Chapter 129

Li Zhongjiu rose to power alongside Shi Dongchu, but in the underworld, everyone is trash—to claim any real bond between them would be a joke. Especially since he was a man who valued himself and was rather proud.

To remain calm in times of crisis, keep a clear head, maintain an elegant and composed demeanor, and not be swayed by emotion—these are mandatory lessons for those in power.

So the first thing he did upon hearing the news was confirm Shi Dongchu's fate, then analyze what advantages he'd gain if Shi Dongchu were dead, and how to maximize his benefit. Only after that did he investigate who had killed Shi Dongchu. As for whether he felt anything inside about Shi Dongchu's death—there was no such thing to speak of.

If the man standing before him weren't a senior officer, he might've put on a show. But now that the officer had given his explanation, it was better for him not to cause trouble. Otherwise, if they slapped him with obstruction of justice, he'd be locked up for at least two days—and then he'd have nothing left to do.

As for this "normal traffic accident" story—forget it. Whoever believes that's an idiot.

He knew this better than anyone. Except for those lost at sea in the last land reclamation project, everyone he killed died of "natural causes." None of them were good people—who knew who better than him?

The two most powerful people in Jinmen Group, after Shi Dongchu, were him and Ding Qing. He swore he hadn't done it, and besides, they were all under the Hu Pai—Shi Dongchu sitting as boss was already most advantageous to him. Who else could it be?

Power is poison. Even he, once the second brother, now the third, wanted to be boss. Not to mention Ding Qing, who used to be boss and was now second. Anyone who's grown used to being boss won't tolerate some idiot pointing fingers above his head.

It was simple: while they were still the main force of Hu Faction against World Association, suffering heavy losses, Ding Qing saw his chance to fully unify Jinmen Group—so he killed Shi Dongchu. Then he made a secret deal with World Association, offering them heavy profits to keep Hu Faction tied down. And since Ding Qing was already second-in-command, he wasn't just some nobody—he had his own prestige within Jinmen Group. Ascending to boss was only natural.

"Hey, Li Zhongjiu, what the hell do you mean by that?" Ding Qing glared at him. "You suspect I ordered the accident? What benefit would that give me?"

He even suspected Li Zhongjiu did it. After all, this bastard's ambition was never hidden—he'd wanted to be boss for years. Kill Shi Dongchu, and he'd seize full control of Hu Faction's forces. Then make a deal with World Association to keep their main strength occupied—perfect path to the top.

"Don't you know whether there's benefit or not?"

Li Zhongjiu was stubborn. Once he decided it was Ding Qing, it was Ding Qing—no matter who came, it was still Ding Qing.

Ding Qing frowned. "Didn't you hear the officer say it was a normal traffic accident? The drunk driver's already been arrested—didn't you hear that?"

He had no reason to kill Shi Dongchu. Shi Dongchu was already set to be the next boss, and right now they were locked in a fierce battle with World Association. Killing Shi Dongchu would bring internal chaos and external exploitation—what benefit was there? It would weaken Jinmen Group's cohesion, let World Association take advantage, and derail his own development plans.

Even though Jinmen Group and World Association were nearly killing each other, World Association had standards: legitimate business meant fair competition; illegitimate business meant whoever had the stronger methods won. Even if his territory was encroached upon, his profits weren't affected at all.

So while his logistics couldn't match Wind and Sea's, his normal deliveries and profits remained largely untouched. His construction company was booming too—since neither Wind and Sea nor World Association had entered construction, and no other gangs were his match, he was making piles of cash.

If it weren't for daily fights costing him money for medical bills, bonuses, and payouts to the dead, life would've been perfect.

Li Zhongjiu didn't want to waste time on useless babble. Their boss's body was still warm—he had to show his stance.

"Enough. Stop saying things neither of us believe. The boss's corpse is still bleeding—first, handle his funeral. Then we'll settle accounts."

After saying this, he gave the old bastard watching the spectacle nearby a look.

"Right, the top priority now is to properly arrange the boss's funeral. Let's deal with everything else later." The bald old Wang Ba, catching the glance, stepped forward from the crowd: "As for the vacant leadership position, and since we still need to face World Association, we can't be without a leader. I propose that Director Zhang Xiuji handle daily affairs for now. What do you think, Director Ding, Director Li, and all the other directors present?"

Before anyone could speak, Zhang Xiuji waved his hands: "No, no—I've long stopped dealing with these matters. It's up to Director Ding and Director Li."

The bald old Wang Ba said: "Director Zhang, don't be modest. We all know your ability, and your seniority speaks for itself. Isn't that right, everyone?"

"Director Zhang is fine."

"We trust him."

………

A chorus of old Wang Bas endorsed him; the others turned to look at Ding Qing and Li Zhongjiu.

Li Zhongjiu smiled slightly: "Of course, Director Zhang is the most qualified person now. Let him take it. What do you think, Director Ding?"

Ding Qing nodded, tacitly agreeing.

Sun Sect had been stripped clean by both of them—they had no real power left. For now, acting as a neutral figure was appropriate. No one meant for the old Wang Ba to actually become boss—he was just a figurehead, to reassure the brothers that Jinmen Group wouldn't fall apart just because Shi Dongchu was gone. Hold the line—don't let World Association exploit the weakness.

Real power still rested in their hands. If Zhang Xiuji got out of line, he'd be in the sea within three days.

"Then it's settled. Everything waits until after the boss's funeral. Stay alert these days—don't give World Association any opening. Dismissed."

Li Zhongjiu gave Ding Qing a long, deep look, then left with his men.

The boss's funeral wasn't important—his own safety was. Now that Ding Qing dared kill Shi Dongchu, he must've prepared thoroughly. Li Zhongjiu had been caught off guard—he needed caution. What if he got killed? Better to retreat strategically, avoid Ding Qing's sharp edge. If Ding Qing was ready, today—even if it were his own father's funeral—it wouldn't matter. They'd have to settle it once and for all.

Ding Qing felt wronged. Being stared at like a murderer made him almost resentful. He was a gang boss, a respected businessman—when had he ever endured such humiliation?

Looking at all those suspicious eyes, Ding Qing cursed: "Shit." Explaining only made him look guiltier.

He shook his head and got in the car with Li Zicheng.

Shi Dongchu's funeral would be handled by others—no need for them. He needed this time to prepare. What if Li Zhongjiu went mad and killed him outright?

In the car, Ding Qing glanced at Li Zhongjiu, hesitated, then asked: "Did you do it?"

Li Zhongjiu froze, frowned, and slapped Ding Qing hard: "What the hell are you thinking? What benefit would Shi Dongchu's death give us? Hmm?"

Ding Qing rubbed the spot he'd been hit, grumbling: "I'm just trying to figure out who did it. Now Shi Dongchu's dead, we're in deep trouble. Could it be Li Zhongjiu and World Association…?"

Li Zicheng, watching the window, noticed the silence and turned to Ding Qing, who was frowning in thought: "Hey, keep going."

Rubbing his temples, Ding Qing murmured: "Could it be… not anyone else, but World Association—or even Wang Yan? He wants us and Li Zhongjiu to destroy each other, then he picks up the pieces."

Li Zicheng paused, thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Unlikely. In the past year of clashes, except for that stalemate in Guangzhou at the start, we've been on the losing end everywhere else. World Association's strength is enough to crush us outright—they don't need to play games. They've always moved steadily, never rushed. They've waited over a year—what's one more moment?"

"And if Wang Yan did it, he'd have killed us both. We've shot at him before, and we killed Park Jeong-ui. From everything we've learned about him over the past year, he's not the type to play tricks. If he wanted us dead, he'd have acted long ago. So I don't think World Association is the main suspect."

After hearing Li Zicheng's analysis, Ding Qing nodded and temporarily dropped the idea.

"The top suspects are two people: Li Zhongjiu and Zhang Xiuji. Li Zhongjiu's been eyeing the top spot for years. As for Zhang Xiuji…" Ding Qing rubbed his head. "Forget it. Shi Dongchu is dead. Who did it doesn't matter anymore. We need to prepare—don't let Li Zhongjiu take over. Otherwise, we're both dead."

Li Zicheng nodded. No need to say it—if they took over, Li Zhongjiu had to die.

"Contact Han Yongzheng. Tell him to wrap up his affairs and bring his men back. Assign someone else to handle World Association—we need him now."

"Got it."

Back at their club, Ding Qing, Li Zicheng, and a few trusted men stayed up all night discussing.

Fire was at their heels—no one had time to sleep. If they didn't prepare fully, everyone here would die. No one would escape.

………

The next day.

After a night of research and only brief rest, everyone dispersed.

After parting ways, Li Zicheng drove alone to his usual chess hall and found his contact.

He handed Song Xinyu all the evidence he'd gathered, and they began playing Go.

Absently placing a stone, Li Zicheng asked: "You know about yesterday's events, right?"

Song Xinyu lazily brushed aside the stray strands of hair falling over his forehead: "I know. Commander Jiang and the others held an emergency meeting last night."

"How about it? Am I...?" Li Zicheng felt uneasy; even though he knew the answer, he couldn't help wondering—it was something he'd longed for so long: "Can I report back to the police station?"

As expected, under Li Zicheng's disappointed gaze, Song Xinyu shook her head: "You must continue your undercover assignment."

"I understand." Li Zicheng gave a self-deprecating shake of his head and stood up. "Let's end it here. I'll go talk to Chief Jiang—I'm sure he hasn't told you the full plan."

"Alright."

Song Xinyu watched Li Zicheng walk away and sighed. Over the years, she had seen this disappointed back of his too many times. Once you walked this path, how could you turn back?

Li Zicheng drove again to the abandoned complex and pushed open the iron gate.

Captain Jiang frowned: "You shouldn't have come now."

Truth be told, if it weren't for the police records he held on Li Zicheng, and if Li Zicheng still had some moral boundaries, that arrogant attitude of his would've left him buried under three feet of grass long ago.

Perhaps Li Zicheng had no hesitation killing him back then—partly because of that disrespect.

"I want to know your plan."

Captain Jiang pulled out a cigarette, lit it, tossed it to Li Zicheng, exhaled smoke, and watched him light it. "Shi Dongchu's death came too suddenly—it disrupted our plan, but it's also an opportunity."

"Who do you think killed Shi Dongchu?"

Li Zicheng said: "Either Li Zhongjiu or Zhang Xiuji."

Captain Jiang smiled faintly: "It was the World Association."

"World Association? We've analyzed this..." Li Zicheng repeated the analysis he and Ding Qing had done: "So the World Association's involvement is unlikely. Unless... you have proof?"

"Does having proof even matter?"

Li Zicheng froze: "You're trying to incite hatred between the Jinmen Group and the World Association? You want to escalate the conflict?"

Captain Jiang nodded, his expression smug with "as expected": "I'm not belittling you, but Wang Yan is far superior to you all. Our side, along with Japan, Guangzhou, and other regions, has begun joint operations. We've deployed countless undercover agents—the World Association is practically a sieve. And yet, even under these conditions, we haven't found a single piece of evidence to indict him. So to escalate the conflict between Jinmen and World Association, to force Wang Yan to expend more energy—over time, he'll inevitably slip up."

"And this is the best opportunity. Our colleagues in Japan reported that yesterday, World Association's leader Zhang Dongrui pulled roughly three thousand full members from various cities. You know how strict their recruitment standards are—they're nearly as rigorous as elite military units—and they only have about seven thousand members total."

"Through the mouths of Wang Yan's two brothers, we learned where these people were sent. One group was dispatched to Japan; another to Bangkok in Thailand. So..."

Li Zicheng frowned: "So you're using the excuse that World Association's elite forces are depleted and internally vulnerable—that Shi Dongchu's death was staged to throw Jinmen Group into chaos, leaving them unable to focus on World Association? Is that really your reasoning?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that, under current internal and external pressures, whether it's Ding Qing, Li Zhongjiu, other senior members, or even mid- and low-level thugs—they all need a universally accepted justification, don't they?"

This wasn't a conspiracy—it was an open strategy.

Anyone with eyes could see that Jinmen Group has already been losing to World Alliance. Left unchecked, Jinmen's destruction is inevitable. The lower-level thugs don't care—they're not important. But anyone with even a sliver of power doesn't want to see Jinmen collapse into civil war and be swallowed by World Alliance. Survival, preserving Jinmen, preserving their wealth and status—that's everyone's shared interest. Give them a reason, and with World Alliance now vulnerable, escalation becomes inevitable.

Li Zicheng thought their method was acceptable, but he still felt they'd underestimated Wang Yan. He frowned: "When did World Alliance order the troop movements—before or after Shi Dongchu's death?"

Captain Jiang didn't understand why he asked, but after thinking, replied: "Shi Dongchu died at night, so the troop orders must've been issued earlier. What's the issue?"

"Before Shi Dongchu died, Wang Yan already gave that order. Doesn't that strike you as strange? Considering social impact, Jinmen and World Alliance rarely clash with forces exceeding a thousand. But the scope is enormous—they control cities and are attacking others, with daily skirmishes everywhere."

Li Zicheng looked at Captain Jiang like he was an idiot: "So moving that many men means he knew the remaining forces were enough to handle us—so he could expand overseas. If you know World Alliance's recruitment standards, didn't you consider their combat capability?"

"Hey, what's that look for, kid?" Captain Jiang grumbled. "You can see this problem—do you think our team of professionals can't? Seriously..."

"I overthought it." Li Zicheng nodded. "Then who's going to lead it? Not me, right? That's practically a death sentence."

"Of course not. We have other assets. Who exactly? You'll find out later." Meeting Li Zicheng's probing gaze, Captain Jiang shook his head and made a fist: "Our goal this time is to wipe out both Jinmen Group and World Alliance."

He turned to Li Zicheng beside him: "Your moment hasn't come yet. Prepare for war with World Alliance. This is the last time. Whether we succeed or fail, after this, you'll return to the police force."

"Last time?" Li Zicheng was skeptical—he'd heard that too many times. Each time, it ended in empty hope.

Captain Jiang clapped his shoulder, nodding firmly: "Last time."

Li Zicheng stared into Captain Jiang's eyes. Their gazes locked... He let out a scoff, said nothing, and turned to leave.

"F*** you, old Wang Ba."

That was the one thing he most wanted to scream at Captain Jiang right now...

………

Ding Qing could hack into the police intelligence division from within China—so Wang Yan could do it even better. He himself was a highly skilled, well-rounded computer expert.

Even without computer skills, just by throwing money around, he could pinpoint the police unit handling the World Alliance case—the very superiors of World Alliance's undercover agents.

Like the humble Section Chief Cui sitting before him now.

"So you and Seoul, Busan, and other police departments have teamed up to make World Alliance and Jinmen Group destroy each other—and then take me out too?"

Section Chief Cui nodded: "Yes, Mr. Wang."

Wang Yan asked: "Do you know how they plan to execute it?"

"Mr. Wang, my knowledge is limited. This is a higher-level operation. I heard from the commissioner that even high prosecutors from Seoul and Busan are involved..." Cui stopped, then worriedly added: "Mr. Wang, this time is truly..."

Before he could say more, Wang Yan waved him off: "Tell me what you know."

Section Chief Cui dared not continue, cutting himself short: "Seoul's police have undercover agents inside Jinmen Group—multiple, and of very high rank. So they plan to use one of them to persuade other Jinmen middle- and upper-level members to provoke a large-scale conflict with World Alliance. They also have other methods, though vague. From my analysis, due to Shi Dongchu's sudden death, they're trying to use their high-ranking undercover agents to seize control of Jinmen Group."

Wang Yan nodded: "Any other information?"

"None. I stayed up all night at the police meeting—came straight here the moment it ended, afraid I'd delay your affairs."

"Good. Thank you, Section Chief Cui. Your information is invaluable." Wang Yan glanced at his subordinate standing afar: "Come, see Section Chief Cui out."

"Thank you, Mr. Wang." Cui bowed deeply and followed the subordinate out with a flourish.

Wang Yan lit a cigarette, leaned back on the sofa, and exhaled a smoke ring.

It was 2006. In just a few months, it would be 2007. And soon after, South Korea's next political showdown would begin.

He'd expected this day to come—but never this soon.

World Alliance and Wind and Four Seas—one a dominant gang crushing South Korea's underworld, the other a newly risen internet tycoon—both firmly controlled by Wang Yan.

And he was closely tied to politicians and officials—how could anyone believe he had no problems?

Of course, he truly did have problems. Ever since taking control of Busan, he'd been scheming with them.

Even if Wang Yan himself had no desire to get involved, it didn't matter. His status and influence were too great—countless vested interests would drag him in. Refusing meant death.

Wang Yan didn't know Captain Jiang's story—if he did, he'd laugh himself to death.

"Wipe them all out"? Before he even gets the chance, it'll be his entire family who's dead.

Section Chief Cui understood clearly: it was all about control.

Shi Dongchu's death had caught them off guard, for they had surely given him prior instructions—after all, they had collaborated before, and everyone knew the score.

Now that Shi Dongchu was dead, they had no choice but to alter their plan, and conveniently, everyone arrived at the same time. So the incident escalated immediately; they all engaged in a round of outside-the-board maneuvers for amusement.

Although Wang Yan hadn't anticipated they would seize the opportunity to strike, he simply needed to stay alert. After all, if everything went smoothly, he would have already penetrated deep behind enemy lines. Then, a last-minute reversal could utterly destroy a bunch of fools.