Chapter 308

The next day, the entire city of Shanghai was in an uproar. Television, radio, and newspapers competed to report on the fire at Yongsheng Mall. The once glorious building had been reduced to ashes by the fierce fire, leaving only a dark, twisted steel framework standing in its place. The security personnel inside were missing, and the police suspected arson based on their initial assessment.

Xie Wendong slept until after noon. On the table beside his bed lay a large cup of hot milk and today’s newspaper. His habits had long been understood by those around him. As noon approached, everyone knew Brother Dong would wake up, so the clever ones prepared milk for him to drink. Lying in bed with his eyes closed, Xie Wendong still felt tired, and the muscles in his arms were swollen and painful. He wanted to sleep a little more, but the enticing smell of milk reached his nose. He couldn’t resist it, and his stomach started growling. With a sigh, he sat up, reaching for the bed. A sharp pain made him frown slightly. After moving around a bit, he felt a little better. He took a couple of sips of milk and casually picked up the newspaper. The cover featured a large photo showing the devastated remains of the burned building—crumbled bricks and debris, a sight too gruesome to bear. It was only when he read the text below that he realized it was Yongsheng Mall he had set on fire. He laughed inwardly and tossed the newspaper aside.

He didn’t want to read the nonsense in the reports, nor did he want to know how the police had arrived at their conclusions. All he wanted to know now was what was happening with the Nan Hongmen and what Xiang Wentian planned. He finished the milk in his cup, endured the pain to get dressed, and stepped out of his room. The lobby was quite lively. Jiang Lin had somehow found a decoration company that had started repairing the damaged parts of the hotel—some were installing doors, some windows, and others were painting the walls, all busy with work. San Yan, Dong Xinlei, and others were gathered in the dining room on the east side, chatting and laughing. When they saw Xie Wendong come out, they all stood up and asked, “Brother Dong, are you okay?” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “It’s just a minor injury; nothing serious.” He found a chair to sit down and asked cheerfully, “What are you talking about?” Li Shuang waved the newspaper in his hand and said, “We’re wondering how Xiang Wentian is crying at home right now!!!”

Xie Wendong shook his head. One Yongsheng wasn’t enough to seriously weaken the Nan Hongmen; at most, it would cause some disruption. He glanced around and didn’t see Liu Bo, so he asked, “Where’s Old Liu?”
“He?” San Yan replied, “He went out early in the morning to gather information. With such a big incident, he wanted to see how the Nan Hongmen would react. But he still hasn’t come back yet.”

Xie Wendong nodded in approval, silently admiring that Liu Bo was now much more experienced than before—there were some things he no longer needed to explain himself, as Liu Bo could already figure them out. With that thought, he stood up, about to leave, when suddenly it seemed he remembered something and said to Dong Xinlei, “Lao Lei, from last night’s chaotic battle, it’s clear we still lack enough manpower. Have T City and Nanjing send some troops over quickly. If nothing goes wrong, Xiang Wentian will likely retaliate against us for burning Yongsheng soon. Also, why hasn’t Tianxing arrived yet?”
“Oh… well…” Dong Xinlei was at a loss. He had never dared to bring this up with Xie Wendong before, nor had he had the chance. Now that Xie Wendong had asked directly, he couldn’t hide it any longer. Hesitating, he remained silent for a long time. Seeing his expression, Xie Wendong immediately realized something was wrong. He rolled up his pant legs, sat down again, and narrowed his eyes, asking, “Lao Lei, is there anything else you’re not willing to tell me?” Sweat appeared on Dong Xinlei’s face as he lowered his head and stayed silent. Noticing Xie Wendong’s displeased expression, he grew anxious and secretly kicked Dong Xinlei. The latter seemed unaware and continued to sit motionless, saying nothing. After a long pause, he slowly took out a letter from his bosom and respectfully handed it to Xie Wendong, saying, “Brother Dong, this is from Tianxing. I just haven’t found the chance to give it to you… I…”

Xie Wendong waved his hand to interrupt him, took the envelope expressionlessly, opened it, took out the letter, and glanced through it briefly. He remained silent for five or six minutes. Aside from Dong Xinlei, no one else knew the contents of the letter, not even Ren Changfeng or Ling Min. They wanted to ask, but seeing Xie Wendong’s increasingly gloomy and fierce gaze, they swallowed their words. It was a resignation letter. The gist was that over time, Ren Changfeng had felt his personality clashed with Xie Wendong’s, that he couldn’t adapt to his methods of working or his style of being, and that even if he stayed, he would be unable to assist or fulfill his responsibilities. It was better to leave early and make way for someone else, so he decided to quit the Hongmen and retire to a remote place to lead a simple life. Secretly, Xie Wendong clenched his fists so hard they made a cracking sound. The pain in his arms paled in comparison to the anguish in his heart. Nie Tianxing was a talent—Xie Wendong knew that. He also knew Nie Tianxing didn’t approve of his methods. Naturally, he knew he would have gotten rid of him long ago if it were someone else, but it was Nie Tianxing—he couldn’t bear to do it. Someone he had treated sincerely and placed great hopes on simply left behind a note and vanished without even showing up. How could the inherently proud Xie Wendong tolerate this? A sense of frustration welled up in him. With a snap, he flung the letter onto the table. His boiling blood nearly overwhelmed his mind as he shouted angrily, “Does he think the Hongmen is a place he can come and go as he pleases? Did he get my permission to leave?”
When had Xie Wendong ever lost his temper like this? Everyone around him, whether from the Wendong Club or the Northern Hongmen, was terrified. They stood up, not daring to breathe. From Xie Wendong’s words, they could faintly sense it: it seemed Nie Tianxing had left without saying goodbye! Xie Wendong’s eyes, like razor-sharp ice blades, swept over everyone’s faces. Those who met his gaze lowered their heads even further. His chest heaved as the anger in his heart weighed down on him like a mountain, threatening to crush him. He took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions, and said slowly, word by word, “What do you think I should do? What else can I do?”

Led by Dong Xinlei, the cadres of the Northern Hongmen kept their heads down and remained silent; even though they wanted to plead for Nie Tianxing, they dared not speak now. The cadres of the Wendonghui, led by San Yan, were not familiar with Nie Tianxing—half of them didn’t even know him. Seeing Xie Wendong’s lips turn purple from anger and his body trembling uncontrollably, something unprecedented, they all felt deep pain. Anger surged in San Yan’s heart like a burning fire. He roared, threw a punch at the table, and with a crack, the half-inch-thick tabletop was dented. Blood dripped from his fingers, but he didn’t even glance at it. With a fierce voice, he said, “Brother Dong, there’s only one outcome for traitors. Leave it to me—I’ll handle it!”
Hearing this, Dong Xinlei thought to himself, “Oh no.” He knew well how San Yan was—decisive and ruthless, his methods no less cruel than Xie Wendong’s. He was anxious but unable to speak, sweat pouring from his forehead like beans bursting. Xie Wendong was also struggling internally—should he keep Nie Tianxing? Killing him was easy, just a matter of saying the words. But what would the people of the Northern Hongmen think of him after that? What would Old Master Jin think? And what would Dong Xinlei and the other cadres think? He had to consider all these things. Losing a group of people, even the entire unity of the gang, over one person—was it worth it? But if he didn’t kill him, he couldn’t swallow his anger. Most importantly, if Nie Tianxing were used by others, it would pose a huge threat to him. If he sided with Xiang Wentian, the Southern Hongmen would gain a super strategist who knew the Northern Hongmen and Wendonghui’s strengths inside and out. Would such a battle even be possible? Sighing in frustration, Xie Wendong thought, “Killing him is bad, not killing him is bad—what a dilemma.”
San Yan, unfazed, didn’t care about all that and wouldn’t think as much as Xie Wendong. He demanded loudly, “Brother Dong, should this man be killed or not?” Following his lead, Li Shuang, Gao Qiang, and others drew their knives and guns, slammed them on the table, and urged, “Brother Dong!” Only Jiang Sen in the Wendonghui shook his head, stopping everyone and saying, “Nie Tianxing must not be killed!” “Why not?” San Yan and the others asked in unison. Only Jiang Sen knew what Xie Wendong was thinking, but with Dong Xinlei and the others present, he couldn’t say it outright. He hurriedly replied, “Anyway, he can’t be killed! Brother Dong!” “Hehe!” San Yan rolled his eyes and said coldly, “Old Sen, are you becoming soft-hearted?!”

Jiang Sen sighed quietly, looked down at his own hands, and said calmly, “When facing enemies, have you ever seen me hesitate?!” “Then what’s wrong with you this time?” “I just think… I just think there’s no need to make such a huge sacrifice for such a person. Between a tree and a forest, one naturally chooses the latter!” The latter part of Jiang Sen’s words was actually meant for Xie Wendong. San Yan didn’t understand what he meant; it sounded nonsensical. Before he could say anything else, Xie Wendong waved his hand and said indifferently, “No need to argue. I know what I want.”

He had regained his calm. The argument between San Yan and Jiang Sen had actually cooled his mind. After careful consideration, he had already made up his mind. San Yan and the others were overjoyed, thinking Xie Wendong had finally decided, and hurriedly asked, “Brother Dong, when will we act?” “Act? Act what?” Xie Wendong asked in confusion.

The current Xie Wendong was completely different from before—his expression had returned to normal, and his eyes no longer held a sharp, cold glint. He was once again his usual cheerful self. San Yan blinked and said timidly, “I mean, take action against Nie Tianxing!” “Sigh! Let him go!” Xie Wendong shook his head, walked over to the wall, and said leisurely, “It’s going to rain, a mother is getting married—if he wants to leave, let him go. What’s the point of forcing him to stay? What good is killing him? Life is like passing clouds; why worry so much?”

“Thud!” San Yan, Li Shuang, and the others almost fainted on the spot. They thought to themselves that Brother Dong had changed too quickly. They had all drawn their knives and shown off in front of Dong Xinlei and other North Hongmen officials. Now that he said he wouldn’t kill them, they felt embarrassed. Jiang Sen, being clever, saw what they were thinking. He stepped forward, snatched their knives, weighed them in his hand, and said with a smile, “Perfect! I’ll use the knives I usually use for chopping vegetables today. Let you all experience my cooking skills!”

A few simple words made San Yan and Dong Xinlei laugh. Especially Dong Xinlei, who gave him a grateful glance, bowed deeply to Xie Wendong, and said, “Brother Dong, Tian Xingxing is too willful and used to acting recklessly. You shouldn’t blame him. I thank you on his behalf!” Dong Xinlei and Nie Tianxing had a close relationship—they were like brothers, adopted together by Jin Peng, growing up together with similar interests. Though they appeared to be friends, they were actually as close as brothers. When San Yan caused a disturbance earlier, Dong Xinlei was so anxious he almost rushed forward to offer to take punishment for Nie Tianxing.

Xie Wendong shook his head slightly and said, “Lao Lei, you don’t need to worry about this. Everyone has their own aspirations!” After saying that, he waved at the others and added, “I’m going to talk to Jiang Lin about something. You guys shouldn’t just sit around either. Those who need to prepare should get started. Xiang Wentian might call at any moment, so we must be prepared in advance.” “Understood!” the group replied in unison, bowing their heads.

After leaving the dining hall, Xie Wendong climbed up to the third floor, gritting his teeth in frustration. “I’m so angry!” With no one around, he could finally express the pent-up emotions in his heart. He kicked and stamped at the trash can in the stairwell violently. After a while, his legs grew numb and he was exhausted before he finally stopped, breathing heavily. He took out his phone and dialed Jiang Sen right away. As soon as the call connected, he said, “Lao Sen, it’s me. You’re still in the dining hall, right? Don’t make a fuss—act like you’re answering a normal call.” He paused briefly and then added, “Send two members of your undercover team to find out Nie Tianxing’s whereabouts. Have them keep an eye on him in shifts. If they see him in contact with anyone from the Nan Hongmen, kill them without hesitation!” Then he hung up.

He bent down to straighten the trash can that had rolled into a corner. It was covered in dents. With a wry smile, he kicked it violently again, feeling much better afterward. He adjusted his clothes, took a few deep breaths, and headed straight to Jiang Lin’s room on the third floor. He knocked gently on the door. After a while, a weak voice came from inside, “Who is it?”

“It’s me! Xie Wendong!” As soon as he said that, there was a flurry of noise inside the room. Then the door opened, and Jiang Lin appeared in front of him, wearing pajamas and looking tired. She yawned, stepped aside to let him in, and said lazily, “Mr. Xie, you came early!” Last night, Jiang Lin had also stayed up all night, keeping her eyes open until dawn.

Xie Wendong glanced at her before looking away. Her green pajamas couldn’t hide her well-shaped, mature figure, which appeared even more alluring through the thin fabric. Thankfully, she was wearing underwear; otherwise, Xie Wendong wouldn’t have known whether coming here was right or wrong. He entered the room and pulled back the curtains. The bright sunlight streamed in instantly, causing Jiang Lin’s eyes to sting. She let out a cry and ran into the inner room, diving under the covers. Xie Wendong laughed and said, “It’s getting late. Shouldn’t Miss Jiang get up too?”

Jiang Lin slightly parted the curtain, revealing one eye as she glared at Xie Wendong and scolded in a delicate voice, “Do you know you’re really annoying? It’s fine if you don’t want to pay taxes, but why bother others? If you have nothing to do, please stop disturbing my rest.” “Disturbing?” Xie Wendong laughed with his head back and shook his head. “You’re the first to say you’ve been disturbed by me. But I’m not here to disturb you—I have something to discuss with you!” Sure enough! Jiang Lin’s heart trembled. As soon as Xie Wendong arrived, she knew he meant no good; most likely he was here to hold her accountable. She pretended to be confused, using what she thought was her softest, most lazy, slightly hoarse, and sensual voice to say, “I’m too tired. Can we talk after I wake up? Mr. Xie!”