Chapter Forty-Nine: A Sleepless Night

The night was deep, and the autumn wind was bleak, occasionally stirring up a few yellowed leaves from the ground. A few people slowly emerged from HJ International Airport, all dressed in casual clothes, each carrying a small travel bag. Without exchanging a word, they boarded an ordinary taxi and sped off into the distance.

Flying Eagle was an old and established gang in HJ City, long past the days of collecting protection fees from small businesses. They now had their own companies, their own personnel training systems, and their own powerful backers...

"Beauty" was one of the most renowned luxury haunts in HJ City. Beyond its various legitimate entertainments, there was also a massive underground casino in the basement. As Flying Eagle’s most important source of revenue, "Beauty" employed at least a hundred enforcers, both visible and hidden.

At nine o’clock, an ordinary taxi pulled up slowly at "Beauty’s" entrance. The door opened, and a burly man stepped out, hauling a travel bag. He swung the door shut, waved to the others still inside, then glanced up at the massive sign above the entrance, a sinister grin curling on his lips.

The valet boys at the entrance, being Flying Eagle’s own men, did not regard the newcomer with any suspicion. After all, "Beauty" was so famous that many powerful people came by taxi, unwilling to draw attention by driving their own cars. In their minds, Flying Eagle was the unchallenged overlord of HJ’s underworld. Even if the man appeared somewhat off, who would dare cause trouble alone? Was this a movie?

The taxi rolled away. The burly man withdrew his gaze from the sign and strode toward the lobby of "Beauty."

At fifteen past nine, the burly man walked out from the lobby. His attire now bore subtle differences from when he’d entered. His clothes were riddled with tiny holes, as if punctured by something sharp, utterly ruining what had been a neat outfit.

The man glanced back at the building behind him, now billowing with thick smoke. Curling his lip, he muttered, “I’m not just a killer—I can set fires, too.”

The valets at the door, panic-stricken, clutched their radios, but received only silence. Eyeing the countless bullet holes in the man’s clothes, they swallowed hard, too afraid to step forward and question him.

They silently watched as this burly figure disappeared into the night on foot...

That night, numerous entertainment venues across HJ City were engulfed in flames; casualties were unknown...

Meanwhile, at Chen Hongxu’s home, Xue Xi had prepared a tableful of dishes. Though her skills were not quite those of a master chef, by the standards of home cooking, the meal was more than satisfactory.

Fan Baobao buried his head in the food, repeatedly marveling at Chen Hongxu’s good fortune in winning over a woman like Xue Xi, who was as adept in the kitchen as she was gracious in the parlor.

Xue Xi accepted the compliments with a gracious smile—it was only the truth, after all.

Su Xiaoxiao remained silent all evening, sampling each dish with her chopsticks, her air that of a professional gourmet.

A good meal called for good drink. Munching a piece of pork belly, Fan Baobao mumbled, “When Bear and the others arrive, let’s have a drinking contest. You’ll see—I may not be much in other ways, but my capacity for liquor is unmatched.”

“Fan Baobao, if you dare speak again with your mouth full, I’ll rip out your tongue,” Su Xiaoxiao said coldly, frowning as she watched him spray saliva with every word.

Fan Baobao quickly covered his mouth and gave an embarrassed laugh.

Xue Xi’s eyes narrowed playfully as she added more food to Fan Baobao’s bowl. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. In her heart, Xue Xi was convinced that Su Xiaoxiao was the third woman—one who would throw herself at a man uninvited.

Around ten o’clock, a knock sounded at the door. Fan Baobao put down his chopsticks, pulled out his phone, and dialed, “Was that you knocking just now?... Okay, coming!” Hanging up, he grinned, “They’re here. Pretty quick, too.”

Su Xiaoxiao glanced at the clock on the wall and curled her lip in disdain but did not comment.

Fan Baobao rose to open the door and ushered in five people. Su Xiaoxiao greeted them with indifference, ignoring their enthusiastic hellos, while Xue Xi stared in surprise at one of the newcomers.

“Heh, Brother Chen is a big shot now. I wouldn’t dare have any bad intentions, especially since we’re all brothers—battle-tested brothers,” said the man under Xue Xi’s gaze, giving an awkward grin.

“It’s all in the past,” Xue Xi replied nonchalantly, waving her hand. “Sit down—I’ll go heat up the food. Tonight, we’ll drink until we drop. Whoever falls first loses.”

The former G Team members, including Bear, looked at Gu Jisong in confusion, unsure what role this woman played.

Gu Jisong looked at Xue Xi and ventured, “Brother Chen’s wife?”

Xue Xi’s face lit up in delight as she carried dishes into the kitchen, saying cheerfully, “Make yourselves at home, everyone. Don’t be shy...”

Hearing that this woman was actually Chen Hongxu’s girlfriend, Bear and the others immediately changed their demeanor, hastily introducing themselves with exaggerated politeness, leaving Xue Xi flustered and busy.

After settling her guests, Xue Xi turned away with a fleeting look of loneliness on her face. Chen Hongxu’s world was growing ever larger—could she really keep up with his pace? A good woman should never hold her man back, but she found herself unwilling to let go. What was she to do?

In the living room, Bear and his companions sat and asked, “Where’s Brother Chen?”

“He’s busy in his room—didn’t even come out for dinner,” Fan Baobao replied, sitting upright, avoiding a direct answer about Chen Hongxu’s breakthrough.

A while later, Xue Xi brought out the reheated dishes with a smile, and Bear and the others quickly got up to help. Soon, with the addition of delivered liquor, Chen Hongxu’s home was transformed into a lively gathering.

In stark contrast to the Chen family’s cheerful celebration, Director Gong, who had been so tough the previous day, locked himself in his study, pacing with a deathly pale face. He knew his time was up. The tactic of sacrificing a pawn to save the king always worked, and he himself had used it before. Now that it was his turn, composure was hard to maintain.

After much hesitation, Director Gong took out an unregistered phone card he’d bought that day, inserted it, and dialed, “Old comrade, there’s something I need to tell you…”

At the government compound, Secretary Hu’s home was a scene of fury. Secretary Hu, face ashen, glared at his bruised and battered son, Hu Tianmiao, and spat, “How could my family produce such a disgrace?”

Hu Tianmiao cowered in fear, occasionally gasping in pain from his injuries.

“I’m nearly retired now; I don’t care much about my future,” Secretary Hu said, his tone softening as he gazed at his son’s pathetic state. “If someone hadn’t come to verify the provincial leader’s signature with me, I’d have thought this was just a smear campaign. You’re my only son—if what’s lost is lost, so be it. There are things you simply can’t get involved with. The Xue family’s backing is beyond your imagination. Little Gong knew these people were from the organization and still resisted; that was his own lack of vision, and he got everyone into trouble.”

Hu Tianmiao clenched his fists—he had never suffered such a loss. That his father expected him to swallow his grievances in silence was almost too much to bear.

Knowing his son well, Secretary Hu sighed and continued, “I know what you’re thinking. If you can’t win aboveboard, you’ll try the underworld. Last time, you gathered a group in Secretary Lin’s name—some died, some were wounded, and not a single person dared testify. Do you really think you can win by force? And knowing those people, I suspect tonight will be a sleepless night for many.”

“So, what should I do?” Hu Tianmiao, defeated, seemed to deflate entirely.

“You’re leaving China tomorrow for America,” Secretary Hu said, the years suddenly weighing heavily on him. Closing his eyes, he declared, “To raise a son and not teach him is a father’s fault. I always knew you were just putting on an act, but I thought you merely liked to play around—that it wouldn’t lead to disaster. I was wrong. This time, I can’t avoid responsibility, but I’ve always had principles as an official. I may have weaknesses, but none fatal. So you must leave tomorrow. After that, things might go more smoothly for me.”

Hu Tianmiao had nothing left to say. He nodded, lowered his head, and wept silently, though the devil inside him continued to circle and his eyes burned with hatred...