"Huang Sheng from the Black Water Gang?"
Doctor Xu glanced at the newcomer, Zhong Lin, and nodded: "Who else could it be? It used to be the government taking twenty percent and the gangs thirty. Now it's the other way round. Times are getting tougher."
What Doctor Xu meant by "the government taking twenty and the gangs thirty" was that the legitimate government took twenty percent as taxes, which could at least save you some money if you scrimp a bit, while the latter was a protection fee you had no choice but to pay; the gangs were much nastier than the government when it came to enforcement.
Zhong Lin was quite grateful that he was noticed by the government and became an artist for the government office. Though he was just an auxiliary staff member, nobody dared to ask him for a protection fee.
"Let's not talk about that. Did you get the elixir?"
"I got it."
"How's the effect?"
