Chapter 32: He Wants to Rise
Late at night, as the wind and snow howled outside Fifth Master Hou’s villa, a lone woman trudged forward.
It was Wu Li Hong.
That afternoon, Chen Xue Wen had called her aside privately and handed her a bag, instructing her to deliver it to Fifth Master Hou that night.
She had even taken the night off to make this trip.
The guards at the villa entrance initially wanted to turn her away, but the moment they learned that Chen Xue Wen had sent her, they quickly went inside to report.
After all, just a few days ago, Chen Xue Wen had personally brought in a severed head. That gruesome scene was still fresh in their minds.
A man like that—none of the guards dared to cross him.
Before long, the villa doors swung open, and Wu Li Hong was escorted into the living room.
Seated on the sofa, Fifth Master Hou was leisurely smoking a pipe while Fang Ru sat beside him, lighting his tobacco.
His coughs echoed through the room as he took slow, deliberate puffs.
When Wu Li Hong entered, Fang Ru scrutinized her from head to toe, a flicker of disdain flashing in her eyes before she turned away.
Only after finishing his smoke did Fifth Master Hou straighten up and speak. “So, what does Chen Xue Wen want?”
Facing the feared underground ruler of Peaceful City, Wu Li Hong trembled, lowering her gaze as she stammered, “H-he asked me to deliver something to you.”
With shaking hands, she presented the bag.
A nearby bodyguard stepped forward and took it before passing it to Fifth Master Hou.
He opened it and found a transaction record inside. The recipient’s name belonged to a significant political figure in the city.
A cold smirk curled on Fifth Master Hou’s lips as he tossed the transaction record onto the table. “What has he done?”
Hastily, Wu Li Hong recounted everything about Old Black.
She had no idea that Chen Xue Wen had already crushed Old Black and his men. She only knew that Old Black had planned to retaliate.
Upon hearing this, Fifth Master Hou furrowed his brows. “What? Chen Xue Wen expects me to deal with Old Black for him?”
“If that’s the case, he’s sorely disappointing.”
“No!” Wu Li Hong quickly interjected. “Wen Zi isn’t asking you to handle Old Black. He… he just wanted me to pass along a message.”
“He hopes that you might put in a word for him with the Law Enforcement Team.”
Fifth Master Hou raised an eyebrow. “The Law Enforcement Team?”
“What does he mean by that?”
Beside him, Bin Zi let out a derisive snort. “That brat didn’t call the cops on Old Black, did he?”
“Hmph. Pathetic. Calling the cops just to deal with some street thugs?”
Fang Ru shot him a glare. “Bin Zi, use your brain for once.”
“If he had called the cops, he’d be the victim. Why would he need Fifth Master to speak on his behalf?”
Bin Zi scowled but fell silent.
Fifth Master Hou glanced at Fang Ru, chuckling. “Seems like you know quite a bit about this kid.”
“So, tell me—what do you think he’s up to?”
Fang Ru smiled. “I wouldn’t say I know him well, but judging by how he dealt with Zhou Wan Cheng, he’s not simple.”
“Old Black is just a low-level thug. If Chen Xue Wen couldn’t handle someone like him, he wouldn’t have the guts to approach you.”
“If I had to guess, he already won the fight. But in doing so, there were likely some injuries. So now, he needs you to smooth things over so he can walk out of the Law Enforcement Team unscathed.”
Fifth Master Hou burst into laughter. “Little Ru, you think just like me.”
“That brat’s got ambition.”
Fang Ru smirked. “Beating Old Black isn’t impressive.”
“But taking out Old Black, getting locked up, and still walking out unscathed? That’s real power.”
“That kid wants to step up.”
Fifth Master Hou laughed heartily, nodding. “Interesting, very interesting.”
“No wonder he brought out this as leverage. He really wants to climb.”
Standing up, he tucked the transaction record into his pocket and barked, “Bin Zi, send our lawyer to the Law Enforcement Team. Get the details.”
“If there were no deaths, pull him out.”
Though reluctant, Bin Zi could only nod. “Yes, Fifth Master.”
With Fang Ru’s support, Fifth Master Hou ascended the stairs to his room.
After making a call, Fang Ru turned back, smiling. “We were right.”
“That brat wiped out Old Black’s entire crew.”
“Old Black got both legs broken—he’ll be in a wheelchair for life.”
“And afterward, Chen Xue Wen personally called the cops. The Law Enforcement Team rounded up all of Old Black’s men.”
Fifth Master Hou’s eyes gleamed with intrigue. “Is that so?”
“How many did Old Black have?”
“About twenty,” Fang Ru replied.
“And Chen Xue Wen?”
“With one injured, he had only three men in total.”
Fifth Master Hou was stunned. “Three men took down twenty?”
Fang Ru chuckled. “Same trick he used on Zhou Wan Cheng—he bought lime, rigged a tarpaulin to the ceiling, and dumped it on them when they weren’t expecting it.”
Fifth Master Hou laughed uproariously. “That kid’s methods are ruthless!”
Fang Ru nodded. “Ruthless, but effective.”
“Without a trick like that, how could three men stand a chance against twenty?”
Fifth Master Hou tapped the transaction record on the table thoughtfully. “Little Ru, what’s your take on Chen Xue Wen?”
She hesitated before answering, “He’s no ordinary young man.”
“Cunning, ruthless, and decisive.”
“With the right backing, he could go far.”
A dangerous glint flickered in Fifth Master Hou’s eyes as he leaned back. “But he still doesn’t trust me. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be using this as leverage.”
“My concern is, if I help him rise, he may turn against me one day.”
Fang Ru chuckled, moving closer to him. “Fifth Master, you’ve ruled Peaceful City for decades. You think a mere kid can outplay you?”
“In this city, you’re Buddha. Even if he’s the Monkey King, he won’t escape your palm.”
“On the contrary, if you use this chess piece wisely, you might just eliminate the other two old factions and fully control Peaceful City’s underground.”
Something flickered in Fifth Master Hou’s gaze. He sat in silence for a long while before locking eyes with Fang Ru.
“Little Ru, no matter what it takes, bring him in.”
“By any means necessary.”
She nodded. “Understood.”
She knew all too well what that meant.
Even if it meant sacrificing herself, Fifth Master Hou wouldn’t hesitate.
A pang of bitterness gripped her heart. To outsiders, she seemed glamorous. But in Fifth Master Hou’s eyes, she was nothing more than a tool.
And yet, she could only swallow that bitterness, hiding it deep inside, never letting it show.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation