Chapter 283

“Where are you taking me?” Bai Yan was after all an experienced person; even in the hands of two fierce strangers, she remained calm, showing no sign of panic.
Jin Yan didn’t even turn his head as he drove, saying, “You’ll know when we get there.” Mu Zi seemed to have quickly forgotten the pain Bai Yan had caused him earlier and said cheerfully, “We’ll be there soon.”
Indeed, it wasn’t long—within five minutes, the car drove into a residential alley. It wasn’t wide, but wide enough for two trucks to pass side by side. After driving a bit further, a light flashed in the alley ahead. Bai Yan focused her gaze and saw that two black sedans were already parked there. Jin Yan slowly stopped the car, stepped out, pulled open the rear door, gestured for her to get in, and said calmly, “Miss Bai, please.” Without his urging, Bai Yan also wanted to get out and see who these people were and who had the audacity to kidnap her.
One of the sedan doors opened, and a young man in his twenties stepped out. He was of average build, with an unremarkable appearance, wearing a smile that almost turned his eyes into two black lines. “I’m really sorry for having to use such a method to bring Miss Bai here.” Bai Yan sized up the young man from head to toe but couldn’t recall him at all. He didn’t seem unusual either, so she said coldly, “Make your boss come out to see me.” “Hehe!” The young man shrugged and shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I am the boss.”
“You?” Bai Yan wasn’t sure whether to be surprised or amused. Looking at the seemingly harmless young man and then at the two burly men behind him with murderous intent, she burst into laughter. The young man wasn’t bothered; he had seen this kind of situation many times. He simply said, “Who I am isn’t important. I just want to ask Miss Bai a few questions.”
“Before asking, tell me who you are and who your boss is,” Bai Yan insisted, staying focused on her goal. The young man shook his head and replied calmly, “I don’t have a boss. My name is Xie Wendong.” “Ah!” Bai Yan gasped, almost shouting in shock. She never expected that this unremarkable young man was Xie Wendong, the leader of the North Hongmen, someone who could rival Xiang Wentian. It took her five seconds to recover, during which her thoughts raced as she tried to figure out his motives. The changes in Bai Yan’s expression didn’t escape Xie Wendong’s notice. He chuckled and said calmly, “Don’t be surprised. From now on, Shanghai will likely revolve around me for a long time.”

If someone else had said those words, Bai Yan would have laughed three times, but the person speaking now failed to make her laugh. Still unsure, she asked, “Are you really Xie Wendong?” “Guaranteed!” Xie Wendong took out a cigarette and offered it to Bai Yan, who shook her head mechanically. She then asked, “Did you come to Shanghai to deal with Xiang Wentian?”
Xie Wendong lit the cigarette, took a gentle puff, and said, “You could say that.” “What do you mean by ‘you could say that’?” “Compared to Shanghai, Xiang Wentian becomes less important. But to establish myself here, I first need to remove obstacles, and he might be the biggest one for me in Shanghai.” Xie Wendong fiddled with the cigarette, the burning end spinning between his fingers. Seeing him speak so casually, Bai Yan snorted inwardly and said sternly, “From what you say, it seems you don’t take Xiang Wentian seriously at all. As far as I know, he’s not an ordinary person.”
“Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded in agreement. “The leader of the Nan Hongmen can’t be an ordinary person.” “Since you know that, why are you so confident in defeating the Nan Hongmen, which has dominated Shanghai for decades?” Bai Yan sneered. “Haha!” Xie Wendong laughed heartily, looking into those beautiful eyes with distinct black and white pupils. He said slowly, “Actually, I’m not sure either. There are some things I must do, some people I must face. I only know that the more afraid I am, the lower my chances of winning. That’s why I’ve never been afraid of anyone. And that’s why I’m still alive today.” Bai Yan stared at Xie Wendong for a long time before slowly saying, “It seems you really are Xie Wendong.”
“You’re quite familiar with Xiang Wentian, right?” Xie Wendong asked nonchalantly. Bai Yan paused for a moment before calmly saying, “I’ve met him.” Xie Wendong asked, “What do you think of him?” Her mind wandered, and her gaze drifted elsewhere. After a while, she said, “He’s like a flame. Around him, you’ll never doubt that there’s anything in the world he can’t melt.”

Xie Wendong’s eyes sparkled as he stared at her without blinking and said, “This might be the highest praise I’ve ever heard for anyone. But it shouldn’t be an overstatement when applied to Xiang Wentian.” Sighing, he asked again, “In Shanghai, besides Nan Hongmen, are there any other gangs?” “Yes!” Bai Yan replied, “Although Nan Hongmen has a strong foothold in Shanghai, they focus mainly on legitimate business. As for the underworld, despite the many large and small gangs, Nan Hongmen’s dominant position remains unshaken, with most gangs following their lead.” Xie Wendong nodded as he listened. After Bai Yan finished speaking, he asked, “What do you mean by ‘most’? Are there some gangs that don’t obey them?” Bai Yan’s carefully added caution was still picked up by Xie Wendong. With a wry smile, she said, “You could say that.” “Who?” Xie Wendong pressed on, his eyes gleaming intensely. Bai Yan turned her head away to avoid his piercing gaze, adjusted her dress, and said, “That’s all I can tell you. As for the rest, you’ll have to ask someone else.” With an elegant wave, she said, “Goodbye,” and turned to get into the car. Just as she opened the door, Jin Yan stepped forward, kicked the half-open door shut, and said coldly, “Sorry, you can’t go anywhere until you give us a satisfactory answer.” “What?” Bai Yan raised her delicate eyebrows and asked, “Am I being kidnapped by you now?” She had long been dissatisfied with Jin Yan, and her wrist still hurt from his grip earlier. Now that she wanted to leave, he was making things difficult for her. Filled with anger, she turned to Xie Wendong and asked coldly, “Is this your North Hongmen’s way of treating guests?!” Xie Wendong looked at the cigarette in his hand and replied evasively, calmly saying, “He’s my brother.” “So what?” Bai Yan suppressed her anger, scanning the surroundings. There were only four or five people around, but she was sure none of them were easy to deal with. Any one of them would be beyond her capabilities. Xie Wendong looked up at the sky, yawned, and smiled, saying, “Generally, what my brother says is what I say.”

Bai Yan’s eyes widened in anger as she snapped, “Xie Wendong, do you know what you’re doing? This is Shanghai, not…” “I’m sorry,” Xie Wendong interrupted her, smiling. “As long as I want to do something, it doesn’t matter where.” He stepped forward and stared at her cheeks. Her originally fair skin had turned red from anger, and under the dim moonlight, it appeared even more alluring. He murmured to himself with a smile, “You look pretty when you’re angry.”

Hearing this, Bai Yan’s nose almost twisted in fury. She was used to being in a position of power and attention—when had she ever suffered such humiliation? Xie Wendong didn’t care about her feelings at all. With an innocent smile, he said, “We don’t even have a proper place to stay in Shanghai. At night, we all sleep together—conditions are really tough. I think Miss Bai won’t mind sharing a bed with my brothers for the night.” He spoke casually, but Bai Yan broke into a cold sweat. She silently cursed Xie Wendong’s entire family line. Her face turned pale and then red as she stared at him. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally gave in and said, “Xie Wendong, I’m keeping this in mind today. Fine, go ahead and ask whatever you want to ask.” “Mm…” Xie Wendong rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, then said, “Tell me, which gang has the greatest conflict and deepest grudges with the Nan Hong Men?”

“Heaven’s Will will,” Bai Yan said without hesitation. Heaven’s Will was relatively new in Shanghai, but its reputation was far from small. It was founded by three brothers surnamed Duan, who started out in smuggling and gradually expanded into activities involving prostitution, gambling, and drugs. As their ranks grew, it evolved into a formidable criminal organization. Prostitution and gambling weren’t much of a concern in Shanghai—after all, where there are people, these things will always exist. But as for drugs, few gangs in Shanghai dared to get involved. One reason was to maintain the city’s international image, and the government was strict about it. Most importantly, Xiang Wentian disliked drugs, and because of him, the entire Nan Hongmen stayed away from them. Some of its members pressured other gangs involved in drug trafficking to stop, in an effort to please their leader. Heaven’s Will’s drug trafficking activities undoubtedly touched upon Nan Hongmen’s sensitive interests. Since drugs brought huge profits quickly, and despite Nan Hongmen’s warnings, Heaven’s Will underestimated their strength, thinking they wouldn’t take action against them. They continued their ways without any intention of backing down, which ultimately led to conflict between the two gangs. Under the combined efforts of Nan Hongmen and the police, Heaven’s Will, once a seemingly unshakable power, collapsed in an instant. The three brothers—one dead, one escaped, and one captured—remains in prison to this day. With their tragic end, Heaven’s Will fell from being one of the major gangs to a mere shell, barely sustained by a few loyal members. Its hatred toward Nan Hongmen was immense; there was no other group like it in Shanghai. After Bai Yan explained the situation, Xie Wendong finally exhaled and asked, “Since Nan Hongmen has already taken action, why not eliminate the remnants of Heaven’s Will?” Bai Yan replied, “Xiang Wentian isn’t the kind to go to extreme measures.” Xie Wendong shook his head in thought. If it were him, he would never leave any threats behind. If you don’t eradicate the roots, the weeds will grow back. Having enemies right under your nose would likely keep him awake at night. This might well be the biggest difference between him and Xiang Wentian. With that thought, Xie Wendong laughed loudly. Even before facing each other, he already knew Xiang Wentian wasn’t his match—those who weren’t decisive had easy weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Seeing him laugh, Bai Yan asked puzzledly, “Did I say something funny?” Xie Wendong shook his head and said, “Xiang Wentian is a hero.”

Hearing him say that, her previously gloomy face instantly brightened as she smiled brightly. Bai Yan nodded and said, “He truly is a hero in the underworld.” Seeing her happy expression, Xie Wendong suddenly asked, “Miss Bai, you haven’t fallen for Xiang Wentian, have you?!” Bai Yan’s face turned red, and she immediately became stern, saying coldly, “That seems none of your business.” “Exactly,” Xie Wendong shrugged. “If you hadn’t met me, it indeed wouldn’t be my business. But now it’s different. I don’t want Xiang Wentian to know I’ve arrived in Shanghai so soon. It seems, Miss Bai, I can only apologize to you.” With that, he shook his head and got into the car.

“What do you mean by that?” Bai Yan still didn’t understand, but she quickly figured it out with the ‘friendly’ gesture from the golden-eyed man. Though her hands were held by him, she didn’t stay silent and cursed loudly, “Xie Wendong! You promised to let me go! You untrustworthy scoundrel! You’ll pay for this…” Before she could finish, Xie Wendong poked his head out of the car, smiling broadly with eyes curved like crescent moons, looking like a shy student. He waved his hand and said, “I forgot to give you a piece of advice beforehand—never trust a villain!”

Just as Bai Yan was about to curse again, Xie Wendong had already withdrawn into the car, stepped on the accelerator, and drove away. Mu Zi opened the door of Bai Yan’s sedan, elegantly bent down, and said with a smile, “Miss Bai, please!” Without hesitation, Bai Yan lifted her foot and kicked him. Having learned from the last time, Mu Zi was prepared and dodged easily. Bai Yan missed Mu Zi and instead collided with the car door. With a ‘bang!’ the intense pain in her foot made her cry. Mu Zi pretended to be distressed and kept saying, “Oh no, is it painful? Do you need me to rub it for you?”

“Die…” Bai Yan gritted her teeth. Before she could finish, she saw Mu Zi crouching down, looking extremely pained, wiping the car door he had been kicked unintentionally.

In the northern suburbs, inside an empty, abandoned factory building, Bai Yan was captured by Xie Wendong and locked in a tiny, enclosed room less than five square meters in size. Dong Xinlei peered out of the window, smiling as he whispered to Xie Wendong, “Brother Dong, is this woman Bai Yan?” Xie Wendong replied with a smile, “That’s right.” Dong Xinlei expressed concern, “The Bai family is not easy to deal with! Xiang Wentian alone is already enough of a problem for us. Now that we’ve offended the Bai family as well, won’t we be attacked from both sides?!” “Hmm!” Xie Wendong nodded and said, “It’s precisely because the Bai family is powerful and has connections with Xiang Wentian that I captured Bai Yan.” Dong Xinlei blinked and said, “I don’t understand.” Xie Wendong chuckled and said, “Let’s see Xiang Wentian’s first move. Bai Yan is just a probe.” Not knowing what Xie Wendong was thinking, Dong Xinlei murmured, “I hope this so-called ‘probe’ won’t end up hurting us instead!”