Chapter 319

Xiang Wentian shook his head. He knew too well how Xie Wendong hid knives behind his smiles. Despite appearing cheerful and amiable on the surface, he was actually full of ulterior motives. He continued, “If that’s the case, then why doesn’t Brother Xie bring my brother out?” Xie Wendong slapped his own head in realization, saying, “Look at my memory! Really!” He shook his head in self-reproach, snapped his fingers, and ordered, “Bring Brother Xiao out.” Though it was called “bringing out,” it was actually more like dragging him out—Dongxinlei’s punches were no easy thing to take.

Xiao Fang had few unharmed parts on his body. He was weak, his legs trembling, too weak even to stand. Li Shuang and two members of the secret group had to help him out. His hood had long been removed, revealing a face as pale as paper. Upon seeing this, Xiang Wentian felt a pang of pain. Just as he wanted to step forward, Li Shuang suddenly produced a dagger, quietly pressing it against Xiao Fang’s weak spot from an angle that Xiang Wentian could see. Startled, Xiang Wentian steadied himself and casually asked, “Xiao Fang, are you okay?”

All his words were contained in that single sentence. Hearing such a familiar voice, Xiao Fang’s confused mind cleared. He looked up and saw Xiang Wentian immediately. His heart trembled as he thought, “Oh no! Brother Tian must have been forced here by Xie Wendong—this is dangerous!” Just as he was worried, he caught a glimpse of a man in sunglasses, smoking a cigarette, looking like a carefree troublemaker. Seeing this man, Xiao Fang’s anxious heart slowly calmed down. He wondered why he had suddenly returned, but with this guy around, everything would be fine! Forcing a smile, he said, “Brother Tian, don’t worry. I’m far from dying!” Hearing this, Xie Wendong clapped his hands and laughed, interjecting, “What dying or not? Don’t say such unlucky things. Brother Xiao is kind and loyal. I guarantee he’ll live a long life.” After a brief pause, he added, “Of course, friends aside, what’s owed still needs to be repaid.” Xiao Fang grunted in frustration, gritting his teeth about to speak, but Xiang Wentian stopped him with a wave, saying with a smile, “I don’t understand what Brother Xie means by ‘what’s owed’.”

Xie Wendong said calmly, “A hotel—the Harbor Hotel!” As soon as these words were spoken, Zhou Ting was the first to lose his temper. Though good-looking, he had a fiery temper. He slammed the table and shouted, “Xie Wendong, you have quite the audacity—trying to get rid of the ‘Harbor’?!” Xie Wendong shrugged, not even glancing at Zhou Ting, and turned to Xiang Wentian, asking, “Brother Xiang, what do you think?” Xiang Wentian chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, only saying, “The Harbor’s assets are over 100 million yuan, and the returns it brings far exceed that amount.” “I understand,” Xie Wendong nodded. “Of course. If divided between two people, it doesn’t seem so much, right, Brother Bo?” Bo Zhanhui’s face turned red, his heart in turmoil. He forced out an awkward laugh, unable to speak. Sure enough! Xiang Wentian’s sharp gaze pierced Bo Zhanhui like a knife, yet his tone was unusually gentle as he said, “So, Brother Bo is also involved. No wonder! It seems you haven’t forgotten all the favors I’ve done for you—truly understanding the principle of ‘returning kindness with kindness’!” In fact, Xiang Wentian had already guessed this outcome, but now he was even more certain. Bo Zhanhui shook his head silently with a bitter smile. Pretending any longer would only show his cowardice. He decided to go all in—since he had already taken action, he didn’t care as much. He spoke up firmly, “Boss Xiang, that’s right. I do have a share. But as the saying goes, people strive for higher ground while water flows downward. I hope Boss Xiang can understand.” “Understand your mother!” If it weren’t for Lu Kou holding Zhou Ting’s back, he might have rushed forward and bitten Bo Zhanhui hard. He panted heavily before calming down, forcing out a sentence through gritted teeth, “Bo Zhanhui, you’re good. We remember the favors you’ve done for our Nan Hongmen. One day, we’ll repay you doubly!” Now that things had escalated, there was no point in bowing in front of others. Bo Zhanhui puffed out his chest and laughed, “It’s only fair to reciprocate. I’ll wait for your reply!” Xiang Wentian finally shifted his gaze from Bo Zhanhui to Xie Wendong’s face and said, “What if I couldn’t agree to Brother Xie’s request just now?”

Xie Wendong sighed feigningly helplessly and said regretfully, “It would truly be a pity if Brother Xiao were to die at such a young age. I think even Brother Xiang wouldn’t want to see that happen.” As soon as he finished speaking, Li Shuang narrowed his eyes and applied more force. He had no good impression of the Nan Hong Men, let alone Xiao Fang—especially the knife wound from those three blows that remained seared in his memory. Now that he had a chance to retaliate, how could he pass it up? The sharp dagger pierced through Xiao Fang’s clothes, cutting deep into his flesh. Li Shuang deliberately twisted the blade twice, causing blood to gush out and drip to the ground. Xiao Fang endured the pain agonizingly, gritting his teeth without uttering a sound. Xiang Wentian watched in anguish. He and Xiao Fang had grown up together as close friends, like brothers. Although the knife was aimed at Xiao Fang, it hurt Xiang Wentian ten times, even a hundred times more. He turned away, sighed, and said, “With Brother Xie’s current status, why go to such lengths for some trivial casino? If you want it, why not just give it to you?!” Xiao Fang’s heart warmed, and tears welled up—not from the physical pain, but from Xiang Wentian’s helpless words. Lowering his head, he said painfully, “Xiao Fang is worthless. Is it really worth Brother Tian making even the slightest sacrifice for me?” Xiang Wentian didn’t care at all and said calmly, “Xiao Fang, remember—as long as the mountains remain, we’ll be fine.”
“Sigh!” Xiao Fang sighed bitterly. He understood Brother Tian’s affection for him. For a moment, he really wanted to charge at Li Shuang’s blade and end his own life, but he was also worried that Xiang Wentian wouldn’t be able to bear the shock after his death. If he acted on impulse and fought with Xie Wendong, since this was Bo Zhanhui’s territory and he was on the same side as Xie Wendong, Brother Tian might suffer greatly. Now he truly understood what it meant to be trapped between life and death—his entire heart felt as though it were being grasped by an invisible hand and slowly crushed.
The brotherly bond between Xiang Wentian and Xiao Fang even moved Bo Zhanhui. The former was truly a rare true man through the ages. It was just a shame he met Xie Wendong, another unparalleled hero in history. “What a deep brotherly bond!” Xie Wendong took out a cigarette, took a deep drag, exhaled a wisp of smoke, snapped his fingers, and took a stack of blank papers from Ren Changfeng’s hands. “This is the asset transfer contract. If Brother Xiang has no objections, just sign it!” With that, he tossed it onto Xiang Wentian’s desk.

Xiang Wentian picked it up and skimmed through it from start to finish. The contract essentially stated that the legal owner of the Harbor Hotel, Xiang Wentian, was willing to unconditionally gift all of the hotel’s assets to Xie Wendong and others. Without hesitation, he picked up a pen and quickly signed his name, then tossed it back to Xie Wendong, asking, “Brother Xie, are you satisfied now?” Xie Wendong took it, checked it carefully, and upon confirming everything was in order, he smiled and said, “Brother Xiang, you’re really generous! Aren’t you afraid I’ll cheat you—taking your contract but not letting you go?” “Would you dare?” Xiang Wentian smirked. “Since I’ve come, I’m surely not unprepared. There are hundreds of Hongmen brothers waiting for me outside. If you think your group plus the Loyalty Gang can withstand them, go ahead and try!” Xie Wendong remained calm, smiling in response. But Bo Zhanhui was terrified, taking a deep breath, lowering his head, his eyes darting around, his expression shifting rapidly—clearly the plan had to change today. No one noticed his abnormal behavior; everyone’s attention was on Xie Wendong. With just one word from him, dozens of people in the room could instantly engage in a fight.

No one dared speak; the room was dead silent. Those who were close enough could even hear their neighbors’ heartbeats. Xie Wendong stared at Xiang Wentian with a smile. Neither spoke, the silence feeling like an eternity. Finally, Xie Wendong spoke, “Although I can’t become a hero like Brother Xiang, I am someone who keeps his word. Once I make a promise, I never go back on it. Xiao Shuang, let Brother Xiao go!” Li Shuang regretted it inwardly but reluctantly put away his dagger, pushed Xiao Fang’s back, and said coldly, “You’re lucky. You can go back now, but don’t let me meet you again. Otherwise, I’ll double the punishment for what my friend did to you!”

A few people from the Southern Hongmen helped Xiao Fang steady himself, checking and bandaging his wounds, busy with their tasks. Bo Zhanhui clapped his hands and laughed, saying, “Since the deal was successful, let’s drink to celebrate!” He poured a glass of wine for both Xie Wendong and Xiang Wentian and offered to toast them. Xiang Wentian had no mood to continue drinking with Xie Wendong and Bo Zhanhui, so he couldn’t drink. He raised his head and said, “Brother Xie, let’s stop here for today. We’ll meet again someday!” With that, he waved his hand, didn’t look back, and strode out. Bo Zhanhui wanted to hold him back, but seeing Zhou Ting’s murderous gaze, he forced down the words that were halfway out of his mouth.

Xiang Wentian led his men away, but Xie Wendong remained motionless, sitting on his chair with a smile as he stared at the transfer contract. Bo Zhanhui also examined it for a long time before saying, “It’s just a blank piece of paper, yet it cost the lives of dozens of my brothers. I really don’t know if it’s worth it.” Xie Wendong replied half-jokingly and half-seriously, “If Brother Bo thinks it’s not worth it, I don’t mind taking your share.”

Bo Zhanhui was stunned, then forced a smile and said, “Mr. Xie, aren’t you trying to swallow my share?” “What if I am?” Xie Wendong asked with a smile. “Hehe, haha!” Bo Zhanhui first chuckled lightly, then gradually laughed loudly, shaking his head. “Mr. Xie really knows how to joke. Come, let’s toast to our success!” With that, he raised his glass.

Xie Wendong picked up the glass that Bo Zhanhui had just filled, sniffed it, and praised, “Good wine.” Bo Zhanhui said proudly, “It’s top-quality Zhuyeqing that’s been aged for twenty years—definitely good wine.” Xie Wendong slowly raised the glass to his lips, paused, and said, “It’s a pity that good wine isn’t necessarily delicious.” Bo Zhanhui was slightly moved and laughed, “How can Mr. Xie know it’s not delicious without tasting it first?” Xie Wendong shook his head and said, “Some people’s wine, even if it’s just a glass of Erguotou, still has a pure and fragrant taste when drunk. But some people’s wine, no matter how expensive, can kill you once it’s in your stomach.” Bo Zhanhui was stunned, looked displeased, and asked, “What does Mr. Xie mean? Are you doubting me?” Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and said, “Being cautious is always a good habit. If Brother Bo doesn’t mind, you go first!” With that, he handed his glass to Bo Zhanhui.

In the room, not only Bo Zhanhui himself but even his subordinates froze in shock. Xie Wendong’s actions were simply an insult. Bo Zhanhui suppressed his anger, breathing heavily, and tried to speak in a calmer tone, “Mr. Xie, our cooperation is based on equality. Isn’t this a bit too much?” The members of the Zhongyi Gang grew angry, unbuttoning their clothes and reaching for their weapons. Xie Wendong ignored them and said, “I’m a very sensitive person. I can always sense when someone has murderous intent toward me right away. Do you believe that?” “What do you mean?” Bo Zhanhui’s expression changed. Xie Wendong replied calmly, “You want to kill me.” Before Bo Zhanhui could speak, he added, “From the start, you never intended to cooperate with me in the long term. All you care about is yourself; you can’t accommodate anyone else. In fact, we’re the same kind of people.”

Bo Zhanhui touched his bald head and said, “That’s just your own feeling.” “But my feeling is quite accurate.” Xie Wendong lowered his gaze and said helplessly, “The harbor is tempting, and Shanghai is even more so. If one could enjoy them alone, the beauty would be unparalleled. But there are two formidable forces above you—the Hongmen in the north and south. Now, an opportunity has suddenly arisen. After the battle between the north and south, both sides have been weakened, with incomplete forces and greatly diminished strength. How could you pass up such a great chance? Today, you want to kill me and also Xiang Wentian. But the latter has a large number of reinforcements ready to go. You dare not act rashly, so you have to let Xiang Wentian go for now and turn your attention to me. After killing me, you can claim credit for it, easing the conflict between you and him. You’ll wait for the right moment to strike again. Brother Bo, do you think I’m right?”

Xie Wendong’s words not only left Bo Zhanhui and his men stunned but also Jiang Sen Gaoqiang and the others in shock. If Brother Dong already knew Bo Zhanhui’s plans, why did he still insist on coming? They exchanged glances and leaned closer to Xie Wendong, becoming more vigilant. Cold sweat poured down Bo Zhanhui’s forehead. It took him a while to calm down before he raised his head and laughed loudly, exclaiming, “People say Xie Wendong is extremely intelligent—true enough. You’ve guessed everything right, but so what? Within ten miles, you don’t have a single soldier. With less than twenty men, what can you do to me?” With that, he waved his hand and smashed the wine cup. With a crisp sound, the door to the room opened, and over a hundred people rushed in, all armed with knives and sticks. Together with the original disciples of the Zhongyi Gang inside, there were at least 120 to 130 people, surrounding Xie Wendong and his group. Even if just one of them stepped forward to strike, Xie Wendong and the others would be chopped into pieces. Bo Zhanhui looked around and nodded in satisfaction, saying arrogantly, “You’re smart, but sometimes you’re also foolish.”