The fat man stood beside me, one hand on my shoulder, and laughed, "You're young, and a newbie who's only been in this business for a little over a year, so those old guys back home think you might be easy to deal with. They're thinking of sending someone over to scam you. If they succeed, they might be able to take back the territory they've ceded to Canada for so many years. Even if they fail, they can at least get some benefits from you... Anyway, they won't lose out. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to resist coming and taking advantage of the situation... Haha!"
"Brother Fang..." I was somewhat moved. From his perspective, he really shouldn't have said these things to me.
The fat man waved his hand: "Don't worry about me. Lei Hu and I are all smiles on the surface, but deep down we're not. I was a carefree god back there. Those old guys, I ignored them, and they generally didn't bother with me either. Things are different back there, more complicated. If it weren't for you being here, I wouldn't have bothered coming here! As for Lei Hu, just show him some respect on the surface. If he goes too far, you could kick him back, and he wouldn't dare utter a sound! Those old guys don't have much real power at home, so they come here to try and get some benefits. But this old fox has a bit too much of an appetite; he actually wants to swallow this whole place whole… Hmph, isn't he afraid of choking to death?"
"So what you mean is..."
The fat man raised an eyebrow: "He, Lei Hu, is asking for an exorbitant price, can't you just negotiate a lower one?" He patted my shoulder: "As for qualifications, those are just excuses. There will naturally be problems if you delve deeper, but as long as you're safe here, who'll bother to investigate these issues... Hehe, not bad. To the big name of the Big Circle, you, Chen Yang, are an outsider. But to this territory in Canada... you're the master here, and we, who come from other regions, are the outsiders!"
I smiled and said, "I understand the principle, but I still need to be careful about how I do it."
The fat man said leisurely, "Since we've come this far, I might as well give you a heads-up... You're not allowed to touch Lei Hu, no matter how angry or furious you are, you can't mess with him! That's the fundamental principle! As for the rest, do whatever you want. No infighting within the Big Circle, that's a basic rule. When we get back, I'll help you make some room for maneuver. Anyway, I'm planning to retire soon. If you want to thank me, buy me some property in Canada so I can retire comfortably. That'll be your way of repaying my kindness."
I thought about it and said, "Okay, I don't intend to kill Lei Hu either... After all, we are nominally from the same sect. Besides, if I touch him, your big shots will get angry and send two teams of paratroopers to cause me trouble. I can't afford to offend them."
"Parachutes!" the fat man sneered. "You think the Big Circle is really that united? Paratroopers! Heh heh! If it weren't for our interests here in Canada, do you think those big shots back home would be so kind as to send paratroopers to help you?"
I nodded and smiled, “That’s right. You guys are fighting and killing in Asia, smuggling and trafficking drugs in the Golden Triangle and those small countries in Southeast Asia. A good portion of the drugs you get are sold from Canada every year. If the big network in Canada collapses, you won’t be able to survive there either. So, when you heard that things were tough here, you sent paratroopers over so readily, right?”
The fat man chuckled, pointed at me with his finger, made a shushing gesture, and said with a grin, "Good, it's good that you understand... But when it comes to external relations, we still need to shout slogans... things like the unity of the big circle, deep brotherhood, and other high-sounding words still need to be shouted more often."
I see.
This guy, Lei Hu, is really here to speculate! That old man's real purpose is to try and make a quick buck while things are chaotic. If everything goes well, he might even be able to regain control of the entire Canadian region. Even if he fails, he'll at least get some benefits back.
This must be their true thought.
If I'm not mistaken, this Lei Hu is probably a bit too greedy. As a result, seeing how young I am, he got impatient and wanted to use some tricks. But I didn't give an inch. His first attempt to probe me was a complete waste.
There are only a few points he can make an issue of now...
They're exploiting my weakness of having little influence in the larger circles... it's nothing more than the old trick of dividing and winning people over.
Hmph, does he really think this is a historical novel? He thinks he can come to Canada alone and seize my territory in no time? There's no way it'll be that easy!
However, the strategy of winning over and dividing... although it's an old trick, it can still be very effective sometimes.
After all, this old guy is wearing the prestigious title of "orthodox" in the Chinese community! Although he's actually an outsider, what frustrates me is... precisely this kind of "orthodox" label. This high-sounding, nonsensical reasoning actually resonates with many traditional-minded Chinese people.
I remember there was a story like this in the Three Kingdoms period... Back then, Liu Biao, the ruler of Jingzhou, took office in Jingzhou all by himself, without bringing a single soldier or chess piece. He managed to swallow up the vast Jingzhou, a place with strong troops and powerful clans, by using the methods of winning over and dividing the enemy!
It must be said that such a miracle could only happen among us Chinese...
However, on the other hand... if that old fox Lei Hu wants to play the game of winning me over and dividing me... he might not be able to pull it off.
Admittedly, his label of being a "genuine member of the Big Circle" might stir up some thoughts among those who secretly disagree with me. However, the possibility of him winning over and sowing discord among my leaders to betray me is extremely small.
Because… to be honest, right now, in the big circle, besides me… almost all the other leaders are newcomers I've promoted in the last few days! Because… the old leaders, Old Huang and the others, are all dead! The guys I've promoted now are either my cronies or at least owe me a debt of gratitude for their promotion. I don't think anyone will fall for Lei Hu's attempts to win them over and sow discord.
Aside from trying to win over and divide the enemy, the most likely thing Lei Hu can do is to make a fuss about "Eighth Master's death"!
However, while this weapon is powerful, it's not very easy to use! If used improperly, it could cause a lot of trouble!
If he really dares to make a fuss about Eighth Master's death... then he must think carefully about the consequences! Eighth Master's death is not something that can be used as a weapon casually! Once it is, it will lead to a situation where everyone will fight to the death!
If he dares to use this to his advantage... then there are only two outcomes... either he uses this to bring me down... or he fails, and I remain in power... but the consequence will be a complete rift between the Canadian and Asian communities!! That's for sure! Right now, Lei Hu represents the Asian community! If he dares to publicly suspect me of being involved in Eighth Master's death... it's equivalent to him representing the entire Asian community in suspecting me of Eighth Master's murder! That's no small charge! It's tantamount to forcing me to turn against them!
"What are you thinking about?" Fatty smiled when he saw that I hadn't spoken for a long time. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he patted my shoulder hard, lowering his voice to say, "Are you planning to use Lei Hu's death to make a fuss?"
I suddenly looked up and stared at Fatty Fang.
The fat man shook his head and said in a low voice, "Still young, need to calm down..." He sneered, "Heh heh! Nobody really cares about Fang Ba's death! Little Five, I'm not stupid enough to ask you how Fang Ba died... I wouldn't ask such a stupid question... How Fang Ba died is none of our business! Even worse, to put it bluntly... I don't know if you killed Fang Ba... But even if you did... why should Lei Hu question you? After all, he's an outsider. Asia and your region are nominally part of the Big Circle, but in reality, they're two separate entities!" Kill Fang Ba… Hmph, even if he did, what business is Lei Hu, an outsider, of his? Besides, when Fang Ba rose to power, didn't he also step over the corpses of his own brothers? Back then, no one bothered to investigate how Fang Ba's brothers died! Why? Because when Fang Ba came to power, he had deep experience and strong control; no one in Asia had a chance to interfere. Even if they knew the deaths of Fang Ba's brothers were suspicious, no one would say anything! Now, seeing an opportunity, they come to say Fang Ba died unjustly, wanting to avenge him, seek justice, and uphold righteousness… This justice is far too cheap.”
I chuckled. "Brother, I'm not worried at all about Lei Hu using this to his advantage... He's an outsider here, new to Canada, with no connections. His only advantage is his legitimate connections. What evidence does he have to use this to accuse me? But I've got it all planned out. Tonight I'll put on a good show and teach him a lesson... No matter what, I want him to understand that I'm in charge here! I'm the Fifth Brother of Vancouver now! And Lei Hu is just a guest. He'd better behave himself!"
By the end, my voice had turned somewhat cold.
Just then, someone knocked on the door, and Hammer pushed it open and came in. He first told me that he had already taken Lei Hu back to his room. Then he hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something. I smiled and said, "It's alright, this is my older brother. You can report anything directly to him; there's no need to avoid him."
Hammer breathed a sigh of relief and said in a deep voice, "Xi Luo and the others are back... He heard that you were receiving guests here and asked me to tell you that he has taken care of things tonight... What you wanted... has been brought back, and he is now waiting for you in the dark room at the back."
I sighed, glanced back at the fat man, and slowly said, "Hey buddy, interested in coming with me to see a good show?"
Before Fatty could speak, I ordered Hammer, "Give the order to have all the brothers at home form two shifts to guard the gate. Everyone else, assemble in the mourning hall!" A cruel smile crept across my lips. "Tonight, I'm going to set up an incense altar! To send off our fallen brothers!"
After a pause, I added to Hammer, "Go and wake up Mr. Lei too. I doubt he'll be able to sleep tonight. You can invite him to the mourning hall for a visit as well."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Sixty-Four: Blood Hall
Tonight, it seemed like even the heavens were conspiring with me. The weather, which had been fairly sunny during the day, suddenly turned rainy in the evening. A dark cloud swept in from the horizon, like a splash of thick ink. Then, a clap of thunder, accompanied by lightning, cleaved the sky, and with that clap, a torrential downpour began.
Thunder roared outside, and inside the vast mourning hall, all the employees of the repair shop had gathered. Tonight, apart from a few people who stayed outside to guard the gate and stand guard, all 186 employees of the repair shop were present.
These 180-plus men were all core members of the Big Circle. Unlike the peripheral members of other organizations, these men were the direct descendants of the Big Circle. Some had illegally immigrated to Canada from China and had stayed there until now, while others were descendants of the first generation of Big Circle members who had worked hard in Canada for twenty years.
It could be said that within the Canadian inner circle, there are always nearly a thousand peripheral members, but the true inner circle consists of only these one hundred and eighty men in front of us. These men are all extremely loyal and are willing to shed blood and risk their lives for the inner circle without hesitation.
At this moment, these 180-plus men stood quietly in the mourning hall, utterly silent, with all 180 pairs of eyes fixed on me!
I stood at the very top of the mourning hall, a row of memorial tablets on the incense table beside me. Looking at the more than 180 men below, I took a deep breath, raised my hand, and waved. I gave a brief command:
"Set up the incense altar and clear the area!!"
At my command, my men immediately went down and quickly inspected the inside and outside of the mourning hall. Then, each of the more than 180 men below consciously took out their mobile phones or other communication devices and silently handed them over to their respective leaders.
Then, two men appeared, one carrying a silver basin and the other dragging a plate with a bright red cloth on it, upon which lay a gleaming dagger. They walked up to me, nodded, and then stood at attention.
Lei Hu, led by Hammer, also entered the mourning hall. He stood to my left, seemingly calm, but his brows were unconsciously furrowed. His hands were behind his back, but coincidentally, a bronze screen on the wall behind him faintly reflected his hands, which appeared nervously knotted together…
snort.
I gave a cold smile to myself.
Someone handed me three incense sticks, which I lit and bowed to the memorial tablets on the altar. Respectfully placing the incense sticks in the incense burner, I turned back, my gaze sweeping over the entire room, and slowly exhaled, saying, "Brothers… I think, not long ago, on that night, right here, in this mourning hall, in front of all the brothers present…" I turned back, pointing to the altar behind me, "...and in front of the spirits of our many fallen brothers! I, Xiao Wu, swore that I would avenge our fallen brothers! I also said that after I had avenged them, I would bring the enemy before our fallen brothers and sacrifice them alive! Only then could we vent our hatred! I also said that I would not bury them until I had avenged them!"
The entire room fell silent as my slow, deliberate voice rang out, and everyone watched me quietly.
"Today, the time has come." I took a deep breath: "Today, in front of all my brothers, I, we, all of us, will personally fulfill this oath!!"
Having said that, I waved my hand and shouted, "Xi Luo!"
The door on one side of the mourning hall was pushed open, and Xiluo, whose body was half covered in blood, strode in. He looked tired, and there were thick bloodstains on his clothes. He walked over with his head held high and his chest out. Then, two of his brothers carried in a sack that was taller than a person.
The burlap sack was wet, and something was wriggling inside; judging from its shape, it was clearly a person.
"Put it down," I said coldly. "Open it!"
The two men placed the burlap sack in the center of the mourning hall, then quickly untied it, revealing a person inside. The person was about forty years old, pale-faced, ashen-looking, soaking wet, and his hair was matted together, hanging limply over his forehead. His mouth was gagged with black duct tape, and his hands and feet were bound tightly with rope. Only his upper body and head were visible from the burlap sack. Judging from his appearance, this person bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Ruan.
I sighed softly and glanced at Xiluo: "You've worked hard."
Xiluo nodded, a slight smile appearing on his lips, but his gaze immediately drifted to the person in the sack, revealing a chilling aura!
The once quiet mourning hall erupted in commotion after the man appeared in the sack. Most of the hundred or so men below looked astonished, and some couldn't help but whisper questions to each other, expressing their amazement.
"Silence!" With my shout, the scene fell silent once again.
I walked up to the sack, hissed, ripped the black tape off his mouth, grabbed his chin, and lifted his face so he was facing the hundred-odd men below.
"Everyone, take a good look at this person! Everyone, look closely!" I said in a deep voice, "I think many of you here have probably seen this guy before and know who he is. But most of you probably haven't. Hey! This guy is the ringleader who killed countless brothers in our Big Circle! He's our mortal enemy!" My eyes were cold, and my voice was equally cold. Looking at the person in the sack, I slowly said, "Now, Da Ruan, you're here today. Do you have anything to say?"
The person in the sack was none other than Da Ruan! I sent Xiluo and Shitou with men to raid Da Ruan's ship. With the help and inside help of the Italians, and with thorough preparation, Xiluo lived up to expectations and successfully captured Da Ruan alive!
Da Ruan's face turned ashen. Upon hearing my words, he suddenly raised his head, gave me a deep look, and gave a bitter smile. Instantly, his expression changed, and a frantic struggle erupted in his eyes. He shouted, "That's right! I am Da Ruan!"
A commotion erupted below!
Da Ruan looked at me with a face full of resentment: "Chen Yang, it's your good luck that I fell into your hands today, or it's fate that's going to destroy me! Hmph, I knew I would fall one day when I first entered this path. I have nothing to say today, just give me a quick death!"
I gave a cold laugh, then suddenly raised my hand and slapped him across the face...
Snap!
Da Ruan staggered from my blow; his hands and feet were bound, and that one slap sent him sprawling to the ground. When I picked him up again, he spat out several mouthfuls of blood. I casually resealed the black tape over his mouth, looked him in the eye, and said coldly, "Don't worry, you're definitely going to die today. But if you want a quick death, you won't get away with it so easily."
As I said this, even though Da Ruan was already prepared to die, fear couldn't help but show in his eyes.
"Xiro." I turned around and waved to Xiro, calling him to my side. Then I said seriously, "Xiro, you've worked hard tonight... You captured our enemy alive, and all the brothers will never forget your great contribution! And the brothers in the sky are watching you too!"
There was excitement in Xiluo's eyes. I stared intently into his eyes and said in a deep voice, "You are my brother. Don't forget, we still have many important things to do!"
After saying that, I grabbed the dagger from the plate next to me, flicked the blade lightly with my finger, and then shouted, "Our greatest enemy is right in front of us! Killing him with one blow would be too easy on him! Can anyone tell me what our greatest weapon is here?"
After a few seconds of silence, many people below simultaneously shouted in unison, "Damn you! Damn you!!"
"Fine! He deserves to be cut a thousand times!" I sneered, pointing at Da Ruan, who was on the verge of collapse, and gritted my teeth, "Judging from his appearance, he can't take a thousand cuts either... There are 188 brothers here, including me and Xiluo! So, let's give him 188 cuts! Every brother here gets a share! Each of us will give him one cut!"
With each word I spoke, Da Ruan inside the sack trembled. By the time I finished speaking, he had almost fainted.
I glanced at Lei Hu standing next to me. The old man was barely keeping his composure, but his eyes were narrowed. I had no idea what he was up to.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He took two steps forward, walked up to me, and then, in front of everyone, loudly proclaimed, "Good! Xiao Wu, Xi Luo, you did a truly excellent job tonight! Since this man is the leader of the Vietnamese... so many of our brothers on this altar were killed by him... especially Eighth Master, who also died at the hands of the Vietnamese, this hatred is even greater! This time, I brought the lives of all the big shots in my family here, not only because we are all from the same circle, but also because our brothers in Canada are in trouble, and I brought people here to lend a hand..." The old man looked indignant and shouted, "Fang Ba and I have been friends for over twenty years! We were brothers who risked our lives together back then! Today, seeing our enemy beheaded fills me with immense joy!"
After saying that, he spread his hands out to me: "To avenge Fang Ba, it's my duty as an old brother! I'll be the one to strike first!" As he spoke, he seemed to be about to reach out and take the dagger from my hand...
My heart sank, and a glint of fire flashed in my eyes!
What a cunning old fox!
You should know that who makes the first cut has a very significant meaning! We Chinese people pay attention to ranking in everything we do.
For example, when dining at a table, who sits at the head of the table, who sits at the foot of the table, who picks up their chopsticks first when the dishes are served, and who raises their glass first when the wine is served... all of these things are imbued with the meaning of "ranking"!
Now, the first blow to kill their greatest enemy... logically and emotionally, it's impossible for an ordinary subordinate to do it! It's even less likely that an "outsider" would be allowed to do it!
The first cut, no matter what, should be made by the highest-ranking leader present here! And that person, without a doubt, is me, Xiao Wu!
Lei Hu's move was extremely cunning and treacherous! He used his status as Eighth Master's old brother to demand revenge for Eighth Master, thus gaining an advantage through favor. But if he really makes the first move... not only will I lose face in front of so many people, but more importantly, he'll gain a ranking advantage!
If I back down now, wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting that he is of higher status than me among everyone present in this mourning hall? Would I then be ranked below him?
If he takes action and then delivers a rousing speech, it would give him an opportunity to further win over people's hearts!
Hmph! What a cunning old fox! As expected of a scoundrel with "fox" in his name! To come up with such a scheme in such a short time, this old guy is truly extraordinary insidious!
He was using my "favor" as leverage, his status as Eighth Master's old friend, to pressure me, so I couldn't directly object. Lei Hu squinted at me. He had already reached out his hand to me, intending to take the dagger from my hand...
But who am I, Xiao Wu? The dagger in my hand—unless I hand it over willingly, no one else can simply take it from me!
Without making a sound, I took half a step back and subtly moved my body to the side to avoid his hand. In an instant, a thought flashed through my mind.
"Uncle Lei, don't rush," I said slowly, suppressing my anger and keeping my face calm. "Uncle Lei, if you want revenge, you'll naturally have the opportunity."
Having said that, I didn't argue with him any longer. I took a step forward and shouted at everyone, "I have a question for you! Who captured Da Ruan?!"