Chapter 78: One-Eared

In an instant, all eyes focused on the blanket. Underneath, Lin Shengnan trembled even more violently, and the atmosphere grew ambiguous.

Liu Jingye scratched his head and said, “Ah, just now, the boss lady asked me to teach her a couple of self-defense moves, in case anything unexpected happens tonight. I accidentally struck back and think I might have hurt her.”

The crowd remained unconvinced. Stone, ever the straightforward one, asked, “Boss lady, are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Lin Shengnan practically roared, her shout shaking dust from the ceiling. “All of you, get out!”

Everyone hurried out sheepishly. The boss lady’s word was still law. Stone, grinning foolishly, asked, “Big Brother, where exactly did you hit the boss lady? She seemed to be in a lot of pain.”

Liu Jingye felt so awkward he wanted to kick him, but could only force himself to reply, “I just nudged her, maybe my hand was too heavy.”

They gathered in the courtyard, which was more spacious. Liu Jingye took out some cigarettes and passed them around. The group squatted together in the yard, looking for all the world like inmates out for some air in prison.

“Big Brother, what moves did you teach the boss lady? Could you teach me too? We might need it for tonight’s big fight.” Stone was always eager to learn from Liu Jingye.

Liu Jingye made something up. “It’s nothing much, just moves for emergencies—poke the eyes, kick the crotch, that sort of thing.”

Inside, Lin Shengnan heard every word, gritting her teeth and muttering, “I ought to kick you to death!”

Outside, Liu Jingye listened as they chattered away. The territory they were about to fight for was on the west side of downtown—a bustling area, including a commercial street lined with bathhouses, KTVs, and other high-end venues. It used to be Huangchao’s turf; they often dealt goods there and squeezed considerable money from the rich kids every day.

Since Huangchao had laid the groundwork, the shop owners there all knew the rules. Every month, they’d pay protection money without complaint, even if the fee went up. They never bargained.

Stone and the others were excited. If they could seize this turf, the protection fees alone would make them rich, and other sources of income would surely follow.

“It’s fine to grab territory and collect protection fees,” Liu Jingye said. “That’s the way of the underworld. But drugs are absolutely forbidden.”

He didn’t say more, but his resolve was clear. Everyone understood: if they ever broke his rule, they could forget about his help, or even being his brothers.

Everyone nodded. They were still hot-blooded men with a sense of justice. Their donation to the fallen officer last time made that clear.

The atmosphere grew tense. Liu Jingye quickly changed the subject. “If we take this turf, will the bathhouse owners dare charge us in the future?”

At the mention of women, the mood instantly lightened. Big Ox snorted, “Of course they wouldn’t dare! If they don’t show us even that courtesy, who would protect them?”

“Exactly,” Second Ox agreed. “Not only wouldn’t the owners charge us, some of the bathhouse girls, knowing it’s our turf, would come cozying up to us!”

Everyone burst into laughter. Liu Jingye added, “If you come across any with curves in all the right places, save them for me!”

Hiding under her blanket, Lin Shengnan muttered fiercely, “Save your own neck instead!”

As they bragged and dreamed of a bright future, dusk gradually fell. The mood grew tense—the moment to change their fate was nearly upon them, though no one knew what tomorrow would bring.

“Don’t worry, I saw the weather forecast—tomorrow will be sunny. We’ll definitely see the sun!”

“Enough talk, focus up. Time to move out.” Lin Shengnan suddenly appeared, having regained her composure. She looked as resolute as any man, but didn’t spare Liu Jingye a glance.

Big Ox brought around a minivan; everyone piled in. Hu Ming had gone ahead to contact fellow villagers in the city, calling in reinforcements.

The negotiation was set for the largest nightclub on the turf. It was closed for the day, and all the entertainment venue owners in the area had gathered—they wanted to see who would be in charge and how strong they were, since they were the ones paying.

Hu Ming and the villagers met them at the entrance, about twenty people in all, dressed in various styles. Some still wore aprons and sleeve protectors, their hats advertising Indian flatbread—obviously just pulled off a food stall. Others clutched yellow hard hats, fresh from the construction site.

Regardless, they were all fellow villagers, come from the same place to this unfamiliar city, now here to support each other. No need to fight—just standing together was enough.

“Thank you, brothers, for coming,” Lin Shengnan said, exuding both authority and warmth. She folded her hands in salute. “If we succeed today, I won’t forget your help. From now on, we’ll watch out for each other here, sharing fortune and misfortune.”

Everyone nodded, expressing their support in their hometown dialect.

“Alright then, let’s go.” With a wave of her hand, Lin Shengnan led the group into the nightclub.

Unusually, the nightclub was ablaze with lights and already packed. Two distinct groups were present: one, about a dozen people, lounged in the booths; the other stood in the dance area, numbering forty or fifty, a formidable show of force.

With Liu Jingye’s group joining in, the place seemed ready to burst, and the tension was palpable.

Upstairs, outside the private rooms, a dozen entertainment bosses from the area stood well away, watching the drama unfold.

“Well, everyone’s here at last.” A man in the booths stood up, his tone dripping with disdain. “I never imagined you little punks would really show. Since you’re so eager to die, we’re happy to oblige...

I’ve said before, if I ever caught you, I’d cripple you. You ragtag bunch think you can fight for territory? All you know are dirty tricks to ruin business. Tell me, who threw snakes and released rats in the clubs a few days ago? Who splashed filth in the bathhouses the next morning?”

As the man raged, Liu Jingye finally understood why Lin Shengnan and the other outsiders qualified to compete for the turf—they’d used such underhanded tactics to sabotage the business, forcing the owners to yield.

As the saying goes, a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake, but even the local snake can be bested by a toad. They weren’t challenging head-on, just making themselves impossible to ignore.

“Cut the crap!” A brawny man in the dance area, his accent thick and foreign, shouted, “Don’t show off your Huangchao bluster. You’re just minor players on the fringes. Now that your boss is gone, who are you anyway?”

“That’s right. You’d better worry about yourselves. The police might be out looking for you,” Lin Shengnan added at just the right moment—if you want to compete, you have to project strength.

“A dead camel is still bigger than a horse. Haven’t you heard?” the Huangchao man retorted coldly. “Even with our troubles, dealing with you is child’s play. Enough talk—come meet your end.”

As soon as he finished, all the Huangchao thugs beside him stood up, each wielding a machete that glinted menacingly in the light, striking fear into all who saw them.

The outsiders in the dance area weren’t cowed; each produced a steel pipe or wooden club, some brandishing kitchen cleavers, exuding murderous intent.

“Get ready, brothers!” Lin Shengnan called, and they drew their own weapons—every one a small knife, with Stone gripping his butterfly knife, sharper than before.

Lin Shengnan and the burliest, Big Ox, each held a gun. Although they’d been tricked and the guns couldn’t fire, they made for impressive props.

“Damn, you actually have guns?” both sides exclaimed in shock.

Given the current crackdown—especially on organized crime—low-level thugs never got their hands on firearms. This was far beyond anyone’s expectations.

“They must be fake. With the police sweeping the city, who still has guns?” the Huangchao man said calmly, a veteran of the underworld. “Besides, only we Huangchao have the real deal in this city. You’re not fooling anyone with toy guns.”

He’d hit the nail on the head, but Lin Shengnan remained unruffled. “No need for talk—if you want to know if they’re real, come and try.”

“Fine, I’ll try. Let’s see if your toy can kill me.” The thug actually strode over—anyone who could hold sway here was a hardened old hand.

Cursing and swaggering closer, he taunted, “Come on, shoot! Bossy as you are, if you don’t shoot me, I’ll have my way with you later…”

He drew nearer and nearer, his leering grin all the more loathsome. Lin Shengnan was sweating bullets—this gun couldn’t fire. If the ruse was exposed, not only would they be mocked, but their morale would be crushed. What to do?

Just as panic peaked and he came within reach, a thunderous bang split the air, a flash of fire streaked past—the bullet whistled by the thug’s head, ripping off his ear.

He let out a blood-curdling scream, clutching his ear as blood gushed through his fingers, his howls so piercing they made the scalp crawl and legs go weak.

“You really have a real gun?” Pandemonium broke out; everyone scrambled back, some diving for cover, and not a single soul dared utter a threat.

Normally, someone would’ve retorted, “You’ve only got two guns—we’ve got dozens of people. How many can you kill?”

But Liu Jingye sneered inwardly. “That’s nonsense. Sure, two guns can’t kill them all, but who lives and who dies? Who knows where the next bullet will land? Who wants to take that chance?”

Their reaction was perfectly rational. The thug-turned-one-ear was half-dead with pain, his screams growing weaker, and none of his underlings dared approach, not even to help him up.