Chapter 44
The fact that Xu Ke hit his subordinate brothers made him furious, but what angered him more was that the men he had raised for so many years couldn’t even beat a pretty boy. If this incident were to spread, wouldn’t it be a slap in his face?
“Second Master, it’s not that we couldn’t beat him. This kid was just too cunning. He ambushed us while we were drunk, and the brothers were too weak from the drink; that’s how he succeeded,” Brother Biao said, covering his wound and looking indignant.
“Second Master, Brother Biao is right. This pretty boy is really cunning. I suspect he’s being directed by someone to deliberately cause you trouble,” said a man with a face full of scars, covering his chest and speaking in a low voice.
Thinking of the frequent appearances of Leopard lately, Second Master Zhao took a puff of his cigar, squinted through the thin smoke at Xu Ke’s face, and said lightly, “What a pity.” Then he waved his hand to the dozen black-clad men behind him and instructed, “Leave his hands and feet, but don’t cause any deaths, and don’t ruin his face. It’s still useful.”
A dozen men dressed in black responded in unison, “Yes.” Each looked full of fighting spirit, completely incomparable to Brother Biao’s subordinates just now. Xu Ke frowned as he observed their every move, aiming to minimize injuries and resolve them as quickly as possible.
Just as the battle was about to erupt, a clear male voice rang out from behind the crowd, “Hold on!”
Everyone turned towards the voice’s direction. The newcomer was dressed in a well-tailored suit, wore glasses with patterns and long chains on the bridge of his nose, his skin was sickly pale, lips as red as if smeared with fresh blood, a straight nose, and slender, upturned eyes—a typical androgynous face. However, anyone who knew him wouldn’t dare call him sissy. Those who once disrespected him now had no idea where they were suffering in the world. In front of this master, Second Master Zhao’s status was insignificant, to put it bluntly, he wasn’t even qualified to shine his shoes.
“Oh, isn’t it Lord Snake? What are you doing here?” Just moments ago behaving like a big boss, Second Master Zhao now wore a flattering smile, pushing aside those in front of him to greet Lord Snake, smiling obsequiously as he asked.
“Do I need to report to you where I go?” The man called Lord Snake casually adjusted his glasses with his index finger and said nonchalantly.
“No, no, see how my big mouth speaks out of place, don’t mind me, Lord Snake,” Second Master Zhao slapped his own mouth, licking his face with a smile.
Brother Biao stood at the back of the crowd, sneaking a glance at Lord Snake through the heads of others, feeling something ominous in the air. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the person in front of him had some connection with Xu Ke, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what that relationship was; he just knew it wasn’t simple.
While Brother Biao was still speculating about Xu Ke’s relationship with Lord Snake, Lord Snake had already walked past Second Master Zhao, followed by even more robust men in black. Lord Snake walked ahead of them, and everyone blocking his path stepped aside to let him easily reach Xu Ke.
“Hello, Mr. Xu, I am Black Snake, sent by Xu Jie. I’m here at your command today.” Lord Snake placed his right hand on his chest and bowed, speaking in a volume only audible to the two of them.
With Black Snake’s gesture, the people he brought also followed suit and bowed, creating a scene like a dark cloud floating in a clear sky, carrying an overwhelming sense of oppression. Seeing this scene, Second Master Zhao took a deep breath.
This scene didn’t last long, but the shock it brought was something that couldn’t easily fade away. Without Black Snake’s words, the moment Black Snake turned around, Second Master Zhao kicked Brother Biao, sending the sturdy man sliding a few meters back on the ground. Once he stopped, Brother Biao spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, evidence that the force used was at its fullest.
“May I know your surname? I apologize for my subordinates being ignorant and interrupting your enjoyment. Please, I hope you’ll forgive us this time,” he said.
Xu Ke didn’t speak but frowned as he looked at Second Master Zhao’s show. After all, Brother Biao was working for him, yet he treated his subordinates like that, showing himself to be a merciless, self-serving individual.
Unaware of how Xu Ke had judged him, Second Master Zhao felt a chill when he saw Xu Ke’s unwavering gaze. He couldn’t help but want to say something to lighten the current atmosphere, “The environment here is a bit dirty and messy; perhaps we should move to the Crown for a chat, my treat to express my gratitude.”
Looking at Second Master Zhao’s sycophantic behavior, Xu Ke suddenly felt uninterested. After all, the culprits responsible for hitting Mengyao had already been taken care of, and venting had relieved a lot of his pent-up anger. He decided to leave Second Master Zhao for the police, confident they’d be thrilled to find his criminal evidence. For a person like him to rise to his current position, his hands were undoubtedly dirty and with many connections, giving the police a lot to work on.
“Move aside,” Xu Ke said mercilessly. The bodyguard standing behind Lord Snake pushed the people in front to the side like a bulldozer, clearing a wide path for Xu Ke.
Xu Ke walked out with a blank face, stopping as he passed Second Master Zhao, his pitch-black eyes filled with indifference as he coolly remarked, “This isn’t over.”
Only after Xu Ke and his entourage completely disappeared from sight did Second Master Zhao come back to his senses, drenched in cold sweat. To be someone whom Lord Snake would bow to, how terrifying must that person be? Such a person told him it wasn’t over; how could he not be terrified? No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure out how he had offended the other party, leaving him with no chance of redemption, his face turning pale with fright.
“It’s all your fault, you fool! You caused all this mess!” Second Master Zhao kicked Brother Biao a few more times, each kick harder than the last. But he knew that even if he beat Brother Biao to death here today, it wouldn’t change a thing. People like them meant every word they said; since he said it wasn’t over, it wouldn’t be over.
After venting his anger on Brother Biao a few more times, Second Master Zhao hurried back to gather his money and escape. But some things couldn’t be resolved immediately; he had to stay a couple more days in Los City.
Second Master Zhao told himself just to stay two more days, and whether things were settled or not, he should leave immediately afterward. But little did he know that this decision might result in him staying in Los City for the rest of his life.