It was quite obvious that after killing all five large groups of people, the Vietnamese didn't leave immediately. They even took the time to behead the victims and make some arrangements. They even stopped to rest and smoke.
Five heads lay on the table, and on the wall beside them, a line of large characters was written in blood! The blood was dripping, and the writing was shocking.
"Big Circle, this is just the beginning of revenge!"
However, what was different was that below this line of text, a ferocious cobra pattern had been drawn in blood. Wick examined it closely; the snake was drawn simply, yet it was incredibly lifelike. Judging from the thickness and size of the lines on the wall, Wick concluded that someone had drawn it with their finger dipped in blood.
Bang!
I couldn't contain my anger any longer and slammed my fist hard against the car. Wick gave me a strange look and said in a deep voice, "Such a cruel method of killing, I think only those Vietnamese lunatics could do it. Are you angry too? Sigh, I also think it's too cruel. We do business at sea, and it's inevitable that we'll encounter conflicts with people. It's not uncommon for people to die in fights, but after killing someone, we just throw the body into the sea."
I suppressed my anger: "Where's the body?"
“The corpse…” Wick’s face suddenly turned deathly pale. He quickly and forcefully rolled down the car window and then leaned over it, vomiting violently.
"Captain, what's wrong? Do you need to stop?" the driver asked upon seeing the situation.
Wick and I had been talking in Chinese, and the driver clearly didn't understand it. Wick waved his hand dismissively and said, "No need, keep driving."
"What happened to the body?"
The bodies were all dumped inside the top floor of the lighthouse.
There used to be a searchlight there, but it's been abandoned. In its place, there's now... a corpse.
However, they were no longer recognizable. Each body had been chopped into many pieces!
Wick's account mirrored Hong Da's experience! Every dead man had his arms and legs severed! The bodies were dumped on the top floor of the lighthouse, and Wick vomited on the spot when he saw so many dismembered corpses piled together.
After he finished vomiting, he forced himself to stay alert and checked the scene.
There had clearly been a fierce battle there. Wick had rushed up there earlier, and after calming down and inspecting the area, he found some traces.
Lighthouses are places that are easy to defend but difficult to attack. Logically speaking, since the Big Circle has guns, even if the people below are killed, as long as the people above hold guns at the stairwell, it will be very difficult for the people below to rush up unless they use heavy weapons!
The lighthouse was intact, and the Vietnamese did not use heavy weapons. After all, it wasn't too far from the coast, and using heavy weapons would have been too noisy and attracted the coast guard, which would have been unavoidable.
To Wick's surprise, there wasn't a single bullet hole in the stairs! In other words, the Vietnamese had successfully made it to the top of the lighthouse.
But... there was so much blood at the bottom of the lighthouse, at the bottom of the stairs!! It was clear that the guards at the bottom gate had been murdered! But how could the guards above not have noticed if the people below had been killed? And how could they have allowed the Vietnamese to pass through the stairs without firing a single shot?
“So, I suspect the battle probably started from up there…” Wick said slowly.
"Up there?" I raised an eyebrow.
…This hypothesis struck me as odd. I noticed numerous signs of a fierce battle on the top floor of the lighthouse, with splattered blood on the walls…you know, splattered blood looks completely different from the blood that slowly trickles down your own body. Furthermore, there were bullet holes and even knife marks.
The rest is quite simple; you can find almost nothing.
By the time Wick finished speaking, the car had already entered the city. The surrounding streets gradually became bustling, with wide roads, city lights at night, pedestrians, and cars...
But Wick's eyes seemed to have seen a ghost as he slowly said, "So, this situation makes me suspicious... If the battle started at the top of the lighthouse, then there's only one answer..."
He gave me a deep look.
I was also moved and sighed, "You mean, there's a traitor in Dayue?"
There must be a traitor! There has to be a traitor!!
The fortress was breached from the inside; a battle raged at its very center, and those at the top died first. Ironically, the guards at the gates below were killed by the enemy who stormed out from within!
That's why there were no signs of a fight on the stairs!
This is the only plausible explanation!
Wick smiled wryly, "My dear friend, I don't know why I'm telling you all this... Sigh, I've taken a bit of a risk, I shouldn't be telling you this. It's just..." He said with a pained expression, "It's just what happened today. I saw all this up there, and I was instinctively terrified! Before, I just disliked the Vietnamese. But now, I think they're a bunch of lunatics! A normal person wouldn't go against a lunatic... I practically had to hold onto the stairs to get down. My legs were so weak I could barely walk. After leaving the lighthouse, I went down to the rocks below, where my first mate and a few crew members were waiting with guns. I didn't let them go up; instead, I forbade them to go ashore and ordered them to return to the ship immediately! I didn't want to cause trouble! What if these guys left any traces they shouldn't have, and the big boss misunderstood that we were the ones who did it? That would be a real problem! I haven't told anyone about this, not even the first mate. He's very curious, but my first mate is a very good man. He listens to my orders and is very obedient. If I don't tell him, he won't ask me."
"Then why did you tell me?" I glanced at him.
“Because… I feel very scared.” Wick sighed. “That’s human nature. When you’re joyful, sad, or fearful, you want someone to share or support you. This is terrifying; I’ve been keeping it inside all day and haven’t dared to say it. My crew are a bunch of roughnecks. Telling them would only cause trouble. But you’re different. We’ve been on the ship for a while. You’re a decent person and not a gossip. You’re the perfect person to share this kind of fear.”
My eyes darted around: "Wick, have you told Big Circle about this?"
“I…not yet.” Wick said with a bitter face, “I dare not…I suspect there’s a mole in the Big Circle…but I don’t know who the mole is…If I tell the Big Circle and the mole finds out, I’ll be in danger. I can’t tell who my friends are and who my killers are right now!”
This is actually an overreaction from Wick.
The Vietnamese did it; it was clearly retaliation and a demonstration against us. We would never suspect Wick. However, his reaction was quite normal.
Of course. It's quite possible that he's an inside traitor. It's also understandable that he wouldn't dare to contact the Big Circle for that reason.
Wick, who had already been considering retiring, made up his mind and considered leaving after witnessing this scene firsthand. This is quite normal.
“Chen Yang, you’ve been in Canada for quite a while now. You’re Chinese, so you must know about the feud between the Big Circle and the Vietnamese gangs. They’re definitely going to have another fight this time…” Wick sighed. “So I’ve decided it’s best to stay away. I have enough money now, there’s no need to take any more risks. Sigh, I just don’t know who will win this time, the Big Circle or the Vietnamese.”
I shook my head: "I don't know. But the Big Circle is very capable in fighting. They've never really put their power on the table. The Vietnamese might not be a match for them."
Wick sighed, shook his head, and looked at me with some pity: "Mr. Chen Yang, you're completely out of touch. The Big Circle is in a difficult situation right now… Didn't you hear the news today? A repair shop in the city refused a police inspection and got into a conflict with them… Others may not know, but I do. That place is one of the Big Circle's old strongholds. Although the news didn't report it much, just briefly mentioned it, I know things are definitely not simple… And the leader of the Big Circle, that Mr. Fang, oh, I should say Mr. Fang the Eighth Master, he still hasn't shown up… Sigh, originally there was a Mr. Tiger in the Big Circle…" I've met him; he was a very capable person. It's a pity I heard he passed away recently. Now, the Big Circle lacks a strong… well, how should I put it, right, a general! A general! A group of Big Circle members are like a group of soldiers, but they lack a general. I've heard that a young man has appeared in the Big Moon, called something like 'Little Fifth Brother,' and he's incredibly skilled in combat. He personally killed the most powerful Double Flower Red Stick in the Hua Gang for many years. This person is very capable, and now many former Hua Gang members are talking about his name. Unfortunately, I heard that he's too young; perhaps he's not yet up to the task.”
My expression was cold and I didn't say anything.
Vietnamese... Hey! Vietnamese!!
I was a little distracted, lost in my own thoughts the whole way. When the car arrived at the hospital, Wick patted me on the shoulder: "My old friend, we're at the hospital. You'd better hurry, you can't stop here."
I snapped out of my daze. We had indeed arrived at the hospital. Under the large red cross at the entrance stood a man of Asian descent with an anxious expression—it was someone I recognized! He nervously watched the people coming and going around him, glancing at his watch every now and then.
This person is one of my men, one of the nine people I brought from the auto repair shop.
I patted Wick on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Wick... well, I can't call you Captain, you should be Chairman! Thank you for your help, you really helped me a lot!!" After a pause, I said in a low voice, "From a personal point of view, I think your choice is correct! You should also know the old Chinese saying, 'wash your hands of the world after death.' Even if you retire, I think this choice is right."
I jumped out of the car, but didn't leave immediately. Instead, I looked at Wick and said, "By the way, although I know it's hard to ask, could I have your phone number? That way I can reach you when it's convenient for me... I have something important I need your help with..."
Wick hesitated, "Help? If you want to have tea with me, of course I'm welcome. But... what do you want me to help you with? You know I've already retired, and if you're going to transport contraband, I can't do it anymore. I only have legitimate fishing boats under my command now. If you need help, I can introduce you to a few of my old buddies who are still in this business."
I shook my head repeatedly: "No, no. You misunderstood. I don't need you to help me transport things. Rather..." I looked around and whispered, "What you said in the car earlier, I might need you to step in at some point in the future... to do something like testify. After all, you were the first person to arrive at the scene."
Wick was immediately shocked, staring at me: "My God! Chen Yang...you...you're also from the Big Circle?"
I looked at him and slowly nodded.
At that moment, my brother, who was standing under the red cross sign at the hospital, finally saw me. His face lit up with immense joy, his expression changed drastically, and he rushed towards me as if he had finally found a straw to grasp at after drowning. His brows were furrowed with anxiety, and he shouted, "Brother Wu...it's you...you're finally back!"
When he heard him call me "Little Fifth Brother," Wick's mouth immediately formed an "O" shape.
While Wick was still in a daze, I grabbed his hand: "Wick, I'm counting on you."
He then came to his senses, suddenly rubbed his nose hard, and sighed, "God, I never thought that the person I saved back then would actually be the legendary Little Fifth Brother that all the Chinese in Vancouver talk about..." He looked at me with a complicated expression.
I knew what he meant, so I said, "Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble, nor will I harm you."
“Okay, and I don’t really have a choice.” Wick chuckled self-deprecatingly. He took out a pen and quickly wrote a number on my hand: “This is my phone number. You can call me anytime… but let me make this clear first, I can refuse any dangerous requests!”
Then, as if he couldn't wait, he quickly got into the car and drove off.
The guy next to me had been waiting for a while. I turned around, looked at him, and asked with a worried expression, "How's the situation now?"
His eyes reddened, and he whispered, "Ciro is upstairs watching over the ward. He told me to wait for you downstairs... All of us brothers are upstairs. Ciro said you would definitely come back..."
"Where is Eighth Master?" I looked at his red eyes and a premonition flashed through my mind.
Then, I clearly heard him say to me in a trembling voice...
"Eighth Master, Eighth Master, I'm afraid... he won't make it..."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Twenty-Six: I'm Indispensable
I was startled...
Eighth Master... is he dying?
Looking at the grief on my brother's face, I didn't know what to feel.
“Brother Xiao Wu, there’s another reason why Xiluo asked me to wait for you here…” Without waiting for a reply, he pulled me behind a flowerbed next to the hospital, where the view was blocked. He looked around and whispered, “There are police outside the wards upstairs right now. Xiluo said he’ll definitely have to do some things after you come back. So it’s best if you don’t go up now, so the police won’t know you’re back. Maybe that will be good for us.”
I nodded. It seems that Xiluo, that rough and clumsy fellow, has finally learned to use his brain after the sudden chaos.
I patted him on the shoulder: "Very good, you've thought of everything very carefully, but I'll still go up. The situation is different now. Eighth Master has collapsed, and if I don't show up soon, I'm afraid things might get messy."
He didn't say anything, but led me into the hospital.
Outside the intensive care unit at the back of the hospital, Ciro and the others were sitting in the corridor. At one end of the corridor were two uniformed police officers, both armed. To my surprise, I saw an old acquaintance. It was the Chinese-American policeman who had tried to bribe me to cooperate with the police. Hmm, what was his name again? I think it was Jeff.
As for the white police officer who beat me last time, I didn't see him.
Seeing me approaching from afar, Xiluo's face showed surprise, followed by a joyful expression. He ran towards me, and when he got closer, he hugged me tightly, shouting, "Xiao Wu! You're finally back!" At the same time, while hugging me, he whispered in my ear, "Why did you come up here? Didn't I tell someone to wait for you downstairs?"
I smiled and gave him a look to indicate that it was okay.
Jeff walked towards me with a half-serious, half-fake smile. He said slowly, "I didn't expect you to be back so quickly... Sigh, the infamous Little Five from all of Chinatown is back. Looks like we cops are in for a lot of work."
I glanced at him and said in a very polite tone, "Officer, hello. I'm not available to talk to you right now. Could you let me go in and see Master Ba first?"
Jeff nodded and stepped aside to make way. The brothers in the corridor all stood up. I nodded to them, signaling them to wait outside, while only Ciro and I went into the ward.
The ward was large and filled with the strong smell of medicine. Eighth Master lay on a hospital bed. His face was calm and his eyes were closed.
An oxygen tube was inserted into his nose, and several medical instruments were nearby, their lights flashing to monitor Eighth Master's heartbeat, pulse, and blood pressure. To my surprise, besides the bandages wrapped around his upper body and chest, Eighth Master also had bandages wrapped around his head, making him look like a mummy. One of his hands was outside, with an IV drip in the back of his hand, and there was a scratch on his face, though it had already been cleaned with medicine.
"Tell me what happened." I grabbed Xiluo: "What happened to Eighth Master? Didn't you say he was shot in the chest? How come he's injured in the head too?"
Xiluo, his face filled with grief and indignation, gritted his teeth and said, "I was still at the repair shop at the time. Based on your account on the phone, and the fact that Master Ba had also called back earlier, I had already instructed my men to compromise with the police and let them in for inspection. Then I received a call saying that after Master Ba got off the plane, he was ambushed and killed in his car on the way back! One of Master Ba's men was dead, and one was still alive. It's said that the assailant used a sniper, who shot out a tire from a distance, causing the car to crash into a wall on the side of the road. Master Ba immediately passed out... Later..."
According to Xiluo's account, after the car's tire was shot out, the two men accompanying Master Ba, the two young men nicknamed "Little Pig," immediately grabbed Master Ba and rushed out of the car. Because the car wasn't bulletproof, and they were worried that the enemy would use snipers to shoot directly at the fuel tank, they dared not remain inside. During the rush, the other young man was killed instantly, while Little Pig shielded Master Ba from a bullet, sustaining a bullet wound to his back that pierced his lung. Master Ba was also shot twice, both times in the upper body. One of the shots was particularly fatal, missing his heart by only a few centimeters.
At that time, Little Pig desperately dragged Eighth Master to hide in a corner, holding out for reinforcements. Just as the other side had two gunmen preparing for a close-range assault, Little Pig was shot again.
"It must have been the Vietnamese who did it!" Xiluo's eyes flashed with murderous intent.
"How is Eighth Master?" I sighed and whispered, "When I was downstairs just now, I heard from my brother that he..."
Xiluo's eyes were a little red.
Regardless of how Eighth Master treated me, he was still a pillar of the industry, a leader, and a very prestigious figure.
"Eighth Master, the bullet in his chest has been removed, and he's lost a lot of blood... but the doctor says the chest wound isn't too dangerous anymore, however, his head was hit violently..."
My heart skipped a beat.
Could it be?
Sure enough, Xiluo's face was ashen: "Whether he can wake up now depends on fate. The doctor said that Eighth Master's skull was hit and there is blood clots inside. Unless he has craniotomy to remove the blood clots, he will have to be treated. But the doctor also said that it is compressing nerves, which is very dangerous, and the success rate of the surgery is very low..."
I sighed, glanced at Eighth Master on the bed, and felt a mix of emotions, unsure of what to feel.