"They won't be coming out for a while, and even if they did, there'd be no need for them. To deal with you, I'm more than enough on my own!"
Luo Yuchen seemed to read Ah Hang's thoughts and said, looking quite composed, "But thinking you can escape? That’s as difficult as ascending to heaven!"
"Is that so? As long as I kill you, there’s nowhere I can’t go!"
Ah Hang sneered, moving his body in a flash to reappear directly in front of Luo Yuchen, throwing another inch-punch toward his face.
Luo Yuchen raised a hand, deflecting the force of the strike.
Without waiting for his momentum to wane, Ah Hang shifted his feet, bypassed to Luo Yuchen’s left, and turned his right hand into a knife-hand, jabbing toward his waist. If this strike connected, Luo Yuchen would likely end up with several puncture wounds. His kidneys would be ruined, and Luo Yuchen would be either dead or crippled.
Luo Yuchen’s eyes flickered. He finally moved his feet, sliding back just enough to narrowly evade the knife-hand. Then, in a movement that seemed to defy the laws of physics, he surged forward magically, planted his left foot in a lunge, and launched a right-handed strike.
*Li Di Tong Tian Pao!* (The Sky-Piercing Cannon)
One of the great killing moves of Baji!
"Baji!"
Ah Hang was a man who knew his stuff and immediately recognized the technique. He didn't dare be careless; he quickly converted his knife-hand into a fist and threw it forward to meet him.
*Bang!*
A dull thud of colliding bones rang out.
"Ugh!"
Ah Hang felt a monstrous force surge from Luo Yuchen’s fist, traveling through his own arm and into his body. He couldn't help but shudder, losing his composure as he stumbled backward several steps. Terror filled his eyes. His own strength was not weak—in fact, it could be called formidable—but Luo Yuchen’s power was at least twice as heavy and terrifying.
How was this possible? Judging by age, Luo Yuchen was about the same as him. Was this guy practicing martial arts from the womb?
Luo Yuchen didn't care what he was thinking. He stomped his foot and vanished from the spot like a phantom. A split second later, he reappeared right before the still-stumbling Ah Hang. He twisted his waist and shoulder, slamming into Ah Hang with lightning speed.
*Tie Shan Kao!* (Iron Mountain Lean)
The ultimate killing move of Baji!
When practiced to perfection, this move could easily topple a tree that one man couldn't wrap his arms around. Caught off guard, the still-unsteady Ah Hang had no time to react.
*Bang!*
It felt like being hit by a high-speed train. Ah Hang felt a sharp pain in his chest and throughout his limbs. He couldn't hold it back any longer and spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew like a kite with a broken string, crashing hard into the ground several meters away.
"Pfft!"
After hitting the ground, Ah Hang spat out another mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale. Internal injuries! He knew he had been badly hurt.
*Run! I have to run!* Otherwise, he would surely die at Luo Yuchen’s hands.
Enduring the agonizing pain in his internal organs and ribs, Ah Hang scrambled to his feet and turned to flee.
"I told you, thinking you can escape is harder than climbing to heaven, but you didn't believe me!"
Just then, Luo Yuchen’s soft voice sounded from behind him. Ah Hang’s eyes hardened, and then his vision went dark. The world turned black, and he knew no more.
***
"Awake?"
When Ah Hang came to, he heard a voice that felt familiar yet strange. It was a voice he had heard not long ago. Familiar because he had heard it many times; strange because he didn't really know the person behind it. In fact, they were sworn enemies.
Ah Hang shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Racking, heart-tearing pain radiated from his body, causing him to gasp. He looked at Luo Yuchen, who was sitting not far away, calmly pouring himself a drink. Ah Hang frowned, then scanned his surroundings.
A private room? The thumping bass of the music outside made him realize this was still Luo Yuchen’s stronghold, the Jinbi Bar.
"You guessed right, this is still the Jinbi Bar. You aren't anywhere else," Luo Yuchen said, taking a sip of his drink with ease.
"Cough, cough..." Ah Hang coughed, spitting out a clot of stagnant blood. He asked coldly, "Luo Yuchen, what do you want?"
Luo Yuchen smiled slightly. "Simple. Do you want to die, or do you want to live?"
"Hmph! Don't even think about it! I will never surrender!" Ah Hang wasn't stupid; he knew exactly what Luo Yuchen was aiming for.
"Never surrender?" Luo Yuchen chuckled. "If you don't surrender, how did you end up with Lian Ho-lung in the first place?"
Ah Hang fell silent. Before he joined Lian Ho-lung, he had followed another boss—one who had been wiped out by Lian Ho-lung, which was why he had switched sides. But he had only followed Lian Ho-lung because he had been beaten into submission.
*Wait.* Ah Hang froze. When it came to being "beaten into submission," hadn't Luo Yuchen already done that to him?
"Figured it out?" Luo Yuchen smiled. "You could submit to Lian Ho-lung, so why can't you submit to me?"
"Impossible! I will never betray Brother Lung!" Ah Hang said coldly.
"Is it because Lian Ho-lung is still alive?" Luo Yuchen asked, his tone calm and unprovoked.
Ah Hang didn't answer.
Luo Yuchen narrowed his eyes. "What if Lian Ho-lung were dead? Would you submit to me then?"
"In your dreams!" Ah Hang felt a jolt in his heart and couldn't help but shout. He wasn't sure if he meant that recruiting him was a delusion, or that killing Lian Ho-lung was a pipe dream.
"A delusion?" Luo Yuchen said noncommittally. "Lian Ho-lung is just a man, and men inevitably die. Compared to him, I have achieved all this at such a young age, and as for personal strength, you’ve seen it for yourself..."
He paused, then added, "As far as I know, when Lian Ho-lung was 21, he had only taken over one street. I am 21 now, and I have six. In comparison, wouldn't you say I'm stronger than him?"
Ah Hang sneered with disdain. "Those six streets of yours are in the backwater slums of Sham Shui Po. Are they even comparable to Brother Lung’s Tsim Sha Tsui? You’re really gilding the lily, aren't you?"
Luo Yuchen still didn't get angry. He said meaningfully, "So, are you saying that if I am stronger than Lian Ho-lung, you would be willing to follow me?"
Ah Hang lowered his eyes, offering no reply.
Luo Yuchen suddenly chuckled, his tone playful. "By now, the underworld must already know the news that you've surrendered to me..."
Ah Hang looked up at him, initially confused, but a moment later, his eyes widened and he roared, "Luo Yuchen, you’re despicable!"
He knew what Luo Yuchen meant! After knocking him out, he must have spread rumors that Ah Hang had been defeated and, out of admiration for Luo Yuchen’s strength, had voluntarily switched sides. This effectively meant he had already defected from Chung Sing Yee. Despicable! If he hadn't been so badly injured, he would have exploded in a rage. How could someone frame another person like this?
And indeed, the rumor was spread by Luo Yuchen. He had several goals, all of which favored him. He wouldn't have wasted so much breath on Ah Hang otherwise. Talent was hard to come by, but if it couldn't be harnessed, it was useless. Even though Ah Hang was fiercely loyal to his boss, he was a perfect fit for a brawler on the front lines. He kept Ah Hang alive because there was a high probability of flipping him—a probability high enough that Luo Yuchen was willing to go through the trouble. Besides, having Ah Hang around was useful even if he refused to surrender in the end; he wouldn't lose anything but a few bowls of rice.
"Despicable? Heh... when it comes to business, 'despicable' is just a label. 'Despicable is the passport of the despicable; noble is the epitaph of the noble'—surely you’ve heard that saying? You’ve certainly experienced the lengths one must go to reach their goals. Compared to the things your Chung Sing Yee has done, my little trick is child’s play, wouldn't you say?" Luo Yuchen laughed.
Ah Hang glared at him, his eyes filled with such venom that if looks could kill, Luo Yuchen would have been shredded to pieces.
Luo Yuchen waved a hand. "Just rest here and recover. Even if I let you go now, once you return to Chung Sing Yee, they won't believe you haven't betrayed them. They’ll think you’re playing a long game, returning as a mole—especially Lian Ho-tung; he’ll definitely think that, right?"
At these words, Ah Hang’s expression turned bleak. He knew Lian Ho-lung, Lian Ho-tung, and So-so better than Luo Yuchen did. Lian Ho-lung might be reasonable, but Lian Ho-tung and So-so were deeply suspicious people. With rumors swirling like this, how could they believe his innocence? If Lian Ho-tung and So-so whispered in his ear, how could Lian Ho-lung possibly trust him? Returning meant death!
But if he didn't return, he’d be staying here with Luo Yuchen? He wasn't willing! He was trapped here by Luo Yuchen’s dirty tricks, not by his own free will! Even if he didn't want to admit it, he did admire Luo Yuchen’s strength, but admiration wasn't the same as voluntary submission!
"It doesn't matter if you aren't willing now. Soon, you’ll be relieved, and you’ll see my true power," Luo Yuchen said with a smile.
Ah Hang remained silent, like a beaten dog.
Luo Yuchen glanced at him and added, "Things that Lian Ho-lung never had the ability to help you achieve, I will have the power to realize for you in the future. Tell me, do you want to head out into the world? Do you want to test your mettle against the super-gangs of other nations?"
Ah Hang’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but look up at Luo Yuchen. In the man’s eyes, he saw absolute, unshakable confidence.
*Head out into the world?*