Chapter 30: The Fear of a Cultured Thug
Li Er Yong really did call over two of his brothers.
One was Lai Hou, a man as nimble and sly as his name suggested—small-framed, sharp-nosed, with a monkey-like face.
The other was Li Tie Zhu, Li Er Yong’s cousin—a towering brute with broad shoulders and a body built like a fortress. The only downside was that his mind wasn’t the sharpest, and his appetite was nothing short of monstrous.
At lunch, Wu Li Hong had prepared a grand meal, but Li Tie Zhu devoured everything in a whirlwind, yet still wasn’t satisfied. In the end, Wu Li Hong had to cook two extra packs of noodles just to fill him up.
After introducing the two men to Chen Xue Wen, Li Er Yong patted his chest. “Wen Zi, these two are my sworn brothers, ones I’d trust with my life. You can count on them.”
Chen Xue Wen nodded. He had faith in Li Er Yong.
He explained the situation—how Old Black was coming for revenge tonight.
Li Tie Zhu sat still, staring blankly as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Lai Hou, on the other hand, scratched his head and looked at Li Er Yong. “Er Yong, is your brother out of his damn mind?”
“One phone call from Old Black could bring dozens of guys. And we, what, plan to take them on with just us?”
“If we’re really sick of living, there are easier ways to die! Jump in front of a car, at least we might get some insurance money out of it!”
Chen Xue Wen remained calm. “Lai Hou, it was Old Black who broke Er Yong’s hands.”
“This debt must be repaid.”
“If you’re scared, you can leave now.”
Lai Hou spat on the ground. “Shit, scared? Me?”
“Of course, we gotta get revenge for Er Yong!”
“But we need a damn plan! You’re talking about straight-up suicide, not revenge!”
Chen Xue Wen smirked. “Relax. As long as you follow my instructions, dealing with Old Black won’t be a problem.”
Lai Hou didn’t buy it. “Stop messing around. We’re outnumbered, badly. How are we supposed to fight?”
Chen Xue Wen’s eyes glinted. “Numbers mean nothing.”
“History is full of battles where the few defeated the many.”
Lai Hou scoffed. “That’s history!”
“And even then, those victories came from strategy, not brute force.”
“This is a gang fight, not a damn war!”
Chen Xue Wen chuckled. “Who says gang fights can’t be won with strategy?”
He leaned in and laid out his plan.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Lai Hou scratched his head. “Damn… this might actually work.”
“But what about after? Old Black is vengeful as hell. If we screw him over tonight, he’ll definitely come back for payback.”
“Next time, this trick might not work.”
Chen Xue Wen smiled faintly. “After tonight, Old Black will be history.”
Lai Hou and Li Er Yong exchanged looks, shock plastered on their faces.
Just what the hell was Chen Xue Wen planning?
9:00 PM, Fortune Village.
A convoy of vans rolled up outside the alley.
About twenty men climbed out, among them Yang Zi and two others.
At the front stood a dark-skinned man with a vicious glare—none other than Old Black, Li Er Yong’s former boss.
From the shadows, a man emerged. Old Black turned to him. “Well?”
This was one of Old Black’s spies, sent ahead to keep an eye on Chen Xue Wen and his crew.
“They’re still inside,” the man reported.
“How many?” Old Black asked.
The man shrugged. “Including that cripple Li Er Yong, just four.”
Old Black frowned. “Only four?”
The man nodded. “Yeah. Li Er Yong, his two guys—Lai Hou and Li Tie Zhu—and that Chen Xue Wen kid.”
“I checked into him. Used to be a bookish student, falsely accused of some assault and murder. Did a few months inside. He’s gotten meaner, but nothing special.”
Old Black sneered. “Pah! A few months in the pen, and he thinks he’s tough?”
“I’ve done years! That kid’s nothing compared to me.”
“Every single one of my boys has been locked up at some point!”
The other gangsters nodded in agreement. To them, a stint in jail was just a rite of passage.
Yang Zi grinned. “Boss, what’s the move?”
“Want me to call them out? We can drag ‘em to our place and beat the hell out of them.”
Old Black waved a hand. “No.”
“They’re only four. If we storm in, they might panic and scatter. And some of these guys are slippery—I don’t want them escaping.”
“No warnings. We sneak in, trap them inside, and finish them off in one go.”
Yang Zi smirked. “Boss, you’re a genius!”
Old Black grinned arrogantly. “Alright, weapons out. Let’s go.”
The gang armed themselves and crept toward Chen Xue Wen’s house.
The streetlights were broken, the cold night empty and silent.
Reaching the door, Old Black peered through the window.
Inside, Chen Xue Wen and his men sat around a table, chatting casually.
Scanning the room, Old Black confirmed the numbers—just four men. No surprises.
Relaxing, he signaled one of his guys.
The thug knocked on the door.
Inside, Chen Xue Wen’s voice rang out. “Who is it?”
No answer. Just another knock.
Annoyed, Chen Xue Wen called out, “Who the hell is it? The door’s open, come in.”
The thug twisted the handle. Unlocked.
With a grin, Old Black charged in first, his gang pouring in behind him.
The tiny room instantly became packed with twenty men, their presence suffocating.
The last thug shut the door and locked it behind them.
Old Black spat on the floor and sneered. “So, you’re Chen Xue Wen?”
“You know who I am?”
Chen Xue Wen glanced at him, his face calm. “Yeah.”
“You’re Old Black.”
Old Black grinned wickedly. “Then why the hell are you still standing?”
“Boys, teach him some respect.”
A thug stepped forward, pointing at Chen Xue Wen’s face. “You’re nothing. Kneel now, or I’ll break your legs!”
Chen Xue Wen chuckled.
The thug snapped. “You laughing at me?”
He raised his hand for a slap, but before he could swing, Chen Xue Wen moved.
A swift kick to the groin sent the man crumpling to the floor, writhing in agony.
Rage flared in Old Black’s eyes. “You son of a—”
Before he could finish, Chen Xue Wen stepped back, slipping on a pair of sunglasses, and roared, “NOW!”
Lai Hou sprang onto the table, grabbed a rope from the ceiling, and yanked.
A tarpaulin fell, releasing a cloud of white dust—lime powder—engulfing the room.
Old Black’s eyes burned like fire.
“Shit—it’s lime!”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation