Chapter 101

The shorter Russian, seeing the situation turning unfavorable, quickly stood up and pulled the taller one, saying, “Guys… let’s not get upset. Let’s sit down and talk things through calmly. Why ruin relationships? Besides, cooperation is beneficial for everyone. If there are any problems, we can figure them out! Everyone, calm down and sit down…”
The taller Russian grunted and sat down after descending the steps.
Xie Wendong also sat down with a cold smile, looking at the shorter man and saying, “I want to cooperate properly too! I’ve treated you politely since you came, but you need to show some sincerity as well. I don’t care whether Viktor comes to City H or not. The most important thing is to find someone who has real influence to talk to. Otherwise, I have no interest in wasting more time with you!”
The shorter Russian glanced at the taller man, nodded, and said, “Alright! I won’t say much more. I’ll discuss this with our boss. I’m leaving now!” With that, he left with the taller man.
After the two left, Jiang Sen said worriedly, “Brother Dong, were we a bit too harsh just now? If Black Belt holds a grudge against us, we’ll have another enemy!”
Xie Wendong shook his head. Black Belt might intend to strike at the Tiger Gang by targeting him, but that probably wasn’t the key. After thinking all morning, he finally understood Black Belt’s motives and smiled, saying, “They won’t do that! Black Belt’s goal in approaching us is probably not as simple as dealing with Axe and the Tiger Gang. Who doesn’t know that China is a vast market, and everyone wants a piece of it? Black Belt wants to follow in Axe’s footsteps by finding a spokesperson who can speak on his behalf in China, and we’re his top choice. Think about it—City J is a key place for trade with Russia, and it’s under our control. Controlling us means controlling the market. If just a few words from me could make Black Belt want to retaliate, then their boss, Viktor, would be too stupid to have reached his current position!”
Dong Xinlei agreed, saying, “Brother Dong is absolutely right! With Black Belt’s current power, Viktor is definitely no ordinary person. If he were really an idiot, we wouldn’t need to cooperate with him at all!”
Jiang Sen nodded in understanding. Xie Wendong said, “Actually, what Lao Sen said is also worth considering. It’s always better to be cautious! Lao Sen, have some of our brothers keep an eye on those two and watch for any moves. If they really try something sneaky, we’ll play along with them!”
“Okay, Brother Dong, I understand!” Jiang Sen replied, calling over an assistant and giving him some instructions. The assistant nodded repeatedly before rushing off.

The three of them talked in the office for a while longer when there was a knock at the door. Jiang Sen went out to see what it was. One of his subordinates was standing outside, holding a red card and handing it to Jiang Sen, saying, “Brother Sen, someone came to the club just now and asked us to give this to the boss!”
“Oh?” Jiang Sen took it and saw it was an invitation. He asked, “Where is that person?”
The subordinate replied, “That person just left this invitation and went away. I tried to call him back, but he didn’t listen!”
Jiang Sen nodded and said to his subordinate, “Alright, you’re done here. Go back!” The subordinate replied and left. Jiang Sen quickly turned back to the office and handed the invitation to Xie Wendong, saying, “Brother Dong, someone left an invitation at the door just now. Take a look and see what it says!”
“Oh?” Xie Wendong took it, opened it, and saw three big characters on the left: Heroes’ Association! There were several lines of smaller text on the right. After reading it, Xie Wendong was stunned for a moment. Jiang Sen quickly asked, “Brother Dong, what does it say?”
“Hmph, this invitation was sent by Xie Kui, inviting me to attend some so-called Heroes’ Association! It sounds nice, but it’s actually a big gathering of the underworld in City H. I think it’s mostly about discussing territory division!” Xie Wendong said while shaking the invitation.
“Then, Brother Dong, should we go?”
Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Of course! Why not? It’s a good chance to meet this Xie Kui, who used to be a big name under Q Si. We can also see what kind of people the big players in City H’s underworld are. Knowing more could be helpful in the future!”
Jiang Sen worriedly said, “I don’t know if the Soul Group and the Tiger Gang will attend. If they do, Brother Dong needs to be careful—there’s a risk of an ambush!”
Dong Xinlei agreed, “Exactly! Especially the Soul Group—their assassins are quite skilled. If they sneak in and launch an attack, it would be hard to defend against!”
Xie Wendong nodded and said, “Yeah, I’ll be careful. But I don’t think the Soul Group will dare to attend. They don’t want to get too close to the underworld. The Tiger Gang definitely won’t go either—they’ve been in constant conflict with Xie Kui over territory, with minor skirmishes happening all the time. It’s just a matter of time before a full-scale fight breaks out. The gathering is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, which is New Year’s Eve. This Xie Kui really knows how to pick his time! Let’s gather the brothers at the villa tonight and discuss it further!” Xie Wendong stood up, stretched, and muttered, “These days, everything seems to pile up at once!”

Jiang Sen said with deep feeling, “That’s true. It seems H City is about to face trouble again.Xia Kui and the Tiger Gang are causing chaos, and a large number of Japanese people have entered H City—likely members of the Soul Group. It seems they want to take revenge on us. Brother Dong, we’d better get ready early!”
Xie Wendong snorted coldly, “There’s no need to be lenient with the Soul Group. Since things have come to this, there’s no need to worry about anything else. I’m not used to always letting others attack us; taking the initiative is the best approach! Old Sen, find out where these people live. We should also achieve something—otherwise, that old man Dong Fang from the Political Department will find fault again!”
Jiang Sen said proudly, “Brother Dong, I’ve already found out! These people all work for a Japanese-owned company called Futama. But we’re not sure yet if they’re part of the Soul Group. I think we should wait a bit longer…”
“No need to wait!” Xie Wendong said. “It’s better to kill by mistake than to reveal ourselves! By the time we figure things out, the Soul Group might already be prepared. You and Old Lei handle this. Let’s set it for New Year’s Eve, the day I go to the party. Act cleanly—don’t let anyone see your faces. Otherwise, whether they’re part of the Soul Group or not, we’ll be in trouble! We can’t rely too much on the Political Department. If external pressure gets too great, that old man Dong Fang might sell us out first!”
Jiang Sen and Dong Xianlei exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.
That night, in a villa on the outskirts of the city, Xie Wendong told everyone about today’s plan. After discussing it, they decided to send Sanyan and Gao Qiang along—both were experienced fighters, and their presence would ensure they wouldn’t be at a disadvantage even if something unexpected happened. Dong Xianlei had originally planned to select over a dozen people from Xue Sha to protect Xie Wendong, but he refused, saying with a smile, “This isn’t about fighting. It’s mainly about meeting the important bosses in H City right now. Too many people will only make us seem timid!”
Hearing Xie Wendong’s words, they had no choice. Dong Xianlei didn’t give up: “Brother Dong, then let the Five Elements team follow you. We’re not afraid of anything else—just afraid that with too many people around, assassins from the secret group might sneak in and attack. The Five Elements members are all former assassins, so they can prevent that!”
Xie Wendong thought for a moment. He had seen the five’s marksmanship and agility at the Fire Red Nightclub—they were top-notch. He nodded and said, “Alright, let them five go too.plus Zhang Ge and Qiangzi, that makes eight of us. Now Old Lei should be relieved!”
Dong Xianlei finally breathed a sigh of relief when Xie Wendong agreed and nodded with a smile.
After the meeting, Xie Wendong returned to his room, lit a cigarette, and lay down on the bed, his mind racing.

On New Year’s Eve, unable to return home while outside, he felt a strong sense of guilt toward his parents. They thought he was working in City H to gain experience, but in reality… it was worlds apart! Sighing, Xie Wendong reflected on how life is unpredictable—he never imagined he would end up in such a situation. Even if one day he wanted to quit, could he really turn back? The Soul Group wouldn’t let him go, nor would the Political Department. Thousands of brothers had entrusted their lives to him and trusted him—could he just walk away?

In the world of crime, one has no control over their fate! Xie Wendong truly understood this now. But even without these reasons, he wouldn’t give up, because he was enjoying this thrilling life, these days when he could disregard the law and everything else—though sometimes the price of such enjoyment was his own life.

Xie Wendong extinguished his cigarette and called home to tell his parents he couldn’t return for the New Year. He lied, saying he and a classmate had opened a small restaurant—the classmate provided the money while he contributed his labor, and they would split the profits when they made money…

On New Year’s Eve, heavy snow fell in City H, covering everything in a white layer. Dry branches were weighed down by snow, and long icicles formed under the eaves. The city’s dirtiness was hidden beneath the pristine snow, just like the sins in the city hidden beneath its prosperous surface…

Xie Wendong and the others drove two cars to the eastern suburbs, to the place where Xia Kui had invited the local gangsters to gather.

Following the address on the invitation, the car stopped at the entrance of a waste recycling station. Xie Wendong frowned and looked around, asking, “Is this the right place?” The surroundings were desolate—just fields with few people, let alone pedestrians.

San Yan, sitting next to him, checked the invitation again and nodded. “Yes, this is it! Brother Dong, look at the sign on that recycling station—‘Yonghe’. It matches what’s on the invitation. It can’t be wrong!”

Xie Wendong snorted. “Xia Kui really knows how to pick a place—making us come to a recycling station!”

Gao Qiang warned, “Brother Dong, this place is so remote. If something goes wrong, it’ll be difficult to handle!”

Xie Wendong sneered. “He probably wouldn’t dare! He’s in conflict with the Tiger Gang. This time, he’s likely trying to unite other gang leaders to take on the Tiger Gang.”

Gao Qiang asked, “Brother Dong, if he really makes such a request, should we agree?”

Xie Wendong pondered. “Agreeing or not won’t hurt us. We’ll decide based on the situation when the time comes.”

A few people in the car were talking when there was a series of horn blasts from behind. In the quiet suburbs, the sound was especially harsh.
“Damn it, who the hell is that?” Gao Qiang cursed as he rolled down the window, stuck his head out, and shouted, “Stop honking! Are you in a hurry to reappear as a ghost?!”
The honking stopped, followed by several shouts: “Kid, are you guys gonna move or what? Stop blocking the way!”
“Hurry up and make way—there are so many people waiting behind! What’s going on ahead?!”
Gao Qiang wanted to say more, but Xie Wendong pulled him back. He said to the driver, “Go, drive in!” Then he told Gao Qiang, “Don’t cause trouble. Let’s stay low-key as much as possible! I’m sure the gangsters already know we have the Political Department’s backing. Don’t act too arrogant, or it will easily anger everyone! Now isn’t the time!”