Time ticked by, but it felt like an eternity, and my clothes, both the top and the back, were soaked with sweat…
Finally, the phone on the sofa rang, like a death knell, its ringing sending chills down my spine!
I picked up the phone and looked at it; it was Xiluo calling!
“Xiao Wu…” On the other end of the phone, Xi Luo’s voice was low and tense: “I’m on my way to the repair shop right now. I just called back, and the people there said that Lao Huang hasn’t come back since he left my place yesterday! The repair shop is in complete chaos. The body was dumped there a few hours ago, but then the police came, surrounded the repair shop, and demanded to go in and check. Lao Huang isn’t here, and there’s no one in charge at the repair shop. It’s a complete mess now. A few impulsive guys have already taken their weapons and are confronting the police, refusing to let them in. The police haven’t used force yet; I heard they’ve already gone to apply for a search warrant…”
"Damn it! Are they dead?! Why didn't they call Eighth Master?! Besides Old Huang, is there no one else who can take charge?! Are they all dead?!" I roared in anger.
Xiluo's tone was somewhat low: "Xiao Wu, don't worry... In the repair shop, below Lao Huang, there are three other people: Lao An, Li Datou, and Xiao Dao, who are in charge. Including Lao Huang, there are only four people in charge in the repair shop. The others are not qualified to see Master Ba at all. These brothers below don't even have Master Ba's contact information..."
"Then..." My heart skipped a beat: "Old An, Li Datou, and Xiao Dao! What about the other three?"
One sentence from Ciro made my heart sink to the bottom:
“The three of them… came to drink with us last night with Lao Huang… because they are now the managers of the auto repair shop, and given their status, they all have to come and try to build a relationship with us… Lao Huang didn’t go back, and neither have they.”
I held the phone, stunned for a long time, before finally letting out a sigh.
It's over.
There are only two possibilities. Either Old Huang, along with his three managers, betrayed Eighth Master and ran away—of course, that's impossible!
The only possibility is that Lao Huang and the other three have all met with an accident!
I couldn't help but curse under my breath.
Old Huang, oh Old Huang! How did you become the boss?! When you go out, you bring all the people who can manage things with you, but you don't even have one person at home who can keep things in order!!
But now is not the time to rush.
Xiluo hesitated for a moment on the other end of the phone, his voice tinged with guilt: "Gangwu, I... I just found out. A little while ago, some of the guys at the repair shop called me. They couldn't find the person in charge, so they called me. But... I was still sleeping at the time. The guys all drank too much last night. Some were drunk, some had their phones off, and no one answered the phone."
"This isn't the time to talk about this!" I said quickly. "You take the guys to the repair shop right now. None of the guys there can keep things under control. I'm worried they might act impulsively and cause a huge mess! A standoff with the police? Are they crazy? Are they trying to rebel? You go now. Keep the guys in line and tell them not to act rashly! The police went to apply for a search warrant, right? While there's still time, you go over there first. Have everyone hide all the things in the repair shop that can't be seen in the open… Damn, that's our hideout! Do I need to tell you what things in our house can't be seen in the open?"
Xiluo readily agreed.
What's in a car repair shop these days?
Guns! Lots of firearms... and more...
poison!!
My biggest worry is drugs! Now we're cooperating with the Chinese gang. We've consolidated everyone's drug sources and handed them over to Sorin in exchange for this cooperation.
Although Eighth Master didn't ask me to get involved in this matter, based on my understanding of him, he's a stubborn and self-willed man. He definitely wouldn't trust the Hua Gang with drugs, so he must be hiding them himself!
It could very well be hidden in a car repair shop!
If the police raid your place, it'll be more than just "trouble"!
"Block the door. Don't let the police in until they get a search warrant, but don't clash with them, and absolutely no gunfights! Get there now, you're the only one who can keep things under control! Xiluo!" I said quickly. "Leave two brothers at home to watch our territory, and send all the men on the perimeter out to search! Find Old Huang! Alive or dead!!" I paused, then added, "I can't go back now, but Eighth Master will be back tonight. I think he's probably already called the repair shop. If you can get there and stop the brothers from fighting the police, that'll be a huge achievement! Also... call me every hour about your situation. If anything unexpected happens, call me immediately."
I hung up the phone, my heart pounding wildly.
What am I worried about?
Worried about the police storming the repair shop?
Damn it! I'm not worried about that!
Who works at the auto repair shop? They're all "parachuted" soldiers trained by Master Ba! A bunch of tough, aggressive guys!!
I have a general idea of the quality of Canadian police. I bet even several large squads of officers couldn't beat those "paratroopers" at the auto repair shop who were already brimming with murderous intent!
The gangsters are notorious for their ruthlessness and high standards! They're infamous throughout the world's underworld!
What worries me is that the situation is chaotic right now. Several bosses from the auto repair shops have disappeared. What if those guys get agitated and accidentally start a fight with the police? That would be the end of us!
There are guns and weapons in the auto repair shop. Those guys are at least as good as, if not better than, the police! Bullets don't discriminate! What if they kill or wound a bunch of police officers, causing a major incident of the underworld openly fighting the police? That would anger the authorities, and the Big Circle would be finished!!
I hesitated for a few seconds, holding the phone, but ultimately decided to go find Eighth Master. I still needed to report the information I'd received from Xiluo to him. Although my relationship with Eighth Master was currently strained, I was still ultimately on the same boat as the Big Circle! If the Big Circle collapsed, and Eighth Master was finished, wouldn't I be like a tree without roots?
If the skin is gone, where will the hair attach?
Having made up my mind, I arrived at the gate of Eighth Master's villa. Only Little Pig was left guarding the gate. I didn't have time to talk to him. I went straight up, knocked on the door, called out "Eighth Master," and pushed the door open to go inside.
I was in the living room. Eighth Master was sitting on the sofa, head bowed. He didn't utter a sound or look up when I came in. But as I walked closer, I realized something was wrong…
Eighth Master's face was stiff and pale, and his fingertips were still trembling slightly!
I called out softly, and only then did Eighth Master raise his head. A look of confusion flashed in his eyes at first, then he suddenly gave a bitter smile. I heard his voice was hoarse, and the muscles in his face completely slumped!
"Xiao Wu... Lao Huang, it's over." After saying this, a trace of grief flashed in his eyes. He seemed to try to stand up, but his body swayed and then collapsed back down.
I rushed forward and helped him up. I felt that Eighth Master's hand was ice-cold...
He gripped my hand tightly, a murderous glint in his eyes, and suddenly roared, "Vietnamese! I'll wipe out these Vietnamese!"
Seeing that Eighth Master's emotions were running high, and a sickly flush appeared on his face, he suddenly cried out in pain. He raised his hand and pressed it tightly against his heart! I was startled and quickly supported him. Eighth Master gasped for breath and managed to squeeze out a sentence, but I couldn't hear it clearly. His mouth was open, his eyes were somewhat unfocused, and he pointed tremblingly to his shirt pocket.
I immediately understood. I quickly reached in and pulled out a small plastic bottle.
"Is this it?" I exclaimed hurriedly.
Eighth Master could no longer speak, only holding up three fingers. I immediately poured out three pills, put them in his mouth, laid him down on the sofa, and then turned to get a glass of water.
With my help, Eighth Master drank a few sips of water and it took him several minutes to catch his breath. He let out a soft groan, his face filled with grief.
He regained a little strength, gently pushed away my hand that was supporting his shoulder, and with a stubborn look in his eyes, he struggled to sit up straight. He let out a long sigh and gave a bitter smile: "Fine! Fine! You almost killed me!"
As he said this, a few tears actually fell from his eyes.
"Eighth Master, what's wrong?" I asked in a low voice. Seeing that Eighth Master didn't speak, I didn't hesitate and immediately told him about my phone call with Xiluo.
Before I could finish speaking, Eighth Master waved his hand, his face showing some weakness and frustration. He said in a low voice, "Alright, you did very well, very well, very well..." Then he coughed again, and when he raised his head, his lips were a little blue.
"Xiao Wu, tell Xiluo to stop looking for Lao Huang... He... Lao Huang is already dead."
Dead?!
Although I had already anticipated this to some extent, I still couldn't help but take a step back upon hearing the news.
"Dead!" Eighth Master's eyes were like those of a dead fish, his gaze fixed and unfocused. He gritted his teeth and said, "I just received a call... The police found Old Huang's body in a small alley not far from the repair shop. Old Huang had been shot more than a dozen times, riddled with bullets... There were three other men with him, all brothers from our repair shop... They're all dead! Each of them was killed by stray bullets! Four men in total... Right, right not far from the repair shop... Only two streets away, less than a kilometer away!" Eighth Master's voice trembled slightly.
My heart sank.
Old Huang is dead, along with three other managers from the repair shop! In one day, Hong Da died, his body dumped at the repair shop's entrance! Clearly a show of force! Then Old Huang and the other four managers were all killed! What's going on? It's obviously a long-planned revenge attack against us! A fierce assault!!
Whom should I hate?
Resent Old Huang for being so muddle-headed? He's taken on such a heavy responsibility, yet he went out alone with three family members? Didn't he leave anyone at home to manage things? Old Huang wasn't particularly capable to begin with. He's quite old, a first-generation local leader, mediocre in skill and decisiveness, but he's senior and has a strong network. I remember when I first arrived, I received a lot of his help.
But can someone like him take over Tiger's position, support the auto repair shop, and manage so many ruthless young men in the shop?
It was Tiger's cold-blooded demeanor and ruthless actions that kept the group of kids in check. Old Huang, on the other hand, was a pushover with limited management skills…
But now that he's dead, can we blame him?
Whose fault is it? Is it Eighth Master's?
"Eighth Master! Eighth Master!" I patted Eighth Master's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time to be sad... This is clearly a fatal blow that our opponents have been planning for a long time! They knew Hong Da's situation and killed Hong Da in one fell swoop, as well as Lao Huang and a few others! It was clearly a pre-planned scheme! The situation is urgent now, you can't lose your composure! A bunch of brothers in the repair shop are watching you!" I gripped Eighth Master's shoulder.
Eighth Master seemed to have aged considerably in an instant. He shook his head, seemingly clenching his teeth, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. He gave a bitter laugh: "Hey! Seventh Master has retired, Tiger is dead, Old Huang is dead, Li Datou and the others died with Old Huang... Of all the old brothers from back then, only Eight Fingers of my side is left!! Haha! Hahaha!!"
He laughed like an owl, his eyes filled with boundless hatred!
In my anxiety, the phone rang again. Seeing it was Xiluo's number, I quickly answered. The moment I connected, Xiluo's few words completely threw me into disarray!
"Xiao Wu! Something terrible has happened! Old Huang is dead! The police found the body and even carried it to the door to confirm its identity! Old Huang's nephew went crazy when he saw it, grabbed an AK47 and rushed out the door!! The police outside saw him rushing out with a gun and immediately shot him down! Now these guys down here have all gone mad. Several of the guys who were on good terms with Xiao Huang have grabbed weapons and want to go out and fight the police! I can't control them anymore!"
Depend on!
In my fury, I almost smashed my phone.
"What kind of work are you doing! Why didn't you stop him?!" I roared into the phone. Xiluo's voice was anxious: "Xiao Huang is older than me and more senior. As soon as he saw Lao Huang's body, his eyes turned red, and he grabbed a gun and rushed out. No one could stop him!"
Countless thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant, and I glanced at Eighth Master. Eighth Master was still pale, his lips were bluish, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused... I sighed; at this moment, I couldn't count on Eighth Master to give orders.
I immediately took a deep breath and gritted my teeth, saying, "Is Xiao Huang dead or not? If the police see someone rushing out with a gun, they'll definitely shoot him without hesitation!"
"Xiao Huang isn't dead. He was shot in the leg and collapsed at the door."
"Alright! Ignore him!" I steeled myself; now was no time for mercy. "Siro, have a few of our brothers grab their weapons and guard the gate! Tell them it's my order, Xiao Wu! No one in the repair shop is allowed to step outside! Left foot, chop off the left foot! Right foot, chop off the right foot! If anyone disobeys, shoot them... but don't hit too hard, aim for their buttocks and legs!"
Xiluo was stunned: "...Xiao Wu...these are all our own brothers!"
"Nonsense!" I snapped, "Of course I know they're my brothers! But letting you hit their asses and legs is better than rushing out to die! Brothers... damn it, only alive can we remain brothers! Dead, we're nothing! If these guys all rush out with guns, the police can wipe them all out in no time! They're asking for it! We're the underworld, not some fucking rebel!!"
Xiluo paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Okay, I understand!"
I breathed a sigh of relief: "Xiao Huang got shot, but don't worry about it. The police will send an ambulance to take him away. He acted impulsively, but he'll be fine."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Nineteen: Strategic Planning
After hanging up the phone, I took a deep breath and shouted, "Little Pig! Little Pig, come in here!"
The little pig rushed in from outside the door. Before he could even stand still, I gave him a series of orders: "Go get a car right away, then call around. There must be a doctor in this villa area! Have them send one. Also, find the person in charge of the villa and tell him I need to see Mr. Thorin!"
Seeing my angry expression, the little pig didn't dare ask any more questions and scrambled out. Just as I was getting anxious, I suddenly felt Eighth Master grab my wrist from behind.
I turned around and saw Eighth Master still sitting on the sofa, his complexion slightly better. He stared at me for a few moments, then suddenly muttered, "Little Fifth, well done... I..."
I shook my head, took his hand in return, and said seriously, "Eighth Master, our lives are at stake right now. As long as we don't cause any major trouble in the repair shop, we're not afraid! But the police have already applied for a search warrant, so there's nothing I can do about it. We still need you to step in. There's nothing taboo about the repair shop, right?"
Eighth Master shook his head, a weak smile finally appearing on his lips: "I understand what you mean... Don't worry, the goods weren't kept at the repair shop. I had someone put them somewhere else."
I breathed a sigh of relief. There were no drugs in the repair shop, so we weren't worried. Even if the police had a search warrant, we weren't concerned. We just needed to keep the guys from fighting.
Before I could say anything more, large beads of sweat streamed down Eighth Master's forehead. He bit his lip, one hand pressed against his heart, his lips trembling slightly, and blood trickling from beneath his teeth.
"Eighth Master. You..." I quickly helped him sit down again and took out the medicine bottle from earlier. Eighth Master shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "No, you can't take too much."
I shouted anxiously, "Little Pig! Little Pig! Has the doctor come yet?!"
There was no answer from outside; Little Pig had probably already gone and hadn't returned yet. I was about to shout when Eighth Master grabbed me, shook his head, and said in a deep voice, "It's alright. It's an old ailment of mine; it won't kill you."
Eighth Master's fingers gripped the muscles of my arm like vises; his knuckles were stiff, and his fingertips were icy cold. I dared not say anything more to him, so I simply helped him lie down.
Two minutes later, the little pig ran in from outside, followed by a man carrying a black leather suitcase.
"Brother Wu, the doctor's here!" Little Pig shouted. I quickly dragged the doctor over, and without even a chance for pleasantries, I pointed to Eighth Master lying on the sofa: "Quick. Take a look at him." After a pause, I gave the doctor Eighth Master's medicine bottle as well: "This is his medicine."
The doctor was a little unsteady on his feet from my pulling, and he was panting heavily from running all the way. But he was probably a private doctor in the villa area, and he knew we were Mr. Sorin's VIPs, so his attitude was exceptionally respectful.