I will not respond to any of these.
When people asked about my injuries, I frowned slightly, looked at the reporter, and slowly said, "Yes, the news circulating outside is true. I am indeed paralyzed."
Before the words had even finished, and before the crowd could erupt in commotion, Yan Di behind me couldn't hold back her tears and wept silently. This scene was captured by a reporter and immediately published in the newspaper the next day, causing an uproar in the entertainment industry!
************
Unlike my high-profile attendance at the opening ceremony of the charity hall, almost at the same time, a ceremony was also held in Vancouver, across the ocean!
However, the uproar caused by this ceremony was not known to the general public, but it also caused a great uproar within the circle!
The North American Canadian branch, formerly under the command of the infamous "Fifth Master of Vancouver," suddenly sent out invitations to numerous gang leaders from the surrounding area. Then, Xiluo and the remaining staff formally announced something:
Starting today, the "Big Circle" no longer exists in Canada! The Big Circle in North America and Canada has been officially renamed the "Hua Xing Gang"!
The announcement immediately drew surprise from all sides. The bigwigs who received the news were all speculating that a bloody storm was about to break out!
However, contrary to what everyone thought, this bloody storm came much earlier than expected!
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Ninety-Two: Bloodshed Begins with Me
Just after the ceremony marking the official renaming of the Canadian Grand Circle to the Huaxing Gang concluded, a shocking case occurred in Vancouver that very evening!
Vancouver, as a port city, naturally had a flow of drugs in and out. Although everyone knows that the "Fifth Master" of Vancouver no longer deals in drugs, he never stops other organizations from doing so. Moreover, everyone now knows that Thorin of the Hells Angels, currently Canada's biggest drug lord, sources his drugs from the Asian Big Circle!
But that very night, all six drug gangs in Vancouver were wiped out overnight! The heads of the six drug lords were severed with machetes and then dumped in front of the police station in the middle of the night! A large quantity of drugs was also found in garbage bags and left in front of the police station!
The only thing these cases have in common is that all six drug lords who were wiped out overnight were drug distribution agents from the Asian region in North America!
The only clue is that witnesses claim the perpetrators were a group of well-trained armed black men!
What's even more unbelievable is that the Hells Angels, the largest drug organization in Canada, remained completely silent and unresponsive to this matter that seriously jeopardized their own interests!
The largest local gang in Vancouver, where the incident occurred—the "Canadian Big Circle," or rather, now renamed the "Hua Xing Gang"—has also remained silent and made no comment on the matter.
The two top leaders remained silent, and the other underworld bosses below them were naturally trembling with fear, not daring to make a move. Afterwards, the maritime drug smuggling routes were repeatedly swept away by an armed force that seemed to appear out of nowhere!
For twenty consecutive days, the drug trade at sea suffered heavy losses! The drug trade, which had originally taken advantage of the destruction of South American drug plantations by a hurricane to seize large quantities of cheap drugs and dominate the Asian market, suffered particularly heavy losses in this incident!
These mysterious armed groups far surpass the government's anti-narcotics police in terms of firepower, personnel quality, and intelligence accuracy! Some have estimated that in just twenty days since the outbreak, drug traffickers (mainly from the greater Asian region) transporting drugs from Asia to North America and Canada have lost nearly 60 million US dollars!
The biggest case occurred at sea! Six days later, coast guard patrol personnel discovered an abandoned motorboat. However, upon boarding and inspecting the vessel, these normally well-trained coast guard members were all taken aback, with some even vomiting on the spot!
Clearly, there is no one alive on this abandoned ship!
Judging from the scene, there were approximately twenty bodies left behind! Each body was neatly laid out in the cabin! More importantly, their bodies were covered in a white powder!
Because of the hot weather at sea, the bodies had likely been stored for more than two days and had begun to decompose, filling the cabin with a stench that was almost unbearable! Combined with the white powder floating in the air, it created an indescribable odor.
"I think it was the taste of hell!" A Coast Guard member who declined to be named told the media afterwards.
After testing, it was confirmed that the white powder was all high-purity heroin. The police were shocked, but even more astonished!
Who exactly carried out this series of massacres targeting drug traffickers?
While these cases were large-scale, objectively speaking, they actually took away from the work of the police's narcotics division. The twenty consecutive days of shocking and bloody drug raids led to a shortage of drugs in Vancouver and across Canada. The price of drugs on the Vancouver black market skyrocketed due to the shortage, which in turn triggered several armed robberies by drug users who, lacking funds for their drugs.
The situation escalated. At first, the police thought it was an internal power struggle within the drug organization, but as things unfolded, they realized something was amiss.
First of all, this is clearly not a case of double-crossing! While each murder involved dead bodies and was an organized ambush, the ambushers were only interested in killing, showing absolutely no interest in the large quantities of drugs seized. The confiscated drugs were either spilled or left to the police. In just twenty days, the police narcotics unit's warehouse was already overflowing with these "seized" drugs.
Keep in mind, these drugs are worth tens of millions! Why would the perpetrator kill someone but not rob them?
Secondly, all the incidents occurred near Vancouver, the largest port city on Canada's west coast. However, the Hua Xing Gang, the largest local triad, remained completely silent throughout. They made no comment whatsoever! Even the police suspected the Hua Xing Gang and placed several key members and locations under close surveillance—unfortunately, to no avail!
Fifth Master, the legitimate leader of the Huaxing Gang, is currently far away in China, and you can even see him seriously injured on television news. Meanwhile, Ciro and his gang, who are indeed remaining in Vancouver, are brazenly exposing themselves to police surveillance every day, even seemingly deliberately lingering under the noses of police inspectors, pointing their fingers at the officers and saying, "Look, I've been here the whole time, and I haven't done anything!"
And third...
Even an idiot knows that Canada's largest drug cartel is the Hells Angels! This series of bloody maritime drug raids has effectively cut off the Hells Angels' maritime drug supply! While the police leadership was constantly on edge, speculating when old Thorin, the underworld boss, would finally snap… news arrived that old Thorin had taken his beloved daughter on a hunting vacation in his private forest. And the Hells Angels seemed utterly unconcerned about this drug raid right under their noses, showing no intention of taking any action whatsoever.
"Could it be... that the Huaxing Gang and the Hell's Angels are about to turn against each other? Are they about to start a fight?" someone in the police force couldn't help but speculate.
But the very next day, this guess was ruthlessly shattered!
The news that came shocked everyone!
"One of Sorin's companies has acquired 15 percent of Huaxing Company's shares for a sum of 30 million US dollars!"
Seeing this, the two families not only did not fall out, but instead stood even closer together!
Could it be... could it be that Canada's biggest triad boss and Canada's most powerful Chinese community are joining forces to eradicate drugs, contribute to society, and restore a drug-free and beautiful home?
This is a fucking joke!!
Such a large series of cases has occurred near Vancouver. Even if the Hua Xing gang wasn't behind it, they're at least implicated! Everyone knows that. Ciro has been summoned by the police for questioning three times, but each time he walked out of the police station unscathed. Higher-ups in the police force are trying to contact me…
The answer is: Fifth Master is still receiving treatment in China.
Yes, he's paralyzed and seriously injured!
**********
What am I doing at this moment?
I was recuperating at Mr. Qiao's club in Shanghai when Wu Gang contacted me again a few days ago. By then, news of what had happened in Canada had already spread. Wu Gang brought me a reminder.
"I know you did those things... Those black men, were they troops you brought from Kunta's army? I don't care what you did, but I have to remind you. These past few days, your actions have cost Big Circle tens of millions of dollars. More importantly, by sabotaging their drug routes, if their drugs can't reach North America and Canada, they'll face the risk of losing that market, meaning a loss of hundreds of millions in profits every year! Such huge profits are something Big Circle can't afford! So they definitely hate you to the core now! You're in a very dangerous situation; they're definitely trying every possible way to get rid of you!"
After hearing this, I just glanced at Wu Gang expressionlessly: "Oh...does that mean they won't want to kill me if I don't do this?"
Wu Gang was speechless.
"Since we've already torn off all pretense of civility, we might as well go all the way."
Wu Gang's expression changed slightly after hearing this, but he still sighed and advised me before leaving: "I know you're angry... I don't care what you do in Canada. But those African soldiers can't be here! Otherwise, we won't stand idly by!"
I chuckled coldly and said nothing.
“You are in a dangerous situation right now... We have sent some people to protect you... These are all professionals, many of whom are rigorously trained guards.”
I laughed: "What? Bodyguards from Zhongnanhai?"
Wu Gang laughed too: "They're not bodyguards from Zhongnanhai, but the guards trained in our army are no worse than any Zhongnanhai bodyguards! They're all good soldiers who specialize in protecting the leaders in the army. You've made contributions to the country... so this time, the higher-ups specially approved a group of people to protect you."
I hesitated for a minute, then accepted.
After seeing Wu Gang off, I sat in my wheelchair and pressed a button, circling around a few times.
After becoming paralyzed, I quickly became proficient at operating the electric wheelchair. Since I don't need to push it myself anymore, there are buttons and directional levers nearby, much like driving a car. Seeing how quickly I mastered the wheelchair, I didn't know whether my friends were happy or sad for me.
At least Lei Xiaohu was very upset. He was a martial artist, and seeing me injured like this, which meant all my skills were useless, he cried bitterly when he came to see me, and even blamed himself deeply. He wished he had come with me that day.
“If you had come with me, the worst outcome would have been that you were already dead! The best outcome would probably be that you’re in a wheelchair like me right now!” I laughed. “The enemy is using a classic strategy of besieging the stronghold and attacking reinforcements. Hundreds of men with guns, what use would one more person be?”
I heard that my senior brother was furious when he learned of what had happened to me. He, who hadn't drunk alcohol for many years, got very drunk that night. He was originally going to come back to China to see me, but I stopped him in time.
I personally called my senior brother and asked him for a favor.
"Someone wants to harm me, and their goal is nothing more than to take away my career. Senior brother, I know you don't like what I do, but at least, since I came to this position, I haven't touched drugs! I don't force people into prostitution! Although I'm in the underworld, most of my money-making business is just smuggling! If those bastards kill me, I guarantee that once they take over Vancouver, within a week, the entire street outside your martial arts school will be under constant protection money collection! Then those drug dealers will run rampant! So, senior brother, although I'm injured now, I have a favor to ask of you... I'm safe now. If you come, all you'll do is see me in a wheelchair. At most, we'll all cry our eyes out, but it won't help. I've never asked you for anything before... but now, as your junior brother, I have a favor to ask of you."
On the phone, the eldest brother was silent for a moment before sighing, "What?"
“I will fight those drug dealers! They will definitely send people to get us… I’m safe now, but I’m worried about Vancouver. My brother, Ciro… He’s good at fighting, but he doesn’t have any real experts around him. In the big circle, many are experienced veterans and hitmen. I’m worried about Ciro’s safety… Senior Brother, please take care of Ciro for me. Because he’s in danger right now.”
My senior brother, who had always been unhappy about my involvement in the underworld, didn't hesitate this time. He immediately closed the martial arts school and, along with his three most capable disciples, went to find Xiluo that very day...
Then, starting the next day, others noticed that there was a middle-aged bodyguard in a Tang suit behind Xiluo.
Sigh... Isn't it a bit despicable of me to use and deceive my senior brother like this?
I've asked myself this question before, but I never found the answer.
Now... everything is ready, except for the final push.
Having put those thoughts out of my head, I slowly turned my wheelchair to the bedside and picked up a telephone. It was a satellite phone with strong security measures.
After the call connected, Zhou's helpless voice immediately came from the other end of the line: "Boss, what's the matter? Sigh... In this kind of weather, you still sent me out on a business trip... If you don't give me a raise when I get back, I'll report your company for tax evasion to the Vancouver government!"
"Stop talking nonsense, how's it in Thailand?"
"Uh... here? It's so hot in Thailand! I'm practically dried out! But there are so many beautiful women here. In this heat, the women on the street are all dressed very scantily... Uh, but I don't dare look too much. Who knows if they're real women or ladyboys..."
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Ninety-Three: Backstabbing
I snorted and pretended not to hear his nonsense: "I was asking you about Thailand!"
“Oh… General Chatchai’s men have contacted me and he said he’s willing to see me… But there’s also bad news… I heard that the Big Circle also sent people to see General Chatchai. Sigh, now that our two families are at odds, if we run into each other, will they kill me? I don’t want to be stuffed in a sack and dumped in some remote mountain valley in Thailand.”
"Enough with the nonsense. Just finish your work and be careful... Hmm, if you succeed, I'll give you a seaside villa when you come back."
"Yay!" Buck-toothed Zhou laughed loudly, "Great, with money, I'll have the motivation to work!"
After hanging up the phone, I sighed.
Damn, so greedy! Could buck-toothed Zhou be the father of this little money-grubber?
However, this buck-toothed guy is really quite strange. As a veteran retainer from the Eighth Prince's era, his intelligence and cunning are top-notch. Especially when it comes to feigning madness, he's unparalleled.
I'd long sensed that back when Bucktooth was working for Eighth Master, he did far more than just the simple job of a lawyer. Moreover, he seemed to have a deep understanding of the inner workings of the underworld, and even some intricate connections. However, this guy was an absolute opportunist; he'd follow whoever was powerful, always choosing to side with the victor. He would never entertain the ridiculous notion of "sworn loyalty to the death." Therefore, because of this, I never pressured him, and as for the many secrets he kept, I never questioned him. As long as he wholeheartedly helped me, that was enough.
Thailand... um, Thailand...
The Asian Big Circle started out with open and brutal tactics. Now, drug trafficking is a major part of their business, especially in the Golden Triangle region.
In short, most of the drug trafficking ring's annual supply comes from the Golden Triangle region, from Thais, Burmese, and other people. Given the current situation, it's probably impossible for me to deal with them directly by confronting them.
As for sending Bucktooth Zhou to Thailand, it was to meet with a Thai drug tycoon! One of the top drug kingpins in the Golden Triangle region, General Chatchai.
Despite being called a "general," he was really just a minor warlord in the Golden Triangle region, with only a guerrilla force and a few plantations under his command. Both the previous and current Thai governments came to power through coups, and the transfer of power has also been a process of political upheaval.
Every time one side falls, some military forces naturally collapse as well. Among the fallen officers, some simply turn from the military into armed forces of bandits or drug lords.
The connections here are intricate and difficult to explain. In short, what Zhou with the buck teeth told me was that this General Chatchai was once a high-ranking military officer in Thailand. After a coup decades ago, he fled to the Golden Triangle and became a major drug lord, maintaining his power and influence there for decades.
More importantly, he controlled a significant portion of the drug supply in the Golden Triangle! In a sense, he was a figurehead, almost like a "leader." The annual drug supply and distribution ratios all required General Chachai's approval for the various drug lords, large and small, to operate smoothly.
Even the big circle is no exception!
After all, while the Big Circle was involved in the drug trade, the Golden Triangle wasn't Chinese territory. No matter how powerful the Big Circle was, they couldn't possibly control the entire Golden Triangle by themselves. And General Chachai, a local tyrant with a well-organized army, commanded respect from the Big Circle. Especially regarding the annual drug supply, they needed to give Chachai a share of the pie.