Patricians: Power Politics (2 of 9)

Chapter 25: I Ching

Nestled in the center of the slums of Beijing was the massive Flying Dragon Club, owned by the Sun brothers. Dragon Enterprises personnel, dressed in expensive clothes, stood guard at the entrance. Zhuge worried about his brother's safety whenever the criminal underworld met to discuss business. The rise to conquer the criminal world had caused a lot of violence, and it had almost killed Zhou Yun multiple times. Scars still marked the man's flesh, reminding him of the cost of his victories.

Looking over the security report, Zhuge still felt apprehension over the coming meeting. Zhou Yun had insisted on a minimum of guards. Too many would only make the leaders think they were being set up. Zhou Yun had used such tactics to conquer the underworld. Fear only provoked violence.

During the international criminal syndicate wars, Zhou Yun had led the heads of all the criminal families through peace negotiations. The war had already dragged on for several years, and all sides yearned to return to making money. During the meeting, Zhuge led Dragon security troops in and surrounded the leaders. Zhuge knew who was aligned with him and who was opposed through his intelligence gathering. The meeting was never designed to discuss truce.

Surrounded by troops, none of the leaders knew what was happening. Before anyone could react, Zhao Yun executed all the leaders of all the opposing families. In one fell swoop, all opposition was crushed, but that wasn't his true victory. Every leader in attendance who had sided with Zhou Yun saw the high cost of opposition. Zhou Yun had sent a poignant message to the criminal underworld that he was the king. The Dragon claimed his throne of blood without opposition, after that.

One meeting had ended the international criminal syndicate war. Since that day, every single family leader followed orders. The occasional fight would break out between criminal enterprises, but most families quashed the fights before their leader could hear about it. Only on occasion did Zhou Yun have to intercede to moderate territorial disputes. Under the new leadership, every family flourished, and investigating agencies were either bought off or denied evidence under the new direction. It had ushered in a golden age of crime.

Zhou Yun had instilled the idea that the criminal underworld must be loved by the people to survive. The people were the source of the income for every criminal business. These people bought the drugs, guns, and gambled. Crime rates fell around the world, but criminal dynasties rose to new heights in power and prestige through the new regime. Fear of the night kept the leaders in line. Understanding the nature of fear, Zhou Yun knew too much or too little would end up provoking attacks.

"I still think you need more guards, brother," Zhuge Sun pleaded.

Zhuge Sun's naturally cautious disposition and insistence was understandable to his elder brother. All the worst criminals in the world would be gathered under one roof tonight. It was a senate of violence gathered to discuss business. Sitting at the table, Zhou Yun continued to eat and drink without a care in the word.

"You make the classical mistakes, brother. You think these guards are who protect us, but you're wrong. A wise leader doesn't build fortresses to isolate themselves, but, instead, ingratiates themselves into the public. It is the people who shield us from danger."

Sitting in the middle of the slum, the Flying Dragon was cloaked by the shadows of the housing complexes. Each complex housed thousands of people, and most of those people worked for Zhou Yun. The poor were faceless and ignored, and by this power, they moved and observed without being seen. Zhuge Sun still didn't like the idea, and an uneasy feeling echoed along his nerves.

"You've never been wrong before, brother, but my preparations will come in handy for the day you're wrong. It is my duty to protect you." Ever since the two brothers were children, Zhuge was the dutiful younger sibling in all things. Zhou Yun appreciated everything his brother did for him, and he was one of the few people he trusted. That was the reason he requested Zhuge to take the role as Dragon Enterprises CEO. It was a dangerous position. Zhuge Sun knew the risks and embraced his duty to protect his brother.