The phone chimed—another bank alert. Two hundred million had just arrived.
Ding Li stared, stunned. They really earned 200 million? It felt unreal… until he glanced at the machetes and pistols scattered on the ground and remembered how close to death they'd been. No, this money wasn't easy at all. Only someone as terrifyingly capable as Brother Chen could pull off something like this.
Usually the underworld extorts others—not the other way around. Tonight flipped that on its head. After witnessing it himself, Ding Li felt completely convinced: following Brother Chen was the right choice. The man was unstoppable.
Xiao Chen checked the message, smiled in satisfaction, and patted Huang Xing's shoulder. "Master Huang, looks like everything's settled now, right?"
"Yes. It's settled."
Huang Xing forced a smile even though he wanted to kill Xiao Chen. He had already decided he would try to get rid of them later… but he didn't dare show a hint of it.
Xiao Chen tilted his head. "What? Still thinking about killing me?"
"No, no! I admit defeat!"
"Hey, you can kill me… if you're capable of doing it in one strike. Otherwise… you'll die first." Xiao Chen's voice suddenly went cold.
"I—I wouldn't dare."
"Good. Don't. Next time, this knife might slice off your head." Xiao Chen's gaze swept across the room. "Anyone else want to die?"
Every gangster, even the bald snake, immediately lowered their heads. If even their boss had been crushed by Xiao Chen, who among them would dare make a move?
"Dahan, Ding Li, let's go."
Hands in his pockets, Xiao Chen headed out.
"Brother Chen, the guns?" Li Hanhou asked.
"Oh, right. The loot." Xiao Chen turned to Huang Xing. "Want to buy them back? I'll sell them for 10 yuan."
Huang Xing's mouth twitched. Ten yuan? He could buy ten pistols for that price in the black market! "Can I… not buy them?"
"Of course. I'm reasonable. If you don't want them, I'll keep them myself." Xiao Chen walked out.
Ding Li hurried after him, afraid the gangsters might attack him in desperation.
Once outside Xintiandi, he let out a long breath. He had genuinely thought he was going to die. Looking up at the starry sky, his eyes grew wet—he was alive. Still alive. And living felt wonderful.
"Nail, why are you crying?" Li Hanhou asked.
"Huh? Ah—no, just sand in my eyes."
Xiao Chen laughed and clapped Ding Li's shoulder. "After tonight, you'll grow up fast."
"Yeah! I survived a tiger's den—what else is there to fear?" Ding Li nodded.
Li Hanhou grinned. "Tonight was great. Good food, good fight… perfect workout."
Ding Li nearly choked. A gun had been pointed at his head moments ago—this guy thought it was fun?
"By the way, Ding Li, what was that 'bomb' on your waist?" Xiao Chen asked.
"…Instant noodles."
Xiao Chen blinked. "What?"
"I saw on TV that people sometimes disguise bombs with instant noodles… so before coming, I bought a few packs and tied them around my waist. I thought it'd make me look dangerous…"
Xiao Chen almost burst out laughing. This guy was unreal. "And the detonator?"
"I picked it up from a junk station. I think it's a switch from some old appliance."
"You're something else." Xiao Chen gave a thumbs-up.
Ding Li scratched his head, embarrassed. "Brother Chen… I almost ruined everything."
"Doesn't matter. We're alive."
"Alive…" Ding Li teared up again.
"Brother Chen, what about the guns?" Li Hanhou asked.
"I'll keep everything. Might come in handy."
When they were about to part ways, Ding Li asked, worried, "Brother Chen… will Huang Xing come after us?"
"I don't know. But my patience has limits. If he tries again… he'll disappear from this world." Xiao Chen glanced at the fourth floor, cold killing intent flashing in his eyes.
Ding Li trembled. Who was Brother Chen really?
"Relax," Xiao Chen said.
Ding Li nodded and took Li Hanhou toward the subway.
Xiao Chen got into his car, tossed the guns onto the passenger seat, and drove off toward Tulip Villa.
---
On the fourth floor, the bald snake watched Xiao Chen's car leave. "Brother Xing, they're gone."
Huang Xing, having his wounds bandaged, looked furious. Tonight had been humiliating.
"Brother Xing, they split up. Should we take some men and guns and kill that big dumb one and the coward?" the bald snake suggested.
Huang Xing hesitated. The big guy was extremely strong, but a few surprise bullets would handle him…
"No!" Fei interrupted. "First-class experts can sense danger. You might not even get close."
"So what? Even if he senses danger, he can't dodge bullets!"
The bald snake couldn't accept doing nothing. He'd lost a hand and had been beaten again tonight—how could he swallow that?
Fei sighed. "Even if you kill those two, did you forget what Xiao Chen said before he left?"
"He was bluffing!"
"Fine. Anyone who wants to die, go get revenge. I'm leaving." Despite his injuries, Fei stood. "Brother Xing treated me well, so I'll say this one last time—do not provoke Xiao Chen. You cannot afford it."
"Brother Fei, you're just scared! He's great at fighting, sure, but he's still just a man. He can't beat guns, right?"
"With all those guns pointed at him earlier, did he die?"
"That was… different."
Shing!
Fei suddenly drew a knife and held it against the bald snake's neck. His pale face twisted with pain and anger. "Even injured, killing you is as easy as killing a chicken. Do you believe me?"
The bald snake trembled. After seeing the monstrous strength of Xiao Chen and Li Hanhou earlier, he felt cold sweat down his back.
"Brothers, calm down." Huang Xing stood. "Fei, is he really someone we can't provoke?"
"Absolutely not."
"But how can I swallow this humiliation? I've never been shamed like this in years!"
"If you insist on revenge, then I'm leaving. I'm not throwing my life away." Fei hesitated, then added quietly, "Xiao Chen may not just be a top-tier expert… he might be a true martial arts master."
"What?!"
Both Huang Xing and the bald snake were shocked.
"That big dumb guy is already peak first-class—stronger than me. Even one-on-one, I'd lose."
"That strong?"
"That's not even the scariest part…" Fei glanced at the door.
Huang Xing told everyone else to leave. Once they were alone, he asked, "What is it?"
"When Xiao Chen stopped your bleeding… the acupuncture technique he used? That belongs to another level entirely."
"Another level? Meaning?"
Fei shook his head. "Just know this—Xiao Chen has enough power to wipe out the entire Flying Eagle Gang."
Huang Xing's face turned white. "That strong?"
"He can be a friend, not an enemy. And if you can't be a friend… then he must never become your enemy." Fei said solemnly.
Huang Xing stood silent for a long moment before finally nodding. "Fine… we'll swallow this for now."