Chapter Seventy-Six: Seizing Territory

Liu Jingye enjoyed a sumptuous free lunch, flirted shamelessly with the manager, and distributed a stack of business cards—such were the perks of being a hero.

But the moment he stepped outside, his expression grew grave. He pulled out his phone and dialed Yuan Xiaoying.

She answered with irritation as soon as the call connected: “What’s your deal? You cracked the case, haven’t you had enough yet? Let me tell you, if you want to feel good, you’d better make sure I feel good first. If I’m not happy, you’ll never be happy!”

“I’m happy when you’re happy. We’re really talking about the same thing here,” Liu Jingye replied.

Yuan Xiaoying snapped, “You’ve changed for the worse. After getting close to me, instead of being grateful, you’re getting bolder by the day.”

“More accurately, it’s a natural progression, a gradual development, everything falling into place,” Liu Jingye corrected her.

“Cut the nonsense, I’m busy interrogating that murderer right now,” Yuan Xiaoying said.

“What did he say? What’s his motive?”

“He claims he killed because the victim stole his research results and claimed them as his own. He was furious and that’s why he killed,” she responded.

“Impossible…” Liu Jingye said firmly. “Looks like he won’t tell the truth unless you turn up the heat.”

“Enough with that, torture is illegal,” Yuan Xiaoying retorted.

“But for some people, it’s the only way,” Liu Jingye’s voice suddenly turned cold. “This case is absolutely not as simple as he claims. This guy has Japanese connections, and what they’re working on is highly valuable. I suspect he’s a spy.”

“A spy? Really?” Yuan Xiaoying said, doubtful. “How does a murder case tie into national security?”

“I don’t know exactly what they’re developing, but it could shake the world and make a fortune,” Liu Jingye said. “I remember a Japanese business delegation came to the city recently, investing in biotech. Ask whether this guy has any links to them. Maybe they wanted the director’s research, and the director refused—maybe that’s the real motive.”

“Why does everything end up connected to that family?” the straightforward Yuan Xiaoying grumbled, more interested in this angle, making Liu Jingye shake his head in exasperation.

He sighed, “If you’d just ease up, we could both enjoy ourselves. Then you’d be part of the Liu family, and none of that would matter anymore.”

“Hey, Xiao Wang, turn the interrogation room temperature up to the max. Xiao Li, get me two buckets of ice water. Xiao Zhao, bring me the electric baton…” Yuan Xiaoying barked into the phone, then directed her words back to Liu Jingye: “So, are you coming to see me or not?”

“Goodbye!”

Liu Jingye quickly hung up, only now discovering Yuan Xiaoying’s violent streak lurking beneath her boisterous exterior.

He lit a cigarette and wandered aimlessly among the towering buildings, gazing at the city’s dazzling splendor. Yet he always felt that beneath the surface lurked unspeakable terror and danger.

“Ever since Yuan Xiaoying appeared, everything seems connected, and the dangers are mounting.”

One Huang Xing had drawn in a Vietnamese drug lord collecting a debt, a Japanese assassin organization, then his own father Huang Guangzong, and the shadowy Japanese syndicate backing him. The city’s secretary-general was also involved, and behind him there must be even greater powers—terrifyingly so for ordinary people. And what might be hidden behind that colossal power was beyond imagining.

Things seemed calm for now, but no one knew when a storm might suddenly break. Liu Jingye loved peace, but he knew well that peace must be won, over and over again, through struggle and victory.

He understood: “Only the strong can enjoy peace.”

Before he knew it, Liu Jingye had wandered to the city center’s pedestrian street, lined with vendors and a dazzling array of goods. In a nearby alley, he spotted a familiar face.

A man and a woman were huddled furtively in the alley, discussing something in low voices. The man held a small bag, opening it for the woman to inspect its contents. The woman was none other than Lin Shengnan, the gang leader.

She had cut her hair short and wore a black tracksuit, still striking but now with a sharper, more capable air.

Liu Jingye was about to approach when the man left, handing the small bag to Lin Shengnan, who in turn passed him a stack of cash.

He crept closer without a sound. Lin Shengnan turned, nearly colliding with him. She was obviously nervous; her hand shook, and the bag fell to the ground.

With a metallic clang, the contents spilled out—two pistols.

“What kind of times are these? Bombs and guns everywhere, like a return to the days when everyone had to fight the Japanese,” Liu Jingye joked helplessly.

“Keep your voice down!” Lin Shengnan, recognizing him, ignored the guns for the moment and instead rose on tiptoes to clamp a hand over his mouth.

She leaned in, falling into his arms by accident. Liu Jingye instinctively reached out, holding her close.

Lin Shengnan, still anxious, glanced around and, seeing no one had noticed, quickly stuffed the guns back in the bag. She disentangled herself from his embrace to avoid embarrassment, shooting him a glare. “If someone saw, what then?”

“So what? Even if the police saw these toy guns, they’d just confiscate them,” Liu Jingye teased.

“You think these are toys?” Lin Shengnan hissed. “These are real homemade weapons. They only fire steel pellets, but at close range, they can be lethal.”

“Don’t kid yourself…” Liu Jingye laughed. “These things probably can’t even shoot plastic BBs.”

“You don’t…” Lin Shengnan began to scold, but realized he wasn’t one of her crew. She quickly opened the bag, took out a pistol, awkwardly removed the magazine—sure enough, it was built for steel pellets. She loaded two pellets, chambered a round, and aimed at a lightbox sign above, firing.

There was a clicking sound, but no pellet fired.

Lin Shengnan was shocked. “What’s going on? It worked fine when I tested it before—the power was impressive.”

“You were given the real thing for testing, but the batch you got in the deal was fake,” Liu Jingye said calmly.

“A bait-and-switch?!” Lin Shengnan fumed, “Those bastards, that’s our usual trick—I didn’t think I’d fall for it myself.”

“If you walk along the riverbank enough, your shoes are bound to get wet,” Liu Jingye remarked.

Already angry, Lin Shengnan glared at him, “The saying is ‘If you walk by the river long enough, you’ll get your feet wet’… Stop twisting sayings, you’re the type who only knows women from the bed and shoes from the floor!”

“Come on… If you’re angry, don’t take it out on me. If you hurry, maybe you’ll still catch the gun dealer,” he said quickly.

“What’s the point? We’re in the same business. As soon as they get the money, they’re gone without a trace,” Lin Shengnan said, resigned.

Liu Jingye shrugged and lit another cigarette. “Why do you need steel-pellet guns anyway?”

“Can’t you keep your voice down?” Her irritation grew. She almost used her own mouth to silence his.

She glanced around, then pulled Liu Jingye aside and whispered, “You mean you don’t know? With the fall of the Imperial Court, the city’s underworld is in chaos. It’s time for a reshuffle. All those who were suppressed before are ready to jump in for a slice of the pie.”

Jingye nodded.

Lin Shengnan’s eyes shone with excitement, as if opportunity was right before her, waiting to be seized. “We’ve been running just one street, which used to belong to the Imperial Court. Now, we plan to take over. There are five KTVs, three large nightclubs, eight bathhouses, a dozen massage parlors, plus countless restaurants and bars. The protection fees alone are staggering every month.”

“Then take it,” Liu Jingye said, fired up by the thought of conquering territory.

“You make it sound easy,” Lin Shengnan replied. “That’s a juicy piece of turf, and plenty are eyeing it. One group, like us, are outsiders—but they’re numerous. I’ve had Hu Ming recruit some fellow provincials working here. Even if they can’t fight, they’ll add to our numbers.

“But the toughest problem is still the remnants of the Imperial Court. Most of the core members have been caught, but the small fry who used to run the places are untouched. They know the territory and the shop owners trust them. So, we have to fight for this turf.”

Liu Jingye gave a thumbs up and sang, “‘Back then, my troop was just getting started, only a dozen men and seven or eight guns…’”

“What’s that supposed to mean—looking down on us?” Lin Shengnan demanded.

“Not at all. I just admire your courage and determination. You’ll be lords of the land one day,” Liu Jingye said sincerely. “Anyway, I’m free, I’ll come along and check things out.”

“No need,” Lin Shengnan declined immediately. “You never wanted to get involved with our business, and we wouldn’t dare trouble you.”

“Don’t say that. You still owe me a million in dowry, remember? I hope you collect it soon, bring your dowry, your sister, and come riding a carriage…” Liu Jingye started singing again.

Lin Shengnan’s gaze flickered. She understood his meaning—he wanted to help. There was no formal alliance, but Daniu and Shitou called him ‘Big Brother’ and together they’d even extorted money from Huang Weiwei. They had shared the spoils; in truth, her brothers already saw him as one of their own.

And having such a strong ally would make taking the turf much more likely. But Lin Shengnan was proud and fiercely independent, reluctant to ask for help.

Still, when he mentioned the dowry, she swallowed her pride. “Since you love singing so much, once we’ve taken the turf, I’ll give you two KTVs.”

“To manage for you?” Liu Jingye pointed at himself, a little excited.

“Pfft…” Lin Shengnan grinned slyly. “You can go drink and sing with the guests.”

“Thank you, Boss,” Liu Jingye said, bowing with folded fists. “By the way, Boss, how likely is it things will get violent tonight?”

“Almost a hundred percent. Why, are you backing out?” she asked.

“No…” Liu Jingye waved a hand. “If it’s inevitable, let me give you a word of advice from experience.”

“What is it?” Lin Shengnan knew he was a fighting expert, so she pricked up her ears.

Liu Jingye pointed at the impressive peaks beneath her fitted tracksuit. “You’d better do something about those, or you’ll be too easy a target…”