Chapter 25

Ma Wu looked at Xie Wendong seriously. Based on his experience, Xie Wendong wasn’t lying, and indeed he wasn’t. After thinking for a while, Ma Wu didn’t want to offend Xie Wendong over this matter, so he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright! Since my brother has his eye on her, I have nothing to say. But brother, be extremely careful—make sure he doesn’t get away!”
Xie Wendong chuckled and said, “Elder Brother Wu, do you think I’m the kind of person who’s careless?”
Ma Wu nodded and said, “I trust your abilities. Take that girl with you later! Brother, I won’t keep you here today. I plan to deliver the goods in a few days. What do you think?”
Xie Wendong was very happy to hear that Ma Wu agreed to give him the girl. He said, “No problem. I’ll wait for your goods. Elder Brother Wu, just wait to collect the money!”
Ma Wu was stunned for a moment, then they both laughed at each other. The girl got up as soon as Xie Wendong left, hid inside the house, and eavesdropped on their conversation through the crack in the door. Eventually, she learned that the fat man wanted to give her to that handsome young man. She felt both happy and worried—happy because she thought the young man didn’t seem like a bad guy, and although he wasn’t good either, he was far better than the fat man. Worried because she didn’t know where she would be taken, possibly farther away from home, and might even be sold. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Xie Wendong and Ma Wu talked for a while longer. By noon, they said goodbye. Ma Wu didn’t keep him; he arranged for a car to take Xie Wendong and the girl back to County H. Before parting, he reminded Xie Wendong to be careful and make sure the girl didn’t escape. Xie Wendong was so angry he wanted to stamp his foot on Ma Wu’s fat face, but he held back in the end.
Upon arriving in County H, Xie Wendong didn’t stay. He told the driver to take him straight to City J. The driver, knowing him as Ma Wu’s good friend, didn’t dare delay and drove straight to City J. When they reached near Xinxin Billiards Hall, Xie Wendong pulled the girl out of the car and sent the driver back. He didn’t want Ma Wu’s men to know their meeting place.
Xie Wendong took the girl’s hand and went to Xinxin. Inside, dozens of brothers were sitting with worried expressions, discussing something. “Why are there so many people here at Xinxin? Could something have happened?” Xie Wendong felt uneasy. He pushed open the door and shouted, “What are you all doing here? What happened?”
As soon as they saw Xie Wendong, everyone gathered around him. One of them said anxiously, “Brother Dong, something bad has happened—a serious incident!”
Xie Wendong looked at him and said, “What happened? Explain clearly to me!”

Everyone started talking at once, creating a mess. Xie Wendong listened for a long time without understanding and shouted, “Stop making noise! Speak one by one. Tell me what’s going on!” He pointed at the person who had been speaking earlier, who then said in a sobbing voice, “Brother Dong… Brother Shuang was beaten to death—seventeen cuts! He’s in the hospital. Brother Qiang had the police arrest him!”
Xie Wendong’s head buzzed after hearing this. It was like a thunderbolt to him. He grabbed the man by the collar and asked, “Where’s Sanyan? Where is he?”
Frightened by Xie Wendong’s reaction, the man replied with a trembling voice, “He’s… he’s in Guiwo!”
Xie Wendong let go of him and turned to leave, but suddenly saw the girl standing aside, watching him. He released the girl’s hand and handed her over to the brothers inside, then said, “Lock her in the back room. No one is allowed to touch her, but don’t let her run away either!” The others looked at the girl and then at Xie Wendong, nodding foolishly.
Xie Wendong strode out of Xinxin and took a car to Guiwo. When he arrived at the door, he saw many brothers standing outside, arguing about something. Anxious and angry, he thought, “It hasn’t even been a day, and such a big problem has already arisen. The gang is in chaos.” He shouted, “What are you all standing here for?”
Hearing his voice, everyone turned around. Seeing it was Xie Wendong, they rushed over as if he were a savior. Urged to see Sanyan, Xie Wendong shouted, “Where’s Sanyan?” Someone replied loudly, “Brother Sanyan is inside!” Xie Wendong pushed through the crowd and went in. There were no customers in the dance hall; the lights were bright, and at least two hundred people stood in the area, creating a deafening noise. Sanyan, Zhang Yanjiang, and He Haoran were discussing something together. Xie Wendong shouted, “Quiet down everyone!” Instantly, the noise in the dance hall disappeared, and everyone’s faces lit up with relief. Seeing Xie Wendong, Sanyan and the others’ eyes reddened as they rushed over quickly.
Sanyan approached Xie Wendong and slapped himself twice first. “Brother Dong, it’s all my fault! If I hadn’t acted impulsively, Lao Fei and Qiangzi wouldn’t have gotten into trouble. Punish me!” After saying that, Sanyan knelt on the ground, lowered his head, and tears streamed down his face.
Xie Wendong was in a state of turmoil. He pulled Sanyan up and led him to a private room, with Zhang Yanjiang and He Haoran following behind.
Once in the private room, Xie Wendong closed the door and asked, “Brother Zhang, put aside everything else for now. Tell me what happened.”

Sanyan began to explain everything in detail. After Sanyan and the others sent Xie Wendong away, seeing that everyone was gloomy, Sanyan suggested not going back to school and instead going to Guiwo to have some fun. Li Shuang and the others, feeling depressed, agreed. Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered Guiwo, it was in complete chaos. Most of the brothers who stayed there were covered in wounds, lying on the ground, while Sister Shui was busy taking care of them. Sanyan and the others asked what had happened, and a brother who was still somewhat conscious said that a gang called the Sickle Gang had come to cause trouble, beating up all the brothers on duty. Before leaving, they threatened that if Wendong’s gang didn’t leave Guiwo within three days, they would kill every member of Wendong’s gang they encountered.

Li Shuang, who was already in a bad mood, exploded upon hearing this. He grabbed a knife and wanted to go fight the Sickle Gang. Sanyan tried to stop him, but he was also angry—Wendong’s gang had never been bullied before! He asked Sister Shui if she knew anything about the Sickle Gang. Sister Shui told him that the Bajin Di Club, not far from Guiwo, was under the control of the Sickle Gang. Hearing this, Sanyan smirked and immediately called Xinxin, telling everyone to gather people and bring weapons to Guiwo. In less than half an hour, Xinxin’s brothers brought about fifty people. Sanyan led them outside to confront the Sickle Gang. Zhang Yanjiang felt it was a bad idea and tried to stop Sanyan, suggesting waiting for Brother Dong to return before making a decision. Sanyan ignored him and left with his men. Li Shuang and Gao Qiang followed Sanyan to Bajin Di. Seeing that he couldn’t stop them, Zhang Yanjiang had no choice but to go as well. Unexpectedly, when they entered Bajin Di, they didn’t see a single person. Zhang Yanjiang and Sanyan almost simultaneously realized something was wrong, but it was too late to retreat. Dozens of young men rushed out from the club’s private rooms, wielding knives and slashing at anyone they saw. The brothers from Wendong’s gang were caught off guard and quickly killed in large numbers. Sanyan led his brothers in a fierce fight and finally managed to break out of Bajin Di, but Li Shuang and Sanyan were trapped inside. When Sanyan tried to fight his way back, police sirens could be heard in the distance. Zhang Yanjiang pulled Sanyan away along with the brothers. Meanwhile, inside, Li Shuang kept Gao Qiang hidden in a private room and used his body to block the door against the attackers. By the time the police arrived, Li Shuang had been stabbed seventeen times, each wound penetrating his bones. He was unconscious when taken to the city hospital. The Sickle Gang told the police that these people came to rob them and that they had to act in self-defense. Since he had connections with the gang’s leader, the leader immediately arrested Gao Qiang. At the police station, Gao Qiang took full blame for everything. The police didn’t believe him and used every possible method of interrogation, but Gao Qiang refused to confess under any circumstances.

In this battle, 20 members of the Wen Dong Gang were injured and hospitalized, with 10 arrested by the police. Li Shuang was seriously injured and his condition was uncertain, while Gao Qiang was captured. Two of the five key members of the gang were gone—what a devastating defeat.

After hearing this, Xie Wen Dong took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and leaned back on the sofa without saying a word for a long time. The three men standing beside him didn’t dare to breathe. Xie Wen Dong kept telling himself: Stay calm! Stay calm! Try to keep your emotions under control and slowly reflect on what the three-eyed man had said. After a while, Xie Wen Dong opened his eyes and glanced coldly at the three men, saying, “There’s a traitor in the gang!”

The three-eyed man shuddered. He would rather be punished by Xie Wen Dong than hear those words. The members of the gang were like family to him, and he treated each of them as his own brothers. Who would betray the Wen Dong Gang? Xie Wen Dong’s words were like a sharp knife piercing into the three-eyed man’s heart.

Xie Wen Dong continued, “Brother Zhang, go get me 100,000 yuan quickly, and find out the address of the director of the Chashi City Bureau. I’m going to see Little Shuang now! No one is allowed to follow me!” After saying that, Xie Wen Dong glanced at the three men and sighed. At the door, he stopped, turned back to the three-eyed man, and said, “You don’t need to blame yourself. Even if I were there, I would have made the same choice!” The three-eyed man knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, and cried out to Xie Wen Dong, “Brother Dong!” Even a strong man like him couldn’t hold back his tears. Zhang Yanjiang and the others also wept bitterly.

“We need to learn from these failures! But I will never let my enemies go! Stay strong!” Xie Wen Dong shouted before leaving the room. When he came out, the other members saw his grim expression and automatically stepped aside; no one spoke. After leaving that place, Xie Wen Dong looked up to the sky and let out a long sigh to vent his pent-up anger. Then he drove straight to the Central Hospital.

Upon arrival, Xie Wen Dong asked a nurse for Li Shuang’s room. Learning it was 302, he rushed there. It was an intensive care unit, filled with patients still in critical condition. Seeing no police guarding the door, Xie Wen Dong pushed it open to enter, but a nurse stopped him, saying, “Hey! Don’t you know you’re not allowed in here?! Move aside!”

Xie Wen Dong ignored her and went in. The nurse grabbed his clothes and shouted angrily, “What’s wrong with you? I told you you can’t come in! Are you crazy?!”

When Xie Wendong opened the door, he saw Li Shuang, covered in bandages, lying pale on the hospital bed. His heart felt as though it had been torn apart, and his eyes turned red as he turned to stare at the nurse who was holding his clothes. The nurse was terrified by Xie Wendong’s gaze and froze in place, releasing his clothes. Xie Wendong rushed to the bedside in a few steps, took Li Shuang’s hand, and gently called his name, “Xiao Shuang! Xiao Shuang!…”
Feeling someone nearby, Li Shuang slowly opened his eyes and stared blankly ahead, his other hand, connected to an IV, reaching out aimlessly. “Are… are you Brother Dong?”
Xie Wendong looked at Li Shuang in shock, waving his hand in front of his face. Li Shuang’s eyes didn’t blink, showing no reaction. “Is Xiao Shuang blind?” Xie Wendong thought to himself, tears finally spilling over and falling onto the white sheets.
Li Shuang waved his hand in the air and said weakly, “Is it Brother Dong? Is it really you?”
Xie Wendong held Li Shuang’s hand and pressed it against his own face, speaking through sobs, “It’s me! Xiao Shuang, I’m here to see you!”
“Brother Dong, you’re back! That’s great. I was worried about things in the guild!”
“Don’t worry about it. Everything’s fine!”
Li Shuang forced a smile and said, “Brother Dong, I thought I’d never see you again. I’m so happy to see you!” “Brother Dong, why is your face wet? Did you cry? I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” “Lying here, I can’t help but think of the days we spent together whenever I close my eyes. Those were the happiest times of my life.” “I really miss Qiangzi. I wonder why he didn’t come.” “Brother Dong, must the world be much quieter without me by your side?”
Xie Wendong didn’t speak, listening quietly to every word Li Shuang said. The pain in his heart was beyond words. He wished it were he lying there instead of Li Shuang. Memories of the past and moments spent with Li Shuang flashed before his eyes. Could that chubby boy who used to laugh around him really leave him?! Xie Wendong couldn’t accept it, and he wouldn’t. Holding Li Shuang’s hand, he said softly, “Xiao Shuang, you’ll be fine. You still have to go fight with me in the future! That’s what you said—men keep their promises! Didn’t you say you’d always listen to me? I order you not to leave me!”
Li Shuang tried to smile at Xie Wendong, but he had no strength. Feeling extremely tired, he slowly closed his eyes, a tear rolling down from the corner of his eye.
Xie Wendong didn’t let go of Li Shuang’s hand; he just sat there quietly.

“Boredom leads to hesitation; it’s not easy to achieve one’s ideals. Even with confidence, fighting spirit is suppressed. Who decides whether I go or stay, who defines the universe in my heart…” Xie Wendong softly hummed BEYOND’s “No More Hesitation.” It was the favorite song of Li Shuang, Xie Wendong, Gao Qiang, and others.
Xie Wendong sang slowly and softly, repeating it countless times. The nurse at the door came in, approached him, and said gently, “Your friend is asleep. Please don’t disturb him. Let him rest for a while. I believe he’ll recover!” Having witnessed what had happened, the nurse was moved by the friendship between Xie Wendong and Li Shuang and treated him much better than before.
The nurse’s voice snapped Xie Wendong out of his reverie. He realized his clothes were soaked with his tears. Xie Wendong smiled at the nurse, stood up, and said, “I’m sorry for what happened just now. Could you tell me what’s wrong with my friend’s eyes?”
The nurse replied, “It’s a consequence of excessive blood loss! It will be fine in a while.”
Relieved, Xie Wendong thanked her. After giving one last look at Li Shuang in bed, he turned and left the room. Watching Xie Wendong’s retreating figure, the nurse thought to herself, “If he’s still alive in a while!” But she didn’t say this to him. Seeing his state, she didn’t want to burden him any further.
Walking on the busy streets, Li Shuang’s pale face kept appearing before Xie Wendong’s eyes. For the first time, he doubted the path he was on. No matter how smooth the road seemed, it was still a dark path, one that would never see the light. Today it was Li Shuang lying in bed; tomorrow it could be Sanyan, Gao Qiang, or perhaps himself. On this path, life had no guarantees. Was it really necessary to risk his brothers’ lives for his ideals? Xie Wendong didn’t know, and no one would teach him. He had to walk his own path alone.