Grace Bolton did not take in Mark Carter, because he simply could not do so right now. Mark Carter was originally a leader— even if he was still put in charge of three streets, he would not be grateful. If his own followers were taken away, he would bear resentment. Once he became an insider, things would become much more complicated, and he might even gain a reputation for being harsh and ungrateful. Rather than that, it would be better to eliminate him directly while he was still an enemy.

However, not taking in Mark Carter and his twenty-some men, but simply recruiting 算死草 alone, was a wise move. He was a local ruffian; settling local matters and stabilizing the territory was a small thing— the key was that he had other uses.

Grace Bolton ate in silence, but was calculating in his mind. Over the past few months, he had already learned some news from the underworld— after all, some things were not secrets.

The Baling Gang was the largest organization in Baling County, with vast influence— three hundred gambling dens and two hundred brothels nationwide, rich in intelligence, able to operate in both the underworld and the legitimate world. Of course, their reputation was extremely poor; everyone knew they were involved in human trafficking. The boss was Lu Kangshou, the second-in-command was Xiao Xian. Whenever he thought of Xiao Xian, who would later proclaim himself emperor, and the famous villain Xiang Yushan from the book, and then the ambiguous relationship with the Demon Sect, Grace Bolton felt his scalp tingle. Once again, he realized that the gangs in this world were massive quasi-military political groups.

The Haisha Gang and the Water Dragon Gang both mainly dealt in salt, but the Haisha Gang was backed by the Yuwen clan, one of the Four Great Clans, while the Water Dragon Gang’s patron was the Song clan. With two major clans supporting these gangs, and with some of the greatest profits in the salt trade in the world, their power and wealth could be easily imagined.

The Giant Kun Gang, led by Yun Yuzhen, with deputy leaders Bu Tianzhi and Chen Laomou— Yun Yuzhen herself did not attract Grace Bolton’s attention, as her foundation was shallow, but in truth, she was secretly supported by the Dugu clan, one of the Four Great Clans.

All in all, the Bamboo Flower Gang, where Grace Bolton currently resided, was actually the weakest. At present, the Bamboo Flower Gang was considered a major gang in Danyang and Jiangyin, but its strength was still mediocre. What’s more, its shallow foundation was hard to make up for. The gang leader, Yin Kaishan, was killed under a pretext just for a woman… Of course, that was a future event, but it showed that the Bamboo Flower Gang basically had no strong backing, which was why it could be dealt with so easily.

The Nanyang Gang, Yellow River Gang, Luoyang Gang, Luliang Sect, Pengliang Society, Yingyang Sect, Qingshuang Sect, Poyang Sect, Huangshan Sect, Qishan Sect, Dajiang Society, Iron Cavalry Society, Nanhai Sect, and so on— all were powerful organizations.

This level was, of course, not something Grace Bolton could get involved with at the moment. But even in this world, every gang needed huge funds to support itself— this could not be achieved by fighting and killing alone. Although 算死草 was just a local ruffian, if certain things were to be done on this small patch of land, it would be more than enough.

After finishing his meal, Grace Bolton was led by 算死草 to prepare a gift for Mr. Foster. No matter what, even if conquering a few streets did not require reporting to the main hall, he should still explain things carefully to Mr. Foster and present a gift— so as not to make people think he had forgotten his roots after a little success.

As for the specifics, it had to be entrusted to 算死草. Speaking of this, 算死草 immediately perked up. He was familiar with the shopkeepers and haggled with them. In the end, he bought several bolts of fine silk for Mr. Foster, purchased tonics, bought a silver hairpin for Mrs. Robert Foster, and even bought rare and expensive candies for the two children— even though these were bought at a bargain, the whole set still cost one hundred and twenty taels of silver!

Grace Bolton entered the house, and 算死草, holding the gifts, followed him in. As soon as they entered, they saw Mr. Foster. Grace Bolton hurried forward a few steps, called out “Father,” and went up to pay his respects.

“My son, there’s no need for such a grand gift! Quickly, get up.”

“Father, thanks to your blessing, your son achieved a small victory in this battle. I have come especially to pay my respects and present a few humble gifts to thank you for your guidance and support,” Grace Bolton said respectfully.

算死草 quickly stepped forward and held the silk high: “Greetings to Mr. Foster.”

Mr. Foster was discerning. At a glance, he saw that the silk was elegant in color and lustrous in texture, and knew it was of the finest quality. He looked it over and said, “Good, good, my son is truly thoughtful. Get up, there’s no need for such formality between us.”

Grace Bolton was no longer an outsider, and in this world, customs were still quite open— women could walk about freely and even hold power— so The Robert Foster Couple also came out.

“Thank you, uncle,” Mrs. Robert Foster said, seeing the two children happily holding their candies and stepping forward.

“We’re family, it’s only natural. Sister-in-law, there’s no need to be so polite,” Grace Bolton said, instructing 算死草 to take the gifts inside.

“Well said, we’re all family, no need for such courtesy. Come, go cut some meat— today we’ll drink a little more and celebrate,” Mr. Foster said with a smile.

Chapter Six: Family Feast (Part Two)

Seeing Mr. Foster’s smile, Grace Bolton also smiled faintly. He had received over three hundred taels of silver, spent one hundred taels on the spot, another hundred for settling his brothers’ affairs, and used the remaining hundred-plus taels to buy gifts. If they were still not satisfied, it would not be his fault.

In this world, there are rules of human relationships. They may not be written, but they make sense. So, no matter what, as long as he made this gesture, no one could say anything.