Han Li set out from his hometown, heading southeast toward Lanshou. Along the way, he sometimes traveled with others, sharing the bustling city streets, and at other times, chose to walk alone through the wild mountains and open countryside in pursuit of a more direct route. Though there were no major dangers encountered en route, the only unexpected incident occurred during a night stay in the wilderness, when several hungry wolves, their eyes blazing with hunger, ambushed him and ended up becoming his dinner. With a trail of dust and weariness, he had crossed two additional provinces before finally arriving at Lanshou, exhausted but determined. As soon as he entered the Lanshou region, Han Li was struck by the extensive network of rivers and waterways. To be honest, his original home province, Yuezhou, was largely composed of rugged hills and mountainous terrain, with few rivers or lakes—let alone large canals—and water supply mostly relied on small wells and streams. Thus, Han Li became deeply interested in the various vessels navigating the waterways, and ultimately, driven by curiosity, he booked a small boat and experienced, for the first time, the pleasure of sailing downstream. Several weeks later, with the wind at his back, Han Li arrived at Jiayuan City—the one mentioned in Mo Da Fu's letter—and stepped onto this seemingly unimpressive wharf. Before even stepping off the boat, the boatman had already kindly reminded him that in Jiyuan City, there was an unwritten rule at each dock: regardless of how many items a merchant carried, he must pay to hire one of the dock workers to carry his luggage. Otherwise, the dock workers might treat him poorly, and in some cases, even beat him senseless. Han Li, being new to the area, had no intention of disrupting established customs, so he simply politely asked, "I'd like to hire a dock worker—do you have anyone available?" At this moment, Sun Er-gou had already turned his gaze away. After his careful assessment, he had already concluded that the young man who had just disembarked was likely a young noble from a local landowner's family, while the tall man was probably a bodyguard with only average strength. Such combinations were common in Jiyuan City—merchants would come to experience the city, spend a little money, and then return home to boast about their visit. Thus, he saw no need to pay special attention. Yet such people are especially fond of showing off and pretending to be big spenders—real disappointments! As long as you flatter them a bit, these country bumpkins not only pay the agreed-upon moving fees but often add a generous bonus on top. So for individuals hired, it's indeed a well-oiled, profitable business. But this time, it's not their turn. As per the agreement they made with the black bear earlier, the two parties take turns handling the door-to-door jobs, neither to compete for the same orders—success or failure depends entirely on luck. And yesterday, they just received a new one, so this one now belongs to the black bear’s team. Thinking of this, Sun Er-gou glanced over at the other side. He saw the black bear quietly speaking to his subordinates, then a man rushed out of the crowd and ran toward the young man. "No way, you can't manage it alone—better bring someone else along." Han Li glanced at the sturdy man before him, then at the large bundle on Qu Hun's shoulders, and gently shook his head. "Young sir, this amount of luggage—my single arm can carry it. I don't need anyone else to help." The man was determined not to have anyone else share his reward, and he didn't believe the bundle, even if it were large, would be beyond his strength—unless it were full of stones. As soon as he spoke, he strode toward Qu Hun and immediately reached for the bundle, refusing to let go. Han Li sighed. The bundle contained several thousand taels of silver and various other items—its weight was substantial, far beyond what an ordinary person could manage. Yet seeing the man's enthusiasm, he had no choice but to quietly ask Qu Hun to hand over the bundle, letting him take it without any struggle. Indeed, as soon as the sturdy man took the bundle, his face turned pale. He struggled to carry it for just a few steps before growing red-faced and gasping for breath. He had no choice but to set it down with embarrassment and return to fetch someone else. Upon seeing that the two men finally managed to lift the bundle, Han Li nodded satisfiedly and quickly left the dock, walking along the road toward the city. Han Li was unaware that, due to his lack of experience in the world of the gentry and the common folk, his efforts had drawn the keen, greedy eyes of two strangers, and that he would soon find himself entangled in some unforeseen troubles. Sun Er-gou, watching the young man's figure recede into the distance, finally lifted his gaze from the bundle, which had been the object of his longing. Though he restrained his excitement, he turned to meet the eyes of the man across from him. He was certain that the substantial wealth hidden within the bundle would surely not escape the other's notice. Indeed, the black bear also looked delighted. After a moment's hesitation, he gave Sun Er-gou a subtle nod. Sun Er-gou immediately understood and walked over to a nearby pile of garbage. With such a substantial sum of money at stake, even if he harbored a deep grudge against his father and had lost his wife, he would surely cooperate with the other party—after all, "men die for money, birds die for food." "Five-fifty split!" Sun Er-gou spoke plainly, getting straight to the point. "Three-seven split—that's always been our side's arrangement," Black Bear refused without hesitation. "Four-six split, that's the minimum. You should know, your earlier arguments simply don't hold water," Sun Er-gou said, his face stern and to the point. "Indeed…" Black Bear hesitated, clearly unwilling to give up another share of the profit. "Hmph! Think again—soon other factions will be eyeing this valuable lamb," Sun Er-gou said coldly, after a pause. "Very well! Then it's settled. We'll raise our palms and swear it." Black Bear clearly felt the weight of these words and finally agreed. "Crack! Crack! Crack!" After spitting three times onto their hands, Sun Erou and He Xiong shook hands, temporarily forming an alliance. "Alright, let's catch up with them—we mustn't let this young man slip into a crowded area," Sun Erou urged quickly. "Hehe! Don't worry—my two men have already taken them down Black Water Lane. We're just in time to cut them off," He Xiong suddenly broke into a smile that was quite at odds with his appearance. "That's excellent! Real foresight, brother!" Sun Erou displayed genuine surprise on the surface, yet his mind sharpened, silently heightening his vigilance toward He Xiong.