Chapter 109

A corner of the DL area. Hundreds of gang members were confronting the police, separated by a distance of over ten meters. Daobei was a luxury nightclub owned by the Tigers Gang, but its members had already withdrawn to their headquarters, leaving the club completely empty. Only the police, alerted by the news, came to stop them. From among the police, voices could be heard shouting, “Everyone, drop your weapons and leave! If you keep resisting, we’ll start shooting!” Instead of deterring them, these words only intensified the situation. Though the gang members didn’t dare charge forward, they kept throwing objects, forcing the police at the front to retreat. Leading the police was a squad leader who realized it was impossible to disperse them without using force. Shouting “Go!” he charged at the gang with his baton in hand. With his lead, the chaos began, as hundreds of people fought together. Without orders to fire, the police lost their most effective weapon and found themselves at a disadvantage. The squad leader who had been shouting was surrounded by several thugs, knocked to the ground, and after a barrage of blows, he was covered in blood and barely alive. The other police officers grew increasingly frightened as the violence exceeded their expectations. They were used to fighting, but only after subduing their opponents first. This direct confrontation was unfamiliar to them. In no time, many on both sides were lying on the ground. Sanyan, dressed in police uniform, came out of a side alley and quickly mixed into the crowd. At that moment, all the police were focused on the gang, and few would notice an extra stranger among them. Sanyan slowly made his way to the heart of the fight. Before he could steady himself, a stick was swung at him from the left. Startled, he dodged quickly, grabbed the attacker’s neck, and slapped his face hard with the other hand. The man was stunned, spun around twice, and, dazed, raised his stick to attack a police officer nearby, mistaking him for Sanyan. Before the poor officer could react, he was knocked down by the random swing. Still enraged, the man continued to swing his stick and shout, “Damn you, I told you to hit me, I told you to hit me…” Sanyan shook his head in exasperation, thinking, “What a mess. Poor luck for you!” Then he pulled out his pistol from his waist and shot the thug.

“Bang!” The gunshot was as deafening as thunder. After firing, Sanyan shouted, “The gang used guns! The gang used guns!”
The other cops, hearing his cry, panicked and drew their guns, but still couldn’t be sure. They tried to find the squad leader, but he had already been beaten unconscious. More gunshots rang out from the crowd, pushing the cops to the brink of madness. It was strange for the gang too—their boss had instructed them beforehand that as long as they didn’t pull out guns, everything would be fine. How could someone shoot?!
Sanyan scanned the area and finally spotted his target. Mu Zi was mixed in the gang, holding a gun, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Sanyan. Sanyan immediately understood and charged at Mu Zi with a loud shout. Mu Zi without hesitation raised his gun and fired; the bullet grazed Sanyan’s neck. Sanyan took the chance to scream loudly, clutching his abdomen before collapsing. Seeing one of their own shot down, the other cops ignored orders and started firing wildly at the gang. Screams filled the air as the gang members fled in panic. The cops, who had been holding back their anger, felt relieved when the gang scattered and began chasing them, suspecting anyone as the shooter. Killing a cop in City H wasn’t a trivial matter—unless you had powerful connections, you’d likely die; otherwise, survival was impossible. There was no need for a court verdict or even going to the police station—people could be killed right outside during an arrest.
As the cops chased the gang, the streets, once crowded, quickly emptied. Several unconscious cops and thugs lay on the ground. One cop stayed behind to take care of them until the ambulance arrived. He first checked on the squad leader, finding him only unconscious and unharmed. Then he went to Sanyan, muttering, “Bro, you’re really unlucky. Out of all those people, you were the only one who rushed forward. Didn’t you bring this on yourself by getting shot? Ah, what a shame!” He turned Sanyan over, only to find no wounds—not even a drop of blood.
The cop was puzzled. Looking up, he saw a smiling face. Sanyan was smiling happily, staring at the cop without blinking. The cop was shocked and asked in a strange voice, “You… weren’t you dead?”
“Hehe!” Sanyan sneered. “I was dead just now, but now I’m back alive! But I need someone to take my place.” With that, Sanyan pulled out a pistol with a silencer from nowhere and shot the cop in the heart.

With a soft “thud,” without any warning, the police officer was struck, his face showing surprise as his heart was pierced, causing him to collapse to the ground. Sanyan stood up, brushed off the dust from his clothes, and arranged the officer’s body in the position he had been lying in. After checking, he felt satisfied and relaxed. Just as he finished these actions, an ambulance arrived with its loud sirens. More than a dozen medical staff rushed out, and one young female doctor asked Sanyan, “How many victims? How serious are they?”
Sanyan replied with sadness, “One of my colleagues is dead! He was shot by gangsters!”
The female doctor immediately said, “I’m sorry!” Then she turned to the other medical staff, “Hurry and take the injured to the hospital for emergency treatment!” The others rushed forward and carried the injured onto the ambulance. Watching the police officer he had killed being carried past, Sanyan sighed inwardly and silently thought, “Brother, one’s fate is predetermined; it’s just your bad luck!” With that thought, he took off his hat, his eyes filled with sorrow. He thought of Gao Qiang lying in the hospital; if fate truly determined everything, he hoped Qiang could overcome it!
The female doctor saw the slightly misty eyes of Sanyan, filled with deep sorrow, like an endless dark pool. It seemed as though a hammer had struck a deep part of her heart. It turned out that a man’s eyes could be so captivating! She stepped forward and said, “I’m also very sad about the death of your colleague. I hope you can find comfort.”
Her words shocked Sanyan, who realized he had lost control. He smiled and said, “Thank you!” He put his hat back on and added, “I still have tasks to attend to. I’ll be leaving now!” With that, he turned and left. The female doctor watched his retreating figure and murmured, “I hope we’ll meet again…”
The conflict between the gangs and the police in City H suddenly escalated to the point of gunfire. This caught the gang leaders by surprise. Almost simultaneously, no fewer than ten gangs pulled back their members, and the other gangs lost their initial arrogance. The chaos gradually subsided. But it wasn’t over yet. During the night of chaos, at least five police officers died and more than a dozen were seriously injured. The police wanted to give an explanation to the provincial authorities and the families of the victims, so they weren’t willing to let it go easily. Chen Zhongwen ordered that all gang leaders involved in the unrest be captured. All exits from City H were sealed off, allowing only entry and no exit. The gang leaders were too scared to show their faces, hiding in every corner of the city.

At this point, Xie Wendong fully leveraged the power of his secret team to track down the whereabouts of these gang leaders with precision, then secretly informed Liu Dexin. Liu, who was well-prepared, successively captured the key criminals, earning great praise from both the city police department and the provincial authorities.

The incident in City H eventually drew the attention of the central government. However, due to the effective and efficient handling of the situation later on, Secretary Chen Zhongwen was not heavily criticized. An acquaintance of his in the central government quietly told him that the matter wasn’t over and that a scapegoat was needed. After much consideration, Chen Zhongwen turned his attention to the head of the city police department. The latter, being sensible, voluntarily submitted his resignation to Chen Zhongwen. The secretary approved it with a single stroke of his pen, and Liu Dexin, who had performed exceptionally well, took over his position.

For Chen Zhongwen, this turmoil was resolved satisfactorily. But for Xie Wendong, it was just the beginning.

The leaders of various gangs in City H were arrested one after another, leaving the underworld in chaos without a leader. Xie Wendong’s top lieutenant, Zhang Zhidong (Three-Eyes), raised the banner of the Wendong Gang, calling for unity among the underworld factions to resist external threats, and began to conquer other gangs. In reality, there were no real battles—before any threats could be issued, several gangs surrendered, while others tried to curry favor. Only a small number remained stubborn, hoping to resist the Wendong Gang and secure a foothold in City H. Yet they always ended up collapsing under the combined pressure of the Wendong Gang and the police.

Within three months, the underworld in City H reverted to its pattern of eventual unity. The Wendong Gang rose rapidly and took the top position in the underworld. The only unconquered gang, the Tiger Gang, remained standing with the support of the Battle Axe Gang.

Although the trap set by the Tiger Gang failed, it helped Xie Wendong. He also knew how to seize opportunities and swiftly conquered dozens of gang organizations in City H. The Wendong Gang became the most powerful force in the city’s underworld!

The best news during this period was undoubtedly Gao Qiang’s successful recovery from critical condition. That day, Xie Wendong and other key members of the Wendong Gang went to the hospital to visit him. Though still weak, he was able to speak. The heavy burden that had weighed on everyone’s hearts for days was finally lifted, and their joy was evident. Another significant event was when the Black Belt Gang sent Vladimir, its second-in-command, to meet with Xie Wendong in person.

This time, both sides were determined to make concessions, unwilling to let things deteriorate further, and the outcome satisfied both parties as well. The Wendong Club formed an alliance with the Black Belt gang to jointly deal with the Battle Axe and Tiger Gang. At the same time, they agreed to a trade deal, setting prices for goods traded at 30% below market rates. April 1999: The underworld in City H was largely under the control of the Wendong Club. Although other gangs were not absorbed by it, they all expressed willingness to form alliances with the Wendong Club. The only group capable of challenging them was the Tiger Gang. The two gangs operated in the northern and southern parts of City H, each having its own territory, but frequent clashes occurred along their borders. For Xie Wendong, the real battles had just begun.