Chapter 137

After dinner, Wu Ming bid farewell to Xie Wendong, eager to return to Japan to explain to his organization the reasons for the failure of this operation. Xie Wendong didn’t try to hold him back—actually, he didn’t want to—and they exchanged words of goodwill. Before leaving, Wu Ming thanked Xie Wendong once again. Xie was truly impressed by the Japanese man’s courtesy, though he added that he was a bit slow-witted.

Back in his hotel room, Xie Wendong could finally shed the mask of pretense he had worn all day. He soaked his stiff body in the bathtub, closed his eyes, and enjoyed this moment of peace—it was his most relaxed time. Even if the sky were to fall, he wouldn’t bother to move. Was there anything more important in the world than that?

Yes! Dong Xinlei knocked loudly on the bathroom door, shouting, “Brother Dong, it’s bad! Brother Dong, it’s bad!”

Xie Wendong sighed inwardly, watching as the bathroom door remained standing despite Dong Xinlei’s fierce knocking, marveling at how sturdy the facilities in this five-star hotel were. Lying back lazily, he asked, “What’s the matter? Has the sky fallen?”

Dong Xinlei’s voice changed slightly outside the door as he shouted, “The old man was assassinated! He’s being rushed to the hospital right now!”

“What?” Xie Wendong reflexively jumped out of the bathtub, thinking to himself that indeed, the sky had fallen. There weren’t many people in the world who could truly worry him, and Jin Peng was one of them. Without bothering to get dressed, he opened the bathroom door, grabbed Dong Xinlei by the collar, and said, “What did you just say? Repeat it!”

Dong Xinlei swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice calm, but it still trembled slightly. “I just received a call. The old man was assassinated on his way to watch an opera. He’s seriously injured and is being treated in the hospital right now—his life is in doubt!” His eyes moistened as he spoke. His feelings for Jin Peng weren’t any less than Xie Wendong’s—perhaps even greater. Dong Xinlei had been raised by Jin Peng; being an orphan, spending time with Jin Peng had given him a sense of family.

Xie Wendong paused for half a minute before finally regaining his composure. He said urgently, “Go downstairs and find a car. We’re going to City T right now.” He quickly got dressed, picked up the golden knife hidden under his pillow, and narrowed his eyes, silently praying for the old man’s safety.

“In the world of martial arts, conflicts are inevitable, and thus enemies are bound to arise. If you want someone’s life, they will surely want yours as well. From the moment you step into this world, you must entrust your life to fate; if you want to turn back, you can only rely on the next reincarnation.” Xie Wendong recalled what the old man had said to him back then. He hadn’t understood then, but perhaps he understood a bit now—the world of competition is nothing but a mass grave. How deep is this grave? Even someone as powerful and influential as Old Man Jin couldn’t escape it. Xie Wendong knew how deep it was, but for Jin Peng, he was willing to jump in. He always believed that nothing in the world could control him—only he could control the world.

Beijing and City T are adjacent, just an hour’s drive apart. Xie Wendong and Dong Xinlei left Beijing in a taxi. As they watched the scenery fly by, Xie Wendong suddenly said regretfully, “It’s a shame I came to Beijing without visiting the Great Wall.”

Dong Xinlei’s mood had completely calmed down, and he returned to his usual cool demeanor. He said indifferently, “It’s not too late to go next time we come to Beijing.”

“Next time?” Xie Wendong sighed. “I don’t know if I’ll have another chance. Maybe I’m destined never to become a true hero.” Xie Wendong smiled upward, and Dong Xinlei felt moved. He wondered what Xie Wendong would be like if he really became a ‘hero.’ Thinking of this, Dong Xinlei also smiled.

City T, Second People’s Hospital. Usually, there were quite a few people coming in and out here, but never as many as today. Cars of all sizes were parked in line outside the hospital, stretching all the way to the roadside, causing traffic police great trouble as they tried to maintain order. Yet few actually obeyed their instructions. More cars kept arriving, trying to squeeze in. Some, unable to get in, simply left their cars on the road and ran into the hospital. The more cars there were, the more traffic police showed up, but the situation became increasingly chaotic.

That’s what Xie Wendong and Dong Xinlei saw when they arrived. Xie Wendong couldn’t help but ask, “Are all these people here for the old man?”

“More or less!” Dong Xinlei wasn’t surprised. “The old man has thousands of subordinates in City T. Plus, he has a good reputation in the martial arts world and is a well-known figure in business, so he has many acquaintances. Those who have come are just a small portion of his close associates.”

“Oh!” Xie Wendong inwardly exclaimed how impressive this was. It seemed he was far behind Old Man Jin.

Xie Wendong and Dong Xinlei hurried toward the hospital. Along the way, people greeted Dong Xinlei from time to time, some even calling him “Brother Lei.” As for Xie Wendong, no one recognized him, which gave him a sense of relief. Seeing Dong Xinlei surrounded by a crowd asking various questions, he walked into the hospital alone. Without having to ask where the emergency room for the old man was, Xie Wendong followed the crowd and soon arrived at a corridor. Looking ahead, he saw a sea of people. Concerned about the old man’s condition, he rushed forward without hesitation.

After taking just a few steps, he was stopped by a man with a horse-like face who sized Xie Wendong up and said coldly, “I’ve never seen you before. You look unfamiliar.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen me or not,” Xie Wendong replied. “I’m a friend of Old Man Jin. I want to check on his injuries.”

“A friend?” The man with the horse-like face stared at Xie Wendong coldly. “You’re not here to gather information, are you?!”

Xie Wendong’s expression darkened. He had no time to waste on such a lowly thug. He grabbed the man’s neck and snapped, “I don’t have time for your nonsense. Get out of the way!” With a strong push, he sent the man stumbling back several steps, knocking over those behind him.

Seeing Xie Wendong’s hostile attitude, over a dozen people swarmed around him, glaring fiercely, ready to attack. At that moment, voices came from the side of the corridor—not loud, but steady. “Let him in. If he were an enemy, would he be so foolish as to attack here?!”

Hearing the voices, everyone stepped aside to form a path wide enough for one person to pass. Though they cleared the way, they still held hostility toward Xie Wendong, snarling at him, especially the man with the horse-like face, who rubbed his neck and grunted, as if ready to pounce on Xie Wendong at any moment. Xie Wendong paid no attention to these minor figures. With his head held high and chest out, he walked in fearlessly. There were far fewer people in the corridor; most were key officials from the North Hongmen. Everyone wore black suits and black shoes. In the center stood a man in his thirties wearing gold-rimmed glasses, constantly wiping his nose with a handkerchief. Although his clothes were the same as everyone else’s, it was obvious at a glance that he held the highest status among them, even though many were older than him.

Xie Wendong wasn’t stupid. He immediately noticed the man’s uniqueness and asked, “Were you the one who spoke just now?”

The young man nodded, stepped closer to Xie Wendong, glanced at him, and smiled as he extended his hand, “You must be Xie Wendong. The old man has spoken of you. I didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly. I should have sent someone to pick you up.”
“No need to thank me. I am Xie Wendong.” Xie Wendong shook hands with the young man, who quickly pulled his hand back and wiped his nose with a handkerchief, smiling, “Sorry, I’ve had a cold these past few days.”
“It seems his cold never really goes away,” Dong Xinlei said, having appeared behind Xie Wendong at some point, looking at the young man. “How is the old man’s condition now?”
“It’s still unclear. The gunshot to his lower abdomen isn’t looking good.”
Dong Xinlei clenched his fist and smashed it hard against the wall, shouting angrily, “Was it the South Hongmen who did this?”
“There’s no evidence yet, but it’s very likely.” The young man’s gaze turned sharp as he said, “In five days, it will be the annual Hongmen assembly. With the old man being attacked now, who else but the South Hongmen could have done this? Who else would dare?”
Dong Xinlei fell silent for a while before suddenly remembering something. He introduced the young man to Xie Wendong, “This kid is Nie Tianxing, the old man’s top advisor. He’s very cunning. Brother Dong, you need to be more careful from now on.”
Dong Xinlei spoke in a low voice, but Nie Tianxing, who had sharp ears, complained, “What kind of introduction is that? I’m intelligent, not cunning. If you don’t read more, you’ll keep making mistakes in your words. Rough people are just rough people!”
Dong Xinlei curled his lips, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped forward, “Long time no see. Do you want to taste my ‘rough person’s’ fists again?!”
Xie Wendong admired the two of them, thinking they still had the mood to joke at such a time. Sure enough, an older middle-aged man with an imposing presence snapped, “You two brats don’t even know when it is! The enemy is already right above us, and the old man’s fate is uncertain. What are you arguing about here? If you want to argue, go outside and do it!” This middle-aged man was one of the few elders in the North Hongmen, named Lei Ting, known for his fiery temper. Although elders didn’t hold much real power within the Hongmen, they were highly respected by everyone.

Dong Xinlei and Nie Tianxing immediately became subdued, exchanged smiles, and hugged each other. One favored literature while the other preferred martial arts; though their temperaments were one calm and the other active, they shared a deep mutual understanding and were the closest friends within the Hongmen. They were also among the most outstanding members of the younger generation of the Northern Hongmen. In recent years, the Northern Hongmen’s power had grown significantly, largely due to the contributions of these two, who could be considered its right-hand men. The fact that Old Master Jin had entrusted Dong Xinlei, one of his right-hand men, to Xie Wendong clearly showed his high regard for him.

At that moment, the yellow light outside the emergency room went out, and several doctors stepped out. Everyone rushed over to ask about the old man’s condition. The doctors, who seemed to have connections with the Hongmen, sighed and said, “His injuries aren’t too serious. If it were a younger person, they could be discharged in less than a month. But since the old man is advanced in age, although his life isn’t in immediate danger, this injury has greatly weakened him. It will take several months of recovery.”

Lei Ting’s face darkened as he said, “Old Li, from what you say, it seems the old man won’t be able to attend the Hongmen meeting in five days.”

The doctor shook his head. “There’s no way that’s possible!”

“Damn it!” Lei Ting stamped his foot in anger. “What if the old man can’t go? Won’t that just make the Southern Hongmen laugh at us?!”

“Sigh,” the doctor sighed and patted Lei Ting’s shoulder. “Old Lei, there’s nothing we can do about it. By the way, the old man has regained consciousness. You can go see him in a bit, but not too many of you.” With that, he and the other doctors slowly left. Soon after, the old man was wheeled out of the hospital bed by several nurses and taken to the intensive care unit. Seeing the old man’s pale face and the various needles in his arms, Xie Wendong felt a pang of distress. He had intended to follow them into the ward, but Lei Ting stopped him, saying coldly, “This is an internal matter of our Hongmen. Since you’re not one of our disciples, you’re not allowed in.”