Chapter 297

Xie Wendong laughed and said, “It sounds like you think I’ve never said anything before?!” Jiang Lin pretended to be stunned and said seriously, “So you know too!” When it came to talking nonsense, Xie Wendong wasn’t her match. He shook his head and smiled, “What do you want from me?” “Can’t I come to you if there’s nothing to talk about?” Jiang Lin asked, blinking her big eyes. Xie Wendong shrugged and said, “I’ve always thought sleeping is important. If it’s not necessary, I won’t waste this time.” Jiang Lin raised her hands in surrender and said, “I didn’t realize you loved sleeping so much at such a young age. What will you do when you get older?” Xie Wendong scratched his head seriously and said, “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

Jiang Lin gave him a deep look and got to the point, “The night view in Shanghai is beautiful. Have you seen it?” Xie Wendong replied, “I’ve seen it, but not really appreciated it.” “Just seeing it, not appreciating it—how can you know its beauty? Come with me to take a look.” Xie Wendong checked his watch; it was almost 9 p.m. He wanted to refuse, but seeing Jiang Lin’s expectant expression, he sighed inwardly. Beautiful women always made it hard for men to make decisions. He said, “Okay, let me change my clothes.”

Five minutes later, Xie Wendong came out of the room. Jiang Lin thought he would change into a different outfit, but to her surprise, he just changed the clothes slightly, putting on another set that was exactly the same—a black, almost navy-blue Zhongshan suit. She found it funny and asked, “You seem to really like Zhongshan suits. Not many people wear them these days, especially young people.” Xie Wendong gritted his teeth and said, “I’ve said it before—I’m a bit conservative.” “Mm, I see that now.”

The night view of Shanghai was indeed beautiful, and Xie Wendong had already seen it. On the Huangpu River, oil tankers were constantly passing by, especially colorful boats adorned with various neon lights, turning the river surface into a riot of colors. In the distance, tall buildings stood amidst twinkling stars, creating a scene so prosperous and beautiful it seemed unreal. “It’s beautiful!” Jiang Lin stood by the river, her eyes misty, as if speaking to Xie Wendong or marveling at it herself. Xie Wendong said, “It is beautiful, but it’s just an illusionary desert.”

“Why do you say that?” Jiang Lin didn’t understand what he meant and couldn’t help asking. Xie Wendong smiled faintly and said, “Any place is the same to me. At first, it seems strange and distant, out of reach, but once conquered, it loses all meaning.” Jiang Lin was confused, unable to figure out what kind of person Xie Wendong was. She said with a headache, “So, in your heart, nothing is more important than competing for dominance?” Xie Wendong looked up and said, “Everyone has their own ideals and strives for them. I’m no exception.” Jiang Lin watched him for a while before shaking her head and saying, “It seems your ideals are quite different from others’, or rather, your ambition is much greater than theirs.”
“Maybe!” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “How about talking about something else?” “Okay!” Jiang Lin replied without hesitation, “I’ll take you to an interesting place.”
The interesting place she mentioned was a residential complex that had been built halfway for some unknown reason and then abandoned. It was located in a relatively remote area with few residents nearby. Next to the complex was a newly built straight road, probably built specifically for it, but unfortunately, as the construction stopped, the road fell into disuse. Perhaps it had become a playground for some people.
By the time Jiang Lin drove Xie Wendong there, it was almost 11 o’clock. There were few pedestrians on the road, yet it was filled with the noise of vehicles, with dozens of men and women gathered there. After getting out of the car, Xie Wendong looked at Jiang Lin in confusion. She smiled and said, “Don’t ask. You’ll understand after watching for a while.”
Inside the crowd, there were two motorcycles, with one rider in red and another in white. Many people around them were holding bills, screaming loudly, and whistling, seemingly cheering for one of them. By the roadside ahead, someone was holding up an empty wine bottle and shouting for others to move aside. With a “crack!” the bottle fell to the ground and shattered. The riders in red and white suddenly released the clutch, and the front wheels of their motorcycles lifted off, shooting forward like arrows. Their speed was so fast that even Xie Wendong, who had just gotten out of the car, was amazed. In the blink of an eye, the two motorcycles reached the end of the road. Someone ahead shouted loudly, “Red wins!” The crowd erupted—some were overjoyed, while others cursed. Seeing this, Xie Wendong understood that these people were betting on motorcycle races. He turned to Jiang Lin and asked, “Do you come here often?”

Jiang Lin naturally smoothed her hair; perhaps it was a bit warm. She unbuttoned her dress, revealing a tight white T-shirt underneath. The thin layer couldn’t hide the bulge beneath, giving Jiang Lin an air of maturity mixed with wildness. She said solemnly, “I only do it occasionally! Staying in a society full of deceit and mutual exploitation can be exhausting over time, but here one can find vitality, passion, and excitement. Seeing you so listless, I brought you here hoping you might feel the same way.” Hearing this, Xie Wendong felt a stir in his heart. Her words moved him, regardless of her true intentions. In fact, Jiang Lin didn’t really know Xie Wendong—he was the kind of person who never showed his true feelings. He had never lacked passion; in fact, when his passion flared, it could melt anything in its path. At that moment, people also noticed their arrival. Xie Wendong didn’t seem too concerned, but when they saw Jiang Lin, they were amazed—after all, such a beautiful woman was rare here. A young man with golden hair, around twenty years old, walked over smilingly, glanced at Xie Wendong, and said to Jiang Lin, “Sis Lin, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. What have you been up to?” Jiang Lin replied with a smile, “What else? Running my business, of course.” The young man glanced at Xie Wendong suspiciously and asked, “Sis Lin, I’ve never seen you bring anyone here before. Who is this guy…?” “Well…” Jiang Lin smiled, “He’s someone you shouldn’t mess with.” The young man scratched his head and was about to reach out to greet Xie Wendong when angry voices came from behind, “Damn it, Yellow Hair San! Who did you bring here? You’ve beaten me seven times in a row—could it be you doing this?” Hearing this, Xie Wendong looked up and saw six rowdy, thug-like young men emerging from the crowd and heading straight toward him. The young man turned his head, gave those men a disdainful look, and laughed shrilly, “Boli, if you lose, just admit it. That only shows your guys aren’t good enough. Besides, how could I do anything in front of so many people?!” The man called Boli was around twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a black leather jacket, with a row of earrings in his ears and a cigarette in his mouth. Clearly, he was the leader of the group. He stepped up to the young man and pointed at his nose, saying, “Better not give me any reason to find faults, or… hmm, you’ll regret it.”

Xie Wendong didn’t know the relationship between these people and looked at Jiang Lin in confusion. The young man with yellow hair whispered in his ear, “His name is Huang Xiaoding. I don’t know that one called Boli either; I’ve never seen him before.” Perhaps her voice wasn’t quiet enough, as Boli, who was sitting across from Huang Xiaoding, heard her murmurs. He was stunned for a moment before his small eyes gradually narrowed as he scanned Jiang Lin from head to toe. When his gaze fell on her chest, he became fixated, unable to look away.

Under his intense gaze, Jiang Lin instinctively covered her clothes and frowned deeply, but she held back from reacting. Boli’s angry expression instantly turned into one of glee as he kept his eyes fixed on Jiang Lin, though he spoke to Huang Xiaoding, “Is she your friend? Why have I never seen her before?!” Huang Xiaoding’s expression changed, and he stepped forward to protect Jiang Lin, saying, “That’s right, she’s my friend. Boli, you’d better be polite—don’t be too…” Before he could finish, Boli pulled him aside with a cold snort, “What do you even count for?!” Without even glancing at him, he strode toward Jiang Lin with lecherous eyes. Once inside her space, a tempting musk filled the air. His head was already clouded by desire as he asked bluntly, “Miss, how much is it per night?” Hearing this, Jiang Lin’s face turned as red as the sunset, her almond-shaped eyes wide as she glared at Boli in anger, too furious to speak.

Huang Xiaoding flew into a rage. He stepped forward, slapped Boli on the shoulder, and shouted, “Boli, I said she’s my friend! Don’t go too far!”

“Go to hell!” Boli, already lustful, didn’t care who he was. With a powerful backer supporting him, he was used to being domineering and dismissed everyone else. He grabbed Huang Xiaoding by the collar, pulled him back, and kicked him hard in the stomach. The two often competed in car races, with wins and losses on both sides. They usually coexisted peacefully, but today Boli attacked without warning. Unprepared, Huang Xiaoding let out a groan and fell to the ground, clutching his abdomen. Boli, along with the five other young men, seemed unafraid and eager to show off. Seeing him strike, they rushed forward and kicked the fallen Huang Xiaoding mercilessly.

“Miss, you still haven’t answered my question!” Boli smiled falsely, his small eyes narrowing to the size of mung beans. Seeing Jiang Lin so angry that she couldn’t speak, her chest rising and falling with each breath, he grew even more impatient. Boldly, he reached out to touch her cheek. Before his hand could even come within an inch of its target, his wrist was firmly grabbed. A pair of pale, thin, yet strong hands, like steel clamps, made Boli grit his teeth in pain. He forced himself not to cry out in front of the beautiful woman. Turning his head, he saw it was the young man in a Zhongshan suit standing beside Jiang Lin. Boli had noticed him from the start, but since he seemed young and thin with nothing notable about him, he had ignored him. Who would have thought it would be this man he had dismissed who would cause trouble now?

Xie Wendong didn’t want to get involved, but Boli had indeed gone too far. After all, Jiang Lin was his friend, and he certainly wouldn’t stand by and watch her get bullied. He smiled slightly and said, “Brother, using force on a woman isn’t very moral, is it?” Boli glared, trying hard to pull back his arm several times, but it didn’t budge at all—his wrist seemed to be attached to the other man’s hand. Having never suffered such humiliation before, Boli shouted, “Who are you? What does it matter to you whether I’m moral or not?!” With that, he swung his other hand and threw a punch at Xie Wendong’s face. Xie Wendong sighed inwardly, regretting not bringing people like Gao Qiang and Li Shuang with him. For someone like this wretched scoundrel, he didn’t even feel the urge to fight. With a slight sidestep, he barely dodged the punch, which, though powerful, lacked strength. With a firm push, there was a sharp “crack” as Boli’s wrist broke, causing his entire hand to bend downward.

Boli let out a pig-like scream, clutching his broken wrist as he knelt on the ground. Xie Wendong looked down at him with a cold, emotionless voice and said, “I’m a villain!” Standing behind Xie Wendong, Jiang Lin revealed a faint smile that was hard for others to notice. Boli’s injury terrified his subordinates. Abandoning Huang Xiaoding, two of them helped Boli up to check his injuries, while the other three approached Xie Wendong. Without saying a word, they each pulled out a dagger from their pockets and waved them in front of Xie Wendong.

Xie Wendong rolled his eyes in amusement, suddenly moved, spinning around on his feet. After a few exchanges, punching each of them in turn, he caused the three men in front of him to “happily” embrace the ground. He strode straight up to Boli, glanced at his severed wrist, and said calmly, “If you go to the hospital now, you might still be able to save it.” Boli glared at Xie Wendong through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot, and forced out a sentence through his teeth. “You’re brave. Leave your name. One day, I’ll get revenge a hundredfold. Do you dare…?”

Before Xie Wendong could respond, Jiang Lin stepped forward two steps, wrapped her arms around his arm, and leaned against him softly, mocking triumphantly, “Get revenge? Can you really do that? He’s a high-ranking brother of the Hongmen, Xie Wendong!” Boli’s expression changed drastically. He glanced at Jiang Lin, then at Xie Wendong, gasped for breath, and nodded repeatedly. “Okay, okay, okay.” He said it three times, then kicked one of his fallen subordinates who was groaning and roared, “Pick those three up. Let’s go!” The six of them supported each other and limped away. Xie Wendong stood still, expressionless, seemingly lost in thought. Jiang Lin waved her hand in front of his face and laughed, “What are you thinking about? They’ve all left.”

Xie Wendong came back to his senses, shook his head, and smiled. “I wasn’t thinking about anything. I’m just wondering why you revealed my true identity to scare them, since they were just a bunch of hooligans.”

Under his gaze, Jiang Lin unconsciously lowered her head and said softly, “I was afraid they’d retaliate!” “Oh!” Xie Wendong paused for a moment but didn’t press further. He looked at Huang Xiaoding, who was covered in injuries all over his face and body, and said, “Your friend is injured. I’ll find someone to take him to the hospital.” He took out his phone, ready to call Sanyan. Seeing this, Jiang Lin stopped him and called out to the crowd, “There’s no need to go to such trouble. Xiaoding’s friend has arrived.” Xie Wendong looked over, and indeed, the knight in red from earlier was rushing toward them, not even bothering to take off his helmet. The knight greeted Jiang Lin, asked a few questions, then carried Huang Xiaoding onto his motorcycle and sped away.