On the bus.
Through the windows, the employees’ family members had seen everything that had just happened.
First, the intellectually disabled young man had stabbed Baldy in the butt. Then Baldy, enraged and humiliated, had smashed the young man over the head. After that, Cheng Gang had led his men out of the bus and taken down more than a dozen thugs in twenty seconds.
There hadn’t been a single dull moment. Everyone had watched with their hearts pounding—both terrified and exhilarated.
Their first thought was: Was the company their children worked for actually legitimate?
Why did it feel even more ruthless than the gangs?
But soon, when they saw the gang of roadblock robbers beaten into complete submission, many of them began to see the bright side. They found it deeply satisfying.
“My goodness, those young men are incredible!”
“There were more than twenty of them, and they were all knocked down in the blink of an eye. I didn’t even see how they struck!”
“My Erniu works for the Wanlong Association. He once told me that everyone at his company was really good at fighting. I thought he was just bragging, but it turns out it’s true.”
“‘Good at fighting’? That’s an understatement! They’re unbelievably tough. It feels like each one could take on ten men.”
“Just look at their skills, their presence, those matching black suits… Tsk, tsk, tsk. They look even more like gangsters than the ones on television.”
“What do you mean, ‘like’? They are gangsters! Look at the dragon emblem on their chests. That’s their gang insignia.”
“Isn’t that the company logo?”
“No!”
An elderly man began analyzing the matter with great seriousness.
“When I was young, I spent some time in the provincial capital. I heard the street toughs say that the gangs in Hong Kong all carried themselves like this—matching clothes, matching insignias, and when the order was given, they attacked without hesitation. They weren’t even afraid of the police. That kind of presence was something ordinary gangs simply didn’t have!”
The old woman beside him gave him a smack. “You old fool, what nonsense are you talking about? It’s a legitimate company. What does it have to do with gangs?”
“Could a legitimate company be this good at fighting?”
“That’s called security. Don’t you know anything about security? All major companies have security personnel.”
“I’ve seen security guards too—the kind standing at the gates of residential compounds. They’re either old men or fellows with enormous bellies who can barely run. But look at these young men. Is there a single one of them who’s fat? They’re all lean and wiry. You can tell at a glance that they fight regularly and know what they’re doing.”
“Now that you mention it… you’re right.”
The old man grew more and more enthusiastic. Lowering his voice, he said mysteriously, “Let me tell you all something. I suspect that this Wanlong Association is a legitimate company on the surface, but in reality… Heh heh. You know what I mean.”
“Know what? Stop talking nonsense, you old man.”
“I’m not talking nonsense. Think about it. What legitimate company would call itself the ‘Wanlong Association’? The name alone has a strong underworld flavor. And what legitimate company offers free tours to its employees’ parents? What do you call that? Buying people’s loyalty! That’s exactly how the underworld wins people over.”
The old woman was so angry that her eyes nearly rolled back into her head. “So you’re saying our children have joined a gang?”
“I never said that.”
The old man hurriedly waved his hands, though his mouth was being much more honest than he was.
“But let’s be fair—even if it is a gang, it’s a good gang. Look at them. They saw injustice and stepped in to help. They even protected us elderly people. They have principles. They’re much better than those bullies who only pick on the weak.”
“Of course they are! Could our children’s company really be the sort of gutter-level gang those thugs belong to? If it really is a gang, then it’s the respectable, honorable kind—the orthodox sect of the underworld!”
A middle-aged woman beside them joined in. “I think Uncle is right. Look at those young men. They may look a little intimidating, but they really do seem upright.”
“Put that way… there’s nothing wrong with joining such an honorable gang, is there?”
“Exactly! My son works in Wanlong Association Logistics. He told me their company is extremely legitimate. They even pay into the five kinds of social insurance and the housing fund.”
“My daughter works as a clerk at Wanlong Supermarket. She said their company even provides those benefits to the women who sweep the floors, and there’s a year-end bonus too. She got seven or eight thousand yuan last year.”
“With benefits that good, I’d accept it even if it were a gang!”
“Exactly! Who cares whether it’s a gang or not? As long as it treats our children well and treats us old folks well, then it’s a good organization!”
“And think about it. Our children work for such a powerful company. Who would dare bully us in the future? If we run into some stupid thugs, we just have to mention the Wanlong Association. They’ll be scared stiff!”
“That’s right! I’m going to say exactly that when I go back to the village. My son works for the Wanlong Association! Let’s see who dares steal vegetables from my fields now!”
“Hahaha…”
The bus erupted in laughter. The tension and fear from moments earlier vanished amid the cheerful voices.
Everyone felt much more at ease.
They were even a little proud.
Just look. This was the company their children worked for.
What presence!
What prestige!
What a sense of security!
Before long, several police cars and an ambulance arrived at the scene.
The ambulance carried Third Fool away.
The police, meanwhile, took Baldy and all his men into custody.
Leading the team was a veteran police officer in his forties, a man surnamed Liu. Two bars and two stars adorned his shoulders.
He surveyed the scene, then glanced at the group of men in black standing in neat formation. His brows furrowed slightly.
“Who’s in charge?”
“I am.” Cheng Gang stepped forward.
“Did your people beat these men?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“They blocked the road and attempted to rob us. They also injured a mentally disabled person. We were acting in self-defense and intervening to help a victim.”
Officer Liu looked him and the group of men behind him up and down, then glanced at the gangsters sprawled on the ground, their faces swollen and bruised.
Are you really claiming self-defense?
With the way you’re dressed and the numbers you have, who was actually defending themselves from whom?
“Which company are you with?”
“The Security Department of Wanlonghui Group in Pearl City.”
Cheng Gang took his identification card from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.
Officer Liu accepted it and carefully examined it.
The identification was genuine, the company was legitimate, and it even held the proper security qualifications.
What’s more, he had heard of Wanlonghui Group.
During last year’s major earthquake, the company—based in another province—had reportedly donated more than two billion yuan. It was quite well known throughout the province.
He then asked Cheng Gang a few more basic questions, and Cheng Gang answered them clearly and confidently.
“All right. I have a general understanding of the situation. Send a few people back with me to make statements. The rest of you can leave.”
“Thank you, Officer.”
Cheng Gang turned around and gave a few instructions to the men behind him. Then he took two of them and got into the police car with Officer Liu.
Baldy and his men were also forced into the police car.
Before leaving, Baldy glared viciously at Cheng Gang and threatened him in a low voice. “Just you wait! Once I’m out, you’ll regret this. Lord Tiger won’t let you off!”
Cheng Gang wasn’t the least bit intimidated. He merely replied, “Bring it on.”
……
Jinchuan City.
The chairman’s office of Tiger Might Group.
A middle-aged man with a square face, thick eyebrows, and eyes as sharp as an eagle’s was standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down over the city.
He held a glass of whiskey in his hand, and the authority he had accumulated from years at the top radiated from him like an oppressive force.
This man was the chairman of Tiger Might Group, Qi Tianhu, better known as “Lord Tiger.”
After a secretary-looking man knocked and entered the office, Qi Tianhu did not turn around. With his back to the newcomer, he asked in a deep voice, “General Manager Yang of Wanlonghui Group is coming here tomorrow, isn’t he?”
“Yes, Boss. I hear he’s coming to attend a city investment-promotion seminar. His itinerary has already been confirmed.”
“Perfect. Arrange a meeting with him. Pick a place—I’ll take him out to dinner.”
“Yes, Boss. I’ll arrange it right away.”
After the secretary left, Qi Tianhu remained standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, his gaze fixed on the enormous new building in the city center not far away.
The main structure of the building was already complete, and a banner hung from its roof.
“Wanlong Plaza Grand Opening Coming Soon—All Major Brands and Businesses Are Welcome to Set Up Shop!”
Qi Tianhu stared at those words for a long while. Then he raised his hand and downed the rest of his whiskey.
“Wanlonghui… I hope this General Manager Yang knows how to play ball. Otherwise…”
Crash!
The glass in his hand dropped straight into the trash can.
