Chapter 316

Xiao Fang smiled slightly and said, “Logically, it shouldn’t work, but Brother Bo is a well-known figure in Shanghai, and the Zhongyi Gang is even more respected—I trust them. It can be used!”
“Great! Great!” Bo Zhanhui agreed repeatedly, picked up a pen, and swiftly wrote out a check for five million. Slapping it on the table, he forced out a few words through his teeth, “Five million!”
Judging from his attitude, one of the opponents began to hesitate. After a long while, they shook their heads, flipped their cards, and decided not to continue. The other opponent counted their chips, set aside five million, pushed it to the center of the table, and calmly said, “I’m in!” Bo Zhanhui’s eyes widened as he stared at the opponent for a long time. His hand trembled slightly as he wrote another check for five million. Holding it in the air for three seconds, he finally slammed it down on the table and muttered, “Brother, how about we each put in another five million and see who wins?”
The man remained expressionless, simply shaking his head coldly and saying calmly, “If you want to gamble, go ahead. I’m not competing with you!” Bo Zhanhui clenched his fist and shouted, “Alright! You’re bold! I’m going to see what cards you have!” He pushed the check forward. The man chuckled, said nothing more, and began collecting the chips and checks from the table. “What do you mean by this?” Bo Zhanhui demanded angrily. “Because you lost!” The man kept working, tossing his own cards in front of Bo Zhanhui. When Bo Zhanhui saw them, he seemed to age ten years instantly, collapsing weakly in his chair and murmuring, “This… how is this possible?!” On the table, the opponent’s three cards were all Aces—the only cards that could beat his Kings. Xiao Fang “sympathetically” patted Bo Zhanhui’s shoulder and comforted him, “Brother Bo, winning and losing are common in gambling. The ups and downs in casinos are even more so—don’t take it too seriously!”
It would have been fine if Bo Zhanhui hadn’t listened, but after hearing Xiao Fang’s words, his eyebrows furrowed. Shaking off Xiao Fang’s hand, he slammed it on the table and stood up, roaring, “That’s not right! There must be some trick! How can such luck exist? I had three Kings, and he happened to have three Aces—someone must have cheated! No one is taking my money today!” With that, he frantically grabbed all the chips on the table. Xiao Fang’s expression changed, and he said coldly, “Brother Bo, you should understand the saying ‘accept defeat when you lose’!”

Bo Zhanhui snapped, “If I really lose, I’ll admit it. But if someone tries to fuck with me, heh, I’m not someone easy to bully!” Before he could finish speaking, he pulled a gleaming knife from behind his waist, thrust it onto the table, his face twisted in anger as he said, “This isn’t over until things are sorted out!”
Seeing their boss draw a knife, his men also pulled out their weapons, ready to charge in. The gamblers around them were terrified at the sight of real weapons. Someone shouted, “Robbery! Murder!” This cry instantly caused chaos among the thousands of gamblers—some ran outside, some scrambled for their chips, and others hid under the tables. The casino became a complete mess, filled with noise. Xiao Fang’s expression turned grim as he shouted, “Everyone, stay calm! There’s no need to panic!” But who would listen to him in such chaos? Xiao Fang gritted his teeth, turned to face Bo Zhanhui, and glared at him fiercely, saying, “Bo Zhanhui, you can’t accept defeat, so you resort to violence. Do you even know whose territory this is?” Bo Zhanhui seemed to have lost his mind as well. He stamped his foot and shouted, “Regardless of whose territory it is, my money didn’t just appear out of nowhere! Whoever tries to cheat me will face me head-on!” “Heh!” Xiao Fang laughed angrily and snarled, “What? You still want to fight me? You’re just as good as me—shouldn’t you know that?”

“Haha!” Bo Zhanhui glanced around, gradually calming down before bursting into loud laughter that echoed throughout the casino, making one’s ears ring. Xiao Fang was startled, thinking to himself, “Is this man crazy?!” He asked, “Bo Zhanhui, what do you mean?” “Nothing much!” Bo Zhanhui stopped laughing wildly, his gaze turning icy as he fiddled with a knife in his hand. “The Nan Hongmen has made a fortune here. Money should be shared among everyone—why should your family get all of it?! So today, I want to ask Lord Xiao to do me a favor.” “What favor?” Xiao Fang finally realized things weren’t simple. He raised his guard, slowly backing away while asking coldly. Bo Zhanhui twisted his neck and sneered, “Lend me the Harbor Hotel for a few days. I’ll return it to Brother Xiao once I’m done. What do you say?” “Hehe, haha!” Xiao Fang laughed as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world. After a long while, he stopped and said slowly, “Bo Zhanhui, it seems your audacity is growing. Don’t think we can’t deal with you now—killing you is a piece of cake!” With that, he clapped his hands, and countless men armed with swords rushed in from outside the casino. All dressed in white shirts and pants, tall and strong with fierce expressions, they looked extremely imposing. With so many of his own men present, Xiao Fang felt more confident. He raised his head and said, “Bo Zhanhui, tell your men to drop their weapons. Maybe I’ll consider not killing you.” “Hehe!” Bo Zhanhui laughed maliciously. “It’s not certain who will kill whom yet!” With that, he waved his knife and shouted, “Kill them!” At his command, the disciples of the Zhongyi Gang charged forward, engaging in battle with the Nan Hongmen members. The two sides were roughly equal in strength. The Zhongyi Gang was known for its bravery and combat skills, and having prepared in advance, they weren’t at a disadvantage. Xiao Fang, being cautious, saw that the Zhongyi Gang had come prepared and, fearing failure, quietly retreated toward the control room, hoping to call Xiang Wentian to inform him. But his movements didn’t escape Bo Zhanhui’s eyes. With a laugh, Bo Zhanhui waved his knife to block his path and said coldly, “Mr. Xiao, where do you think you’re going?” Xiao Fang, desperate to tear him to pieces, pretended to be panicked and asked in a trembling voice, “Bo Zhanhui, what do you want?”

“How about that? Haha…” Bo Zhanhui laughed heartily, glancing around. The battle was evenly matched, intensifying by the second. He then looked at Xiao Fang—of medium build, half a head shorter than himself, with fair and delicate skin, appearing to be a weak scholar. Xiao Fang of the Nan Hongmen was famous for his cunning tactics, but as for his fighting skills, Bo Zhanhui had once asked Xie Wendong, who simply replied with two words: “Average!” Now, Bo Zhanhui felt even more contemptuous. It was only because he didn’t know Xie Wendong well enough—someone being called “average” by him was already quite remarkable. After laughing, Bo Zhanhui declared arrogantly, “I want to keep your life… and also keep you alive!”

Hearing this, Xiao Fang’s expression changed. He instinctively stepped back, drew his knife, and pretended to be threatening, saying, “Aren’t you afraid of retaliation from our Nan Hongmen?”

Afraid? Of course Bo Zhanhui was afraid—terrified, even. He pressed forward, taking a big step, and said, “I am afraid, which is why I’ve allied with the Bei Hongmen, hoping to drive you Nan Hongmen out of Shanghai soon.” Xiao Fang suddenly realized, “So you’ve already sided with Xie Wendong?!” “It’s just that you learned too late.” Without further ado, Bo Zhanhui swung his knife in a fierce strike at Xiao Fang. He thought that even if he didn’t kill Xiao Fang, the blow would scare him half to death and leave him seriously injured.

But he was wrong—completely wrong. Xiao Fang’s fighting skills weren’t as simple as he had imagined. As Bo Zhanhui swung his knife, Xiao Fang’s seemingly frail body became as agile as that of a raccoon. He bent forward, tucked in his abdomen, and leaped outward at lightning speed. Bo Zhanhui saw a blur, and before he could react, Xiao Fang had already dodged sideways. Before he could even see how Xiao Fang had drawn his knife, a bright flash lit up his lower abdomen. Bo Zhanhui cried out in pain and stumbled back three meters before managing to steady himself. Looking down, he saw a gaping wound over a foot long in his shirt—Xiao Fang’s lightning-fast strike had nearly split him open. Bo Zhanhui broke into a cold sweat, as if seeing Xiao Fang for the first time. He sized him up carefully and said coldly, “Sir, what a fast knife!” There was not a trace of panic on Xiao Fang’s face; instead, it was filled with confidence. With a proud smile, he said, “My knife has always been fast—you just didn’t know that.” Blood surged to Bo Zhanhui’s face as his bear-like body rushed at Xiao Fang, shouting, “Let’s see just how fast you really are!”

In one move, Xiao Fang nearly seriously injured Bo Zhanhui, but this did not truly reflect the difference in their strength. It was mainly because Bo Zhanhui was overly confident and careless, while Xiao Fang was well-prepared. This time, he took extra precautions, and the two fought fiercely in the same place. Xiao Fang was fast, while Bo Zhanhui was fierce. At first, Xiao Fang could cope, but soon he could no longer withstand the relentless attacks. He gasped for breath, sweating profusely, and dodged Bo Zhanhui’s heavy blows desperately, in constant peril. Meanwhile, Bo Zhanhui grew more and more aggressive, seemingly having endless energy, with his attacks coming in waves. Xiao Fang sighed inwardly: How tough! With no other choice, he resorted to his ultimate tactic—running! He feinted a strike and then thrust sharply at Bo Zhanhui’s eyes. Bo Zhanhui sneered, casually swatted aside Xiao Fang’s blade with his own, then charged forward, lifting his foot to kick Xiao Fang in the chest. Xiao Fang screamed, flying three meters away, sliding and rolling before skidding another four or five meters. Seeing him in such a sorry state, Bo Zhanhui wanted to laugh and mock him, but then realized something was wrong—he knew exactly how much force he had used in that kick and shouldn’t have sent Xiao Fang flying that far. Looking again at Xiao Fang, who rolled himself up and stood up without even looking back, he dashed out of the casino at full speed, his agility showing no sign of injury at all.

Damn it! Bo Zhanhui stamped his foot in frustration, cursing himself for falling for the trick. As he chased after them, he shouted loudly, “Xiao Fang is trying to run—stop him quickly!” Before he even had to shout, someone had already stepped forward. At least four burly men blocked his path with their swords, attacking Xiao Fang without pause or hesitation, their blades sweeping toward him like a fan. Xiao Fang was indeed highly skilled; surrounded by enemies on all sides, he remained calm, taking a slow step to narrowly avoid the four attacks. Then, suddenly speeding up, he took advantage of the moment the men were turning their swords back to strike, darting in front of them and delivering a deadly thrust with his shoulder. Two of the men were struck in the chest, blood gushing out instantly, while the other two managed to dodge just in time. Seizing the opening, Xiao Fang didn’t hesitate—he sidestepped through and reached the door in a few steps, rushing outside. As soon as he stepped out, he shouted, “Someone! Help—?” But he swallowed the word “help” back; on the sofa directly opposite the casino’s entrance sat a young man in his twenties, with delicate features and a smiling face as he smoked. Around him stood countless men in black. At his feet lay another man—the young manager of the Harbor Hotel, with a gaping wound in his neck, bleeding profusely. It was clear he was dying. Upon seeing this man’s face, Xiao Fang lost all hope, letting out a long sigh. Holding his sword in both hands, he looked down at it and said with a bitter smile, “It seems I really won’t be able to get out today.”

The man on the sofa was Xie Wendong. He gently flicked ash from his cigarette and flashed a sincere, bright smile. This radiant smile stood in stark contrast to the terrified face of the man at his feet, who was struggling desperately for his life. It sent chills down Xiao Fang’s spine. Xie Wendong said softly, “It seems you really don’t have a chance of escaping today.” Xiao Fang laughed and replied, “In Nanjing, I also thought I couldn’t escape, but here I am still alive. Besides, this is Shanghai—our stronghold!” Xie Wendong glanced at him sympathetically and shook his head. “A defeated general! Is it meaningful to bring up past failures? If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t do that.”

Xiao Fang was just trying to encourage himself. He didn’t dare imagine what would happen if he fell into Xie Wendong’s hands, but one thing was clear: it would be terrible. Hearing the other man’s words, Xiao Fang’s face turned red as he forced a smile and said, “From what you say, it seems like you’re some kind of heroic figure.” He was deliberately stalling, hoping that news of the attack on the harbor would spread quickly so that his brothers nearby could come to rescue him. Xie Wendong, being cunning, saw through his intentions at a glance and said calmly, “Brother Xiao, don’t expect anyone to come save you. Even if they did, it would be suicide. Since I’m able to stand here now, it means I’m already prepared to handle whatever might happen.” Xiao Fang remained silent for a long time, staring at Xie Wendong before saying, “Xie Wendong, you don’t want to kill me!” Xie Wendong didn’t speak, just nodded. Xiao Fang continued, “With your personality, if you wanted my life, I would probably already be dead by now.” Xie Wendong nodded again. Xiao Fang asked, “Then what do you really want?”
Xie Wendong replied straightforwardly, “I really don’t want to kill you! I want to use your life in exchange for a signature from Xiang Wentian.” “A signature?” Xiao Fang was stunned. “What signature? I don’t understand!” Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Sign the contract to transfer ownership of the Harbor Hotel to the North Hongmen.” “Huh?” Xiao Fang’s eyes widened. After a while, he burst into laughter, almost crying from laughing, and gasped, “Xie Wendong, you overestimate my status too much! Do you know how much money we spent to build the Harbor Hotel? Do you know how much profit it brings us every day? Let me tell you—my life isn’t even one-tenth as valuable as that!”