Chapter 57

Xie Wendong tapped his head and said, “I don’t think it’s necessary. I’m at school all day—can she stay by my side? It’ll only cause unnecessary trouble.”
Jiang Sen chuckled and said, “It’s okay. I’ll handle her enrollment procedures in a moment. If she’s in the same class as you, Brother Dong, there won’t be any trouble! Besides, it’s my responsibility to protect your safety! If anything happens to you, we…”
It was the same old routine! Seeing that Jiang Sen was determined, Xie Wendong didn’t bother arguing anymore and simply said, “You decide then!” before turning back to the classroom.
The girl looked at Xie Wendong’s retreating figure and said sadly, “It seems Brother Dong isn’t very welcoming of me!”
Jiang Sen smiled and said, “When your predecessor, Ying, was Brother Dong’s bodyguard, he was the same way!”
“Ying…?!” The girl murmured the name, her eyes filled with envy. Her name was Wen Zi; she was nineteen and had been carefully selected by Jiang Sen from the secret team. Despite her cute appearance, her fighting skills might not be inferior to Ying’s. Wen Zi used her adorable looks to hide her bloodthirsty nature. Those in the secret team, who knew her true nature, usually called her “Mosquito.”
After school, most of the people in Xie Wendong’s dormitory went out to play with the female classmate they had met the previous day. Only Xie Wendong and the boss returned to the dormitory alone. The boss asked with a smile, “Xiao Qi, it seems that Huang Lei from yesterday was quite interested in you. Why don’t you go find her?”
Hearing this, Xie Wendong unconsciously thought of Gao Huimei and her sister, who were far away in DL. Not knowing when they would meet again, he felt nostalgic and casually said, “I already have a girlfriend.”
The boss remembered the cute girl who had approached Xie Wendong during class and nodded in understanding.
On the afternoon of the third day, Xie Wendong received a call from Jiang Sen. “Brother Dong, I’m at Xuefu Hotel now. I’ve almost finished investigating things, and I’ve also found someone who might be useful to us!”
“Great! Wait for me at the entrance; I’ll be there right away!” Xuefu Hotel belonged to H University’s enterprise and was located next to the college.
When Xie Wendong arrived, Jiang Sen led him to a double room on the fourth floor. Inside, four members of the secret team and a stranger under thirty were sitting. They all stood up when they saw Xie Wendong enter. Jiang Sen introduced him and pointed at the stranger, saying, “Brother Dong, this guy is Liu Zhongyuan. He’s from J City—our fellow townsman. He’s been in H City for five or six years and knows the area quite well.” Then he said to the man, “Zhongyuan, this is the leader of our Wendong Club, Brother Dong!”

Xie Wendong shook hands with Liu Zhongyuan. Liu Zhongyuan spoke first, “Brother Dong, in recent years when I’ve been back home, all the news I’ve heard has been about you. I never expected to meet you in City H. Hehe, it’s really an honor for me!”
“Oh!” Xie Wendong sized up the man—short in stature, with a sharp nose and monkey-like face, his eyes flickering as he spoke. His first impression was that this man was not trustworthy. Still, since it was Jiang Sen who brought him here, there must be a reason. Smiling, he said, “Brother Liu, you’re being too polite. I’m not exactly someone important in City J. I wonder how you’ve been doing in City H these past years?”
Liu Zhongyuan laughed and said, “Brother Dong, you’re too modest. Who in City J’s underworld doesn’t know your name? These past few years, I may not have achieved much in City H, but I know quite a few people. I’m aware of most of the big and small matters in the underworld. Hehe!”
Xie Wendong understood why Jiang Sen had brought him here. This man seemed to be an all-knowing figure who could help avoid unnecessary troubles. Nodding, he asked, “Brother Liu, tell me first about the general situation of the underworld in City H! But I hope you won’t mention our meeting to anyone today, or I’ll be very displeased. I suppose you know how I handle things, right?!”
Seeing Xie Wendong’s increasingly cold gaze, Liu Zhongyuan trembled with fear and hurriedly said, “Brother Dong, don’t worry. I’ll never mention today’s incident, even if it costs me my life.”
Xie Wendong said, “Good. Then go ahead and explain. Of course, I won’t let you talk for nothing.”
“Yes… yes, I know! I know!” Liu Zhongyuan didn’t dare underestimate this young man. The downfall of the three big bosses in City J was directly related to him. Speaking carefully, he said, “In the past, City H was under the control of the Fourth Boss. Back then, he was truly formidable. Whether it was city or provincial leaders, or even underworld bosses, everyone would say, ‘How’s the Fourth Boss?’ When bosses from other provinces came to City H, wouldn’t they visit the Fourth Boss first? Back then…”
“Cough!” Jiang Sen coughed to warn him as he kept talking on and on. Liu Zhongyuan immediately realized and nodded with a smile, “Ah, Brother Dong, look at me—always bringing up old stories…”
Xie Wendong waved his hand, indicating it was fine, and told Liu Zhongyuan to continue. Everyone in Province H’s underworld knew about the Fourth Boss, and Xie Wendong was no exception; he often heard Sanyan and others talk about him.

Liu Zhongyuan continued, “Since the Fourth Lord died, the underworld in City H has been in complete chaos. With no restraint among the various gangs, battles were constant, and foreign gangs took advantage of the situation to sneak in. At that time, the provincial leaders all had more or less connections with the gangs and were completely unable to control the chaos in City H. Since the Fourth Lord’s death was directly related to the central government, special commissioners were sent down to assist the province in managing the situation, which finally brought some order. But it was only superficial; conflicts still occurred from time to time. Now, the conflicts have gradually decreased, and each gang has its own territory. Frictions between gangs are generally resolved through negotiation. This is mainly because Peng Shulin, the current deputy director of the provincial police department, is stationed in City H. He was sent by the central government and is extremely tough; his eyes turn blue at the sight of the mafia. I wonder if his mother was raped by the mafia…” Mentioning Peng Shulin made Liu Zhongyuan grit his teeth—seems he too had suffered at his hands.

After hearing this, Xie Wendong gained a general understanding of City H. As for the deputy director mentioned by Liu Zhongyuan, he seemed quite troublesome—apparently the same type as Director Cheng, who was forced to leave, both being difficult to deal with.

Xie Wendong asked, “Brother Liu, tell me about the major gangs currently existing, as well as any foreign gangs.” He thought to himself that if he remembered correctly, the Tiger Gang should be here. Heh, old rivals!

Liu Zhongyuan thought for a moment and said, “There aren’t any extremely large gangs, but there are many medium-sized ones, all intertwined. Their strengths are more or less equal. As for foreign gangs… the top one is obviously the Tiger Gang. With the support of Axe, one of the top three gangs in Russia, their influence is naturally huge. Second would be the Soul Reclaiming Group, it’s…”

Xie Wendong cut him off and asked, “What is Axe, the Russian mafia gang?” He had never heard this name before.

Liu Zhongyuan explained, “Axe is the name of a gang with considerable strength, especially in Europe. It’s also a well-known major mafia group. Although its influence isn’t as great as that of the Camorra, even ordinary gangs can’t afford to mess with them. Axe makes a living by smuggling arms, while the Tiger Gang serves as their claws in China, hoping to tap into this huge market. But I think those Russians are simple-minded; there’s nothing to fear!”

“Oh!” Xie Wendong felt a bit overwhelmed. Liu Zhongyuan continued, “The Soul Reclaiming Gang… There are rumors in the underworld that it’s backed by the Japanese Soul Group. Whether that’s true or not, who knows? But the Soul Reclaiming Gang is indeed very wealthy. Its territory isn’t large, but it has a huge number of members—conservatively speaking, thousands. Maintaining such a large group comes at a significant cost! Most of its members are middle school students, which is somewhat similar to what you imagined, Dongge! As for whether there are other gangs backed by foreign forces, I’m not sure. A friend of mine said he’s seen Korean gangs as well.”
Xie Wendong was secretly shocked. Though he was prepared, the situation in City H still gave him headaches. The complexity of local gangs was one thing, but with foreign forces mixed in as well, one wrong move could lead to a disastrous outcome. Putting this troublesome matter aside for now, he took a breath and asked, “Brother Liu, do you know who’s backing the New Youth Disco on the north side of H University?”
“Oh, New Youth! I know that place. The owner’s name is Wang Guohua—he has a thick beard and is quite violent in fights. He’s a tough guy and a well-known troublemaker in that area. Does Dongge want to take him on?”
Xie Wendong stared at Liu Zhongyuan and said, “That’s exactly my plan. Do you think there will be any difficulties?”
Under Xie Wendong’s gaze, Liu Zhongyuan became uneasy. He scratched his head and replied hesitantly, “Dongge, Wang Guohua isn’t easy to deal with. He owns two discos and a bar in City H. He has connections within the police force, and he has many friends in the underworld. Although he hasn’t formed a gang himself, he still has dozens of thugs under him. It would be risky to confront him lightly!”
Xie Wendong asked, “Do you know Wang Guohua?”
“I haven’t had in-depth conversations with him, but I’ve met him a few times—just exchanged greetings.” Having been in the underworld for over a decade, Liu Zhongyuan had plenty of experience. He asked doubtfully, “Does Dongge mean for me to arrange a meeting with him?”
Xie Wendong lowered his head and thought for a while before nodding. “Yes! That’s my plan. Can you arrange a meeting with him?”
Although Liu Zhongyuan was far away in City H, he knew quite a lot about City J. He knew Xie Wendong well—describing him as ruthless was absolutely appropriate. Since Xie Wendong had his eyes set on New Youth, arranging a meeting with Wang Guohua surely wouldn’t end well! Liu Zhongyuan said worriedly, “Dongge, it’s not that I won’t help you. If something happens to Wang Guohua, how can I continue working in the underworld as an intermediary?”
Jiang Sen, who was listening nearby, snorted and said harshly, “So Brother Liu doesn’t intend to give Dongge face?” The four members of the secret group in the room quickly put their hands in their pockets.

Liu Zhongyuan was startled. Sweat slid down from his forehead as he hurriedly said, “No, no, no, that’s not what I meant. I was just saying…”
Xie Wendong stood up and patted his shoulder, saying, “Don’t worry. Just bring Wang Guohua out. I won’t do anything to him, nor will I put you in a difficult position. I just want to do business with him!”
Liu Zhongyuan couldn’t quite process this and asked, “What kind of business does Brother Dong want to do with him?”