"But... he bullied Fifth Brother back then, and that's it?" Xiao Zhu nodded thoughtfully, but Hammer still couldn't understand.
"Bullyed?" I said calmly, "Indeed, he did bully me back then. But that was back then... What was my status back then? I was just a small-time hoodlum, a newcomer to Canada. I wasn't even a core member of the big circle! Just a nobody in the underworld. In this world, isn't it perfectly normal for the police to bully small-time hoodlums? What's there to be angry about? What he did was just the most normal thing he did in his role. In this world, small-time cops bully small-time thugs, big-time thugs bully small-time cops, and big-time cops bully big-time thugs, but if you become the emperor of thugs, then even big-time cops will have to be mindful of your behavior. That's how the world works, so keep your perspective broad."
While driving, Xiao Zhu suddenly laughed and said, "So, Fifth Brother, wouldn't you be considered the emperor of hooligans now?"
"Emperor my foot!" I laughed and cursed. "At most, I'm just a big hooligan. Speaking of emperors... humph, the only one in Canada who can be considered an emperor of the underworld right now is old Thorin."
At this point, I thought for a moment. Suddenly, I glanced at Qiaoqiao beside me: "I said, you... you absolutely had to come with me today, but you haven't said a word since we got here. What exactly do you mean?"
Qiao Qiao smiled sweetly: "It doesn't mean anything."
I lowered my head and thought for a moment, then finally understood. Looking at Qiaoqiao, I said, "You...you're not afraid I'll do something to the princess, are you?"
Instead of answering me directly, Qiaoqiao started talking about a past event...
"Xiao Wu, do you remember something? A few years ago, in Nanjing, one evening during dinner, I casually mentioned that the night before, at a bar, a guy tried to harass me. And that guy was a local bully. When you found out about this that day, you didn't say anything, but I noticed your gaze was strange... Although you hid it well on the surface, your eyes always made me uneasy. Sure enough, the next day, you broke that guy's leg and threw him off the second floor of the bar. He was bedridden at home for a whole month."
At this point, Qiaoqiao looked at me and slowly said, "This morning, when I found out you were going out to see the princess, I felt I had to come with you! Because the look in your eyes then was almost exactly the same as the look in your eyes that night! I was worried you might do something to the princess. Although I despise that woman, her status is different after all, and I don't want you to cause any big trouble. I'm determined to come with you because I'm prepared that if you try anything to the princess, I will definitely stop you."
I gave Qiaoqiao a grateful look and smiled, "Are you relieved now?"
"I'm relieved." Jojo sighed. "You're quite composed now." Then she changed her tone. "I heard what you were saying earlier. Was it really Thorin who plotted against you? But you fell out with the princess today. Aren't you worried that Thorin will continue to target you?"
"I'm not worried," I smiled. "Old Thorin is currently figuring out how to deal with Allen. If he's not a fool, he wouldn't be creating such a formidable enemy as me now. After the princess returns, I think that with Old Thorin's shrewdness, he won't be my enemy; on the contrary, he'll try to appease me, and might even offer me some benefits to curry favor. If he angers me, we can simply part ways, and it will be a fight to the death. Although Old Thorin's power is much greater than mine now, completely eliminating me won't be easy. I'm a tough nut to crack." Even if he wanted to eat me, I could knock out a few of his teeth! He wouldn't do such a thing. Our relationship is mutually beneficial when we're together, and mutually harmful when we're apart! He understands that perfectly well. It's better for everyone to continue getting along peacefully. As for the future…” I suddenly smiled: “The princess might hate me to death… but you've seen it yourself, this little girl is more trouble than she's worth… If the Hells Angels are in her hands, would I still need to fear her? With the Hells Angels in old Thorin's hands, I naturally wouldn't dare to act rashly. But once I survive until old Thorin ascends to heaven and the princess takes the throne… at that time…”
A glint of light flashed in my eyes.
Jojo thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "From what I overheard you talking today, it seems like you and old Thorin have some kind of agreement, that you're willing to support the princess's ascension to the throne... You, you wouldn't be planning this all along, deliberately putting such a good-for-nothing like the princess on the throne, and then you..."
I chuckled and then slowly said, "That Allen is clearly a formidable character... Even if he's not quite as good as old Thorin, he's definitely a hundred times stronger than this good-for-nothing princess! In Allen's hands, the Hells Angels are a ferocious tiger. But in the princess's hands, they're at best just a little mongrel. If you had to choose, would you rather have a ferocious tiger lying next to your bed, or a mongrel?"
Just then, Xiao Zhu's phone rang. He answered it and told me, "Fifth Brother, the thing you asked me to do is done. The other group of people who were with the princess this morning have been caught by our people. They did a clean job. I had them take the people directly back to the repair shop."
"Mm." I nodded.
Just then, Xiao Zhu's phone rang again. After answering it, his face suddenly turned very pale!
"Fifth Brother..."
"What's wrong?"
"My colleagues at the company called and said that some people went to Huaxing Company looking for you; they were a few Chinese people." Xiao Zhu's tone was strange.
"Chinese?" I asked, puzzled.
"Yes, four men, all quite young. But they seem to be up to no good. You couldn't find them at the company, and they actually got into a fight with our security guards. All four of them are very skilled; they injured two of our security guards. Now, it's said they might be heading to the repair shop to look for you."
So arrogant?
I suddenly became curious. Huaxing Company is a legal laundering company I set up, so most of the employees are legally hired staff. However, I also arranged for a few of my cronies to work there as security guards. How could someone actually come to the company looking for me and even dare to injure one of my security guards? Who is this person?
"You went to the repair shop to find me?" I laughed angrily. "Ha! Fine! Drive back to the repair shop right now! I want to see which deity has come to visit me!"
Hammer clenched his fist and exclaimed, "Damn! There are guys who dare to mess with the big shots!"
Xiao Zhu was also very excited. He stepped on the gas pedal hard, and the car sped towards our base camp, the repair shop.
As luck would have it, our car had just sped up to the entrance of the repair shop, and before it even stopped, we saw a red Mustang SUV parked there, with four young, muscular Chinese men standing beside it. The one in the lead was facing me, so I couldn't see his face clearly, but judging from his back, he seemed quite young. He suddenly shouted loudly in Chinese, "Chen Yang! Come out here!!"
His voice was loud enough to startle everyone in the repair shop. The two men who were repairing the car with a welding torch rushed out and shouted, "Where did you come from, daring to yell like that here! Don't you know where you are?!"
The man in the lead spoke fiercely: "Enough with the nonsense! Bring Chen Yang out here! Tell him I'm here to cause him trouble!"
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Nineteen: Prelude to Returning Home
Seeing how arrogant this person dared to be, the two men in repair shop uniforms stopped shouting. They exchanged a glance, put down their welding torches, and walked towards the people at the door. One of them gestured inside, and immediately, several more people came out of the door, while others went inside, presumably to call for help.
For the past two years, since I took charge of the Big Circle, it has been incredibly powerful in Vancouver, and no one has dared to provoke us for a long time. Because of this, when faced with this kind of situation, people haven't reacted too strongly; they've all adopted a serious attitude towards these guys who came to provoke us.
I'm quite satisfied with this reaction... It seems the guy in charge at the repair shop is very reliable and strict with his subordinates; he's got some skills. To be honest, if someone came to provoke me, and the people at the repair shop dared to start a fight without asking any questions, or even attacked without testing the other person's strength, then I'd be in trouble.
"Wait a minute." I stopped Xiao Zhu and the others from getting out of the car, and instead sat in the car with a smile: "Let's see how the young men at home handle this. Hmm, they're handling it very well so far, without any impulsiveness, which is quite good."
Several repairmen stood at the entrance, not in a hurry to make a move, but conveniently blocking the door. One of them, slightly older and more composed, coldly looked at the person who had come to provoke them and said loudly in a calm tone, "Our Fifth Brother isn't here. If you're here to see him, leave your name and state your purpose. If you're here to cause trouble... then at least leave your name... otherwise, our Fifth Brother might not have time to see you."
"Ha!" one of the four people who came to provoke them exclaimed, "What a big shot! Does your so-called Fifth Brother usually hide away and dare not show his face?"
"No, that's not it." The guy at the repair shop wasn't angry at all, he just said calmly, "It's just that even if someone comes to the door, he should ask what their purpose is... ask who they are. Our Fifth Brother is a man of great importance, he's very busy every day. If he had to personally deal with every little scoundrel who comes to cause trouble, then even if he had three heads and six arms, he probably wouldn't be able to handle it all... So please leave your names, our Fifth Brother doesn't just meet with anyone."
Upon hearing this, the other people in the repair shop burst into laughter. Amidst the laughter, one of the four Chinese men who had come to provoke them couldn't hold back any longer. One of them, standing at the back, shouted, "So arrogant? I'd like to see if this place is some kind of den of dragons and tigers!!"
After saying that, the guy darted forward. Two men from the auto repair shop immediately blocked his way... Just as a fight was about to break out, the leader of the four provocateurs suddenly shouted, "Wait!"
Those two words froze the Chinese man who had already rushed forward, though he still muttered angrily, "Chinese...Big Brother?"
"Don't rush." The man in the lead looked at the group inside the door, then chuckled twice. "Well, well, quite imposing and intimidating, isn't the Vancouver Big Circle? Hmm. Who's in charge here? Is there anyone who can make decisions?"
The man had his back to me. I sat in the car and watched him for a while, but the more I looked, the stranger these people seemed. All four of them were burly, yet stood ramrod straight, like javelins, exuding a sharp, imposing aura. Especially in their every move, there was a subtle, fierce, and ruthless military air about them.
More importantly, even though the guy in the lead had his back to me, I had a vague feeling that he looked somewhat familiar...
Thinking of this, I immediately opened the car door and got out. Xiao Zhu and Hammer in the front, along with my men in the other car behind me, also got out at the same time. Our group strode over from the street, and our arrival immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.
I walked at the front, and immediately some people inside the repair shop recognized me. The man who had spoken earlier immediately lit up and blurted out, "Fifth Brother is here!"
The other brothers immediately got excited, shouting "Fifth Brother" all at once. I smiled, walked over, and said loudly, "I wonder which troublemaker has come to bother me, Chen, today?"
As I spoke, I walked up to them. When the provocateurs saw me coming, they all turned around. But naturally, three of them immediately took a step forward or a step back, subtly protecting the leader among them.
Hearing me speak, the leader finally turned around. As soon as he turned around, I felt two sharp, piercing gazes directed at me, and then I saw what this guy looked like...
I was stunned!
This man was about thirty years old, strong and robust, with a Western face. He was quite handsome, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, and a well-defined face. However, his eyes seemed to always hold two flames, and his gaze carried a fierce and imposing aura! What a vigorous and powerful man! Moreover, he clearly carried the air of a soldier honed on the battlefield!
More importantly, I think I know this person.
Staring at that familiar face and figure, I froze for a good few seconds. The guy's expression immediately changed when he saw me, and he said coldly, "Chen Yang! Hey! Chen Yang! What's wrong? Why do you look at me like that? Do you really not remember me? Or have you done something wrong and are afraid to acknowledge me?"
“You…” I frowned, thought carefully for a moment, and when I finally remembered who he was, I laughed: “You? It’s actually you? My God… what brings you here?”
I flashed a genuine smile and strode towards him, but after only two steps, he yelled, "You, Chen Yang! You still dare to smile at me!"
As soon as I finished speaking, I felt a gust of wind rush towards me. This guy had already pounced over and raised his hand to throw a punch directly at my face!
It happened so suddenly. I immediately dodged aside, grabbed his arm at the same time, and shouted, "What are you doing? Are you really here to cause me trouble? What have I done to offend you?"
"Nonsense! I won't be satisfied until I give you a good beating today!" With that, he swung his arm, shaking off my hand, and threw another punch.
"Everyone back off!" I shouted as Hammer and the others were about to attack. "Don't you dare lay a hand on me! I'll handle this myself!"
As I spoke, I twisted and retreated, focusing my attention on parrying the opponent's punches and kicks.
I'd sparred with him before, albeit briefly, but now, facing him again, I sensed his skills had improved dramatically over the past two years! His strength and speed had increased significantly, and his attacks were incredibly fierce, clearly demonstrating his mastery of military combat techniques! I tried to dodge a few times, but he quickly gained the upper hand. I shouted a few times, but he ignored me, relentlessly attacking. Finally, I grew angry and, risking everything, threw a punch at him, then twisted my body and pressed against his ribs. He winced in pain, but only grew stronger with each setback! Instead of retreating, he advanced, his shoulder slamming into my chest, sending a shiver down my spine. I couldn't help but take a step back, and then he swept his leg across my chest. I could only raise my arms to block…
With a thud, we both grunted and stepped back at the same time. I swung my arm at him, and the pain made both my arms go numb. He had just landed and was also clearly a little hurt; his leg was a bit clumsy.
Seeing that this guy was about to come up again, I didn't want to get entangled with him anymore, so I backed away and shouted, "Wait!"
"What are you doing!" He lowered his fist, which he had just raised, and glared at me. "Are you begging for mercy?"
I was both angry and amused, and I said loudly, "If you want to hit me, of course I'm not afraid of you! But you have to tell me why you're here to hit me, right? If you're just blindly and randomly hitting me, then I'm not going to play along."
"Damn it!" He was even more furious, cursing, "Chen Yang! How dare you ask me that! Ask yourself what you've done! You...you've been having a great time in Canada! Heh heh! Vancouver's Little Fifth Brother! So imposing and intimidating! I heard you just got married? You heartless bastard! My daughter has waited so long for you! She's been running around for you, even kneeling down to beg the old man for the first time ever!! Now she doesn't have a single day without frowning! After returning from Kunming, Yunnan last time, she lost her appetite and lost ten pounds in just a few months!! You...I'll break a few of your bones today, or I'm not a Wu!!"
Wu Gang... Yes, that's right, he is of course Wu Gang! He's the soldier who drove the military vehicle that I met once back in China!
That time when I was with Fang Nan, I ended up in the police station because of a fight. Wu Gang drove to the police station to help me. That was the first time we met. Afterwards, we had a brief conversation and even tested each other with a little physical contact. I knew he was from the military, and it was through that experience that I learned Fang Nan and Wu Gang seemed to be related... Clearly, his background was likely that of a high-ranking figure in the military.
As for why he came to find me, I understand now... It's obvious that he came because of Fang Nan.
He spoke louder and louder, and became increasingly angry, and it looked like he was about to pounce again...
Just then, I heard a sharp shout from behind me: "Wu Gang! What do you think you're doing!"
With that shout, Qiao Qiao had already parted behind me, separating herself from Xiao Zhu and Hammer, and strode over. The young lady Qiao, her pretty face radiating a hint of fierceness, glared at this guy, then suddenly put her hands on her hips, pointed at his nose, and glared at him, shouting in a sweet voice, "You little brat! Can't you see I'm here? You're all high and mighty now, aren't you? With me here, you still dare to be so insolent?"
Wu hadn't seen Qiao Qiao when he was speaking, but now that Qiao Qiao had walked up to him, his expression changed instantly. He stared at her for a full five seconds, then opened his mouth, his voice immediately dropping three times in volume, and stammered, "Qiao? Qiao Qiao? You're here?"
I looked at Wu Gang in surprise. How did this kid know Qiao Qiao? And look at how he acted when he saw Qiao Qiao. Like a mouse seeing a cat, he immediately lowered his head.
"You're a grown man, speak properly! What kind of behavior is this, punching and kicking?" Qiao Qiao glared and shouted. Then she pointed at the other three guys behind him: "Are you all mute? Are you too scared to speak when you see me?"
Immediately, the three men beside Wu Gang seemed to shrink considerably in front of Qiao Qiao, their imposing manner diminishing. Their faces flushed red, yet they all obediently bowed their heads and greeted her respectfully, "Hello, Sister Qiao."
"What are you all standing around at the door for? Pretending to be door gods? Come in! In broad daylight, what kind of mess are you making by gathering at the door? You're making a laughing stock! Go in, go in!"
At Qiaoqiao's reprimand, Wu Gang and the others' anger completely subsided. Wu Gang, however, gave me a deep look, shook his head helplessly, and then stamped his foot, saying, "Fine, I'll settle the score with you inside!"
Seeing that Wu Gang had stopped fighting, I had someone lead them into the meeting room of the repair shop. Qiao Qiao and I walked at the back, and I couldn't help but whisper to her, "How do you know him? And he seemed quite afraid of you?"
Qiao Qiao kept a straight face, but her eyes were full of laughter. She lowered her voice and said, "When you first ran away, Yan Di was with Fang Nan. I think Wu Gang is Fang Nan's brother. I met him when I went to see Yan Di. He's a decent guy. He drinks very readily, but he was a bit arrogant at first. In the end, I had a drinking session with him, and I drank all four of them under the table by myself. Wu Gang, such a big man, was so drunk that he crawled under the table. From then on, he didn't dare to mention the word 'drink' when he saw me. Moreover, we made a bet, and they lost to me in a drinking contest. From now on, they have to treat me like a superior."
I was relieved. Qiaoqiao may not have any other skills, but when it comes to drinking, she is definitely a super big drinker in Nanjing's drinking scene!
But then I asked, "It's just drinking, there's no need for him to be so afraid of you, is there?"
Qiao Qiao laughed and said, "This guy is actually a good person, and we even became drinking buddies. I also met his wife, who is a real tigress. She's a local female champion in Sanda (Chinese kickboxing)! I get along well with his wife. If he dares to be disrespectful to me, I'll tell his wife. I'll also teach his wife some ways to discipline men. After that, when Wu Gang saw me, he became more docile than a mouse seeing a cat."
Once inside the repair shop, I invited them to my office and had tea served. Although Wu Gang's expression was still not very pleasant, with Qiao Qiao present, he indeed toned it down considerably. He just puffed out his cheeks and watched me circulate my qi, his eyes constantly glaring at me.
I asked everyone around me to leave, leaving only Qiaoqiao in the room.
I initially thought it was someone coming to provoke me, but since it was Wu Gang, I couldn't get angry at him. There was nothing I could do; he was there to avenge Fang Nan. To be honest, I was in the wrong in that regard; I owed Fang Nan something. So, even though he was glaring at me, I could only put up with it.
Thinking of this, I poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Wu Gang. After a moment's thought, I said, "Wu Gang, it's been over two years since we last met. Although we only met once back then, I thought you were a good person and someone I could be friends with." At this point, I couldn't help but recall my first meeting with Wu Gang in Nanjing. We even sparred a bit outside Fang Nan's apartment complex. After the fight, we smoked and chatted for a while. Just before I left, because I casually remarked that the cigarettes were nice, this generous man immediately pulled out a pack of "War God" cigarettes from his car and tossed them to me… It was a small matter, but it showed something significant; this guy was indeed a generous and forthright man.
“Friends? Hmph…” Wu Gang seemed to want to say something, but after glancing at Qiao Qiao, he didn’t say anything.
"I think I understand why you've come today." I sighed and said seriously, "To be honest, I do owe Fang Nan. So if you're angry, just take it out on me. If you want to hit me, I'll gladly oblige."
“Okay!” Wu Gang immediately stood up.
Qiaoqiao was about to speak, but I waved my hand, signaling her to be quiet. I smiled and said, "Okay, Wu Gang, come with me. Let's go somewhere where no one's around. It's been a long time since I've seen you. Let's have another spar."
"Hmph! I'll break a few of your bones!"
With that, we left Wu Gang's three men behind. Then I led him out to the gym in the auto repair shop. There was a group of guys working out in the gym before, but when they saw me come in, they all immediately put down what they were doing and gathered around me. They all looked at me with respect, and I nodded to them: "I have some things to take care of here, you can go out for a bit."
After everyone left, only Wu Gang and I remained in the huge gym. I slowly took off my outer clothes, leaving only a tight-fitting tank top underneath, then picked up two pairs of boxing gloves and tossed him one pair.
"bring it on!"
...