Because Zhou with buck teeth is just one of my lawyers, although he has served as my advisor to some extent. However, his role in my organization has become increasingly insignificant. In other words, he's not that important to me now. If it were an assassination attempt, Zhou with buck teeth shouldn't be on the enemy's list, or at least not on the important list.
Of course, I also had Xiluo send people to protect him, but now...
“Boss, now is not the time for you to be distracted.” Buck-toothed Zhou smiled wryly: “This guy next to me doesn’t blink an eye when he kills. Right now, his finger is on the trigger.”
"Let's meet! Of course we'll meet." I suddenly smiled, having figured things out. It was clear that the other party wasn't after Bucktooth Zhou's life. Nor would they intend to threaten me with his life. They simply found someone from my camp, someone connected to the Big Circle, to act as a bridge between us. Presumably, they didn't harbor much ill will.
The so-called meeting was also arranged online. Otherwise, I couldn't possibly fly back to Canada immediately from Shanghai.
After the call connected, all I saw on the screen was buck teeth. This guy was wearing only underwear, standing naked and shivering in front of the screen, revealing his already protruding belly. However, his expression wasn't too tense; his shivering was mostly due to the cold.
The man with the buck teeth looked more impatient than afraid. He adjusted the screen, then sighed, "Alright, bro, the person you're supposed to see is on the screen now... Can you please let me put on some clothes first? It's freezing cold here."
The screen shook, and a person walked up to Bucktooth Zhou, gently knocked him unconscious with a slap, then placed Bucktooth behind his back and carefully draped a blanket over him.
Then, the person in the camera turned around and looked at me: "Chen Yang? Hello, long time no see."
On the screen was a middle-aged man with a square face and a somewhat fierce air. He held a gun in his hand and then slowly sat down in the chair in front of the camera, gently placing the gun horizontally on his knees.
This person did look familiar; I recognized him immediately after one glance. Although his hair was much shorter, his face was very familiar to me.
Just two years ago, when I uprooted the Vietnamese gang in Vancouver, I asked Fatty Fang to send me a paratrooper unit to support me.
The middle-aged man on the screen was the leader of that paratrooper unit. I've forgotten his name, but he had a quirky nickname that was easy to remember: Stone.
With the help of the paratroopers he led, I finally managed to drive all the Vietnamese people in Vancouver back to their hometowns.
However... he was transferred to help me by Fatty Fang, so he should belong to Fatty Fang's faction, right? According to the information, Fatty Fang was also a subordinate of Liu Jianguo, the previous boss of the Big Circle, so this Stone should be one too.
According to intelligence, after Liu Jianguo died, only a small portion of his remaining forces were absorbed by Lei Hu, while the rest remained neutral and observed for the time being.
So this stone... he only has two possibilities: either he's now one of Lei Hu's people, or he belongs to a neutral faction.
"Hello, Stone. I'm surprised to see you again. But it's hard to say I'm 'happy' about meeting you under these circumstances." I smiled faintly.
Stone's eyes flashed like lightning, and there was no smile on his face: "Chen Yang, I've come to see you because I want to ask you a question."
"No, no, no..." I shook my head repeatedly, stopping him from speaking first. Then, with a stern face, I said bluntly, "Before you ask your question, I need to ask you first! What is your attitude towards me? Enemy? Or friend? Whom are you representing now? Thunder Fox?"
Stone probably didn't expect me to be so firm; he paused slightly. But he finally answered my question: "I'm not one of Lei Hu's people."
Okay! That's all!
I kept a straight face, but inwardly I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Okay, so that means we’re not enemies yet.” I smiled.
“No, that’s hard to say.” Stone’s expression was serious. “The question I want to ask you is… what exactly do you want to do! Do you want to completely destroy the Great Circle?”
"From what stand are you asking this question?" I asked, completely unfazed by his questioning. "The boss of the big circle? Or a representative of some other boss? You know, even in negotiations, you need to have sufficient status. What can you decide by negotiating with me?"
"..." Stone was somewhat speechless. He probably hadn't expected me to be so assertive. Perhaps he thought that since he had kidnapped Bucktooth Zhou, I would be more subdued.
Moreover, this soldier was clearly not good at negotiation skills.
“I…I just want to know your purpose.” Stone shook his head. Although his tone was still cold, it had softened a little involuntarily: “Chen Yang, we used to be fellow disciples of the Big Circle. We’ve even collaborated before. But now you’ve almost driven the Big Circle to the brink of ruin.”
“I’m dealing with Thunder Fox,” I replied slowly.
“That’s right, you’re targeting Lei Hu. The people who have died at sea recently are all from Lei Hu.” Stone gritted his teeth: “But at the same time, you’ve cut off the Golden Triangle’s connection with us. You’ve also cut off the North American market! This isn’t just a matter for Lei Hu; it’s damaging the interests of the Big Circle.”
I sneered and said nothing.
Stone slowly said, “I contacted you this time to clarify one thing. You need to understand that you can now fight Lei Hu to a standstill at sea because we’ve been observing. I’m Lei Hu’s man, and there are many others within the Great Circle watching. We don’t want to interfere in your fight with Lei Hu. That’s your personal feud. However, if your actions damage the entire Great Circle, then… I think we’ll have to treat you as an enemy.” His voice was low and deep: “Chen Yang, we’ve cooperated before. I think we should be friends, not enemies.”
"Oh... what is this? Threatening me? Threatening me that if I don't immediately cease hostilities and compromise, you're prepared to fully side with Lei Hu? And then help him deal with me?" I sneered.
“...That’s how it is,” Stone said with difficulty.
"Good, very good." My smile grew even colder as I stared intently at the stone on the other side of the screen. I said in a deep voice, "You just mentioned the word 'friend,' and you also mentioned the word 'fellow disciples.' And you even mentioned an interesting word... um, it's 'observer,' right?"
My smile grew increasingly strange, my eyes growing colder: "Then I really hope you can answer one question for me: Fang Dahai, Fatty Fang, weren't they 'fellow disciples'? And me, Chen Yang, wasn't I considered your 'fellow disciple' before? So, you say we're 'friends,' but when Lei Hu plotted against me, did any of you 'friends' say a word of justice? Fatty Fang was killed by Lei Hu! Did any of you 'fellow disciples' do anything? Oh… sorry, I almost forgot, at that time, you were… 'bystanders'! Right? 'Bystanders' to hell!!
I laughed unrestrainedly, my sarcastic tone undisguised. On the screen, Stone's face looked terrible; his square face was even flushed, but he couldn't utter a single word.
"Yeah! Yeah! Fatty Fang was killed, and you didn't care! I was betrayed by our own people in the Big Circle! You just stood by and watched! Now that I've fought back and hurt you, you're jumping out to threaten me? What kind of 'fellow disciples' and 'friends' are you talking about now? What the hell is this about being fellow disciples?" I sneered, "Stone, I used to respect you as a real man! I never expected you to say such rubbish."
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter 113: Back to Nanjing?
The man on the screen turned pale from my words, a flicker of pain and guilt in his eyes. He gritted his teeth, looked up at the camera, and said, "Chen Yang... it was Lei Hu who did what happened to Fatty Fang. We didn't know beforehand! Do you understand? Fatty Fang had already quit. After Boss Liu died, Fatty Fang quit and went back to Guangzhou! It was you who called him and told him Shen Shan was dead that Fatty Fang came back. Lei Hu's plan was his own; we didn't know beforehand. Afterwards, we..." He suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face, then cursed, "Damn it! Let me tell you the truth! Afterwards, I wanted to kill that guy Lei Hu! But I couldn't! The Big Circle is already in turmoil! We've always been neutral; if we fight Lei Hu again... then the Big Circle is truly finished!"
"Oh..." I said calmly, "So, you still think you're putting the bigger picture first?"
"..." Stone was speechless.
Actually, I know that what Shi Tou said was the truth, and he really had no other choice.
The Great Circle is already in turmoil. If neutral parties also start fighting against Lei Hu and his group at this point, then everything will truly collapse.
“I’ve come to you today to ask you a question.” Stone sighed. “Your recent actions have harmed the overall interests of the Greater Circle. Although we haven’t taken action until now, allowing you to deal with Thunder Fox, you’ve gone too far. For the sake of the Greater Circle’s overall interests and survival… we…”
"You were forced into this situation, so you decided to help Lei Hu fight me?" I smiled.
"No... I came here today just to ask you one question... is there any room for reconciliation?" Stone still seemed somewhat guilty, as if he didn't dare to look me in the eye: "After all, we don't want to be your enemy. We also know that it's not your fault that things have come to this."
"A little room for maneuver?" A thought struck me, and I said calmly, "How many people can you represent?"
Stone's answer surprised me.
His communication with me this time represents the majority of the neutral forces within the Big Circle. Originally, these people were all close associates of the deceased former leader, Liu Jianguo. Now that Liu is dead, they have lost their leader and have no interest in vying for positions, so they have simply chosen to remain neutral for the time being. They are loyal to the organization, not to any particular individual.
“Alright.” My tone softened slightly. “I don’t want to reason with you anymore. I can accept your explanation, but I can’t understand it emotionally. As for me, my goal is simple: whoever started this has to take responsibility! If you don’t dare to act, then I will avenge Fatty! I have no concern for ‘the bigger picture’! Whether the Big Circle perishes or not is none of my business now, because I have publicly broken away. Whether the Big Circle prospers or perishes, I don’t care. I only want Lei Hu’s life!”
Stone's face stiffened: "You want us to kill Lei Hu? Impossible... We don't want to start an internal conflict! We don't want to get involved in an internal conflict either."
I sneered, "Whether you like it or not, the Great Circle is already in turmoil! Your bystanders will only prolong this stalemate. I think the best option is for you to intervene now, break the deadlock, and end the turmoil as soon as possible. A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. I don't need to teach you that, do I?"
I knew Stone couldn't make the decision, so I said calmly, "I won't beat around the bush with you, I'll be frank. As soon as Lei Hu dies, the Golden Triangle's drug supply and the North American market will be open to you within a month! I won't covet your drug business, because I don't care about that little bit of money right now."
"Aren't you afraid we'll side with Lei Hu now?" Stone couldn't help but retort angrily.
“I’m scared!” I said coldly. “Because I know that even if you side with Lei Hu, I will still persist and fight to the end. At worst, we’ll all perish together! I’m confident I can drag you all down with me. But I do want to ask you, for that bastard Lei Hu, you’re letting the Great Circle perish just to protect him… Hmph.”
Stone's face turned ashen: "But you've forgotten... the Great Circle is not threatened! If anyone tries to threaten us, we'd rather die a glorious death than live a shameful life!"
"Hahahaha..." I laughed wildly, then clapped my hands vigorously: "Well said! Well said! Very spirited, really very spirited!"
My smile vanished instantly, and I said coldly, "That's right, the Big Circle used to be very courageous. Fearless, even if it meant dying together, they were willing to drag the other down with them! That's what made the Big Circle so frightening. That's also what made the Big Circle strong! But, for a bastard who betrayed his fellow disciples out of selfish desires, who stirred up internal strife and caused a crisis out of selfish desires, and in the end everyone was doomed... After all that, how can you still talk to me about 'courage'? That's not courage, that's stupidity!"
I pointed to my head and said proudly, "Stone! For the sake of our past interactions, let me tell you something! I, Chen Yang! I'm not fighting the Big Circle for money! Not for profit! I'm just avenging my good brother, Fatty Fang! I'm not doing this for myself, but for my brother! I'm willing to die with you all! That's what you call guts! As for you, you're fighting me for some bastard, that's fucking insane! You think you're worthy of talking to me about guts?"
Stone's hands trembled: "You...aren't you afraid I'll kill Bucktooth Zhou?"
“I’m scared.” I said calmly, “I am scared! But I will not compromise. If you kill Bucktooth, I will kill a hundred Big Circles to pay for it. I will completely erase the word ‘Big Circle’ from Asia! If you don’t believe me, we can try.”
Stone's eye muscles twitched uncontrollably, and I was also very nervous, but I stared at the camera without flinching.
After a long silence, Stone sighed, "Damn it... Back then, when Fatty Fang introduced you into the big circle, he really attracted a poisonous dragon! Humph..."
“Fat Fang… Stone, you’re not worthy to mention his name in front of me.” I sneered.
Stone didn't actually lay a hand on Bucktooth. He didn't say anything either, and then the call was cut off. A while later, Bucktooth called me and said Stone had already left.
I finally breathed a sigh of relief. My palms were sweaty. Then I asked Bucktooth Zhou how he got caught by the rock, and his answer infuriated me...
This guy actually abandoned the men Xiluo sent to protect him and secretly went out to see his lover! As a result, he was caught by Stone at one of the women's houses.
I immediately started cursing at Zhou over the phone.
"Are you fucking crazy?! I told you to be careful! And someone even groped you right next to your bed! Didn't I tell you not to wander around?!" I was furious. "Do you know you almost got yourself killed today?!"
"Boss, it seems you still care about my life or death." Buck-toothed Zhou laughed.
"Get lost!" I hung up the phone.
During the conversation just now, Yang Wei, who was standing not far behind me and off-camera, suddenly smiled and said, "Xiao Wu, your acting skills are getting better and better."
I waved my hand, picked up my cup, took a sip of water to moisten my throat, which was a little hoarse from yelling. Then I sighed: "You figured it out?"
"What's so hard to see?" Yang Wei said calmly. "How could someone like Bucktooth Zhou do something so foolish as to disregard his own safety at a time like this? He's so smart and cautious; people like that always put their own safety first. Today, he's just putting on an act for you. He's the one who's actively helping the neutral faction of Dayue contact you."
I smiled and said, "I understand that... but it's better not to say things out loud. That buck-toothed Zhou guy has never been loyal to me. He's a guy who knows how to protect himself. But that's fine, at least I've made contact with the neutral party within the Big Circle through him."
Yang Wei nodded: "I think it's very likely. They are very likely to help us."
I sighed, "Perfect timing. I was worried that Wang Shanhu didn't have enough manpower to beat Lei Hu. I couldn't just send people to fight him directly. And here comes Shi Tou."
Stone's initiative to contact me was an unexpected bonus. Moreover, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the outcome of this matter will most likely be in my favor. Currently, the largest force within the Big Circle isn't Thunder Fox, nor the other two, but the neutral faction. If this faction also gets involved, then Thunder Fox will truly be in dire straits.
However, this matter needs to be followed up, but Shi Tou might not be willing to listen to me and support Wang Shanhu. After thinking it over, I realized that the only way to resolve this is to ask Bao Ya Zhou to handle it again.
Did Stone really kidnap Bucktooth Zhou before contacting me? I'd be a fool to believe that. How could a cunning old fox like Bucktooth, who values his life so much, be running around at this crucial moment? He must have some kind of connection with the neutral forces in the Big Circle.
However, at this crucial moment, he acted as a go-between, pretending to be passive, which was consistent with his usual principle of self-preservation, so I naturally wouldn't expose him. But figuring out how to persuade him to help me with this matter was proving a bit of a challenge.
"Leave it to me. I think I have a way to get this Attorney Zhou to be more diligent," Yang said with a smile, narrowing his eyes.
Although Yang Wei was being coy and unwilling to say, based on my understanding of her, since she spoke so confidently, she must have a way to deal with that old fox, Bucktooth Zhou. Bucktooth Zhou may be cunning, but he's probably no match for Yang Wei...
But before the smile could fade, devastating news arrived.
I received a phone call from Wu Gang, almost breathlessly.
Not many people know that I live in China, but Wu Gang is one of them, because I need him to use official means to erase my entry and exit records.
After the call connected, Wu Gang was panting heavily. His first words were, "Chen Yang, where are you now?!"
His almost accusatory tone surprised me, but I calmly replied, "Shanghai..."
"Is your daughter with you or not!" he said, almost in a fit of exasperation.
I started to feel that something was wrong: "Fang Nan... no, you know I didn't tell you I was going back to China..."
As soon as I said that, there was silence on the other end of the phone. After a terrifying silence, Wu Gang's voice was tinged with gloom: "You...she's really not with you? This is no joke! Don't try to hide it from me."
"Wu Gang, what's wrong!" I realized something might be wrong and asked, my expression changing, "What happened to Fang Nan?"
Wu Gang's tone was disordered. His hoarse voice, almost squeezed out of his throat, told me what had happened.
Fang Nan was furious when I was injured, because she believed that she had agreed to her family's conditions, giving up her career in the entertainment industry in exchange for the opportunity for me to return to China. Indeed, Wu Gang had arranged everything perfectly. But after I returned to China, such a big thing happened, which meant that my family had failed to keep their promise.
Enraged, Fang Nan ran back home to confront her elders. Knowing he was in the wrong, Wu Gang, fearing a falling out with his family, cautiously accompanied her back home as well.
“These past few days, the official news is that you went back to North America. Nannan had a huge fight with her family and then left. I was worried about her safety, so I sent two people to follow her, but…” Wu Gang’s voice turned grim as he continued, “The men I sent were knocked unconscious outside Nannan’s house! When I went to find Nannan today, I found her house empty. And my men were clearly knocked unconscious by a skilled fighter! There were no signs of a struggle inside. Not even a trace of disorder. Nannan’s room was perfectly tidy, but she was gone!”