Chapter 77

The people in the meeting room snickered, surprised to learn this man had such a distinctly rural Chinese name. Xu Dageng continued, “I only hold minor power in the Soul Gathering Gang; I’m mainly in charge of finances. As for fighting and brawling, I’ve never been involved in that at all!”
Xie Wendong believed this—the Soul Group wouldn’t let someone as timid as him hold too much power. Managing finances was something he could barely handle. A thought crossed Xie Wendong’s mind, but he shook his head inwardly. This man was too cowardly to be trusted. Smiling, he said, “I have one last question for you—where is the headquarters of the Soul Group?”
Xu Dageng shuddered, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Stammering, he replied, “It’s not in China—it’s in Tokyo, Japan.”
Xie Wendong pressed further, “Then where’s the meeting point in City H?”
Wiping the sweat from his head, Xu Dageng trembled and said, “I… if I tell you, will you really let me go?”
Xie Wendong nodded. “I won’t kill you!”
Hearing this, Xu Dageng let out a sigh of relief. He knew the consequences of betraying the Soul Group, but he knew even better what would happen if he stayed silent. Gathering his courage, thinking that every extra day saved his life, he lowered his head and said, “The Soul Group… is… in the DL District, at the Fire Red Nightclub. The third floor is where the key members gather!”
Xie Wendong grabbed him by the hair and stared straight into Xu Dageng’s eyes. “You’re not lying to me, are you?! Otherwise, you’ll die a horrible death!”
Xu Dageng shouted, “I’m telling the truth! Really! I’m not lying!”
Xie Wendong stared at him for a long time, seeing no signs of deception. He released him and smiled. “Very good! Very good!” After saying that, Xie Wendong returned to his seat and tapped the table lightly.
Xu Dageng asked anxiously, “Can I go now?”
San Yan stood up, drew a dagger, glanced at Xie Wendong, then turned to him and shouted, “Xu Dageng, you can’t go anywhere! Don’t be so naive!”
Panicked, Xu Dageng looked at Xie Wendong. “You said… you said you’d let me go!”
Xie Wendong smiled. “I only said I wouldn’t kill you. I didn’t say I’d let you go.” He was also thinking about what to do with this man. One thing was certain—he couldn’t let him go. If the Soul Group found out, they would prepare, complicating his future actions. Dong Xinlei, sensing Xie Wendong’s dilemma, stood up and said, “Let me handle this!” With that, he took out a pistol and a silencer from his pocket, slowly attaching it to the barrel as he walked toward Xu Dageng.

Xu Dageng felt his life was coming to an end and cursed loudly, “Xie Wendong, you said you wouldn’t kill me! You bastard…” Before he could finish, someone stepped forward and punched him hard in the stomach, causing such intense pain that he choked back the rest of his words.
Xie Wendong frowned and said, “Lao Lei, I said I wouldn’t kill him!”
“Haha! I know—he won’t die!” Dong Xinlei stepped behind Xu Dageng. The latter was pinned to the ground by two people, unable to move his limbs, but his mouth kept working, cursing almost everyone present, including Xie Wendong. Dong Xinlei pressed the barrel of the gun against the back of Xu Dageng’s neck, used his other hand to hold down his head, glanced at the spot where the gun tip was pointed, and pulled the trigger.
With a soft sound, Xu Dageng’s screams ceased as hot blood flowed from the wound in his neck. Xie Wendong looked at Dong Xinlei in confusion and asked, “Did you kill him?” The latter shook his head with a smile. “He can’t die. I just damaged his spinal cord!”
Dong Xinlei spoke casually, but everyone was shocked, thinking it was extremely cruel. Everyone knew how vital the spinal cord was; even if Xu Dageng remained alive, he would essentially be a dead man, a so-called vegetative state. San Yan couldn’t believe Dong Xinlei had hit so accurately. He stepped forward, checked Xu Dageng’s breathing to confirm he was still alive, gave Dong Xinlei a thumbs up, and said with a smile, “Brother Lei is truly amazing. I’ll ask for your advice again in the future!”
San Yan was deeply impressed by Dong Xinlei. Although Dong Xinlei was over ten years older, he liked this passionate young man very much. He politely replied, “I wouldn’t dare claim to teach you anything. We should just exchange skills together!” After saying that, the two exchanged glances and laughed.
Xie Wendong looked at Xu Dageng, who was unconscious on the ground. He was satisfied with the outcome and secretly thanked the old man for giving him such a talent. He said to Jiang Sen, “Lao Sen, find someone to take him near a hospital. That way, we’ll have done our part!” Jiang Sen nodded in agreement, ordered someone to bring a large sack, stuffed Xu Dageng in it, and dragged him out of the meeting room.
“Fire Red Nightclub?!” Xie Wendong muttered that name and asked the others, “Does anyone know where that is?”
Jiang Sen shook his head, saying he didn’t know. He had arrived early and had the best information, but he had never heard of it, let alone the others. Xie Wendong tapped his head and said, “We need to investigate this place thoroughly, and we must not let our opponents find out! Our opponent this time isn’t an ordinary person, but we still need to teach them a lesson!”
Jiang Sen nodded. “Brother Dong, don’t worry. I’ll be careful!”
Just as Xie Wendong was about to say more, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in!” A person entered from outside and said respectfully, “Brother Dong, there’s a police officer downstairs looking for you!”
Xie Wendong was taken aback. He thought to himself, Hasn’t the matter with the Soul Group assassins been resolved yet? What a hassle! He turned to the others and said, “You guys discuss it first; I’ll go take a look.” When Dong Xinlei tried to follow, Xie Wendong waved his hand and said, “No need. The police can’t do anything to me. If you go, it will arouse suspicion!” This was true—Dong Xinlei was a tall man over two meters tall with a muscular face; no one would consider him a good person.
Xie Wendong leisurely went downstairs. Sure enough, there was a police officer in uniform standing with his back to the stairs. From the back, Xie Wendong felt a sense of familiarity. He coughed once as he approached and said slowly, “Are you looking for me?”
The police officer turned around at the sound of his voice, and a beautiful face came into view.
“It’s you?! Hehe, I wonder what Officer Peng is looking for me for?” Xie Wendong joked.
It turned out to be Peng Ling, the female police officer Xie Wendong had seen last before passing out during the ambush at the side gate of H University. He had a deep impression of her. Peng Ling looked at Xie Wendong coldly and said, “Can you come out for a moment? I have something to ask you!”
Xie Wendong was glad that Peng Ling had come to find him, feeling a hint of joy. But seeing her expression, he felt uneasy. He smiled and said, “I wonder if Officer Peng wants to see me for work or personal reasons?”
Peng Ling was stunned and asked, “What’s the difference between work and personal matters?”
Unconsciously, Xie Wendong moved closer to her and said slowly, “If it’s personal, I’d be happy to talk to you outside. But if it’s work, I’m sorry, I don’t have time!”
“You…” Peng Ling’s face turned red from Xie Wendong’s words. She took a breath and said, “It’s both work and personal. I wonder if Brother Wen Dong will be so kind as to help?”
Xie Wendong was secretly angry. He stared at Peng Ling for a long time without saying anything. She, unfazed, met his gaze.
The disco was filled with loud music, with hundreds of people dancing wildly. The heat there made people sweat even without moving, but those around Xie Wendong and Peng Ling felt a chill.
After a while, Xie Wendong sighed, thinking to himself, What a stubborn girl! He took Peng Ling’s hand and strode outside. Once outside the disco, Peng Ling awkwardly pulled away from him, creating some distance. Annoyed, Xie Wendong asked irritably, “Can you tell me now? What do you want from me?”
Peng Ling stared at him and said, “I hope you’ll behave properly in H City and avoid doing anything illegal. Otherwise, it won’t bring you any benefits!”

Xie Wendong laughed and said, “I’m a student. It’s completely normal for me to own a disco club—I haven’t done anything illegal! You’re a police officer; you need to be responsible for what you say. You have to back up everything with evidence. I don’t think I need to teach you that!”
Peng Ling’s face turned red as she snapped, “Then explain—how did nearly twenty people die here two days ago?”
Xie Wendong shook his head innocently and said sadly, “I’m sorry about all those deaths too, but I wasn’t here, so I don’t know what happened. If you’re asking me, you’ve probably asked the wrong person!”
Peng Ling’s face turned even redder, and she was speechless for a while. Unbeknownst to her, her appearance stirred Xie Wendong’s emotions, but he quickly restrained them. Their paths were different, and even if things developed between them, it wouldn’t end well. Xie Wendong said calmly, “I’ve said everything I need to. Do you have any more questions?”
Seeing Xie Wendong’s innocent expression, Peng Ling grew even angrier, though she couldn’t voice her concern for him. She knew the people who died were important figures, and Xie Wendong was in great danger. As a police officer who loved her job, she knew he must be involved in illegal activities, but she couldn’t find any evidence. Perhaps she hoped no evidence would ever be found.
Both of them were lost in their thoughts and fell silent, plunging the atmosphere back into gloom. Xie Wendong disliked this, so he casually asked, “How did you know it was me who opened New Century?” As soon as he said it, he regretted it, cursing himself for asking such a stupid question. She was a police officer, and with such a major incident happening here, it was impossible she hadn’t checked the owner’s information. Xie Wendong watched as Peng Ling scratched her head awkwardly.
Seeing Xie Wendong’s more natural side, Peng Ling couldn’t help but giggle. Looking at her bright smile, Xie Wendong thought to himself how beautiful she was—perhaps this was the beauty that could captivate a city with one smile and a nation with another. Uncontrollably, he stepped closer to her and said softly, “You look much prettier when you smile than when you’re serious!”
Shocked, Peng Ling lowered her head shyly, not daring to look at him. Xie Wendong sighed and said, “I hope we won’t talk about these things anymore. How about we talk about everyday life? Wouldn’t it be nice to be friends?”
Peng Ling’s heart trembled. She raised her head eagerly and said, “If you give up what you’re doing, I…” She didn’t finish, again lowering her head shyly.