hungry!”

Quan Haoqing lowered his head, shielding his eyes with his sleeve. When he looked up again, his eyes were brimming with tears: “Many thanks for Big Brother’s benevolence! From now on, your humble servant will absolutely follow Big Brother’s every command!”

Such a display earned Quan Haoqing gazes of admiration from the subordinates surrounding their Big Brother. If only they had shown half of Quan Haoqing’s fervor when they first joined, the position of second-in-command would surely have been theirs.

Meanwhile, Quan Haoqing thought: ‘🌿, I shouldn’t have gotten so much of that pepper on me.’

He actually knew about the bandit leader’s medicine. Thanks to his extensive network and cunning, and the fact that this gang was somewhat notorious in the vicinity, he had paid some spirit stones to gather a considerable amount of intelligence.

That particular poison, which was addictive and incredibly difficult to counteract, was quite rare in this region. Quan Haoqing had never heard of an antidote for it. However, he possessed something that should have been his death warrant, and it happened to perfectly counter this very poison.

He didn’t believe that a poison wielded by a cultivator of the bandit leader’s caliber could remain unneutralized by his item. Indeed, he was proven right. After consuming the poison, he felt a surge of energy from his Dantian rush into his abdomen, completely dissolving the toxin.

The bandit leader was unaware that Quan Haoqing had already detoxified himself. He was thoroughly pleased with Quan Haoqing’s performance. From beginning to end, Quan Haoqing had focused solely on his attitude, even when he had repeatedly used the Lean Young Man to relay his commands.

This was excellent.

Anyone could utter pleasant words. However, someone with such a proper attitude, who spoke so agreeably, and was also utterly shameless, was truly a rare find. Although their gang was already brimming with talents, they genuinely lacked such a shameless individual.

The bandit leader no longer had the Lean Young Man speak for him. Instead, he spoke directly: “To gain Brother Quan’s allegiance today is truly like adding wings to a tiger! To be frank, we are precisely in need of a talent like you, Brother Quan. I am a coarse man, without many rules. My name is Rong Guangliang; you can just call me Boss Rong.”

Quan Haoqing bowed deeply and said, “Greetings, Boss Rong.”

Then, pointing to the Lean Young Man beside him, he continued: “This scoundrel is Song Mo. He’s an old hand who’s been with me since the beginning, having braved life and death together for many years. I’m not good with words and haven’t read many books. But your Second Brother Song is different; he’s a scholar by origin. In the future, he will mostly be the one arranging your tasks, so you must cooperate fully.”

Quan Haoqing cupped his hands and bowed to Song Mo, saying warmly, “Second Brother Song, please guide me often in the future.”

Song Mo returned a smile, replying repeatedly, “No problem, no problem, we’re all brothers. We’ll be relying on Brother Quan to achieve great things in the future, and I will certainly cooperate fully with you, Brother Quan.”

“Many thanks, Second Brother Song.”

Quan Haoqing glanced at the sky, then furrowed his brow. He addressed Boss Rong: “Boss Rong, as a new addition to the brotherhood, I should rightfully treat our brothers to a grand feast at a winehouse. However, I have an appointment with Ye Qingfeng tonight at a winehouse. That person is extremely rigid and punctual; if I arrive late, I fear it will displease her.”

“While I personally don’t care for her mood, we are on the cusp of achieving great things, and our relationship with her cannot suffer any mishaps. Therefore…”

Rong Guangliang grinned, “Brother prioritizes important matters, which is only right, only right.”

Quan Haoqing knew Rong Guangliang had more to say, but he spoke first: “Many thanks for your understanding, Boss Rong. By the way, this matter is, after all, of great importance. Although your humble brother has already successfully become familiar with the other party, in a moment of urgency, some oversight is inevitable. I wonder if Boss Rong could arrange for a brother to assist me from the side?”

Rong Guangliang’s eyes subtly lit up. His gaze swept over the brothers, one by one, evidently pondering his choice.

Immediately after, Quan Haoqing added: “During this collaboration, there might be some consumption of spirit stones, but I guarantee I will compensate this brother.”

The moment these words were uttered, the expressions of all the brothers shifted slightly. Evidently, not a single one was willing.

Song Mo and Rong Guangliang exchanged a glance. After a silent exchange of looks, Song Mo called out to You An: “You An, you will assist Brother Quan from now on.”

You An’s face instantly darkened. However, with Rong Guangliang and Song Mo’s gazes fixed upon him, he dared not utter a single word of refusal. He meekly assented, his eyes darting towards Quan Haoqing.

Quan Haoqing could sense the subtle malice in You An’s gaze, but he paid it no mind. The more pathetic You An appeared, the easier things would be later on.

****

Afterward, Quan Haoqing led You An towards Xingqing City. Once the two had walked a considerable distance, Song Mo immediately approached Rong Guangliang, his expression serious, and said: “Boss, although this fellow has already taken the medicine, the time we’ve spent with him is still too short. We must remain vigilant.”

Boss Rong narrowed his eyes and replied, “Of course I know that. That’s why You An cannot be the only one watching this lad. Xie Xiang, you go after them as well, but don’t let them discover you.”

Xie Xiang was naturally quite reluctant to undertake such a thankless task. However, since Boss Rong had given the order, he dared not disobey.

“Understood.”

He then followed in the direction Quan Haoqing had departed.

Song Mo, standing by, flattered, “Boss is truly sagacious! With one open and one hidden observer, that kid is bound to reveal his true colors!”

Boss Rong remained silent. He maintained an unfathomable demeanor and gazed quietly into the distance.

****

Along the way, You An watched the rapidly walking Quan Haoqing with a cold gaze. He secretly pondered how he could squeeze some benefits out of Quan Haoqing.

Their small gang operated under an unspoken rule: the newest member would become the target of exploitation for the entire group. They would be the first to be assigned all the dirty and arduous tasks, receive the smallest share of spoils during each distribution, and even the final bill for expenses would often fall upon them.

Though they claimed they would repay him later, that had never once happened. Even if he mustered all his courage to demand it, he would only be ignored by Rong Guangliang or reprimanded by Song Mo.

He had finally gotten Quan Haoqing, a newcomer. Yet, because of Quan Haoqing’s excessively brilliant flattery and the significant deal that had impressed both the boss and the second-in-command, it now appeared that he would still remain at the bottom.

‘Damn it, this fellow is truly infuriating!’

The more You An thought about it, the stronger his resentment towards Quan Haoqing grew. He dared not direct this suppressed bitterness at those who truly exploited him, and so, he could only use Quan Haoqing as his punching bag.

“Brother You, come over for a moment.”

Suddenly, Quan Haoqing called out to You An.

“What is it?!”

You An’s voice was exceptionally cold. He had no desire to show Quan Haoqing any courtesy, and was too lazy to even pretend. Nevertheless, he obediently walked over to Quan Haoqing’s side.

As You An drew near, Quan Haoqing suddenly threw an arm around his neck. You An’s body stiffened, and he immediately questioned, “What are you trying to do?”

Quan Haoqing then slipped a mid-grade spirit stone into You An’s embrace.

You An stared disbelievingly at the mid-grade spirit stone in his hand. His eyes, somewhat bewildered, turned to Quan Haoqing.

“You have spirit stones?”

Quan Haoqing chuckled softly, “One shouldn’t flaunt their wealth, after all. And I don’t have much to begin with, but I didn’t expect them to make you, brother, pay alone. Keep it safe, and don’t let Boss and the others find out, otherwise, we’ll truly have no benefits left to gain.”

“Oh, oh.”

You An immediately tucked the mid-grade spirit stone into his embrace, and his gaze towards Quan Haoqing changed, now filled with fervent admiration.

This mid-grade spirit stone not only covered the cost of the food and wine he had previously paid for, but also allowed him to make a profit. This man was practically a God of Wealth!

“Then many thanks, Brother Quan. I’ve been quite tight on funds lately, so you’ve truly come to my rescue.”

Quan Haoqing waved it off indifferently, “Don’t be so polite, we’re brothers now. I’m new here and not entirely familiar with the gang’s rules, so I’ll need you, Elder Brother You, to enlighten me often.”

“Of course, of course.”

This time, You An was noticeably more attentive, even revealing some things he shouldn’t have said.

“What? All those bills had to be covered by you, Elder Brother You?”

Though Quan Haoqing had already suspected this possibility, he still feigned an expression of utter surprise, then said with a hint of indignation, “Elder Brother You, you’ve also braved life and death for the gang. How could they treat you this way just because you joined later? Alas, this is truly unacceptable.”

Seeing that someone was willing to sympathize with him, You An’s expression improved considerably. However, he merely sighed, then patted Quan Haoqing’s shoulder and said, “It’s nothing, it’s all for the sake of contributing to the gang. A little sacrifice is just a sacrifice.”

Despite his eloquent words, the indignant expression on You An’s face indicated that he didn’t truly believe what he was saying.

“Brother Quan, you’re so adept at handling things; you’ll definitely fare better than me in the gang. You’ll have to look after me, your elder brother, in the future.”

Quan Haoqing immediately adopted a serious expression and said, “Does that even need to be said? Moreover, Elder Brother You, there’s no need to underestimate yourself. You are an old hand in the gang. As a newcomer, I might inadvertently violate some taboo, and then I’ll need Elder Brother You to help me mediate.”

“Naturally, naturally.”

Quan Haoqing consistently kept his demeanor humble, which made You An, who was at the bottom of the gang hierarchy, feel very comfortable. He had already come to regard Quan Haoqing as his sworn brother.

He was unaware, however, that this ‘sworn brother’s’ intentions ran far deeper than he could ever imagine.