Damn it, I cursed in my heart: If I have to call you uncle, black smoke will rise from my ancestral graves!
“Mr. Nakata, in fact, many things regarding our cooperation with Mr. Sorin will be handled by Chen Yang. I have a general idea of why you've come today. Ten million US dollars isn't a lot, but it's not a small amount either. However, I'm somewhat surprised that you didn't go directly to Mr. Sorin. After all, he's the one in charge of the company, while I'm just a partner right now,” Eighth Master said calmly.
Jason Nakata hesitated for a moment, then said something that surprised us.
"Because you and your nephew are both Chinese."
I glanced at Eighth Master and found that he was looking at me too.
"Oh?" Eighth Master frowned. "What does this have to do with anything?"
“There’s a connection!” Jason Nakata, true to his politician nature, said, “You may have heard of my political stance. I’m a well-known ‘pro-China’ figure in Parliament. My political stance has always been closer to the Chinese government, and in a series of parliamentary bills and votes, I have always respected your country… Of course, I know that you two are in Canada, but your hearts are with your motherland, which is the sentiment of most overseas Chinese. I have always taken a pro-China stance, especially in the last bill, where I expressed deep remorse and abhorrence for the crimes committed by Japan during World War II! Furthermore, I have always firmly voted against all the anti-China bills in Parliament!” He looked into Mr. Nakata’s eyes, “So, compared to Mr. Sorin, a white North American, I think I might be able to get more support from my Chinese friends.”
Indeed, these words have a somewhat high-sounding tone.
The facts are clear: he is indeed a well-known "anti-Japanese" figure in the US Congress, despite being of Japanese descent. Keeping him in politics to cause more trouble for Japan is something many Chinese people would be happy to see.
However, politics is politics. Don't assume that this person is always a true gentleman with a "heart of justice"!
Politics is a game for hypocrites, and upright gentlemen are merely tools to be manipulated!
Don't be fooled by his anti-Japanese and pro-China stance; it's merely a political maneuver driven by his own career aspirations. His anti-Japanese sentiment as a person of Japanese descent is a major publicity stunt, and it's this political capital that has allowed him to establish himself in politics! Don't mistake him for a genuinely good person or a gentleman.
To put it another way, although he is anti-Japanese, I actually despise this guy!
I applaud him for causing trouble for the Japanese government. But regardless, what is there to respect in someone who betrays their country for personal career advancement?
If a person is willing to betray his own country for his own benefit, then what else is he not willing to betray?
Eighth Master was clearly hesitant, and he didn't seem very interested in contacting this politician, even... somewhat embarrassed.
I was also secretly curious about Jason Nakata's sudden visit to Master Hachi. It's possible he'd found out Master Hachi had a stake in Thorin's business dealings. But his abrupt request for help seemed rather reckless. Logically, a politician shouldn't be so impulsive.
“Mr. Congressman, I can’t make any promises right now, but I promise I will consider it seriously.” After thinking for a moment, Eighth Master finally picked up his teacup again.
This is what is meant by "serving tea and seeing off guests".
Jason Nakata, quite tactfully, immediately stood up to take his leave, showing no sign of disappointment. Eighth Master casually told me to see him out, without making a move himself.
I followed Jason Nakata out the door. After walking for a while, we were less than a hundred meters from the outer gate of the villa area. We exchanged a few casual pleasantries. He casually asked, as if nothing was amiss, "Mr. Chen Yang, it seems you and Tony are quite familiar with each other?"
My heart skipped a beat, and I glanced at him. His expression was calm, and he said in a seemingly indifferent tone, "Oh, I didn't expect Tony to come today."
My mind immediately understood!
Tony is Li Wenjing!
During the betting game, Li Wenjing seemed quite indifferent to Jason Nakata... and Li Wenjing's family also had some connections with the US government.
It's probably because we belong to different political factions.
All things considered, the answer to Jason Nakata's hasty trip to find Master Hachi becomes quite clear: he had no choice!
Li Wenjing's family is clearly from a different faction than Jason Nakata's, which can be seen from Li Wenjing's indifferent attitude towards him.
Li Wenjing and Mr. Suolin seem to have a very close relationship... and it seems that Li Wenjing came here today on purpose...
Jason Nakata might feel threatened now!
“Oh.” I smiled and said, “Tony and I are just friends, but Tony doesn’t know Eighth Master. And I don’t know anything about Tony’s family… Like I said, we’re just friends.”
Although Jason Nakata tried his best to hide it, a hint of relief in his eyes betrayed him.
As we approached the entrance, a car was waiting. Before Jason Nakata got in, he seemed to remember something and turned to look at me: "Oh, right, it's only polite to reciprocate. I'm here today to pay my respects, and I'll prepare a small feast for you tomorrow. Eighth Master has already agreed to attend. I wonder if Mr. Chen Yang would be interested? It would be my honor if you could bring Her Highness the Princess along."
Looking at the light in his eyes, I immediately understood his idea; it seemed he wanted to take the princess route.
I smiled, gave him a casual reply, and watched him drive away from afar.
When I got back to the villa, I was still outside the door when I suddenly heard a loud bang of shattering glass from inside! And I heard Eighth Master's angry voice!
I was startled and quickly pushed the door open, only to see Little Pig and another of Eighth Master's men standing there, looking somewhat at a loss.
Eighth Master stood there, with shattered teacups at his feet, his face ashen with rage, and his fingers trembling.
I frowned and took a few steps forward: "Eighth Master, what's wrong?"
His chest heaved, clearly furious. He glanced at Little Pig and the other subordinate, and Eighth Master seemed to be suppressing his anger as he said, "You guys go out first... Little Five stays."
The two pigs immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left. I walked up to Eighth Master: "Eighth Master, is there something you need?"
Eighth Master's face was ashen, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He pointed at something on the sofa and gritted his teeth, saying, "Look at this. It was sent over just now when you saw the guest out."
On the sofa was Eighth Master's phone, which was on, and it appeared that there was a picture on the screen!
"This was just sent to me by my family... Take a look for yourself!" Eighth Master's voice trembled with anger, and after I picked it up and glanced at it, I was instantly filled with rage and malice!
This is a very graphic and gruesome image!
It's obvious that the picture shows a dead person... and this person was tortured horribly, because all four of their limbs have been cut off! They're lying on the ground, and a line of large, bloody characters—in Chinese—is smeared on the ground!
"Big Circle! This is just the beginning of revenge!"
An overwhelming murderous intent surged within me! Because I knew this deceased person!
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Eighteen: Fierce Battle
The body was dumped at the entrance of the auto repair shop. The deceased was tall, his face covered in blood, the bright red blood congealed into patches of blood. His limbs had clearly been severed by a knife, the severed arms and legs scattered to the side. The blood on the ground had dried, forming a horrifying dark red color...
Hong Dae, this is Hong Dae!
Hong Dae was someone I painstakingly protected in Vietnam, and then, by a twist of fate, won over!
His face was contorted with muscles, his hair was matted together with blood, his eyes were wide open as if he had died with his eyes open, empty and filled with fear, and his mouth was slightly agape...
This cowardly, timid, yet cunning drug dealer, this guy I initially quite liked… The photo was right in front of me, and after a moment of stunned silence, only one thought remained in my mind…
He's dead? He's actually dead?!
"It must have been the Vietnamese!" Eighth Master was furious. He suddenly kicked the coffee table in front of the sofa. With a crash, all the cups and teaware on the table fell to the ground and shattered! Eighth Master's anger intensified.
I was furious too. This guy... the last time we parted, he was still on Fatty Fang's boat when we left. I remember when we parted, we were eating caviar and chugging vodka together. He even said that after this deal, he would retire from the underworld and buy a small island in the Caribbean to live out his days in peace...
I felt the coldness in my fingers, and a fierce fire ignited within me! My fists clenched, and I glared at Eighth Master, shouting, "That's right. It must have been the Vietnamese!"
Eighth Master chuckled coldly. He paced back and forth in the room twice, his usual cunning and calculating facade long gone, revealing a fierce look on his face, like a wolf ready to devour its prey!
"Vietnamese! Vietnamese!!" Eighth Master's anger was tinged with a hint of madness: "Damn Vietnamese! With Hong Da dead, our drug trade has weakened! Now, our cooperation with Sorin is urgent, and with Hong Da dead at this crucial moment, it's like we've lost a supply line from Asia! What am I supposed to offer to negotiate with Sorin now?! Old Huang... what is Old Huang good for?! I handed him a whole man, and now he's been chopped into seven or eight pieces! Has Old Huang gone mad?! What kind of work is he doing?!"
I understood from Eighth Master's words that after Hong Da was turned by us and arrived in Canada by boat, Eighth Master entrusted him to Old Huang's care. Old Huang was the middle-aged man at the auto repair shop; he used to be the leader of our group of gym lads. After Tiger died, Eighth Master simply handed the auto repair shop over to Old Huang.
A strange thought suddenly occurred to me.
Logically and emotionally, I'm closest to Hong Dae-di and know him best. Now that I'm back from Vietnam, the most appropriate course of action is to entrust Hong Dae-di to me for protection and communication.
"Investigate!" Eighth Master roared suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. "Investigate thoroughly! What exactly happened?! Someone dumped a body on my doorstep! How come Old Huang didn't even utter a sound! The information was brought back by my informant!!" Eighth Master's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at me. He shouted, "Xiao Wu, book plane tickets immediately. We need to get back first thing tomorrow morning... no. Tonight!"
"Okay!" I nodded, turned to leave, and felt both angry and eager to get home...
Hong Da, no matter what, we're practically friends. We went through thick and thin together in Vietnam...
"Wait!" Just as I was about to leave, Eighth Master suddenly called out to me.
I turned around. I saw that Eighth Master's anger had subsided; his face was pale and his expression was grim. He stared at me, then suddenly said slowly in a hoarse voice, "You...you don't need to come back with me yet! We need people here. You stay with Mr. Thorin..."
..."I was stunned, and for a moment I didn't understand what Eighth Master meant.
I stayed?
They actually want me to stay?
Given the current situation at Big Circle, Tiger is dead, and among the remaining young men, besides me, there's no one else who can fight and fight! I'm now arguably Big Circle's most famous and powerful fighter. At a time like this, why would they leave me in Toronto?
Eighth Master has gone back, so what could possibly need to happen here in Thorin? There's absolutely no need for me to stay!
I glanced at Eighth Master with a complicated expression, but he turned his head away, waved his hand resolutely, and said, "That's how it'll be done! You can go out now..."
For the first time, I almost couldn't control my emotions in front of Eighth Master, but I took a deep breath and forced myself to suppress my resentment before striding out the door.
At the door, the two young men, Xiao Zhu and Xiao Wu, were still standing there, looking bewildered. When they saw me come out, Xiao Zhu immediately came up to me: "Brother Xiao Wu, what happened? Why is Eighth Master so angry?"
I knew I looked terrible, but after thinking for a moment, I just said in a low voice, "You guys get ready. You'll be going back with Eighth Master tonight... Um, go book your plane tickets now... Three tickets will do."
"Three Zhang?" Little Pig, a quick-witted young man, asked, "Brother Xiao Wu, aren't you coming back with us?"
I waved my hand, said nothing, and walked away.
I returned to my villa, closed the door, and immediately took out my phone to call Xiluo.
The call went through smoothly.
"Hello?" On the other end of the phone, Xiluo's voice was a little lazy, as if he had just woken up, and his tone was very relaxed: "Xiao Wu?"
I was already fuming, and my tone was a bit sharp: "Did you just get up? What time is it?!"
Xiluo didn't seem to care about my tone, and said in a somewhat lazy tone, "Oh, I drank too much with the brothers last night. I'm with a few brothers now. You're just in the right place at the right time. I just got up and turned on my phone for two minutes when you called."
My heart skipped a beat, and I gritted my teeth, saying, "Xi Luo, listen to me now... Something terrible has happened!"
"Something...something happened?" Xiluo's voice immediately became serious on the other end of the phone.
"...Hong Da is dead." I said fiercely, "It must have happened last night... Someone killed Hong Da last night, chopped his body into seven or eight pieces, and dumped it at the entrance of the auto repair shop! Such a big thing, didn't you hear anything about it?!"
Xiluo jumped in surprise on the other end of the phone. I heard static, and Xiluo's voice was filled with anger: "What did you say? Hong Da is dead? That fat Hong is dead?! Impossible! He's always been kept in a very safe place... I heard that Lao Huang sent people to protect him..."
"Let's not talk about that now!" I interrupted him, coldly saying, "I only just found out about this huge incident... And what's strange is that the body was dumped at the entrance of the repair shop, but Lao Huang didn't call to report such a serious matter to Master Ba... Just now, Master Ba must have his own informants, and they weren't from our repair shop. I don't know who passed the message to Master Ba, but I saw the photos; Hong Da's body was dumped at the entrance of the repair shop. With such a big incident, are all our men at the repair shop dead?! How come there's been no reaction at all? I suspect something terrible has happened. You need to gather our men right now... Hmm, don't bring anyone else, just the brothers who went to Vietnam with us. What exactly happened... Hong Da, he..."
I suddenly felt a pang of sadness, a feeling that surprised even myself.
Hong Da, that guy, that cunning, sly, cowardly fat man… but he's the one who went through thick and thin with me in Vietnam! Sharing hardships together, we unknowingly developed a bond that was almost like friendship…
Hong Da returned to Canada before us. Eighth Master directly put Lao Huang in charge of settling him in. I vaguely understood that Eighth Master didn't want me to get involved, so I didn't ask any further questions.
"Xiao Wu," Xi Luo said in a deep voice on the other end of the phone, "I feel something's wrong! Last night, a few of us brothers were drinking with Lao Huang! Lao Huang said we'd left the repair shop and were officially on business, so he wanted to treat everyone to a get-together. Last night, Lao Huang brought three or four brothers from the repair shop to our restaurant for drinks, but then, Lao Huang received a phone call and left with his men... We were already quite drunk by then..."
My heart sank: "Was Lao Huang with you guys last night? What phone call did he receive, and what was it about?"
“This… I don’t know.” Xiluo said in a deep voice, “You know, now Lao Huang is in charge of Eighth Master’s affairs, and we have already separated from the repair shop. He doesn’t talk about his affairs himself, and it’s not convenient for me to ask.”
A thought flashed through my mind, and I blurted out, "You hurry up and find Lao Huang... call the repair shop first... no! You should take all the brothers back to the repair shop right now! Hurry! I'll wait for your call here!"
After hanging up the phone, I felt a chill run down my spine, as if some ominous premonition was about to occur, and my eyelids kept twitching.
I paced back and forth in the room several times, taking deep breaths, but my body was still trembling uncontrollably…