thefictionvixens Chapter 121 Reactions from All Parties
Chapter 121 Reactions from All Parties
Chapter 121 Reactions from All Parties
Luk Yu Tea House, Sham Shui Po.
The teahouse is a favorite haunt of江湖人 (jianghu people) and has a rule, much like the movie "Peace Hotel": no matter what grudges you have, you can't fight it out there.
Nobody knows who owns it, but nobody dares to cause trouble here. Once, a hot-headed upstart led a group of men to kill his rival here, but three days later, he and a dozen of his men were found sunk in Victoria Harbour, their bodies bound with stones.
Therefore, Lu Yu Tea House became one of the few places in the martial arts world where one could "quietly" discuss matters.
At 3:55 PM, Song Zhaowen arrived on time with Xiao Zhuoxiao.
The tea room was antique and filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. A waitress in a cheongsam quietly led them to the "Listening to the Rain Pavilion" private room at the very back of the second floor.
I pushed the door open and went inside; there were already two people sitting there.
At the head of the table sat a middle-aged man in a dark blue Tang suit, with a lean face and gold-rimmed glasses. He looked like a schoolteacher, but the occasional glint of shrewdness in his eyes behind the lenses revealed that he was no ordinary person. He was slowly and skillfully warming the teacups; he was none other than Yi Le Shao, the new head of the Wo Luen Shing Mart.
Sitting next to Lok Siu was a burly man with a fierce face, wearing a floral shirt; he was Lok Siu's right-hand man, "Long Hairy Boy".
"Mr. Song, Mr. Xiao, it is an honor to have you two graced us with your presence. I apologize for not greeting you sooner." Young Master Le raised his head, a warm smile on his face, and stood up to greet them, his attitude very polite.
"Young Master Le, you're too kind. We've been bothering you." Song Zhaowen smiled and sat down opposite Xiao Zhuoxiao.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the waitress served tea and snacks, then left, gently closing the door behind her.
Le Shao personally poured tea for Song Zhaowen and Xiao Zhuoxiao: "Mr. Song just returned from the mainland and invited me for tea. He must have something important to discuss."
Song Zhaowen took the teacup and gently blew on it: "Young Master Le is straightforward, so I won't beat around the bush either. When I came back this time, I discovered two traitors in my household, Li Tianyi and Da Zhi Guang. They've taken away nearly half of my Zhengxing gang and their territory, and they've even formed a Guanghetai alliance with Chen Mei of Hongtai and—your gang's Big D." (Kwun Tong, Temple Street)
"Half of West Kowloon is now owned by Kwong Wo Tai."
Le Shao's smile remained unchanged: "I've heard about what happened to Song Sheng's family. It's truly heartbreaking to see such a misfortune befall their family. Big D—sigh, he's young and impetuous, doesn't listen to his elders, and insists on going out to make his own way in the world. It's giving me a real headache."
Song Zhaowen cursed Yue Shao inwardly for being slick.
"Young Master Lok, let's not beat around the bush. Big D has barged into my territory. He's teamed up with Lai Tin-yat and Big Kwong, taking over my Kwun Tong and Temple Street. I, Song Zhaowen, don't have many redeeming qualities, except that I'm protective of my own and hold grudges. If someone takes what's mine, I'll definitely take it back."
Young Master Lok picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "Mr. Song wants to reclaim his territory, that's perfectly justified. I wonder—what favors do you need from me and Lian Sheng?"
"Help?" Song Zhaowen looked at Le Shao in surprise: "Boss Le, are you joking? Big D pulled Big Guang and the others to form Guanghetai, which not only damaged the interests of Zhengxing, but also slapped Heliansheng in the face, and slapped you, the leader, in the face. People in the underworld are saying that Big D was able to pull so many people away from Heliansheng because you, Le Shao, couldn't control the situation. That's not a nice thing to say."
The smile on Le Shao's face faded slightly, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the rim of the teacup.
The long-haired guy next to him snorted and wanted to speak, but was stopped by Young Master Lok's eyes.
"Song Sheng is right." Young Master Le sighed. "This matter with Big D has indeed put me in a very passive position, but Big D is more powerful than me, and I am willing but powerless."
To be honest, Ah Le didn't want to send anyone out. He wanted to wait until Zhengxing and Guanghe Taidou had settled down before he came out to pick up beans.
This kind of person is a typical sophisticated egoist.
However, Song Zhaowen had made preparations before he arrived.
What Ah Le values most is the dragon head seat under his buttocks.
Song Zhaowen laughed heartily: "Young Master Le, you may not have intended to harm the tiger, but the tiger may have intended to harm your heart. Let me show you something!"
After saying that, he had Xiao Zhuoxiao take out a thick file bag from his bag and push it in front of Le Shao.
Le Shao opened the file bag with suspicion, took out the documents inside and glanced at them. His expression immediately changed.
The photos inside are really shocking!
A photo of Big D meeting with several of Wo Luen Shing's uncles.
Among them are four old Dengs who have always been on good terms with Da D: Chuanbao, Longgen, Maodun, and Feihua.
Song Zhaowen crossed his arms and said mockingly to Young Master Lok, "I think this Big Brother D has quite the appetite. Not only has he established Guanghetai, but he's also meeting with your other uncles. This is clearly an attempt to poach your talent, Young Master Lok, and even—once Guanghetai has gained a foothold, he'll swallow up the remaining territory and manpower of Wo Luen Shing, and unify the underworld!"
Song Zhaowen's words were like a poisoned dagger, piercing into Le Shao's most sensitive and fearful nerves.
"Mr. Song, where did these photos come from?" Young Master Le's voice was a little hoarse.
"Young Master Le, how the photos came about isn't important." Song Zhaowen leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "What's important is whether this is true? Has Big D been secretly contacting those old uncles behind your back? Is he trying to unite them to sideline you as the leader, or even oust you from power?"
Young Master Lok remained silent, veins bulging on his forehead. The long-haired guy sitting next to him had an even more ashen face, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
Big D's split and taking away people's territory was already a slap in the face. If he also secretly colluded with other uncles, the nature of the matter would be completely different. This would be an attempt to uproot Lok Siu and cut off his escape route. Those old uncles, although they don't usually get involved, have seniority and many disciples in the gang, and their influence should not be underestimated.
If he really gets won over by Big D, Lok Siu, the leader, will be left all alone in no time, and he might even be forced to commit suicide someday.
Le Shao took a deep breath to calm himself down and slowly put down the photo: "Let's not beat around the bush; what do you want? You want me to make the move so you can take over Big D's territory?"
Lok Siu still has the mindset of a gangster; the world is vast, but his territory is bigger.
Song Zhaowen leaned back in his chair, regaining his composure: "Young Master Le, I'm not greedy; first, Big D's territory and business are yours. I just want to take back Kwun Tong and Temple Street, which originally belonged to Zhengxing; second, we'll join forces, you fight Big D, and I'll fight Big Guang and Li Tianyi."
"Third, I heard that Guanghetai has a gambling ship in the open sea. Once those guys are caught, I'll provide the money and you provide the manpower, so both sides can benefit."
Le Shao's eyes lit up suddenly, then narrowed slightly. Song Zhaowen's third condition was the real benefit. The reason why he, Le Shao, was not taken seriously by Big D and his uncles was because he didn't have any way to make money. Without money, he couldn't support his underlings, and without underlings, he couldn't conquer territory. It was a vicious cycle.
If he could get involved in the gambling ships on the high seas, not only would his wealth increase dramatically, but his prestige within the gang would also rise significantly, enough to overshadow those restless old uncles.
"Mr. Song, you have quite the spirit." Young Master Le's smile returned, this time with more sincerity and decisiveness: "Since Big D doesn't care about past relationships and is poaching my talent, then don't blame me for cleaning house. Mr. Song's terms are very fair."
He raised his teacup: "Let's toast with tea instead of wine, wishing each other a pleasant collaboration and swift success!"
"It's a pleasure working with you." Song Zhaowen also raised his glass in a toast.
Xiao Zhuoxiao and Changmaozi, who were standing to the side, also breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere immediately became much more harmonious.
"Young Master Le, there's no time to lose." Song Zhaowen put down his teacup. "My men have already started making moves with Chen Mei, and I expect he'll react in the next couple of days. Once Chen Mei leaves Hong Kong's Guanghetai, we'll be missing a piece. At that time, both of us can launch a simultaneous attack, catching Big D and Li Tian completely off guard."
"Waiting for your contact!"
A few days later, at a luxury club in Guantang.
The hot spring was steaming and filled with mist. Big D, Chen Mei, Big Guang, and Li Tianyi were soaking in the hot spring.
Big D closed his eyes, humming off-key Cantonese tunes, looking completely carefree. Big Guang and Li Tianyi, on the other hand, were deep in thought, their eyes glancing towards the entrance every now and then, as if a group of knife-wielding men might suddenly rush out from there.
"Hey, you two idiots, you're acting like you're being chased by debt collectors even when you're soaking in a hot spring. Can't you have some self-respect?" Big D
He opened one eye, glancing sideways at the two men. "Song Zhaowen is a man too, with two shoulders and a head. If you chop him off, he'll bleed just as much. He's just returned, and he's severely weakened. What makes him think he can fight us? We have territory, men, and guns! What are you afraid of?"
Big Guang wiped the water off his face, looking pained. "Big D, that's not how it works. You haven't really fought that mad dog Song Zhaowen. Ask A-Yi, even the East City Gang's 'Crossing Dragon' Duowei fell to his feet. He—'God Fist' again."
Li Tianyi's expression was also not good: "In short, Song Zhaowen is a vengeful and ruthless man; we must be wary of him. I've heard that Zhengxing is currently reorganizing its territory, distributing double rations, and providing compensation to the wounded. They're clearly trying to stabilize morale and challenge us."
"A showdown?" Big D scoffed. "What does he have to fight with? Money? Our 'Guanghetai' gambling ship opens next month, raking in money every day! People? Who calls the shots in Kwun Tong and Temple Street now? It's us! What waves can Song Zhaowen, holed up in that little place in Tsz Wan Shan, possibly make?"
Chen Mei remained silent, simply resting his face with a towel against the edge of the pool, seemingly trying to relax. But upon closer inspection, the knuckles of his hand, which was covered by the towel, appeared slightly pale.
Just then, a henchman in a black suit, looking flustered, jogged in and whispered a few words in Chen Mei's ear.
Chen Mei abruptly ripped the towel off her face, revealing a face that had instantly lost all color: "What did you say? Did you see clearly?"
The henchman nodded vigorously, his voice trembling: "Uncle Mei, it's absolutely true! The guys at the airport saw it with their own eyes. Seven or eight foreigners, they looked like they were from South America, loitering outside the airport and meeting with their accomplices. They were speaking Spanish! Our men tried to get closer to listen, but they almost got spotted. Those foreigners were very vigilant, their waists were bulging, they definitely had weapons!"
"Damn it! Those Mexicans are like a leech, they won't leave you alone!" Chen Mei suddenly stood up from the hot spring, water splashing everywhere. "I haven't even settled my score with them for my son, and they're still not done with it? They even want to come to Hong Kong to wipe them out completely?"