"You can hail your own cab, and from now on, be more cautious when you go out. People from Consecutive Victories won't let this slide easily."

Having left the Nine Dragons City stronghold by two streets, Li Yan said this to Xu Tianci.

It was true that Xu Tianci was ruthless, but both fighters had signed the Life-Death Agreement before stepping into the ring. Once on the Boxing Ring, it was understood that life and death were accepted without resentment. Besides, Xu Tianci's injuries were not light. Logically speaking, Consecutive Victories should not be causing trouble.

Unfortunately, the world seldom operates on logic. If Consecutive Victories wanted to utterly destroy Xu Tianci, they would do so without reason, relying merely on influence and connections.

"This guy is no fun, doesn't play by the rules."

Xu Tianci said defiantly, his neck stiff, showing little regard for Consecutive Victories.

Li Yan glanced at him with a faint smirk but said nothing.

"Fifteen days. I will heal within fifteen days."

Li Yan seemed to ignore Xu Tianci's words and turned to walk eastward.

"Hey, that's not the way back to Nine Dragons City. Where are you headed?"

"I'm off to find an arcade to play pinball. Head back to Nine Dragons City now? I'd have to be out of my mind to go back there at this time."

Li Yan licked his lips. Taisui, Floral Shirt Nine, Prince Le, and that Wu Haoxi I've never met... Tonight, Nine Dragons City will likely be three degrees hotter than some might anticipate!

...

Perhaps the name Taisui had been left unused for too long and was close to growing moldy. Or maybe Prince Le truly would go through fire and water for his brothers.

The men from Consecutive Victories poured into Fortress Village continuously, and the situation was spiraling out of control.

"Of course, I play by the rules. But the rules I follow are those of the Jianghu. I'm quite fair, you see. If that kid cuts off one of my brother's hands, he should offer one in return. If he guts my brother, he should stab himself as well. Once that's done, my men will immediately withdraw from Nine Dragons City."

Flanked by Red Ghost and Liao Zhizong, sitting before them was a woman dressed in sportswear, her long, smooth hair cascading down to her waist.

She wore a demure smile, "The Boxing Ring of Nine Dragons City has been around for decades. Not many dare to run wild here, and no one has ever walked out after doing so. Think carefully, Master Chang."

Prince Le chuckled softly, speaking deliberately, "Speaking of which, I'm quite curious, Miss Yu. You're so young, and a woman at that, how did you manage to secure a position among the five Decision-making Bosses of Nine Dragons City? With so many heroes and stalwarts in Nine Dragons City, Taisui, you must have gone through great lengths to persuade them all..."

Prince Le emphasized the word "persuade" with an audacious tone, but before he could finish his sentence, a gust of wind struck his face, and the overwhelming pressure instinctively caused his eyes to bulge.

"Ah Hong."

As Yu Shu's words were barely spoken, Red Ghost's foot abruptly halted at the tip of Prince Le's nose. The movement was fluid, without a hint of hesitation.

The two men beside Prince Le, as if awakening from a trance, had just raised their machetes when Prince Le barked an order to stop them.

Red Ghost gradually retracted her right foot, her expression icy, and slowly stepped back to stand behind Yu Shu.

Prince Le's Adam's apple bobbed, contemplating the fact that Red Ghost was at least four or five steps away from him. Not to mention himself, even the two men behind him, who had practically fought their way to their standing with nothing but their fists and feet, and had not even seen Red Ghost's swift movement, let alone the most renowned Red Stick of Consecutive Victories.

"Taisui's temper is so explosive, I was only joking," Prince Le said with a forced laugh.

Under Taisui, there was one skilled in letters and one in martial arts. Chen Minhong was once the Sixth Arena Master, and since her withdrawal, no one in the Nine Dragons Boxing Ring had dared to claim that title, a testament to her intimidating presence. Liao Zhizong was even more formidable. A veteran of the Triad, he had been an advisor to the former Shanghai Hung Men Boss, an inner circle member to Qian Hai, and the great-grandson of the Senior Elder of Hongmen, Zhong Yangzhao. When Mr. Sun Yat-sen joined the Triad to organize a revolution, it was Zhong Yangzhao who introduced him!

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By seniority, Prince Le should address Liao Zhizong as "Uncle." For many years, people believed that the Taisui of Nine Dragons City referred to Liao Zhizong, and even Prince Le was convinced that Yu Shu was merely a decoy set by Liao Zhizong, while he himself was the true big shot of the Kowloon Walled City Boxing Ring.

Yu Shu did not respond to the prince's words. She scrutinized Prince Le's countenance for a moment before slowly shaking her head, and the words that followed made Prince Le's heart skip a beat.

"Master Chang, I must admit I admire your audacity and boldness. However, you have greatly underestimated Wu Haoxi, that old ghost..."

On the dimly lit long street, a boy with a stick of bubblegum in his mouth wandered aimlessly, his eyes devoid of focus. He carried a loose bundle on his back. Before him stood a restaurant painted in red, its signboard emblazoned with the golden letters on a blue background: Fuxiang Restaurant.

The boy stood still for a moment, then suddenly bit down hard on the gum, breaking it with a crisp snap, and stepped into the restaurant.

The owner of Fuxiang was Wu Haoxi's son-in-law. Wu Haoxi, over sixty and childless, usually dined here for lunch.

"I've always said that Prince Le would eventually squander his father's fortune with his wasteful ways, and now Consecutive Victories is in a complete mess. Can you believe he actually went to the Boxing Ring to stand up for his men?"

Hong Kong's largest drug dealer and Chairman of the Kowloon Walled City Committee, Wu Haoxi, had a square face with drooping eyelids.

He listened quietly to his son-in-law's words, and after a while, he spoke, "I've never met this young man, Chang Kailai, but he has a good reputation. His father, Chang Shen, is on his last breath, and even the elders of Consecutive Victories aren't entirely loyal. The rest are all opportunists, but Floral Shirt Nine is one of the few enforcers who is truly loyal to Prince Le. It's not surprising he's causing such a stir..."

Around the table sat about seven or eight people, all close to Wu Haoxi or his juniors. They all smiled to varying degrees at the comment. Consecutive Victories claimed to be the largest 'He' society in all of Hong Kong, but spreading themselves too thin wasn't necessarily a good thing. Just Wu Haoxi alone was enough to cause Chang Shen great distress. If they were to also provoke the famously fierce Taisui from Nine Dragons City because of this, Consecutive Victories would certainly not be able to withstand it.

The boy ascended the stairs with a tense expression, his bewildered gaze sweeping around, out of place in the bustling, lively environment of the restaurant.

At the height of the banquet, Wu Haoxi received a phone call. The voice on the other end was frantic, but Wu Haoxi didn't even lift his eyelids, his relaxed jowls hanging in layers like a meditating old monk.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

The man who had earlier mocked Prince Le filled Wu Haoxi's cup with wine and asked.

Wu Haoxi did not answer, his tone laced with amusement.

"The calf doesn't fear the tiger because it's new to the world!"

The man blinked, not understanding the old man's sudden sentiment.

"The Consecutive Victories' men didn't go to Fuk Yee Mansion after entering the city; instead, they took Dragon Ferry Road to New Street."

The man's face changed, his wine cup tilted, spilling onto his sleeve, and the others at the table also stood up.

New Street was Wu Haoxi's stronghold, where most of his manpower, equipment, and funds were concentrated.

"What's the panic about!"

Wu Haoxi rebuked.

“Father, I didn’t consider everything thoroughly.”

The man’s expression soured; he thought Prince Le would engage in a fierce confrontation with Taisui, unopposed by the city guards, gleefully watching from the sidelines as if to enjoy a fight between tigers. But instead, he found himself the target of Consecutive Victories’ aggressive charge.

“Using deception to destroy the enemy, such an ancient trick.”

The elder tapped the tabletop lightly, calmly lifting his cup to drink in a single gulp, the alcohol flushing his cheeks with a ruddy hue.

"Chang Shen, your son, he's not bad."

He was about to rise from his chair when he caught a glimpse of a dirty-faced boy with his hands in a cloth bag, and a chill ran down his spine, sobering him up a bit. Relying on instincts honed from years of fighting, the elder suddenly flipped the table!

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The boy squinted one eye, his arms numb from the recoil, as smoke wafted from the barrel of the gun.

Bullets penetrated the table, one grazing the elder’s shoulder, another striking true, hitting Wu Haoxi’s son-in-law directly in the neck.

"Ah Jun!"

Wu Haoxi’s eyes reddened with fury.

The boy clumsily held the gun, his hands trembling, as a burly man fearlessly tackled him to the ground. Pinning the boy’s frail arm to the floor, the handgun was knocked away.

Wu Haoxi rushed forward, and before he could get a good look at the boy's face, he frowned, lifting the boy's shirt to reveal a thin, bony frame wrapped with a ring of pale yellow detonation cord.

Outside the restaurant, a man with a cigarette dangling from his lips watched as the ember glowed intermittently. Suddenly, gunshots erupted from inside, and without hesitation, he pulled a remote from beneath his clothes and pressed the button.

“Boom!”

...

“You arranged a private meeting with the Committee’s people. Si Lizheng is a fence-sitter, unlikely to take a bold stance. The Flower Lady, involved in the Flesh and Skin Business, took your money early on. Smuggling King Yu ZhanKui has a Letterhead Background, making him almost one of your own. Nine Dragons City has been quiet for years without firearms; you wanted to change that, and your plan was thorough, showing both courage and strategy.”

Taisui Yu Shu spoke with a relaxed tone: “But you miscalculated two things.”

Prince Le leaned back, his expression flickering, but he responded with a carefree voice:

“I’m all ears.”

“First, Wu Haoxi has dominated Dragon City for years, controlling over eighty percent of Hong Kong’s drug supply. He’s a tougher bone to chew than you think. Even Consecutive Victories would lose a few teeth trying to uproot him. Second…”

The woman’s smile vanished, veins on her forehead bulging as her voice turned icy cold.

“You son of a bitch, using me as a human shield, thinking I’m an easy target? Damn your stinking guts, you won’t even glance at the rotten delights of the West. Today, no one from Consecutive Victories will leave this building on their feet!”

**********

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