Chapter 8: The Tiger Might Gang Leader (Part 1)
Shen Fei turned his head and saw that his boss, along with his third and fourth uncles, was walking over cheerfully. He immediately greeted them: "Good morning, boss; good morning, third uncle, fourth uncle. Boss, did you find gold? Why does everyone look so radiant? Huh?" At this point, Shen Fei suddenly stared in astonishment at his third uncle, because on the map, the light representing his third uncle had unexpectedly turned green. What was going on? Wasn't it red yesterday? How did it change to green?
Although Shen Haofeng was eager to answer for Shen Fei, the leader had just stopped him once. Especially since the leader was aware of such trivial matters, did that not imply that every move he made was under the leader's scrutiny? Therefore, despite the sweat on his back, he dared not move, maintaining a smile while silently hoping that Shen Fei would not speak carelessly at this moment
A middle-aged man, dressed in a light blue robe with a red belt around his waist and wearing black boots, sat gracefully in the foremost position. He had a handsome beard, a kind appearance, and a radiant complexion.
Upon seeing the three of them in this state, one could be certain that there must be treasures in the valley, and they had all gained some benefit. Could it be that Uncle San had turned back to his old ways just because of this small advantage? Shen Fei couldn't help but indulge in wild thoughts.
"You little rascal, I was just looking for you. Come on, let's go in and pay our respects to the leader." Shen Haofeng cheerfully tapped Shen Fei on the forehead and pulled him along towards the main hall, while his third and fourth uncles followed behind with smiles.
Although he deserved to be well treated, Shen Fei was still wandering outside the main hall of the branch. This place was where the leader resided and issued commands, and for the members, living in the branch meant residing in this very location.
The four adults had returned to their seats, while Shen Fei remained kneeling on the ground in a daze. Shen Haofeng immediately stood up and was about to apologize and pull the boy up, but before he could say anything, the leader smiled and waved his hand, saying: "It's no trouble at all. This must be your family member, Shen Fei, who, in order to join the gang, is willing to forgo calling you 'father' and instead calls you 'big brother'"
When Chen Duozhu and Shen Haofeng saw the man in black emerge, they had already stood up. Shen Haofeng even directly grabbed the arm of Shen Fei, this wild monkey, and restrained him beside himself
Shen Fei was indeed aware of these customs, as he directly knelt on both knees and bowed his head, following the leaders in calling out: "I pay my respects to the esteemed leader of the gang!"
"The leader is mighty!" Shen Fei exclaimed, his face flushed with excitement as he jumped up and eagerly asked, "Leader, why are you so kind, almost resembling a high-ranking official? I always thought you were a towering giant, three zhang tall, with fists that could stand on a person's arm and run a horse!"
"Alright, everyone, there's no need to be so sour. Please take your seats." The leader slightly tightened his face, and an imposing aura immediately enveloped the room. Everyone obediently returned to their seats, respectfully gazing at the leader who sat at the head.
Shen Fei knelt down on one knee with great decisiveness, clasped his fists above his head, and responded loudly: "Please rest assured, Leader, I will surely uphold the might of our Tiger Clan!"
Under the bow of the two men in black, the four entered the main hall, which was empty. They sat down casually to wait. After a short while, the familiar Master Chen appeared, wearing a smile. He casually praised Shen Fei and then began chatting with the subordinates who had just bowed.
"Where else would you stay if not in the branch? By the way, if your father is not with you, you absolutely must not disturb the leader, lest the leader think that we from the Tiger's Den branch have no sense of propriety like those *book* people." Shen Yuxia said seriously while tidying up the bedding.
After finishing the buns, Shen Fei suddenly remembered his detector and immediately murmured, "Activate." A circular map appeared in an instant, and the display on the map left Shen Fei momentarily stunned, as it showed two blue bright spots.
As Shen Fei was contemplating taking a few steps forward to see if he could sense the leader's position, a loud shout rang out behind him: "Shen Fei, what are you doing sneaking around here?" This was unmistakably the voice of Shen Haofeng
"Xiao Fei, what are you daydreaming about? Don't you recognize Third Uncle?" Third Uncle, seeing Shen Fei staring at him, couldn't help but look at himself with some confusion and asked.
"Hehe, brothers, there is no need for such formalities, please rise and take a seat." A warm voice echoed, and Shen Fei followed the crowd in exclaiming, "Thank you, leader!" Only then did he stand up. Before Shen Fei could fully rise, he looked up and gazed around, but this sight left him dumbfounded, forgetting to stand up.
Shen Fei couldn't be bothered with these matters, directly putting on his shoes, grabbing a few buns from the table, and preparing to run outside while taking bites. However, Shen Yuxia quickly shouted, "You little rascal, you haven't even rinsed your mouth. Don't run out to play; your father will take you to meet the gang leader shortly."
Shen Fei smiled foolishly as he touched the back of his head, waiting for the tedious formalities of the adults to conclude. The map in his eyes indicated that the colors of the leader, the deputy leader, and the two black-clad gatekeepers were all blue, signifying that this blue represented allies.
After a while, two imposing figures in black, even more formidable than the two gatekeepers, strode out quickly, standing to the left and right at the forefront, and shouted, "The leader has arrived"
Blue? What does this represent? Green signifies allies, yellow indicates disdain, red represents enemies, and blue denotes allies? Shen Fei gradually understood the meanings of the various colors.
Without considering what the leader's words meant, it was more important for the boss to maintain the situation. Therefore, Shen Fei immediately patted his chest and replied loudly: "Of course I dare"
Everyone, including the two gatekeepers in black, burst into laughter. Shen Haofeng's face turned crimson as he awkwardly nodded and replied, "Hey, it's this little rascal." However, he felt a sense of joy in his heart, as he keenly noticed the subtle affection that the leader had for him, which made him feel delighted. For the leader, Shen Fei's rebellious behavior actually demonstrated Shen Fei's love for the Tiger Might Gang.
As Shen Fei chewed on his bun, he quietly commented to himself that although the two burly men were quite displeased with the nosy little brat, they understood that this was a family member of a brother within their ranks, and moreover, a family member of a brother with a certain status. Otherwise, who could just come here freely? Thus, they did not scold him, but occasionally shot a glare at Shen Fei.
"Uh, I have never seen Uncle San in such good spirits. Has he taken some kind of tonic?" Shen Fei hurriedly said
Although everyone smiled and waited for Shen Fei's response, they all felt a chill in their hearts. The Tiger's Den branch ranked only in the middle to lower tier among the seventeen branches of the Tiger Might Gang, and Shen Fei was merely a young boy who had not officially joined the gang, only considered a gang affiliate. Moreover, only a few close acquaintances knew about Shen Fei's desire to meet the gang leader; how could the gang leader be so well aware of such trivial matters!
Shen Fei eagerly ran ahead, and the thought of meeting the leader slightly subdued his curiosity about the treasure.
What left Shen Fei dumbfounded was not the kind faces of the leader and the librarian, but the light blue robe they wore, for it was the attire of a ninth-rank official! His sister had taught him quite a bit about such common knowledge, after all, those involved in gangs fear the government the most; being ignorant of governmental matters is tantamount to courting death
"Wow, is the leader living in our branch?" Shen Fei asked with shining eyes
"It’s still early, the sun is already high in the sky! If I hadn’t seen you sleeping so soundly, I would have woken you up to practice long ago." As she nagged, Shen Yuxia directly lifted Shen Fei up, and with her other hand, she wiped a wet towel across Shen Fei's face.
The leader waved his hand and said, "Hehe, it's nothing. We refer to each other as brothers, so what should this junior, Xiao Fei, call me instead of 'uncle'?" The four adults present immediately stood up and clasped their hands in salute, saying, "We dare not, we dare not. You honor us, Leader."
Hahaha! You rascal, seeing you staring at my official robe, I could guess that you couldn't help but ask. Sure enough, you first buttered me up before asking right away. Truly, you are more curious than a cat, Shen Fei! And you even asked in a roundabout way!" The leader laughed heartily.
After a round of scrubbing, she directly removed Shen Fei's nightgown and helped him put on his clothes. Shen Fei naturally enjoyed this service, but he was somewhat surprised as he touched his bottom and exclaimed, "Oh? Sister, my bottom doesn't hurt anymore"
Shen Fei blinked, looking somewhat confused at Shen Haofeng, and discovered that his boss was desperately signaling him with his eyes while continuously nodding slightly. Meanwhile, Uncle San, Uncle Si, and even Master Chen all subtly revealed expressions of envy, jealousy, and resentment.
"Xiao Fei, Xiao Fei, wake up quickly." A voice calling out rang in Shen Fei's ears. Shen Fei frowned, rubbed his eyes, yawned, and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his sister staring at him, and his mood instantly brightened as he smiled at her: "Good morning, sister"
Got it! Shen Fei only left behind a voice, while the person had already run out.
"Haha, Xiao Fei, I often hear you clamoring to meet me, the leader. So, how does it feel now that you've finally met me?" The leader said with a smile, stroking his beard.
"Haha, you really have an eye for this, kid." Uncle Three, Uncle Four, and the eldest brother exchanged glances and burst into laughter in unison
"You little rascal! How can you address the leader as 'Uncle'?" Shen Haofeng immediately jumped out to cover up Shen Fei's indiscreet remarks
However, the leader did not immediately utter the words that his subordinates were extremely eager to hear. Instead, he smiled and said to Shen Fei: "Little guy, do you dare to leave the care of your big brother and sister and live alone outside for a while?"
The two burly men in black uniforms standing at the door were clearly strangers, likely the direct subordinates brought by the leader. Ah, the treatment at the main hall is indeed excellent; just look at them, their clothes are so shiny and black, and they even wear boots, boldly complemented by their waist knives, which is truly enviable
"Good! There is a strong spirit of my Tiger Might Gang's disciples." The gang leader shouted, striking the armrest, and then said loudly: "Shen Fei, I, your gang leader uncle, guarantee that you will be admitted to the martial arts academy in the county. I hope you will not let down the spirit of my Tiger Might Gang while you are in the academy"
Shen Yuxia pulled down Shen Fei's pants again to check his buttocks, nodding in satisfaction as she said: "Indeed, it used to take several days for the swelling to subside, right? It must be the ointment we bought this time that works well. Hmm, let's continue to buy this kind of ointment next time"
As a figure emerged from the back hall, Shen Fei had not yet had the chance to see clearly when his head was pressed down by the boss, and he heard the boss's urgent voice beside his ear: "Kneel and bow your head!"