Chapter 34: You Four, I Six
Half an hour later, Chen Xue Wen and his crew arrived outside a single-family villa in the southern district of Peaceful City.
This villa was the most luxurious property in the surrounding villages within a ten-mile radius. Covering at least an acre, it had front and back gardens, lavishly decorated and standing out prominently.
The owner of this villa was Zhou Jing Hui, the richest man in these villages. Zhou Jing Hui had once been involved in the underworld, but after making his fortune, he went legitimate, opening businesses. However, having grown used to making easy money from the shadows, he found legal business too slow. So, he opened several entertainment establishments.
Under his name were seven arcades, five internet cafes, two bars, two bathhouses, and one disco club. Naturally, such establishments required protection, and Zhou Jing Hui had plenty of men under his command. He had at least five enforcers like Old Black, each one capable of handling things independently. Because of this, Zhou Jing Hui was considered a big shot in Peaceful City. Though he wasn’t at the level of Fifth Master Hou, he was far above someone like Li Er Yong.
Standing outside the villa, Li Er Yong was visibly nervous. This was the boss of his boss.
“Xue Wen, maybe we should reconsider?”
“Old Black has been following Zhou Jing Hui for years. We crippled him, and now we’re here asking for his turf? This is just adding fuel to the fire.”
“If you ask me, we should head back and find another way to make money,” Li Er Yong whispered.
Chen Xue Wen glanced at him. “Er Yong, in this life, fortune favors the bold.”
“If you don’t have guts, how will you ever make it big?”
Li Er Yong sighed helplessly. “I get it, but the problem is that we’ve already made enemies. Do you really think he’ll let us make money off him?”
“If we go in there, I’m afraid we might not come back out.”
“This house is full of guards. Plus, Zhou Jing Hui owns two vicious dogs that have killed before.”
Chen Xue Wen smirked. “Relax.”
“Zhou Jing Hui won’t touch us. At least, not in his own house.”
With that, Chen Xue Wen didn’t wait for a response. He stepped forward and rang the doorbell.
Soon, a man came out, asked about their purpose, and went inside to report. After a short wait, a few people came out, opened the gate, and allowed Chen Xue Wen inside.
Stepping into the villa’s grand living room, they found seven or eight men standing around. Seated on the couch was a burly man—Zhou Jing Hui himself. He was rolling two steel balls in one hand while holding two iron chains in the other.
The chains were attached to two massive, ferocious vicious dogs, the same ones rumored to have killed before.
As soon as Chen Xue Wen and Li Er Yong stepped inside, the dogs immediately lunged at them, barking and snarling.
Li Er Yong panicked, raising his cane defensively.
Chen Xue Wen, however, remained calm, standing with his hands behind his back, eyes locked on Zhou Jing Hui as if he didn’t even notice the dogs.
Just as the beasts were about to reach him, Zhou Jing Hui let out a cold snort: “Back!”
The dogs instantly retreated and sat beside their master.
Zhou Jing Hui looked Chen Xue Wen up and down, his voice icy. “So, you’re Chen Xue Wen?”
“Hah, you’ve got guts.”
“You crippled my sworn brother Old Black, and now you dare show up at my house?”
“What is this, a challenge?”
Chen Xue Wen chuckled. “Brother Hui, what happened with Old Black was a personal matter between us.”
“I came here today to discuss business, not to provoke you.”
Zhou Jing Hui laughed. “Business?”
“What business could you possibly have with me?”
Chen Xue Wen smiled. “I heard that Old Black was managing your arcades.”
“Now that he’s crippled, your arcades still need someone to run them.”
“I came to do you a favor.”
“My brothers and I will manage those arcades for you.”
The room erupted into curses from Zhou Jing Hui’s men.
“F*ck, who the hell do you think you are? You want to take over Hui Ge’s business?”
“Kid, have you lost your damn mind?”
“We have plenty of guys to handle the arcades! You think we need you?”
“Are you looking for death?”
Even Li Er Yong was stunned. He had expected negotiations, not this outright provocation. Was Chen Xue Wen insane? This was a powerful underground boss in Peaceful City. Was he actually trying to get himself killed?
Zhou Jing Hui’s face darkened, his expression full of disdain. “Kid, did you even look in the mirror before coming here?”
“You want to manage my arcades?”
“Hah, on what f*cking grounds?”
Chen Xue Wen stepped forward, his tone relaxed. “I haven’t finished speaking yet.”
Zhou Jing Hui frowned. “Oh? You have more demands?”
Chen Xue Wen nodded. “That’s right.”
“I’ll run the arcades for you, but we’ll need to renegotiate the revenue split.”
Zhou Jing Hui was taken aback, then burst out laughing. “You want a cut too?”
“Alright, kid. Tell me—how do you want to split it?”
Chen Xue Wen spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly.
“Sixty-forty.”
“You get four.”
“I get six.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Zhou Jing Hui’s expression darkened, and the cup in his hand shattered against the floor.
The men surrounding him immediately erupted into fury, shouting as they closed in on Chen Xue Wen, their eyes filled with hostility. Even the two vicious dogs beside them growled menacingly, ready to pounce at a single command from their master.
One word from Zhou Jing Hui, and those beasts would rip Chen Xue Wen to shreds.
But Chen Xue Wen remained unfazed. Hands tucked in his pockets, his expression remained indifferent, as if nothing happening around him was worth his concern.
Zhou Jing Hui gritted his teeth. “Chen, are you fucking asking for death?”
Chen Xue Wen chuckled. “Brother Hui, I’m just here to talk business.”
“Agree or not, that’s your decision. No need to get all worked up.”
His gaze flicked to the men around him before a cold smirk appeared on his lips. “Brother Hui, when a dog bites someone, its owner has to bear the consequences.”
“If you can’t control your dogs and something happens, I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle the fallout.”
“Don’t end up like Zhou Hao, playing with fire and getting yourself burned. That would be a real shame.”
At those words, Zhou Jing Hui’s expression shifted dramatically.
He had been close with Zhou Hao, and it was Zhou Jing Hui himself who had ordered Old Black to break Li Er Yong’s limbs back then.
Later, Zhou Wan Cheng and Zhou Hao had died in a fire at a secluded villa in the suburbs—a fire that Zhou Jing Hui had always suspected was no mere accident.
But no matter how much he investigated, he never found any leads.
Now, hearing Chen Xue Wen’s words, his suspicion flared anew.
Could it be that Zhou Hao and Zhou Wan Cheng’s deaths had something to do with Chen Xue Wen?
Moreover, he was well aware that Zhou Hao had once framed Chen Xue Wen. He also knew that Chen Xue Wen had escaped from the Provincial City Enforcement Team’s custody.
Adding it all up, it was very possible.
If Chen Xue Wen really had orchestrated Zhou Wan Cheng and Zhou Hao’s deaths and covered it up with a fire, then this man’s background was anything but simple.
A chill ran through Zhou Jing Hui’s heart.
He stared at Chen Xue Wen, searching his face for any sign of emotion.
Yet, all he saw was the same calm, unreadable smile.
The men around Zhou Jing Hui, however, were furious. They weren’t stupid—they knew Chen Xue Wen wasn’t just talking about the dogs. He was insulting them to their faces.
One of them lunged forward, grabbing Chen Xue Wen’s collar. “You little shit, what the hell did you just say—”
Before Chen Xue Wen could reply, Zhou Jing Hui slammed his hand against the table, his voice a sharp bark of authority. “Enough!”
“Back the fuck off, all of you!”
His men hesitated, glancing at each other in confusion. They had no idea why their boss had suddenly changed his tone.
Still, none of them dared to question him. They reluctantly let go of Chen Xue Wen and stepped back.
Zhou Jing Hui locked eyes with Chen Xue Wen, his jaw clenched. “You’ve got guts, kid.”
“But don’t think for a second that I scare easily.”
“You want my territory? Keep dreaming.”
Zhou Jing Hui stood up, his voice cold. “You’re lucky I’ve been trying to keep things civil these days, staying away from the old ways of blood and violence.”
“But don’t think for a second that Old Black’s issue is settled.”
“Now, get the hell out of my sight.”
With that, he turned and walked upstairs, not sparing Chen Xue Wen another glance.
Chen Xue Wen chuckled. “Brother Hui, think it over.”
“By tomorrow, I hope you change your mind.”
Then, he turned and left, Li Er Yong following close behind.
As they disappeared from view, one of Zhou Jing Hui’s closest men, Little Ma, stormed upstairs after him, seething. “Brother Hui, you’re just letting that bastard walk away?”
“That arrogant son of a bitch—I can’t swallow this!”
Zhou Jing Hui shot him a glare. “You think I can?”
“But that bastard just walked out of the Enforcement Team’s custody and came straight here.”
“If something happens to him under my roof, who do you think they’ll come after?”
He took a deep breath, fists clenched. “Besides, there’s someone behind him.”
“Even Captain Wang wouldn’t tell me what’s really going on. That means whoever’s backing him is no ordinary figure.”
“For now, we wait. We figure out what we’re dealing with first.”
Little Ma sighed in frustration but nodded. “Got it.”
He turned and left the room, heading downstairs to cool off.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation