Chapter 431: Chapter 431. The Underworld Coalition

“So, what say everyone?” Gao Fongze asked.

Another round of glancing at each other. Gao Fongze sat there in silence. This would be the crucial part. Whether his plan worked or not depended on whether any representative agreed to form the coalition. He only needed a few. Even one would be sufficient to be the catalyst for persuading the rest.

“I agree!”

Everyone turned to the one who spoke. The person was Amon.

Gao Fongze watched Amon with a surprised expression. He did hope for one person to agree. He just didn’t expect it to be Amon.

“Ceh! Of course, you agree. You wish to use us veterans as protection for your fledgling organization, don’t you?” Wirn Chin mocked.

“You can always reject. It will be my pleasure to use the coalition power to crush yours,” Amon said.

“Why, you insufferable brat…,” Wirn Chin cursed.

“I will also join the coalition,” Kung Liu stated.

“Well, if Brother Kung Liu joins, I want to be in it as well,” Erl Kui said.

The room fell silent again, but Gao Fongze was no longer worried. He sat there with a faint smile. At this point, everybody who disagreed with joining would face the risk of fighting against the collective’s power. They wouldn’t survive. Hence, their only choice was to join. They simply needed time to accept the fact.

“I must ask one thing first!” Wirn Chin exclaimed. “In any organization, there is a hierarchy. There needs to be a leader. Who will occupy this position in the coalition?”

This made the others ponder again. This was indeed a crucial matter. None of those here was willing to be an underling.

Gao Fongze was about to open his mouth to answer but somebody beat him to it.

“We will adopt the voting system,” Amon said.

“The what system?” Zin Bao asked.

“Whenever there is a matter that needs a decision, we can all offer a solution. The solution must not put any of us at a disadvantage. We can then vote on these solutions. It is good that we have odd numbers. It is unlikely we have a stalemate. We will choose the solution agreed upon by the majority. Everyone must abide by the decision even if he is among those who reject it.”

“Hm…” Gao Fongze originally wanted to suggest an annual leadership transfer. One person would be the leader for a year before transferring the leadership to another person the next year. Everyone must get the chance to be a leader before the leadership returned to the same clan again. However, this voting system Amon proposed was fine as well. It didn’t matter. If his plan came to fruition, the whole underworld would belong to the Gao Clan, anyway.

“I guess I can accept that,” Xian Bifu said.

“Does this mean Brother Bifu is joining?” Fei Calao asked.

“I am,” Xian Bifu answered. “Otherwise, the Gao Clan might bully the others in the coalition.”

Gao Fongze laughed. “Brother Bifu, you still like to joke.”

“In that case, count me in, too,” Fei Calao said.

Since the majority had agreed, the rest went along. Wirn Chin was the last to announce her willingness to join.

“Wonderful,” Gao Fongze said. “With this, I announced the birth of our underworld coalition. Let us toast to it!”

“Why do you act like you are the leader?” Xian Bifu uttered.

“I didn’t. I act like a host, which is reasonable considering I invited you all here,” Gao Fongze replied. “Lift your wine, Brother Bifu. Don’t be a stiff.”

“Hmph,” Xian Bifu harrumphed, but he still lifted his bottle of wine. The others did the same.

“Look at us, enemies and competitors. Now, we are allies,” Gao Fongze declared. “Let us work together to make this coalition last. With our combined strength, it is only a matter of time before this capital becomes ours!”

“Hear, hear!” Kung Liu exclaimed.

After the toast, they continued to discuss and iron out more details regarding the coalition. Their underworld underlings joined the discussion since it would be them who mostly did the deed. The clans would remain in the shadow.

They didn’t waste time. They discussed and decided on their targets. Their force would immediately invade the targets once preparation was made. They needed to move fast to seize the current political situation, after all.

Gao Fongze proposed a monthly meeting to discuss the direction of the coalition. Amon informed them that Gao Lan would come to this meeting on his behalf.

“Too good for us, eh, colonel?” Mai Ziling teased.

“Yeah. This makes me wonder. Why do you bother involving yourself with the underworld’s power struggle?” Zin Bao asked. “You have better a future focusing on your kingdom career.”

“Make no mistake. I am not neglecting that for this,” Amon said. “I simply find it not too bothersome to do both.”

“Bastard, aren’t you underestimating us too much by saying that?” Wirn Chin scolded.

Amon stood up. “I think we are done here. My force will act based on what we have discussed. If you need anything, contact Gao Lan. Otherwise, she will meet you next month.”

“Tsk, fuck off!” Wirn Chin exclaimed.

“Thank you for coming here, Mister Amon,” Gao Fongze said with a smile. “I look forward to working with you. Good luck in your endeavor against the rebels.”

Amon left without responding. After he left, Wirn Chin said, “I don’t like that brat. Why do you invite him anyway? He should have been one of our targets, not an ally.”

“You underestimate him too much, sister Wirn Chin,” Gao Fongze said. “Both he and his force are not easy targets. I know because my people have had conflicts with them. It is better to have him as an ally.”

“Yeah. We can use him for now. We can always stab him in the back later, haha,” Zin Bao laughed.

“I want to be the one who does the stabbing,” Wirn Chin said.

“Now, now. I can’t allow that. I didn’t bring us together so we can stab each other in the back,” Gao Fongze said. “Whether we like it or not, we are one family now. We stick together, and we grow together.”

“He is right. We have decided. We can’t go back on our words. We are a coalition now,” Xian Bifu said.

Gao Fongze gave Xian Bifu an appreciative glance. He then lay back in his chair while placing his two hands before his face in a contemplative pose. He didn’t do that because he was pondering something. He did that to cover his wicked smile.

*

“Are you sure about this coalition?” Gao Lan asked Amon. They had regrouped with Lu Fei and the others and were on their way back.

“Yeah, sounds fishy, if you ask me,” Lu Fei said. “We have studied the Gao clan because of our regular conflicts. Gao Fongze was known as a cunning and cruel person. He must have a secret agenda.”

“I know,” Amon said.

“You know?” Gao Lan and Lu Fei asked at the same time.

“Not that I know exactly what he is planning, but I have a few speculations about his objective.”

“How can you tell?” Gao Lan asked.

“Because at some point, I have thought about gathering other underworld organizations to form a coalition,” Amon answered. “I didn’t go through with it because I didn’t have enough weight to pull it off. I never expected Gao Fongze to have the same thought.”

“So, this coalition is a good thing?” Lu Fei asked.

“For a while. But in the end, Gao Fongze would try to fuck everyone in that coalition over.”

“Are you sure?” Gao Lan asked.

“Not a hundred percent, but that is what I will do,” amon answered with a grin.

“In that case, shouldn’t we stay away from this?” Lu Fei asked.

“Once the coalition is formed, we are better off in it than outside,” Amon said. “Don’t worry, whatever Gao Fongze is planning, he won’t make his move this early. He will use the coalition to his benefit first before he shows his hands. We simply must be ready when the time comes.”

“Whatever you think is best, boss,” Lu Fei said.

*

Amon spent the next few days meeting his people and leaving instructions for them. He didn’t know how long he would be gone. He had to focus on the hunt for the Longevity Tree. He had one year to accomplish that. If he failed, he would not only lose the chance to acquire the Zillium supply but would also have a powerful new enemy to worry about.

He met Prince Huang San and discussed various issues with him. The prince would go back and forth between the capital and Fort Fresh Maw. He would work on the recruitment effort and help their force grow as much as possible. His occasional presence in the fort should inspire the recruits.

After ensuring everyone was clear about their tasks, Amon went to see Zong Hua.

Entering the shady office of the Mistress of Information, he was presented with a stack of paper. With a grim voice, Zong Hua told him, “This is all my people could find about the mythical tree. After reading the reports, my suggestion is to stop what you are attempting to do. Stay away from the place where the tree is rumored to be.”

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