Chapter Nineteen: The Eerie Passage!
Page 1/3
Clutching the small revolver in his hand, Old Wan’s eyes turned red with desperation... This was a damned dead end.
*Bang bang bang bang bang.*
He emptied the gun in one breath, but the bear only grew angrier, charging forward determined to tear apart and devour the one who had harmed it!
...
When danger arrived,
Wan Huajun lowered his head and said to the young colt, “Let’s get along, just the two of us. Once we’re down there, your uncle will protect you.”
...
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind cut through the air!
Amid the rushing sound, Wan Huajun, his eyes filled with deathly intent, looked up.
High above,
a whole tree, as thick as a person, came crashing down fiercely onto the massive bear before him!
Wan Huajun was stunned, his voice trembling with disbelief, “...Wow, it’s Sun Wukong!!!”
...
Inside the vehicle, a fight had already broken out!
Liu Haizhu swung his left arm swiftly, delivering a powerful punch to the area behind the driver’s head!
*Thud!*
A dull crash echoed as the protective seat was shattered. The driver’s head bounced several times against the steering wheel and he passed out.
The middle-aged man roared in fury, “You’re asking for death!”
*Click!*
The trigger was pulled accompanied by the harsh sound of grinding teeth. The man suddenly fired!
“Damn!”
Liu Haizhu’s eyes narrowed as he slammed the man’s palm into the seat cushion, then landed a heavy punch right on his eye socket!
*Bang bang!* Two gunshots rang out inside the car.
These were the man’s last involuntary shots before passing out!
Liu Haizhu shoved him aside with a slap, gritting his teeth and cursing, “Fuck you, you really want to kill me?!”
“Touch Song Ge, and you’re dead meat!”
*Crack, crackle crack...*
“Kill him!”
“...!”
Liu Haizhu laughed triumphantly, shouting, “Come on, boys, let’s have some fun!”
In an instant, seven or eight fists came crashing toward him!
...
...
By the roadside,
Liu Haizhu dangled his legs, sitting atop a bridge pier, swaying.
Below him crouched seven or eight burly men clutching their heads. The van had been smashed beyond repair, its front still billowing black smoke.
“You guys,” Liu Haizhu said to two men still turning to look at him, kicking them both hard, “Fuck, did I tell you to look up?”
*Snap!*
One man crouched nearby twitched nervously, cracking his neck with crisp noises.
“Damn!”
Liu Haizhu’s eyebrows shot up as he barked, “See that railing? Get over there and squat in a line! Shake your heads left and right — anyone who stops, I’ll beat!”
The burly men exchanged glances but kept silent.
*Step step!*
Liu Haizhu stepped forward; instantly, they lost composure, rushing to the bridge edge, their heads bobbing like waves.
*Crunch, crackle crack, crackle crackle...*
“Damn, boss, who exactly are we supposed to catch?”
*Crunch, crackle crack, crackle crackle...*
“This kid fights too well. I bet even Situ would be hard pressed to beat him!”
“Guys, don’t talk, my neck hurts...”
*Crunch, crackle crack, crackle crackle...*
...
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Seeing this, Liu Haizhu, who had a severe case of OCD, finally felt a bit relieved.
He jumped up onto the bridge pier and looked down, “What’s your name?”
The middle-aged man with dark eye sockets, standing below with a face full of sorrow yet afraid to move, clasped his fists and said, “Dongsheng Broken-Finger Song. You can call me Song Ge.”
Liu Haizhu raised an eyebrow, thinking his second uncle’s name also had “Song” in it — quite a coincidence.
He jumped down and grabbed his hands, turning them over.
“Broken finger…” Liu Haizhu muttered, ensuring he pronounced it right, “Broken-Finger Song???”
The man nodded gravely.
The kid stared intently at his hands, tilting his head in disbelief.
Liu Haizhu asked again, “Broken finger???”
The man blinked, “Yeah!”
“Which one???”
Liu Haizhu nearly lost patience, “You got ten fingers in total on your two hands—where’s it broken? Your toes?”
Broken-Finger Song took a deep breath. Was this really the time to discuss this?
He lifted his hands again and blurted between clenched teeth, “Look for yourself—before, I had twelve. Now I have ten. Got a problem with that?!”
Liu Haizhu examined his hands carefully and indeed noticed something unusual, clicking his tongue.
To the casual eye, the man looked normal.
But if you looked closely, the base of his thumbs on both hands had a bony protrusion.
Nature’s craftsmanship... truly remarkable.
Feeling a bit uneasy, Liu Haizhu smacked his lips, “Twelve’s twelve—why’d you cut them off?”
Hearing this, Broken-Finger Song’s expression wilted and his head lowered, “I... I can’t find a girlfriend!”
Liu Haizhu leaned against the railing, smoking, and said calmly, “I can go with you, but only this way.”
Broken-Finger Song looked incredulous, “You still dare to come with me?”
“Your old man’s a big shot. What’s there to be afraid of!”
Liu Haizhu walked over and patted his shoulder, “So, Song Ge, huh? Call a car. I didn’t bring any money.”
...
In the car,
The kid watched the bustling cityscape rushing by and couldn’t help but smile faintly.
...
Here’s a key point worth emphasizing:
The kid didn’t agree to go just because he heard “Dongsheng.”
There was another reason: perhaps it was that ray of sunlight, that shade of orange from a dream.
A faint hope.
About this, he might not even be aware himself.
...
Dongsheng, Yuen Long.
A quaint five-story teahouse stood on the corner.
*Squeak!*
A taxi stopped outside, and two men got out.
Song Ge, with his dark eye sockets, walked ahead,
Liu Haizhu sauntered behind,
and even in his eyes, one could glimpse a trace of hope.
...
Could they still see her again?
...
As the two entered the teahouse,
in the northwest corner, a man with a scar on his face stood up.
He smiled, “Oh, isn’t this our Song Ge?
Look at you, still the red stick handpicked by the boss, haha, how’d you end up like this?”
The underlings burst into laughter.
Upon hearing this,
Song Ge stopped and coldly pointed at him, “No matter how bad I am, I can still handle you!”
Judging by their tempers, neither seemed easygoing. Liu Haizhu watched with hands in his pockets, feeling quite entertained.
He thought,
None of these are good men—bring it on!
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...
“Firedung, you’ve crossed the line, damn it!”
At that moment,
a gaunt man in Zhongshan suit approached and shouted at Broken-Finger Song, “Hey, Big Song, ignore this lunatic. The boss and the others have opened the incense hall and are waiting for you.”
Broken-Finger Song hesitated, “Below?”
The man glared at Firedung and said, “Yes!”
This man was also a core member of Dongsheng, nicknamed Old Dog Ming.
...
This man wielded twin blades and had a calm personality like an old dog, but when biting, he was ruthless!
He and Broken-Finger Song shared an unreliable boss who had to clean up a mountain of messes every month—already enough to frustrate them!
At this moment,
Old Dog Ming looked at the seven or eight disgruntled Firedung members and scolded, “You troublemaker, are you blind? Can’t you see clearly?”
Surprisingly, Firedung, usually violent, seemed intimidated by Old Dog Ming, turning pale and looking away silently.
...
Old Dog Ming paid him no mind, his thoughts swirling.
The young man walked with ease toward the incense hall. This kid was a mystery.
What kind of place is this?
The Dongsheng Yuen Long Headquarters!
...
This kid acted as if visiting a neighbor’s house, nonchalant about everything.
There were only two reasons!
Either this kid was an idiot, with his head slammed in a door—hard.
Or this kid was powerful, a thorny wild one!
...
But even if he wasn’t ordinary, so what?!
Dongsheng was a huge gang. The killers stationed below were all veterans, forged from tens of thousands of street fighters over the years.
Who was easy to mess with?!
Heh,
young man, good luck to you.
No one knew,
whether this young man or their unreliable boss was the stronger one!
...
It was well known that Hong Kong in the 1990s had passed through the chaotic era of the four great detectives.
But the eve of dawn was often the darkest hour.
Currently, the four major triads dominating Hong Kong Island were: Kowloon Walled City, Hung Lok, Dongsheng, and the old and established Wo Lin Sing.
Once, Luo Camal of Dongsheng boasted publicly: “Among the four big names, by seniority, Dongsheng is the biggest!”
Was that bragging?
Partly, but not entirely.
Most triads in the city considered themselves disciples of the Hung sect, strictly observing the Thirty-Six Oaths.
Of course, except those killers from Kowloon Walled City!
...
Hong Kong’s gangs had a long history. Currently, Dongsheng’s strength ranked second only to Kowloon Walled City, its standing on par with Hung Lok.
Dongsheng’s founder was Lin San,
Luo Bingrun was the third incense master,
and under their banner were the feared Dongsheng Five Tigers!
Along with Uncle Ben, Emperor, Cola, He Yong, Firedung, Old Dog Ming, Broken-Finger Song, and many other key gang leaders!
Speaking of the Dongsheng Five Tigers:
“Grasshopper!” — nickname “Golden Tiger,” ranked last among the five, along with Situ Bao.
“Channer Steel!” — nickname “Mountain Tiger,” fourth among the five.
“Air Force Hua!” — nickname “Thunder Tiger,” third among the five.
“Smiling Wei!” — nickname “Smiling Tiger,” second among the five.
“Situ Sang!” — nickname “Dragon Tamer,” top of the five! Rumored to be capable of rivaling the prince of Hung Lok, ruthless and cold-hearted!
...
Liu Haizhu followed “Song Ge” deeper into the passage, growing more and more apprehensive as they descended.