Chapter 108: Wealth and Honor, Life and Death
An hour later, Zhou Jing Hui arrived at the designated location set by Snake.
Stepping into Snake’s car, the man wasted no time and immediately spoke about the whereabouts of Zhou Jing Hui’s wife and child. Hearing that Snake had located them, Zhou Jing Hui finally let out a relieved sigh.
He looked at Snake and chuckled, “Brother Snake, you finally found my wife and child.”
“Seems like Chen Xue Wen’s plan is progressing smoothly!”
That statement made Snake pause in confusion. “What… what plan?”
Zhou Jing Hui smiled and explained Chen Xue Wen’s scheme in detail.
Upon hearing it, Snake was stunned.
“Damn that Chen Xue Wen, that bastard! He… he’s truly cunning!”
“So it was all deliberate! He purposely let my men find your wife and kid?”
“Shit, shit, shit! I’ve never seen someone so insidious in my entire life!”
Snake cursed relentlessly, nearly on the brink of collapse. He had never imagined that every move he made was anticipated by Chen Xue Wen. A sense of fear crept into him.
Zhou Jing Hui sighed. Honestly, if Chen Xue Wen hadn’t explained it to him, he wouldn’t have been able to piece together the whole picture either.
After venting his frustration, Snake stared at Zhou Jing Hui. “Zhou, what do you intend to do?”
Zhou Jing Hui smirked. “Brother Snake, I just laid out Chen Xue Wen’s entire plan for you. Do you still not see my intentions?”
“I want to join forces with you—to kill that trash Chen Xue Wen!”
Snake’s eyes lit up. “Alright, tell me where he is, and I’ll end him immediately!”
Zhou Jing Hui shrugged. “Brother Snake, Chen Xue Wen is an extremely crafty man. If I knew his whereabouts, wouldn’t he already be dead?”
“But we can lure him out.”
Snake narrowed his eyes. “How?”
Zhou Jing Hui grinned. “Chen Xue Wen went to great lengths to create this situation. His goal is to draw all your men away so he can enter your home and assassinate you.”
“Tonight, follow his plan—send your men away.”
“With no one around you, Chen Xue Wen will take the bait and come for you.”
“That’s when we strike and take him down!”
Snake gave Zhou Jing Hui a long look, his brow furrowing. “Send all my men away? Won’t that leave me completely exposed?”
Zhou Jing Hui said softly, “Brother Snake, fortune comes with risk.”
“To kill Chen Xue Wen, we have to take chances.”
“Besides, with your skills and your Snake Farm’s setup, do you really fear Chen Xue Wen and his five men?”
Snake gave Zhou Jing Hui a cold stare. He wasn’t afraid of Chen Xue Wen’s group. What concerned him was Zhou Jing Hui using the opportunity to strike at him instead.
Reading his thoughts, Zhou Jing Hui spoke calmly, “Brother Snake, you will send someone to rescue my wife and child before we act, right?”
“With my family in your hands, do you think I would dare betray you?”
Snake exhaled slowly. That reasoning reassured him.
Indeed, as long as he had Zhou Jing Hui’s wife and child under his control, Zhou Jing Hui had no choice but to remain loyal.
“Alright, we’ll do it your way!”
“Tonight, we’ll lure out Chen Xue Wen and finish him off!” Snake growled.
Zhou Jing Hui nodded slowly. He glanced at Snake and advised in a low voice, “Brother Snake, a word of caution.”
“Tonight, make sure to send out as many men as possible.”
“I don’t know if Chen Xue Wen has planted spies around you, but if you don’t send them all away, he might suspect a trap and refuse to show.”
“If he doesn’t show up, this plan will be ruined.”
“And catching him later will be a hundred times harder!”
Snake nodded slowly. “No problem!”
After discussing the finer details, the two parted ways. Snake hurried back to Electronic Dynasty.
Upon arrival, Snake ordered all his subordinates to leave before closing the doors to discuss the plan with his wife, Lu Jin Huan.
Upon hearing it, Lu Jin Huan found the strategy quite risky.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “How about this?”
“Tonight, I’ll personally lead a group to seize Zhou Jing Hui’s wife and child.”
“With them under my watch, Zhou Jing Hui wouldn’t dare have second thoughts!”
Snake was overjoyed. “That’s the best plan!”
With Snake personally keeping an eye on Zhou Jing Hui’s wife and kid, he finally felt at ease.
Snake didn’t trust many people, but when it came to his own woman—absolute trust.
After setting everything in place, he dialed Zhou Jing Hui, instructing him to proceed according to the plan.
By eight in the evening, both Snake and Zhou Jing Hui were ready. Everything was in place.
All that remained was for Chen Xue Wen to make an appearance.
…
A desolate village on the outskirts of Peaceful City’s Southern Suburb.
Beyond the village stood a long-abandoned ancestral hall, its wooden beams warped by time. Inside, under the dim glow of a single flickering bulb, sat three men: Chen Xue Wen, Wang Zhen Dong, and Li Tie Zhu.
A low rumble of engines broke the silence. The faint glow of headlights flickered through the gaps in the rotting wooden doors.
Chen Xue Wen murmured, “Monkey and Er Yong are back.”
The three men moved to the entrance as Lai Hou and Li Er Yong rolled in on battered motorcycles. Their bikes coughed to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust.
They dismounted, both carrying large, stuffed bags. Tied to the back of Lai Hou’s bike was a burlap sack, its contents unknown.
Li Er Yong hoisted the sacks onto the ground. “Dinner’s here.”
They tore the bags open, revealing an assortment of takeout boxes and roasted meat.
Li Tie Zhu wasted no time. He grabbed a hefty pork shank, biting into it with the raw hunger of a street dog. Wang Zhen Dong picked up a lunchbox and started eating in silence.
Meanwhile, Chen Xue Wen strolled toward the motorcycle, running a hand over the tied-up sack. “This everything?”
Li Er Yong nodded. “Wen Zi, just like you ordered.”
“See for yourself.”
Chen Xue Wen untied the sack, letting its contents spill onto the ground—an assortment of crude iron weapons, each more vicious than the last.
Jagged iron plates protruded with barbed hooks and serrated edges. Metal rings lined with razor-sharp spikes glinted ominously in the dim light.
Chen Xue Wen inspected the makeshift weapons carefully, flipping each piece over, testing the sharpness with a flick of his thumb.
He nodded in satisfaction. “Good enough.”
“Alright, eat up.”
They gathered in the center of the hall, tearing into their meal. Lai Hou had brought enough for ten, but with Li Tie Zhu at the table, not a single scrap remained.
After finishing, Chen Xue Wen took a deep breath, sweeping his gaze across his brothers. His voice dropped low.
“Tonight, we go head-to-head with Snake.”
“If we win, Old Square is ours. Electronic Dynasty will be under our feet. Wealth, power, everything within our grasp.”
“If we lose… we don’t leave this night alive.”
A brief silence followed his words, the weight of the moment settling like thick smoke in the air.
“Now,” he continued, “one last chance. Anyone who wants out, leave now.”
Li Er Yong was the first to rise. “Wen Zi, life or death, I’m with you.”
Lai Hou spat to the side. “Shit, if I was afraid of dying, I would’ve run long ago. Wouldn’t be sitting here now.”
Li Tie Zhu said nothing. He simply stood by Chen Xue Wen’s side, his presence a solid wall of unwavering loyalty.
Wang Zhen Dong exhaled sharply before getting to his feet. He looked at each of them, his gaze finally resting on Chen Xue Wen.
“Wen Ge, I’ve been nothing all my life.”
“But following you… it makes me feel like a man.”
“You call me brother. I got nothing to give you in return—except this life.”
A rare smile cracked across Chen Xue Wen’s face. He extended his hand. “Good brothers.”
“After tonight, no matter rich or dead—we face it together.”
Li Er Yong, Lai Hou, and Wang Zhen Dong placed their hands in his, echoing his words in unison.
“We face it together.”
Only after they all withdrew their hands did Li Tie Zhu finally reach out, his slow, deliberate movement earning a round of laughter from the others.
This big guy was always a step behind.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation