Chapter 111: The Methods of Old Stick

Just as everyone finished dividing their tasks and prepared to set off, Old Stick, who was usually reticent, suddenly spoke up.

"Wait a moment." Old Stick let his eyelids droop, always looking as if he had just woken from a slumber.

"What is it, Old Stick?" Yang Jiekai asked. He understood Old Stick's character well. Despite his lethargic, chain-smoking appearance, he was inherently vicious and ruthless—a silent, black-necked cobra that, once it struck, would make its prey wish for death.

The fact that he spoke up now meant he had already formed a plan.

"Fighting like this will, at best, only cause North Dog to suffer a defeat; it’s meaningless," Old Stick said, his voice listless and sluggish.

"Then what do you suggest? Stop beating around the bush, damn it!" Qin Feng was impetuous; just the mention of a fight had him worked up.

Old Stick finished his cigarette in a leisurely manner before walking slowly over to Yang Jiekai and whispering a few words in his ear.

After hearing him out, Yang Jiekai pondered for a moment. "Fine, let's do it that way."

The general plan remained the same: Wang Sankui and his men from the East Suburbs would proceed as scheduled, racing to North Dog’s lair in the North Suburbs to loot it, while Long Xiaoman and the Dragon Hall members would continue their surprise attack on the restaurant where Yuan Datou and his North Dog cohorts were dining.

Yuan Datou, having just won a battle, was enjoying himself at the restaurant with his subordinates, completely unaware that a pair of eyes was coldly watching him from the shadows.

"Sister Long, they are still inside," the owner of those eyes whispered into a phone.

Long Xiaoman, who had been lying in ambush near the restaurant, waved her hand. "Move out!"

A large, imposing group charged forward, with Yang Jiekai disguised as a Dragon Hall underling, blending into the crowd.

As they reached the second floor, Long Xiaoman grabbed a beer mug from the bar and happened to come face-to-face with a North Dog man heading downstairs.

"Damn it, I'm from the North Suburbs, get out of my way!"

The man was intoxicated by the recent victory and already quite drunk; he looked down on everyone and felt no suspicion when he saw the large group heading up.

*Bang!*

Without a word, Long Xiaoman smashed the mug against the man’s head. The glass shattered, and the man collapsed in a pool of blood without a sound.

"Get them!"

Dressed in a black trench coat, Long Xiaoman threw away the handle of the mug, pulled a machete from her waistband, and charged in.

A chaotic brawl ensued.

They say a weak leader makes for a weak group, but Yuan Datou, the boss of the North Suburbs, was vicious and cruel, and his men were no different. In terms of pure combat power, the North Suburbs were arguably the strongest among the four suburban gangs.

Seeing the aggressive charge, the North Suburbs thugs didn't flinch, grabbing their weapons and rushing to meet them.

Yang Jiekai, still disguised, didn't even bother with a weapon, yet wherever he moved, a trail of bodies fell. After the fight, the North Dog men were left confused: the enemy was clearly outnumbered, so why had they been defeated so quickly?

"Listen up! I am Long Xiaoman, the big sister of the Dragon Hall. The East Suburbs are now under my control. Whoever dares to trouble the East Suburbs again will be crossing me!"

Wearing high-heeled boots and a black trench coat, Long Xiaoman stood on a table, machete in hand, lecturing the crowd lying on the floor.

The North Dog men were too busy nursing their bloodied faces to notice that their boss, Yuan Datou, was missing.

At that moment, a van was speeding toward the back mountains.

"Damn you all! You’d better kill me today, or I’ll wipe out your entire families tomorrow!"

Yuan Datou sat in the back of the van with knives held to his throat by two Dragon Hall brothers, yet he showed no fear. He had risen to become the boss of the North Suburbs through sheer ruthlessness and immense gall.

Yang Jiekai sat in the passenger seat, smoking a cigarette calmly. Without turning his head, he said, "Plug his mouth; his noise is annoying."

Two Dragon Hall brothers immediately stuffed a rag into Yuan Datou’s mouth, leaving him only able to emit muffled groans.

About an hour later, the van drove up the winding mountain road and pulled to a stop in a remote area. Yang Jiekai opened the door, had the brothers drag the hog-tied Yuan Datou out, and led him into a dense forest.

"Old Stick, he's here. Do what you will!"

Yang Jiekai had them throw the bound man to the ground and had someone pull the rag from his mouth.

"Damn you! What do you want by bringing me here?"

"I don't know. Ask him." Yang Jiekai leaned against a large tree and gestured toward the darkness.

Suddenly, several high-powered flashlights clicked on. A man walked slowly out of the dark. He had drooping eyelids, a thin, dark frame, and a slight hunch, with a cheap cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked as listless as ever.

"Damn you, who are you? I'm telling you, you'd better kill me, or I'll wipe out your family tomorrow!" Yuan Datou shouted at the man, still defiant.

"Fine. If you’re still alive tomorrow, come find me. My name is Old Stick."

Old Stick waved his hand, and several Dragon Hall brothers began digging with shovels. Soon, a hole over a meter deep was dug. Old Stick walked over, grabbed Yuan Datou by the hair, and tossed him into the pit.

"What are you doing!" Yuan Datou realized what was about to happen; his voice lost its edge. "Damn it! If you’re men, give me a quick death!"

Old Stick smiled—a silent, eerie smile. He crouched by the pit and said to Yuan Datou, "Do you know what it feels like to be buried alive?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "First, you'll feel it’s hard to breathe, then your chest will tighten, and after about ten minutes, you’ll be comfortably suffocated."

Only Old Stick could describe death in such a way.

Yuan Datou was terrified. He wasn't afraid of dying, but he feared the ten minutes Old Stick spoke of—ten minutes of being buried in the earth like a root vegetable...

Old Stick finished his cigarette, flicked the butt into the pit, and waved his hand. The men began filling the hole with dirt.

Yuan Datou started to struggle violently, then cursed, and finally, began to beg. Death was not scary; waiting for it was.

"I was wrong! I was wrong! Please, spare me! You can have all my territory, just don't bury me!"

Even a vicious character like Yuan Datou finally broke under such cruelty. Old Stick signaled for the men to stop, ordered them to drag Yuan Datou out, and untied his ropes.

Yuan Datou, utterly terrified, knelt and knocked his head against the ground like a machine. Old Stick was trembling—not from anything else, but because he was laughing, a soundless, convulsive laughter.

"Death can be forgiven, but not the punishment for your crimes."

After he had finished laughing, he kicked Yuan Datou to the ground. He grabbed the man’s chin with one hand and picked up a stone with the other, smashing it against his mouth, blow after blow.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The muffled thuds made the surrounding Dragon Hall members, including Yang Jiekai, feel a chill. Yuan Datou’s teeth were knocked out one by one. When the last tooth fell, the men around him finally let out a breath.

Yang Jiekai exhaled deeply. He had witnessed many major events and acts of torture, but something like this was a first. Interrogating prisoners on the battlefield was common, but this was China; wasn't this a bit...

However, Yang Jiekai realized he had breathed a sigh of relief too soon, as he witnessed a scene of unimaginable carnage.

After knocking out all of Yuan Datou’s teeth, Old Stick began to tremble again. Yuan Datou’s limbs were convulsing; he looked at that silent, grinning face as if falling into an icy abyss. He wanted to scream, but could only open his blood-filled mouth.

Old Stick grabbed Yuan Datou’s chin with one hand, reached toward his face with the other, and suddenly curled a finger...

*Aah—!*

Yuan Datou’s scream echoed through the forest as blood sprayed from his eye socket like a fountain!

This sight made several Dragon Hall members vomit, and even Yang Jiekai couldn't help but shudder. Old Stick had only said he would bring him to the mountains to teach him a lesson; he hadn't said anything about gouging out an eye!

After finishing, Old Stick slowly stood up and sucked on a finger stained with blood and various bits of human tissue.

At this, even Yang Jiekai nearly retched, while the others were practically throwing up their own guts.

"Yuan Datou, listen well." Old Stick lit another cheap cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. "I'll spare your dog life today. If you want revenge, come find me anytime."

Yuan Datou was now a broken, ghostly wreck, lying on the ground, his limbs twitching, unable to utter a single word.

A mountain breeze blew through, and everyone shivered—not from the cool air, but from the chilling reality of what they had just witnessed.