Chapter 598: “"Slingshot"”
After three more similar “discussions,”
Wayne had basically visited all the gangs that shared territory with the Sailor Gang.
According to the information Lina had gathered, there were actually more than just these few gangs in the area that would fight over territory.
However, the distribution of power in the Wharf area had a somewhat “stair-step” dynamic; it would be relatively stable when settled, but once a change occurred, it was prone to “localized collapse,” only to regain a new stability after a period of turbulence.
Therefore, Wayne temporarily skipped some smaller gangs that were a bit further away or whose scale was insufficient to affect the surrounding situation, putting them on a waiting list for when it would be their turn.
Currently, loading and unloading at the docks were still primarily manual, with animal power only as an auxiliary. Although some handling facilities had begun to be used, they were still not efficient enough. For larger ships, loading and unloading would take at least half a day or a full day.
Therefore, to improve cargo efficiency, they could only win by volume, adopting a “multi-threaded parallel” model. The coastline of the Wharf area was built like a cactus, with almost all usable flat areas developed. Docks, like the spines of a cactus, jutted into the Saint James River.
In addition to the narrow sense of “docks,” the Wharf area also included supporting warehousing and logistics areas, as well as “service areas” for ships and sailors, living quarters for laborers and workers, and so on.
Encompassing all these places made up the complete “Wharf area” of Richmond—official and military facilities also had dedicated docks, but they were generally not included.
The Sailor Gang’s territory was part of the cactus’s “skin,” occupying several docks and a portion of the surrounding “service area.”
In terms of area, it was roughly one-tenth of the coastal “skin,” and if placed within the entire Wharf area, the proportion would at least need to be divided by two again.
However, this method of division was quite crude. For example, a “territory” might house hundreds of people, but the gang members might only be a dozen or a few dozen at most, and their distribution density in different territories often varied.
Most people still had to work for a living, and the gangs’ “rule” was not a very firm thing. Outsiders could generally only get a rough idea of territories; people within the gangs understood it in more detail.
After initially settling a few “channels,” getting them to temporarily observe the Sailor Gang’s affairs from a distance, and stating that it would not affect the Detective Agency’s luncheon meat sales, Wayne took the opportunity to inspect the salesmen’s work.
Upon arriving at the scene, a table hastily made last night had already been smashed. The salesmen were still promoting to passersby near the stall, enthusiastic but with few customers; some people even walked around them.
The leader of these new members was called “"Slingshot",” whose ability and nickname largely matched. He could "Slingshot" small objects from his hand, with less power than a pistol but decent accuracy within a certain range.
It was a pity he was born in the wrong era; otherwise, he would at least be a martial arts master—if he directly touched an enemy, the effect was equivalent to a “hammer blow,” feeling as if he had already entered the “internal force” stage.
Seeing Wayne, "Slingshot" was a little embarrassed: “Boss, we’ve been here for almost a day, and so far, less than a quarter of the luncheon meat has been sold.”
“That’s normal. It’s your first day here, and this area is near the docks. Even if the laborers are interested, they’ll wait until they finish work and get paid before buying on their way home. It’s still early.”
Wayne finished speaking and raised his chin towards the broken table nearby, “Did someone come to cause trouble?”
"Slingshot" nodded: “A few Sailor Gang members came and told us to pay for the stall space. We followed your instructions, Boss, and only drove them away after they made the first move, and we specifically hit them in the face.”
Then "Slingshot" added, a bit unhappily, “Unfortunately, after that, there haven’t been many people around here. Some who seemed interested didn’t dare to come closer. I think they’re behind it, exerting influence.”
Wayne tried to encourage him: “If I had to guess, the Sailor Gang will probably come looking for you again, and next time there will likely be more people. But if your stall can keep operating, business will definitely pick up later.”
"Slingshot", however, seemed very positive about this: “Can we actively seek out the Sailor Gang members?”
“Preferably not. Willie and his team already have a lot of lawsuits to deal with, and I might have to appear in court recently. It’s best to keep the situation at a level where the police will ‘handle it on site,’ at least so you don’t become defendants too.”
Wayne said, patting "Slingshot"’s shoulder, “Remember the little trick I told you: try to show your attitude to customers and imply that you will provide them with a certain level of protection. Future sales won’t be bad.”
“Yes, sir!”
After "Slingshot" answered, Wayne thought for a moment and added, “Voluntary trade. You need to have confidence in our products. Don’t let the Detective Agency become a new Sailor Gang.”
“We understand.”
“Keep it up!” Wayne clenched his fist to cheer them on.
The other salesmen nearby responded, and then "Slingshot" continued to ask, “Boss, what should we do with the luncheon meat that wasn’t sold today?”
“You don’t need to take the rest back. Just say that the stall just opened and the workshop is doing a promotional event. Cut it into small pieces and give it to shops or passersby in the Wharf area.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and try not to make the scene too bloody in front of everyone. If you encounter a situation that seems difficult to resolve, for example, if too many people come, or if they pull out firearms, you can all choose to retreat promptly. The stall items are not as expensive as medical bills, and the Detective Agency will provide you with support afterward.”
“Yes, sir!”
...
With the seeds planted on the Sailor Gang’s side, all that remained was to wait for them to sprout.
Wayne specifically showed his face to make it easier for the Sailor Gang to understand the situation, lest they have too many enemies and be poorly informed, taking a long time to realize that Wayne was specifically targeting them.
If the Sailor Gang continued to escalate the situation, the Detective Agency would respond in kind, gradually reducing their numbers.
But if they chickened out, then they would take the “faking injury” route, continuously increasing the Detective Agency’s presence in their territory, at least to make the laborers on the docks in this area realize that the Detective Agency was an organization no less capable than the Sailor Gang.
Ultimately, when the time was right, they would find a way to block their protection fee collection, cutting off the Sailor Gang’s source of income.
As for whether the people in their gang would then “make a final stand” or “disperse,” it actually made little difference. Since the Sailor Gang had set a trap for him, that brand definitely had to be removed.
Wayne’s strategy was not very complicated; he simply wanted to start with the Sailor Gang and discreetly divide and conquer the gangs, breaking them one by one, while also reducing the Detective Agency’s investment in manpower.
Fortunately, this approach seemed to have a wide range of applicability. If feasible, it would be repeated several times in the Wharf area until the remaining gangs noticed something was amiss and he would then change tactics.
After checking the situation, Wayne, having been out for a day, got into his carriage and began his return journey.
Before the carriage had even left the Wharf area, he spotted a familiar figure by the roadside.
Huh?
Wasn't that the dirty kid who used to smash other people’s windows with a mini "Slingshot" to help the “female ghost” scare people?
Lina had said he lived in a dark alley in the commercial district. Now the sun was almost setting, and he was walking all the way to the Wharf area. Whose house was going to be haunted tonight?
