So-so said, "So, Luo Yuchen was right to enter the clothing market. Given their capabilities, finding a manufacturer should be a piece of cake for them. Now we just need to find wholesalers to take these bell-bottoms off our hands. I think this proprietress is quite good. What do you… what do you all think?"
Yuen Mui thought it over carefully, then nodded. "I agree with your point of view. However, we could look around a bit more, find a few more wholesalers, and compare them. As they say, compare the goods among three shops..."
"Fine, let's go then. We can just treat it like window shopping while we're at it..."
"Let's go!"
Amidst their playful banter, the bond between the three grew stronger without them even realizing it.
However, after they changed into their chiffon shirts, they caused pedestrians on the street to stop and stare. This time, it was even more exaggerated. Fortunately, they were protected by the tough brothers from Dragon Gate, who kept shooting warning glares at passersby, which successfully scared off anyone who dared to approach them to chat.
The news that Chung Sing Yee had sent Ah Hang to Jinbi Bar to assassinate Luo Yuchen of Dragon Gate, only for him to be defeated, surrender to Luo Yuchen, and join the ranks of Dragon Gate, spread like wildfire, fueled by those with ulterior motives.
Countless people were in an uproar. Who was Ah Hang? He was the most capable fighter in Chung Sing Yee after Lian Ho-lung. He was also an absolute top-tier figure in Chung Sing Yee, a core member to the core. To think he had now surrendered to Luo Yuchen? Was this some kind of sick joke?
But when one considered the usual overbearing style of Chung Sing Yee, it didn't seem so strange after all. Luo Ting Fat had been ordered to recruit Luo Yuchen, only to be crippled by him. Chung Sing Yee certainly wouldn't be able to swallow such an insult. Therefore, it was only logical that Lian Ho-lung would send his best fighter after himself, Ah Hang, to Sham Shui Po to assassinate Luo Yuchen.
What no one expected was that Luo Yuchen’s strength would be so profound; he had easily defeated Ah Hang and broken his spirit, forcing him into the ranks of Dragon Gate. Chung Sing Yee had truly humiliated itself this time. Luo Ting Fat, a strategist and right-hand man to Lian Ho-lung, was now crippled. Ah Hang, an elite core member, had defected to Dragon Gate and Luo Yuchen. This time, Chung Sing Yee had lost both men and face, their reputation dragged through the mud.
"So, the all-powerful Chung Sing Yee can suffer a Waterloo too!" many thought. "It turns out Chung Sing Yee isn't all that special after all!" Just like that, a sudden newcomer like Luo Yuchen had forced Chung Sing Yee to swallow one defeat after another. So much for being one of the kings of Tsim Sha Tsui—nothing but talk!
However, those with deeper insight thought differently. First, given Ah Hang’s loyalty, how could he have surrendered so easily? Second, even if he really had defected, would Chung Sing Yee just let it slide? Absolutely not! A humiliated Chung Sing Yee would definitely seek retribution. Furthermore, once they struck, it would be a thunderous blow, and they would never give Luo Yuchen another chance.
With Sham Shui Po currently under martial law, and clearly unlikely to lift for several days, what would Chung Sing Yee do? While many gloated, they also wanted to see how Chung Sing Yee would react. Would they charge in regardless of the consequences, or would they find another way?
At the same time, more people were turning their attention toward Luo Yuchen. There was no helping it; Luo Yuchen was currently at the peak of his momentum, red-hot. This rumor had sent Luo Yuchen’s fame skyrocketing; almost everyone in the underworld, or even those just following the various gangs, knew the name Luo Yuchen. In many circles, people were frequently discussing the epic battles of Luo Yuchen.
***
In the western part of Tsim Sha Tsui, inside the massive headquarters of Chung Sing Yee, everyone sat with faces as dark as water, as if they had just lost their own fathers.
Lian Ho-tung could no longer stand the suffocating atmosphere. He slammed the table and broke the silence. "Big Brother, I can't take this anymore! I’m going to muster the men right now and storm Sham Shui Po. I don’t believe the cops in Sham Shui Po would dare to go against me!"
Impulsive, violent, and arrogant were synonymous with Lian Ho-tung. However, it would be a lie to say he had no brain. Behind his manic behavior, there lay a hidden, calculating, and cunning depth that few knew about.
So-so retorted impatiently, "Adong, I already told you, Sham Shui Po is under martial law, and the cops have a mission. If we rush in now, aren't we just handing the cops an easy merit? Usually, the cops might turn a blind eye, but in this situation, do you think they’ll tolerate it? You’d be openly provoking them—do you think they won't fight back? Where would their authority be then?"
Lian Ho-tung said angrily, "This won't work, that won't work—so what do we do? Just let Handsome Chen continue to be this arrogant?" He patted his own face and continued, "Our faces, the face of Chung Sing Yee, have been slapped swollen! If we don't do something, what will the rest of the underworld think of us? Will we still have any power in the future? Will people still fear us?"
"That doesn't mean we should destroy our foundation in one go! We have plenty of men and horses, that's true, but the cops aren't fools! Once they get serious, Chung Sing Yee will be finished! Do you understand?" So-so argued firmly, speaking her mind.
"I just don't believe..." Lian Ho-tung wanted to say more, but he was interrupted by Lian Ho-lung, who had been suppressing his rage.
"Have you two argued enough?!" Lian Ho-lung roared.
Lian Ho-tung and So-so immediately fell silent. Chung Sing Yee was, after all, still led by Lian Ho-lung. No one dared to challenge his authority—at least, no one within Chung Sing Yee dared to do so to his face.
But now, a reckless greenhorn like Luo Yuchen had appeared. Was Lian Ho-lung angry? He was furious! Yet, just as So-so had said, should they muster their men and storm Sham Shui Po now? That would be the act of a fool! Even to vent his rage, he would not sacrifice the foundation of Chung Sing Yee, which could very well lead to the total annihilation of the group. Reputation was important, but their base and future were the most important. Unless they were at the brink of life and death, Lian Ho-lung would not go that insane.
"Big Brother, then what do you suggest we do now?" Lian Ho-tung asked with a long sigh.
Lian Ho-lung looked at his own younger brother, then at his wife, and asked, "Do even you two believe that Ah Hang would surrender so easily?"
Lian Ho-tung curled his lip and said, "Facing life and death, who doesn't value their own life? Or are you suggesting Handsome Chen went to the trouble of spreading fake news just to annoy us?"
So-so added, "Dragon, I know what you want to say. Ah Hang is usually loyal to you, but Adong is also right. When it comes to life and death, no one can be so righteous as to sacrifice themselves. Even Ah Hang couldn't. Besides, even if he didn't betray us, the underworld is already saying he did. Would you still trust him with important tasks when he returns? Aren't you afraid he’s playing a long game, using a strategy within a strategy to return and spy on us, only to sell us all out?"
When it came to interests, So-so and Lian Ho-tung, who had just been at each other's throats, stood on the same side.
Lian Ho-tung said, "Brother, stop overthinking it. Whether Ah Hang really betrayed us or not isn't the point. The point is how we save face so we aren't a laughingstock! That is the priority! As for Ah Hang, we'll deal with him later. Whether we kill him or carve him up, once we've handled Handsome Chen, isn't it all up to you?"
Lian Ho-lung took a deep breath, sighed, and said, "Fine, let's put Ah Hang aside for now. Then tell me, what can we do to save face? Otherwise… should I go to Sham Shui Po myself?"
"Brother, don't lower yourself! What status does that Handsome Chen have, and what status do you have? If you go to him personally, even if you kill him, it will damage your dignity!" Lian Ho-tung quickly advised against it.
"Then tell me, what should we do? Like you said, this won't work, that won't work—are we just going to waste our time here?" Lian Ho-lung said irritably.
So-so suddenly said, "Dragon, actually, we could use a scheme of bribery and sowing discord!"
"Oh? Tell me more..." Lian Ho-lung asked.
So-so explained, "Sham Shui Po is a synonym for a slum, and Handsome Chen is just the Dragon Head of a small gang. How much money could he possibly have to give his underlings? Let's use bribery to sow discord. We'll use money to buy off Handsome Chen’s men, leaving him a commander without an army! Then, Dragon Gate will crumble on its own! Once the martial law ends, killing Handsome Chen will be easy."
"Bribery and discord? Haha, So-so, your mind is as sharp as ever! This plan is brilliant!" Lian Ho-lung thought about it carefully, and the more he thought, the better he felt about So-so’s strategy.
Just as So-so had said, Sham Shui Po was the definition of a slum; the whole district was poor. And that fellow, Handsome Chen, only held six streets—what kind of big business could they possibly be doing? Therefore, Handsome Chen definitely couldn't have much money on him. If even the Dragon Head of a "Lian" faction didn't have much money, let alone his underlings?
As the saying goes, men die for wealth just as birds die for food. There were very few people in this world who didn't love money. Using money to pave the way had been proven time and time again to be an excellent strategy since ancient times.
So-so smiled. "The people of Dragon Gate certainly haven't seen big money. A few hundred thousand is enough to make their eyes light up; they’d even sell their own parents! Dragon Gate only has about ten core members; we can afford a few million. If we can save our reputation with a few million, and even uproot a thorn in our side, and move into Sham Shui Po later, why shouldn't we take this deal? Dragon, Adong, don't you agree?"
Lian Ho-tung nodded incessantly. "Sister-in-law makes sense. It’s only a few million, less than ten percent of one of our usual shipments. Low risk, high reward—I think this plan is viable! I support it!"
Lian Ho-lung thought it over and agreed. "Fine, let's do it as you suggested. But who should we send?"
With Luo Ting Fat crippled, and it still unclear whether Ah Hang had betrayed them or not, he was already gone. There weren't many core members of Chung Sing Yee left. Who to send had become the biggest problem.
"Send A-Wu! A-Wu is usually silver-tongued and incredibly shrewd. If we send him this time, he should be able to get the job done!" So-so suggested.
A-Wu was also one of the core members, though he didn't know the most sensitive secrets, such as bank accounts. However, he was well-versed in core information like the shipment of narcotics, so he was a solid, core member, with a status similar to Ah Hang's.
"Fine, send A-Wu!" Lian Ho-lung nodded, making the final decision.