He Chu San carried the food box into the basement and froze the moment he stepped inside.
The entire room was a disaster. The blanket, pillows, mattress, and sheets had all been rolled into a heap and thrown haphazardly onto the floor. The wooden slats of the bed had been removed one by one and scattered everywhere, leaving only an empty iron frame.
Xia Liu Yi lay flat on his back across that bare frame with one arm beneath his head, staring blankly upward. He had spent the entire night dismantling the bed in an attempt to remove the post to which his ankle chain was attached. Only after tearing everything apart did he discover that He Chu San had anticipated exactly that—the frame beneath was made of iron and had been welded directly to the floor.
Damn it! Little bastard!
His little bastard now looked at the wreckage with heartfelt amazement. He set the food carrier on the bedside cabinet, found one metal crossbar on the cold, bare bed frame to sit on, and sighed. “Why do I feel like I’m keeping a lion? You can really destroy things.”
Xia Liu Yi snorted and lazily rolled onto his side to face him. “Taking apart a bed is nothing. When I was a kid, I broke my leg street racing and Azure Dragon locked me up for a month. I tore through the wall to get out.”
He Chu San did not know whether to laugh or sigh. “What happened afterward? Did they catch you?”
“Caught me. Locked me up another month.”
He Chu San smiled helplessly and reached over to smooth Xia Liu Yi’s messy bangs. “When are you ever going to learn?”
Xia Liu Yi looked up at him instead. “When are you going to let me out?”
He Chu San said nothing and only gave another wry smile.
Xia Liu Yi could not stand seeing that expression. His chest tightened painfully. After being locked in this room for so many days, he had gone from shock and disbelief, to rage and hysteria, to misery and confusion, and finally to calm reflection. By now he had long realized there was something else beneath He Chu San’s apparent betrayal.
He took He Chu San’s hand, pressed it against his cheek, and sighed. “I know you wouldn’t collude with Qin Hao, and you wouldn’t kill Dong Dong. You’re not that kind of person. The explosion at Azure Dragon’s villa was meant to hide Dong Dong’s whereabouts, wasn’t it? You dug a secret passage beneath the villa and switched the bodies. Otherwise, if you really wanted to kill her, why bother blowing up the villa in front of the cops afterward?”
He Chu San looked at him tenderly and still said nothing.
Xia Liu Yi continued with another sigh. “All of this started because of me. I was an asshole. I hid things from you and did stupid things until I forced you this far. You have every right to be angry. If you want to lock me up or punish me, do whatever you like. I’m only worried about you. What the hell are you doing out there? Don’t get yourself trapped.”
He Chu San gently stroked his face. “I used to want to ask you the same thing all the time—‘What the hell are you doing?’ It wasn’t until later that I understood why you were like that. You’ve lived too long on your own. Whenever something happens, your first instinct is always to endure it yourself and solve it yourself. I don’t blame you. I hurt for you. But you haven’t been alone for a long time now. You have me. You can learn to rely on me more, ask more from me, and stop always trying to push me aside. Don’t you understand? I’m your lover. Whatever happens, I can carry it with you.”
Xia Liu Yi said softly, “I couldn’t bear it. You’re so clean. I didn’t want to dirty you.”
“Do you think I can bear to lose you?” He Chu San replied. “I know you want revenge for Azure Dragon, but can revenge really be achieved by recklessly charging around fighting and killing? If you and Sister Dong Dong had discovered that Qin Hao was undercover before I did, what would you have done to him? Did you ever think about the consequences? Did you think about what would happen if you took reckless risks for revenge? Once you cross that line, you’ll never be able to come back!”
He touched Xia Liu Yi’s brows and eyes, anguish deep in his voice. “Did you ever think about how I’m supposed to live if something happens to you?”
An indescribable bitterness filled Xia Liu Yi’s chest. He lifted both arms, and He Chu San immediately slipped into his embrace. They held each other tightly on the cold, uncomfortable iron bed frame. Xia Liu Yi clutched He Chu San’s shoulders and back and said painfully, “I did think about it! I don’t want to do those things, and I don’t want to leave you! I know fighting and killing is wrong too, but fighting and killing are the only things I know how to do. I don’t know any other way! I even thought about giving up completely—but every time I close my eyes, I see Azure Dragon and Xiao Man! They died so horribly. Their eyes were still open…”
His voice trembled with rage and grief, panic and agony. He Chu San turned his head and kissed his temple, whispering soothingly beside his ear. “Shh, shh. I understand. I understand. Don’t worry. The revenge you want—I’ll help you take it.”
Xia Liu Yi snapped out of his grief. “What did you say?”
He raised his head and pulled away enough to look at He Chu San. “You know who I want revenge on? How much do you know? What exactly have you been doing outside all this time?”
He Chu San opened his mouth, but before he could answer, a sudden commotion erupted upstairs. Xiao Ma’s furious roar and the sounds of violent fighting rang through the house.
He Chu San sighed. “That was fast. I was hoping to eat with you.”
“Xiao Ma?” Xia Liu Yi recognized the voice too and immediately sat up. “He found this place?”
He Chu San sat up as well. “When you wake up again, you’ll understand. You absolutely cannot ruin my plan. Otherwise I…”
He stopped. He suddenly realized he had nothing with which to threaten Xia Liu Yi. Otherwise I’ll never forgive you for the rest of my life? For He Chu San’s safety, Xia Liu Yi would accept even a lifetime like that.
He said nothing more and kissed Xia Liu Yi instead. The moment Xia Liu Yi heard “when you wake up again,” he became wary, assuming He Chu San was going to repeat his old trick and feed him another sedative mouth-to-mouth. He immediately resisted with his tongue—but then felt something cold against the back of his shoulder as another syringe plunged in.
After being tricked three different ways by He Chu San, Xia Liu Yi was so furious his vision went dark. He Chu San whispered beside his ear, “I made you congee and steamed buns. Remember to warm them before you eat. Be good and trust me. Everything will be fine.”
Something in He Chu San’s soothing tone made Xia Liu Yi realize that something irreversible was about to happen. He gripped He Chu San’s arm tightly and struggled to keep his eyes open, staring at him in overwhelming fear and anxiety as his body slowly went limp…
…
BANG!
Xiao Ma kicked open the basement door and stormed inside. His face was murderous, a bloodstained iron bar clenched in his hand, the veins on his arms bulging as furious, killing eyes swept across the room.
He Chu San rose from beside the bed. Xia Liu Yi lay behind him on the iron frame, all four limbs firmly handcuffed to the four corners. His eyes were closed, his head hanging weakly to one side, and he wore nothing but a pair of underwear. His bare body was covered in suggestive marks.
The sight sent Xiao Ma into a towering rage. He charged forward and swung the iron bar viciously at He Chu San.
…
BANG!
Kevin crashed through the door of a VIP room in a love hotel. Master Qiao, who had been sleeping soundly with his voluptuous young girlfriend Third Sister Lai in his arms, woke in fury and glared toward the entrance.
Several bodyguards held guns against Kevin’s head. The one in front hastily explained, “Boss, this kid said he had something urgent to report…”
Kevin looked battered, with an abrasion on his forehead, as though he had just fought his way through a battle. Gasping for breath, he said, “Boss, something happened! Ma Ru Long brought men into He Chu San’s base and rescued Xia Liu Yi!”
“That useless bastard!” Master Qiao sat up and shoved the coquettish Third Sister Lai away. “I told him to kill Xia Liu Yi sooner! Has that damn homo got shit for brains?! What happened to him? Is he dead?”
“Not yet. They took him to Xiao Qi Hall’s ancestral hall. It looks like they’re going to punish him under society rules! Boss, what do we do?”
Hearing that He Chu San was not dead, Master Qiao calmed down. He rubbed his temples with a headache and glanced at Third Sister Lai. For all her affected coquettishness, Third Sister Lai was excellent at reading the room, and she immediately snuggled closer and began massaging him.
Master Qiao lay back and enjoyed her gentle massage. Only after a long while did he grunt, “We’ll watch first. Give me the brick phone. Everybody get out.”
The bodyguards hurriedly handed him a brick phone and left together with Kevin. Third Sister Lai smiled sweetly and reached toward Master Qiao’s chest, only for Master Qiao to give her an icy sideways glance while dialing. “Aren’t you a person?”
Third Sister Lai shuddered, hurriedly bounced to her feet, and scurried out in tiny steps.
…
Xia Liu Yi ran breathlessly through deep darkness, with no idea where he was or where he was going. All he could feel was a bone-deep, heart-piercing mixture of regret and fear as he desperately raced toward something far away, trying to hold onto it before it disappeared. He gasped sharply and suddenly opened his eyes.
His heart hammered painfully inside his chest. Still panting, he rolled out of bed, only for his legs to give way and send him crashing to the floor. The man beside the bed immediately jumped up and caught him. “Boss! You’re awake?!”
Xia Liu Yi clutched his chest and stared at him through pain and dizziness. It took him several seconds to clear his head. His eyes immediately turned wet, and his voice trembled. “Xiao Ma?!”
“It’s me, Boss!” Xiao Ma had tears in his eyes too. “I’m back!”
Xia Liu Yi hugged him tightly, overwhelmed with joy. “You really are alive… Thank god you’re alive…”
Then he remembered the last thing that had happened before he lost consciousness. He immediately pulled away, grabbed Xiao Ma by the shoulders, and asked in panic, “Where’s A’San?!”
Hatred flooded Xiao Ma’s face. “That traitorous bastard is tied up outside! All the brothers are here. We were waiting for you to wake up so we could deal with him under society rules!”
“Deal with him how?!” Xia Liu Yi demanded urgently, immediately jumping out of bed. “Are you all crazy?!”
“Boss!” Xiao Ma hurried after him. “You still don’t know! That kid took a beating and admitted everything himself! He kidnapped you, blew up Boss Dong Dong, stole the ledger, told everyone you were missing, and tried to usurp your position! He hid you away, and we only found the basement after all that effort. That Kevin under him saw things going wrong and escaped with his men…”
Xia Liu Yi had no idea what nonsense he was talking about. Furious and frantic, he grabbed the set of clothes beside the bed, threw them on haphazardly, and staggered barefoot toward the door. A’Mao and A’Nan, who had been waiting outside, hurried after him together with Xiao Ma. As they ran, A’Mao added his testimony. “Boss, it’s true! He locked the two of us up too! Boss Xiao Ma rescued us!”
“But Mr. He never hurt us…” A’Nan hesitantly added, earning a smack on the head from Xiao Ma.
Xia Liu Yi had no time to respond. After rushing several steps farther, he finally recognized the place: Xiao Qi Hall’s ancestral hall, where Dragon Ascension Ceremonies, initiation rites, and punishments under society rules were carried out.
He burst from the back rooms into the main hall. The wide chamber was simple and solemn, with two rows of wooden chairs arranged along either side. In the center stood a large altar, above which was enshrined a life-sized statue of Lord Guan. Beneath the statue sat an old armchair made of dark red sandalwood. Each armrest was carved with a lifelike dragon head, eyes bulging and fangs bared. This was Xiao Qi Hall’s Dragon Head throne.
Dozens of bosses, both high and low, stood in a circle inside the hall, furious and shouting curses. “That damn brat deceived all of us for so long! Beat him to death!” “We trusted him so much and he schemed against the Boss! He even killed Boss Dong Dong! Heartless bastard!” “Betrayed the brothers—three knives, six holes!” “Forget three knives and six holes! That goddamn bastard! Hang him up and cut him to pieces!”
“Move!” Xia Liu Yi roared.
Seeing that the Boss had awakened, everyone lit up with delight and hurried to clear a path while calling, “Boss!”
The first thing Xia Liu Yi saw was a trail of blood dragged across the floor. A chill shot through him. He shoved through the crowd and rushed forward—only to see He Chu San hunched on his knees against the hard, freezing floor, head hanging low. He was covered in blood, his clothing torn and filthy, a thin line of blood leaking from his cracked lips. His eyes were half-open and unfocused, as though he were barely conscious.
It felt as though lightning had struck Xia Liu Yi. His heart twisted in agony and he moved to rush forward, but someone suddenly blocked him. Black Chicken whispered quickly, “Boss, Consultant He told you not to do anything. He has a way out.”
Xia Liu Yi’s eyes were so bloodshot they seemed ready to split. He jerked hard, but Black Chicken clung desperately to his arm. “He said that if you go over there, everything he’s done will be wasted!”
“What is he trying to do?” Xia Liu Yi whispered. Before Black Chicken could answer, Xia Liu Yi caught his arm in return, his iron grip twisting Black Chicken’s face with pain. Xia Liu Yi repeated through clenched teeth, red-eyed, “What is he trying to do?!”
“I don’t know, Boss!” Black Chicken whispered, his voice already hoarse with pain. “He contacted me early this morning. He only told me to stop you and told me where Boss Dong Dong is. I don’t know anything else.”
Xia Liu Yi turned toward He Chu San, who was kneeling on the floor. At that exact moment, He Chu San raised his head and gave him a reassuring look, signaling for him not to act rashly.
Xia Liu Yi’s mind was in chaos. He froze. Black Chicken seized the opportunity to guide him toward the Dragon Head seat before Lord Guan.
Xia Liu Yi sat stiffly on the Dragon Head throne, his eyes fixed on He Chu San. He Chu San lowered his head and said nothing. Xia Liu Yi watched blood slide down He Chu San’s pale face, drop by drop falling onto the floor, as though sulfuric acid were dripping into his heart and eating out a huge bloody hole.
That was He Chu San—the man Xia Liu Yi had always held in his palms, protected at the very tip of his heart, and could not bear to see lose so much as a single hair. He had no idea what stupid thing this idiot was doing.
Xiao Ma arrived at that moment too. The sight of He Chu San kneeling on the floor immediately enraged him again, and he rushed forward and kicked him viciously. “Goddamn bastard!”
Xia Liu Yi’s heart jolted violently as He Chu San’s body rocked from the impact. He nearly wanted to leap up and chew his newly resurrected good brother alive. But after kicking He Chu San, Xiao Ma hurried over to Xia Liu Yi’s seat, draped a coat over him because he was only wearing a thin shirt, then brought shoes for his bare feet. Meeting Xiao Ma’s worried, attentive gaze, Xia Liu Yi could not force out a single curse.
He could see that Xiao Ma genuinely knew nothing. Apart from Black Chicken, every brother and sister in the room had clearly been deceived by He Chu San. Xia Liu Yi could not blame any of them. But what kind of fool went to so much trouble to make himself look like a traitor—and to so much trouble to arrange his own death?
What the hell was that idiot trying to do?!
He Chu San remained kneeling on the floor with his head lowered. The blow to his head had left his ears ringing, and Xiao Ma’s accusations reached him through a haze of noise. Every charge was followed by deafening curses and shouts from the crowd. Amid the uproar, Xiao Ma began reciting the society rules in a booming voice: “Betraying the society! Attempting to harm the Boss! Three knives, six holes!” Each word struck the frozen floor like a hammer before rebounding into He Chu San’s ears.
He Chu San gave a low laugh. The scene felt strangely familiar. Four years earlier, Xu Ying had usurped power and ultimately gone through this same ritual. The lines were already there for him. He had practiced them over and over the previous night while shaping buns in the kitchen, until he knew them by heart.
“Traitorous bastard! What the hell are you laughing at?!” Xiao Ma cursed.
Just as Xu Ying had back then, He Chu San suddenly burst into eerie laughter. He swallowed the blood rising in his throat and rasped, “I made so much money for this society! I made every one of you rich! Which part of your eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling didn’t come out of what I earned?! Cui Dong Dong hogged the Deputy Hall Master position and refused to give me a shred of real power, keeping me as some bullshit ‘Consultant’! Xia Liu Yi, you idiot, treated that traitor Qin Hao like a brother and handed him every benefit! If none of you would give me what I wanted, I took it for myself! Three knives and six holes? I refuse!”
Xiao Ma strode to him, pulled the dagger concealed inside the Dragon Head Staff, and tossed it onto the floor in front of He Chu San.
He sneered down at him. “Greedy dogs sure love to bark! Since when do you get to refuse?!”
Then he bent down close to He Chu San’s ear. “Little bastard, be smart. Pick the right place and stab yourself dead with one strike so you don’t have to suffer. Don’t forget the oath I made. Once you’ve taken your three knives and six holes, I’m still going to cut out your heart, chop it to pieces, and offer it at Boss Dong Dong’s grave!”
Kneeling at his feet, He Chu San kept his head lowered as his bloodstained arm slowly reached toward the Dragon Head dagger. His pale, slender fingers trembled as they closed around the handle. Through the faint ringing in his ears, he heard several cuckoo calls from outside the window—the signal he had arranged with his lookout outside.
The audience had arrived.
It was time for his performance to begin.
He spoke again, so quietly that only Xiao Ma could hear.
“Brother Xiao Ma… I’m sorry.”
Alarm shot through Xiao Ma—but he misunderstood the apology. Thinking He Chu San was making one final desperate attempt to attack him, he instinctively dodged backward from the blade.
White steel flashed.
By the time Xiao Ma steadied himself, the blade had already disappeared into He Chu San’s own abdomen.
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