Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

At the Jin family villa, thirty-three gang leaders who made a living begging in the Sword Tower came at the invitation.

Jin Wei took a sip of tea and gestured for someone to sit.

Upon hearing this, the thirty-three gang leaders clasped their hands in a respectful salute before taking their seats with restraint. These were all influential figures in the underworld, each with anywhere from a thousand to tens of thousands of followers. They were powerful and respected, considered the underground "emperors" of the Sword Tower.

However, at this moment, these people were all sitting obediently like grandsons, not daring to be the slightest bit presumptuous.

Jin Wei placed his hands flat on his knees, glanced at the group of gang leaders to his left and right, and said calmly, "I've called you here today for three things."

"Please speak, Lord Jin. We are all ears." The thirty-three gang leaders quickly stood up, clasped their hands in greeting, and behaved politely. They were nothing like the arrogant and domineering people they were outside. They were just a bunch of servile lackeys.

Jin Wei said calmly, "I, Jin Wei, come from the Night Patrol Division and have a long-standing relationship with you all. We've met more or less. I've called you here today to kindly inform you that I can turn a blind eye to whatever you do in the meantime and pretend nothing happened."

"But now the new 'Admiral of Security' has spoken. In order to prepare for the Millennium Dragon Ascension Banquet, the Sword Tower must be calm and peaceful for the next thirty days. Don't make things difficult for me. Starting today, manage your people well. Whether it's black or gray industry, stop it if you can, and stop it even if you can't."

"You'd better tell your master beforehand, otherwise when Fourth Master draws his sword and strikes you, no one will be able to save you, including your master. So, know when to stop and quit while you're ahead. Don't blame me for not informing you in advance."

Upon hearing this, the thirty-three bigwigs quickly nodded and said, "Understood, thank you for your guidance, Manager Jin. We know what to do."

Jin Wei said, "The second thing is that serious crimes have occurred frequently in the city in the past six months. Fourth Master trusts me a lot and specially assigned me to investigate serious crimes in Jianta City. Now there are a total of 160 serious crimes. I have to give an account to my superiors and subordinates for each serious crime."

At this point, Jin Wei clasped his hands in a fist salute facing north: "Especially to give Fourth Master a satisfactory explanation."

Then Jin Wei withdrew his hand and calmly glanced at both sides: "Gentlemen, you are all smart people. Don't wait for me to arrest anyone. Just hand over the culprits yourselves. It's better for you, for me, and for everyone. Also, don't try to fool me and grab a scapegoat to get by. If you try to fool me, then you'd better buy your own coffins in advance. Am I clear enough? Am I understandable enough?"

The thirty-three bigwigs stood upright, like a group of green recruits: "Understood, understood."

Jin Wei nodded slightly and held up his third finger: "The third thing is that a group of foreign thieves intend to cause trouble in the Sword Tower and have already infiltrated it. I know that many of you are involved in the human smuggling business. Don't deny it; those undocumented immigrants don't just fall from the sky."

“I didn’t care before, and I can still not care now. The world is tough, and it’s not all black and white. You and I are both trying to make a living in the Sword Tower. There’s no need to take many things too seriously. It’s just a matter of you doing me a favor and me doing you a favor.”

"Now do me a favor and find them. I know you have connections. If these people want to infiltrate the Sword Tower, they'll most likely have to go through you. Please investigate what kind of people they are and give me a definite answer within seven days, okay?"

The thirty-three bigwigs exchanged glances and then bowed respectfully, saying, "As you command."

They weren't giving Jin Wei face; Jin Wei was nothing special. Although Jin Wei now held a high position and wielded considerable power, he still wasn't enough to instill fear in them, because they all had powerful backers, none of whom were weaker than Jin Wei.

The key is that Jin Wei has a powerful and influential Fourth Master behind him.

This Fourth Master is a big shot whose every stomp shakes the entire Sword Tower. He's a ruthless character who doesn't back down. If he wants someone to die at midnight, no one else will live to see dawn. Even the powerful figures behind them might not dare to directly challenge him, let alone these small-time gangsters.

Time flies like an arrow, and fifteen days have passed in the blink of an eye.

In just fifteen days, the chaos in the entire Sword Tower City was effectively contained. Previously, the city was peaceful and prosperous, with local thugs stealing chickens and dogs and harassing respectable women. Minor disturbances were left unpunished by the public and officials. But now the situation is different; even if the public doesn't report it, the officials will investigate to the end.

Officials from the Censorate took to the streets in large groups, and officials in their robes could be seen everywhere.

Working day and night, in three shifts, they swept through the streets and alleys.

Anyone acting suspiciously, whether a local or an outsider, would be subjected to rigorous questioning. If they gave a questionable answer, they would be taken directly back to the Censorate and imprisoned in the dungeon. Without any explanation, they would be hung up and whipped until they knelt and begged for mercy. Only then would they be interrogated by a special officer. After the interrogation, they would not be released but would be stuffed into the dungeon and locked up for thirty days unless someone vouched for them and paid for their release.

Those caught in the act were dragged back to the dungeon of the Censorate and locked up. After confessing their crimes, they signed and sealed their confessions. Every three days, they were taken to the execution ground for public trial and were executed in a public manner. The executioners started chopping, and heads rolled and blood flowed like rivers.

Underworld gangs all received advance notice through their own channels. The higher-ups had given orders: the Sword Tower must remain calm and peaceful for the next thirty days, and no trouble should be stirred up. This storm will pass quickly. They were instructed to restrain their subordinates from causing trouble, to behave themselves, and to abide by the law. Some black and gray industries had to be stopped, and those that couldn't be stopped had to be stopped as well, otherwise the loss wouldn't be just money, but lives.

As for those gangs without powerful backers and those fools who lack discernment and can't tell which way the wind is blowing, they're just waiting in line at the execution ground to be beheaded. They'll die a horrible death, and they might not even understand why their crimes aren't much different from their previous ones—it's just bullying, fighting, extortion, dining and dashing, and doing some illegal business.

In the past, at most, one would be imprisoned for a few years, fined some money, and released after smoothing things over with connections.

At best, they would be deported, flogged, or exiled!

How come the winds changed so quickly this time, suddenly turning into an immediate death sentence?!

When towering waves sweep down from above, the smallest, most vulnerable creatures, unable to sense the wind, are the ones who die the most.

The reason we didn't care before wasn't because we lacked the ability or the capacity to manage; it was simply because we turned a blind eye and were too lazy to care.

Now that the bigwigs have spoken, those who still dare to defy the rules will be the first to die. If they aren't the first to die, who will be?

Public opinion was controlled by the quick-witted officials of the Censorate. They used their words to inform the people about the series of measures the government was taking, so that all law-abiding citizens would not have to worry and could live their lives in peace, thus stabilizing public sentiment.

Otherwise, indiscriminate killing and countless deaths may deter villains, but it will also cause unrest among the people, leading to rumors and gossip. In the end, instead of calming down the chaos, it could cause even greater unrest.

Therefore, public opinion was tightly controlled. Anyone who dared to stir up trouble would be arrested by their colleagues in other departments. They would be arrested on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" and taken to the Censorate dungeon to be hung up and beaten. Once that was done, the person would behave.

Countless unregistered residents were so frightened that they hid in the slums, not venturing out, and were single-mindedly trying to avoid the limelight.