Chapter 343
Xiang Wentian was stunned after hearing this, then laughed heartily and said, “Brother Xie’s future is bound to be incredibly bright.” “Oh? Why?” “Because you’re really good at speaking, haha!” “Haha!” Xie Wendong couldn’t help but laugh too. He rubbed his wrist where the golden knife was, then sighed helplessly. Killing Xiang Wentian now would only plunge him into an even deeper mess. He patted Xiang Wentian’s shoulder and said in a similar tone, “Brother Xiang’s future will surely be bright as well.” “Oh? Why?” “Because Brother Xiang is always good at judging people!” “Oh? Haha…” The two laughed together.
Xie Wendong and Xiang Wentian reconciled, resolving their past differences. He had also consulted Jin Peng beforehand, who didn’t express any opinion. The old man, on the other hand, confidently handed over the North Hongmen to Xie Wendong to enjoy family time, saying only, “I’ve handed Hongmen to you. Its future should be in your hands. Do what you think is right.”
With the support of Old Man Jin, Xie Wendong’s concerns dissipated. Although there were still many die-hard members of the North Hongmen in City T opposing him, it made no difference. Those opposing voices were insignificant to Xie Wendong; they didn’t reach his ears. Turning his back on Xiang Wentian, he returned to the Fresh Flowers Hotel he hadn’t been to in a long time. By then, the hotel was already closed, but Jiang Lin hadn’t slept—she was waiting for Xie Wendong. “You’re back?!” Seeing Xie Wendong, Jiang Lin’s face lit up with joy. She brought over a cup of freshly brewed Longjing tea and said, “I prepared tea for you.”
“Thank you,” Xie Wendong said with a smile as he took it, though he didn’t drink it and simply placed it on the coffee table. Jiang Lin stepped forward concernfully and asked, “Are your wounds healed?”
“They’re no longer a problem,” Xie Wendong replied. He was in a poor mood, feeling as if a heavy stone was pressing down on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
Seeing his cold attitude, Jiang Lin felt heartache and stood there at a loss for words. Noticing her silence beside him, Xie Wendong looked up in confusion. Jiang Lin’s expression was uncertain, and realizing he had unintentionally hurt her, he forced a smile and said, “Don’t take it to heart. I just have some worries and don’t feel like talking.” Jiang Lin was a smart woman. Hearing this, she understood and said softly, “Your wounds have just healed. You should rest more.” Then, with a sad expression, she returned to her room.
After Jiang Lin left, Xie Wendong glanced at his brothers around him. Some had old wounds that had just healed, while others had new ones added; few were in their best condition. He sighed and said, “With the north and south reconciling and no more war, there’s no point in staying in Shanghai anymore. Besides, the Soul Group incident has made us too conspicuous here. It’s time to leave.” Dong Xinlei felt sad and asked, “Brother Dong, where are we going?” “Back to City T,” replied Xie Wendong. “I can reconcile with Xiang Wentian, but those self-righteous leaders in City T might not tolerate the South Hongmen. They’ll surely disagree with my methods and could cause big trouble.”
Dong Xinlei clenched his fist and smashed it hard against the wall, gritting his teeth. “Brother Dong, I really can’t accept this. After fighting against the South Hongmen for so long and shedding so much blood and sweat, it ends up like this in such a hasty manner! Sigh!” Xie Wendong understood his feelings. Indeed, the conflict between the north and south had lasted for a long time, and no one could count how many brothers from both sides had lost their lives. But right now, he really didn’t have the environment to continue fighting against Xiang Wentian. Even if he could destroy the South Hongmen in the shortest time, it would only accelerate the downfall of the North Hongmen. He patted Dong Xinlei’s broad shoulder and then looked around at the others, narrowing his narrow eyes as he said in a soft voice, “Do you trust me?”
The others didn’t understand what he meant but instinctively nodded. Xie Wendong said firmly, “My reconciliation with Xiang Wentian is just a temporary strategic move; it doesn’t mean there are no more differences between us. In today’s situation, we can no longer engage in battles with any gang. But I guarantee that the North and South Hongmen will be unified, and it will definitely be us who stand at the end.” The hearts of the others heated up, and their blood began to boil again, raising the temperature of the entire hall.
Xie Wendong’s few simple words easily stirred up their fighting spirit. It was simple—his words carried immense weight in everyone’s hearts, almost like truths. Whatever he said he could do, there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish. “Our top priority is to return to City T as soon as possible. First, to stabilize the morale of our forces, and second, to avoid drawing attention.” The others had no objections to his words and agreed in unison. After thinking for a moment, Xie Wendong added, “But before leaving Shanghai, we still need to take care of one thing.”
Jiang Sen spoke up, “Du Tingwei!” He had almost become Xie Wendong’s puppet. As soon as he opened his mouth, Jiang Sen already knew what Xie Wendong was going to say next.
Sure enough, Xie Wendong chuckled and said, “Lao Sen is getting smarter by the day. That’s right, it’s him. Keeping this guy around will only bring trouble sooner or later.”
Liu Bo worriedly said, “But his father is not easy to deal with! We’re already in the spotlight now. If we kill him now, things might get even worse for us.”
Xie Wendong nodded with a smile, “I’ve already thought about what Lao Liu said. Yes, if we kill him now, it will be hard to explain. But there are hundreds of reasons for a person’s death—there’s no need for a direct confrontation.” Liu Bo rolled his eyes and scratched his head, “Brother Dong, I still don’t understand.” Xie Wendong shook his head and smiled, “Human life is fragile. You could get hit by a car while going out, killed by falling objects on the street, or even choke while eating. If Du Tingwei suddenly contracts a terminal illness, no one will suspect me.” Liu Bo smiled bitterly, “Terminal illnesses aren’t something you can just get like that. Besides, with modern medicine, as long as you have money, any disease can be cured.”
“There is! As far as I know, there’s one disease that no country can cure,” Xie Wendong said, narrowing his eyes. “What?” “AIDS!” “Phew!” Liu Bo almost choked on his saliva. He widened his eyes and stammered, “A… AIDS?” Xie Wendong shrugged with a sinister smile, “It’s easy to find a woman with AIDS in this world, and it’s not hard to find a beautiful one. And Du Tingwei is precisely a lustful man, so it’s not difficult to infect him with the HIV virus.”
It’s truly extreme—utterly ruthless—but it’s still a good idea. Who can he blame for getting infected because of his lust for women?!
With money, nothing is impossible—it depends on whether you can afford it. It was easy for Xie Wendong to find a beautiful AIDS carrier through his connections. He just mentioned it to Lao Gui, who immediately agreed and promised to bring her to him within three days. In the end, Lao Gui even asked strangely, “What are you doing? You’re not interested in AIDS, are you?!” Xie Wendong replied half-jokingly, half-seriously, “You’re right.” “You pervert!”
There are thousands of drug users in Myanmar, and an even greater number of AIDS patients; some infants are born already infected. It’s easy to pick out a beautiful girl from such a large pool. Moreover, Lao Gui is a powerful figure in the Golden Triangle—just by spending some money, people will come to him on their own. Lao Gui kept his word; within three days, the girls he sent arrived, and not just one. All five were beautiful—slightly darker-skinned, but each could be considered a beauty in the making, all under twenty years old. Their sun-kissed skin added to their vitality, and from the outside, no one would believe they were AIDS patients.
Xie Wendong arranged for the five girls and Lao Gui’s men to stay in a hidden place, while ordering his secret team to investigate Du Tingwei’s activities. The secret team, as famous as the Blood Killers, was one of the two most formidable forces within the Wendong Gang. Though not as skilled in assassination as the Blood Killers, they excelled in reconnaissance, surveillance, and information gathering. Du Tingwei was arrogant and conceited, backed by a high-ranking official, and acted in a bold and reckless manner. Even after suffering a major loss at Xie Wendong’s hands, he thought it was just a small trick by the other side, and he had simply fallen for it. Now in Shanghai, he was even more arrogant. There were two main factions in the government: the Beijing Gang and the Shanghai Gang. After the major upheaval at the end of the 1980s, the Beijing Gang declined, while the Shanghai Gang rose to power. Du Tingwei’s father belonged to the Shanghai Gang and held a high position. In Shanghai, he acted as if he were at home, unrestrained and bold. Since Xie Wendong was injured and hospitalized, Du Tingwei became even more aggressive and ostentatious.
The secret team wasn’t very familiar with Shanghai, but they could easily keep track of this arrogant high-ranking official’s movements. Recently, Du Tingwei had been unhappy—his mood had been poor ever since Xie Wendong’s fame soared in the news. He couldn’t understand why a gangster was more famous than him, almost becoming a national hero among the people. He dared to blow up an entire building in Tokyo, Japan. He refused to believe Xie Wendong had the courage or strength to do such a thing. The Japanese government was full of idiots for turning to Xie Wendong—their brains must be rusty, and even their eyes were blind. There was no justice in the world! Du Tingwei sat in a luxurious private room in a nightclub, drinking alone, showing no interest in the girls sitting beside him.
“Hey, what’s wrong with Young Master Du today? Not satisfied with our girls?” The door to the private room opened, and an enticing scent rushed towards them. Du Tingwei looked up and saw it was the club’s manager, a woman in her forties dressed in a revealing dress that seemed more like a torn piece of cloth, exposing most of her chest and legs. With just a slight bend, everything below and above could be seen clearly. Her face was covered in thick makeup, so much so that even Du Tingwei worried it might fall off when she smiled. “Get out! Go away!” Du Tingwei waved his hands frantically, annoyed. If he had to look at her again, he might lose even the desire to drink. Having worked in this industry for years, the manager was experienced and knew exactly what to say to different people. Otherwise, the club’s owner wouldn’t have hired her despite her age. Though she cursed Du Tingwei in her mind over and over again, she still smiled brightly and said, “Who has angered our Young Master Du today? Tell me, and I’ll take revenge for you.” “Go to hell!” Du Tingwei gave her no polite response and pointed at the girls around him, saying irritably, “It’s always the same bunch of girls every time. Aren’t there any new ones? I think your club is about to close down.” He wasn’t joking—destroying a club was easy for him. The bodyguards standing by couldn’t help but laugh secretly, wondering how such a powerful man like Mr. Du could have such an incompetent son. The manager knew Du Tingwei’s status and understood that he meant what he said; she quickly apologized, saying, “What are you saying, Young Master Du? Our club is famous far and wide as the most luxurious one. I brought in a few new girls just for you to meet.” “Old man? Am I that old?!” Du Tingwei muttered, though his eyes kept drifting behind the manager. The manager smiled secretly and said mysteriously, “These new girls are special.” Sure enough, her words piqued Du Tingwei’s curiosity. “How special?” he asked. She replied, “Not only are they beautiful, but they’re also from abroad, and they’re still virgins.”
“Oh?” Du Tingwei immediately became interested and said eagerly, “Bring her here for me to see.” The madam looked troubled and tried to stop him, hesitating for a while before weakly saying, “It’s just… regarding the price…” “Enough, I know,” Du Tingwei rolled his eyes, took out his wallet, and threw a stack of bills on the table. With a smirk, he said, “Bring her here first. If I’m satisfied, I won’t skimp on the reward for you.”
“Hehe, Young Master Du is too kind. There’s no need for any reward.” Though she said that, the madam didn’t idle around. Greedily, she picked up the money on the table and stuffed it between her ample breasts before lightly walking out of the private room. Du Tingwei didn’t even glance at her; his thoughts were entirely on the foreign girl she mentioned.
After coming out, as soon as the madam reached the corner of the corridor, a figure suddenly appeared from the dark corner where light couldn’t reach. This man was muscular, with a beard like steel needles covering his cheeks. He wore black combat gear, his eyes sharp and bright like those of a black panther in pursuit of prey, radiating menace and killing intent. “How is it?” His voice, like his appearance, was deep and powerful.
The madam was startled by him at first, then let out a sigh of relief after recognizing him. Patting her chest, she said, “Oh, it’s Mr. Liu. You almost scared me to death. Don’t worry, with me here, nothing is impossible. Look, that Du kid is already eager to see those girls.”