Lawless Gangster Chapter 75

Seventy Five

***

On the road back into the city, Li s.h.i.+ Qing was intercepted as a row of cars with their high beam headlights on lined up at the roundabout on the s.p.a.cious and empty pavement, waiting for him in a rather grand gesture.

This time, the driver was Ah Long. He uttered a bitter curse then pressed hard on the accelerator, frantically increasing the speed of the car. As he steered the wheel just the slightest, he fiercely held on to the brake clutch. Seeing that the car was about to collide head on into the car stationed in the middle of the road, Ah Long immediately turned the steering wheel, he pulled the hand brake. As the piercing sound of the tires screeched against the ground, the car abruptly took a wide drift and missed the collision. After the car came to a stop, the driver of the other car waited for them to take off again.

Ah Long was already covered in cold sweat; Li s.h.i.+ Qing’s two bodyguards—one at the front pa.s.senger seat, the other at the back-left side seat—were also flabbergasted as their expressions changed. However, there was no visible change in Li s.h.i.+ Qing who was at the back-right side seat as he listened to a phone call expressionlessly.

“I know…were you able to get in contact with Zheng Nan Fang and Zhang Xue Ming?…humph, Fan Peng can’t be trusted anymore….what? Are you sure? Isn’t Feng Qiang already—”

His call was cut short when the friction caused by the tires and ground issued a long sharp sound and the car suddenly stopped causing everyone inside to jolt forward.

Without knowing when, this direction was already blockaded by a row of cars, lining up in the same circular pattern as the previous, formidably trapping and cutting off Li s.h.i.+ Qing from getting on the road ahead.

“Qing Ye…” Ah Long wiped the sweat on his forehead then nervously said, “It’s useless.”

Li s.h.i.+ Qing grunted, “It’s not like I—Li s.h.i.+ Qing—has never been tricked before. I can lose to a person but not cars. Get out and open the car door.”

Ah Long and his two bodyguards got out of the call before the bodyguard from the front pa.s.senger seat opened the back door for him. Li s.h.i.+ Qing hurriedly got out of the car and took a few steps forward. Then he let out a sarcastic laughter and said, “Arranging such a large number of cars, isn’t it just to see me? What are you hiding for?”

After a short period of quietness, each of the car door that lined up ahead opened and gang members, wearing similar attire got out and stood in front of the car; forming an extremely oppressive battle formation.

Finally, the door of the car that was directly facing Li s.h.i.+ Qing opened and Yang Ming surprisingly emerged with a smile across his face. He gave Li s.h.i.+ Qing a faint smile before turning around to respectfully open the back door, welcoming a fifty or so years old man with a slightly plump figure. Although this person hair was greying, he still appeared rather dignified.

As the two walked—with one, just a step ahead of the other— toward the gang members, they stood in the middle of them. When the dignify man opened his mouth to speak, he was surprisingly well-spoken like a professor. It was as if, he would not be happy if he didn’t speak in a well written format like that of a cla.s.sic book.

“Li s.h.i.+ Qing, since you’ve treated your nephew with little to no affection, you might as well give him to me.”

Li s.h.i.+ Qing smiled, “Yan Ming wanted to kill his own maternal uncle but Lu Wu Ye, if you dare to want him, I’ll offer him to you with both hands.”

Standing next to Lu Wu, Yang Ming’s complexion did not change at all as he laughed giddily and said, “Then Uncle Lu, you still won’t accept me?”

Lu Wu chuckled, “Li s.h.i.+ Qing, you’re indeed generous. It really makes me even more impatient to see your beaten and humiliated expression even more.

Hearing that, Li s.h.i.+ Qing’s smile did not change, “If Lu Wu Ye wanted to see it, then why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“If I had said it earlier, what would you have done?” Lu Wu was like a cat provoke a mouth as he excitedly went along.

“If you had said so, I would have done it for Lu Wu Ye to see. Unfortunately, I have an illness,” Li s.h.i.+ Qing slowly said, “Once I’m at this kind of wild and barren mountains, I won’t be able to expose a beaten or humiliated expression.”

Lu Wu laughed heartily; his subordinates, including Yan Ming, tactfully laughed along with him. For a period of time, laughter filled this suburban road; seeming as though it was encircling Li s.h.i.+ Qing.

By the time Lu Wu stopped laughing and saw that Li s.h.i.+ Qing’s had become somewhat unsightly, he couldn’t help but to be even more pleased with himself.

“Yan Ming, do you know where your Uncle lost at?”

“Uncle Lu, aren’t you saying this too early? He hasn’t necessarily admitted defeat yet.” Yan Ming said, smiling mischievously, “But…there is no harm in saying it.”

Lu Wu gave Yan Ming a glance and slowly said, “Originally, this city had three major gang factions. Ma Que Zi had money and people, my adopted son Luo Dong had a strong and favorable background yet your Uncle who came later was able to surpa.s.s them. Say, what do you think he relied on?”

Yan Ming looked at Li s.h.i.+ Qing, “If I were to say it, the gang rely on a great number of competent people; people with talent.”

“Not bad!” Lu Wu praised, nodding his head, “When the gang was flouris.h.i.+ng, even the neighboring provinces where I resided, knew Li s.h.i.+ Qing, the dragon that has shaken up the underworld and the four leaders of each territory under his control were like tigers rus.h.i.+ng up the mountains. Liu Zi Cheng was talented and careful while also vicious and merciless; Xiao Li was calm and collected, brave and experienced, Fan Peng was quiet yet competent in managing internal and external affairs and Feng Qiang was cruel, valiant with a great fighting spirit. Then adding to that he had a nephew with money and power, everything would sail even more smoothly. Each and every one of you had his own ability which ultimately was sufficient to help these three pillars become one large independent group.”

Yan Ming repeatedly nodded his head with respect then heard Lu Wu say, “But it’s a pity, he was not able to keep any of those people.”

Lu Wu’s subordinates let out several taunting laughter and Li s.h.i.+ Qing’s expression became even more unsightly.

“Li s.h.i.+ Qing, did you know?” Lu Wu looked at him with a bit of sympathy, “When Liu Zi Cheng wanted to rely on me for help, I was rather surprise!” His words were like sharp weapons, “I didn’t expect you to be defeated like this. You weren’t even able to win over your favorite successor.”

When Li s.h.i.+ Qing did not say anything, Lu Wu’s mood became even better, “Liu Zi Cheng is a man of talent, smart and able to adapt, but it’s a pity, he was too anxious. What’s even more pitiful is that Yan Ming and I have cooperated a long time ago. Liu Zi Cheng was just a chess piece placed at the forefront and was ultimately discarded.” He let out a pitiful laugh, “You weren’t even able to win over your own nephew, that’s your second defeat.”

Li s.h.i.+ Qing snorted, “So what? Whether it is Liu Zi Cheng or Yan Ming, weren’t neither of able to get away with it?”

Lu Wu laughed out “That’s right! I actually did not expect that. Who would have known that on the surface Xiao Li was working with Yan Ming but in the end, he turned on him instead… Li s.h.i.+ Qing, you must be especially proud of yourself and thought that with will, you can achieve anything? You thought that Xiao Li—a person who’s cold and unmoving—would be deeply touched by your sincerity and fall in love with you in end?”

Finally, Li s.h.i.+ Qing could not remain indifferent or calm and angrily said, “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Why are you still being shy?” Lu Wu was even more cheerful, “You make me not have the heart to tell you…you actually didn’t think that Xiao Li has his own plan?”

Li s.h.i.+ Qing frowned, tightened his lips and remained silent.

“How are you not surprised at all?” Lu Wu sighed, “Ah, could it be you already knew? But to be fair, Xiao Li can’t be blamed for this. I tried to win him over for so long, yet he has never yielded and had always been loyal to you. It’s a pity, he betrayed Yan Ming for you and thought he could get something out of it? After taking such a big risk, how is it that as a result he ended up being locked up and used like a woman?” His voice became particularly kind, “You weren’t able to win over Xiao Li, that’s your worst defeat.”

Li s.h.i.+ Qing looked at him coldly then slowly said, “Lu Wu Ye, it can’t be that you blocked me here just to teach me how to be a leader, right?”

“Who said it isn’t?” Lu Wu was extremely happy, “Liu Zi Cheng is dead and Yan Ming is on my side. Did Fan Peng receive your call and not accept it? Is Feng Qiang no longer answering your call? And perhaps, Xiao Li had already eliminated the two leaders, Zheng Nan Fang and Zhang Xue Ming that you had just appointed long ago. It’s only natural the other leaders wouldn’t be able to get far…Li s.h.i.+ Qing ah, Li s.h.i.+ Qing, what does it feel like to be cut off from everyone?” Lu Wu laughed until his eyes narrowed. The tigers that were on the mountain returned to bite you. I’m afraid, the once raging dragon can only sink. Ha, ha, ha!”

Li s.h.i.+ Qing bitterly said, “What benefits are there for you if I sink?”

“There are plenty of benefits. Your gang is falling apart and lacks unity. Sun Ze Yu would be able to be rid of one anxiety; I’ll be able to get revenge on behalf of my adopted son Luo Dong as well as obtain even more territory and good venues; Xiao Li can obtain…” he paused and laughed, “Who knows what he wants but in any case, not being thought of by a man, would allow him to be a lot more relax!”

Li s.h.i.+ Qing knew that if he were to say anymore would only provoke more sarcastic remarks, so he simply did not say anything.

Lu Wu wanted to say something else but then he heard a loud engine like noise; it turned out to be the person that had intercepted Li s.h.i.+ Qing earlier, driving his car over toward them in a leisure manner.

The car stopped, and a man cladded in a similar outfit as the other gang members emerged before respectfully making a greeting, “Wu Ye.”

Giving an ‘en’ and politely introduced him, “Chen Wu[1], come here and make acquaintance with the legendary Li s.h.i.+ Qing.”

The tall and robust Chen Wu, looked s.h.i.+ Li s.h.i.+ up and down then nodded his head.

Lu Wu held a pleasant smile and looked pitifully at Li s.h.i.+ Qing, “In my point of view, with just one bullet, letting you die here would actually be pretty good. What a pity……” He sighed, “Everyone uses each other, while also restricting each other. Since someone wants to keep you alive, I can’t just do as I please.”

He turned around and looked at Yan Ming, “Kid, take your Uncle to the car and think about whether we should take him to the mental inst.i.tute or prison.”

Wearing a smile, Yan Ming turned around and went to get a bundle of rope from the trunk of the car then walked toward Li s.h.i.+ Qing’s side.

“I’ve wronged you, Uncle.” He smiled and started to bind Li s.h.i.+ Qing up.

Li s.h.i.+ Qing snorted and ironically said, “You’re actually considerate.”

“Don’t misunderstand, the one that wants you alive is not me. I’m not that evil as to let you live and suffer.” Yan Ming said, putting on a frightened look. “Besides, I’m only relying on Wu Ye for help. I don’t have the ability to dare discuss conditions with him.”

With a frown, Li s.h.i.+ Qing did not say anything.

A playful smile appeared on Yan Ming’s lips, “Uncle, you’re so pitiful today. I’ll tell you a good news that would definitely give you some comfort.”

Li s.h.i.+ Qing did not pay attention to him at all.

“Don’t be so uninterested,” Yan Ming said as he leaned closer to Li s.h.i.+ Qing’s ear. His voice contained a pleasing tone as he whispered, “The person that set the condition to keep you alive is your sweetheart, Xiao Li ah.”

—

Translator’s Note:

[1] Chen Wu - refer to chapter 44, he was the one that picked Xiao Li up from the jail (in Lu Wu’s territory) during the drug incident.