Standoff

early morning.

Lin Mo, dressed in a faded coarse cloth outfit, mingled in the crowd, his gaze calmly sweeping over the imposing buildings in the core area of ​​the dock, including the headquarters of the Canal Gang.

He touched the items he was carrying: the confession signed by Manager Qian, the note that read "Ci-Zi Warehouse, old place, old rules, quick action", a small bag of stolen silver as evidence, and most importantly, the secret letter he had intercepted from Zhao Kun's confidant the night before.

The letter contained simple words, yet they were deadly.

"The goods have not yet been received. An unexpected incident occurred, and the money has gone missing. The plan needs to be postponed for several days. The goods must be picked up. I hope you can give me more time. — Kun."

The note had no heading or signature, but the handwriting of the character "坤" was exactly the same as that on the previous note, and that sinister energy permeated the paper.

With these things, the evidence is sufficient.

The problem now is how to meet the gang leader, Li Canglan.

Li Canglan led the Qinghe Canal Gang for more than ten years. He was known for his tough methods and clear distinction between rewards and punishments, and ordinary gang members had no chance to meet him.

Without hesitation, Lin Mo walked directly towards the main entrance of the main hall.

Two burly men guarding the gate immediately reached out and stopped him.

"Stop! What are you doing?" one of them shouted, his eyes warily scrutinizing Lin Mo's laborer attire.

Lin Mo stopped in his tracks, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Please inform the gang leader that I, Lin Mo, a dockworker, have important information regarding the recent series of cargo thefts and the Third Boss Zhao Kun. I need to speak to him in person."

"Cool laborer? Meeting the gang leader? And involving the third-in-command?" The guard paused for a moment, then sneered, "Get lost! Where did this madman come from? Do you think you can just see the gang leader whenever you want? If you keep this up, watch out for my fists!"

The other guard also looked disdainful, clearly regarding Lin Mo as a delusional idiot spouting nonsense.

Lin Mo's eyes turned cold; he knew that ordinary methods wouldn't work. Without another word, he lunged forward, his speed leaving only a blur. The two guards only felt a blur before their eyes, then felt a sharp pain in their wrists as Lin Mo seized their pulse points. Their strength vanished instantly, and they collapsed limply.

Lin Mo didn't harm them, but merely restrained them, and hissed, "Send word immediately! You can't afford to delay important matters!"

The commotion immediately attracted the attention of the other guards in the main hall. Seven or eight men with knives quickly surrounded Lin Mo, their blades drawn and gleaming coldly.

"Who dares to cause trouble in the main hall!"

"Take him down!"

Just as a conflict was about to erupt, a calm voice came from the inner hall: "What's all this commotion?"

The crowd parted, and a man dressed in a light blue, close-fitting outfit, with a sharp face and appearing to be around forty years old, stepped forward. He had a sword at his waist, sharp eyes, and a steady gait; he was clearly a skilled fighter.

Lin Mo recognized him as Zhou Meng, the second-in-command of the Canal Gang, also known as "Broken Wave Blade," who was in charge of the gang's martial arts and was famous for his uprightness.

Zhou Meng's gaze swept over the two guards subdued by Lin Mo, then settled on Lin Mo, who remained unmoved despite being surrounded in the center. His brow furrowed slightly: "Who are you? Why are you attacking here?"

Lin Mo released the two guards, clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Zhou Meng, and said, "Lin Mo, a dockworker, apologizes for any offense. I have irrefutable evidence that the Third Leader, Zhao Kun, embezzled valuable goods from the gang by colluding with outsiders and attempted to silence him. This matter is of great importance and requires an immediate audience with the gang leader!"

"Zhao Kun?" A glint flashed in Zhou Meng's eyes, and his expression instantly turned serious.

He looked Lin Mo up and down. This young man seemed ordinary, but his actions just now were swift and precise, and he subdued the two guards effortlessly. Now, facing the heavy encirclement, he was calm and composed, and was definitely not an ordinary laborer.

Moreover, the target of the accusations was the powerful third-in-command...

"Is what you say true?" Zhou Meng asked in a deep voice.

"Every word is true, and the evidence is here." Lin Mo took out the secret letter from his pocket, but did not show it in its entirety. "This is a secret letter written by Zhao Kun himself, concerning the 'tribute' that was stolen this time."

Zhou Meng took the secret letter, quickly glanced at it, and his expression immediately changed. He had dealt with Zhao Kun for many years and was very familiar with his handwriting. Although the letter did not explicitly state it, the words "goods," "missing money," and "Kun," combined with the recent turmoil within the gang, made the implication extremely clear.

"Come with me!" Zhou Meng didn't hesitate any longer and decisively led Lin Mo straight towards the inner courtyard of the main hall. Seeing this, the surrounding guards also sheathed their swords and retreated.

In the inner courtyard of the main hall, in the study of the gang leader, Li Canglan.

Li Canglan was about fifty years old, with a lean face and a sharp glint in his eyes. He exuded an imposing aura without being angry. After listening to Zhou Meng's brief report and carefully examining the secret letter, confession, notes, and stolen silver presented by Lin Mo, his face was so gloomy it could drip water.

"Good! Good for you, Zhao Kun!" Li Canglan slammed his hand on the table, the solid wood desk thudding. "Traitorous! How dare you steal from the tribute! You have the audacity to do such a thing!"

He looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Mo: "Lin Mo? How could a dockworker like you obtain this evidence?"

Lin Mo had already prepared his explanation, replying with a mix of truth and falsehood: "Reporting to the leader, I was assigned to guard the warehouse because I have some strength. I inadvertently discovered that Manager Qian and the others were acting suspiciously, so I secretly kept an eye on them. Last night, they took action again and were attacked when they met with someone. I happened to be there and took advantage of the chaos to save Manager Qian, find out the truth, and risked sneaking into the vicinity of the Third Leader's residence to intercept this secret letter."

He attributed most of the credit to "coincidence" and "adventure," concealing his true abilities and objectives.

Li Canglan gave Lin Mo a deep look, not entirely convinced, but the evidence was now irrelevant; pursuing the details was no longer important. "You did a great job! Bold and meticulous, a great contribution to my Canal Gang!"

Just then, an announcement came from outside the study: "Chief, the Third Master requests an audience."

Li Canglan and Zhou Meng exchanged a glance, a cold glint flashing in their eyes. "Let him in!"

The study door was pushed open, and the third leader, Zhao Kunlong, strode in. He was wearing a dark purple brocade robe, with his usual gloomy smile on his face. He first glanced at Zhou Meng, and his gaze finally landed on Lin Mo standing to the side. His pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.

"Chief, Second Brother," Zhao Kun cupped his hands in greeting, "I heard that a dockworker is causing trouble at headquarters and spouting nonsense involving me, so I came to investigate. I wonder what kind of lies this fellow has fabricated that would warrant the Chief's personal attention?"

His tone was relaxed, as if he didn't care at all, but there was a hint of vigilance hidden deep in his eyes.

Li Canglan didn't speak, but gently pushed the note that read "Bingzi Warehouse, same place, same rules, get it done quickly" in front of the desk.

Zhao Kun's gaze fell on the note, his expression subtly changing, but he immediately sneered, "Chief, what is the meaning of this? What can a nonsensical note prove? Could this boy have forged it to frame me?"

"Forgery?" Li Canglan's voice was icy as he pushed Qian's confession and the bag of stolen silver forward. "Then are this signed confession and this silver, which were supposed to be part of the spoils, also forged? Qian specifically named you, saying he was acting on your orders!"

Zhao Kun's face darkened completely, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by ruthlessness: "Chief, please see the truth! This must be that bastard Qian Pangzi's scheme exposed, and he's making baseless accusations! I, Zhao Kun, am utterly loyal to the Chief and to the Canal Gang, heaven and earth can bear witness! How could I do such a despicable thing! This is clearly someone deliberately setting a trap to frame me!" As he spoke, his sharp gaze shot towards Lin Mo, filled with resentment.

"Framed?" Lin Mo finally spoke, his voice calm and even. "Does the Third Master know that the man you sent to silence Manager Qian failed last night? And this secret letter you sent this morning with your trusted aide," he waved the crucial letter in his hand, "has fallen into my hands."

Upon seeing the familiar letter, Zhao Kun was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale. His lips trembled as he pointed at Lin Mo, shouting, "You...you're lying! This letter is a forgery! Who are you? Who ordered you to harm me?!"

He panicked completely and started retaliating with reckless words.

Lin Mo ignored him and turned to Li Canglan, bowing and saying, "Chief, the witnesses and evidence are all there. The Third Leader's crimes of embezzlement, attempting to embezzle tribute, and attempting to silence witnesses are irrefutable. Please decide how to proceed, Chief!"

The atmosphere in the study instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Zhou Meng gripped the hilt of his knife, watching Zhao Kun warily.

Li Canglan's face was ashen, his eyes cold as he looked at Zhao Kun, whose face was ashen and who was sweating profusely.

The chain of evidence is complete, especially the handwritten secret letter, which completely blocked all of Zhao Kun's escape routes.

Zhao Kun's body trembled slightly. He knew it was over. He suddenly looked up, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes, as if he wanted to fight to the death. But when he met Li Canglan's unfathomable gaze and Zhou Meng's poised stance, that madness quickly vanished.

Li Canglan slowly stood up, an immense pressure emanating from him. He stared at Zhao Kun and said, word by word, "Zhao Kun, what else do you have to say?"

Zhao Kun opened his mouth, but finally lowered his head in despair and slumped down, as if all his strength had been drained away.

Li Canglan sneered, "Guards! Remove Zhao Kun's incense master badge and throw him into the water dungeon under strict guard! Once I have identified all his accomplices, they will all be dealt with according to the gang rules!"

Several elite guards immediately rushed in from outside the door, and without any politeness, they grabbed the distraught Zhao Kun and dragged him out.

The study returned to silence, leaving only Li Canglan, Zhou Meng, and Lin Mo.

Li Canglan's gaze fell on Lin Mo again, this time with undisguised admiration and scrutiny. "Lin Mo, you have rendered a great service this time, exposing the traitor and protecting the gang's assets. According to gang rules, you deserve a substantial reward! From today onwards, you are no longer a laborer; you are promoted to manager of the C-class warehouse at the docks, and awarded one hundred taels of silver! Are you satisfied?"

The position of Warehouse Manager (丙字仓管事) was the previous one before that of Manager Qian. Although it was just a low-level leader, he had already stepped into the management of the canal gang. A reward of one hundred taels of silver was a huge sum of money for an ordinary laborer.

Lin Mo remained unmoved. He had infiltrated the Canal Gang to conceal his identity and facilitate his actions, and now, having a managerial position as cover was a perfect advantage. He bowed and thanked the gang leader, saying, "Thank you for your promotion and reward, Gang Leader. Lin Mo will certainly do his utmost."

Li Canglan nodded and said, "You are quite skilled and courageous. It's a waste of your talents to keep you at the dock. If you have free time in the future, you can come to the main hall more often. The gang needs young talents like you."

This was clearly an attempt to win Lin Mo over. Zhou Meng nodded slightly beside him, obviously showing his approval of Lin Mo.

"I will obey the leader's orders." Lin Mo bowed again, his attitude respectful yet neither servile nor arrogant.

Emerging from the main hall, carrying the steward's badge and a hundred-tael silver note, Lin Mo walked along the bustling dock, the surrounding laborers looking at him with awe and envy.