Chapter 77: 74 Chan Ho Nam

Imperial Mansion Nightclub.

Chan Ho Nam and his men got out of the car and walked in.

"Welcome!"

"Sir, what kind of service would you like?"

A waiter came out to greet them.

Si Yanming was not far away. He recognized Chan Ho Nam and his group at a glance—they were all from Wanchai, after all.

However...

Chan Ho Nam was just a low-level thug, while Si Yanming was the right-hand man of the Wo Shing Society's acting leader, Chui Gai. Their statuses were completely different, and he didn't even bother to acknowledge someone of that level.

Chan Ho Nam scanned the room and happened to see Si Yanming.

"Brother Ming!"

Chan Ho Nam hurried over and greeted him very politely.

"Brother Ming, long time no see."

"Hmm." Si Yanming glanced at Chan Ho Nam, nodded slightly, and kept up his airs.

Chan Ho Nam smiled obsequiously: "Brother Ming, I'm looking for Da Tou. I heard he's here."

Si Yanming still didn't care and turned to leave.

Chan Ho Nam felt ignored, a surge of frustration rising in his heart, but he had to swallow it. Who told him he was still just a low-level four-nine member? Si Yanming was already a strategist for the Wo Shing Society; their statuses were not equal.

Therefore,

He needed status!

He needed standing!

Chan Ho Nam became even more desperate to perform a meritorious deed!

"Brother Ming..."

Chan Ho Nam hurried to catch up. Brother B had given the order; no matter what, he had to get this done today.

"Brother Ming, my boss, Brother B, wants to see Da Tou. Could you please put in a word for us? I'll treat you to dinner next time..."

Dinner?

Who would care for a meal from a small-time punk like him?

"Sorry, no time!" Si Yanming pushed Chan Ho Nam aside and walked away quickly.

"Brother Ming..." Chan Ho Nam wanted to chase after him, but he was already blocked by Si Yanming's underlings.

Chan Ho Nam: "..."

A surge of humiliated rage rose in his heart, but he didn't dare cause trouble here.

Da Tian Er and Bao Pi, standing behind Chan Ho Nam, felt the same humiliation.

It was all Mountain Chicken's fault!

If it weren't for him... perhaps Brother Nam would already be a hall master!

Next, the three of them started searching for Da Tou everywhere, checking room after room. But the Imperial Mansion Nightclub had countless rooms; without someone to guide them, they couldn't find Da Tou at all, and they even angered some of the guests.

Finally, the search failed.

The three of them walked out of the Imperial Mansion Nightclub dejectedly and came to the side of the road.

"Bang!"

"Damn it!" Chan Ho Nam kicked a utility pole in anger.

Bao Pi: "Brother Nam, what now?"

Da Tian Er: "We can only wait."

Bao Pi: "Should we ask Gao Zu?"

It would have been better not to mention Gao Zu; mentioning him only made Chan Ho Nam more depressed.

Clearly, he and Gao Zu were on the same level before, but now Gao Zu was the leader of Causeway Bay, while he was still a low-level four-nine.

"Call him!"

Chan Ho Nam gritted his teeth. He knew Da Tou was very important to Brother B, so he couldn't afford to fail this mission.

Chan Ho Nam picked up his phone and called Gao Zu.

It connected.

"Hey, Brother Zu!"

"Oh, Ah Nam, what's up?" Gao Zu's voice came through.

"Brother Zu, Brother B asked me to find Da Tou. I've already arrived at the Imperial Mansion Nightclub, but I don't have his contact information and can't reach him. Could you give me his number?"

Gao Zu: "Da Tou doesn't have a phone. How about this: I'll call Si Yanming from the Wo Shing Society and have him arrange it."

Chan Ho Nam: "..."

It was even more heartbreaking.

His own attempts to curry favor with Si Yanming were useless, yet Gao Zu only needed one phone call.

Why was Gao Zu's influence expanding so fast?

So fast that he didn't even have the qualifications to see his back anymore.

Gao Zu: "Wait... I almost forgot. Ah Xing is with Da Tou. I'll have Ah Xing take you to him."

After hanging up the phone,

Not long after, Ah Xing walked out of the nightclub and headed straight for Chan Ho Nam.

"Brother Nam!"

"Ah Xing!"

"Brother Nam, should we wait a bit? Brother Da Tou is currently 'one against six' and hasn't finished yet." Ah Xing reminded him.

Chan Ho Nam realized what he meant.

Da Tou had spent eight years in prison and had lived through such bitter days; he certainly deserved to relax.

Chan Ho Nam: "Alright, we'll wait."

Over an hour later, Da Tou came out, beaming with joy.

"Da Tou, long time no see!"

"Ah Nam!"

The two hugged.

At this moment, Chan Ho Nam couldn't help but recall the days when he fought for territory with Da Tou. The brotherhood ignited again, and he couldn't help but complain to Da Tou:

"Da Tou, we are brothers, after all. How could you not tell me when you got out of prison?"

Da Tou: "..."

Looking at the three of them, he was already cursing in his heart.

Brothers?

Not telling you when I got out?

When I was in prison, did you come to visit me in the last few years?

Only Gao Zu visited him, and he even came to pick him up specially when he was released.

Who was a brother was clear at a glance.

Chan Ho Nam: "Da Tou, Brother B was very happy to hear you were released. He's set up a table in Mong Kok to welcome you back."

Da Tou thought about it; he probably couldn't refuse this meal.

"Alright!"

The group got into the car, but Ah Xing didn't follow.

Da Tou, Chan Ho Nam, and Da Tian Er sat in the back seat.

Chan Ho Nam started showing concern: "Are you still angry that I didn't stand up for you back then?"

Da Tou: "I am angry. I'm angry that I wasted eight years—the most precious eight years."

Chan Ho Nam patted Da Tou on the shoulder: "Do you want to come back?"

He wanted Da Tou to come back, but he also didn't want him to. His feelings were complicated.

"I'm not coming back." Da Tou shook his head: "I've made a mistake once; I don't want to repeat it."

Chan Ho Nam frowned: "But besides being a gangster, you can't do anything else."

Da Tou: "I can open a sweet soup shop, a newspaper stand, sell bento boxes, or drive a taxi... anything works."

"What's the use of doing those?" Chan Ho Nam said directly: "Even if you do those, you still need a society to protect you. Besides, following Brother B would be better than that..."

Da Tou looked at Chan Ho Nam and suddenly laughed.

It seemed to carry a hint of mockery.

Da Tou still remembered when Gao Zu picked him up from prison, Gao Zu was supportive of him "going straight."

And Chan Ho Nam?

He still felt that the society was a good thing.

This was the gap between Gao Zu and Chan Ho Nam!

Chan Ho Nam felt Da Tou's mocking expression and became a bit annoyed: "In Hong Kong now, what industry isn't related to the society? If you don't have someone protecting you, you won't make it."

Da Tou sneered: "You make the society sound so powerful, then why don't you try collecting protection fees from the Bank of China or HSBC..."

On the other side,

Gao Zu walked out of a hospital in West Kowloon.

Two hours ago, Little Jew had been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment due to heart problems, so Gao Zu had abandoned Da Tou and rushed to the hospital.

Little Jew was the first woman he felt he really liked. He didn't know why, but he just liked her a lot.

After leaving the hospital,

Gao Zu didn't stop and took Gao Gang and Ah Xing to Portland Street.

Also, there was one more person—Billy!

That's right, the number four workhorse, Billy!

Billy was very happy at this moment because he had once again gained Gao Zu's approval and was brought along to handle business.

The inner circle!

I've entered the inner circle!

Oh yeah!

Thirteen Sister's hall.

By the side of the road, Thirteen Sister and her underlings, including Fatty Fai, were waiting early to welcome Gao Zu.

[Image]

(PS: The fat guy on the right is Fatty Fai.)

Gao Zu got out of the car.

"Brother Zu, long time no see!"

"Sister Cui, still as heroic as ever!"

"Brother Zu!"

"Brother Zu!"

"Brother Zu!"

Thirteen Sister's many underlings shouted in unison.

These Hung Hing underlings all looked at Gao Zu with reverence.

Gao Zu was the Hung Hing Financial Master, a wealthy boss, rich and powerful, running for councilor, and handsome and cool—he was simply a legend.

*Kowtow to the boss.jpg*

Gao Zu smiled and nodded: "Hello, everyone..."

Thirteen Sister gestured: "That car thief, Xi Gui, has already been caught. He's on the roof!"

Gao Zu: "Thank you, Sister Cui."

The two walked into the hall together, followed by their underlings.

Soon,

Under Thirteen Sister's guidance, Gao Zu arrived at the roof of the nine-story building. On the terrace, a man who looked one-third like Qiu Gang Ao was tied to a chair.

[Image] His mouth was stained with blood, and there was a wound on his forehead.

Clearly, he had already been beaten up.

When Gao Zu came up, Xi Gui, who was tied to the chair, also looked up at Gao Zu.

He was a man of extraordinary temperament, like a rich young master—wearing a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, exuding an aura of wealth.

However, Xi Gui didn't recognize Gao Zu.

Because he had only recently been released from prison and often stayed in Stanley Prison.

As for the police officer Li Cangdong, in order to crack a major case involving a fierce bandit, he had targeted the bandit Ba Bi (Wah Tin), who had robbed gold shops twice in the past few years and had an extremely high IQ. This time, returning to Hong Kong, he wanted to make another score, but the gang needed someone who was a great driver.

So, Li Cangdong set his sights on Xi Gui, who had been racing cars since he was a child. He visited Xi Gui in prison, hoping Xi Gui would become an informant.

Xi Gui refused directly.

Who would dare to be an informant? They would end up dead!

Anyone in the underworld knew that informants never had a good ending. He had been hanging around the gray circles with his father since he was a child, so he knew this even better.

[Image]

Li Cangdong left disappointed.

But Li Cangdong didn't give up. He prepared to use Xi Gui's sister and a 1 million high-interest loan to force Xi Gui to become an informant.

He had already sent people to track Xi Gui. As long as Xi Gui saw his sister being forced into prostitution and waited for Xi Gui to steal a car to make money, he would arrest him immediately and force him to be an informant, or else send him straight to prison.

"You don't recognize me?"

Gao Zu pulled over a stool, sat on it backward, and sat in front of Xi Gui.

"Sorry, who are you?"

Xi Gui had just been released from prison and really didn't know who Gao Zu was.

Gao Zu: "Let me introduce myself formally. My name is Gao Zu, the leader of Causeway Bay... You stole my car the day before yesterday, a blue Bentley."

Xi Gui remembered immediately. He had stolen that blue Bentley and sold it for 80,000.

He didn't expect the owner to find him so quickly.

He gave a bitter smile.

Gao Zu: "You're unlucky. You stole my car. Even if you had stolen any other car, it wouldn't have been this easy to find."

Xi Gui turned his head away: "Since you've caught me, do whatever you want!"

Gao Zu laughed: "Are you willing to die?"

Before Xi Gui's father died, he owed a loan shark named Ma Fu Rong 800,000. By now, with interest, it had rolled up to 1 million.

And Ma Fu Rong, as his name suggested, was a pimp—he trained prostitutes and wasn't from Portland Street, but rather a mobile operator who took his girls wherever they were needed.

Ma Fu Rong had captured Xi Gui's sister a year ago, forcing her to work as a prostitute. After Xi Gui was released from prison, he went to save his sister the first chance he got, but he was caught on the spot by Ma Fu Rong, who beat him half to death.

With no other choice, Xi Gui could only go steal a car, and then he stole Gao Zu's car.

Xi Gui: "..."

He fell silent.

Of course he didn't want to die.

He still had to save his sister and let her live a good life.

This was the only hope in his dark life.

Little did he know that Ma Fu Rong and his gang would definitely keep forcing his sister to serve customers until she was in her thirties or forties and no one wanted her anymore, at which point they would throw her away like trash.

Gao Zu patted Xi Gui on the shoulder.

"Handsome, that car of mine cost over a million. I've gotten it back, but it also cost me 300,000 in losses (a bluff)..."

"I, Gao Zu, am known as the Heavenly Venerable of Charity. Seeing you're so pitiful, I'll only charge you 300,000 with 1% annual interest."

Xi Gui gave a bitter smile.

Another 300,000!

That made it 1.3 million!

But to survive, Xi Gui could only agree.

"Fine, 300,000 it is." Xi Gui said, "But I already owe Ma Fu Rong 1 million. He has my sister, and I need to raise money to save her. I might have to pay you back that 300,000 later."

"Fine!" Gao Zu nodded.

He wanted to save this Xi Gui. On one hand, he really did pity him; on the other, he could get a system reward; and finally, he could get a loyal driver.

Just for the last one alone, it was worth a million.

However, Gao Zu was used to PUA; saving someone couldn't be too easy.

Just then,

"I am Li Cangdong, Senior Inspector of the West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit!" (His real identity was Senior Inspector of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau.)

"What are you doing?!"

A loud shout came up to the roof, shouting loudly.

Gao Zu, Thirteen Sister, and the other underlings all turned their heads to look, and then saw a police officer holding his police ID walking out from the roof door.

Billy's whole body shook!

Damn!

Li Cangdong rushed up. Several of Thirteen Sister's underlings chased after him, looking helplessly at Thirteen Sister; they wanted to stop him, but they couldn't at all.

After Li Cangdong came up, his mood was a bit anxious. Xi Gui was someone he had spent a long time finding as a suitable informant. With his sister in his hands, he would definitely obey his orders to go undercover in the fierce bandit team.

Li Cangdong saw Xi Gui tied up but not seriously injured, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

[Image]

And then...

He saw Billy!

His whole body shook!

My god, why is Zhang Jianxing here too?

The two happened to be in the same group of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau, and Li Cangdong had even led Zhang Jianxing for a few days.

Billy was stunned. Why did he see a colleague?

Gao Zu saw all this in his eyes and roughly understood: this Billy was definitely from the Criminal Intelligence Bureau.

Li Cangdong reacted and shouted, changing the subject:

"What do you want to do?"

"Kidnapping? Extortion?"

Gao Zu smiled lightly: "Officer, don't be anxious. I'm just playing a game with Xi Gui... right, Xi Gui?"

Xi Gui nodded quickly: "Yes, we're just playing a game."

"Gao Gang, untie Xi Gui." Gao Zu said.

"Yes, Brother Zu."

Gao Gang took out a key, inside which was a small knife, and stepped forward to cut Xi Gui's ropes.

Xi Gui was untied, stood up, and stretched his body.

Gao Zu looked at Li Cangdong.

This guy came so fast; it seemed he had been watching Xi Gui all along.

He guessed he was very anxious to have Xi Gui go undercover in Ba Bi's (Wah Tin) fierce bandit team.

You couldn't say he was a bad person; he had done quite a few good things. You couldn't say he was a good person either; he had pitted quite a few people.

A year ago, when he was handling a drug case, his informant Fei Weng was at the scene of the transaction. As a result, he ignored Fei Weng's life and rushed in with his men. In the end, the informant was exposed and hunted down by drug dealers.

After the case was closed, he was promoted because of it, but the 1 million he had promised Fei Weng turned into 100,000. Fei Weng was hunted down repeatedly afterward, driven crazy, his family was broken, and he ended up in a miserable state.

And now, Li Cangdong wanted to use Xi Gui's sister to force him to be an informant.

"Let's go!"

Li Cangdong pulled Xi Gui and went downstairs.

He knew Gao Zu was not easy to deal with and there was no need to waste time here.

If a grudge started now, it might lead to the failure of the undercover operation against Ba Bi's team.

However,

Li Cangdong had another relationship with Gao Zu.

The informant Fei Weng, who had been driven crazy by him a year ago, had become a beggar because he was half-crazy. It was Gao Zu's people in Causeway Bay who took him in and gave him a place to live. Li Cangdong had visited him many times out of guilt.

From this point of view, Li Cangdong had a good impression of Gao Zu.

Gao Zu shouted at Xi Gui, who was walking into the stairwell: "Xi Gui, remember the 300,000."

Xi Gui: "Okay."

Li Cangdong: "What 300,000?"

Xi Gui: "I owe him 300,000."

Li Cangdong: "..."

No, you already owe Ma Fu Rong 1 million, how did you owe someone else 300,000 in the blink of an eye?

After Li Cangdong left,

Thirteen Sister said to Gao Zu: "Brother Zu, why did you let him go just like that?"

Gao Zu smiled: "No rush... Help me send someone to keep an eye on this person."

Thirteen Sister: "No problem... Are you free tonight? Let's have dinner together?"

Gao Zu nodded: "Alright!"

On the other side,

Yunlai Tea House, private room.

Tea flowed, chicken feet, steamed pork ribs, char siu buns, sizzling beef brisket noodles...

"Brother Chiang, your Hung Hing has been too arrogant lately!"

Piu Gor and Old Pan from Hung Lok and Cheung Yee finally made an appointment with Chiang Tin-sang to have tea together.

They had been cursing for several days, but Hung Hing hadn't reacted at all, which made the two leaders very dissatisfied.

They felt they had lost face.

But if they fought directly, Hung Hing hadn't come over to plant their flag, so they couldn't run to Hung Hing's territory to fight, right? That would be poking a hornet's nest.

Piu Gor and Old Pan, who were a bit exasperated, called Chiang Tin-sang directly and asked him to come out for a meal.

So,

They met at Yunlai Tea House today.

Chiang Tin-sang sipped tea with a smile: "You two don't have to be so angry. Let's talk it out clearly, take it slow."

Piu Gor slapped the table: "Chiang Tin-sang, it's easy for you to say. Now it's my people who have been messed with by your people."

[Image]

(PS: Piu Gor (left), Nineteenth Brother (middle), Old Pan (right))

Chiang Tin-sang retorted: "That's not right, isn't it your people who messed with Ah Zu?"

"You're not unaware that Ah Zu hates drug trafficking the most."

"Besides, Ah Zu clearly already negotiated with them, but they refused to withdraw from the school. You tell me, isn't this a provocation to Ah Zu?"

Old Pan slapped the table: "That's a school he bought, what kind of territory is that?!"

Chiang Tin-sang: "Why isn't it territory?"

Old Pan cursed: "According to underworld rules, opening bars, clubs, etc., in someone else's territory requires the consent of the hall master of that area; otherwise, it's considered planting a flag!"

Piu Gor nodded: "That's right!"

Chiang Tin-sang rolled his eyes: "Are you two crazy? Is a school a club? Is it a bar? Is it a company? It's a school, a place to cultivate pillars of society!"

Old Pan and Piu Gor: "..."

No, you're a Hung Hing leader,

Why is this positive energy so strong?!