The fire at the dockside warehouse had already been extinguished. Police cars and fire engines surrounded the cordoned-off area, while firefighters carried stretchers in and out.
Wearing plastic gloves, Xie Jia Hua bent down and lifted a white sheet, revealing the blackened human shape beneath it. The rich aroma of roasted meat immediately struck him in the face.
The young policewoman beside him abruptly shoved the folder in her hands at a colleague, covered her mouth, and ran away. A moment later, the sound of violent retching came from the distance.
Without changing expression, Xie Jia Hua lifted the sheet farther and retrieved a revolver from beneath the corpse. The weapon had been warped by the fire. He placed it inside the transparent evidence bag held open by a subordinate.
“According to our information, Xia Liu Yi’s old injury prevents him from exerting force with his right hand, so he likely favors revolvers. Send this to the forensic unit later and see whether they can still recover any biological evidence from it.”
“Yes!”
He removed the gloves and discarded them, then frowned and rubbed his temples. Consecutive days of overtime and sleepless nights had left them throbbing painfully.
“Inspector Xie?” a colleague called from outside the cordon.
Xie Jia Hua walked over, only to find an employee from the snack shop across the street. “Sir, your milk tea with less sugar, and an egg sandwich.”
“I didn’t order anything.”
“Someone treated you. It’s already been paid for.”
At that moment, Xie Jia Hua’s mobile phone rang. He answered it with one hand while accepting the bag containing the sandwich and milk tea with the other.
“Hello?”
The caller was sitting inside the snack shop drinking milk tea. Three adhesive bandages were lined up across his cheek, casually disguising the palm print beneath them as an injury sustained in the line of duty. Smiling as though nothing had happened, he said, “Inspector Xie.”
Xie Jia Hua’s gaze immediately turned cold. He walked several steps away to an isolated spot.
“Why aren’t you saying anything, Inspector Xie? Are you still angry with me?”
Xie Jia Hua laughed from sheer fury. “You deliberately leaked information to Master Qiao and placed He Chu San in danger, all to provoke a war between Xiao Qi Hall and He Yi Society? Did you ever seriously investigate He Chu San? Do you understand that he is an innocent outsider? Do you possess any principles or moral boundaries at all?!”
“Don’t make it sound so terrible, Inspector Xie. I knew you had someone planted among Second Master Qiao’s men who could rescue He Chu San. I simply didn’t expect Xia Liu Yi to storm Second Master Qiao’s establishment for his sake. It seems my guess was correct. Xia Liu Yi and He Chu San truly do share an unusual private relationship…”
“Lu Guang Ming!” Xie Jia Hua interrupted furiously. “Do you realize that nine people died in that fire?”
The other end went silent for a moment before Lu Guang Ming replied with remarkable nonchalance, “That many? Then He Yi Society and Xiao Qi Hall have become mortal enemies. There will be plenty of excitement to watch in the future.”
“Lu Guang Ming! Those were nine human lives! If the two factions go to war, even more people will die!”
“Those gangsters commit every imaginable crime and deserve whatever happens to them. Why sympathize with them, Inspector Xie? Can’t you take advantage of their conflict to find evidence of Xia Liu Yi’s and Second Master Qiao’s crimes and bring them both to justice?”
“So this is the ‘magnificent gift’ you gave me? You stirred up this conflict so you could profit from the chaos. I doubt you did it for my investigation—you did it for your own case!”
“You can profit, and I can profit. The police and the ICAC should work as one. It’s mutually beneficial.”
“Lu Guang Ming.” Xie Jia Hua’s icy voice suddenly became calm.
“What are your instructions, Inspector Xie?”
“Look up.”
Lu Guang Ming instinctively raised his head. At some point, Xie Jia Hua had entered the shop and was now standing directly before him. His arm swung through the air with a resounding slap.
This time, Lu Guang Ming finally got his wish and was struck on the other cheek.
Xie Jia Hua dropped the unwanted milk tea and sandwich and turned away. Lu Guang Ming’s ears rang, and his vision darkened as he remained frozen facing the wall for a long while. Only then did he slowly turn his neck.
“So violent,” he muttered. With both cheeks swollen, he grimaced and took another sip of milk tea.
…
He Chu San spent less than two hours in the hospital before he and his plaster cast were packaged together and transported back to the triad stronghold—Boss Xia’s village house.
He Yi Society and Xiao Qi Hall were now irreconcilable enemies, so he could not temporarily return to either his rented apartment or his office. Since he had already planned to change jobs, he simply called the company, reported sick, and resigned. He then called Father He and lied that he would be away on a month-long business trip before beginning his blissful life as a kept man—no, as a recuperating patient.
Having one leg encased in plaster made everything inconvenient. He needed assistance with eating, bathing, and even using the toilet. Xiao Ma enthusiastically found an excellent professional caregiver to look after the severely disabled Mr. He, only for Xia Liu Yi—who hated having strangers walking around his home—to raise an ashtray and drive both Xiao Ma and the caregiver out.
“I usually consider you fairly clever. How could you fail so completely to read the room?” Cui Dong Dong came outside with a bottle of cold beer and pressed it against Xiao Ma’s forehead, mercilessly mocking him. “All that brown-nosing, and you still managed to flatter the wrong end of the horse.”
“Fuck,” Xiao Ma complained miserably. “Is that brat made of gold? Does our Boss need to serve him personally?”
Looking at the straight man who still had not understood anything, Cui Dong Dong could only sigh. “Fine, fine. There are still bodyguards inside. Stop worrying and don’t interfere.”
Xiao Ma pressed the beer bottle against his ice-cold, wounded heart and tearfully drove away.
Having finally succeeded in moving into the house, He Chu San lay on Brother Liu Yi’s bed and listened as one car after another started outside. Knowing that every irrelevant person had left, he could not resist raising both hands toward the ceiling in two victory signs.
Good work, A’San! Thank you, Master Qiao!
Xia Liu Yi happened to open the door at that moment. He Chu San withdrew his hands at lightning speed and raised one arm to shield his eyes, pretending to be dazed by the sunlight outside. “Mm… Brother Liu Yi?”
Ever since forcibly kissing an innocent civilian, Boss Xia instinctively looked away whenever their eyes met. He walked stiffly to the window and drew the curtain halfway, then cleared his throat. “I told A’Nan and A’Sen to clean the guest room. You’ll stay here temporarily and return home after this matter is settled.”
A’Nan and A’Sen were his current bodyguards.
He Chu San looked concerned. “No one has stayed in your guest room for a long time, has there? It would be far too much work for those two brothers to clean it. Actually, I can sleep on your—”
“You’re not sleeping in my bed! Fuck, A’San, I’m warning you not to push your—” Halfway through his furious outburst, Boss Xia realized that He Chu San had intended to say, “Your sofa will be fine.”
The two stared blankly at each other. He Chu San turned his face away and began trembling in that familiar manner.
“…”
“Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts! I was wrong, Brother Liu Yi! I won’t laugh anymore! Don’t step on my injured leg! Ow, ow, ow…”
Xia Liu Yi had barely supervised two bites of the disabled man’s takeaway meal before Cui Dong Dong called. The elders had asked her to contact the Boss, officially to discuss their overall strategy, but in reality, they once again wanted an explanation from him.
Leaning against the headboard, Xia Liu Yi habitually lit a cigarette. Although his voice remained calm, the gaze he directed toward the corner of the room was cold. “Reserve a private room at Lin Heung Tea House. I’ll treat them to lunch.”
He ended the call and raised his head with a displeased expression, only to find He Chu San watching him with a chicken foot between his lips.
“What are you looking at? Eat!” Xia Liu Yi was already irritated and showed him no kindness. As he cursed, however, he remembered the doctor’s instructions that the patient should avoid cigarettes and alcohol. Frowning, he extinguished the cigarette he had just lit.
He Chu San tactfully lowered his head and silently placed a chicken leg in Xia Liu Yi’s bowl.
Xia Liu Yi had eaten eight entire bowls of beef offal during the night and fought a bloody battle that morning. The sight of meat now made him nauseous. Entirely ungrateful, he returned the chicken leg to He Chu San’s bowl, rose, and changed clothes. In full view of He Chu San, he opened a wardrobe drawer and removed a new gun and a row of bullets.
“I’m going out. The bodyguards are downstairs. Call them if you need to shit or piss.”
He Chu San silently watched him while shoveling rice into his mouth. At last, he spoke. “Brother Liu Yi.”
“Mm?”
“The person who rescued me was a police officer.”
Xia Liu Yi’s hand paused while loading the bullets. Slightly startled, he turned toward him. “What?”
“The police knew about what happened. They knew where I was being held.”
Xia Liu Yi frowned and studied him. After pondering for a while, he said, “Rest properly. Don’t involve yourself in anything else.”
He took one step toward the door, then stopped, turned around, and snapped fiercely, “Once the guest room is ready, get the hell out of my bed!”
…
Downstairs, the two bodyguards stood side by side beside the window, enjoying the sunlight. One asked uncertainly, “Brother Sen, are we really not cleaning the guest room? What if the Boss blames us later?”
A’Sen, who had followed directly behind Cui Dong Dong when they rushed into the hospital and now wished he could destroy his own memories to avoid being silenced, released a meaningful sigh. “Do you honestly believe the Boss wants us to clean it? We only need to pretend. If the Boss asks later, tell him the guest-room bed is broken.”
“Oh.”
…
Having stayed awake throughout the night, Xia Liu Yi arrived at Lin Heung Tea House with dark circles beneath his eyes. As expected, he was subjected to another round of veiled criticism disguised as concern. Xiao Qi Hall had suffered from elders interfering in its leadership decisions for many years. More than a decade earlier, Azure Dragon had risen to become Dragon Head as the designated heir. Because he was still young and lacked a stable foundation, he had relied heavily on the support of several powerful elders to clear away the obstacles and secure his position. Afterward, their influence also helped him gradually establish himself inside Kau Lung Walled City. Although his wings later grew stronger and he cultivated capable confidants such as Xia Liu Yi and Cui Dong Dong, the elders had spent years secretly planting their own people throughout the Society. Their tangled network of influence could not be eliminated all at once.
After Xia Liu Yi took control, his methods differed entirely from Azure Dragon’s restrained conservatism and steady caution. Xia Liu Yi was ruthless, unrestrained, and aggressively expansionist. He frequently ignored instructions and acted unpredictably. Moreover, his repeated purges had weakened the elders’ influence, causing them to resent him even more. They regularly offered their “concern and guidance”—although the monthly red envelopes they now received were several times larger than before, making it difficult for them to criticize him directly.
Not long ago, Xia Liu Yi had publicly eliminated Fat Seven. Today, despite the danger, he had burned down one of He Yi Society’s establishments. Before the other underworld powers had even expressed an opinion, Xiao Qi Hall’s own elders had already erupted.
“Xiao Liu, every time something happens, you say you’ll ‘handle it yourself’ and refuse to let old men like us interfere. But this time, you haven’t merely offended He Yi Society—you’ve offended the entire He faction! Second Master Qiao, the senior figure respected by every He branch, has considerable status in the underworld. He has even met the Old Shopkeeper. His identity and influence are entirely different from those of a minor organization like ours. You have struck his dignity from the heavens into the dirt. How do you intend to resolve this?” As usual, Elder Ge launched the first attack.
“That’s right. We heard he kidnapped one of your men. Who was this person, and why was he worth such a complete break with them?” Elder Qiu also failed to understand.
“I have some personal friendship with the He faction’s senior elder. Perhaps I could arrange a meeting with him tomorrow,” Prince Duan said thoughtfully.
Xia Liu Yi sat in the place of honor and smoked with an unchanged expression, without even raising his eyes. He treated every word they said like passing wind.
Eventually, Uncle Yuan finally spoke. “Xiao Liu, explain yourself.”
Xia Liu Yi at last moved. He extinguished the remains of his cigarette, reached toward the place before Elder Ge, and took one of his cigars. With leisurely movements, he turned his head and lit it.
“Three matters,” he said, removing the cigar from his lips and looking down at its glowing red tip.
“First, the person Second Master Qiao kidnapped last night is my investment consultant. Every monthly red envelope you receive contains a substantial contribution from his work. Whether he was worth it—you can decide for yourselves.”
“Second, I understand Xiao Qi Hall’s current position, and I hope you also understand my current standing in the underworld. Times have changed. He Yi Society is not as glorious as you imagine. I dared offend Second Master Qiao because I can afford to offend him. He should be the one asking whether he can afford to offend me, Xia Liu Yi. He kidnapped one of my people first and violated loyalty and righteousness. Whatever I do to him is entirely justified. Even the Old Shopkeeper would not rule in his favor.”
“Third…” He drew in a mouthful of smoke and slowly exhaled it, sweeping his gaze across the assembled elders. “I am the Boss now. I believe some forms of address should also be changed.”
“…” The elders were momentarily speechless. Xia Liu Yi rose with the cigar between his lips. Standing behind him, Xiao Ma stepped forward and draped a black leather coat over his shoulders.
“Please enjoy your meal, Elders. I have other matters to attend to. Excuse me.”
After leaving the silent private room, Xia Liu Yi strode toward the lift with a dark expression. He casually crushed the cigar, of which he had taken only one puff, into the rubbish bin beside the lift. “Tell Cui Dong Dong to wait for me at Taan Heung Pavilion.”
“Yes.”
General Manager Cui prepared wonton noodles and iced lemon tea inside the general manager’s office at Taan Heung Pavilion and awaited the Boss’s honored arrival. She greeted him with overflowing enthusiasm. “Boss, absence makes the heart grow fonder. After we left this morning, did you make proper use of the time and have a good round with Sammy Boy?”
“A good round of what?” Xia Liu Yi did not immediately understand.
“Tsk. What do you think?”
“Fuck! Shut up!”
Cui Dong Dong gave him a meaningful look that plainly said, You’re already this old—why are you still embarrassed? Then she fell silent and ate her noodles.
Xia Liu Yi still had little appetite. He closed the office door and plotted this and that with her, whispering together for a long while.
Cui Dong Dong was rather surprised by his decision. “If the police truly manipulated this situation from behind the scenes, your response is certainly thorough. But after what Master Qiao did to Sammy Boy, can you genuinely swallow your anger?”
Xia Liu Yi released a cold laugh. “There’s no need to rush. When the time comes, I’ll settle the entire score with Second Master Qiao.”
“What about the elders? You openly broke with them this time. Aren’t you worried they’ll turn against you?”
“The company shares and account ledgers are in my hands. What trouble can they possibly cause? I have shown them more than enough respect. Their annual dividends are several times what they received before. If they still refuse to appreciate my consideration, they can’t blame me for turning against them. Leave them a few insignificant businesses to play with. Gradually remove every other Society-related operation from their control.”
“All right.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.” Xia Liu Yi frowned and yawned.
“Wait.” Cui Dong Dong gestured toward a paper bag on the desk. “Take that with you.”
“What is it?” Xia Liu Yi walked over and opened the bag.
Then he stared darkly at the pile of condoms and bottles of lubricant in various styles.
Cui Dong Dong enthusiastically explained, “The oil in the blue bottle works best. It’s refreshing and doesn’t foam much. But if you prefer more foam, switch to the green bottle—”
Xia Liu Yi picked up the bag and hurled it through the window. Cui Dong Dong jumped up anxiously. “Hey, hey! Throw away the condoms if you must, but you’ll definitely regret throwing away the lubricant! You definitely— You actually threw it away! Why would you—”
“Bring me this sort of thing again, and I’ll beat you even if you’re a woman!”
“Is there something wrong with your brain? I was trying to help! You think being the Boss makes you special? Touch me once and see what happens!”
The bodyguards outside heard the Boss and deputy hall master suddenly turn against one another and begin trading furious insults. Eventually, Xia Liu Yi slammed the door open and stormed out, while Cui Dong Dong followed behind, still unable to resist provoking him. “Why pretend you’re some puritan? Just because you’re too cowardly to act, you want him to suffer alongside you? Still stubbornly pretending you don’t want it!”
Xia Liu Yi stopped. He removed his coat and began rolling up his sleeves. Several bodyguards desperately restrained him. “Boss, Boss! You’ve worked hard all day. Go home and rest!” “Boss, Boss! A good man doesn’t fight with a woman…”
The bodyguards dragged Xia Liu Yi toward the exit. Hearing Cui Dong Dong curse again, he looked back.
Cui Dong Dong stood in the office doorway and raised her middle finger at him. Then she formed scissors with her other hand and snipped the raised finger off.
A vein jumped on Xia Liu Yi’s forehead. He shook off the bodyguards and headed back.
“Mamma mia! The Boss and Sister Dong Dong are fighting!” “Go find Brother Ma! Hurry!”
…
When Xia Liu Yi returned home that evening, an adhesive bandage had appeared on his forehead. His hair had been pulled into complete disorder, and his face was filled with murderous rage.
He Chu San assumed Brother Liu Yi had spent the afternoon seeking revenge against Master Qiao. He hurriedly tried to drag his plastered leg off the bed, only to grimace in pain.
With a dark expression, Xia Liu Yi strode over and lifted him back onto the bed.
“What happened to you?” He Chu San sucked in sharp breaths from the pain and reached with a trembling hand toward his forehead. “Who hit you?”
Xia Liu Yi blocked his hand and said impatiently, “Nothing. It’s a minor injury.”
He glanced at the several bulky books that had appeared beside the bed. “You didn’t sleep? Have you eaten dinner?”
“I was worried about you and couldn’t sleep.” He Chu San persistently tried to touch his face. “I was waiting for you so we could eat together.”
Xia Liu Yi slapped away his shameless hand and the nauseating sweetness, then shouted outside, “A’Sen! Order takeaway!”
The two made do with another meal inside the bedroom. Xia Liu Yi had too much on his mind and ate absentmindedly. He Chu San was overflowing with affection and watched him throughout the meal, using the Boss’s face as an accompaniment to his rice.
Unable to tolerate it any longer, Xia Liu Yi slammed down his chopsticks. “What are you looking at?”
He Chu San lowered his head and shoveled rice into his mouth, but the corners of his lips remained raised.
Xia Liu Yi seriously suspected that Master Qiao had tortured him and beaten him stupid. He studied him carefully from head to toe and frowned. “What did Second Master Qiao do to you? Aside from your head and leg, were you injured anywhere else?”
He Chu San shook his head. “Only my head. I injured my leg when I fell while escaping.”
Xia Liu Yi snorted coldly. “Your Boss will avenge you.”
Hearing this, He Chu San understood that Xia Liu Yi had not yet gone to seek revenge against Master Qiao, and he relaxed considerably. He obediently ate another mouthful of rice, this time refraining from saying anything troublesome such as, I’m not your subordinate. After swallowing the rice while looking at Xia Liu Yi’s face, he remained somewhat worried. “How are you going to fight him?”
“That has nothing to do with you. Stay home and recuperate obediently. You’re forbidden from leaving for the next month.”
He Chu San had no objections to being kept. He merely advised patiently, “The police are already watching all of you. Don’t act rashly. Fighting him because of me isn’t worth it.”
“Who said it was because of you?” Boss Xia gave him a cold look.
“…” He Chu San lowered his head and continued eating.
After a while, he spoke again. “Brother Liu Yi, I resigned this time. I…”
“Mm?”
“Can I work at your company and manage the accounts? Only the legitimate businesses. I won’t involve myself in anything illegal.”
Xia Liu Yi’s chopsticks paused.
This was the second time He Chu San had mentioned the idea. At the seaside, he had spoken as though joking. This time, he sounded remarkably serious.
Hadn’t the brat previously preferred death to becoming involved with triads?
Suspicious, Xia Liu Yi did not raise his eyes. He casually picked up some food. “Why did you suddenly think of that?”
He Chu San appeared entirely natural, and his tone was equally casual. “I want to help you. Besides, I’ve only worked for a little over a year and don’t have much experience. Finding another job will be difficult.”
Xia Liu Yi scoffed. Even without knowing that Elite He consistently ranked among the company’s top performers each month, he could guess that someone like him would have no difficulty finding work.
“I can’t?” Hearing the scoff, He Chu San looked discouraged. “You don’t trust me?”
Xia Liu Yi finally raised his eyes. Seeing the wounded disappointment covering He Chu San’s face, he could not resist scoffing again and tapping his forehead with his chopsticks. “Your Brother Liu Yi doesn’t trust you? Whose house are you living in right now? Whose bed are you sitting on?”
“Then can I come help you?”
Xia Liu Yi picked up another mouthful of food, still appearing careless. “We’ll discuss it later. My company has too many miscellaneous people inside it right now. Wait until I clear out those old bastards.”
He Chu San put on a slightly aggrieved expression and lowered his head to continue eating. Inside, however, he calculated rapidly. Xia Liu Yi’s attitude was ambiguous. It sounded as though he might be yielding, yet he might also be brushing He Chu San aside. Who were those “old bastards”? When would they be “cleared out”?
With his mouth full of food, Xia Liu Yi secretly glanced at him and calculated just as rapidly. The little bastard was undoubtedly plotting something again. Did he genuinely want to become the Boss’s wife? Did he want to enter the company so they could run it as a married couple? Fucking hell, always pushing for more. Absolutely not! This place was a den of dragons and tigers. What business did someone with a clean background have stepping inside? He should get lost as soon as possible!
Surrounded by warmth, the two men harbored separate schemes and dragged out the meal. Afterward, He Chu San wanted to bathe. He had been imprisoned for an entire night and had crawled and rolled through the mountains, leaving him extremely uncomfortable.
Xia Liu Yi supported him into the bathroom, filled the tub with hot water, stripped him naked, and dropped him inside. After lifting the plastered leg and resting it outside the bathtub, Xia Liu Yi abandoned him and turned to leave.
He had taken only two steps when a tremendous splash sounded behind him, followed by frantic flailing in the water.
“Fuck!” Xia Liu Yi rushed back and hauled out the thoroughly soaked He Chu San. “You can drown in a bathtub?!”
“Cough, cough… My leg… I can’t use any strength in it, so I can’t sit steadily…” He Chu San explained between coughs.
Boss Xia could only bring over a stool and crouch beside the bathtub to serve him. He Chu San gripped both edges of the tub to support himself while Boss Xia personally scooped water over him, applied soap, and scrubbed him with a bathing cloth. Having never served anyone this way before, Boss Xia possessed atrocious technique and had no control over his strength. He abused He Chu San with the scrubbing cloth until his entire body bloomed in brilliant shades of red and purple.
Sitting silently in the steaming bathtub, He Chu San endured the pain without complaint, his eyes fixed continuously on Xia Liu Yi. Xia Liu Yi looked impatient, and his movements were rough and unpracticed, yet he remained exceptionally focused.
He Chu San leaned forward slightly. While Xia Liu Yi’s attention remained entirely on the bathing cloth, He Chu San silently pressed his palm to the side of his face. His fingertips gently touched the damp corner of Xia Liu Yi’s mouth, and then he leaned in.
“Little bastard, I haven’t brushed my teeth all day,” Xia Liu Yi said expressionlessly before their lips could touch.
He Chu San paused. Retreating a tiny distance, he looked at him pitifully. “Then what should we do?”
“What do you mean, what should we do? Sit back down!” Xia Liu Yi barked roughly.
He Chu San opened his watery eyes and made a feeble attempt to move his injured leg. In a nasal voice like that of a wounded little animal, he said, “But I… I want to kiss you…”
“…” Xia Liu Yi stared at him.
Frowning, he glared fiercely at Best Actor He, as though intending to force his head beneath the water. Best Actor He remained calm in the face of danger and merely blinked pitifully.
“…” Xia Liu Yi stared some more.
With his weathered face completely red, Xia Liu Yi threw down the bathing cloth and rose to brush his teeth. He even tossed He Chu San a cup and toothbrush of his own.
Five minutes later, he returned and sat down again. Not only had he brushed his teeth, he had also vigorously scrubbed his burning face and now glared at He Chu San with water dripping everywhere. He Chu San’s eyes sparkled with delight as he eagerly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Xia Liu Yi’s neck.
The two clung to each other and kissed beside the bathtub for a long while. Tangling his fingers in He Chu San’s hair, Xia Liu Yi cursed stickily between kisses, “Fuck… Mm… Stop clinging to me… Mmph… You’re sleeping in the guest room tonight…”
“Shh… Don’t talk… Your mouth is so sweet… One more kiss… Mm…”
Leave a Reply