Published: August 15, 2025
Chapter 100: Jiayuan City
Lanzhou is the eighth largest prefecture in Yue Country’s thirteen provinces in terms of area, but in terms of wealth, it ranks second only to Xinzhou. Located in the southern part of Yue Country, the land here is fertile, and the region is crisscrossed by countless waterways, lakes, and canals. Combined with consistently favorable weather, this makes it extremely suitable for growing grains and rice, making it one of the nation’s top grain-producing regions.
Jiayuan City, situated in the center of Lanzhou, is not the prefectural capital, but it is undoubtedly the largest city in Lanzhou. The Xianglu Grand Canal, which runs north to south through Yue Country, passes right through the heart of this city. Several other major water and land routes converge here as well, making the city a major transportation hub and a key commercial thoroughfare. Each year, countless merchants and travelers pass through, greatly stimulating local trade and commerce. Thus, Jiayuan City’s status as the largest city in the prefecture is not surprising.
In Jiayuan City, there are numerous transportation businesses, docks, and boat operators scattered throughout the city. The number of carters, laborers, and boatmen working in this line of business is immense, numbering in the tens of thousands. Sun Ergou is one of those who make a living at the docks.
Sun Ergou’s appearance matches his name: slanted eyebrows, crooked eyes, and the look of a rough scoundrel. However, because he is good at reading people and flattering them, he has managed to rise to the position of a minor gang leader at the docks. He commands dozens of laborers and porters and earns a living by helping traveling merchants move their goods and luggage.
That morning, when Sun Ergou arrived at the small dock, several of his subordinates hurried over and respectfully greeted him:
“Second Master, good morning!”
“Second Master has arrived!”
...
Hearing these titles, Sun Ergou couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. After all, being called “Master” showed that he held some status here. He puffed out his chest and snorted through his nose in response to his subordinates’ greetings.
“What Second Master? I’m just Ergou.”
“Yeah, just a two-legged dog, a dog pretending to be a person!”
“Ha! Ha! Ha!”
...
A burst of sarcastic laughter rang out blatantly in Sun Ergou’s ears.
Upon hearing this, his expression suddenly darkened, and his mood instantly soured.
He slowly turned his head to look at a group of several dozen people standing on the other side of the dock, fixing his gaze on a burly black man. Hatred flickered in his eyes.
If there was anyone in Jiayuan City whom Sun Ergou hated the most, this black man would rank among the top three. If someone told Sun Ergou that he could spend all his wealth to make this black man disappear from the world forever, he might hesitate. But if they said he only needed to give up half his assets, he would agree without hesitation. Of course, due to his indulgence in drinking, gambling, and women, his “all wealth” wasn’t actually much.
No one knew the black man’s original name anymore. The dock workers either called him “Black Master” or simply by his nickname, “Black Bear.” He was the leader of another small gang, the Iron Fist Society, and his position was roughly equivalent to Sun Ergou’s in the Siping Gang. He was assigned to manage another group of laborers at this dock.
Two tigers cannot share one mountain, let alone a small dock. From the start, the two gangs didn’t get along well. After a few conflicts over customers, their relationship worsened considerably. Now, whenever they met, the two gangs exchanged sneers, insults, and jostling, just short of outright fighting.
If the subordinates were like this, it was even more pronounced between Sun Ergou and Black Bear, the biggest beneficiaries of the dock’s business. They looked at each other with mutual disgust. But as minor gang leaders with some status, they knew that the Iron Fist Society and the Siping Gang were allied gangs, working together against a slightly larger gang, the Poison Dragon Gang. So, although both wanted to drive the other away and monopolize the dock, they could only temporarily restrain themselves. Their frustration and anger were vented through their subordinates’ verbal skirmishes, which had become a daily morning routine.