Chapter 273

No one knows if it will be good weather tomorrow, but everyone understands that there will definitely be a major change at the Wendong Association tomorrow.
The next day, early in the morning. Those sent to search for Li Yingnan returned one after another, but none brought good news. Xie Wendong couldn’t deal with so much anymore. He didn’t like to force others. With so many people in the Wendong Association unable to find her, it was clear that Li Yingnan was deliberately hiding. Since she refused to come back, he had no choice but to let her be. When the sky is about to rain, even one’s mother has to get married. Xie Wendong was helpless. Early in the morning, he summoned all the senior officials of the Wendong Association in City H for an emergency meeting. Once everyone arrived, he explained the situation. He didn’t want to engage in a protracted war with the Nan Hongmen—they couldn’t afford it, nor could the Bei Hongmen, and the Wendong Association certainly couldn’t either. A blitzkrieg strategy sounded good, but it was easier said than done; it required many people he could trust and who were capable. He had to assign several sect leaders from within the Wendong Association to help. The ones he chose were basically the veteran figures who had fought alongside him from the beginning. Sanyan, Li Shuang, and Gao Qiang—none were missing. Initially, he had planned to take Zhang Yanjiang, who was known for his wisdom, but then he thought that the Wendong Association wasn’t invincible either, and his own organization needed someone to take charge. Besides, if that law-enforcement sect leader left, he feared the subordinates might rebel and become uncontrollable. After much consideration, he gave up the idea. People couldn’t just be transferred at will. These three were all leaders of their own sects, and their subordinates, various venues, and business operations all needed temporary oversight. Distributing such a large workload was extremely complicated. The meeting lasted from morning until after 2 p.m. yet still hadn’t been fully resolved. Patting his stomach, Xie Wendong said helplessly, “People can endure, but stomachs can’t. Everyone’s hungry. Let’s eat something first before continuing the meeting.”

Everyone relaxed and got up to stretch their stiff joints after sitting for most of the day. Three-Eyes asked, “Brother Dong, which hotel are we going to?” Xie Wendong chuckled, pointed to the kitchen, and said, “I’ve already prepared everything; there’s no need to go to a hotel.” While Xie Wendong headed to the kitchen, Li Shuang rubbed his neck and sighed, “Brother Dong just started to feel hungry, but my stomach has been growling for ages. The most painful thing in life must be having a meeting on an empty stomach—even if you’re sleepy, you can’t fall asleep!” He muttered on for a while, but no one paid attention to him. Everyone followed Xie Wendong into the kitchen quickly. There was a large bag on the table filled with yellow fried dough sticks, along with a big pot containing most of the soy milk. “Is this all we’re eating?” Three-Eyes doubted his eyes.

Xie Wendong took a bowl, filled it with soy milk, took a big sip, and, savoring it, sighed, “It tastes good—truly authentic. Everyone, come and try it.”

Hearing this, the others didn’t dare refuse. Since Brother Dong had already tried it, why be picky? They sat around the table, looking at the fried dough sticks and soy milk, but couldn’t muster any appetite. These people usually dined in large hotels, where every meal had a rich meaty flavor. It was hard to feel hungry with such a simple meal. Three-Eyes picked up his chopsticks, took a fried dough stick, and said, “We still have a meeting later. If you don’t want to go hungry, eat quickly.”

Reluctantly, everyone picked up their chopsticks, put the fried dough sticks in their mouths, and chewed mechanically, without really tasting anything. Li Shuang frowned deeply and muttered, “I thought Brother Dong had prepared something nice. Turns out it’s just this trash—tastes awful.” Xie Wendong raised an eyebrow and asked, “Li Shuang, what did you say?” “Ah! Nothing!” Li Shuang quickly replied, “I just meant that after eating too much meat, it’s good to have something lighter now!” Soon, everyone hastily filled their stomachs and returned to the hall to sit down again. It took a whole cigarette’s worth of time before Xie Wendong came out of the kitchen, wiping his mouth, and said with a smile, “I have something to discuss with everyone.” He scratched his head, thinking about how to phrase it, then slowly said, “In the coming time, I plan to increase my investment in legitimate business. What do you all think?” The others weren’t impressed. Three-Eyes said, “Increase investment?! Brother Dong, more than half of Wendong’s income already goes to Yu Chao. If we increase it further, we might not even have enough to eat.”

“So,” Xie Wendong nodded and said seriously, “don’t think our gang is rich now and can spend money recklessly. We won’t go to third-rate hotels just for a meal. I’m not telling you how to act; I just want you to understand the value of money. One can’t stay in the underworld forever—you should also prepare a way out for the future.” The others exchanged puzzled looks. Li Shuang asked, “Brother Dong, if we leave the underworld, what else can we do?” Xie Wendong replied, “Once we’ve earned enough money, we can buy a house, a car, get a wife, have kids, and live a comfortable life.” Li Shuang shook his head and said, “Brother Dong, why are you saying such things suddenly? Is it that you…” Xie Wendong waved his hand and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t leave until I achieve my dream. But since you’ve followed me, I have to be responsible for your future!”

San Yan nodded and said, “Brother Dong, I understand.” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Even if we’re in the underworld now, we shouldn’t act like others—spending money today without thinking about tomorrow’s hardships. That’s just the behavior of nouveau riche. If we’re to be in the underworld, we should be the nobles among them—having grace and dignity, so that no matter who sees us, they can only look up to us!” Seeing everyone silent and deep in thought, he smiled and said, “Alright, it’s time to talk about serious matters!”

The meeting continued until around 6 p.m. before ending. Everyone went back to their respective homes. Only Xie Wendong, Jiang Sen, and Ren Changfeng remained in the villa. As they were discussing things, the door opened and Jin Rong came in. The girl had been coming here frequently these days, seemingly having sensed something. She sat down next to Xie Wendong, wiggled her eyes, and said, “Winter vacation has started.” “Oh!” Xie Wendong replied casually and asked, “Are the exams over?” Jin Rong nodded vigorously. “How were the grades?” “They just ended. The grades won’t be out yet. But with my intelligence, I can barely get a scholarship or something!” Jin Rong said proudly, swaying her head. Xie Wendong laughed heartily. Ren Changfeng also laughed. As he knew Jin Rong the longest and was more familiar with her than the others, he joked, “I’ve long seen Miss Jin’s intelligence—she learned her multiplication table at just ten years old. There might be a few mistakes, but it’s not a big deal…” Jin Rong’s face turned red; she pouted in anger and gritted her teeth, saying, “You’re so annoying!” Ignoring him, she turned to Xie Wendong and said, “I heard the big brother is planning to go to Shanghai?”

“Mm!” Xie Wendong smiled as he patted Jin Rong’s head and said, “Your ears are really long.” Jin Rong liked and disliked his affectionate gestures at the same time; it felt like he was touching a child. She shook her head and said indirectly, “I heard Shanghai is very beautiful, with the Huangpu River and the Oriental Pearl Tower. It’s a shame I haven’t been there yet.”
Xie Wendong was smart enough to understand her intentions as soon as she entered. Sighing inwardly, he knew he had to refuse. This trip to Shanghai wasn’t for leisure—it was a life-or-death struggle. Most of the Nan Hongmen troops were stationed there, and if things went wrong, even he might lose his life, let alone little Jin Rong. Besides, once things got busy, he wouldn’t have time to take care of her. How could he explain anything to Old Jin if an accident happened? After thinking this through, he slowly said, “Shanghai is indeed beautiful, but beauty doesn’t mean it’s harmless.”
“Are you going, big brother?” Jin Rong asked cautiously. “If nothing goes wrong, I’ll set off tomorrow,” Xie Wendong replied honestly.
Jin Rong rushed to say, “Then take me with you! I’m on vacation, and it’s so boring at home.” Ren Changfeng shook his head and said, “Little girl, we’re going to fight. What can you do with us? Stay at home safely!” Unwilling to give up, Jin Rong hugged Xie Wendong’s arm and shook it back and forth, saying, “Big brother, please take me with you!”
Dazed from her shaking, Xie Wendong stood up and said firmly, “No! I can agree to anything else, but this is absolutely out of the question!” Jin Rong looked downhearted and helplessly at Jiang Sen. The latter stuck out his tongue, indicating that not only could he not help, but even if he could, he’d find reasons not to take her along, shrugging repeatedly to show he was powerless too. Jin Rong listlessly closed her eyes, then had an idea and said, “Big brother, you’ll pass through City T on your way to Shanghai. I want to visit Grandpa. Can I go with you?”
Xie Wendong blinked. He hadn’t expected the little girl to use such tactics now, and he really couldn’t think of a reason to refuse. He asked, “Will your parents agree?”
Jin Rong immediately perked up, her spirits lifted. She said proudly, “Of course. I’m already an adult, and my parents don’t have the right to restrict my freedom. Besides, I already said I wanted to visit Grandpa during the vacation, and they agreed.” “You’re not lying to me?” Xie Wendong pretended to take out his phone and said, “Then I need to call and ask!”

“Ask away, ask away! Liars are pigs!” Jin Rong said with confidence. Seeing that she didn’t seem to be lying, Xie Wendong hung up the phone, checked his watch, and said, “This isn’t a trivial matter; it’s better to go and visit in person.” Ren Changfeng nodded vigorously and said, “Exactly.” Jiang Sen smiled and said, “Actually, Brother Dong, you should have gone long ago!”
Speaking of which, it was the first time Xie Wendong had met Jin Rong’s parents. It was also his first time at her home. The residential complex was far from the busy areas, with a serene environment—especially the air, which was free from the pollution common in cities. Taking a breath, one could feel its freshness; here, one could even detect a slight sweetness from the fresh snow. People say snow has no taste, but clean fresh snow does, it just depends on how you perceive it. Walking on the paths within the complex, the ground was soft underfoot, accompanied by the crisp sound of stepping on snow, which was extremely comfortable. Xie Wendong turned to ask the few undercover brothers guarding Jin Rong, “Where do you usually live?” The talkative Ba Ma immediately replied, “It used to be tough—using the sky as a blanket and the ground as a bed. If that didn’t work, we’d climb onto rooftops or sleep in cars. Later, when it got colder, Brother Jiang said this wasn’t a solution, so we bought a house next to Jin Rong’s home at a high price.”
“Oh?” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Lao Sen, I’ve never heard you mention any of this!” Jiang Sen chuckled innocently, “They’re just trivial matters. If Brother Dong had to worry about these too, even an iron man would get exhausted.” Xie Wendong thought to himself, “If I had more people as careful as Lao Sen around me, the world would be in my hands.”
Jiang Sen shook his head and remained silent with a smile. Ren Changfeng said sourly beside him, “That’s exactly why Lao Sen is unique!” Jin Rong giggled and said, “Someone’s jealous!”
As they talked and walked, theyunconsciously arrived at Jin Rong’s house. The undercover brothers discreetly disappeared. Just as Jin Rong was about to take out the keys to open the door, Xie Wendong stopped her. He shook his head, smiled, and gently pressed the doorbell. Soon, the door opened, and a middle-aged man in his forties stepped out. Xie Wendong recognized at a glance that this must be Jin Rong’s father. He looked very much like Jin Peng, especially in terms of eyes and eyebrows—identical. His hair was black, without a single strand of gray, his face rosy, his forehead broad, his nose straight, and he also carried a hint of the domineering aura that Jin Peng had. Previously, Jin Peng had mentioned this son to Xie Wendong, saying his name was Jin Siyuan. Perhaps the old man had named him hoping he would have great ambitions and carry forward the Hongmen tradition. But instead, he chose to leave, not following the path the old man had prepared for him.

Xie Wendong sighed inwardly, nodded deeply, and said respectfully, “Uncle, hello! I’m Xie Wendong!”
The name Xie Wendong was by no means unfamiliar to Jin Siyuan. Ever since Xie Wendong saved Jin Rong from Ma Wu years ago, this name had lingered in his ears. He examined Xie Wendong from head to toe before finally fixing his gaze on his face and asking, “Young man, how old are you?”
Xie Wendong scratched his head shyly and replied, “Twenty-one.” “Twenty-one!” Jin Siyuan pondered those words for a while before saying, “At such a young age, you’ve already achieved what others can’t—you truly have a bright future ahead.” Xie Wendong replied politely, “Uncle, you flatter me.” Jin Siyuan really liked the polite Xie Wendong. He chuckled, leaned to the side, and said, “Come on in, please. Don’t just stand outside all day.”
Jin Rong ignored everything else, pushed Xie Wendong inside, busied herself with bringing slippers and moving chairs. Ren Changfeng had also met Jin Siyuan before but wasn’t very familiar with him. He nodded awkwardly and called out, “Uncle Jin!” Jin Siyuan hadn’t noticed him at first and was surprised. He asked, “Why are you here too?” Ren Changfeng scratched his head awkwardly. Ever since the old master was injured, he had realized that the leader of the Hongmen would definitely change. Even if Xie Wendong didn’t take over in the future, someone else would be chosen. In his mind, only two people could earn his willingness to serve them—old man Jin Peng and Xie Wendong. He didn’t care about anyone else. Being subordinate to them would be worse than being killed for him. So he had intended to join Xie Wendong’s faction, but it wasn’t easy to say so. With a quick thought, he said, “I’m here to protect Brother Dong!”