“Whatever.” Buck-toothed Zhou shrugged and smiled lazily. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t admit it. Anyway, back then…” He paused deliberately, then secretly observed my reaction. Seeing that I was calm and didn’t react much, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but taunt me: “Anyway, back then… when Fang Bazhi answered my question, he also denied it outright.”
oh?
That's a topic that interests me.
When the Eighth Prince rose to power, was he also killed...?
Well, this isn't a suitable topic to discuss right now.
"For a question like this, admitting it would be foolish, denying it is normal," Bucktooth Zhou continued with a laugh. "So your answer doesn't surprise me at all."
Nonsense...more nonsense. If that's the case, why even ask?
"You must be thinking, 'Since that's the case, why should I ask?'" Buck-toothed Zhou looked at me with a smile.
I sighed and looked him straight in the eye: "Attorney Zhou, even a third-rate psychologist knows how to play these kinds of psychological games. Do you really think this kind of conversation can scare people? It's outdated even in third-rate movies."
“Oh, because I wasn’t planning on hearing your answer at all… I was planning on ‘seeing’ your answer.” Buck-toothed Zhou smiled strangely.
Instantly, I felt like I'd been tricked.
Buck-toothed Zhou smiled calmly: "I've been involved in lawsuits for twenty years, been to court countless times, and questioned hundreds of witnesses in court... What kind of people haven't I seen? Smart ones, foolish ones, cunning ones, those who think they're smart but are actually idiots, and those who are bold. Cowardly ones... I've seen far too many of all kinds of people... So, when I ask people questions, I usually don't even need to hear what they say in response... I just need to see their reaction to know the answer."
A thought flashed through my mind... In that instant, I finally felt a real urge to kill Zhou the buck-toothed man!
I looked into his eyes, my smile gone: "Oh, so you already have the answer to the question from earlier?"
"Hmm...I've got it." The buck-toothed man nodded calmly, his face completely expressionless.
"Oh..." I said casually, leaning back lazily on the sofa, my gaze sweeping over his neck before slowly sliding down to his heart.
If I wanted to kill him, I could do it with just a wave of my hand.
"Do you think it's meaningful to ask such a question?" I looked away, raised my right hand, held it in front of my eyes, and looked at my fingers, speaking calmly.
“It makes sense.” Bucktooth Zhou sighed. “Judging a person by their appearance… Since I, Bucktooth Zhou, am going to work for a new boss, I should first figure out what kind of person he is, and whether he is worth entrusting my life to, right?”
Hmm? This is interesting...
I raised my eyelids slightly: "Oh, so what did you figure out?"
“Anyone who can reach your position is a formidable figure! A fool could never lead a gang of men and become a powerful tycoon in the underworld! In this line of work, it all boils down to one thing: daring and ruthless!” Buck-toothed Zhou said calmly, “Whether he’s ruthless or not, I think that question is already answered… Back then, Fang Bazhi was able to kill his own brothers to take the position. If he wasn’t ruthless… then there would be no ruthless person in this world. And you… are the same.”
I didn't show any displeasure at what he said; I just smiled gently.
This guy's words clearly confirmed the fact that "I killed Eighth Master".
"Then, secondly, is boldness! Boldness, to put it bluntly, is all about 'courage'!"
I smiled and looked at him: "Brave? There are hundreds of men in our circle, isn't every one of them a brave and daring hero? Isn't every one of them brave?"
“Wrong, wrong…” Buck-toothed Zhou shook his head repeatedly: “Courage comes in different grades, and what you’re describing is mostly just reckless courage!”
"Oh? May I ask for your opinion?" I looked at him coldly.
Bucktooth Zhou's eyes flashed, and he quickly stubbed out his cigarette in front of me. Then he began to speak eloquently: "Courage comes in three kinds... anger, and courage! Just now I tried to provoke you with words, and then suddenly asked you that question, and it was a life-or-death question... Anyone would naturally get angry... In that situation, your reaction is what I pay the most attention to!"
If you get red-faced and slam your fist on the table in a fit of anger… then in my opinion, although you, Chen Yang, dared to kill Eighth Master and establish yourself, you are still nothing more than a reckless fool. A red face represents bloodlust… so this is nothing more than the courage of bloodlust. With such courage, you're only good enough to be a henchman; if you were to become a boss, you wouldn't even be fit for the role! If I followed a boss like this, sooner or later I'd be dragged down by you and ruined too.
If you are pale and silent, you may still maintain your composure, but you've still lost some of your composure… While you can remain calm, it means you can control your energy and have some strength… but to be pale with anger is merely 'bravery,' which, while rare, lacks magnanimity. I consider myself somewhat proud; if you are merely bravery, then I might as well hand you this will, then I, Bucktooth Zhou, will gather my fortune and find a place to retire, so as not to be a burden to you in the future. A bravery, though courageous, cannot endure, and thus cannot achieve great things.”
I laughed: "Then what if my face doesn't turn red or white?"
“That’s ‘Divine Might.’ This is the highest grade.” As he said this, Bucktooth Zhou stood up, slowly took a document from his briefcase, and then, right in front of me, used a lighter on the table to light a corner of it…
The flames grew stronger, then weaker, until they went out... The flickering light illuminated Zhou Di's buck-toothed face, his expression calm, yet his eyes held a strange smile...
I didn't move, I remained seated, not lifting a finger the entire time, just quietly watching him burn the document.
After everything had turned to ashes, I finally spoke: "Yes, what you burned was Eighth Master's will, wasn't it?"
“Not bad.” Buck-toothed Zhou’s expression remained unchanged. As a lawyer, he had burned his client’s will before it was even made public. Yet, he showed no remorse whatsoever, instead remaining calm and composed: “Those who walk this path can only concern themselves with what happens before death. How can they concern themselves with what happens after death! Hehe… Since Fang Ba is already dead, what happens after death is none of his business.”
I remained silent, staring at the ashes on the table in front of me...
Suddenly, I looked up at Zhou with the buck teeth and said in a strange tone, "If... I were the one who died today, and I were the one leaving a will, and someone else was sitting in front of me taking my place... would you still do the same?"
“Of course!” Buck-toothed Zhou nodded without hesitation.
"But you're a lawyer. Wouldn't doing this violate the law and your professional ethics?"
“The law?” Buck-toothed Zhou laughed: “For people like you and me who walk the underworld… the law is something to be toyed with.”
After finishing his E-book, he stood up and stretched as if nothing had happened: "Alright, today's business is done... Brother Wu! Come to my law firm another day when you have time, and we'll settle the property transfer."
Only now, with the sky still clear, can I finally confirm it. This time, I have truly tamed this unruly buck-toothed Zhou!
As for how to handle Eighth Master's will, the hard-earned money of those brothers, the property registered under Eighth Master's name, will not be leaked! I can finally rest assured about this issue!
I have no doubt that a legal expert like Bucktooth Zhou, who dared to burn Eighth Master's will, must also have a way to make things look perfect... At the same time, this guy, although he has an eccentric temper... is definitely not a simple guy.
Although I've temporarily subdued this person... managing such a subordinate is no easy task!
"You've got some nerve," I sighed. "I'm not feeling well, so I won't see you off. But there's something else I want to tell you..."
I hesitated for a moment, feeling that this guy was too arrogant and it was necessary to teach him a lesson. Then I said in a deep voice, "You're very smart... but don't you know that the smarter a person is, the shorter their lifespan? Some things should be said, and some things shouldn't even be asked!"
Buck-toothed Zhou chuckled softly, glancing at me: "That's right, the smarter a person is, the shorter their lifespan usually is... But I think there's one thing that's been overlooked... Those short-lived smart people all have one thing in common... They're talkative!"
Then, buck-toothed Zhou pointed to his nose and said, "I consider myself fairly smart... and besides, I don't talk too much."
Well, he's indirectly softened his stance a bit.
Now that I have achieved my goal, I will not say anything more.
As soon as Bucktooth Zhou left, Xiluo came in and asked me. I thought about it for a moment and didn't say much about my conversation with Bucktooth Zhou. I simply told him that the issue of Eighth Master's will had been resolved.
It was clear that Xiluo didn't like the grumpy guy Zhou with his buck teeth either. I sighed, called Xiluo to my side, looked at him seriously, and slowly gave him some advice:
"Xiluo, remember this! When you deal with Bucktooth Zhou in the future, unless it's absolutely necessary, never offend him... Understand? This guy, I doubt even I can control him... Such a clever, insidious, and eccentric person... If he wants to harm you or take revenge on you, you... you absolutely cannot resist! Sometimes, an invisible, soft knife can kill more effectively than a real sword or gun."
It was clear that Xiluo was still somewhat unconvinced, but he remembered my words very carefully.
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Fifty-Eight: Settling Grudges
I've already extorted money from the Vietnamese... As for the other two conditions, I've already gotten the whereabouts of Cobra from that sniper. And the last one, which I'm determined to get, is that traitor!
Since the last transaction, I've used my subordinate, Little Nguyen, to trick the Vietnamese again, but Big Nguyen didn't protest my actions. He probably knows it's useless to protest; he's in my hands, and I can do whatever I want with him.
He paid the money so readily, which surprised me. More importantly, the Vietnamese are now being beaten to a pulp by the police, their hiding places have been dug up, and they are being chased away like rats in the street.
But unfortunately, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and bear it.
Deny it? How can you deny it? The first police station bombing was done by Cobra, wasn't it? Cobra was hired by the Vietnamese, wasn't it?
How can you deny it? Do you really think the government is a pushover? I'm not wronging the Vietnamese! With the state apparatus investigating, how can they not find any leads?
Okay, since I used Xiao Ruan to betray the Vietnamese the first time, they had no way to refute or defend themselves... because they really did do it. So the second time, I used Xiao Ruan to frame the Vietnamese again... even if they tried to explain, it would be useless.
Deny it? Would denial even work?
After 9/11, didn't Bin Laden also publicly deny that he was responsible for 9/11 through some media outlets? But once people have determined that you were the one who did it, what good is your denial?
The biggest problem after Eighth Master's death was his will. Once that's settled, I can at least be sure that the Big Circle's assets are safe... So, now it's time to put in the final push!
We know where the cobra is hiding... Now, it's time to take action and kill it!
"Should we gather the brothers on the island and make our move?" Xiluo asked.
"No." I shook my head: "The blood of the enemy, no matter how much is shed, is good! The blood of our own brothers, no matter how little is shed, is precious! Since we now have a powerful backer, why should we do it ourselves?"
I picked up the phone and dialed Doug's number directly.
"Doug? Let's make a deal."
Five minutes later, I hung up the phone, looked at Xiluo and smiled: "We don't need our own brothers to risk their lives for the main attack, but we still need to take some sniping from the sidelines and fish in troubled waters... Moreover, if the two sides reach a stalemate and a standoff occurs, we can take some sniping from the sidelines to provoke the police to decide to launch a full-scale attack."
After a moment's thought, Xiluo understood what I meant.
The Cobra gang is hiding on a rooftop in a busy downtown area. The police could certainly deploy a large force. However, those Cobras are no ordinary people; they are ruthless and fearless. If they become desperate and occupy an entire floor of the building, taking hostages, it could easily lead to a standoff with the police…
I don't want those guys to negotiate and then find a chance to run away.
So, I informed Doug and sold him the information. Meanwhile, I immediately called Stone and the others on the island, instructing Stone to take men and find suitable hiding places around the building where Cobra was hiding to ambush him…
My instructions to Stone were very simple: "Don't act rashly... but if a stalemate occurs between the police and Cobra... you go to the middle and start a fire! Make sure they fight each other!"
That afternoon, it's likely that every resident of Vancouver who could find a television set gathered around to watch this unprecedented large-scale police operation!
At approximately 3 PM, a high-rise office building in downtown Vancouver was surrounded by about fourteen police cars! Then, slowly but surely, the number of police officers arriving at the scene reached a peak of six hundred!
Two police helicopters were circling overhead!
This time, the police didn't deploy ordinary officers, but rather fully armed elite personnel. Within a very short time, they controlled all entrances and exits of the entire building, as well as the power supply, and swiftly evacuated the people inside…
They had been working very efficiently. Moreover, their orders were that a group of extremely dangerous armed terrorists were hiding on the top floor of the building!
However, despite the police's efficient action, the Cobra's response was equally swift. They reacted quickly and very aggressively!
They immediately used bombs to destroy the building's elevator system and sealed off the elevator entrances. They then occupied the top floor of the building and took approximately twenty hostages! Relying on their excellent military skills, they then engaged in a standoff with the police.
Using the hostages, they negotiated with the police and made demands, which were nothing more than asking for transportation and a safe departure, etc.
While the police ruled out experienced negotiators from engaging in any verbal sparring with these terrorists, I sat in my office at the auto repair shop, watching the live broadcast on television.
The scene was already surrounded by countless media broadcast vans, though these people were kept outside the police cordon. Reporters from numerous prominent media outlets swarmed in like flies, and each television station dispatched its most elite on-site reporters, including several renowned war correspondents!
For a time, almost every channel was "live-streaming" the event.
These cobras truly lived up to their reputation as ruthless killers, murdering two hostages within twenty minutes. Police raiders attempted to storm in, but not only did they fail, they also lost a police officer. That officer was one of those who tried to lower himself in through an outside window using a steel cable, but he was shot dead outside by the cobras… His body remained hanging on the steel cable outside the building, and this scene, captured by cameras from over a dozen media outlets, was immediately broadcast to television screens in countless homes!
The police operation faltered, and they dared not proceed with further force, adopting a slightly more conciliatory strategy. They negotiated with the other side and met some of their demands…
The situation had reached a stalemate...
Then, in the next half hour, the situation changed dramatically!
During the initial stalemate, the ruthless criminals inside surprisingly opened fire on the police! The police had already airdropped personnel and occupied the rooftop of the building, launching an assault in an attempt to lower officers down using steel cables. After this initial failure, approximately fifteen police officers remained on the rooftop.
As a result, under these circumstances, suddenly, unidentified people opened fire on the police officers on the top floor!
The shooting was coming from another building nearby!
When the alarm was received, three police officers on the top floor of the building had already been shot and wounded. Upon hearing this, the on-site commander immediately realized: it was likely this gang of criminals. And their accomplices were hiding in other nearby buildings!