At that moment, our lawyer walked over with a professional smile. He seemed to know the princess, and quite well: "Oh, Sophie, what brings you to Vancouver?" It was in English, but relatively simple. I could barely understand it.
The "princess" saw our lawyer and walked over slowly with a charming smile... I noticed. As she walked, her slender waist swayed naturally, and the people around me, including Ciro, stared in disbelief.
The princess then gave our lawyer a warm hug, and they exchanged a few words briefly.
The lawyer was clearly familiar with the princess. After exchanging a few words, he immediately pointed to me and Xiluo and introduced us. A look of curiosity immediately appeared in the princess's blue eyes. Then she quickly asked the lawyer a question, as if asking if we were Chinese.
The lawyer nodded.
"Hello!" the princess-like beauty greeted us in broken Chinese, her words quite halting. I even suspected that this might be the only Chinese phrase she knew.
Honestly, she was truly captivating. It's not that I haven't seen beautiful women before. It's just that when she smiled, there was an almost childlike innocence... making it hard to imagine that she had just slapped someone and given the middle finger. Moreover, she was the first truly stunning foreign beauty I had ever seen face-to-face. She exuded an exotic charm!
Then, the beautiful princess, speaking in broken Chinese, said to us, "My name is Sophie, it's nice to meet you."
She spoke very slowly and heavily, and although it was obvious that her Chinese was not very fluent, it finally dispelled my earlier guess that she might only know one sentence in Chinese.
Xiluo and the others stammered a greeting to her, their nervousness causing them to speak haltingly. However, Princess Sophie clearly wasn't interested in them; she exchanged a few words with the lawyer, who then immediately nodded.
"Well, gentlemen, please wait a moment. Miss Sophie is in some trouble, but her lawyer is stuck in traffic and might be a little late, so I need to help her with the paperwork first." The lawyer explained to us, then went back into the police station.
Xiluo and the others seemed eager to spend more time with this beautiful woman, which was perfectly fine with them. As for me, I wasn't feeling well, but there was nothing I could say in this situation.
Princess Sophie stood beside us, her blue eyes scanning us closely. Ciro seemed to want to speak to her, but hesitated. While I was captivated by her beauty, I quickly lost interest. Having been thoroughly harassed by that foreign policeman, I was feeling unwell and unconsciously frowned.
Sophie seemed very enthusiastic. She spoke to us in broken Chinese, and although she couldn't quite express herself clearly, we could still communicate. Xiluo and the others seemed rather nervous; some of them were so nervous they couldn't even speak Chinese fluently, which was quite embarrassing… I watched them helplessly, then simply walked to the side and found a chair in the lobby to sit down and rest.
After I walked away, Sophie gave me a surprised look, probably finding my actions somewhat unexpected. The other young man with us stammered in praise of Sophie's fluent Chinese, but Sophie just smiled faintly, walked over to me, and looked down at me: "Sir, don't you think... it's very impolite to leave a lady without saying goodbye?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." I simply nodded slightly, speaking very politely.
“I accept your apology, but you should… stand up first, and then ask the lady to sit down.” She smiled at me, but I could vaguely sense a hint of provocation in her eyes.
I thought about it for a moment, not wanting to argue with her, so I stood up and said to her, "Please sit down, miss."
I then walked over and sat down on another chair. Sophie's smile faded, and she squinted at me for a moment.
Xi Luo and the others were stunned for a moment, then walked over and whispered, "Chen Yang, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, just a bit tired. Those bastards inside beat me pretty badly." I looked exhausted, and to be honest, I wanted to go back to bed and sleep for a while, and maybe even see a doctor for a check-up.
Princess Sophie seemed quite displeased with my coldness. However, she only glared at me and didn't say anything more.
The atmosphere became a little awkward. Seeing that I and the beautiful woman didn't seem to be getting along, Ciro and the others lost interest in continuing the conversation. A few minutes later, the lawyer returned with some documents and handed them to Princess Sophie. The two chatted for a while longer before Sophie said goodbye.
She looked at Xiluo and the others and smiled, "Goodbye, you all are very good, I like you very much!"
Before Xiluo and the others could even show a hint of joy, Princess Sophie looked at me again and said, "You're not good. I don't like you."
Then she turned around and gracefully walked away, her waist swaying.
"How did you offend her?" the lawyer asked, frowning.
"No, I didn't offend her." I was also a little helpless. I just didn't want to talk to her. I was a little tired, so I sat far away. Was that wrong?
"You'd better not mess with her. I've already told you who she is! In all of Canada, almost no one dares to mess with her! She knows that her father, Mr. Thorin, treats her like his precious darling, but this princess's temper is not as gentle as she appears!"
It's clear that Ciro and the others didn't heed the lawyer's warnings.
On the way back, in the car, they were still talking about the princess, and even couldn't help but ask the lawyer questions about her.
Although the lawyer was a middle-aged man, like most men, he was very interested in talking about aloof beauties. After thinking for a moment, he told us that this Princess Sophie lived in Toronto but would visit Vancouver for a while each year. The lawyer knew her because he had helped her father with some matters in the past.
Upon hearing that this lawyer had even worked for the godfather of the Hells' Angels, Ciro and the others immediately showed him great respect. However, the lawyer then smiled and said, "I'm also one of Eighth Master's men. It's just that we have some business dealings with the Hells' Angels now, so I've been responsible for some legal consulting work. Miss Sophie has a rather eccentric temper. When she's happy, she can be as kind as an angel, but when she's angry... you'd better stay far away from her."
They chatted for a while longer, but I didn't listen anymore. I was so tired that I fell asleep in the car!
Back at Eighth Master's repair shop, I immediately found one of Eighth Master's men, Tiger. I told Tiger what the hook-nosed policeman Jeff had said, because Eighth Master hadn't been to the parking lot lately, so I had to have Tiger relay these words to Eighth Master.
Tiger simply nodded after hearing this.
I hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are we planning to cooperate with him?"
“Cooperation?” Tiger smiled, looked at me, and said slowly, “Xiao Wu, you’re still too young. Let me ask you, since the world has had police and gangsters, cooperation between the police and gangsters has been common in any country or region, but have you ever seen a case where both sides benefit from the cooperation between the police and gangsters? Most of the time, the gangsters become stepping stones for the police! We don’t reject cooperation, but we refuse to be used.”
After resting for two days, the car wash found a traditional Chinese medicine massage therapist to give me massages for two days, and I feel that my body has recovered.
That afternoon, I was sparring with Ciro at the gym. I've started teaching him some kung fu. Ciro is smart and learns quickly; he can already spar with me for a while without me using my full strength.
"Chen Yang, Eighth Master wants to see you."
The gym door opened, and Tiger called out to me from the doorway. I swept my foot and knocked Ciro down, looking at Ciro lying on the ground panting: "Another hour of horseplay."
Then he grabbed a towel, wiped his sweat, and headed towards the door.
"Eighth Master is back?"
Yes, he wants to see you.
Eighth Master did indeed return; I remember it had been almost a week since I last saw him. He met me in his office as usual.
Eighth Master looked to be in good spirits. He was wearing a black Tang suit and cloth shoes. His hair was obviously well-groomed, and he looked relaxed and somewhat spirited.
Seeing me come in, he asked me to sit down, and then suddenly asked me a strange question: "Chen Yang, how did you meet Princess Sophie? Did you offend her?"
I paused for a moment, then said, "No."
I then recounted what had happened at the police station that day.
Eighth Master just smiled after hearing that. I was a little puzzled: "Is there a problem, Eighth Master?"
“It’s nothing.” He shook his head. “She’s just a playful little girl. It’s just that this little girl has a very powerful father. We’re currently doing some work with her father… but it seems she misunderstood you last time, and you left some impression on her. I met with her last night, and she asked me about you… Here’s what we’ll do: she’s just a child. Tonight I’m going to meet with the Hells Angels. You come with me, and then you can apologize to her. She’s Thorin’s daughter, and I don’t want anything unnecessary to affect our cooperation. Do you understand? Especially since our relationship is currently in a honeymoon phase.”
"That's not a problem."
I didn't ask what business Eighth Master and the Hell Angels were doing together. I know what I should and shouldn't ask.
“Alright, I originally wanted to bring you along too. You're a young man I admire, and now that you're one of my own, I'll mentor you. There's an event tonight; come with me. I'll introduce you to some people, some of whom you'll likely be dealing with in the future.” Eighth Master smiled and glanced at me. “You look quite good… By the way, do you have a suitable suit?”
I shook my head.
In the afternoon, Eighth Master had someone get me a suit.
I glanced at it and couldn't help but feel a stirring in my heart.
The brand of this suit is the same as the first suit Fang Nan bought for me; coincidentally, even the style and color are exactly the same.
I changed into this outfit in my room and looked at myself in the mirror...
The last time I dressed like this was back in China, by Fang Nan's side. Looking at myself in the mirror, it felt like I was back in those days in China... to be honest, that was probably the warmest and most peaceful period of my life so far...
And now, I'm still wearing the same clothes; I'm still me. My face is still the same face, but looking at the person in the mirror, I can't help but feel a pang of emotion...
I rubbed my cheeks and gave myself a wry smile in the mirror. I felt somewhat helpless, but more than that, I had a complex feeling that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
My eyes no longer hold the same look as when I was Xiao Wu… They now possess a sharper edge… a more weathered look… even a murderous intent!
I guess it's because I've encountered too many things in the past few months.
I feel the clothes are a little tight, maybe because I've been exercising a lot lately and I'm more muscular than I was back in China.
The top two buttons of my shirt were undone. I don't usually wear a tie. A little bit of my muscular chest was exposed, and I had a small thing attached to my chest by a silver chain.
This is my ring!
Actually, since coming to Canada, I've thought a lot about the ring... The more I think about it, the more I feel that all the trouble I've encountered seems to be somehow related to this ring!
My thoughts about this ring are very complicated right now... to the point that I even feel a bit resistant to using it... I'm even unwilling, or don't want to, or avoid using this ring again.
On the one hand, I seem to be holding a strange treasure in my hand, but on the other hand... it seems to bring me not only good luck, but also trouble!
You could even say that if it weren't for this hunting ring, I might already be living a peaceful and quiet life with Yan Di in China...
Yan Di...sigh, Yan Di...
I shook my head, forbidding myself from thinking any further.
When I went out of the room to see Eighth Master, he looked at me with a hint of satisfaction. He seemed to be in a good mood, and even patted my shoulder, laughing, "Good lad, not bad looking."
Tiger drove Eighth Master's car.
This made me think a bit more... It's obvious that Tiger's position beside Eighth Master is similar to Jinhe's position beside Huan Ge...
"Never mind," I smiled wryly, deciding to stop thinking about these uncomfortable things.
Eighth Master's car was a Rolls-Royce, with bulletproof glass and run-flat tires. I was a little surprised to see only Tiger and I with him. Given the current situation, didn't Eighth Master bring more people with him?
In response to my question, Eighth Master smiled and said calmly, "They've been terrified of us now. They won't dare to act recklessly. If they dare to touch me, our people will turn Vancouver upside down in less than a month! They're not fools. We've already demonstrated our strength; now it's time to negotiate."
Tonight's event is a charity gala, held at the Hilton Hotel.
Ironically, those attending this charity gala were representatives of some of North America's most notorious mafia families, as well as some large corporations with ties to organized crime!
The organizer of this charity gala was none other than Mr. Thorin, the godfather of the Hells Angels and the emperor of the entire Canadian underworld.
A charity gala hosted by the underworld... It's rather ironic to say that.
But this is perfectly normal.
I remember when we were in China, Fatty once said to me: What does it mean to be truly black? It means to be so black that you can't distinguish between right and wrong, that's what it means to be truly black!
This is no longer an era of pure violence. Large organized crime groups are becoming industrialized, laundering their assets, and corporatizing themselves… transitioning from the dark to the light, using legal identities to engage in illegal activities or to launder their ill-gotten gains… This is the mainstream development of the organized crime world today…
Those street thugs can't really be considered true gangsters.
Entering the mainstream, corporatization, industrialization... all of these require exposure, certain procedures, and adherence to specific rules. For example, some large companies with underworld connections also need to build public credibility and engage in charitable work to win people's hearts... these are all necessary means.
Three floors of the Hilton Hotel were booked out tonight, and the largest banquet hall was newly decorated. All guests were provided with personal transportation.
I also saw some police officers walking back and forth on the street... I thought that must be quite interesting...
The backgrounds of these big shots inside are unknown to ordinary people, but the police know them all. It seems the world really is like that; the so-called black and white, soldiers and thieves, are just different positions. At a party like tonight's, if someone planted a bomb and killed all these mob bosses… or if the police stormed in and arrested everyone… I guarantee Canadian organized crime would regress by at least five years! The crime rate would also drop significantly…
But that's impossible... No police officer would dare come here to arrest anyone! The reason is obvious.
This is the capitalist world. Here, a mob boss can stand tall and arrogantly yell at the police as long as they have no evidence to arrest him: "Don't mess with me! I'm a taxpayer too, the one who supports you police!"
Not to mention the important figures inside. Even the Vancouver police chief would probably treat them with utmost respect!
This world is really... damn...
Tiger and I accompanied Eighth Master into the hotel, one on each side. The hotel had set up a special elevator that went directly to the banquet hall. The security level here was also very high tonight... Of course, there wouldn't be any body searches, but there was an electronic detection gate at the entrance, although each gate was decorated with flowers and other things to make it less conspicuous.
Actually, all of this is unnecessary, because Tiger said something to me unintentionally:
"In all of Canada, no one has ever dared to bring a gun into a banquet hosted by Mr. Sorin! Not even the police!"
The banquet hall was magnificent, one might even say opulent. I'm even certain that the diamond necklace worn by the lady to my left was enough for me to eat and drink for several years!