Chapter Thirty-Three: Turning for Help

  Ding Kui finally arrived, on the second day in the morning, Song Qing had just walked out of the door, and from a distance he saw Ding Kui standing by the side of the road, seemingly wanting to come over, yet also seeming to want to leave immediately, probably struggling with his final decision. Song Qing was not in a hurry, standing at the doorway saying: "Old Ding, I won't force you, following me is not an easy task, who knows when we'll lose our lives, but following me also has its benefits, I can guarantee that your whole family will live a good life, with plenty of good food and drink, and maybe one day you'll even become a high-ranking official. You think about it carefully, if you're willing then come over, otherwise just go back home and live an honest life!"

  Hesitated, even after thinking about it all night, and came to Song Qing's house early in the morning, Ding Kui still had some hesitation, or perhaps this person has always been like this, wavering between a life of danger but prosperity, and one of peace but poverty, which is why he occasionally goes out to help others with their fights, but most of the time is spent digging for food in the dirt.

  If Song Qing had come over and dragged him away, he would have accepted it, but since the other party didn't drag him away and instead let him choose for himself, Ding Kui fell into a state of hesitation once again, unable to make up his mind. It wasn't until he saw Luo Xiaobei walking towards him with a carefree expression that a strange emotion suddenly filled his chest.

  Luo Xiaobei, this kid he had seen before, after all, they were all living in the nearby old house, that child from the past what kind of appearance he was very clear about, not to mention his thin build, walking was also weak and without any energy, seeing strangers would even more so avoid them from afar, of course, his family's several brothers and sisters actually were all like this, his father and mother weren't people who cared about appearances either, this whole family even among ordinary military households, belonged to the kind that didn't have much status, if it were in the past, as a thinker he would absolutely not take a second glance at this kid.

  But today he stared because the child's current changes were too great, making him involuntarily glance sideways and re-examine the changes after following Song Qing.

  Luo Xiaobei was still wearing the same old clothes, but they had clearly been washed and were no longer dirty. He looked clean and tidy, which was only superficial, but more importantly, his demeanor had changed, and he now looked like a very handsome young man. This child had been following Song Qing to practice recently, and had even participated in the fight against Wu Laohei, so he had already seen bloodshed. He didn't look like an ordinary child of the same age anymore, but rather had a somewhat mature appearance.

  Ding Kui was all too clear about what this child used to be like, but the more he thought about it, the more shocked he felt, and at the same time, he was secretly pondering that such a radish-like kid could become so refined after following Song Qing for some time. If old Ding had such an opportunity, who knows what achievements he would have in the future.

  As soon as this idea emerged, it could no longer be suppressed. In Ding Kui's mind, illusions began to appear, mostly about the good food and drink he would have after following Song Qing, with a beautiful wife and children in the future, and eventually becoming a high-ranking official. In short, it was a classic tale of a man's rise to wealth and power, well worth looking forward to.

  "Whatever, this poor life is meaningless anyway. From now on, I'll follow you!" Ding Kui gritted his teeth and strode forward, shouting as he walked: "Qing Ge, from today on, old Ding's hundred or so pounds are yours to command! Just give the orders for whatever needs doing!"

  "It's you, my brother!" Song Qing's face broke into a smile as he walked over with big strides and slapped Ding Kui on the shoulder, laughing: "With your brother helping out, things will be much easier for you from now on. When we make it big in the future, you'll be the first to be credited!"

  "Yes, yes!" With a determined mind, Ding Kui's thoughts changed quickly. He immediately put himself in a subordinate position and couldn't help but feel a little proud of Song Qing's trust. However, thinking carefully, Luo Xiaobei and those children were only 15 years old, and Song Qing was also around this age. But he seemed much more mature, like someone in his twenties or even thirties. It was as if he wasn't from this age group at all. If Ding Kui didn't know him so well, he wouldn't have been able to tell his age, and he wondered why that was.

  But he naturally wouldn't say more about this kind of thing. Seeing Luo Xiaobei walking over, he also smiled and said: "Xiaobei, from now on Brother Ding will be with you all together, are you happy?"

  "Really?" Luo Xiaobei's excitement was undisguised, as Song Qing's first confidant, he knew how big this lord's heart was. Although many new recruits had been recruited recently, they were not very useful for the time being. After all, most of those people were honest soldiers who hadn't received a few months of training and couldn't fight hard battles. At most, they could only follow the charge when the wind was at their backs. Once they encountered an evenly matched or disadvantageous battle, most people would scatter in all directions, and for the time being, they were still unreliable.

  Ke Dingkui was different, this person was an old hand, when fighting, he was quite ruthless, and with his extensive connections, he knew some fugitives. If such people could join in, they would be of great help to them in their future endeavors. Seeing Ke Dingkui nodding, he quickly chimed in: "Big brother, I've inquired about the situation over there, now several shop owners have disappeared, and those people originally had nothing to do, just wandering around on the streets every day. If we go over now, we can definitely grab a batch first!"

  "Does anyone know who it is specifically?"

  "I recognize some of them, and I can ask around about the others!" Luo Xiaobei replied very efficiently: "Besides, isn't there still Old Ding now?"

  "It's also true that I should have made my move earlier!" Song Qing thought to himself, if he wanted to operate all these shops, apart from competing with Su Xiao for the land, he also had to win over these partners. After all, those plots of land were not just for selling wine and meat or running restaurants, but were for technical shops like gambling dens, so naturally they needed technical partners to run them. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to operate them, especially the thugs inside the gambling dens. If Su Xiao had already poached them all, he probably wouldn't have an easy time getting his hands on the land.

  The decision was made, Song Qing didn't even go to the training ground, and instructed Luo Xiaobei: "Xiaobei, you go to the training ground first and lead the people in practice. I'll take Brother Ding to that place for a walk. If anything happens, you can hold on for now, and we'll talk about everything when I get back!"

  "Yes!" Luo Xiaobei was very obedient and also very respectful of the team's training, so he solemnly clasped his hands together and turned to run towards the school field.

  "This little scoundrel, he's probably been eagerly awaiting this day!" Song Qing gazed at the receding figure, a hint of a smile on his face, before turning to Ding Kui, who was still somewhat dazed: "Brother Ding, come with me for a walk over there first?"

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