Chapter Eighty-Seven: The New Leader of the Ancient Jade Guild

Old Leopard Chen listened to Hu San address me and couldn’t help but say, “Hu San, you shouldn’t call Brother Tiger that anymore. We may be men of the underworld, but now we’re part of the Ancient Jade Society. It’s better to call him Chief Tiger from now on!”

Hearing Old Leopard Chen’s words, my heart tightened. I quickly waved my hand and said, “Old Leopard Chen, I can’t shoulder the position of Chief of the Ancient Jade Society.”

Both Old Leopard Chen and Hu San were stunned, clearly not expecting my refusal.

Old Leopard Chen frowned and said, “What do you mean by this? Your skills are extraordinary, your prowess in jade assessment is unmatched, and you’re both wise and brave. With you leading us, the Ancient Jade Society will surely flourish.”

I gave a bitter smile and shook my head. “Old Chen, you overestimate me. I’m just a wanderer of the underworld, accustomed to living freely. The role of Chief carries heavy responsibilities; I fear I am unfit for it.”

Hu San grew anxious, calling out repeatedly, “Brother Tiger, you’re the hope of all our brothers! If you don’t become Chief, who else can lead us out of this predicament?”

Seeing my resolve, Old Leopard Chen’s brows knitted tightly. He pondered for a moment, then asked, “Do you have some unspeakable difficulty? If there’s trouble, don’t hesitate to tell us. We brothers will do everything we can to help.”

I sighed and gazed into the distance, as if recalling something from the past.

After a moment, I spoke slowly. “Old Chen, you actually know the biggest problem. In this jade betting match, you were the final victor. Regardless of whether I join or not, I’m currently indebted to Gao Youde by about twenty million! Gao Youde is ruthless, and he’ll certainly pursue me. If I become Chief of the Ancient Jade Society, I might drag everyone down with me.”

Upon hearing my words, Old Leopard Chen laughed heartily. “What does Gao Youde amount to? He’s nothing but a greedy petty man; he’ll never amount to anything grand! Rest assured, as long as I’m here, he won’t get the least advantage over you!”

Hu San chimed in, “Brother Tiger, Old Chen is right. We brothers of the Ancient Jade Society are united. Gao Youde is nothing before us! Besides, we need a Chief who can lead us toward the light, not a wanderer trapped in debt.”

Their words moved me, but I still hesitated. “But if I really implicate everyone, my conscience will be uneasy.”

Old Leopard Chen patted me firmly on the shoulder. “Chief Tiger, the road of the underworld is perilous. The Ancient Jade Society has been gone for so many years, and now we finally have a chance to revive it. If you truly care for your brothers, shoulder this responsibility and rebuild our society!”

“As for your debt to Gao Youde, Wang Hu, don’t forget that I won this time all because you intervened and helped me. If I’m not mistaken, your aim was to make Su Li lose the jade bet, wasn’t it?”

I smiled. “I didn’t expect you to see through that!”

Old Leopard Chen nodded, his eyes gleaming. “From the moment Su Li stepped onto the stage, I felt something was off. Her gaze and movements showed the training of a professional jade gambler, but it seemed rushed and unstable—not like an ordinary player.”

I pondered for a moment and replied, “That’s right. Su Li definitely has someone supporting her from behind, and it’s most likely someone among us.”

Hu San was furious upon hearing this. “So that’s how it is! Brother Tiger, you mustn’t retreat now. We have to stand together to fight such an enemy!”

Old Leopard Chen clenched his fists, his gaze resolute. “Chief Tiger, since you’ve already uncovered Su Li’s plot, you must step forward and lead us. The brothers of the Ancient Jade Society will never let you face these hardships alone!”

I took a deep breath, looking between Old Leopard Chen and Hu San. At last, I nodded. “Very well. In that case, I’ll temporarily take up the position of Chief of the Ancient Jade Society. But we must proceed with caution and never let our guard down.”

Both Old Leopard Chen and Hu San breathed a sigh of relief, smiling with satisfaction. “Chief Tiger, rest assured. We’ll give you our full support and defend the Ancient Jade Society to the death!”

Seeing that I had finally accepted the role of Chief, Old Leopard Chen was overjoyed and said excitedly, “Chief Tiger, you’ve finally agreed! Now our society can be saved!”

But I raised my hand, a hint of caution in my expression. “Old Chen, I have a request. The Ancient Jade Society may exist internally, but my identity must be concealed from outsiders. I don’t want Gao Youde or other enemies to easily track my movements.”

Old Leopard Chen paused, then nodded. “Understood, Chief Tiger. We’ll keep your identity confidential. To outsiders, you’ll be our advisor.”

Hu San nodded repeatedly. “Yes, Brother Tiger. This way, we can revive the Ancient Jade Society and avoid trouble.”

Looking at their determined faces, I felt somewhat reassured. “Good. Let’s do it this way. We’ll first reorganize internally, strengthen ourselves step by step, and then seize the right opportunity to act.”

Old Leopard Chen and Hu San responded in unison, “As you command, Chief Tiger!”

Lu Yi’er followed Old Leopard Chen in bowing respectfully as well.

After the salute, Old Leopard Chen presented an account book, saying, “Chief, this is the profit from the first jade bet I’m handing over!”

I was taken aback, realizing this was all the proceeds from the recent jade betting competition.

“Keep it brief. How did we fare?” I asked.

Lu Yi’er replied, “This jade bet had four competitors. So far, the net profit is one hundred and fifty million.”

“Sister Hong lost thirty million, Gao Youde lost thirty-five million, Su Li lost forty million... You lost forty-five million…”

I chuckled. “Looks like your Chief lost quite a bit this round!”

Old Leopard Chen shook his head, smiling. “Chief Tiger, these wins and losses are only superficial. If you hadn’t given me hints, I could never have defeated Su Li.”

“You need not worry about your supposed debt. All the funds from this round will be added to the Ancient Jade Society’s treasury, and you’re free to use them! How could we object?”

I nodded, grateful to have such a capable ally in Old Leopard Chen.

Just as I was about to discuss our next plan, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

A thin young man rushed in, his face pale and breathing heavily. “Old Leopard Chen, something’s wrong! Your jade yard is on fire!”

Old Leopard Chen’s brows furrowed as he calmly asked, “What happened?”

The young man gasped, voice trembling. “The blaze is huge. It’s spread across the entire site, and the workers are desperately trying to put it out, but it doesn’t look good! The cause is unclear at this point!”

Old Leopard Chen’s face darkened. He quickly turned to me. “Chief, this jade yard is a crucial source of income for us. We cannot afford to lose it!”