Two years later.
In the late summer and early autumn, Baihe City's third "Beauty Pageant" entered the preparation stage.
Two years ago, the county governor Zhang led his troops to defeat the rebel army that attacked the city. The people in the city cheered and smiled, and unanimously agreed to celebrate grandly.
Therefore, under the joint persuasion of many aristocratic families, Mr. Zhang agreed to hold a "beauty contest" as a celebration.
In Baihe City, regardless of high or low birth, any girl who is no more than twenty years old and has never been married can sign up for the election.
The process of the beauty pageant is extremely complicated. It involves competition in many aspects such as appearance, figure, temperament, and talent. The distinguished county governor, Mr. Zhang, personally serves as the referee.
According to the rules, if you are among the top ten in the beauty pageant, you will receive quite generous rewards. The top three will even get the opportunity to enter the county magistrate's mansion to serve Mr. Zhang, and thus reach the sky in one step.
As soon as the news came out, people all over the city enthusiastically participated. So far, it has been successfully held twice and has gradually become a regular event.
In Baihe City, preparations for the new "Beauty Pageant" were in full swing.
Outside the city:
More than a dozen large ships sailed down the river, flags fluttering and bearing the logo of the Caobang.
On a large ship at the front, a middle-aged man stood on the deck, feeling the river breeze blowing, and his mood was burning.
"Five years..."
Zhou Changgui murmured to himself, with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
When he was thirty-six years old, he finally perfected his internal martial arts skills and was able to quickly practice his external martial arts skills before his energy and blood declined.
After five years of hard training, he became a supreme master. He truly established a firm foothold in the Cao Gang. After he had a place in the Cao Gang, he began to plan his revenge in full swing.
Another five years have passed:
His great revenge was avenged, and he was lucky enough to win the favor of the gang leader, and he was officially appointed as the helmsman of a branch.
The Cao Gang's power is mainly concentrated in Jiangdu's chief rudder and the six branch rudders. Being one of the six rudders is definitely considered a high-level position, second only to the gang leader, and on an equal footing with several guardian elders.
There are tens of thousands of members in the Cao Gang, and there are many geniuses emerging one after another, including those with strong backgrounds. He can stand out among them because he has gone through countless hardships.
It stands to reason that he, who has now reached the pinnacle of his life, should be satisfied and high-spirited.
But for some reason, after the excitement in Zhou Changgui's heart passed, an indescribable sense of emptiness suddenly emerged.
He came to the side of the boat and looked at his blurry reflection in the rushing river. It was constantly distorted and broken, and it was impossible to see its original appearance.
"It's been more than thirty years since I left home."
There was a complex feeling in his heart:
"My father... has been dead for more than ten years."
Over the years, what kept him going was not ambition or ideals, but only hatred engraved in his bones.
But the two people he hated the most had both died one after another. The hatred consumed him for many years, and finally gradually dissipated, leaving only empty wounds.
"……Ah."
He was silent for a while, laughed to himself, turned around and returned to the cabin.
A moment later, a dozen large ships docked at the dock of White River City, and a large number of Cao Gang members came to greet them.
Everyone exchanged pleasantries and quickly rushed to the Cao Gang's sub-rudder. Then, witnessed by many gang members, the old helmsman and Zhou Changgui completed the handover.
"Xiao Zhou."
The old helmsman’s temples were turning gray, and his voice had a hint of age:
"I'm old and ready to go back to Jiangdu to retire."
"I believe you can handle the Baihe helm issue, but you have to be extra careful about the county guard, Mr. Zhang."
"Uncle Liu, don't worry."
Zhou Changgui nodded and said:
"I have inquired about the situation in White River City a long time ago, and I have prepared a generous gift in advance and am waiting to give it to the grandmaster."
Frankly speaking, he was extremely satisfied with his role as the helmsman of Baihe.
Baihe Branch is where Gang Leader Li started his career, and it is also one of the important sources of money and food. There is also a grandmaster in charge, and the security is first-class.
"That's good."
The old helmsman nodded happily and said:
"Then I can leave with peace of mind. The Baihe helm will be left to you."
…………
Half an hour later.
Mr. Zhang, who was listening to storytelling in the county magistrate's mansion, received news from the housekeeper.
"The new helmsman of Baihe?"
Zhang Yao raised his eyebrows, smiled and said:
"The first thing I did when I took office was to give me a gift. I seem to be very sensible."
"Then make arrangements to meet him in the afternoon."
"Yes, sir."
The housekeeper bowed respectfully.
After Zhang Yao finished listening to the storytelling, he leisurely returned to the front hall to have lunch, took a nap for a while, and then got up to find someone to play chess with.
Several games were played in a row until another maid came to report that the new helmsman of Baihe had arrived.
"Let him go for a while, don't worry."
Zhang Yao waved his hand and said casually:
"Go on, let's finish this game first."
the other side:
Zhou Changgui waited patiently in the side hall for half an hour, but still did not see the rightful owner. He gradually became uneasy and made random guesses:
"Is that grandmaster deliberately keeping me indifferent? Doesn't it mean he doesn't want to see me..."
With his strength and character, he would never be so worried about gains and losses when faced with ordinary situations.
But now he was facing a grandmaster. As long as the other party was not happy, he would immediately get out of the position of helmsman, which naturally made him feel very uneasy.
"Hahaha……"
Fortunately, after waiting for a while, he finally heard a burst of hearty laughter.
"I'm really sorry for the long wait. I just..."
Zhang Yao's figure appeared at the entrance of the hall with a smile on his face, but before he finished speaking, he suddenly looked startled.
"It's him?!"
The first time he saw Zhou Changgui, he recognized him.
"Huh? This..."
Zhou Changgui was also stunned, feeling that the face of this strange master was somewhat familiar.
He thought about it for a moment, and finally remembered where this feeling of familiarity came from, and then his expression was blank, and he was completely confused.
"How can it be?!"
The grandmaster who is in charge of Baihe City is actually the doctor from Xinhe Street ten years ago?
That night ten years ago, he narrowly escaped death and his memory was so vivid that even after ten years, he still had an impression of the person who saved his life.
But how is this possible?
Ten years ago, he was an ordinary doctor. Ten years later, he transformed into a high-ranking martial arts master who ruled a city? !
This result was so impactful that it confused his mind for a moment and froze him in place.
"……I see."
Zhang Yao came back to his senses, took a deep look at Zhou Changgui, and understood in his heart.
He came to White River City by boat, and his identity may be kept secret for a while, but if the Cao Gang wants to trace it, they will definitely be able to find it.
At least, the eight years he worked as a doctor in Xinhe Street, Jiangdu, were not a secret to Li Xiaofeng of Caogang.
But Li Xiaofeng tacitly agreed not to expose it, but chose to keep the secret for him. Over the years, no one from Jiangdu has ever disturbed him.
Until today:
Li Xiaofeng must have learned about the intersection between him and Zhou Changgui back then, so he specially sent him to be the new sub-helm leader in order to draw closer to each other.
After all, he had saved Zhou Changgui's life back then, and Zhou Changgui had repaid him in return, and the two of them still had a bit of affection.
But Li Xiaofeng probably couldn't have imagined that there were some more secret and deep connections between Zhang Yao and Zhou Changgui.
"Mr. Zhou."
Zhang Yao showed a smile and said: "It's been a long time, almost ten years, right?"
