"Nothing now!" Fatty Fang's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a chilling undertone on the phone: "Shen Shan has been my brother for many years! And... have you forgotten? He's from the Big Circle!"
I was taken aback.
"Chen Yang!" Fatty Fang lowered his voice, his tone sinister: "You're also someone who carries the name of the Big Circle! Don't you know the rules of the Big Circle?"
I remained silent.
"Hmph, you've forgotten. Our name is Big Circle! Anyone who messes with us will pay the price!" Fatty Fang suddenly cursed, seemingly yelling at the others around him, "No more! No more! I don't even want the vegetables this time! Get out of my way, all of you! I don't want anything today!"
After he finished speaking, the roar of a car engine started came from the other end of the line. Fatty Fang's voice was clearly trying his best to suppress his rage: "You wait, I'll take care of what I'm doing right away... I'll be in Shanghai as soon as possible! Damn it!!"
"Brother Fang...please don't get agitated." I sighed.
"Excited! How the hell can I not be excited?!" Fatty Fang gritted his teeth and cursed, "You know nothing! Shen Shan carried me out of a pile of corpses back then! I owe him my life, do you even know that?!"
“I don’t know,” I said slowly. “But things have become very complicated now… Shen Shan is dead, and the person who killed him was Shen Shan’s second-in-command. Their original plan was to take over Shen Shan’s power and then join Ye Huan… But now I’ve also killed the second-in-command. Now the Green Gang and the Hong Kong gangs in Shanghai are definitely in chaos… And most importantly, they all believe that I killed their two leaders. They’re probably looking for me all over the city now.”
"You're not the same person you used to be. You're not that penniless hoodlum anymore. Why are you worried about being hunted down by the underworld?" The fat man sneered. "But don't make any rash moves. Find a place to hide for a couple of days. Even though you're rich and powerful now, a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. You can only bring a dozen or so men and seven or eight guns to Shanghai. If the Green Gang goes crazy and decides to kill you, you'll be in danger. Let's talk after I come to Shanghai and meet you!"
I gave a wry smile: "A dozen people... I don't have a single person with me now. I used to only have one bodyguard, but I sent him to chase after Jin He. If we can catch him..."
"Don't count on it." Fatty Fang coldly dismissed my idea. "Jin He is highly skilled... well, even if your bodyguards can bring Jin He back, he's absolutely loyal to Ye Huan. He would never betray Ye Huan. Do you think Jin He would come out and explain the truth to clear your name? Killing a local manager of the Green Gang is a big deal; it's definitely something that has offended the Green Gang! The entire Green Gang in Shanghai, regardless of their affiliation, might come after you... This is a bad situation to be blamed on, unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you have evidence to prove that you didn't kill the person... or, find a way to convince the higher-ups of the Green Gang that you didn't kill the person."
I gave a wry smile: "Evidence? That second-in-command is very careful. He tampered with all the security cameras there, so there's no evidence at all. The only evidence... I have a friend here, a woman, who works for that second-in-command and also for Ye Huan. This woman owes me a favor from back then, and she's the one who helped me escape today. She might speak up for me. But no one will believe a woman who works in a nightclub in this kind of situation."
"Chen Yang!" Fatty Fang, true to his name, calmed down in just a few minutes: "Listen carefully! Do as I say! First, find a place to hide immediately… I know you're not afraid of being hunted down by the Green Gang. You're not the same as before, you have men and guns… But you need to understand one thing: you're now a member of the Big Circle! You're a high-ranking member within the Big Circle! Shen Shan is too! Now that Shen Shan is dead, if you fight with the Green Gang… whether you suffer a loss or the Green Gang suffers, if it leads to a war between the Big Circle and the Green Gang, such a huge matter won't be something you or I can handle! Second… every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor! Shen Shan was killed by Ye Huan's men! We'll naturally seek revenge on Ye Huan! There's no need to fight the Green Gang! Otherwise, it will provoke my…" The mess between us and Qinghong actually benefits Ye Huan! Do you understand? As for the third…” Fatty Fang sighed, “The most crucial thing is to clear your name! Otherwise, your troubles will be endless. Qinghong is deeply entrenched in the country. If they are determined to harass you for revenge, you'll be constantly in trouble! The key now is to find someone who can speak to the higher-ups of Qinghong and find a way to convince them that you didn't kill him… That's the only way. But the problem is… I can't do this myself, and we can't let our Big Circle people handle it, because Shen Shan is secretly helping Big Circle. It would be like we're undermining Qinghong, and if this gets out, it'll be even more troublesome… Ugh, damn it, headache! It's a real headache! How come you always get into this kind of trouble?”
"How the hell was I supposed to know!" I was also getting annoyed. "I was supposed to leave Shanghai today! Shen Shan asked to meet me, and I wasn't going, but he showed me a picture of you and me, and I knew he was one of us, so I went to see him without worry. I didn't even bring anyone with me! Who knew this would happen, Shen Shan died. I almost got myself into trouble. If I hadn't run into an old acquaintance, I'd probably be torn to pieces by the Green Gang by now." The more I talked, the angrier I got. This whole thing was an innocent disaster. It was like a brick falling from the sky and hitting me squarely on the head. "I'm here on the street, making you a call from a public phone, wearing blood-stained clothes! And I'm all alone... Damn it!"
At first, Fatty Fang was a little unhappy after I vented my anger, but when he heard the last sentence, he couldn't help but feel nervous: "You don't have anyone with you? Where are your men?"
I sighed. "One of the female celebrities in my company got into trouble. She was besieged by reporters, and I sent all my men to protect her as she left Shanghai. Everything was peaceful here, and I never expected something like this to happen. Besides, I was originally planning to leave with them. It was only because Shen Shan invited me to a meeting that I was delayed. My original plan was to meet up with them after meeting Shen Shan... Now, well, hehe!"
The fat man gasped, "Xiao Wu, are you out of your mind?! You're all alone right now, find somewhere to hide! Then your people will come and get you! Are you crazy?! The whole of Qinghong is after you, and you still dare to wander the streets alone!"
"Okay, I'll be careful... You're coming to Shanghai? I was originally planning to leave, but now I'm not! I'll wait for you to come. We'll talk in more detail then!" I hung up the phone and sighed.
Damn it! What kind of mess is this?!
I slammed my fist on the phone, then struggled to suppress my anger. Only then did I dial my subordinate's number. When Hammer answered my call, their car was already on the highway. Those reporters were really troublesome; one of them even tried to follow them in his car, and it took quite a bit of effort to shake them off.
After receiving my call, Hammer panicked when he heard I was in trouble, but unfortunately, he couldn't leave the highway to turn around and come back. I told him to find a place to turn around at a highway rest stop and wait for him to get back to downtown Shanghai. I asked him his location and estimated the time; it would probably be about two hours before he returned. We agreed that I would call him in two hours.
I stepped out of the phone booth. It was already about four or five o'clock, almost the time when people were getting off work every day, and there were noticeably more pedestrians on the small street. I thought for a moment and decided to find a place to hide first; I couldn't just stand on the street like this forever.
Although I still have a Huaxing branch in Shanghai... I can't go back now! Most of the Qinghong men will go back to the company to find me. The company is full of ordinary employees; if the Qinghong men come knocking, those white-collar workers can't hold them off.
After walking a few steps, an idea suddenly popped into my head. I thought about it for a moment, then turned back to the phone booth, felt around in my pocket, took out the last three coins, and dialed a number.
The owner of this phone number is Qiaoqiao's father!
I suddenly remembered that Qiao Qiao's father seemed to be quite familiar with the big boss of Qinghong's "Di" branch. For some inexplicable reason, I thought I'd call him and try my luck. However, I wasn't sure if old man Qiao would be willing to help me.
The phone number Old Man Qiao gave me was his private number; I could reach him anytime, 24/7. Sure enough, the call connected quickly. As soon as I said "hello," Qiao Qiao's father sighed on the other end: "Chen Yang? Sigh... we were just talking about you, and you called."
A thought flashed through my mind... Could the news have spread so quickly? Did Qiaoqiao's father find out about me so soon?
However, I later realized it was a misunderstanding. Qiaoqiao's father laughed and said, "I was having tea with some friends, and, well, one of them is an old friend of yours. We were just talking about you when you called."
I wasn't in the mood for that, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Qiao, I've run into a problem, and it's very troublesome. I want to ask, you and the big boss of Qinghong's 'Di' branch, can you speak to each other?"
Qiaoqiao's father seemed to sigh, then looked somewhat puzzled: "Chen Yang...you don't mean to...sigh, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you. Although I know the big boss of the Earth faction, you've offended an old guy from the Human faction. I don't know that old guy. Besides, the big bosses of the Green and Brilliant factions are all at odds with each other right now. You crippled that old guy's son from the Human faction. Even if I knew the big boss of the Earth faction, or even if I were the big boss of the Earth faction myself, I couldn't resolve this kind of hatred."
"You've misunderstood," I said calmly. "I never expected that matter to be resolved peacefully. Now I'm facing a different situation..."
"What?"
"I think the news will reach you soon..." I sighed and whispered, "Just a little while ago, Shen Shan died."
"What?"
On the other end of the phone, I could clearly hear the sound of a teacup being knocked over!
"Wait a minute!" Qiaoqiao's father lowered his voice. I guessed he had heard that this matter was too serious. He walked aside and continued talking to me. After a while, he said solemnly, "Shen Shan is dead? What happened?"
"To put it simply..." I said with a bitter smile, "Ye Huan bribed Shen Shan's second-in-command to seize Shen Shan's power, and then killed Shen Shan. At that time, I happened to be having tea with Shen Shan. Then... to protect myself, I killed Shen Shan's second-in-command... Now, Shen Shan and his second-in-command are both dead, and I've escaped... The people in Qing Hong don't know the truth; they think I killed both of their leaders... I can't explain this even if I had a mouth full of mouths. Now I'm carrying a huge black mark! And I can't explain this to my subordinates either; I can only try to find a way to explain to the higher-ups in Qing Hong."
Qiaoqiao's father was breathing rapidly, clearly still in shock. He remained silent for a long time, and I assumed he was in a difficult position, so I immediately said, "Don't worry, I don't want to put you in a difficult position. I'm not asking you to explain for me, nor am I asking you to ask for favors... I just want to find a way to communicate with the higher-ups of Qinghong, just to be able to speak with them! But I don't know those people myself, I just want you to act as an intermediary, to introduce us so we can have a chance to sit down and talk! As for the matter itself, I'll explain it myself, and I'll handle whatever the outcome of the negotiations. Other than that, I won't trouble you in any way."
Qiaoqiao's father took a few deep breaths, then suddenly scolded in a low voice, "Nonsense! What nonsense are you spouting! What is your relationship with me? What is your relationship with Qiaoqiao? If I don't help you with this, who else can? Humph, you and the big boss of the Renzi Group have an irreconcilable feud, so I can't help you with this, nor can I mediate! But today you've been framed, and the higher-ups of Qinghong aren't unreasonable people! So, is it convenient for you to meet right now...? We can discuss the details when we meet."
“Now…” I thought about it carefully, and I figured Qiaoqiao’s father wouldn’t betray me to Qinghong. “Okay, let’s meet in two hours. I can’t come over right now.”
"What are you waiting for?! Come see me right now! How can such an important matter wait?" Qiaoqiao's father roared.
I gave a wry smile: "I...I'm..."
Qiaoqiao's father was a man of great wisdom; with his shrewdness, he immediately sensed my predicament: "What's wrong?"
"I just escaped from being chased by Shen Shan's men all by myself..."
"Hmph!" Qiaoqiao's father said in a low voice, "You don't believe me? You're afraid to come see me alone? Are you afraid I'll sell you?"
I didn't say anything.
In fact... I really do have some distrust.
Having experienced many things, I'll never again so easily and completely trust someone. Especially not someone as powerful and ruthless as Qiaoqiao's father!
Although I have a relationship with his daughter, such a ruthless and ambitious man only cares about interests, and personal feelings for his children will never be a concern for him.
“I see…” Qiaoqiao’s father hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Alright! I understand what you’re thinking. You may not believe me, but there’s one person you’ll believe, right? She’s with me now. Wait a moment…”
On the other end of the phone, Qiaoqiao's father seemed to be talking to someone, something like, "Chen Yang is in trouble..." I only vaguely heard that sentence, and didn't hear the rest clearly.
Soon, a voice came from the other end of the phone again, but this time it wasn't Qiaoqiao's father speaking.
"Chen Yang, it's me." A calm and steady voice, clear and pleasant, yet with its usual rationality and composure: "Where are you? I'll drive to pick you up right away."
...
Yang, Yang Wei?!
Is it Yang Wei?
"..." I was stunned, but at the same time, when I was in such a mess, I suddenly heard Yang Wei's voice. For some reason, it was as if a calming agent was injected into my heart!
Hearing Yang Wei's voice at such a crucial moment...it feels so good!
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Sixty-Four: The Little Money-Grubber
After hanging up the phone, I walked out of the phone booth, passed a convenience store on the side of the road, and peeked at the clock hanging on the wall inside.
It is approximately five o'clock now.
Yang Wei said she would drive to pick me up, but even if she drove as fast as she could, it would still take an hour.
There's no way around it, Shanghai is just too big, and the traffic is terrible.
Summer had just ended, and it was early autumn. The sun was still setting rather late, and there were more and more pedestrians around. I realized that my appearance was rather conspicuous: my clothes were wrinkled, and there was blood on my shirt underneath! More importantly, the jacket I was wearing was something I had just grabbed from Xiao Xuan's car. It probably belonged to that second-in-command. It was too small for my size, and the jacket clung tightly to my body. It looked like it had been stolen. Coupled with my furtive and furtive manner, I looked like a homeless person.
I walked a few steps along the side street and saw a public toilet at the intersection. I quickly ran inside, vigorously washed my face and hands by the sink, and then applied some hand sanitizer. The smell of the hand sanitizer barely masked the bloody smell on my body.
I really wanted to take off my shirt because I was worried that walking down the street like this would attract attention, and if it caught the attention of the patrolling police... I would have bloodstains all over my clothes, and then it would be hard to explain.
More importantly… I don’t trust the police here! I know very well that a deeply entrenched, long-established underworld force like Qing Hong must have intricate connections with the local police! I’m not afraid of the police, but if I get entangled with them, I worry that before my locals can find me, Qing Hong will come crawling back like sharks smelling blood!
I reached into my pocket, squeezed the credit card and money Xiaoxuan had left me, and walked out of the public restroom.
After washing up, I didn't look so disheveled or like a homeless person anymore. I spotted a small clothing store ahead, thought for a moment, walked over, and pushed open the door…
This is a medium-sized boutique clothing store. Obviously, business is not good at this time of day. There are only two customers in the small store, including myself.
I pretended to look at clothes on the rack and then randomly picked out a shirt. The only saleswoman in the store didn't bother me because another middle-aged man was pestering her about the price of a leather jacket.
I seized the opportunity to grab the shirt and slip into the changing room, quickly changing into it. Then I crumpled the blood-stained shirt into a ball, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and tore off the price tag.
As I walked out of the fitting room, I casually grabbed a jacket from the rack, checked it against my clothes, and it fit perfectly. Ignoring the style and whether it looked good or bad, I simply tore off the price tag and put it on.
After changing my clothes, I felt a little more relaxed.
At this moment, the saleswoman was still haggling with the middle-aged man. However, the saleswoman seemed a little impatient. She had her back to me, casually leaning against a shelf, letting the middle-aged man look at the leather jacket from left to right, but she looked lazy.
I know that even though summer has just ended, many clothing stores deliberately put out some out-of-season clothes for sale at low prices. And many people like to take advantage of these bargains.
I must say, this saleswoman was extremely incompetent. All the saleswomen I know in stores are the kind who can eloquently exaggerate the merits of their products, convincing customers until they're completely swayed and willingly hand over their wallets. But this saleswoman was incredibly arrogant, lounging around lazily and making half-hearted, disjointed remarks.
That middle-aged man didn't look like he had any money, otherwise he wouldn't be out in the heat of the day looking for cheap off-season stock.
"Miss, do you have this dress in my size?"
What size are you wearing?
"XL, um... sometimes, L is fine too."
"No, this is the only one."
"Um... could you make the price a little cheaper?"
The saleswoman didn't even bother to speak this time, and casually pointed to a sign next to her: "Promotional product, no bargaining."
The middle-aged man pinched and squeezed the leather jacket: "What kind of leather is this?"
"Rabbit skin."
"Um... is this clothing waterproof? Won't it get ruined in the rain?"
The young lady finally lost her temper, stood up straight, and quickly threw out a retort: "Have you ever seen a rabbit using an umbrella in the rain?!"
"..." The middle-aged man was speechless, angrily threw down his clothes, turned around and left.
The salesgirl turned her head, seemingly not even looking at me, and quickly said, "Shirts are 280, jackets are 400."
I finally got a good look at this arrogant salesgirl. When she turned around, I was about to speak, but I froze!
Her pretty little face had a hint of arrogance, especially when she glared at me, giving her a bit of a wild girlfriend vibe. With one hand on her hip and a fierce look on her face, she didn't look at me, but instead stared at the wall clock: "Hurry up, if you want to buy it, pay up, or take it off. I'm going home."
Holy crap! Are there really sales girls this arrogant?
But I felt no anger towards this girl. Instead, I looked at her carefully for a few moments and then suddenly laughed.