Chapter 95: Smashing the Cup as a Signal
At seven in the evening, Chen Xue Wen arrived near Chen’s Grand Hotel.
He didn’t rush in immediately. Instead, he lingered at the street corner for a moment.
Around 7:10 PM, Lai Hou sent a message: “In position!”
That was the signal. Lai Hou had successfully infiltrated the underground warehouse of Chen’s Grand Hotel.
Chen Xue Wen had to admit—when it came to breaking and entering, sneaking, and stealing, Lai Hou was truly gifted.
This was Chen Xue Wen’s final contingency. If things went south and escape became impossible, he would ignite the Molotov cocktails, set Chen’s Grand Hotel ablaze, and slip away in the ensuing chaos.
Of course, if it came to that, he would have no choice but to go on the run.
It was a desperate measure—one he wouldn’t use unless absolutely necessary.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Xue Wen patted Li Tie Zhu on the shoulder. “Tie Zhu, stay sharp. Let’s head up.”
Revving his motorcycle, he carried Li Tie Zhu straight to the entrance of Chen’s Grand Hotel.
As soon as he arrived, he spotted a familiar face—Leopard.
“Brother Leopard, so it’s you welcoming me!”
Chen Xue Wen laughed, casually slapping Leopard’s shoulder as if they were old friends.
Leopard’s gaze was murderous, but he didn’t dare make a move.
Snake had given explicit orders—to first expose Chen Xue Wen’s crimes in front of everyone, reclaim their reputation, and then kill him.
Chen Xue Wen wasn’t upstairs yet. So, for now, Leopard had to hold back.
“Brother Wen, head upstairs. Brother Snake is waiting.”
Leopard forced the words out through gritted teeth.
Chen Xue Wen chuckled. “Oh? Learning your lesson, huh?”
“Seems like that 18,000 yuan tuition fee wasn’t wasted.”
Leopard nearly exploded with rage. You bastard, why do you always bring up the worst moments?!
The underlings nearby couldn’t help but snicker.
Leopard snapped. “What the hell are you laughing at?! Shut up!”
Then, turning to Chen Xue Wen, he sneered, “Brother Wen, is there any point in bickering with me out here?”
“Save it for upstairs.”
Chen Xue Wen smirked, ignoring him as he and Li Tie Zhu swaggered inside.
Behind them, Leopard clenched the knife hidden in his pocket, his expression filled with venomous hatred. He wished he could slice Chen Xue Wen apart right then and there.
On the second floor, Chen Xue Wen stepped into the familiar private dining room.
Inside, Snake, Hao Wen, Uncle Quan, and Zhou Jing Hui were already seated.
Zhou Jing Hui, in particular, sat beside Snake, watching Chen Xue Wen with a smirk.
Clearly, he was in on the plan to take Chen Xue Wen out tonight. In fact, he was probably the most excited about it.
Chen Xue Wen, however, remained calm. As he reached the doorway, he smiled and greeted them. “Gentlemen, apologies for the delay.”
“Traffic was a bit heavy.”
Zhou Jing Hui nearly swore out loud. Bullshit! You rode a motorcycle. What the hell does traffic have to do with you?!
As Chen Xue Wen stepped inside, two men blocked his path.
He glanced at them before looking at the men in the room and smirking. “What’s this, Brother Snake? Are we doing body searches now?”
“This is your home turf. You afraid I might bite?”
Snake scoffed and waved his hand, dismissing the guards.
From his perspective, he had dozens of men stationed around the place. Even if Chen Xue Wen brought backup, escape was impossible.
So why bother worrying about weapons?
Even if Chen Xue Wen had lime powder hidden on him, Snake had come prepared.
Every single one of his men wore protective goggles—just for this occasion.
Chen Xue Wen sauntered in, pulling up a chair and sitting down at the table as if he belonged there. His demeanor made one thing clear—he considered himself their equal now.
Hao Wen and Uncle Quan both smiled faintly. This had nothing to do with them. They were just here for the show.
Zhou Jing Hui, however, sneered. He was the first to speak. “Chen Xue Wen, now that you’re here, let’s get straight to the point.”
He stood up and knocked on the table. “Last time, right in this very room, you made a big deal about following the rules.”
“I generously handed over two arcades to help you get started in business, so you’d have a foothold.”
“But the way you’ve been acting—don’t you think you’ve been a little too unruly?”
Chen Xue Wen didn’t reply. Instead, he glanced at Snake.
Snake sat back, completely relaxed, clearly having agreed to let Zhou Jing Hui handle this part.
Chen Xue Wen chuckled, locking eyes with Zhou Jing Hui. “Brother Hui, I don’t quite follow. Care to explain?”
Zhou Jing Hui slammed his hand on the table. “Chen Xue Wen, don’t you dare play dumb!”
“You really think we don’t know what you’ve been up to?”
Chen Xue Wen spread his hands innocently. “What have I done?”
Zhou Jing Hui slammed his fist on the table, his voice sharp with fury. “You still playing dumb?”
“Snake told me everything! You bribed people to stir up trouble at his shop, ruining his business!”
He laid out the entire ordeal concerning Brother Tong, and beside him, Hao Wen and Uncle Quan furrowed their brows in displeasure.
Zhou Jing Hui suddenly stood, pointing straight at Chen Xue Wen, his anger uncontained. “Chen Xue Wen, in this line of work, we live by the rules!”
“Last time, Snake let you eat at Old Square, gave you a seat at the table, because he respected you as a real man.”
“And this is how you repay him?”
“You eat Snake’s food, then try to break his bowl? Damn it, is this how you do business?”
“Brother Hao Wen and Uncle Quan are right here. Let them judge who’s right and who’s wrong!”
Uncle Quan took a drag of his cigarette, silent. Hao Wen, however, let out a cold snort. “In this world, we live by the rules.”
Zhou Jing Hui sneered. “You hear that?”
Chen Xue Wen nodded calmly. “Brother Hao Wen is right. We do live by the rules.”
“But there’s one problem—you’re accusing me of something I never did.”
“Brother Hui, what does this have to do with me?”
Snake suddenly slammed the table, eyes sharp. “Chen Xue Wen, you sure know how to talk!”
“Still playing innocent at this point?”
“Fine! Let me make you understand!”
With a sharp wave of his hand, Snake barked, “Bring him in!”
A few young brothers outside dragged in a blood-soaked burlap sack. Tossing it to the ground, they pulled it open, revealing a man covered in wounds—Wang Kai.
Snake walked over, grabbed Wang Kai by the collar, and hauled him up to the table. “Chen Xue Wen, you recognize him?”
Chen Xue Wen shook his head. “Never seen him.”
Snake smirked coldly. “You don’t know him, but he sure knows you!”
Snake patted Wang Kai on the back. “Tell them. Do you recognize him?”
Wang Kai shivered, his body trembling as he stammered, “I… I do!”
“That’s Chen Xue Wen!”
“His young brother Li Er Yong paid me off to trick Hu Qian Qian, then lured Brother Tong to set up Snake…”
“I still have the bank card Li Er Yong gave me. There’s thousands left in it—proof that they bribed me…”
“Brother Snake, I’m sorry, I had no choice…”
The room erupted in chaos.
Zhou Jing Hui slammed the table again. “Chen Xue Wen! The witness is right here. What do you have to say now?!”
Hao Wen’s expression darkened. “Chen Xue Wen, you crossed the line this time.”
Uncle Quan exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Young man, those who break the rules don’t last long.”
Hearing the judgment from those around, Snake’s lips curled into a victorious smirk.
He knew—this time, he’d regained his reputation!
Snake lifted his glass, his voice filled with rage. “Chen Xue Wen, you tried to destroy me. You think I’ll just let that slide?!”
With that, he downed his drink in one swift gulp and smashed the glass onto the floor.
Smashing the cup—the signal!
Downstairs, Leopard heard the sound and his eyes lit up with savage joy. Without hesitation, he pulled a long blade from his waist and charged toward the private room, leading a pack of young brothers, ready for blood.
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