Chapter 113: Responsibility Is Not Something to Be Shirked

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“Brother Li, if someone has to be punished, punish me! Don’t punish Wang Huan!” Wang De immediately stepped forward to plead with Ding Li. Pointing at Wang Huan behind him, he explained, “Just look at his build, Brother Li! How could he withstand a hundred and fifty lashes? Even if he survived, he’d be crippled!”

“Brother Li, punish me instead. Give Wang Huan’s lashes to me!” Gouzi also stepped forward without hesitation to volunteer for punishment. “Brother Li, it was all my fault! I’ll take Wang Huan’s lashes! As long as you don’t drive us away, you can hit me as many times as you want!”

“Brother Li, hit me! I won’t complain! I only ask that you don’t drive us away!” Little Li refused to fall behind. He hurried forward and even seized Ding Li by the sleeve, his face filled with entreaty. “Brother Li, it was actually all my fault! Wang Huan only said it casually. I was the one who started it. I was the one who led them there!”

“Wang Huan, do you have anything to say?” Watching the three men compete to take responsibility, Ding Li laughed inwardly, but still forced himself to maintain a stern expression. He turned his gaze toward Wang Huan, who had remained silent until now, and asked in a deep voice.

Seeing that he could no longer avoid the matter, Wang Huan slowly raised his face. Yet in that instant, the youthful, frightened expression on his features gained a trace of resolve. It was faint, almost indistinct, but somehow visible all the same.

Moreover, Wang Huan was now able to meet Ding Li’s gaze. His eyes still wandered somewhat uncertainly, but Ding Li seemed to glimpse within them a sense of responsibility that had not yet fully revealed itself. Wang Huan took a deep breath, then suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud.

While everyone, including Ding Li, stared in astonishment, Wang Huan spoke with extraordinary calm. “Brother Li, you’ve always been the one who looked after me the most! This time, it truly was my idea first. Brother Li, you often tell us that responsibility is meant to be shouldered, not evaded! Whatever punishment you wish to give me, Wang Huan, I accept it! It is what I deserve. Every gang has its rules, and I cannot let you break them for my sake alone! But I have one request: no matter what happens, Brother Li, please don’t drive me away!”

Everyone was stunned. No one had expected Wang Huan to say such a thing. And the determination on his face made him seem strangely unfamiliar to them. Even Ding Li frowned slightly. Instead of answering at once, he turned his gaze toward Xu Hong.

Xu Hong met Ding Li’s eyes for several seconds. After pondering briefly, he tentatively suggested in a low voice, “Brother Li, perhaps this matter… perhaps it could be handled leniently. Their attitude in admitting their mistakes has been excellent. And Wang Huan is right: responsibility is not something to be shirked. Brother Li saw it himself just now. They not only volunteered to take responsibility, they even tried to shoulder their companions’ burdens as well. Such unity is rare, especially in a crisis. I think we can afford to be lenient and merely give them a warning.”

Ding Li did not respond directly. He only nodded thoughtfully, but even that simple gesture caused Xu Hong, Wang De, and the others to breathe a sigh of relief.

Then Ding Li suddenly turned his gaze toward Heizi and asked abruptly, “Heizi, how about leaving the punishment of these four to you?”

“What?” Heizi was once again caught off guard. He frowned, glanced at Wang De and the others, then shook his head. “Brother Li, that… that probably isn’t in accordance with the rules. Besides, I agree with Mr. Xu. I think this matter can… can be handled leniently.”

“Handling it leniently is impossible. Otherwise, they’ll never learn their lesson!” Ding Li shook his head without hesitation, rejecting both Xu Hong’s and Heizi’s opinions. But then he changed tack and continued, “Heizi, would you be interested in taking on a few disciples? Or, rather, training a few assistants?”

“What?”

Heizi was stunned once more. His thoughts could not keep pace with Ding Li. Before he could figure out what Ding Li meant, Ding Li raised his hand and pointed toward Wang De and the others.

“Their abilities are far too poor at present. They can’t even deal with someone like A-Qi, much less protect themselves. They don’t even have the ability to retreat safely. If this continues, something will happen sooner or later!”

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There was no denying that Ding Li’s words were true, but Wang De and the others, Heizi included, could not help grumbling inwardly. What kind of person was A-Qi, wielder of the meteor hammer? He was Liu Sanye’s foremost subordinate. Yet in Ding Li’s mouth, he sounded no different from an ordinary street thug.

“Heizi, you’re the only one suitable for punishing them!” Ding Li paid no attention to the rapidly changing expressions on everyone’s faces, nor did he care whether Heizi agreed. He walked over, patted Heizi on the shoulder, and settled the matter on the spot. Then he pointed at Wang De and the others and continued, “I’m giving you half a month. I don’t care what method you use—train these four brutally. As for the standard they must reach, they need to be able to protect themselves under any circumstances. At the very least, they must have the ability to escape with their lives intact. I don’t want to wake up one morning and hear that one of them has been thrown into the sea to feed the fish!”

This was no punishment. It was clearly a promotion!

Heizi grumbled inwardly and secretly groaned. Ding Li’s decision had instead become an indirect punishment for himself. Training these half-trained novices would be no easy task, and Heizi understood that all too well. Still, he found some consolation in the fact that Wang De and the others had all come from hard labor on the docks. Their brute strength at least gave them a foundation to build upon.

“You four, don’t celebrate too soon!” Ding Li ignored whether Heizi had agreed and turned to point at Wang De and the others, whose expressions had relaxed. His voice grew stern as he warned them, “You have other duties to perform besides this, and you must accomplish both tasks without neglecting either one. I’m warning you in advance: if you delay even one of them, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”

As he spoke, Ding Li walked over to Wang Huan, who was still kneeling, and hauled him up from the ground in one motion. He lightly tapped Wang Huan twice on the head and scolded him with feigned anger. “Why do you kneel at the slightest thing? What sort of appearance is that? Have your knees shattered?”

“No, no…” Seeing that the matter had passed, Wang Huan seemed to return instantly to his usual self. Ding Li’s words caused his face to flush crimson, and his reply was softer than the buzzing of a mosquito.

“All right. Let’s consider this matter settled for now.” Ding Li patted Wang Huan on the shoulder, waved to the others, then returned to his seat and gestured for them to sit. “Everyone, sit down. I’ll tell you what needs to be done over the next few days.”

After everyone had taken their seats, Ding Li briefly recounted what had happened that afternoon at the Fragrant Tea House. Only then did he explain his plan.

“You all understand what I said earlier. So, regarding the militia’s sealing of the docks, I have no intention of resolving it quickly. We’ll simply drag it out. The longer it lasts, the more advantageous it will be for us!”

Although they still did not fully understand the final decision reached at the Fragrant Tea House, everyone nodded as though they understood. Ding Li then turned to Xu Hong and instructed him, “Xu Hong, I’ll have to trouble you in the coming days. You’ll need to visit the docks every day. But remember one thing: public sentiment. Keep the people’s hearts in our hands. Let’s wait two more days and observe the situation. If everyone’s emotions become unstable, raise the payment from ten copper coins to fifteen. We can still afford that much.”

“Brother Li, what if fifteen still isn’t enough?” Xu Hong was straightforward. He understood that the dock laborers were the pillars of their respective households, and fifteen copper coins a day probably would not sustain them for long.

“Keep raising it. Twenty, twenty-five, thirty! Raise it until they’re satisfied. Stop only when I tell you to stop!” Without the slightest hesitation, Ding Li’s lips curved into an inscrutable smile. His words left everyone somewhat unable to accept the plan, but no one felt able to object.

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“Wang De, Gouzi, your task is to maintain order at the docks. In particular, our brothers from the South Sea Gang must not come into conflict with the militia!” Ding Li assigned duties to Wang De and the others, then thought for a moment before adding, “Remember: if they curse you, do not curse back. If they hit you, do not hit back. We will compensate them for all losses. If there are any matters concerning compensation, report them directly to Xu Hong.”

“That’s easy, Brother Li! Leave it to us!” Gouzi, having just escaped punishment, immediately sprang to life. He slapped his chest and guaranteed that it would be taken care of, while Wang De and the others likewise declared that there would be no problem.

“Good. If anything unusual happens, report it to me at once. I also need to rest quietly for a while, so we’ll simply wait and see how the militia responds.” Ding Li was fairly confident in this matter. After all, Wang De and the others had always obeyed his orders. He rose and waved to everyone. “All right, that’s all for now. Go back. Eat and get some rest early. At dawn tomorrow, report to Heizi.”

At that, the men quickly rose. After promising to carry out their orders, they took their leave. Ding Li then sent away Xu Hong, who had been exhausted after a full day’s work, before turning to Heizi, who was the only one remaining.

With a solemn expression, he asked in a low voice, “Heizi, whose man are you, really?”

Heizi’s body trembled. His eyes darted about, and he did not dare meet Ding Li’s gaze. Yet he could not evade the question. After a moment’s silence, he lowered his head and replied softly, “Brother Li, I naturally would not dare disobey any order you give me. As for your question, Brother Li… I’m not in a position to answer it.”

As he spoke, Heizi slowly raised his head, took two steps back, and, after a brief hesitation, clasped his fists solemnly toward Ding Li.

“But there is one thing I can swear on my life to, Brother Li: I, Heizi, could never do anything detrimental to you or the South Sea Gang!”

Ding Li was already satisfied to receive such an answer from Heizi. After all, the man had been placed at his side by Uncle Xiang. And after speaking with Uncle Xiang, especially after seeing his attitude toward him, Ding Li did not believe for a moment that the man intended to harm him.

“All right. With those words, I’m reassured.” Ding Li nodded in satisfaction. After a thoughtful pause, he continued instructing Heizi, “I’ll leave Wang De and the others to you. If possible, teach them something about surveillance and counter-surveillance. There are probably plenty of watchers around the residence these days, so this will be a good opportunity to train them.”

Heizi immediately nodded and agreed without hesitation. “Rest assured, Brother Li. As long as they’re capable of learning, I’ll train them with all my heart.”

“Good. I’m counting on you!” Ding Li gave Heizi a deep look, then raised his hand and heavily slapped him on the shoulder several times. Heizi grimaced from the force and nearly cried out.

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