Everyone’s eyes fell on the letters embroidered on Scarface’s white suit jacket, their expressions turning slightly odd.
The white suits they wore had no such flashy markings—clean and plain—except for Scarface’s, which stood out conspicuously.
Then, almost in unison, they all glanced at Er Kun. The suit had clearly been a last-minute purchase by him, and it looked suspiciously like a knockoff.
Luckily, Scarface didn’t even consider that possibility. Instead, he thought the bold letters on his chest perfectly suited his status as the boss. In his mind, a leader should stand out from his underlings—that’s what made him special.
Just like the young mistress of a powerful family.
“Er Kun, you did good, kid. Once I officially take over as the hall master of the Xuanwu Hall, I’ll promote you to vice hall master right away!” Scarface gave Er Kun’s shoulder a hearty slap.
Er Kun grinned. “Thanks for looking out for me, Scarface. From now on, I’ll follow you with absolute loyalty!”
“Oh, and Scarface, there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you.”
“Who?” Scarface looked intrigued.
“My cousin.”
As soon as Er Kun spoke, a striking woman with a composed yet slightly conflicted expression walked in.
“Scarface.”
Scarface’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait… isn’t she… isn’t she that cop?”
Er Kun sighed. “Scarface, things got messy. Last time, my cousin let us go quietly, but her superiors caught on and questioned her. She chose to get fired rather than rat us out. Now she’s got no choice but to join us. Honestly, we owe her big time.”
“But don’t worry, Scarface. Even though she’s a woman, she’s got serious skills—can take on four or five guys without breaking a sweat.”
Hearing this, Scarface felt a pang of guilt. “Sis, you stick with me, and I promise you won’t regret it. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of!”
“Th-thanks, Scarface.” Gao Min forced a smile, still uncomfortable with the gangster lingo.
Still, she had successfully infiltrated the group.
And judging by his reaction, he didn’t suspect she was an undercover cop.
Seeing that he’d just gained over thirty new recruits, instantly expanding his influence, plus two exceptionally skilled fighters, Scarface swelled with pride. He waved his hand grandly. “Today’s our first meeting, and as your boss, I gotta show my appreciation. Let’s eat! See that Shaxian Deluxe across the street? Order whatever you want—it’s on me!”
Er Kun quickly shot a meaningful look. “What are you waiting for? Thank Scarface!”
“Our boss is famous for his generosity—he barely spends on himself, always sharing the profits with his brothers. Today, we’re just stuck with Shaxian, but don’t worry! Steaks, seafood feasts—it’s all coming as long as you stay loyal and work hard!”
Scarface gave Er Kun’s shoulder a light pat, saying nothing, but his eyes clearly conveyed, “Damn, Er Kun, you’re a lifesaver. How do you even come up with this nonsense?”
Out loud, he maintained his solemn tone. “Exactly what Er Kun said. I never skimp on my brothers. Stick with me, and I’ll make sure you all live the good life!”
The crowd chorused gratefully, “Thanks, Scarface!”
“Let’s move out!” Scarface led the group with swaggering confidence toward Shaxian Deluxe.
However, not long after they left the bar, another group stormed in aggressively.
Leading them was a buzz-cut man who clearly had military training.
“From today onward, this place belongs to Brother Bing!”
……
By the time Scarface heard about the takeover, it was too late.
“Scarface, bad news! Jiang Bing took over our last turf!”
Scarface’s face darkened with rage. “Zhang Bing’s pushing his luck! Sneaking in while I’m gone to steal my territory? I won’t let this slide!”
“I already handed over one spot like the boss ordered, but he’s still not satisfied? Taking my last one? Unforgivable!”
“Scarface, there’s more… Jiang Bing’s taken over all the turf on this street. And… it looks like the boss even sent him backup,” a lackey added.
Scarface’s flushed face suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon. “Well… maybe we can… let it slide for now.”
The group fell silent.
Er Kun quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Scarface’s right! Even Han Xin endured the humiliation of crawling between someone’s legs. A true leader knows when to bide his time!”
“But Scarface, I never expected Zhang Bing to move so fast. We need a plan—our brothers can’t just lose their turf like this.”
Scarface was at a loss. He’d just gained so many new followers, only to be blindsided. He had no idea what to do.
“Then what’s your plan, Er Kun? Weren’t you the one who swore the boss wouldn’t back him?”
Er Kun scratched his head helplessly. “Plans change, Scarface. Maybe the boss is under pressure. But we can’t dwell on that now—we need new turf to regroup!”
Scarface grimaced. “Take it back by force? The boss won’t like that. If he blames us, we’re done for.”
Er Kun’s eyes gleamed as he leaned in, whispering, “Who said anything about taking it back? Why not aim higher? If we expand the boss’s territory, he might even reward us. Two birds with one stone.”
Scarface blinked. “Where?”
“The train station!” Gao Min, Chu Yang, and Er Kun answered in unison.
Scarface paused again. “You… you guys… that’s brilliant! The train station’s way more profitable. If we take control there, we’ll be rolling in cash!”
Er Kun nodded eagerly. “Exactly! And that area’s always been a mess—no one’s ever managed to unify it. But with a visionary leader like you, Scarface, we’ll dominate the underground scene and become the new kings of the train station!”
The train station had always been chaotic. These days, it was better, but a few years back, the lawlessness was beyond description.
No gang in Bright Pearl City had ever managed to control it. Some said the waters ran too deep; others claimed the people there were truly ruthless.
Before leaving, Scarface instinctively glanced back at the bar across the street.
A few hoodlums at the entrance spotted him and burst into loud laughter, gesturing as if to say, "Look at that guy—he’s like a stray dog!"
Erkun: "Scarface, we’ll get our revenge for this."
Scarface nodded. "Let’s move out."
............
In the narrow alley of the train station’s east district.
Hua Muying had just taken a slip of paper from a young boy’s hands.
Suddenly, over a dozen menacing thugs emerged from all sides, armed with weapons.
The leader, a bald man with a face full of hardened flesh, glared viciously at Hua Muying. "Boss Hua, what are you doing here? Hand over whatever you’re holding!"
Hua Muying calmly slipped his hand into his pocket. "Baldie, what’s this about? We’re old acquaintances—this isn’t the way to treat each other."
"Cut the crap!" Baldie spat on the ground. "I’ve had my suspicions about you for a while."
Hua Muying: "It’s a misunderstanding. I’m just scouting the area for a new shop. Gotta check things out first, right?"
Baldie yanked the boy closer. "Gou Dan, tell me the truth—what did this guy make you do?"
"If you lie, I’ll break your legs and send you begging like the others!"
The boy trembled, stammering, "He... he..."
Then, clutching the still-warm roly-poly toy in his pocket, he did something shocking—he shoved Baldie hard and shouted at Hua Muying, "Run!"
