Chapter 216
Xie Wendong stayed in the hospital for five days. Just as his condition began to improve, he eagerly rushed out of the hospital. Since Xiang Wentian had gone to Taiwan, he didn’t want to miss this great opportunity. But after several attempts, Xie Wendong became disheartened—Xiao Fang had no intention of fighting him at all. No matter how much he provoked or challenged him, this “King Xiao” would simply close his eyes and refuse to engage. With Xiao Fang firmly holding his ground, Xie Wendong, no matter how cunning, couldn’t come up with a plan to break through his defenses. Xiao Fang had his men stationed both at the hotel and the villa, which were not far apart. Attacking either location would require Xie Wendong to use all his strength, leaving him vulnerable to an attack from the other side—putting him in a very unfavorable position.
Xie Wendong was worried, and so was Xiao Fang. He received a call from Xiang Wentian, learning that several local criminal gangs in Guangxi had united and, taking advantage of the intense fighting between the Nan Hongmen and Xie Wendong, had seceded from the Nan Hongmen’s Guangxi branch, refusing to be under Xiang Wentian’s control and declaring themselves independent rulers. Guangxi was the heartland of the Nan Hongmen, and their rebellion was like a fire in their backyard. Xiang Wentian couldn’t afford to be careless. After returning from Taiwan, he quickly gathered his followers to suppress the rebellion in Guangxi, leaving all the responsibility for Nanjing on Xiao Fang alone. How could he not worry? However, Xiang Wentian was well aware of the situation in Nanjing. He instructed Xiao Fang that as long as they stuck to their current strategy of holding their ground, Xie Wendong wouldn’t be able to do much to them for now, unless he brought in more troops—something that would take time. By then, he would have already quelled the rebellion in Guangxi and returned.
News of the rebellion in Guangxi also reached Xie Wendong’s ears. Upon hearing that Xiang Wentian had gone to suppress it, he laughed and sighed, “It seems fate still favors me!” He called Nie Tianxing over and asked, “You know about the fire in the Nan Hongmen’s backyard, right?” Nie Tianxing nodded. He naturally understood Xie Wendong’s intention—to take advantage of Xiang Wentian’s absence from Nanjing to defeat Xiao Fang. Nie Tianxing then said, “We also had a fire in our backyard once. Back then, the Soul Group surrounded the old master, and the situation was extremely critical. But Xiang Wentian didn’t take advantage of it.” His implication was that Xie Wendong should follow Xiang Wentian’s example and not exploit others in trouble. Xie Wendong shook his head and laughed, “That’s Xiang Wentian. But I’m Xie Wendong. How could I miss such an opportunity?” After a pause, he asked again, “Tianxing, do you have any plan to break through Xiao Fang’s defense?”
Sigh! Nie Tianxing let out a bitter sigh. The differences in philosophy between him and Xie Wendong were too great. To be honest, he admired Xiang Wentian more, believing him to be a true hero rare in this world. Yet, the old master had done so much for him that the idea of joining Xiang Wentian was beyond his thoughts. Still, his reluctance grew stronger—the one he wanted to assist was not Xie Wendong. Nie Tianxing said helplessly, “It’s not hard to defeat Xiao Fang. Since Xiang Wentian can’t return to Nanjing for a while, we can use this time to gather troops and strike at Xiao Fang’s two key points at the same time, leaving him unable to defend either end. He will surely lose.” Xie Wendong slowly narrowed his eyes and stared at Nie Tianxing for a long time, unsure of what he was thinking. After a while, he said, “This is a last resort; it’s not advisable.” Nie Tianxing replied, “If the leader already has a plan, why ask me?” Xie Wendong said gently, “If I didn’t ask you anything, then what use would I have for you as a strategist?!” Those words made Nie Tianxing quick-witted. He looked up at Xie Wendong and saw a cold glint in his eyes, though it disappeared in an instant. Xie Wendong said, “I don’t like people with double thoughts, and I certainly don’t want another traitor to appear!”
Nie Tianxing felt a chill in his heart and said with a bitter smile, “Everything I have today comes from the old master. As long as I’m alive, I will never do anything to betray the Hongmen.”
Xie Wendong waved his hand and said, “Tianxing, there’s no need to make any promises in front of me. What I said just now wasn’t aimed at you. I just don’t want to see another Xiang Huishan appear.”
Nie Tianxing nodded without saying a word. Xie Wendong smiled, stood up, and headed for the door. Before leaving, he stopped, didn’t turn around, and said with narrowed eyes, “Sometimes, people’s hearts can change too.” He stepped out of the room and told the subordinate waiting at the door, “Notify everyone to gather in the meeting room for a meeting!” The subordinate didn’t dare delay, replied promptly, and rushed off like the wind. As he walked toward the meeting room, Xie Wendong thought to himself that Nie Tianxing was too upright and loyal, which was the opposite of his own personality. Moreover, it seemed Nie Tianxing already had the intention to back out. Could it be… Xie Wendong clenched his fist, his brows furrowed. He already had an idea on how to deal with Xiao Fang. He had deliberately asked Nie Tianxing earlier to test him and see if his thoughts matched his own, but Nie Tianxing hadn’t given him sincere advice, just making up some random excuse. Understanding this, a murderous intent arose in Xie Wendong’s heart—he feared another Xiang Huishan might appear. But then he sighed again. Nie Tianxing was different from Xiang Huishan. Although their ideals differed, someone as loyal as Nie Tianxing would never side with Xiang Wentian, even if forced. Killing him would be a waste, and it would also chill the hearts of others. Unconsciously, Xie Wendong arrived at the meeting room. Ren Changfeng and Jiang Sen had already arrived and were sitting together discussing something. When they saw him enter, they quickly stood up to greet him. Ren Changfeng spoke first, “Brother Dong, are we preparing to launch an attack?”
Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Yes. We’ll discuss it once everyone is here.” After a while, the officers arrived one after another, and gradually the room was filled to capacity. When most people had arrived, Xie Wendong tapped the table with his finger, cleared his throat lightly, and said, “I’ve called everyone here today to announce something.” Everyone listened attentively. Since Xie Wendong was holding a meeting right after coming out of the hospital, it must be important. Some people guessed what it was and secretly prepared to strike, waiting for Xie Wendong’s order to wipe out the Nan Hongmen completely.
Xie Wendong glanced around and said calmly, “Starting today, everyone is on leave. Arrange your activities as you see fit.”
At these words, everyone in the room was stunned, especially Ren Changfeng. He had thought Xie Wendong had gathered them to issue an attack order and was about to stand up to volunteer as the vanguard. But instead, Xie Wendong said such a thing, leaving him deflated. He slumped his head and said softly, “Brother Dong, did you make a mistake?”
Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Absolutely not. Everyone must be tired after this short period. It’s time to rest properly. Aside from not leaving the city area, you can do whatever you want!”
Jiang Sen blinked and looked up. Xie Wendong was smiling at them all. An idea struck him—Brother Dong must have come up with another good plan.
After the meeting, everyone left with mixed feelings, unsure why Xie Wendong gave them time off at this moment. With Xiang Wentian no longer around, Nanhongmen was now led by Xiao Fang—how could they miss such a great opportunity? Could it be that the leader had a change of heart? Last time Xiang Wentian hadn’t taken advantage of others; perhaps this time he intended to return the favor?
Jiang Sen, Liu Bo, Ren Changfeng, Ling Min, and Wei Zidan didn’t leave either. They sat where they were, watching Xie Wendong without saying a word.
Xie Wendong smiled and asked, “What, do you all still have something to do?” Jiang Sen replied, “Nothing. But I’m not leaving because I know Brother Dong will call for me later, so I might as well stay.”
Xie Wendong laughed and sighed, “Lao Sen is getting smarter by the day.” He glanced at the five people seated there, nodded inwardly, then asked, “How many top generals does Xiao Fang have under him now?” The five exchanged glances, not understanding what Xie Wendong meant. Liu Bo mused, “Apart from Zhan Long, it might be Qian Xixi?” Xie Wendong nodded and said, “If we take time off now without any precautions, will Xiao Fang lead his men to attack us?”
Ren Changfeng sighed and said bitterly, “If Brother Dong gave everyone time off to lure Xiao Fang out, that’s probably a mistake. Xiao Fang is now determined like a turtle glued to a weight. Judging from his attitude, even if ten million were thrown in front of him, he wouldn’t reach out to take it!” Liu Bo agreed, “That’s right. Xiao Fang is scared of Brother Dong and has learned his lesson. Even during Brother Dong’s hospitalization, he didn’t dare act rashly. Now, he certainly won’t fall for it easily.” Xie Wendong smiled narrowly and said, “He might not fall for it, but what about those other two Heavenly Kings?”
Ah! The five gasped. Indeed! Even if Xiao Fang didn’t fall for it, there were still two other Heavenly Kings who were on par with him and hadn’t suffered heavy losses at Xie Wendong’s hands. Those two might not be as cautious as Xiao Fang. Xie Wendong continued, “Zhan Long is very smart and has a good relationship with Xiao Fang, so it won’t be easy to lure him out. But Qian Xixi is different. He’s the most irritable among the Eight Heavenly Kings and the one Xiang Wentian likes the least. He’s ostracized by the other Heavenly Kings. The more that happens, the more he wants to prove himself to Xiang Wentian and show his strength. Now that a huge piece of cake is right in front of him, do you think he’ll ignore it or bite into it fiercely?”
Ren Changfeng sighed, “If it were me, I’d take the risk of losing my life just to bite into that huge piece of cake!”
Xie Wendong laughed heartily and said, “So, Qian Xixi is doomed! If Xiao Fang has to bury another Heavenly King, even if he doesn’t spit blood, he’ll still die in humiliation!”
Ren Changfeng curled his lips and said, “If he doesn’t die from humiliation, he’ll die from anger.” After saying that, he clicked his lips and laughedhehely, “If he really dies from anger, it would be quite famous. In ancient times during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhou Yu died that way.” Ling Min frowned and glared at him, saying, “Has anyone ever told you that you’re really annoying when you take pleasure in others’ misfortunes?”
The Beihongmen community was on holiday, and all its disciples were overjoyed. Many had been in Nanjing for months without getting proper rest, so now they could finally relax. It was a pity they weren’t allowed to leave the city, preventing them from visiting many tourist attractions. Even so, people were already quite satisfied.
Xie Wendong had recently taken to going to bars more often. He liked the colorful cocktails with various flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy—and the disheveled, hoarse-voiced street singers on stage. He especially loved the carefree atmosphere filled with freedom and expression in bars. In this world, only by gathering can strength be shown; people in the same industry, when united, can achieve even greater fame. Bars are no exception. In the southern part of Qinhuai District, there was a street lined with bars on both sides—counting them carefully, there were probably no less than twenty. It was a paradise for the lonely “night wanderers,” free from loud music, with only a faint sense of sadness. “Half a Glass of Affection” was one of the mid-range bars there. In the evenings, there weren’t many customers, mostly regulars who drank, chatted, or listened to music.
Today, for some reason, there were especially many customers. The waiters were busy and hardly had time to rest. Glancing around, they couldn’t spot a single familiar face; most of the people there were strangers. If there were any familiar faces, it would be the three people at the table in the front—two men and one woman. They came here every day for the past few days, staying for two or three hours at a time. As the waiter watched those three, one of the handsome young men snapped his fingers. The waiter hurried over and asked, “Sir, is there anything you need?”
The young man looked around and smiled, saying, “Tonight, a very good friend of mine is coming from afar—really a close friend. As the ancients said, ‘It’s delightful to have friends come from afar.’ I’m happy today, so I’d like to buy a drink for everyone here!” “Wow…” The young man’s voice was loud and strong, and everyone in the bar could hear him clearly. They applauded in approval. Seeing the young man’s flushed face and the row of empty bottles on the table, fearing he might say something foolish due to excessive drinking, the bartender kindly advised, “Sir, there are quite a few customers today. Buying a drink for each of them might be quite expensive…”
Before the bartender could finish speaking, the young man waved his hand to interrupt and said, “If you say to invite them, then invite them. I can afford more people too. Bring the best liquor—no matter how much it costs, I won’t skimp an ounce!” With that, he pulled out a check and slapped it on the table. There’s no way to reason with drunk people. The bartender turned his gaze to the other young man who was with the first one. That young man’s smiling eyes had narrowed into slits, and his fair face was slightly reddened. When he saw the bartender looking at him, he smiled and said, “Do as he says. We’re not rich, but we can still afford the liquor.” The bartender shook his head helplessly and walked away. After he left, the young man tilted his head and asked in a low voice, filled with doubt, “Brother Dong, will ‘Wolf’ be here today?”
The young man shook his head and smiled without saying a word. Soon after, the bartender brought the liquor, one glass for each person. There were no fewer than fifty people in the bar. Calculating it, the young man would have to spend at least ten thousand yuan—this was only because the bartender was being lenient and hadn’t brought the best liquor as he had asked. At that moment, the door of the bar opened, and a group of people walked in. The one at the front had an extremely ugly appearance—a wrinkled, uneven donkey-like face that could make one feel nauseous for days. Yet his eyes were bright and radiant, though his complexion was somewhat pale, seeming sickly. Seeing another dozen customers arrive, the bartender was puzzled, wondering what was going on today. Could it be that all the other bars had closed?!