Chapter 045: Yang Chun Has an Extraordinary Physique

Li Haibo quickly stood up and saluted, "Thank you, Master Jin, for your righteousness. That I made Master Jin angry today is truly our fault."

Master Jin waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. You are new to the police force, so there are still many things you need to pay attention to. In today's Shanghai滩, the situation is intricate and complex, with various factions locked in secret struggles. Even though you wear police uniforms, you must never forget the brotherly bonds of the Green Gang."

"Understood. We shall keep Master Jin's teachings carved in our hearts," everyone replied in unison.

"Alright, you may all leave now. Help me take the other brothers' money back and return it to them. Make it clear to the brothers that I, Master Jin, would never pocket the money out of my brothers' pockets. If anything comes up in the future, just come directly to me." With that, Master Jin leaned back into his grandmaster chair and closed his eyes.

In his younger days, Master Jin was also a ruthless character who could not tolerate a single grain of sand in his eyes. But time is a strange thing. As he grew older and experienced more of the world, many matters became less important, and he gradually learned to let them go.

Take his subordinates, for instance. They went around shaking people down day and night under his banner—did he really not know? But such matters were simply too numerous to manage, nor was there any need to manage them. After all, mixing in the underworld meant he didn't pay his underlings a regular salary, so they naturally had to find ways to scrape some money together.

Take Pockmarked Liu, for example. This fellow had always been using Master Jin's banner to line his own pockets outside. In truth, Master Jin was well aware of this like a bright mirror, yet he never took it seriously. Why? Firstly, Pockmarked Liu was originally inherited from the late Ghost Huang San; secondly, their interests within the police department still relied on Pockmarked Liu to keep watch.

Yet this rascal Pockmarked Liu had crossed the line. Of all things, he should never, ever have reached his hands into the pockets of his own brothers to fish for money. Such misdeeds, as long as no one exposed them, could slide by, but once brought out into the open, Master Jin could no longer turn a blind eye. If he let it slide, the reputation he had spent decades building up in the martial world would completely collapse.

Therefore, when Li Haibo came running to lodge his complaint, Master Jin was actually displeased in his heart.

Li Haibo understood Master Jin's thoughts quite well, but he simply could not stand Pockmarked Liu's disgusting demeanor. Today, he was determined to get that money back, and in the future, Pockmarked Liu wouldn't even dream of taking a single cent from him again. As for whether Master Jin was happy about it or not, he couldn't care less. No matter what, Master Jin would never personally step out to suppress him over a small fry like Pockmarked Liu. After all, he was at least the orphan of a sworn brother.

Besides, from the bottom of his heart, Li Haibo never intended to get too close to remnants of the Qing Dynasty like Master Jin; in his view, they were simply not cut from the same cloth.

After Li Haibo and his companions returned to the police station, a subtle wave of commotion had already quietly arisen within the Zhabei Precinct. The news that Pockmarked Liu had been slapped across the face by a scarred man in his own office spread like wildfire.

During the lunch break, Li Haibo stood guard at the entrance of the cafeteria, returning the money to the other veteran Green Gang brothers and relaying Master Jin's exact words. Everyone looked at Li Haibo and his friends with newfound respect, while simultaneously feeling a sense of awe toward Master Jin's methods. Modesty was the last thing on Li Haibo's mind; standing in the courtyard, they laughed and joked with a high profile that could not be missed.

Upstairs in the office of the deputy section chief on the second floor, Pockmarked Liu stood alone by the window, his eyes filled with venomous resentment.

While Li Haibo was chatting and laughing with his companions, he suddenly felt a strange telepathic sensation, raising his head abruptly to gaze at the second floor.

Damn it! That scarred guy really packs a punch; he managed to turn that face, which originally looked like a bruised strawberry, into a bright red apple.

Having just collected their salaries and having thoroughly punished Pockmarked Liu, the group was in exceptionally high spirits. They excitedly discussed going out for drinks that evening to celebrate.

After getting off work in the afternoon, the men impatiently arrived early at Zheng the Humpback's Wine and Spirits Workshop.

The moment they stepped into the workshop, Li Haibo and his companions saw that Zheng the Humpback was already drinking. Sharing the table with him was a disheveled old man who looked utterly desolate.

The old man was hunchbacked, with missing teeth and sparse facial hair, occasionally muttering incoherent words through his mouth. His unkempt hair grew wildly like weeds, greasy and filthy, with a few strands hanging over his eyes. His clothes were in tatters, covered entirely in patches and stains; if he were thrown out onto the street, anyone who saw him would immediately take him for a beggar.

Zheng the Humpback had sharp eyes and spotted Li Haibo and the others right away. He immediately greeted them warmly, gesturing for everyone to sit around the table with a face full of smiles. "Come, come, come! Haibo, today I must properly introduce you to a senior master!

"This is Grandfather Tan! Although Grandfather Tan is not a member of the Green Gang, he is nonetheless a legendary figure in the martial world. Back in the day, Grandfather Tan dominated the Shanghai滩 with his unfathomable Twelve-Road Tan Legs. That martial art—tut tut tut—left countless heroes and champions bowing in absolute admiration.

"Furthermore, Grandfather Tan is a great benefactor to both of our families! He saved my life, and he also rescued your father, Li Xiaodong, at a critical moment of life and death. This debt of gratitude is as heavy as Mount Tai!"

Upon hearing this, Li Haibo caught on instantly, his face lighting up with reverence and pleasant surprise as he quickly said, "Oh! You must be Grandfather Tan Jinsheng! When I was little, my dad was always chanting your name in my ear!

"He said that back when you were young, you were awe-inspiring, upholding chivalry and justice, and carved out a roaring reputation across Shanghai滩 with a pair of iron legs. Today, having the honor of meeting you, elder, I couldn't be more thrilled. How about I kowtow to you!"

With that, he dropped to his knees and banged his head against the ground three loud times—*bang, bang, bang!*

Old man Tan tilted his head slightly and let out a hearty laugh, "Hahaha! I'm old now! Useless! A hero shouldn't dwell on his past glories! Times have changed now; no matter how high one's martial arts, it's hard to withstand those ruthless bullets."

His words carried a heavy sense of nostalgia for days gone by and helplessness in the face of changing times.

Li Haibo said with intense enthusiasm, "Grandfather Tan, you are being too modest. Although guns are powerful, wouldn't having martial arts as a foundation make one like a tiger that has grown wings—even stronger than before? Take me, for example; nowadays I frequently use guns, but even if ten ordinary men were holding guns, they still couldn't do a thing to me. Grandfather Tan, I admire your martial arts to the extreme and have yearned for it in my heart for the longest time. Why don't you take me as your disciple?"

Old man Tan waved his hand gently, a trace of a smile on his face as he slowly replied, "I haven't taken disciples in a long time. Besides, you are Xiaodong's son, and judging by your build, you must have inherited your father's true teachings. You already have your own martial arts foundation; learning another leg technique from me is hardly necessary. As the saying goes, 'greed for too many chews ruins the meal.' Furthermore, your bone structure doesn't measure up."

"Huh—?!" Old man Tan's final sentence instantly left Li Haibo choking, unable to speak for a long time.

He muttered inwardly in resentment: *I, Master Bo, have practiced martial arts since childhood and am blessed with extraordinary talent. In the eyes of others, I'm a martial arts prodigy—how on earth did I end up having a bone structure that doesn't measure up in your eyes?*

At that moment, Old man Tan suddenly shifted his gaze toward Yang Chun, who was standing to the side watching the fun with a cheerful grin, and slowly spoke, "This young fellow here has a rather extraordinary bone structure; he's good material for practicing leg techniques."

Hearing this, everyone present was momentarily stunned.