Chapter 309

Xie Wendong gave her no hope at all and said bluntly, “No!” Jiang Lin was a smart woman. Seeing Xie Wendong’s firm tone, she knew she couldn’t avoid it today, so she decided to be honest—perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope. She lay back on the bed, sighed softly, her gaze growing increasingly deep. After a long while, she slowly said, “I have an older sister named Jiang Feng. She’s very beautiful, really—she has an angelic beauty.” Xie Wendong pulled up a chair and sat down, not interrupting, waiting quietly for her to continue.

Jiang Lin continued, “My family lives in a remote small mountain village. There are no roads or railways there; it’s very backward, and our family is poor. But my sister and I were both unwilling to spend our entire lives in that barren land. We longed for the colorful world in the city. We studied hard, hoping that one day we could get into university and leave our hometown. Eventually, my sister and I succeeded. But once we arrived in the city, we realized it wasn’t as perfect as we had imagined. It’s a society where people eat each other and trample on one another. My sister and I worked hard to earn money, hoping to bring our parents, who still lived in the village, here. But they never made it that day. In 1998, a flood destroyed everything in the village. The entire mountain village disappeared from the map overnight, with no one surviving.” At these words, Jiang Lin was deeply moved. A thick layer of tears covered her beautiful eyes, and they streamed down as she hugged her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly—looking utterly pitiable.

Back then, the water situation in Province H was relatively mild. Although Xie Wendong had not experienced that flood firsthand, he could imagine its severity and tragedy from the news coming from various sources. Whether it was soldiers or ordinary people, the actual death toll was much higher than what the official reports indicated. In some areas downstream, one could even drag out a corpse by poking it with a fork in the water. Xie Wendong sighed inwardly, pressed his lips together, but remained silent. Jiang Lin wiped away her tears and continued, “Since then, my sister seemed to lose all her strength. She was in a daze most of the time, constantly muttering that she was unfilial for not bringing our parents out earlier to enjoy a better life. It took a full year before she gradually returned to normal, and we too managed to recover from the grief of losing both parents. We thought life would return to normal and get better, but one day my sister met Bo Zhanhui—a heartless monster who appeared righteous on the surface but was actually cruel and treacherous. Lured by her beauty, he offered her a high salary to work at a company secretly established by his Zhongyi Gang. One night, while she was working overtime, he raped her. After that, my sister…” She couldn’t finish speaking, overcome with tears.

Alas! Another tragedy in the world. Xie Wendong stood with his back straight, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, and gently handed it to Jiang Lin. With his hands behind his back, he paced back and forth in the room. After a while, Jiang Lin dried her tears and stopped crying, then said, “My sister is the only family I have in this world. From the day she committed suicide, I resolved to avenge her, by any means necessary. I worked hard to make money and finally built my own hotel using my intelligence. But compared to Bo Zhanhui’s Zhongyi Gang, everything I have is insignificant. Before meeting you, I thought I would never be able to fulfill this wish.” “So,” said Xie Wendong, “you deliberately took me to that black-market motorcycle casino because you knew Bo Zhanhui’s son was just as lustful as his father and would surely have ulterior motives toward you. And I would definitely help you out. Also, you knew Bo Zhanhui cherished his only son very much, and if I hurt him, Bo Zhanhui would surely come for revenge. In that way, the Zhongyi Gang would inevitably provoke the Beihongmen, whose strength far exceeded that of the former. Then, the day for you to avenge your sister would be near, right?!” “Yes!” Jiang Lin could hardly help but nod. Xie Wendong was too clever; he had guessed exactly everything she had planned. The best way to deal with someone like him was to tell the truth. She shyly raised her head and pleaded, “Mr. Xie, can you forgive me?”

Xie Wendong felt a moment of softness, but quickly shook his head and said seriously, “I hate being deceived by others the most. No matter what your reasons are, your mistake cannot be forgiven by me.” After saying that, he headed out. Before leaving, he turned back and said, “I should have spanked you, but since I live here and owe you a favor, I’ll tolerate it this time. If you dare to deceive or exploit me again, hehe, my methods are beyond what you can handle. By the way, I’m serious—don’t take my words as a joke!”
Xie Wendong slammed the door and left. Jiang Lin stared at the tightly closed door for a long time. Perhaps recalling her sad experiences, perhaps struck by Xie Wendong’s heartless words, or maybe because he ignored her tears, she collapsed on the bed and cried bitterly. In fact, Xie Wendong didn’t leave right away after going out; he stood outside quietly for a while. Hearing the crying from inside, he shook his head with a bitter smile. It’s much easier for women to live than men. When women face difficulties, they can vent through tears—no one will criticize them, and it might even earn them sympathy. But what about men? Even if they have tears, they can only hold them back. No matter how deeply hurt they are, they can only find a secluded corner to heal their wounds alone. Because women adorn the world, while men support it. Bo Zhanhui! Xie Wendong silently repeated these three words. Those who oppress women are among the kinds of people he despises the most. He already intended to get rid of Bo Zhanhui, and after hearing Jiang Lin’s words, his determination grew even stronger.
Before dealing with Xiang Wentian, he had to eliminate Bo Zhanhui first to eliminate this future threat. He made up his mind secretly. With a goal in mind, his mood eased. Though exhausted, with severe pain from his shoulders to his wrists, and numbness in his feet from the fierce kicking earlier, Xie Wendong limped along, groaning softly and cursing, “Damn you, Nie Tianxing!”
The Fresh Flowers Hotel was severely damaged. Xie Wendong funded its complete renovation from top to bottom. Thanks to his generosity and the coaxing and threats from people like San Yan, the hotel was completely transformed in just three days. After the renovation, the Fresh Flowers Hotel became even more elegant and luxurious, while still retaining its original tranquility and grace. After confronting Xie Wendong, Jiang Lin didn’t dare to go out to meet the people from the North Hongmen for two days. Only when she realized no one treated her differently did she know that Xie Wendong hadn’t revealed her plan to use the North Hongmen to deal with the Loyalty Gang. She was infinitely grateful. Her feelings toward Xie Wendong were complex—she couldn’t even tell whether she respected him or feared him, or maybe…

Within three days, no less than 200 elite members of Beihongmen advanced into Shanghai. The sudden increase in numbers put even the already overcrowded Xie Wendong in even greater distress. Xianhua and Tiandi were already packed to the brim, with not even a mouse hole left available. Even so, there were still over a hundred people living in inns, and now another 200 had arrived. Not to mention anything else, just their food and accommodation costs would be a substantial expense. Unable to wait for the enemy to make a mistake, Xie Wendong decided to launch a surprise attack on Zhongyi Bang, crush them outright, and take over their territory. This would not only solve his immediate problems but also eliminate a major threat—why not do it?! That was his plan, but things in the world are unpredictable, and unexpected events often occur. The members of Xuesha accidentally discovering the whereabouts of the Hun Group undoubtedly became the catalyst, turning Beihongmen’s optimistic attitude into one of caution.

On the second floor of Tiandi Bar. “Hun Group?” When Xie Wendong heard these words, he was initially stunned, then burst into laughter. Shaking his head, he muttered, “I really didn’t expect the Hun Group to still be active.”

Jiang Senyuan wasn’t as relaxed as Xie Wendong. Frowning, he said, “Brother Dong, the members of the Hun Group discovered in Shanghai this time are different from those we’ve known before.”

“Oh?” Xie Wendong raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “How different?” Jiang Sen replied, “Our brothers below also stumbled upon the Hun Group members by chance. I originally sent him to a supermarket not far from us to buy some necessities. By chance, he saw someone with a black ‘Hun’ tattoo on their wrist while picking up goods. Fortunately, this brother had seen members of the Hun Group before and was familiar with their symbol. He originally wanted to capture that person and ask questions, but…” “But he didn’t catch them!” Xie Wendong finished.

Jiang Sen sighed and said, “Not only did he fail to catch them, but he himself was injured. If it weren’t for other brothers arriving in time, it’s uncertain whether he could have saved his life!”

Xie Wendong was taken aback—this was far beyond his expectations. He knew the individual combat skills of Xuesha; each of their members was highly skilled, and five or six strong men couldn’t even get close to them. As for the Hun Group, he had never encountered them before but sensed that their strength was decent, though still somewhat inferior to that of Xuesha. “Where was that brother injured?”

Jiang Sen said, “Both arms are fractured, three ribs are broken, and those from the Soul Group never showed their weapons from start to finish.” “Huh?” Xie Wendong gasped, narrowing his eyes and saying, “That’s interesting. Have Old Liu investigate how many they are and where they’re based.” Jiang Sen replied, “Brother Dong, I’ve already contacted Old Liu, but he hasn’t found anything. He only said that the Soul Group members are probably not far from us. As for how many there are, he can’t figure it out—their movements are too secretive this time.”

Even Liu Bo couldn’t uncover anything; it seems the Soul Group has sent people more formidable than usual this time. Xie Wendong stood up and walked back and forth silently in the room. Jiang Sen opened his mouth but spoke in a low voice, “Brother Dong, the sudden appearance of the Soul Group near us must have some purpose. Compared to them, the Loyalty Gang poses little threat to us. I think we should delay acting against the Loyalty Gang and prioritize eliminating the Soul Group first.” Xie Wendong pondered for a long time before slowly saying, “To fight external threats, we must first stabilize our own affairs!”

A slogan once used by Chiang Kai-shek, spoken now by Xie Wendong, made its meaning clear. Jiang Sen wanted to say more, but Xie Wendong waved his hand to stop him. Calmly, Xie said, “The Loyalty Gang may not seem strong, but they’re located to our south, behind us. If we don’t eliminate them soon and they start plotting again, it could be costly. As powerful as the Soul Group is, they’re a foreign gang. The government views them as deadly threats, and even Xiang Wentian wants to eradicate them. They wouldn’t dare attack us openly; at most, they might resort to assassinations, which aren’t a serious concern.”

“But,” Jiang Sen said worriedly, “as long as the Soul Group exists, they remain a potential threat to us. Moreover, the people they sent this time are highly skilled. If they take advantage of an opening to assassinate Brother Dong, it’s possible…” Xie Wendong laughed heartily, patted Jiang Sen’s shoulder, and said, “I’m not even afraid, so what are you worried about?!”

Xie Wendong’s decisions were hard to change. As his forces grew, he accelerated his preparations to deliver a devastating blow to the Loyalty Gang.

Fifteen, the night of the full moon. The dark sky was cloudless, dotted with stars, with a bright moon shining brightly, illuminating the land like mercury pouring down.

Shanghai’s night view remained beautiful and bustling. Those accustomed to nightlife strolled around the noisy districts, chatting as usual. Though the streets above were calm, things were far from peaceful underground. Led by Xie Wendong, the Beihongmen was plotting a violent confrontation. There was heavy traffic in front of the Flower Hotel and Tianyi Bar—not because of their good business, but because the Beihongmen was preparing to launch a full-scale attack on the Zhongyi Gang. Cars of all sizes lined both sides of the street, all prepared in advance by the Beihongmen.

Xie Wendong stood in front of the mirror in his room, slowly buttoning his shirt. He seemed distracted, but in reality, his mind was racing as he rehearsed the upcoming battle in his head. Jiang Lin sat on the bed behind him, watching Xie Wendong, who appeared preoccupied, and said softly, “Wen… Mr. Xie, you actually don’t have to go in person.” Xie Wendong snapped out of his thoughts, smiled slightly, and said, “That’s just how I am. If my brothers charge ahead, I won’t sit back and reap the benefits.”

Jiang Lin replied softly, “But it’s too much to ask you to take risks for me…” Xie Wendong shook his head before she could finish, saying, “I think you misunderstand. It’s not just because of you that I’m dealing with the Zhongyi Gang. Or rather, Bo Zhanhui’s character isn’t trustworthy, and he happens to be in my way. So he has to disappear. It has nothing to do with you.” Jiang Lin’s expression changed slightly; she pursed her lips and remained silent, only letting out a sigh of resentment. Xie Wendong picked up his coat and said calmly, “So, you really don’t need to feel guilty.” Jiang Lin stood up, took the coat from him, and helped him put it on, saying softly, “Anyway, I hope you can return safely.”

Xie Wendong was startled. He looked at Jiang Lin. Only a small nightlight illuminated the room, casting a dim glow. As the saying goes, a woman looks most enchanting by candlelight—and Jiang Lin was no exception. Her slightly parted, moist red lips made Xie Wendong want to press them against hers. He turned his head away, took a deep breath, fastened the collar of his Sun Yat-sen suit, and put on his signature smile. Smiling, he said, “Don’t worry about that. Before I agree, no one can take my life—even the King of Hell not!”

If someone else had said such things, they would have been considered arrogant. But when Xie Wendong said them, it sounded completely reasonable. No one would doubt him, because villains always tell the truth. Jiang Lin was amused by his arrogance and said, “I’ll wait for you.” Xie Wendong checked his watch, raised one finger, and said, “Wait for me to come back for late-night snacks!”