Chapter 148: Surrender

Chu Tian took another step forward and pressed on, saying, "Sister Li still refuses to make this call. Is it because she doesn't dare, or is there no place for her to make the call?" Suddenly, Chu Tian shouted sharply, "Sister Li said that the girl beside me is an impostor, but she can't find the real Miss Ye to convince everyone." Chu Tian took another step closer and raised his voice again, "Could it be that the real Miss Ye has been killed by you?"

Sister Li suddenly felt flustered. This sentence really hit her weak point. Although she could kill without hesitation, she still felt a sense of fear inside. Despite her bravado, Sister Li retorted harshly, "Young Marshal, what are you talking about? How could I kill my own sister?"

Zhangsun Zijun also felt an inexplicable sense of panic. A very bad premonition welled up in her heart.

Chu Tian let out a heavy snort. Looking directly into Sister Li's eyes and speaking quickly, he said, "If you want to keep something secret, you'd better not do it in the first place. Someone saw Sister Li personally push Miss Ye into the vast sea on the 'Wanshang' passenger liner at around four or five in the morning the night before last. Is that true?"

Sister Li was completely flustered. She never expected that what she had done would be discovered. But she still held on stubbornly and shouted wildly, "No, I didn't. I didn't push her."

Without giving Sister Li a chance to catch her breath, Chu Tian shouted domineeringly, "You did! You did! The moon was bright that night, and it was as clear as day. So someone clearly recognized you. It was you, Sister Li, who pushed Ye Xiaoqin into the sea."

Sister Li was almost on the verge of collapse. Her guilty conscience was repeatedly brought up by Chu Tian, severely irritating her nerves. She completely lost her judgment and retorted without thinking, "You're talking nonsense! There was no moon at all the night I pushed her."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked. So it was really Sister Li who killed the real Miss Ye. She was indeed malicious. The members of the Axe Gang were even more indignant. Although they didn't have a deep impression of Ye Xiaoqin, she was still Ye Sanxiao's biological daughter. Sister Li's such a cruel act was really disheartening. Zhangsun Zijun was extremely angry. She should have stopped Chu Tian earlier. Even disrupting the memorial service would have been better than the current situation. Zhangsun Jincheng's face also darkened completely. The secret pawn that they had set up for many years had been easily exposed by Chu Tian, making their plan to unify the underworld in Shanghai fall through. Zhangsun Jincheng wished he could strangle Chu Tian right then and there.

At this moment, Chu Tian let out an "ouch", patted his forehead, and said apologetically to Sister Li, "I'm really sorry. I forgot that there was no moon that night. Sorry, sorry."

Eighth Master and the others were all at a loss whether to laugh or cry. This Chu Tian had extraordinary courage, outstanding martial arts skills, and an even more superior mind, but he also had a playful side. The leaders of other small gangs and factions were secretly amazed by Chu Tian's performance. When did this Chu Tian appear? He even dared to expose Sister Li's despicable deeds in public on behalf of the Axe Gang. Wasn't he afraid of Sister Li's revenge? He really had some guts.

At this time, the mourning music stopped, and the conversation between Zhangsun Zijun and Sister Li was heard. When they heard this part, "That's great, Sister Li. You need to completely control the Axe Gang as soon as possible. Then our two gangs will cooperate. Through the running-in during the cooperation period, we will resolve the hatred. Finally, you can lead the Axe Gang to submit to the Jiang Gang. In this way, our plan that has been set up for many years will have a successful conclusion." The members of the Axe Gang were already in an uproar. It seemed that they were about to swallow Sister Li, Zhangsun Jincheng, and Zhangsun Zijun. Zhangsun Zijun quickly sent out a distress signal. Dozens of policemen outside saw that the situation inside was getting chaotic. They immediately threw away their cigarette butts, stopped chatting, and rushed in.随后, more than two hundred elites of the Jiang Gang also rushed in to protect them. When the members of the Axe Gang saw that Zhangsun Zijun had already made arrangements, they immediately erupted with suppressed anger. Ignoring the presence of the policemen, they charged forward. In a short while, the entire mourning hall was in chaos.

At this time, Chu Tian and the others were walking out of the mourning hall. Dodging the stools that were being thrown around inexplicably, Chu Tian smiled gently at Hai Zi and the others and said, "Let them fight to their heart's content. Anyway, they don't have many weapons. Using fists and stools won't kill many people. After talking so much and being busy for so long, it's time to go back and have a meal. There will probably be a lot more things to do next. From today on, the brothers of the Shuai Army will be busy and the number of people will increase."

Guang Zi touched his bald head and asked with a question that had been on his mind, "Third brother, why did you go through so much trouble? Couldn't you just play the phone recording directly?"

Chu Tian shook his head and said calmly, "This kind of phone recording won't even be accepted in court. If we play it first, they will just say that we fabricated it. It will alert the enemy and give Sister Li and the others time to come up with excuses, or even turn the tables on us. Why should I do something so disadvantageous? Only by first forcing Sister Li into a panic and making her accidentally tell the truth, and then using the recording as evidence, can it be conclusive proof."

Hai Zi and Guang Zi suddenly understood and nodded, looking at Chu Tian with admiration. Third brother, with just a few words and smiles, not only had he completely disrupted Zhangsun Jincheng's plan, but he was also extremely meticulous in his thinking. It was truly admirable.

No one knew how the chaotic battle between the Axe Gang and the Jiang Gang turned out. It was only heard that dozens of policemen were beaten black and blue, and even Zhangsun Zijun and Sister Li were punched. One could imagine how chaotic the scene was. When Chu Tian heard the report from the brothers of the Shuai Army, he was biting into a chicken leg with oil dripping from his mouth. Hai Zi and Guang Zi were laughing at Chu Tian's vulgarity beside him, wondering where his usual elegance and calmness had gone. Chu Tian shook his head and smiled, saying, "Two brothers, shouldn't we be happy today? Just thinking about the expressions of Sister Li and Zhangsun Zijun, I still find it funny. I don't even know if they managed to get out of that door."

Guang Zi and Hai Zi also laughed heartily. Just thinking that Sister Li's forced tears were in vain and that she was punched by the members of the Axe Gang made them feel inexplicably happy.

After biting off the chicken leg and wiping his hands with a tissue, just as Chu Tian was about to pick up the second chicken leg, a brother of the Shuai Army ran in nervously and reported, "Young Marshal, more than two hundred members of the Axe Gang have come to Shuixiehuadu. Our brothers are on guard at the gate."

Guang Zi and Hai Zi were slightly surprised and stood up. Looking at Chu Tian, they said in unison, "Third brother, it seems there's going to be another bloody battle."

Chu Tian smiled slightly, still picked up the second chicken leg, stood up, and said calmly while biting into it, "Open the door and welcome the guests."

Guang Zi, Hai Zi, and some of the other brothers of the Shuai Army were very shocked. Welcome the guests? What kind of guests? Seeing that Chu Tian had already walked out, they quickly quickened their pace to follow and find out what was going on.

The iron gate of Shuixiehuadu was tightly closed. More than a hundred men of the Shuai Army were standing ready with their knives, their faces showing a look of tension but not fear. They hadn't been afraid of the large number of people in the Axe Gang before, and now with Chu Tian and the others, they were even less afraid. Outside the iron gate, there were nearly three hundred members of the Axe Gang, looking very imposing. But they didn't hold any weapons in their hands, and their faces didn't look fierce. They didn't make any noise either. They all stood quietly at the gate, as if waiting for something.

Chu Tian smiled slightly and thought to himself, "After waiting for so long, they've finally come."

Chu Tian wiped his hands with the tissue handed to him by Guang Zi. With a friendly smile on his face, he shouted from a distance, "Open the door and welcome the guests."

All the members of the Shuai Army at the gate were slightly taken aback. Let these more than two hundred members of the Axe Gang in? Wasn't it a bit risky? Then they thought of Chu Tian and the others' extraordinary courage and martial arts skills. They carefully opened the door. If anything went wrong, the machetes in their hands would be ready to swing out at any moment to knock down these members of the Axe Gang with unknown intentions.

When the members of the Axe Gang saw the iron gate open, they didn't rush in. Instead, they walked in slowly. When they were two meters away from Chu Tian, they all knelt down, forming a dark mass. They were respectful and said in unison, "More than two hundred and seventy-three of us, along with two hundred and forty-eight injured members who couldn't come in person, have come to submit to the Young Marshal. We hope that the Young Marshal will be magnanimous and forgive our past grudges and accept us."

Hai Zi, Guang Zi, and more than a hundred men of the Shuai Army were all very surprised. These more than five hundred members of the Axe Gang were actually surrendering to the Shuai Army? You know, this was more than five hundred people. It would take many years to recruit so many followers. Moreover, the number of members of the Axe Gang was several times that of the Shuai Army. It was usually the case that the smaller group would surrender to the larger one. But today, they were witnessing with their own eyes that the larger group was submitting to the smaller one. They couldn't help but feel secretly excited. If the Shuai Army really had these five hundred more people, it would instantly become one of the top two large gangs in Shanghai, and the day of unifying Shanghai would not be far away.

Chu Tian had already expected that the people from the Axe Gang would come to submit. Otherwise, he wouldn't have caused such a stir at the funeral. At the moment, the Axe Gang was leaderless. Although they had a large number of people, they were in chaos and couldn't resist the Jiang Gang at all. Instead of being slowly annexed or nibbled away by the Jiang Gang, which they hated, it was better to surrender to the Shuai Army, which they respected. Chu Tian smiled slightly, touched his nose, and then said slowly, "If you all sincerely surrender, then you will be part of the Shuai Army. I, Chu Tian, will treat you as my brothers in life and death. From now on, we will fight side by side, shed blood together, enjoy meat together, and share life and death." Then Chu Tian's tone became stern as he said, "If anyone just wants to sneak in and play some tricks, then leave immediately. Otherwise, you'll end up as innocent ghosts on the mountain. You should know that the knives of the Shuai Army are always extremely sharp."

Nearly three hundred members of the Axe Gang shouted in unison again, "We respect the Young Marshal's character and sincerely submit to the Shuai Army. If we have any ulterior motives, may we be punished by heaven and earth and be doomed forever."

Chu Tian nodded and shouted, "Good, good, good. From now on, you are the brothers of the Shuai Army. All past grudges are wiped out. I hope we can work together with one heart and one mind to build a prosperous future for the Shuai Army and for ourselves."

The voices of the more than four hundred people present merged into a mighty roar, "We are willing to fight side by side with the Young Marshal until death."

Just like that, Chu Tian easily incorporated more than five hundred members of the Axe Gang. Many of the gang leaders in Shanghai woke up to find that the once powerful Axe Gang had vanished overnight. All the places belonging to the Axe Gang had replaced their flags with those of the Shuai Army. Thinking of the sudden appearance of "Shuai Army" members like Chu Tian, Guang Zi, and Hai Zi at the funeral, they couldn't help but be secretly shocked. That guy was coming on strong. Overnight, he had incorporated more than five hundred members of the Axe Gang and made the Shuai Army the second largest gang in Shanghai. He really couldn't be underestimated.

Some small gangs and factions began to worry about their own status and interests. They simply gritted their teeth and decided to surrender to the Jiang Gang. After all, the Jiang Gang was an old gang with its qualifications and strength. The Shuai Army, on the other hand, had an unknown background, and it was better to stay away from it. As a result, the Jiang Gang was also extremely happy these days. Although Chu Tian and the others had incorporated more than five hundred members of the Axe Gang and ruined Zhangsun Jincheng's plan, in the past few days, more than two hundred people who were worried about the Shuai Army had successively surrendered to the Jiang Gang. Their territory and number of members had expanded so much invisibly. How could they not be happy?

So in the next ten-odd days, the whole of Shanghai was very quiet. But everyone knew that beneath the surface, there was a storm brewing. Once they had all sorted out their affairs, the battle between the Shuai Army and the Jiang Gang would be on the verge of breaking out and would be out of control.

Chu Tian didn't think about anything in these ten-odd days. He also knew that the Jiang Gang wouldn't take any major actions for the time being. Everyone was severely weakened these days and was busy recruiting new members and building up their strength before the next battle. He asked Hai Zi and Guang Zi to handle all the affairs of the Shuai Army, big and small, such as the gang rules, the allocation of territory and personnel, and the communication with other gangs. He didn't bother to care about these things. Hai Zi and Guang Zi had been in the Jiang Gang for so many years and had more experience than him. Why should he worry about these things? So in these ten-odd days, Chu Tian only did one thing: learn to drive. Chu Tian found that driving was quite useful. At least it was faster and more convenient than running on two legs, and more importantly, it saved effort.

After watching Tian Yangsheng operate the car several times, Chu Tian was already able to drive around in front of the gate of Shuixiehuadu. The brothers of the Shuai Army couldn't help but sigh that Chu Tian was really extremely intelligent. Learning to drive with Tian Yangsheng as the coach was truly unprecedented. When Tian Yangsheng was teaching Chu Tian, they clearly heard Tian Yangsheng's expressionless instructions, such as "Ignite the engine." "Step on the accelerator." "Step on the brake." "Check the rearview mirror." etc. Each instruction was just a noun, with absolutely no verbs or even modal particles.

One evening, Hai Zi, Guang Zi, and the others hadn't come back yet. Chu Tian was driving the Audi car given to him by Eighth Master at the gate. Suddenly, he got in the mood and drove down the mountain in the surprised eyes of the brothers of the Shuai Army. Everyone was worried that the Young Marshal, who didn't have a license, was driving out, which would undoubtedly increase the danger level in Shanghai. They could only pray for the safety of Shanghai.

Chu Tian's car stalled in front of a "Yelailang" Bath and Sauna Center. It wasn't that he wanted it to stall, but it broke down. As for how it broke down, Chu Tian naturally didn't know. In order not to be embarrassed by being driven away by the security guards at the gate, Chu Tian touched the thousand yuan or so in his pocket and decided to splurge. So he straightened his chest and walked in with high spirits.

The hostess at the gate was taken aback when she saw Chu Tian. A young man like him actually came to such a place. Then she saw the Audi car behind Chu Tian and thought to herself that this should be some rich kid coming out for pleasure. So she immediately put on a standard coquettish smile and said softly, "Little brother, this way please." As she spoke, she swayed her cleavage in front of Chu Tian, trying to make Chu Tian feel at home.

Chu Tian suddenly felt that there were a pair of eyes watching him in the dark, and he became more vigilant.