Chapter 289

Moreover, the other party once said, “Under the Hongwu Gate, talents emerge in abundance,” which is precisely the slogan passed down by the Hongmen since ancient times. Xiang Wentian! What grudge do I have against you that you treat me like this? Bo Zhanhui unconsciously grasped the dagger, and blood seeped through his fingers and dripped to the ground. After arriving in Shanghai, Xie Wendong did not make a fuss, so Bo Zhanhui naturally didn’t suspect him. Although there was also the Northern Hongmen in Shanghai, they were too busy dealing with Xiang Wentian to even think of attacking him. His first thought was naturally Xiang Wentian. He suddenly stood up, paced back and forth in front of the chair, his face turning pale and red alternately. Suddenly stopping, he gritted his teeth and said, “The Hongmen may be powerful, but we must avenge this. Otherwise, we won’t be able to stay in this world any longer.”

The others were shocked upon hearing this. One young man in his thirties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, asked, “Brother Hui, do you mean…?”

Bo Zhanhui panted heavily and roared, “They killed so many of our brothers—we must repay them with the same number of lives. Old Liu’s blood cannot be shed in vain. I want Xiang Wentian to pay with his own blood!”

“Well…” The young man cleared his throat and said calmly, “Brother Hui, this isn’t the right approach. First, we can’t be sure it was the Hongmen who did it; it could be someone else pretending to be them. Even if it was the Hongmen, there are Northern and Southern factions—who knows if it’s Xiang Wentian? Besides, Xiang Wentian has business dealings with us, and he has a grudge against the Tianyi Society. He has no reason to help them kill our people—there must be some hidden motive.” The young man’s name was Xuan Zidan, the strategist of the Zhongyi Gang and Bo Zhanhui’s advisor. His reasoning was logical and compelling. Bo Zhanhui hesitated for a moment before saying roughly, “Xiao Xuan, then what do you suggest we do?”

“Wait!” Xuan Zidan said confidently. Bo Zhanhui raised his eyebrows in doubt. “Wait for what?” Xuan Zidan replied, “No one would help someone for no reason. If someone is helping the Tianyi Society, they must have their own agenda. We just need to wait and see—everything will become clear in the end.” “Hmm!” Bo Zhanhui nodded and looked around at the others. “What do you all think?” The people around him quickly said, “Zidan’s idea is the best. Without solid evidence, getting into a feud with the Southern Hongmen won’t benefit us.”

Bo Zhanhui said, “Alright, I’ll wait a few more days. Everyone go back and get ready. Tell our men to be vigilant—we might take action at any time.”

“Yes!” Everyone replied in unison before leaving. Xuan Zidan had originally gone out with them, but he came back after walking around outside and stood respectfully beside Bo Zhanhui, waiting for him to speak. In the eyes of others, he was Bo Zhanhui’s advisor—quick-witted, meticulous, and highly intelligent. But he knew himself to be far inferior to Bo Zhanhui, who appeared irritable and careless. After everyone left, Bo Zhanhui was completely different from his angry, panting state earlier; he carefully wiped the blood from his hands with a handkerchief, his eyes gleaming coldly. When he saw Xuan Zidan turn around, he nodded in approval and said solemnly, “Even the stupidest fool in the world can see that this couldn’t have been done by the Nan Hongmen.” “Mm!” Xuan Zidan nodded in agreement. Bo Zhanhui added, “But in front of my subordinates, I can’t show any sign of fear toward them.” Xuan Zidan smiled and said, “I understand.” Bo Zhanhui sneered, “I heard Xie Wendong has come to Shanghai?” “That’s right,” said Xuan Zidan. “Is the information reliable?” Xuan Zidan replied, “It came from within the Nan Hongmen. Apparently, Xie Wendong even invited Xiang Wentian for a meal.” “Oh?” Bo Zhanhui shrugged and laughed. “Xie Wendong inviting Xiang Wentian for a meal? Haha, no good wine or feast—did he go?” “Yes,” said Xuan Zidan. “Did Xie Wendong do nothing to him?” “No, because there was a whole squad of police outside.” “Haha!” Bo Zhanhui laughed heartily and sighed, “What a guy, Xiang Wentian!” After a pause, he shifted his gaze and said, “Help me arrange a meeting with Xie Wendong, no matter what methods you use.” “Huh?” Xuan Zidan was shocked and exclaimed, “Brother Hui, if he admits it was him, inviting him out isn’t…” “Hehe,” Bo Zhanhui sneered, “It’s just a matter of killing a few people! Xie Wendong is smart, bold, and strong. If we can work together with him, the Nan Hongmen’s dominance over Shanghai will end, and then it will be our turn to rise to power.” Xuan Zidan’s heart trembled as he asked, “Brother Hui, are you planning to ally with Xie Wendong to take on Xiang Wentian?” “Haha…” Bo Zhanhui laughed loudly, his broad shoulders shaking with each laugh. He walked to the window, looking at the streets below, and said slowly, “In Shanghai, compared to the Nan Hongmen, the Bei Hongmen is much easier to deal with. Compared to Xiang Wentian, Xie Wendong is much easier to deal with. When the North and South fight to the death, that’s when it’s our time to step forward.” Sighing secretly, Xuan Zidan realized that this man, who seemed like a simpleton to others, was actually more cunning than anyone else.

Xie Wendong felt very comfortable and proud at this moment. He had reason to be happy—although it was only the Tianyi Society that he had taken over in name only, he still had a foothold in Shanghai. He had no concept of the Zhongyi Gang nor did he take it seriously; aside from Wen Tian, there were few others who caught his attention. The battle had been decisive, with minimal casualties yet substantial gains. Back at the abandoned factory, he first arranged for his subordinates to rest, then led Sanyan Dongxinlei and others into a secret room.

Though called a secret room, it was actually just a semi-enclosed storage space. After arriving, Xie Wendong tidied it up, turning it into a place where he and his top officials could discuss important matters in secret.

Xie Wendong took off his coat, wearing only a white shirt with the buttons half-unfastened, revealing his muscular chest. Even though winter hadn’t yet ended, Shanghai still felt like spring in the north to him. Coupled with the poor ventilation in the small room, it was unbearably stuffy. There were over a dozen people in the 20-square-meter room—all senior officials from the Wendong Society and the Beihongmen. Xie Wendong sat in the center, a cigarette in his mouth though unlit, fiddling with a lighter that made a “ding” sound from time to time. Smiling, he said, “Everyone’s here today—most of the key officials from the Wendong Society and the Hongmen. By the way,” he tapped his head, “I’ve been in Shanghai for a few days now, and everyone still doesn’t know each other well. Let’s take this opportunity to introduce ourselves.”

“Ah!” Sanyan and Dongxinlei said in unison, “What’s there to introduce? We’re all familiar with each other—who isn’t who?” Xie Wendong pointed at Lingmin sitting in the corner and asked, “Do you know this lady?” “Oh…” Sanyan frowned and tapped his head, struggling to remember for a long time before shaking his head and sighing, “I’ve seen her before, but we’ve never talked, so…”

“So you don’t know her name.” Xie Wendong finished the sentence for him. Ren Changfeng burst into laughter. Sitting next to Lingmin, he pulled her over and said proudly, “She’s the pride of our Hongmen—our number one beauty!” Lingmin glared at him fiercely, stood up, glanced around, and said calmly, “Lingmin.” Without another word, she sat back down.

What a distinctive personality! The same thought flashed through the minds of Sanyan, Gaoqiang, and Lishuang almost simultaneously. Xie Wendong had spent a lot of time with Lingmin, so he was well aware of her character. He simply smiled and said, “Don’t underestimate her. Do you know why she’s called ‘Third Place Winner’?” Sanyan shook his head in confusion. Ren Changfeng rushed to say, “Ask her about the knife in her hand, and you’ll know why.” Sanyan glared at him, displeased, thinking to himself, What a talkative kid! Xie Wendong looked around at everyone and suddenly felt something was missing. He lowered his head for a moment before asking, “By the way, why haven’t I seen Tianxing these days since I arrived in Shanghai?”
Dong Xinlei replied, “Tianxing is still in Nanjing; he hasn’t come to Shanghai yet.” “Oh?” Xie Wendong frowned slightly and asked further, “Are there still unresolved matters in Nanjing?” Dong Xinlei shook his head. “I asked him too. He said Nanjing is the foundation for the gang’s expansion southward. If we can’t strengthen it here, we won’t have a way to retreat if things go wrong.” “Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded repeatedly. Nie Tianxing was indeed quick-witted and highly intelligent, seeing further than others. He was right—both he and Xiang Wentian understood how important Nanjing was to the Hongmen factions in the north and south. That’s why they fought fiercely over such a small area. Strengthening Nanjing would also eliminate the Hongmen in the north’s worries. Xie Wendong thought for a moment and said, “Nanjing is indeed important, but Tianxing doesn’t necessarily need to stay behind to oversee things personally.” Dong Xinlei and Nie Tianxing were close friends, and fearing that Brother Dong might blame him, he quickly said, “Brother Dong, I understand. I’ll call Tianxing right away.” “Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded. He glanced around and then changed the subject, asking, “Now that Tianyi has joined us and we have a foothold, what do you all think should be our next step?” “Brother Dong,” Ren Changfeng said, “Seize the opportunity! We’ve just won a battle and our morale is high. Why not take this chance…”
Before he could finish, Dong Xinlei already knew what he was going to say. Shaking his head like a rattle, he said, “To confront Xiang Wentian head-on with our current strength is asking for disaster. Not to mention anything else, just the police’s support for him is enough to give us trouble. Moreover, we don’t even know how strong the Hongmen in the south really are. How can we fight such a battle?”
Ren Changfeng retorted, “What is there we don’t know about the Hongmen in the south’s strength? As for their key figures, it’s just those so-called Eight Heavenly Kings who are more name than substance. But what happened in Nanjing? Three of them were killed, and another is still locked up in City T! What about Xiao Fang? In the end, it turned out to be a race to see who could run fastest. Old Lei, your courage is getting smaller and smaller!”

Dong Xinlei’s face turned red. He tried to speak again, but Xie Wendong stopped him with a gesture, saying, “Actually, Lao Lei is right. Fighting head-on with the Nan Hongmen now might not bring us any advantages. But if we keep hiding, it will surely dampen morale. So, we must fight. We should also go and see how Xiang Wentian responds.”

Hearing that Xie Wendong wanted to fight, Ren Changfeng was the most excited. Sitting there, his eyelashes seemed to smile as he looked at Dong Xinlei with a triumphant grin, as if to say, “Well?! I was right, wasn’t I?” Dong Xinlei ignored him, turning his head aside on purpose. He and Ren Changfeng had grown up together, but their personalities were completely opposite—one calm and steady, the other restless and ambitious. Dong Xinlei was cautious in his actions, while Ren Changfeng craved glory. Though their temperaments differed, they shared one thing: both valued loyalty deeply. Although they often argued, at least half of Dong Xinlei’s scars were left by Ren Changfeng, simply because the latter was extremely arrogant and skilled at causing trouble. Seeing Ren Changfeng’s smug expression always annoyed Dong Xinlei, who asked, “Brother Dong, what should we do? How should we fight?”

Xie Wendong smiled and said, “I heard Xiang Wentian has quite a few businesses in Shanghai—legitimate businesses!” “Mm!” Dong Xinlei agreed wholeheartedly. Having spent a few months in Shanghai, he had observed some of the patterns there. He said, “In Shanghai, regulations are much stricter than elsewhere. It’s not easy to run illegal businesses there, and the risks are extremely high. If caught, it’s hard to escape or recover. That’s why organized gangs rely on legitimate businesses as their main source of income, while using illegal means and manpower to secretly support those businesses. Money from legitimate sources flows continuously into the illegal world, which then uses that money to strengthen itself and better support the legitimate businesses. They complement each other—like gears, one turning drives the other, which in turn drives it faster and faster.”

Everyone listened quietly, especially Sanyan, who had never realized that legitimate business could be so impactful. Before, he had always viewed lawful business as useless—useless to keep and a pity to discard. Xie Wendong pondered for a long time before finally letting out a deep sigh and exclaiming, “It’s very scientific! Isn’t it?” Dong Xinlei laughed and said, “It was forced from above, and it evolved gradually.” “It seems we still have a lot to learn!” Deeply moved, Xie Wendong finally lit his cigarette after a while and said, “Anyway, we still need to do what needs to be done. What’s the name of Nanhongmen’s largest legitimate enterprise?” Dong Xinlei replied without hesitation, “Hongtian Group!”
Hongtian Group was established by Xiang Wentian after taking over Nanhongmen. Over the years, it has grown into a large conglomerate with assets worth billions of yuan. Especially in Shanghai, Hongtian Group has attracted several local giants to invest in it, greatly enhancing its strength. Its business scope is extensive, ranging from government-approved projects to self-operated shopping malls, and its reputation is highly respected both in the industry and among the public. Hongtian Group is also one of Nanhongmen’s main economic pillars, and Shanghai is the primary source of its financial revenue. Thus, the importance of Shanghai to Xiang Wentian and to Nanhongmen as a whole is evident.