Chapter 285

Xiang Wentian arrived at the location specified by Xie Wendong on time, just as written in the letter. Knowing full well it was a trap, his courage and determination were still admirable, even with a district chief and dozens of armed police officers outside to protect him. It was overcast and windy today, with gusts like thousands of steel needles scratching his face painfully. A convoy of cars approached—their roar audible from afar, mixing police vehicles with sedans. After getting out of the cars, Xiang Wentian stood in front of the abandoned factory, looking around. The area was sparsely populated, covered in bushes, making it a secluded and suitable hiding place. Jing Xuewen, standing beside him, observed for a while before expressing concern, “Brother Xiang, are you really going in alone? That’s too risky. Why not send someone to arrest Xie Wendong directly?”
Xiang Wentian replied, “Arrest Xie Wendong? Can you even do that? Don’t forget his status. Without solid evidence, you can’t do anything to him; you’ll only end up frustrated.”
“Hmm!” Jing Xuewen sighed deeply. Xiang Wentian was right. Xie Wendong still held a position in the Political Department, though not high-ranking, one that no district chief like him could shake. “But if you go in alone, what if Xie Wendong has malicious intentions? It’ll be hard for you to get out.” Hearing this, Xiang Wentian laughed and said, “Do you think he’d dare? Xie Wendong is smart. Would he kill me in broad daylight, in front of so many police officers? Unless he’s crazy or cornered, risking his life to save himself. But I know he won’t go crazy even if the whole world did, and he’s not at his last resort. So with you all here, he definitely won’t lay a hand on me.”
Jing Xuewen stared at Xiang Wentian for a long time before sighing and saying, “Being enemies with someone like you—maybe Xie Wendong deserves his misfortune.”
“Haha!” Xiang Wentian laughed. “Maybe he’s even happy about it!” With that, he adjusted his neat suit and prepared to go in. At that moment, a figure appeared behind them—tall and thin, wearing glasses with green lenses. Upon closer inspection, it was clear his left eye was pure white, without a pupil, with a scar running diagonally from his eyebrow to his cheekbone. He pulled up the hem of his coat, pulled out a dark pistol from his waist, and handed it to Xiang Wentian, saying, “Brother Tian, just in case.”

Xiang Wentian didn’t want to, but he knew his brother’s temper—if he didn’t take it, his hand wouldn’t withdraw. He casually slipped the pistol into his pocket, patted the one-eyed man’s shoulder, and reassured him, “Don’t worry, it’s fine.” Before the one-eyed man could respond, another person approached—exceptionally handsome with fair skin, appearing to be in his early twenties or thirties. His lips curled upward naturally, giving him a constant smile, and his bright eyes subtly exuded charm. If it weren’t for the lack of feminine features on his chest, anyone would think he was a stunningly beautiful woman. He glanced at the one-eyed man, smirked, and “laughed,” saying, “What a blockhead! Since Brother Tian says it’s fine, why are you still so anxious?” He didn’t smile while speaking, yet it gave the impression of being full of joy. Having met this “alluring” man several times, Jing Xuewen still couldn’t help but take another look, feeling increasingly regretful. Heaven really knew how to joke—giving such a breathtakingly beautiful face to a man. He dared only think this in his heart, never daring to speak it aloud. Despite his boyish appearance and seemingly easy-to-offend demeanor, he knew this man was Zhou Ting, one of the Eight Heavenly Kings of the Nan Hong Men—possessing an angelic face but a devilish temper. Qian Xixi was already considered irritable, but she paled in comparison to Zhou Ting, who was even more explosive and had one absolute taboo: never mention his beauty. Many had tried, but they all met tragic ends. Probably only he could beat someone into having over forty fractures without killing them. The one-eyed man was Tian Fangchang, another of the Eight Heavenly Kings—cold, silent, and extremely arrogant, looking down on everyone else. Of the other seven in the group, he would barely consider more than two worthy of his attention. In Nanjing, half of the Eight Heavenly Kings had been eliminated, and in his words, those were just people with empty titles who had been removed. Tian Fangchang was used to being called a blockhead by Zhou Ting.
Tian Fangchang snorted, said nothing, and turned back to the car. Zhou Ting clicked his tongue and said, “Brother Tian, look at this blockhead’s attitude!”

Xiang Wentian smiled silently, shook his head, and wisely chose to leave. If he got entangled with Zhou Ting, it would go on endlessly. He stepped forward and headed toward the courtyard gate. The gate wasn’t locked; with a gentle push, it swung open. The inside was empty, with no one around. Just as he was puzzled, a light cough came from behind, startling him. Almost instinctively, he stepped forward and turned to look. There was someone crouched in the space behind the gate. He didn’t know how long they had been there, but there were five or six cigarette butts on the ground. Xiang Wentian had never seen this person before, but the imposing aura they exuded made him not dare underestimate them. The man looked up at Xiang Wentian, who also turned his head to gaze at him. Their sharp eyes met, sparking in the air.

After what seemed like a while, the man stood up, smoothed out his slightly wrinkled pants, and said indifferently, “Are you Xiang Wentian?!”

“That’s right!” The man stepped out of the dark corner, and Xiang Wentian could finally see his face clearly. He was quite young, no older than thirty, with a strong build and a height of about 180 centimeters. The most striking feature was a vertical scar two fingers wide between his eyebrows. Xiang Wentian felt a stir in his heart, as if recalling something, and asked, “Who are you then?”

The man grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, and said, “My name? I’ve almost forgotten it too. But people call me Three-Eyes.” Sure enough! Xiang Wentian nodded inwardly. This was the second-in-command of the Wen Dong Gang—Three-Eyes! He had been in constant open and secret conflicts with Xie Wendong, so he had long learned everything about him—how many people the Wen Dong Gang had, who its capable members were, and who its famous figures were. Thus, he was quite familiar with Three-Eyes, the most influential person in the Wen Dong Gang besides Xie Wendong. Still, meeting him in person was somewhat unfamiliar. He laughed and said, “I’ve heard of you. I just didn’t expect you to come to Shanghai as well.” Three-Eyes also laughed, rubbed his wrist, and said, “One has to stay active to stay energetic. After living a peaceful life in the Northeast for too long, I couldn’t help but come here to find something to do.” Xiang Wentian smiled and said, “But Shanghai isn’t like the Northeast. It’s not easy to find ‘work’ here, and even if you do find it, it’s not easy to handle! If you’re not careful,” he paused slightly and tapped his fingers, “you’ll get eliminated.”

Xiang Wentian’s words carried hidden meaning, which Three-Eyes understood. He said, “Without competition, there’s no progress. Without progress, it’s regression. I hope you can give me enough motivation to progress!”

The two exchanged smiles. Sanyan waved his hand and said, “Xiang, come in!” After yielding slightly, Xiang Wentian stepped forward without hesitation, walking deep into the courtyard with no trace of fear. Sanyan secretly gave a thumbs-up—just for that courage, Xiang could be considered a top-tier figure. Guided by Sanyan, the two arrived at a two-story building. It used to be the factory’s office building but was now in ruins; the original colors on the walls were long gone, and it was hard to find even a single intact window. A group of people stood at the entrance. Xiang Wentian took a glance and recognized most of them; the few he didn’t know were likely elites from the Wendong Club who had come to Shanghai with Xie Wendong. He was right—among the strangers were members of the secret group, as well as Li Shuang and Gao Qiang, key figures in the Wendong Club. Dong Xinlei stepped forward first, filled with hatred but hiding it behind a warm smile as he shook Xiang Wentian’s hand repeatedly, saying, “Welcome, welcome!” Secretly, he applied extra force. Dozens of police officers were patrolling outside, and Liu Bo had already passed on the news—even if they couldn’t kill him, they could at least intimidate him. Xiang Wentian remained smiling and politely declined their thanks. Though he didn’t exert much force, Dong Xinlei felt as if he wasn’t holding human hands but rather a hard stone. It was their first “close contact,” and he gained a new understanding of Xiang Wentian. An expert’s skill is evident at first glance; just by meeting him, Dong Xinlei realized Xiang Wentian’s abilities were far beyond his own, though he couldn’t predict exactly how skilled he was. The two released their hands. Dong Xinlei’s hands hung down, his trembling fingers not escaping Sanyan’s notice. Knowing he had suffered a secret loss, his blood boiled. He raised the corner of his mouth, hid his right hand behind his back, and leaned forward, ready to attack. Gao Qiang, standing nearby, sensed his intentions and stepped in front of him, shaking his head as his eyes scanned the building. Sanyan understood and let out a low hum before slowly lowering his arm, watching Xiang Wentian’s every move with a smile. Xiang Wentian seemed unaware of the subtle exchange between Sanyan and Gao Qiang. He deliberately looked around and said, “It seems the people who should be here haven’t arrived yet!”

Dong Xinlei laughed and said, “Brother Dong is ‘hosting’ a guest inside—someone surnamed Bai.” He deliberately emphasized the word “hosting.” “Oh?” Xiang Wentian’s heart tightened; he thought to himself that this was bad news. Surnamed Bai clearly referred to Bai Yan—a man by no means a good person—hosting a stunningly beautiful woman. He couldn’t imagine the consequences. Even though he usually remained calm, he was now somewhat disturbed. He slowly said, “Then am I fortunate enough to go up and meet the host and guest here, Xu Xu?”
“Of course!” Dong Xinlei chuckled. “Brother Dong has said that no one else is allowed in, but Brother Xiang is an exception.” “Hehe, I’m truly flattered.” Though Xiang Wentian appeared calm on the surface, he was desperate to rush into the building and drag Xie Wendong out. Seeming to notice his anxiety, Dong Xinlei deliberately walked slowly and kept asking trivial questions. Watching Xiang Wentian’s increasingly gloomy expression, he was so pleased he almost floated away. It was the first time he felt so evil, and also the first time he realized how enjoyable it was to be a villain. Finally, they arrived at a wooden door covered with iron sheets. Just as he was about to knock, he suddenly clutched his stomach in pain and apologized, “Brother Xiang, I’m so sorry. I suddenly need to use the restroom. Wait for me here for a while.” Without giving Xiang Wentian a chance to respond, he turned and ran away.

Xiang Wentian was stunned for a moment. He looked around; the corridor was empty, with no one in sight. He then glanced at the metal door in front of him and reached out to push it open, but reconsidered and gave up. He steadied his emotions and tried to figure out what kind of trick Xie Wendong was playing. Just as he was thinking, a man’s laughter came from inside the door—the sound was like a sharp knife piercing deeply into his heart. He could tell it was Xie Wendong’s voice. Anxiously, considering Bai Yan’s well-being and without waiting for Dong Xinlei to return, Xiang Wentian stepped to the side, raised his leg, and kicked the door hard. With a loud “bang,” echoes reverberated through the corridor as the metal door flew open. Xiang Wentian moved swiftly; almost the moment the door was kicked open, he rushed in, holding a shiny black pistol in his hand. Once inside, he wanted to shout loudly to intimidate Xie Wendong, but what he saw inside left him stunned. The room was quite large, at least over 30 square meters. In the center stood a large round wooden table laden with dishes—no fewer than thirty plates of various foods. People sat around the table. In the center was Xie Wendong, dressed the same way all year round, as if he wore the same outfit from the beginning to the end of the year. To his right sat a young man in his thirties wearing white clothes; his clothes were white, and so was his skin. He had thick eyebrows, delicate features, a straight nose, and a square mouth. Xiang Wentian knew this man all too well—it was Bai Ziyi, the head of the Bai family who had always maintained good relations with the Nan Hong Men, and also Bai Yan’s elder brother. The others included Ren Changfeng, Jiang Sen, and Bai Ziyi’s trusted subordinates.

Xiang Wentian kicked the door open with a foot, startling the people inside, especially Bai Ziyi’s subordinates. They didn’t even have time to put down their glasses before pulling out their guns. When they turned to look, they were stunned, staring in shock at this uninvited guest. Seeing the situation inside, Xiang Wentian quickly figured out what was going on. Xie Wendong had used Bai Yan to threaten him not to deal with him or kill him, but rather to embarrass him—more precisely, to intimidate him. His face turned slightly red, but he reacted quickly, discreetly putting away his gun and smiling calmly. “Brother Xie, I’m really sorry for showing up so suddenly without even knocking. Brother Bai, what are you doing here too?” The latter question was actually what he wanted to ask the most. Bai Ziyi stood up, also surprised by Xiang Wentian’s sudden appearance. But he was no ordinary person—he was extremely cunning, with emotions never showing on his face. He laughed at Xiang Wentian and said, “Brother Xiang, Yanzi didn’t come home all night the day before yesterday. I thought something serious had happened and sent people to look everywhere. It was only after receiving a message from Brother Xie that I found out she was with him. Brother Xie just arrived in Shanghai and isn’t familiar with the place; he just accidentally ‘invited’ her by mistake. Well, I came today to take Yanzi home. Who would have thought Brother Xie would be so polite, preparing such a sumptuous feast to apologize? Haha… It’s too much. We’re all in this business together—there’s no need to be so formal!” “Where is Yanzi?” “It’s a matter between men. It’s best for girls to stay out of it. I’ve already sent someone to take her home.”