The next morning.
Qi Licheng had just woken up in his hotel room. He reached for the phone on the bedside table and turned on the screen. The moment he saw it, he froze.
There were a great many missed calls.
Qi Licheng hated being disturbed while he slept, so he habitually put his phone on silent every night.
Seeing so many missed calls all at once, his heart sank.
“Damn it!”
He sat up abruptly and called one of the numbers back.
“Young Master Cheng! Young Master Cheng! Something terrible has happened!”
“Talk!”
“Young Master Cheng, there’s been a major incident! Our establishments were taken out last night!”
Qi Licheng let out a cold laugh. “What are you talking about? In Jinchuan City, who would dare take out one of my places? Are they tired of living?”
“It’s true! Young Master Cheng, I’m not joking!”
“The bathhouse in the west of the city, the KTV in the south, the mahjong parlor in the east, the foot massage parlor in the north… Even the underground casino personally guarded by Brother Biao—all of them were taken out!”
Qi Licheng’s expression finally changed.
“What did you say? Say that again!”
“All of our places were taken out. Brother Jiu, Brother Biao, and the others have disappeared too. No one knows where they are. The brothers have searched everywhere, but they haven’t found a trace of them.”
“Who did it? Have you figured that out?”
“Not yet. Those people were all wearing masks and hats, so we couldn’t see their faces. But I’m guessing it was probably the Dragon Gang. They’re the only ones who’ve been at odds with us recently.”
Qi Licheng’s face darkened.
He had never expected those bastards from the Dragon Gang to be so bold as to make the first move against him!
“Well… well done, Dragon Gang!”
“If you want to play, then I’ll play with you to the very end!”
The moment he hung up, his phone rang again.
It was Jia Dan.
“Young Master Cheng! Great news! Absolutely fantastic news!”
The moment Qi Licheng heard that, his anger flared. “Every one of my places was wiped out last night, and you’re calling that great news? If you don’t give me a satisfactory explanation today, you can forget about making a living in Jinchuan!”
Jia Dan had not expected such a fierce reaction. It took him several seconds to reply. “Young Master Cheng, please don’t lose your temper. The good news I’m talking about is directly related to what happened last night.”
“What do you mean?”
“Young Master Cheng, it’s hard to explain over the phone. I’ll come over right now and report everything to you in person. I guarantee you’ll feel better after you hear it.”
Qi Licheng said nothing more and hung up.
About half an hour later, Jia Dan appeared in a rush at Qi Licheng’s hotel room.
The man clearly had not slept all night. His eyes were ringed with dark circles, yet he was absurdly energetic, as if someone had injected him with stimulants.
“Young Master Cheng, guess who took out those places last night?”
Qi Licheng stared coldly at him. “Didn’t you say it was the Dragon Gang?”
“No!”
Jia Dan proudly pointed at himself. “It was me!”
“Surprised? Impressed?”
Qi Licheng: “...?”
“You’re saying you did it last night?”
Jia Dan nodded, practically boasting. “That’s right! I did!”
“I led our men to take out all those places last night!”
Qi Licheng narrowed his eyes slightly, and a murderous glint gradually spread across them.
“Oh, really? Very impressive.”
“Jia Dan, you’ve certainly made me see you in a new light.”
Jia Dan failed to notice the murderous intent in Qi Licheng’s voice. Thinking he had rendered a great service, he continued proudly recounting his accomplishments.
“Young Master Cheng, listen. The moment I heard the Dragon Gang had taken your places, I immediately gathered the brothers and went to take them back. We wiped out seven of their establishments in one go. Those Dragon Gang bastards were beaten so badly they were crawling around and begging us to spare them. It was incredibly satisfying, hahaha…”
The murderous look in Qi Licheng’s eyes froze for a moment.
Wait.
Had there been a misunderstanding?
Was Jia Dan saying that he had taken the places back? That he had dealt with the Dragon Gang?
If so, then Qi Licheng might have wronged him. Perhaps he really did need to see Jia Dan in a new light.
Jia Dan had learned about the Dragon Gang’s attack immediately, acted decisively, and led his men in striking back and reclaiming the establishments.
He really was a capable man.
“What about Leopard?” Qi Licheng asked as the murderous intent in his eyes gradually subsided.
“Brother Leopard?”
The smile on Jia Dan’s face faded, replaced by a solemn expression. Following the story Wumao had taught him, he replied, “Young Master Cheng, I was just about to tell you. Brother Leopard has betrayed us!”
“What did you say?!” Qi Licheng shot to his feet, his voice rising sharply.
“It’s true! I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Last night, when I led a team to take out that casino, I personally saw Brother Leopard sitting at a table with people from the Dragon Gang, drinking with them. He even had a woman in his arms. Later, I found out that she was a spy planted by the Dragon Gang. Young Master Cheng, Brother Leopard was bought off by the Dragon Gang a long time ago—with a woman’s charms!”
Qi Licheng’s expression shifted several times, his mood darkening and brightening unpredictably.
Leopard had followed him for nearly ten years. He was one of Qi Licheng’s most trusted right-hand men.
And now someone was telling him that Leopard had betrayed him?
How could that be possible?
But Jia Dan had described everything so convincingly that Qi Licheng had no choice but to believe him.
The most important thing now was to find Leopard and get to the bottom of it.
If it was true…
Suppressing his anger, Qi Licheng said, “I’ll investigate this matter thoroughly. If Leopard really has betrayed me, I won’t let him off.”
Jia Dan put on an expression of unwavering loyalty and flattered him. “Young Master Cheng is wise.”
He then seized the opportunity to report a string of other names, claiming they were traitors as well.
The more Qi Licheng listened, the more alarmed he became. He could hardly believe his ears.
Seriously? He had been making his way through Jinchuan for all these years, only to discover that everyone around him was a traitor?
After Jia Dan finished his report and saw that Qi Licheng looked less than pleased, he tactfully took his leave.
As he was leaving, one of the underlings who had come with him quietly slipped a sealed plastic bag into the inner pocket of the coat hanging on Qi Licheng’s coat rack while no one was looking.
It was not until Jia Dan had left the hotel that he suddenly remembered.
Damn it! He had forgotten to give Young Master Cheng Ah Jiu’s evidence of guilt!
When he learned that his underling had already delivered it to Qi Licheng, he immediately began to waver.
The evidence had already been handed over. Would it look too deliberate if he made a special trip back just to take credit?
Would that cause Young Master Cheng to think less of him?
Forget it. He would not go back.
With Young Master Cheng’s intelligence, he would surely know whose evidence was in the bag. He could deal with the traitors himself.
With that thought, Jia Dan felt relieved. His objective had already been achieved, after all.
Thinking about how he would soon rise to wealth and power, the man happily hummed a tune as he climbed into a van and drove away.
Meanwhile.
After Jia Dan left, Qi Licheng called Wumao.
He was still only half-convinced by what Jia Dan had told him.
It was not that he doubted Jia Dan’s loyalty. Rather, he simply could not bring himself to believe that the men who had followed him for so many years would betray him one after another.
But he had indeed watched Jia Dan’s expression carefully just now. From beginning to end, the man’s gaze had been open and straightforward, and he had spoken with complete confidence. He hadn’t looked like he was lying at all.
Because he couldn’t find any flaws, he had no choice but to ask someone else.
The call connected quickly.
“Wumao, Jia Dan says he was the one who took down those venues last night, and that Leopard betrayed us. Did you know about this?”
Wumao sounded extremely surprised on the other end. “What? Jia Dan took down those venues? I’d always thought it was someone from the Wanlong Society. Young Master Cheng, what exactly is going on?”
Qi Licheng briefly repeated everything Jia Dan had reported to him.
After listening, Wumao fell silent for several seconds before speaking. “Young Master Cheng, I do know a little about what Jia Dan told you. Brother Leopard has indeed been acting somewhat strangely lately. I heard he’s had private contact with people from the Wanlong Society, but I can’t guarantee that he’s really betrayed us.”
“Do you think Jia Dan is telling the truth?”
“Young Master Cheng, Jia Dan may not be the sharpest man around, but he’s absolutely loyal to you. No matter how bold he is, he wouldn’t dare lie to you about something like this. And judging from what I’ve observed recently, Brother Leopard’s behavior has indeed been rather unusual.”
Qi Licheng was silent for a moment before saying in a deep voice, “I understand. I’ll get to the bottom of this. Keep a close eye on Jia Dan’s side for me.”
“Of course, Young Master Cheng.”
After hanging up, Wumao leaned back against the sofa and casually tossed his phone aside. Then he let out a cold laugh.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
That idiot Jia Dan was still basking in the dream that he had accomplished a great feat.
He had no idea that every venue he’d smashed belonged to Qi Licheng’s operation and was under Young Master Cheng’s protection—not the Wanlong Society’s. And he had successfully pinned the blame on the Wanlong Society as well.
Brother Leopard had also been branded a traitor because of Jia Dan’s outstanding performance. It looked like he would never be able to clear his name, even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
It had been killing three birds with one stone.
Wumao instinctively touched his only remaining right ear. A savage delight and venomous hatred flashed in his eyes.
Qi Licheng, Leopard, Xiaomei…
The humiliation you inflicted on me—I’ll repay it bit by bit, and with interest!
This show has only just begun.
