I changed the world.

Page 253

In the main hall of the largest white-walled, black-tiled mansion in Qingyan Lane, Zhu Qi sat in a chair at the head of the table, looking calmly at a dozen men sitting below him with different expressions. These men were all mid- to high-ranking cadres of the Liantai Society who could speak up, and he had summoned them here today.

Sitting to his left, dressed formally in a women's uniform, Miao Yuzhu spoke eloquently: "...Preparations have already begun. The foundation is named the 'Lotus Children's Education Foundation,' primarily targeting children from impoverished families in our Linzhou slums. The initial pilot program will sponsor 100 children to complete their basic education. Specific sponsorship conditions still need further finalization, but generally, we can ensure that the aid reaches the most needy impoverished people through community outreach..."

"...The preliminary registration and other work has been completed, and the qualification application process is underway. Results are expected early next month. We've even received additional support from some kind-hearted individuals; in addition to funding from community organizations, the foundation can also accept external donations..."

"Ms. Miao, you've worked so hard, going to so much trouble for the foundation." After Miao Yuzhu finished speaking, Zhu Qi smiled and nodded slightly to her. At the same time, he looked at the others.

“These days, I’ve heard some people gossiping, saying that the underworld is doing charity work? They might as well share the money with the brothers for drinks…” Zhu Qi said slowly and deliberately, and a murmur of whispers immediately broke out below.

"To be honest, if it weren't for the Heavenly Venerable appearing in my dream, I, the seventh brother, might not have been able to figure this out on my own..."

The murmurs below grew louder, then Zhu Qi reached out and gestured for silence, before continuing:

"Let's not talk about the Heavenly Venerable's dream today, but about our club..."

Zhu Qi first slowly recounted the arduous journey of the founders of the Lotus Platform Society. Seeing that the others' discussions had gradually subsided, he continued, "...We did indeed do some business that wasn't so openly discussed in the past, and others regarded us as gangsters. But to be honest, so many brothers in the society needed to eat, and the foundation passed down by our founders couldn't be broken in our generation. So, after all, it was understandable..."

"However, playing the black market and the gray market... is not a long-term solution. Look at how many of our brothers are still in jail. And to be honest, most of the older brothers here have families. Who among you wants their younger generation to also eat this shady food?"

"Cleansing up the organization isn't something that can be done overnight, and I'm not asking the triad to abandon all its businesses all at once..." As soon as Zhu Qi finished speaking, the leaders below breathed a sigh of relief. After all, many of those present had some vested interest in the organization, and abandoning it all at once would inevitably harm many people's interests.

“However, there’s always a first step to take in this kind of thing. And this charity is the first step to clear one’s name…” Zhu Qi said, picking up a teacup from the coffee table and taking a sip, while casually glancing at the expressions of the people below.

"Seventh Brother, what you're saying sounds nice, but what can we do even if we know about this? This is what we do for a living..." A bald man with a gold chain around his neck, who looked quite fierce, picked his teeth and said.

This man, named Deng Gui, is a confidant of the former leader, Wang Deyao, and is currently the gang's chief steward, in charge of the gang's business operations. He escaped capture because he wasn't present when Wang Deyao was arrested, and is now the de facto second-in-command of the gang. He usually relies on his seniority and doesn't show much respect to the current acting leader, Zhu Qi, and is said to have frequently made dissenting remarks about him in private.

“Ah Gui, you’ve gone off on a tangent. Seventh Brother has been working tirelessly for our gang… well… he’s lost a lot of weight these past few days. What’s he doing all this for? It’s all to find a way out for all the brothers… If we could live a decent life, who would want to hide from the local rats and be manipulated by those gentry all the time…” Erpang immediately interjected. As a brother who had once “shared hardships” with Zhu Qi, Erpang had now been promoted by Zhu Qi to be the gang’s assistant, and belonged to Zhu Qi’s faction.

"Hey, Erpang, you're making such a big show of it. If clearing someone's name were that easy, Yao Ye wouldn't still be in there. In fact, I think the most urgent thing right now isn't discussing how to clear someone's name, but rather figuring out how to get Yao Ye out of there..." Deng Gui sneered and said with a smirk.

After Deng Gui spoke, two other mid-level cadres chimed in, both agreeing with Deng Gui's statement.

“Haha, Brother Gui is right. However, Yao and his brothers have committed a serious offense this time. Getting them out of trouble won’t be an easy task for me. Seventh Master has been busy with this issue these days. In my opinion, everyone should be patient and listen to what Seventh Master has to say…” Mudfish suddenly spoke up from the side. Mudfish’s real name was Wang Zhonghu. He was originally a Blue Flag member in the gang, a mid-level cadre. Ever since he was in a car accident at night and was saved by Zhu Qi, he had been intentionally or unintentionally favoring Zhu Qi in several events.

After Mudfish spoke, Deng Gui seemed about to say something more, but was tugged at by another companion, who clearly didn't want the situation to become too awkward. Deng Gui then snorted coldly and remained silent for the time being.

Zhu Qi ignored Deng Gui's unpleasant expression and said calmly, "Everyone can think about it, what business is the most profitable these days?"

"When it comes to making money, the most lucrative things are breaking the law... All the money-making opportunities are written in the criminal law..." Deng Tong chuckled.

“That’s right, breaking the law can make money, but it’s never a safe business. Look at all these brothers still in there, there are many things that need to be taken care of…” Zhu Qi said slowly.

"Aside from breaking the law, the high-tech industry has developed rapidly in recent years. The news changes every day. Deep space exploration has already begun, and next, it seems like large-scale colonization is on the horizon. It's just a pity that most of the brothers in the gang are roughnecks, and they probably can't handle those high-tech jobs. For now, we still have to make a living from this little patch of land..."

"I've been thinking, the seven necessities of life are firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. If we're talking about making money, monopolistic businesses are the most profitable..."