Chapter 105: Becoming the Bandit Chief

Chapter 105: Becoming the Bandit Leader

In the meeting hall of the Black Wind Stronghold.

Lin Xing and the three original leaders of the Black Wind Stronghold were sitting there. Lin Xing occupied the upper seat, while the three brothers, Claire, sat below. The three of them looked none too happy.

Originally, they thought that even if one of them, Claire or Kerry, lost to Lin Xing in the contest, the other still had a chance. However, Kerry was defeated before he could even show what he was capable of, and Claire was also no match for Lin Xing.

This was a letdown. Although Claire could accept his defeat by Lin Xing, Kerry was another matter—what good would it do him to be bitter? In the end, he was still no match for Lin Xing; Lin Xing had him completely outclassed!

"Brother Lone Star, no, I should call you Stronghold Master now," Claire said, his expression somewhat strained, but he offered sincere congratulations to Lin Xing.

Lin Xing smiled, not refusing the title, and said, "I only won because you all went easy on me, haha."

Claire forced an unnatural smile and said, "Stronghold Master Lone Star, you probably don't know much about our Black Wind Stronghold, right?" After Lin Xing nodded, Claire continued, "Then let me give you a brief introduction so you can take over here."

"Our Black Wind Stronghold is one of the top ten bandit groups on the continent, but as you should know, we are now merely a name without substance. Aside from my third brother and me, we have very few top fighters left. The reason is that the previous Stronghold Master left, taking with him a group of experts who had always followed him. Later, we gradually lost more experts," Claire said with a bitter smile.

"Oh? What happened?" Lin Xing was somewhat curious.

So Claire briefly explained the matter, and Lin Xing understood. It turned out that a few years ago, the three Claire brothers suddenly rose to prominence and challenged the then Stronghold Master of the Black Wind Stronghold. However, the Stronghold Master at the time looked down on the three brothers and ignored their challenge. Later, after growing impatient, he agreed to the challenge but, due to carelessness, narrowly lost to the Claire brothers, and so lost the bet—the Black Wind Stronghold.

When he left, he took a group of people with him. After the three Claire brothers took over, they carried out extensive reforms, no longer killing indiscriminately and not stripping their targets clean during robberies. Due to these reasons, this drove more people away. Later, Claire expelled some of the indiscriminate killers from the stronghold, leaving only about six hundred people now, with almost no experts remaining! These six hundred people were those who gradually joined later.

However, Lin Xing was more curious about the wager itself, wondering what conditions the three Claire brothers had used to secure it. But since Claire didn't mention it, Lin Xing didn't press further.

"So, although it's still rumored that we are one of the top ten bandit groups, our current strength can no longer be considered first-rate, let alone one of the top ten. At most, we're just like an ordinary bandit group," Alex added.

Although Lin Xing was somewhat disappointed with the current state of the Black Wind Stronghold, he was still quite pleased. After all, even if it was a small bandit group, it was still a force. And from now on, this force would be entirely his. He believed that after he took over, the Black Wind Stronghold would gradually grow stronger under his leadership.

Next, Alex gave Lin Xing a detailed introduction to the basic situation of the Black Wind Stronghold, including personnel, finances, and other fundamental aspects. After finishing, Alex even took out a book and a set of keys, intending to hand them over to Lin Xing.

Lin Xing took them and saw that it was a roster. Looking at the string of keys, Alex immediately explained that these were for the finance room, where he could store some documents and other items. Lin Xing nodded.

"Alright, we've explained everything in detail. It's time we left," Claire said, starting to walk toward the exit. Kerry, who had remained silent all along, also abruptly stood up, ready to leave.

Lin Xing was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Where are you going? Who told you to leave?"

Hearing Lin Xing's words, Claire stopped in his tracks, his brow slightly furrowed, and said displeasedly, "You're not trying to keep us here by force, are you?"

"I'm not trying to force you to stay; I'm just curious why you want to leave," Lin Xing said, genuinely puzzled.

"Well, since we've lost and the stronghold is now yours, what else would we do here if we don't leave?" Alex explained.

Lin Xing suddenly understood. So their idea was that once he became the Stronghold Master, they had to leave. This wasn't a good thing—if they left, who would help him manage this place? Lin Xing saw them as a ready source of manpower.

Lin Xing immediately smiled and said, "Who said you have to leave? Who said you have to leave just because you lost? I never said anything like that."

The three Claire brothers were taken aback. "Then what do you mean?" Claire asked.

"Stay and keep being the Chiefs!" Lin Xing said with a serious expression.

"Are you making fun of us?" Claire's expression darkened, his tone revealing a hint of displeasure. If what Lin Xing said was true, then he was either toying with them or had lost his mind.

"I'm serious," Lin Xing said with a sincere expression. Seeing that they still didn't understand, he proceeded to explain some of his thoughts.

"So, you want us to be your labor force," Alex said with a bitter smile.

"Then, are you willing to accept this condition? If not, I won't force you to stay!" Lin Xing asked.

The three Claire brothers exchanged glances, nodded, and agreed. After all, they had poured their hearts into this place. If they were to let it go just like that, they would truly be unwilling. Being able to stay now was naturally the best outcome.

Seeing that they were willing to stay, Lin Xing felt a surge of joy in his heart. He had been prepared to find some way to persuade them to stay, but now it seemed unnecessary.

"Great. Claire, you will remain the Great Stronghold Master. Kerry and Alex will also retain their original positions."

"How can that be!" Even Kerry, who had remained silent all along, spoke up to refuse.

"Why not? I'm simply not cut out to be a Stronghold Master. Besides, I have no authority here to speak of. You, on the other hand, are different. You were originally the Stronghold Masters here and have absolute authority. Everyone respects you, making management much easier."

"Still not acceptable!" The three refused once again.