Chapter 99: Money Causes Trouble

Han Li left his hometown, traveling southeast directly towards Lanzhou.

Along the way, he sometimes joined others to traverse bustling urban centers, and at other times, he ventured alone into desolate mountains and wilderness, seeking shortcuts. There were no major dangers encountered on the journey. The only incident occurred while camping outdoors when he encountered a few famished wolves with bloodshot eyes, which subsequently became Han Li's dinner.

He journeyed tirelessly, covered in dust, passing through two other provinces before finally arriving at Lanzhou after a strenuous journey.

Upon entering Lanzhou's territory, Han Li was greatly astonished by its extensive network of waterways. In contrast, his native Yuezhou was largely composed of wild mountains and hilly terrain. Not to mention large canals or lakes, even proper small rivers were scarce, and water supply primarily relied on wells and small streams.

Consequently, Han Li found himself greatly interested in the various boats traversing the waterways. Driven by curiosity, he eventually chartered a small boat and experienced the sensation of traveling downstream for the first time.

A dozen days later, Han Li had a smooth journey and arrived at Jiayuan City, which Doctor Mo had mentioned in his letter, stepping onto its unremarkable dock.

Han Li's first impression of the dock was how dilapidated it was. The entire structure was crudely built from simple wooden planks; it was not only cramped and rudimentary but also incredibly filthy and disorganized, littered with rotten baskets and broken bags. The dock featured only two bamboo sheds, within which stood dozens of sturdy men. Many were bare-chested or wore only short jackets, all radiating a tough, rugged demeanor.

These men were now staring fixedly at him and Qu Hun, some with eager eyes.

Han Li paused briefly, then smiled faintly.

Before leaving the small boat to go ashore, the boatman had kindly reminded him of an unwritten rule at the Jiayuan City dock: regardless of how many items a disembarking passenger carried, they had to pay to hire a porter from the dock to help carry their belongings. Failure to do so would result in hostile treatment from the porters, and perhaps even a severe beating.

As a newcomer, Han Li had no intention of disrupting local customs, so he simply called out:

"I need to hire porters! Is anyone available?"

Sun Ergou had now looked away. After his earlier scrutiny, he had concluded that the young man who had just disembarked was most likely the son of a provincial landlord, and the giant was surely a somewhat clumsy but strong bodyguard. Many such pairs appeared in Jiayuan City every year; they came to broaden their horizons, spend a little money, and then return home to boast. Thus, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about them.

However, such people were also fond of showing off their wealth and status, making them ideal marks! If you offered them a few flattering remarks, these country folk would usually give a generous amount of extra tips in addition to the agreed carrying fee. So, for the individual hired, it was a very lucrative business.

But this time, it wasn't their side's turn to take the job. According to the agreement he and Black Bear had made beforehand, they would alternate in taking incoming jobs, and no one was allowed to compete. The size and profitability of the business depended solely on the luck of each side. Since they had just taken a job yesterday, it was Black Bear's men's turn this time.

Thinking of this, Sun Ergou glanced at the other side and saw Black Bear whispering a few words to his subordinates. Then, a man excitedly ran out of the crowd and rushed towards the young man.

"No, you can't carry it alone. You'd better call another person," Han Li said, looking at the very sturdy man in front of him, then glancing at Qu Hun's oversized package, gently shaking his head.

"Young master, I can lift this little bit with one hand; no need to find anyone else," the man replied, unwilling to share his tip with anyone else. Besides, he didn't think he couldn't move the package, even if it was large, unless it was full of rocks.

Having said that, the man walked up to Qu Hun and, without further ado, moved to grab the package.

Han Li sighed. The package contained thousands of taels of silver and other miscellaneous items; its considerable weight was far too heavy for a regular person. But seeing the man's enthusiasm, he had no choice but to discreetly signal Qu Hun to hand over the package without resistance.

Sure enough, as soon as the sturdy man took the large package, his face immediately changed. He struggled to carry it on his back, but after only a few steps, he was red-faced and panting. He had to shamefully put the package down and went back to call another person.

Seeing that two people could finally lift the package, Han Li nodded with satisfaction, quickly left the dock, and walked along the road towards the city.

Han Li did not know that, due to his lack of worldly experience, he had attracted two pairs of greedy eyes and was about to get into trouble he shouldn't have.

Sun Ergou watched the young man's receding figure, finally withdrawing his covetous gaze. Suppressing the surprise in his heart, he couldn't help but turn and meet Black Bear's eyes across the way. He knew very well that the immense wealth hidden in the package certainly wouldn't escape the other man's notice either.

Indeed, Black Bear also looked surprised. After a moment's hesitation, he gave Sun Ergou a meaningful glance. Sun Ergou understood implicitly and followed him to a nearby pile of rubbish. Before such a large sum of money, even if there was a bitter feud, Sun Ergou would still cooperate with the other party. After all, "man dies for wealth, and birds die for food."

"Fifty-fifty split!" Sun Ergou said, getting straight to the point in a low voice.

"Seventy-thirty split. This was our side's business to begin with," Black Bear refused bluntly.

"This..." Black Bear hesitated, evidently unwilling to give up that extra share of profit.

"Hmph! If you think about it any longer, I'm afraid other gangs will have already set their eyes on this fat sheep," Sun Ergou said coldly after a snort.

"All right! It's settled then. Let's seal it with a slap." Black Bear was clearly stung by the remark and finally agreed.

*Slap! Slap! Slap!* After spitting on their hands, Sun Ergou and Black Bear slapped hands three times, temporarily forming an alliance.

"Alright, let's hurry and catch up to them before that kid gets into a crowded area," Sun Ergou urged impatiently.

"Heh heh! Don't worry, I told those two subordinates to take them through Blackwater Alley. If we go now, we'll block them perfectly," Black Bear suddenly revealed a sly grin that didn't suit his appearance.

"That's excellent, what a clever move, brother!" Sun Ergou appeared surprised on the surface, but inwardly, he stiffened, secretly increasing his guard against Black Bear.