Chapter 59: This Is a Red Gate Banquet
When Snake extended an invitation for dinner, Chen Xue Wen felt a chill run down his spine.
[So, Snake isn’t planning on playing games anymore? He’s going straight for a head-on confrontation?]
What kind of dinner invitation was this? It was obviously a Red Gate Banquet!
Chen Xue Wen took a deep breath and forced a bitter smile. “Ding Three, I really have to apologize.”
“I already have an appointment tonight, so I’m afraid I can’t make it.”
“Could you tell Brother Snake that I’ll treat him to a meal some other day instead?”
Ding Three wasn’t offended at all. He simply smiled. “No problem.”
“We were too hasty and didn’t consider Brother Wen’s schedule. That’s on us, not you.”
“How about this—let’s exchange numbers. The banquet is still on, so if you change your mind, just call me anytime.”
Ding Three took out his phone and exchanged contact details with Chen Xue Wen, grinning the whole time.
As Ding Three left, Chen Xue Wen’s brows knitted together.
His last words left a bad feeling in his gut.
It was as if Ding Three was certain he would change his mind.
Which meant that whether he wanted to go or not… he might not have a choice.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Chen Xue Wen turned and gestured at Lai Hou. “Lai Hou, close the doors.”
Lai Hou immediately pulled out some money and handed it to the guys playing arcade games, sending them away.
Then, he shut the rolling shutter of the arcade and locked the door.
Chen Xue Wen led Lai Hou and Wang Zhen Dong into the back room. As for Li Tie Zhu, the guy had gotten addicted to arcade games. He was outside playing Raiden III.
His gaming skills? Absolutely terrible.
In this kind of shoot ‘em up, he didn’t even try to dodge bullets. Instead, he just kept using screen-clearing bombs to wipe out enemies.
But bombs were limited. He couldn’t keep spamming them forever.
So, he had bought a hundred tokens and was just feeding the machine over and over, constantly dying and reviving.
Chen Xue Wen knew that when it came to serious planning, Li Tie Zhu was a lost cause.
So, he didn’t call him over and instead focused on Lai Hou and Wang Zhen Dong.
Once they were in the back room with the door locked, he repeated Ding Three’s words to them.
Lai Hou was stunned. “Another invitation?”
“This sounds just like what Zhou Jing Hui pulled on us before.”
Chen Xue Wen shook his head. “Snake and Zhou Jing Hui aren’t the same.”
“If it were Zhou Jing Hui, I wouldn’t even be worried.”
“But Snake… he’s ruthless. His mind is twisted. He doesn’t care about consequences. You can’t predict his moves with common sense.”
Wang Zhen Dong lowered his voice. “So, Brother Wen, what do you think we should do?”
Chen Xue Wen: “We can’t attend that banquet.”
Lai Hou: “Then we just don’t go.”
Chen Xue Wen shook his head. “It’s not that simple.”
“With Snake’s personality, if we don’t show up, he might just kidnap us.”
Lai Hou and Wang Zhen Dong’s faces paled. If that happened, they’d be in serious danger.
Lai Hou muttered, “Brother Wen, then what do we do?”
Chen Xue Wen frowned and spoke in a low voice, “First, we have to get through tonight.”
“Lai Hou, call Li Er Yong. Tell him to go back to his hometown and lay low. We don’t want him getting caught up in this.”
“Dong, pack up the cash. We need to disappear before Snake makes his move.”
Lai Hou and Wang Zhen Dong nodded and rushed out to take care of things.
Chen Xue Wen sat down, his brows furrowed in deep thought.
Not long after, Lai Hou and Wang Zhen Dong finished their preparations.
Chen Xue Wen had them grab their things, call Li Tie Zhu, and leave through the back door of the arcade.
Once outside, Chen Xue Wen didn’t waste any words. He led them straight to Peaceful City Law Enforcement Squad.
Lai Hou glanced at the squad’s headquarters and shrank back. “Brother Wen… are we calling the cops?”
Chen Xue Wen shot him a look. “Hell no. What’s the point?”
“Snake hasn’t even made a move yet. What’s there to report?”
Lai Hou scratched his head. “Then why are we here?”
Chen Xue Wen pointed at the hotel across the street from the Law Enforcement Squad. “We’re staying here tonight.”
“This place is right across from the squad’s headquarters.”
“No matter how bold Snake is, he won’t dare to pull anything here.”
Realization dawned on Lai Hou, and he grinned. “Brother Wen, you’re a genius!”
“Haha! Staying here makes us untouchable.”
Chen Xue Wen waved a hand. “I wouldn’t say ‘untouchable,’ but it’s definitely safer than anywhere else.”
“Tonight, Lai Hou and Tie Zhu will share a room. Dong, you’re with me.”
“Same as before—take turns keeping watch. If someone sneaks in and grabs us before we even have time to call for help, we’re screwed.”
Lai Hou, Wang Zhen Dong, and Li Tie Zhu all nodded seriously.
Chen Xue Wen booked two adjacent rooms, and they settled in.
To stay extra cautious, they didn’t even go out for dinner. Instead, they ordered takeout to eat in their rooms.
At 5:30 PM, Wu Li Hong dragged her tired body into Peaceful City Hospital, carrying a meal box.
She had stopped working the streets, but she still needed money. So, during the day, she worked odd jobs to support herself.
Her brother’s condition had worsened again, and he had been in the hospital for several days. She came every day to bring him food.
Before stepping into the hospital room, Wu Li Hong took a deep breath, adjusting her expression.
She didn’t want her brother to see how exhausted she was. She didn’t want him to worry.
But when she walked into the room…
The bed was empty.
Wu Li Hong’s heart clenched as a wave of dread surged through her. A similar incident had happened before—her younger brother, not wanting to burden her, had attempted to end his own life. He had run away, leaving her in a frantic search until she finally found him. Since that day, Wu Li Hong never let her guard down, instructing the nurses to keep a close watch on him.
Now, he was gone again. Panic gripped her, and she bolted out of the hospital room, racing down the hallway. As soon as she turned a corner, she spotted a nurse approaching from the opposite direction.
Wu Li Hong rushed forward, her voice trembling with desperation. “Nurse, my… my brother… where is he? Do you know where he went?”
The nurse had been tending to her brother for quite some time and was familiar with the siblings’ situation. She smiled reassuringly. “Li Hong, don’t worry. Your brother is fine. He just went for some tests.”
Hearing this, Wu Li Hong exhaled deeply, relief washing over her. But then, confusion set in. “Tests? What tests? Is something wrong with him? Has his condition worsened?”
The nurse shook her head with a comforting smile. “No, nothing like that. These are the mandatory pre-surgery tests.”
Wu Li Hong froze. “Surgery? What surgery?”
“The one you’ve been wanting him to have all this time,” the nurse explained. “A specialist from the provincial hospital will be arriving in three days to perform the operation. But before that, your brother needs a full examination.”
Wu Li Hong’s mind reeled. “The surgery… but… the money…”
She had been working tirelessly to save up for this life-saving procedure, but it was an impossible sum—over two hundred thousand yuan. So far, she had barely managed to save a little over one hundred thousand. It was nowhere near enough.
The nurse’s smile deepened. “The surgery costs have already been paid, and there’s even extra.”
Wu Li Hong’s breath caught. “W-what?!” she stammered, her eyes wide with shock.
“Your friend paid for it,” the nurse explained. “He deposited three hundred thousand into your brother’s hospital account. There’s even a chance you might get some money back after the procedure.”
Wu Li Hong’s hands trembled, and her voice barely escaped her lips. “M-my friend? Which friend?”
The nurse thought for a moment. “A young man with a crutch. He came in and settled the entire sum without hesitation. Before he left, he mentioned that someone named Wen had asked him to do it.”
Wu Li Hong blurted out, “Chen Xue Wen?!”
The nurse nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes! That was the name!”
Tears burst forth from Wu Li Hong’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks. In that moment, she felt as though her heart would melt entirely.
The nurse, thinking Wu Li Hong was simply overwhelmed with joy, patted her on the shoulder. “Alright, Li Hong, try not to get too emotional. Your brother has a long day of tests ahead, and he’ll likely be busy until late at night. Maybe you should visit him tomorrow instead.”
Wu Li Hong nodded forcefully, barely able to contain the storm of emotions within her. Clutching the meal she had brought for her brother, she turned and dashed out of the hospital. But the moment she stepped outside, she broke into a full sprint, her feet carrying her as fast as possible toward Chen Xue Wen’s home.
Right now, only one thought consumed her—she wanted to throw her arms around that man and never let go!
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation