After returning to the Dujing Group headquarters, Lu Liang decided to expand the team.
Through Lu Ansheng’s recommendations, the original eight members of the Dujing Group grew to twenty-four.
With a full roster, it was time to select group leaders for each team.
Group leaders had a special privilege: managing all economic distribution within their group.
Whenever ill-gotten gains were confiscated from a Cleaner, half was handed over to the higher-ups, but the remaining half was at the group leader’s full discretion to allocate.
Moreover, the power of a group leader was not just symbolic.
As the early core of the Dujing Group, anyone with an eye for things could see just how important this position was.
If the Dujing Group ever made it big, these group leaders would undoubtedly rise with the tide—perhaps even breaking through social ranks and achieving true financial freedom.
Thus, competition for the group leader roles was bound to be intense.
To truly select the best talent, Lu Liang decided to hold selection exams, split into the Literary Exam and the Martial Exam.
Passing either would earn one a spot as group leader—slots were limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
There was no need to explain the Martial Exam: anyone who could last several moves against Lu Liang would be considered to have succeeded. Being able to spar with the eccentric Lu Liang meant that, at the very least, such a person would qualify as a big boss in any organization.
The Literary Exam was more like a civil service test: one had to perfectly recite and draw maps of all the Subway routes, as well as write an essay of at least two thousand words analyzing the military and transport functions of Ye City’s Subway system.
At first, these roughnecks thought the Literary Exam was so difficult, harder even than studying at school, that they might as well just take the Martial Exam!
But soon enough, they discovered—the Martial Exam seemed even harder!
To weed out those with connections and avoid unnecessary casualties in the Subway, Lu Liang went all out when testing the applicants.
Now that he was an oddity himself, his physical abilities were beyond normal people.
While lasting a few moves against Lu Liang counted as success, if he took things seriously, ordinary folk probably couldn’t even take a single hit.
“Damn! Ansheng! Isn’t your boss being a bit too ruthless?!”
A familiar face, introduced by Lu Ansheng, complained with a helpless look:
“There’s no way to beat him. Can you ask the boss to go easy on me during the test?”
Lu Ansheng smiled and shook his head.
After a few days, he’d gotten a good sense of Lu Liang’s temperament.
For minor things, Lu Liang might joke around with everyone, but when it came to important matters, he showed no leniency at all.
If Lu Ansheng dared to pull strings for someone today, Lu Liang would kick him and his people out tomorrow.
Besides, the group leader position was obviously a prized one—so many eyes were watching.
It wasn’t something you could just sneak your way into.
Seeing Lu Ansheng refuse, the man didn’t sulk.
He just started practicing his moves right there, replaying his match with Lu Liang in his mind, trying to figure out how to counter his moves:
“Forget it, Ansheng. If you won’t help me, I’ll figure it out myself. The boss is strong, sure, but he’s still human—everyone’s got a weak spot somewhere.”
Hearing this, Lu Ansheng nearly laughed out loud.
He knew everyone had their weaknesses, but the problem was… Lu Liang was practically a monster! His fighting skills had been personally acknowledged by Director Chen of the Police Department!
Not wanting the man to waste effort, Lu Ansheng told him about Lu Liang’s feat of rampaging through the Police Department, taking down several people and only ending up with his clothes slightly dirtied.
After hearing the story, the man stared blankly, mouth gaping wide enough to fit an egg. It took him a long time to recover before he said, dejectedly:
“Wh-what kind of monster is that?! How can anyone possibly last a single move? Doesn’t this mean no one can become an officer?”
“Who says so?” Lu Ansheng replied with a bitter smile. “If you can’t pass the Martial Exam, just pass the Literary Exam.”
“Huh?” The man stared, shaking his head wildly.
“No way, no way. I became a street punk precisely because I didn’t want to study! And now I have to take a test to work here? Was all my time as a punk for nothing?”
Lu Ansheng just smiled and ignored him, lowering his head to read his book.
The movement drew the man’s attention, and he glanced at the book in Lu Ansheng’s hands, then read its title aloud:
“‘Cao Yun and City Defense: Analysis of Ye City’s Waterway Layout’? Ansheng… you… you…”
His eyes widened, lips trembling.
He looked as shocked as if a long-paralyzed brother had suddenly gotten out of bed and done ten somersaults:
“Ansheng, when did you start studying? Are you… are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Lu Ansheng wasn’t annoyed in the least.
He knew Lu Liang’s capabilities, so he had simply focused on preparing for the Literary Exam from the start.
Anyone who knew their opponent was a one-vs-many boss and still chose the Martial Exam had to be crazy.
Lu Ansheng earnestly advised the man:
“It’s not just me—lots of people in the group have started studying.”
“Bro, you should start learning too. There are only three group leader spots, and opportunity favors those who prepare. In today’s world, it’s not just about fighting—connections and understanding people matter, too.”
Remembering something Lu Liang had once said, Lu Ansheng paraphrased in his own words:
“As members of the new era’s underworld, we have to be educated and refined!”
“Educated and refined…” The man stared, muttering, “Isn’t that still just being a street punk?”
“You’re wrong,” Lu Ansheng corrected him earnestly.
“There’s a difference. A punk without education and refinement is just fodder for the Police Department’s arrest quotas. A punk with culture and refinement—that’s a big shot, a Black Glove.”
Still a punk!
Lu Ansheng said no more. Some things could only be explained so much; whether people understood was up to them. He focused on his book, hungrily absorbing knowledge.
To secure a place in the Dujing Group’s future, now was the time to work hard and study!
The room quickly fell silent.
Lu Ansheng’s friend stared at him for a moment, then quietly backed out.
The atmosphere was too weird—his good buddy had suddenly started studying, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.
But stepping outside, the man was even more stunned. Books were stacked on tables and chairs outside.
Those Cleaners who hadn’t lasted a few moves against Lu Liang had snapped to their senses after hearing of his exploits, and were now all diligently studying maps of the Subway’s layout.
He slapped his face hard, leaving a red palm print.
The sharp pain convinced him that this was no illusion. Watching all the once-rowdy punks now so serious, he suddenly wondered if there was some sort of contagious “study virus” spreading in this building.
Maybe… he should start memorizing too? After all, the group leader role was worth it.
But… but he was a punk! How could a punk stoop to this level?
Not wanting to betray his original vow when he dropped out, he braced himself, loosened up, and sought out Lu Liang once more.
Five minutes later, he returned battered and bruised.
Amid curious stares, he picked up a book on the spot.
Not all members of the Dujing Group chose to study and memorize books.
Some couldn’t remember the knowledge, so they went for hands-on investigation.
Thus, these days, Cleaners seeking treasure in the Subway often witnessed the following scene.
A gang of young people, moving together in uniform clothing, walked through the dark Subway.
As they stroked the damp stone walls, they muttered:
“This is the well tunnel under the West Ice House. During rainy days, it sometimes floods. The left leads to the three-way intersection, which is a hangout spot for two gangs. You all have to remember this—it’s a good place to launch an ambush later.”
Everyone nodded, some even taking notes with flashlights.
For a time, news of a bunch of oddballs studying in the Subway spread quickly among the Cleaners, becoming widely talked about.