I cleared my throat and said loudly, "Okay! I, Xiao Wu, am actually younger than most people! But in this situation, I'll take the lead. If anyone has any objections, feel free to say them to my face. Everyone knows my character, Xiao Wu. If anyone thinks their decision is better than mine, I'm willing to listen to them!"
No one spoke.
"Alright. I'll say it then." I said slowly, then my expression suddenly changed, my face darkened, and I shouted, "First of all, I want to curse you all! You're all a bunch of brainless idiots!! What time is it now! Look at the chaos outside! And you're doing this! Very good! Really good! You've set up a fighting ring in your own home! Good for you! Kill one and be done with it! When the Vietnamese come knocking, it'll be easy!! They won't fire a single shot, they can just come and collect our corpses! Isn't that right!!"
When I started speaking, some people looked a little unconvinced, but by the end, most of them looked ashamed.
"Now, the first thing we need to do isn't to grab guns and go out to fight others!" I said slowly, "What about Lao Huang and the others' bodies?"
No one spoke.
Xiluo hesitated for a moment, then walked over and whispered, "The body is still with the police."
"Hmph!" My anger intensified: "Fine! You guys are smart! You're so damn loyal!! Old Huang and the others' bodies are left with the police! Poor Old Huang... In his final moments, so many people who called themselves 'brothers' only cared about fighting and killing each other, not even one of them helped collect his body! What kind of 'brothers' are you?!"
As soon as I heard this, I saw many people's eyes turn red, and some even cried silently.
I took a closer look and saw that most of the people with red eyes or who were crying were people who had been working at the gym before.
There are nearly a hundred people in the auto repair shop, but only about twenty or thirty in the gym. These twenty or thirty are the most skilled and trained by Master Ba! Most of these people are usually taken care of by Lao Huang, so they naturally have the deepest bond with him.
A moment later, someone suddenly walked up to me. He raised his hand and slapped himself seven or eight times, back and forth. He hit himself hard; both cheeks were swollen from the slaps. Then, gritting his teeth, he said, "Xiao Wu, you're right! We're fucking bastards! I... I'm going to the police station right now to collect the body..."
I know him; he's a guy I train with at the gym.
After he finished speaking, he was about to rush outside when I stopped him and said slowly, "Okay, if you go to the police station like this, do you think they'll give you the body?"
He paused for a moment, taken aback. I sighed and looked at everyone: "Alright, now that everyone is listening to me, I'll speak! Everyone, go back to your rooms and change your clothes!"
"Change……"
I saw someone freeze in shock, and added, "Change it to white! We need to set up a mourning hall for Lao Huang and the others!"
Now no one had any objections.
I left about a dozen people behind, cleaned up the gym, found some candles, made paper money, and set up a temporary mourning hall.
About twenty minutes later, everyone returned. Everyone had found white clothes to wear; some who didn't have white clothes torn off their own white bed sheets, curtains, or other coverings and wrapped them around themselves.
In front of everyone, I kicked down the wooden door of the gym. Then I took out a dagger, cut off several pieces of wood, made a few memorial tablets, and wrote names on them.
Finally, just as I finished doing all this, the brother I had left on the street outside the door came in: "Little... Fifth Brother."
Without even realizing it, he changed how he addressed me, from "Xiao Wu" to "Brother Xiao Wu." That one-word difference carries a profound meaning!
"Brother Wu...the police are here!"
Everyone was shocked, and someone immediately shouted, "What are the police doing here? What do they want to do..."
"Quiet down!" My voice silenced everyone. "I called the police... not to attack, but to bring back Lao Huang and the others' bodies!"
I glanced at Xiluo beside me, then pointed to a few of my brothers and said, "Come on, you guys, come with me out here and carry Lao Huang back!"
Four stretchers were used, and the bodies of Lao Huang and the others were all put into bags. I personally carried Lao Huang inside with Xiluo. My action immediately earned me the respect of countless people.
Afterwards, we placed the body in the mourning hall, set up the memorial tablet, and then I came out.
Jeff stood at the door and said with a wry smile, "Little Wu...sigh, it seems you really have a hand in this. It looks like the situation inside is under control now...From now on, should I call you 'Fifth Master'?"
I pretended not to hear his words and simply said, "Officer Jeff, thank you for helping to return Lao Huang and the others' bodies. I owe you a favor, and I will definitely repay you in the future."
Jeff shook his head: "As long as you keep our promise..."
I stopped him: "Alright, this isn't the place to talk. But don't worry, I'll keep my word."
Jeff looked at me for a moment, then said, "I hope I made the right bet this time on you," and left.
The mourning hall was filled with people. I changed into the mourning clothes that Xiluo had hastily found for me. Unable to find incense, I simply lit three cigarettes, then stood before the memorial tablet and bowed three times…
Just as I placed the cigarette in front of the memorial tablet, I suddenly felt a pang of sadness...
To be honest, I didn't think I would cry. But now, all around me are cries of sorrow. And up there... lying there is Old Huang!
I still clearly remember the first day I arrived here, after drifting at sea for so many days. Eighth Master handed me over to Old Huang, who asked me what I wanted... I stupidly said at the time, "I want to eat."
I still remember clearly that Old Huang was holding a bowl of rice, topped with a large piece of braised pork and a few green vegetables... He was all smiles when he handed me the rice...
My nose stung, and two tears rolled down my cheeks...
I slowly stood up, made a downward pressing motion with my hand, and everyone looked at me...
"Send someone to buy a few of the best refrigerated coffins! The mourning hall for Lao Huang and the others will remain here! We'll bury Lao Huang only when our revenge is complete! I'll use our enemies to offer a living sacrifice to Lao Huang!" I shouted, swiftly pulling out a dagger, slashing my thumb, letting the blood drip onto the platform, and yelling, "Heaven and earth, I swear by my blood!!"
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fishing in Troubled Waters
I placed the dagger on the table, stepped aside, and then Xiluo stepped forward, picked up the dagger in the same way, made a cut on his thumb, let blood drip out, and resolutely shouted: "Heaven and earth, I swear by my blood!"
The scene was extremely quiet. Then, more than a hundred brothers came up one by one, all dressed in white, with grief on their faces. They silently picked up their daggers, cut their fingers, put down the daggers, and turned back to their positions.
The whole process took a full half hour, and everyone was excited and proud.
I immediately issued several orders. Given the current situation, I had openly become the person in charge here, and there was no room for dissent. My first order was for all members of the Big Circle gangs outside to return within a day! I didn't care about those on the periphery; I wanted all the genuine Big Circle members. Second, I sent people to monitor the movements of other Chinese gangs.
After all, although the Chinese gangs are currently in a temporary truce with us, that's based on cooperation. But with the drug deal going wrong, it's really hard to say whether the Chinese gangs will side with us or the Vietnamese.
Deep down, my feelings towards these Chinese communities are very complex. On one hand, they are all Chinese, and I feel I should try my best to unite them. But on the other hand, I think these guys are really more trouble than they're worth. Such a large Chinatown is fragmented. Despite having a large number of people and considerable strength, they've always been bullied by the Vietnamese, and even Indians and Middle Easterners dare to bully the Chinese communities in Vancouver! And yet, these guys don't seem to learn from their mistakes, constantly fighting and wasting each other's time.
In recent years, the Chinese community bowed down to the Vietnamese and yielded to the Indians, which I consider utterly shameful!
Now that the situation in the Big Circle has changed, it's hard to guarantee that those guys won't have ulterior motives.
As for the third point, I gave an order that surprised and even surprised everyone.
"From now on, everyone return to your posts! Tomorrow morning, open the doors of the repair shop and begin normal business!"
As soon as I said that, an uproar erupted. Someone immediately objected, saying, "Open for business? Xiao Wu, how can we open for business in our current state! We should grab our guns and go take care of those Vietnamese!"
This statement immediately drew numerous responses.
I looked at them calmly and said, "You want to fight the Vietnamese? Fine, I'll let you go. You take ten brothers, and tonight you can raid their territory. You want a gun? I'll give you a gun. You want a knife? I'll give you a knife!"
After saying that, I waved my hand. The guy below hesitated for a moment, then said proudly, "Alright! Now you're the boss. If you give the word, I'll take my men and do it tonight, as long as you allow it!"
After he finished speaking, he gave a call, and immediately a large number of people poured out. There were probably more than twenty, let alone ten.
“Xiao Wu…” Xi Luo glanced at me.
I said calmly, "Give them guns and let them go."
Seeing my resolute tone, Xiluo hesitated for a moment, glanced at the people below, and sighed.
I looked at everyone present and said, "Anyone else who wants to make a move tonight can step forward."
As soon as he said that, almost half of the remaining people stood up. In the end, those who remained were the people I was closest to and who knew me best from the original gym. There were about twenty of them left.
I waved my hand: "Siro, you lead them to the warehouse to get the weapons. You'll be leading the team tonight, so be careful."
Xiluo's expression was strange: "Really...really going? Aren't you going? You..."
I gave a wry smile: "You'll see when you get there."
Having said all that, I offered no further explanation and simply waved my hand. The crowd below, in a frenzy of excitement, swarmed out, surrounding Xiluo.
Only me and about twenty other people remained in the mourning hall. I looked at the remaining brothers, and they were all looking at me too.
Aren't you going?
One of them hesitated for a moment, glanced at me, and said, "Xiao Wu, we've all fought together to build this friendship. We know your character well. You have your reasons for not rushing into action. We're not hotheads anymore. Even in war, we still need strategy, right?"
I chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "Brother, thanks for trusting me! Everyone heard what I said today, everyone swore an oath in blood that this revenge would definitely be taken, but the situation isn't that simple now..."
I glanced at the other guys; they were all trained at the gym, practically the most skilled elites in the mechanic shop: "Alright, we'll wait here... Do you have any more alcohol at home? Go get some; I think their boss will be back soon."
The others were a little confused, but someone immediately did as they were told, going to the back to fetch several bottles of wine, along with a large pile of bowls and cups.
I sat cross-legged beneath Old Huang's memorial tablet, poured a bowl of wine, placed it beneath it, and looked at the memorial tablets above. I said solemnly, "Brothers, may your spirits in heaven bless me, Xiao Wu, so that I may successfully avenge you! I am young and inexperienced. This matter may be fraught with peril, like a precipice or a sea of fire. I only hope that you will watch over us from above and protect these brothers below!"
After saying that, I picked up a bowl of wine and drank it all in one gulp.
Not long after, less than two hours later, someone ran in to tell me that Xiluo and the others had returned.
I didn't say anything, and then watched as Ciro led the group that had gone out, returning dejectedly. They had left in high spirits, but returned looking utterly dejected. Some even seemed resentful.
Xiluo walked up to me, about to speak, but I stopped him and said first, "You came up empty-handed, didn't you? The Vietnamese place is empty. Right?"
Xiluo was stunned for a moment, then blurted out, "You..." He immediately understood and said with a wry smile, "So you had already guessed it."
Just now, Xiluo and his men drove all the way to the western suburbs of Vancouver, which is basically the area where the Vietnamese gang's influence extends. Today, when they arrived, they found that there were quite a few police officers patrolling the streets, and a significant number of Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were also out. However, the places usually controlled by the Vietnamese gang—nightclubs, casinos, bars, repair shops, etc.—were either empty or operating as usual, but there wasn't a single Vietnamese person inside.
Xiluo and his gang stormed into a disco. Usually, there were several Vietnamese leaders there with a group of henchmen to keep watch. But when Xiluo broke in this time, he found that the disco was open for business as usual, but there were only waiters and customers, and no one was there to keep watch.
In their heightened emotions, the group of men were about to smash up the place on the spot, but then the owner came out and begged for mercy. The owner was a local who had reportedly just recently bought the place and was now running a legitimate business. As for the Vietnamese, they had all left when the place was transferred to someone else.
Afterwards, Xiluo led his men to search the area again, but they couldn't find a single Vietnamese person. Not only did they have nowhere to vent their anger, but they almost got into a conflict with the patrolling police. Fortunately, Xiluo was leading the way, which kept his men in check and prevented a fight with the police, allowing them to quickly retreat.
I looked at my brothers below, whose faces were filled with confusion, and slowly said, "Does everyone understand now?"
I stood up and shouted, "The Vietnamese dared to attack us first this time; they've been planning this for a long time! And it's obvious they made thorough preparations... and they certainly anticipated that we would retaliate afterwards. Did they think they would leave people in the arena waiting for us to sweep them up?"
“Then let’s just take over their territory and venue! They can hide, but they can’t hide forever! We’ll take over their base, let’s see what they can do then!” someone shouted from below.
"Wishful thinking." I flatly refused. "Take over their territory? How would you do that? After taking it over, wouldn't you have to send some of your men to guard it? The Vietnamese territory isn't small. How many men would we need to send to guard it? Those places are all Vietnamese territory. We can't establish a foothold in a short time! It will take a long time to completely control them. But if our forces are scattered, what if the Vietnamese seize the opportunity to stab us in the back?" I stroked my chin and muttered to myself, "The Vietnamese leader this time is very clever... Heh! What a clever strategic retreat!"
I glanced at everyone again: "Otherwise, why do you think I ordered all the brothers outside to come back? This time, the Vietnamese are trying to play hide-and-seek with us! Hmph... If I'm not mistaken, the Vietnamese plan is to defeat us one by one! Hmph, they think that now that our leadership is in disarray, we've lost control below, and they'll definitely try to stab us in the back! Right now, we're scattered outside, and the brothers controlling those territories are in real danger! That's why I ordered everyone outside to come back! A clenched fist has power! Being scattered will only allow others to break our fingers one by one!"
Then I gave the order: "Siro, stay here. Everyone else who went out tonight, go back to your rooms and sleep."
The people below were somewhat unwilling, but they still dispersed.
I had the doors to the mourning hall closed, leaving only myself, Xiluo, and about twenty brothers in the room. These were all people from our original gym, and also the group of people I was closest to.
"I'm not going to waste any more words." Everyone simply sat down on the ground, and I toyed with a dagger in my hand: "The current situation is very unfavorable for us, extremely unfavorable... Does anyone understand what I mean?"
Immediately, someone chimed in, "Old Huang and the other three are dead, and Eighth Master is in the hospital. This is definitely bad for us. Right now, all the gangs and people in the underworld are probably watching us. If we don't take action this time, our Big Circle will be looked down upon in the future!"
What he said made a lot of sense, and many others agreed. I remained noncommittal, glancing at Xiluo: "What about you? What do you think?"
Xiluo's young face showed some excitement. He tilted his head and thought for a moment before slowly saying, "I... I always feel that something is not right... I just took some people out again today, and after returning, a question suddenly came to mind."
"Okay, go ahead."
Xiluo let out a sigh of relief, a hint of confidence appearing on his face: "Right now, everyone is watching us closely! Watching us, seeing how we'll retaliate... But that's the problem. The underworld, the legitimate world, the police—everyone's focused on us. We're practically out in the open now, a very obvious target. At the slightest sign of trouble, before we can even make a move, a large number of police will be swarming us! After all, we're in the underworld. Being constantly watched by the police isn't good for us. For example, tonight, when I led my men there, many police officers followed us from a distance. We almost got into a fight with them, but I managed to pull them back when I realized things were going badly. I think this might be part of the Vietnamese plan... They stirred things up, found a hole to hide in, and are just waiting to watch the show. They've calculated that we'll get angry, go crazy, retaliate, and cause a huge disturbance. But if we really do cause a scene, it will probably be even worse for us... Now that the police are watching us so closely, the slightest mistake could be catastrophic."
I looked at Xiluo for a long time, a satisfied expression on my face, and smiled: "Xiluo, I'm happy for you, as your brother, that you could think of these things!"