The Lion Gang did not occupy any courtyards; its main headquarters were located in a ten-story building where the gang leader and elders lived. The three deputy leaders lived elsewhere, while the remaining core members were scattered in nearby buildings, making it difficult for enemies to strike the gang’s main force all at once.
At this moment, the Lion Gang was holding a meeting in a conference room upstairs. Due to pressure from the Black Tiger Gang, most of the gang’s major businesses had been forced to suspend operations for rectification. Although some Chinese merchants on Chinatown had offered help, this was clearly not a sustainable solution. With 1,500 members to support, the gang’s finances were nearly depleted.
Currently, the Hudson family was embroiled in internal conflict and had no time to deal with the Black Tiger Gang, giving the Lion Gang a brief respite. At this time, several local New York families—the Black family, the Stanley family, the Moses family, and the Poole family—had extended their hands toward the Lion Gang. They offered financial support and promised full assistance to help the Lion Gang regain its strength, in exchange for the Lion Gang becoming a branch under their control.
Mu Lin thought to himself that all these troubles stemmed from internal conflicts among Chinese people. Now, even in another country, they were still fighting for dominance, ultimately benefiting these foreigners. Once the Hudson family emerged from its internal chaos, it would be time for them to fully take over the underworld of Chinatown. Then, the Chinese people who had originally received help from the Lion Gang would once again fall victim to oppression by these New York gangs.
At this point, the Lion Gang had split into three factions. One faction advocated accepting financial aid from local gangs, choosing one to support them until they overcame the crisis, after which they would repay the debt and be free of obligations. Another faction insisted on firmly rejecting any aid, suggesting temporarily relocating the gang’s active members to other cities to regroup and make a comeback. The third faction firmly refused foreign aid and proposed taking advantage of the current distraction of the Hudson family to launch a decisive battle against the Black Tiger Gang and completely eliminate them from Chinatown.
Listening to the intense debate among the three factions in the meeting room, Mu Lin felt a slight sense of relief. At least among those who remained in the Lion Gang, no one had suggested surrendering to these foreigners. They were still a group of proud and spirited men.
Mu Lin decided to help these brave Chinese men in a foreign land. Currently, due to his cultivation, he could not deal with worldly matters directly, but he could offer support from a higher level, helping Chinese people improve their situation in the West. The mundane affairs could be left to them to manage, while he would do his best to assist them.
Thinking thus, he sent a voice transmission to Lü Dahai, the leader of the Lion Gang who was presiding over the meeting. However, Mu Lin altered his accent and tone, so to Lü Dahai, it sounded like the voice of an old man. “Director Lü, please end this meeting now and keep only the people you trust. I have something important to tell you and can also offer assistance.”
Lü Dahai, in his fifties, had a fair complexion and tall, slender build. At first glance, he appeared like a refined scholar. Mu Lin knew that Lü’s entire body was filled with restrained muscle and energy; when he moved, he was as agile as a hare, and when still, as calm as a maiden—proof of his mastery of internal martial arts.
When Lü Dahai suddenly heard a voice in his ear, he was startled. Looking around, he realized it was a secret voice transmission technique. He also knew that only someone who had reached a high level of internal martial arts cultivation could use such a technique. Moreover, this skill was thought to be lost, and he had never heard of any gang, either domestic or foreign, having a master capable of it.
Suddenly hearing this voice transmission, he was momentarily stunned. Now there was actually a master skilled in secret voice transmission willing to help him. He thought to himself that the Lion Gang was finally saved. After all, he had cultivated his mind and temperament for many years as the leader of the gang, and he quickly regained his composure. He addressed everyone in the room: “Alright, we’ve been discussing this for a long time without reaching a conclusion. There’s no need to rush to decide everything today.”
Then he called out several names and continued, “You all stay. The rest of you can go back for now and strengthen your vigilance. We’ll discuss this again tomorrow morning. Everyone may now disperse.”
Everyone looked at him in surprise and confusion. After all, it was he who had summoned the meeting. Since two factions were approaching their deadline tomorrow, everyone had gathered today to discuss a plan tonight. Why had he suddenly changed his mind?
Facing the suspicious glances, Lü Dahai knew that if he didn’t explain clearly, no one would leave with peace of mind. “Actually,” he said, “just now during the meeting, I suddenly remembered that there is an elder of our sect also living in hiding here in New York. He once told me that I could only seek him out in times of dire emergency threatening the sect’s survival. I had been so busy these past few days that I almost forgot. Just now, I suddenly remembered him, so I thought I should go seek his help first. Whether it works or not, we can reconvene tomorrow morning to discuss it again. I apologize to all of you brothers.”
Then he pointed to the few remaining people: “I’m keeping these few with me because the elder dislikes being disturbed, so I can only bring them along as escorts. I hope none of you brothers take offense. Please come back tomorrow morning to discuss further plans. Everyone, please take your leave now.”
After hearing this explanation, the crowd finally relaxed and began to disperse. However, a few individuals still showed signs of emotional disturbance, which Mu Lin silently noted.
Once everyone had left, Lü Dahai bowed toward the empty space in front of him and said, “Senior, now that everyone has gone, you may come out. Regardless of whether you can help the Lion Gang, I thank you on behalf of all the members for your kind intentions.”
Mu Lin thought to himself that no matter how politely Lü spoke, he would not reveal himself. If he let himself be caught up in their affairs, he would never have peace again.
Then, he used the secret voice transmission again: “Director Lü, listen carefully. Now, write down a bank account number for me. Don’t speak it aloud—just write it on paper, and I will see it. Then burn the paper.”
Lü Dahai silently took a pen and wrote down the bank account number on a piece of paper. After a brief pause, he burned it.
Mu Lin had two reasons for doing this. First, his spiritual sense could observe everything happening in the room. Second, he had noticed that when Lü Dahai mentioned the existence of a senior within the sect, one person’s heartbeat and breathing had become abnormal. He wanted to test this person, and sure enough, the individual kept trying to move closer to Lü Dahai to see what he was writing.
Mu Lin extended his spiritual energy and froze that person in place. Then he continued with the voice transmission: “Director Lü, I’ve memorized the number. Now I’ll repeat it back to you—please confirm if it’s correct.”
After repeating the number, he continued: “Director Lü, among your people, the one sitting second to your right is a spy. I don’t know which side he belongs to, but I’ve already immobilized him. Search him, and you’ll find a miniature tape recorder on him. It’s still running and likely contains a recording of today’s meeting.”
Upon hearing this, Lü Dahai’s face turned pale, like a corpse. The person Mu Lin described was actually his second son. If what Mu Lin said was true, then the reason for the Lion Gang’s defeat was that his own son had been a mole for the enemy. The Lion Gang had essentially been offering its neck to be cut all along.
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