Chapter 254

“How did he get here?” Xie Wendong was puzzled. This Red Army guy always appeared out of nowhere and seemed to be well-informed. It hadn’t even been a few days since he returned to City H, and he already showed up. Li Shuang didn’t know Wu Ming and asked in confusion, “Brother Dong, do you know this Wu Ming?” “Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded without answering, smiled at the burly man, and said, “Brother, please let him in.” “Sure,” the burly man replied promptly and rushed out of the hall. Soon after, he came back with a young man in his twenties, with a stern expression and a slender build. “Haha.” Before Wu Ming could reach them, Xie Wendong laughed heartily. He stepped forward with outstretched arms, patted Wu Ming’s shoulder affectionately, and said cheerfully, “It’s been a long time! You must have had a good time in Japan, right?” Unprepared for Xie Wendong’s familiarity, Wu Ming was flattered and replied politely, “Sir Xie still looks as handsome as ever.” “Hehe.” Xie Wendong chuckled lightly. He gestured for Wu Ming to sit down, then took his seat across from him. His subordinates stepped forward and poured two cups of tea, placing them in front of them. “Don’t be polite, Brother Wu,” Xie Wendong waved his hand. “Where are you from?” “Shanghai.” Wu Ming rarely wasted words. His Chinese was fluent, but since he was Japanese, his speech often slipped slightly. To avoid drawing attention, he kept his words brief—this had become a habit by now. “Shanghai?” Xie Wendong frowned and said slowly, “Shanghai is thousands of miles away from here. Surely you didn’t come all this way to City H for no reason?” Wu Ming nodded and said, “I came because of you.” “Hah!” Xie Wendong asked with a smile, “Why just City H?” Wu Ming smiled and replied, “I obviously have my own ways.” Xie Wendong said, “I’m not involved in the Red Army’s affairs, nor do I know much about them. If there’s something, just say it directly. We’re not just casual acquaintances, right?!” “Sir Xie is still so straightforward,” Wu Ming sighed. After a long pause, he reluctantly said, “I really did come here this time to ask for your help, Sir Xie.”

Sure enough! Xie Wendong could guess from just the hair that Wu Ming didn’t just came to visit him. He stayed silent, waiting for Wu Ming to continue. Wu Ming went on, “There’s something hard to say. I have to trouble you, Xie Jun, every time.” Xie Wendong took a sip of tea and chuckled, “As long as you can drop your Japanese courtesy, I think I’ll feel more comfortable.” Wu Ming scratched his head awkwardly and got straight to the point, “Our organization is in great trouble now. Since we officially went to war with the Soul Group, we’ve managed to defeat some of their forces, but the Soul Group has the support of right-wing groups in the government, using state power to suppress and attack the Red Army. We’re struggling greatly now—companies that support our organization have been seized, and our funds are extremely tight.” He paused, looking at Xie Wendong anxiously. Xie Wendong continued sipping his tea slowly, his face still wearing his usual smile. Seeing him pause, Xie Wendong said, “Go on.”

Wu Ming sighed and said, “Xie Jun must understand how difficult it is for a large organization to survive without funding.”

Xie Wendong nodded in understanding. “I get that. So…” “So I hope to get your assistance this time—financial assistance.” As soon as Wu Ming brought up money, Li Shuang couldn’t stay silent. From their conversation, he had also guessed something—Wu Ming might be a member of the Red Army, Japan’s largest terrorist organization. People from the Northeast didn’t have a good impression of the Japanese, except maybe in some areas. Li Shuang was no exception. Coupled with the Soul Group, which had always been at odds with Wendong, he held deep resentment toward them. He suddenly asked, “Do you know how much your buddy plans to ask us to ‘assist’ with?”

Wu Ming smiled, not knowing Li Shuang’s identity, and turned to Xie Wendong. Xie Wendong smiled and said, “He’s my brother. What he says represents my words.” Wu Ming pondered for a moment and said, “Twenty million.” “Huh!” Xie Wendong showed no reaction and continued drinking his tea, but Li Shuang almost spat blood. He had never seen such an exorbitant demand before. He asked again, “How… how much?” “Twenty million.” “Yen?” “RMB.” Li Shuang spat out some saliva and quickly grabbed Jiang Sen, saying, “Help me figure this out—how many yen is twenty million RMB?” Without thinking, Jiang Sen blurted out, “Nearly 170 million yen, I guess.” “Damn it!” Li Shuang stood up abruptly and shouted, “Just because you open your mouth, you expect us to come up with…” Xie Wendong waved his hand to stop Li Shuang from continuing.

He said to Wu Ming with a smile, “Twenty million—I can afford it. But you need to let me know what I’ll get in return.” Wu Ming replied firmly, “Xie Jun will become a friend of our Red Army, and we’ll also help you fight against the Soul Group.”

“That’s not enough!” Xie Wendong shook his head. “Even without your Red Army as friends, I can still live well. Besides, don’t drag me into your conflict with the Soul Group. Remember, that’s your problem. Don’t say you’re fighting them to help me. Moreover, in my eyes, the Soul Group is nothing—like monkeys jumping around in front of an elephant. They’re annoying, but not a threat at all. Brother Wu, do you understand what I mean?”

Wu Ming’s expression changed several times in an instant. Finally, he shook his head silently and said dejectedly, “It seems Xie Jun won’t agree to my request.” With that, he bowed to Xie Wendong, ready to leave. Xie Wendong chuckled and waved his hand. “Brother Wu, don’t rush. Even if I can’t help in this regard, we’re still friends privately. Since you’ve come to me, it would be rude not to treat you well! Besides, I haven’t said I definitely won’t help you. You know, Wendong does have funds, and it’s not impossible to come up with twenty million, but this money was earned through the hard work of hundreds of brothers. If they don’t get proper benefits,” he narrowed his eyes and continued, “those brothers won’t trust us!”

Wu Ming asked, “What benefits does Xie Jun want?” Xie Wendong stared at him intently and slowly said, “Have the name of the Wendong Club printed behind the Red Army’s flag!” Wu Ming was shocked. He understood what Xie Wendong was implying and remained silent. “Of course, if you can do that, I’ll consider providing more funds.” Wu Ming rubbed his hands together for a while before asking, “In the Japanese government, the Red Army is recognized as terrorists. Isn’t Xie Jun afraid? This is different from the mafia.”

“Haha!” Xie Wendong laughed and said, “As long as you don’t mention it, who will know?” Wu Ming pondered. “I can’t make a decision right now. I need time to consult with Shanghai.” Xie Wendong casually took out a cigarette and asked, “Who do I mean by ‘above’?” Wu Ming stood up and said, “The real high-ups of the Red Army. Well, I won’t disturb Xie Jun any longer. I need to go back and think it over too.” Xie Wendong didn’t insist and stood up as well. “Don’t take too long. I don’t have much time in City H.”

“Mm!” Wu Ming nodded with a smile and said, “I think there will be plenty of opportunities to cooperate with Xie Jun in the future.” With that, he took his leave. Xie Wendong saw him to the door. Once Wu Ming’s figure faded into the distance, he gave Jiang Sen a glance, who immediately understood his meaning. He nodded at his subordinates standing not far away, and the two of them quietly followed after them.

After Jiang Sen left, Xie Wendong leaned back on the sofa, tilted his head back, and stared at the ceiling. Gao Qiang was puzzled and asked, “Brother Dong, why do we need to establish ties with the Red Army?”

Xie Wendong smiled bitterly. “The Soul Group!” “The Soul Group?” Gao Qiang asked in confusion. “What about them?” Xie Wendong replied, “How deep do you think our enmity with the Soul Group is?” Li Shuang spoke up first, “If we all died suddenly, the Soul Group would be happier than during the New Year.” “So,” Xie Wendong continued, “although they’re not causing any major trouble in China right now and aren’t visible, I know they’ll appear suddenly one day and stab us in the back—this is a hidden threat. The best way to eliminate this threat is to destroy it or keep it occupied. But they’re in Japan, out of our reach, while the Red Army is definitely a good option.”

Gao Qiang asked seriously, “Brother Dong, you want to use the Red Army to keep the Soul Group occupied?” Xie Wendong smiled slightly. “Maybe we can even gain more benefits from them.” Gao Qiang said cautiously, “Brother Dong, as that Japanese man said just now, the Red Army are terrorists and among the worst in the world. It’s good to have them hold back the Soul Group, but connecting with them is like playing with fire.” “Don’t worry!” Xie Wendong said confidently. “Only those who can’t play with fire will get burned, and that’s definitely not me.” He patted Gao Qiang’s shoulder and said, “Take me to see Peng Ling.” Gao Qiang looked at Xie Wendong, sighed. He was worried that Xie Wendong might develop too quickly and end up with something beautiful but unstable. He also knew well what it meant to grow too big and attract attention. But then he thought his worries were unnecessary—what he could think of, Xie Wendong couldn’t have considered. With that, he shook his head and smiled, walking out of the villa alongside Xie Wendong.

Xie Wendong sat in the car, watching the skyscrapers fly by outside the window, and muttered to himself, “A tall building needs a solid foundation to stand firm. The same goes for a large organization.” Then he looked up at Gao Qiang and asked, “Qiangzi, are you ready?” Gao Qiang didn’t understand and asked back, “Brother Dong, ready for what?”

“Let’s fight our way through the world together, strive for it, and conquer it!” Xie Wendong said slowly, squinting his eyes. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was gentle yet powerful, filled with an unparalleled sense of dominance and courage that could overwhelm anyone. Gao Qiang took a few quick breaths; his blood seemed to boil with anger. After a long while, his mood gradually calmed, and he spoke in a flat tone, “Since the day I followed Brother Dong, I’ve never regretted it. I’ve already dedicated my life to him.” Xie Wendong smiled, his expression sincere and touched. People like Gao Qiang, though not good at expressing themselves, were trustworthy and could be brothers for life. He chuckled, leaned close to the car window, and gazed at the sky, feeling warm inside.

In the blink of an eye, the car arrived at Peng Ling’s building. Xie Wendong hesitated for a moment before going up the stairs. Peng Ling was at home. When Xie Wendong pressed the doorbell, she suddenly opened the door and flung it shut with a loud bang. The iron door slammed against the wall. Without saying a word, Peng Ling turned and went inside. “Um…” Xie Wendong rubbed his hands awkwardly and followed her in. The room was in complete disarray, as if it had just been hit by a typhoon, completely opposite to its usual neatness. Concerned, he asked, “Have you eaten?” Peng Ling, furious, paid no attention to him. Sitting on the bed, she didn’t even turn around and said, “Do I still need your concern about my affairs?”

Xie Wendong scratched his head and walked slowly to sit beside Peng Ling, speaking softly, “It seems we need to have a serious talk.” Peng Ling snorted, “So you finally want to face the truth with me?!” Shaking his head helplessly, Xie Wendong sighed, “It’s precisely because I care about you that I have to hide some things from you.”

“Is that so?” Peng Ling narrowed her eyes at him, her face flushed red. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Then I really wish you had never cared about me at all.” Xie Wendong continued, “I met Jin Rong a long time ago. Back then, she was just a teenager, captured by villains and trapped in a dangerous situation…” Peng Ling had already heard about these things from Jin Rong. That night, after Xie Wendong left in a hurry after receiving a call, Jin Rong, unable to hide her feelings and somewhat showing off, told Peng Ling everything about her relationship with Xie Wendong, adding some exaggerations along the way. Worst of all, she talked at length about Jin Peng arranging a marriage between Xie Wendong and Jin Rong. Hearing that her beloved man was already engaged to another woman was unbearable for anyone. No matter how strong-willed Peng Ling seemed, she was still a woman, and her heart was far from as strong as her appearance suggested. She shook her head and smiled, her eyes suddenly misty. She turned away so that Xie Wendong couldn’t see her. Her voice trembled slightly as she said, “I already know all this. There’s no need for you to say more. If this is all you have to say, then it’s unnecessary.”

Xie Wendong couldn’t see her expression, but her trembling shoulders revealed the bitterness in her heart. Seeing this, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. He placed his hands on Peng Ling’s shoulders and said slowly, “There are some things I have to do even if I don’t want to.” Peng Ling laughed mockingly, “Who do you think you are? You’re Xie Wendong. Is there anyone in the world you can’t refuse?” Xie Wendong had always told Peng Ling that he was in business now and no longer involved in the underworld. But she wasn’t stupid, and she was a police officer too. She didn’t need to inquire deliberately—some rumors had already reached her ears. She might not believe others’ words, but she had to believe what Peng Shulin told her. The reason Peng Shulin hadn’t taken action against Xie Wendong was, first, Xie Wendong’s special status—the name of the Central Political Department wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Second, Xie Wendong wasn’t someone who made a fuss. He was ruthless in his actions but wouldn’t strike easily. Allowing such a smart and intimidating person to control the chaotic underworld was also a good option, at least it could stabilize public order. Peng Shulin had discussed these things with Peng Ling in private. He was aware of his daughter’s relationship with this young man who had dual extreme identities, but he had never explicitly opposed it. He simply thought it was impressive and let the next generation handle their own affairs. It was precisely because of Peng Shulin’s way of raising her that Peng Ling developed an independent personality, not relying on anyone else.