Chapter 57: Thanks to Brother Hui for the Help
That night, Chen Xue Wen and his crew didn’t go home. Their place was still flooded—unlivable. Instead, they found a rundown motel near Old Square to stay the night.
The motel was an old, shabby five-story building. Chen Xue Wen booked two rooms—one for himself and another for Lai Hou, Wang Zhen Dong, and Li Tie Zhu.
He had his reasons for this arrangement. Even though the immediate danger had passed, he wasn’t naive. Snake was unpredictable, and if he decided to retaliate, Chen Xue Wen would undoubtedly be the primary target. By staying separate from his friends, he reduced their risk. If things went south, he’d rather they didn’t all get taken out together. Plus, if he needed to make a quick escape, being alone made it easier.
Once in his room, Chen Xue Wen didn’t sleep right away. He stood by the window, studying the surrounding area.
The protective bars on the window were rusted and flimsy. Outside, electrical wires, drainpipes, and ventilation ducts crisscrossed messily. He reached out and gripped one of the bars, giving it a shake—one of the steel rods snapped off effortlessly in his hand.
Satisfied with his quick assessment, he laid down on the bed, fully clothed, using a table to barricade the door. If anyone tried to force their way in, they’d have a tough time.
He dozed lightly, remaining on high alert throughout the night. Only when the morning light seeped through the curtains, accompanied by the distant cries of street vendors, did he finally allow himself some proper rest.
By the time he woke up, it was already noon.
He gathered his crew and they headed out to a restaurant, ordering a full spread of food.
Li Er Yong hadn’t been with them the past few days. That was deliberate. Chen Xue Wen had given him another task.
For one, Li Er Yong wasn’t the fastest on his feet—if something went down, he’d be an easy target. Keeping him out of harm’s way was a better play. More importantly, Li Er Yong was perfect for working from the shadows, unnoticed. The errand Chen Xue Wen had assigned him required just that.
After lunch, Chen Xue Wen sent Lai Hou, Wang Zhen Dong, and Li Tie Zhu back to Brothers Game Arcade to open for business, while he himself headed for Zhou Jing Hui’s villa.
Inside Zhou Jing Hui’s villa, the man himself sat at the table, frowning.
Last night, he had received some shocking news—Feng Leopard and his men had been completely wrecked.
This threw Zhou Jing Hui off. After all, he had personally tipped off Snake, warning him about Chen Xue Wen’s plans so that he could prepare accordingly.
Yet somehow, Chen Xue Wen had played him. Not only had he used lime powder, but he also flooded the whole place, leaving Feng Leopard’s crew in complete disarray.
He let out a heavy sigh and turned to Little Ma.
“See? Didn’t I tell you? Chen Xue Wen is a slippery bastard. He’s not someone you can take on lightly.”
“Good thing you didn’t make a move against him. Otherwise, you’d be the one licking your wounds right now.”
Little Ma, who had been itching to take action against Chen Xue Wen before, now looked visibly uneasy. Zhou Jing Hui had stopped him every time, and now, it was clear why.
It wasn’t that Zhou Jing Hui was overly cautious—it was that Chen Xue Wen was simply too damn tricky.
Little Ma muttered, “That bastard is as ruthless as they come.”
“But with all this chaos, he’s made an enemy out of Snake. There’s no way Snake lets this slide, right?”
Zhou Jing Hui shook his head. “That’s what’s strange.”
“If Snake was truly out for blood, he would’ve sent his men after Chen Xue Wen the moment he left the police station. But nothing happened.”
“In fact, I just got word that Brothers Game Arcade is open for business as usual. Snake hasn’t made a single move.”
“I’m thinking… Chen Xue Wen must’ve pulled something off behind the scenes. He’s got Snake spooked.”
Little Ma’s eyes widened. “No way. That’s Snake we’re talking about!”
Zhou Jing Hui was just about to speak when a lackey walked in from the door. “Brother Hui, Chen Xue Wen is here, shouting that he wants to see you!”
Zhou Jing Hui’s expression darkened instantly. “Damn it, what is that bastard doing here at this hour?”
Little Ma also sucked in a cold breath and whispered, “Brother Hui, could it be that he found out about you ratting to Snake? Maybe he’s here to settle the score?”
A shiver ran through Zhou Jing Hui, and a layer of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
“T-Tell him I’m not home!”
Zhou Jing Hui waved his hand, not wanting to face Chen Xue Wen.
The lackey hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice. “Brother Hui, that guy said if you don’t see him now, then the next time he talks to you, it’ll be at your grave…”
Zhou Jing Hui erupted in fury, slamming his palm on the table. “The fuck does that mean!?”
“That son of a bitch is threatening me!?”
Little Ma also bellowed, “Damn it! Who the hell does he think he’s scaring?”
“Brother Hui, just wait. I’ll gather the boys and take him out right now!”
Zhou Jing Hui roared a few curses in anger but ultimately swallowed his rage, clenching his teeth.
He waved his hand. “Little Ma, have the boys stand guard outside. No one moves unless I say so.”
“Go bring Chen Xue Wen in. I want to see what the hell he wants!”
The lackey rushed out.
Little Ma arranged for a few men to lurk around the hall, ready to take down Chen Xue Wen at a moment’s notice.
Before long, Chen Xue Wen swaggered into the room.
The moment Zhou Jing Hui saw him, he forced a grin onto his face. “Brother Wen, you’re here!”
“Ah, it’s been too long! I’ve really missed you!”
“How have you been lately?”
His enthusiasm made it seem as if they were long-lost friends.
Chen Xue Wen smiled faintly and exchanged a few polite words with Zhou Jing Hui.
Zhou Jing Hui chuckled. “Brother Wen, what brings you to my humble place today?”
“I heard something about you preparing to visit my grave?”
“Brother Wen, I’ve always treated you well. How could you curse me like that?”
Chen Xue Wen smirked. “Brother Hui, that wasn’t a curse. I was just stating a fact.”
Zhou Jing Hui’s face stiffened. He took a deep breath and forced a smile, studying Chen Xue Wen closely. “Brother Wen, what exactly do you mean by that?”
Chen Xue Wen didn’t answer directly. Instead, he grinned and asked, “Brother Hui, I heard you went to see Snake yesterday. That true?”
Zhou Jing Hui remained composed and nodded calmly. “Yeah, I saw him. Just a casual chat.”
Chen Xue Wen chuckled. “Casual, huh?”
“Then why did I hear that you spilled all my tactics against Old Black to him?”
“Last night, Snake’s crew came knocking on my door, fully armed.”
Zhou Jing Hui forced a smirk. “Brother Wen, you don’t think I ran to Snake just to snitch on you, do you?”
“What, you think I’m that kind of guy?”
Chen Xue Wen let out a hearty laugh. “Brother Hui, how could I say that?”
“Of course, I trust you. There’s no way you’d sell me out!”
Zhou Jing Hui’s lip twitched. The more Chen Xue Wen smiled, the less at ease he felt. There was something hidden behind that grin—a trap, a scheme.
After a moment, Chen Xue Wen suddenly dropped his smile, leaning in close with a low, chilling voice. “But Brother Hui, you think Snake sees it that way?”
Zhou Jing Hui froze. “What… what do you mean?”
Chen Xue Wen’s gaze sharpened. “Think about it. You went to Snake and talked about Old Black yesterday.”
“Snake immediately sent his men, armed to the teeth, based on what you told him.”
“And yet, they fell into my trap and took a heavy loss.”
“Now tell me, doesn’t that look like the two of us were working together?”
“Doesn’t it look like you fed them false info to make them let their guard down, while I set up an ambush?”
Hearing this, Zhou Jing Hui’s face drained of color.
Now he understood exactly what Chen Xue Wen was getting at.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation