RTCBM 45

Mu Yuan wasn’t new in the underworld. He had faced situations more dangerous than tonight. With Da K’s knife coming straight at him, he had no choice but to fight back. There was no room for retreat.

He forced himself to stay calm, eyes locked on the blade. Just as the knife was about to pierce his abdomen, he twisted with all his strength and broke free. The blade missed its mark. Da K exploded with rage, yelling at his underlings, “What the fuck are you all doing?! You can’t even hold down one man? Useless!”

In the commotion, Mu Yuan’s phone slipped out of his pocket and fell to the ground. The screen lit up, showing a message notification.

Da K picked it up and opened it. One of the contact names caught his eye.Wen Da Xiong. Just from the name, Da K assumed it was Mu Yuan’s girl. A nasty idea popped into his head. He figured it was the perfect chance to mess with this so-called big-breasted chick.

Right in front of Mu Yuan, he dialed the number. The call was picked up within seconds, but a man’s voice answered. Definitely not the woman Da K was expecting.

“The fuck? You’re Wen Da Xiong?” Da K barked, his tone rough and crude.

Hearing a stranger’s voice on the line, Wen Shang froze for a second. Judging by the guy’s aggressive tone, he clearly wasn’t Mu Yuan’s friend. Wen Shang frowned and asked, “Who are you? Where’s Mu Yuan?”

Da K didn’t answer. Instead, he shot back, “Who the fuck are you to him then? One of his underlings? His buddy?”

“Where is Mu Yuan? Put him on.”

Da K let out a low chuckle. It was the kind of laugh that begged for a beating. With a lazy, mocking tone, he said, “Listen up. Name’s Da K. Your Boss Mu is with me right now. Tonight, I’m gonna give him a proper welcome and settle a few old debts.”

His voice dipped sharply on that last sentence, every word deliberate.

From the side, Mu Yuan shouted as loud as he could, trying to project his voice toward the phone, “Wen Shang! Go to Sixth house right now and tell A-Zhi and the others to get to the massage parlour on Linyuan Avenue!”

He had no idea whether Wen Shang had heard him, because the next second, Da K slammed the phone to the ground and stomped on it over and over until the screen shattered into pieces.

Even if Wen Shang had heard him and acted right away, there was no way help could arrive fast enough. Right now, the only person Mu Yuan could count on was himself.

While Da K’s attention was on the wrecked phone, Mu Yuan clenched his jaw against the pain in his arm and used every ounce of strength he had to break free. Without looking back, he bolted.

Wen Shang didn’t know exactly what kind of trouble Mu Yuan was in, but he knew it wasn’t minor. Before the call cut off, he had vaguely caught a few key words. Sixth House, A Zhi, Linyuan Avenue, and massage parlor. He quickly threw on some clothes, grabbed his car keys, and rushed out the door.

Worried he wouldn’t make it in time, he drove straight toward Linyuan Avenue. While navigating the road, he called Xiang Yang.

It was already past midnight. Xiang Yang had been asleep, and the sudden call pulled him out of bed. His voice was groggy with irritation. “It’s the middle of the night. Can’t this wait till morning?”

Wen Shang didn’t waste time explaining. He spoke fast, “Mu Yuan’s in trouble. Call his guy and tell him to get the brothers from Sixth House to this address. Now.”

Xiang Yang snapped awake. “Got it. I’ll contact him now.”

While Wen Shang rushed to the scene, Mu Yuan was being chased down by Da K and his crew. He had already run through eight streets, but he couldn’t shake them. Worse, he didn’t even realize he had crossed into Renhe territory until it was too late.

Ahead of him was a mahjong parlor. A few men were standing outside smoking. They were tall and built, with sharp, menacing features. One of them was Fang Zheneng, a Double Flower Red Pole from Renhe. Mu Yuan recognized him instantly. The men beside him were all known 426 Red Poles under Renhe as well.

With danger in front and behind, Mu Yuan was completely cornered. Da K’s crew had already caught up, cutting off his escape. Things had taken a turn for the worse, and the odds were stacking against him fast.

Fang Zheneng looked up when he heard the commotion. His gaze swept over Da K and the others, then landed on Mu Yuan, who was battered and covered in blood.

He leaned in and whispered something to the Red Poles beside him. Then the whole group began walking toward them.

Da K put on a grin, bowed his head, and greeted him with exaggerated respect. “Neng-ge.”

Fang Zheneng took a drag from his cigarette, then pointed first at Mu Yuan and then at Da K. “What’s going on here?”

“It’s like this. Boss Mu and I had some unfinished business. I figured tonight was a good time to settle it properly,” Da K said.

“Need any help?” Fang Zheneng flicked his cigarette to the ground and lifted his chin as he spoke.

“No need to trouble you. I’ve got a few underlings with me. We can handle it.”

The moment Da K finished speaking, before he could even make sense of what was happening, Fang Zheneng grabbed him and slammed him over the shoulder, sending him straight to the ground. Then he delivered two heavy hooks, one to the left side of his face and one to the right.

“Did I fucking tell you to answer? Huh? Who said you could speak?” Fang Zheneng grabbed him by the throat and punched him hard in the gut several more times.

While Fang Zheneng was dealing with Da K, the other Red Poles jumped in and gave Da K’s underlings a proper beating too. It wasn’t just Da K who was stunned. Mu Yuan stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what the hell was happening.

Fang Zheneng didn’t hold back. His punches were sharp, precise, and brutal. Da K was left lying on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, unable to fight back. Only then did Fang Zheneng stand up, calmly pulled out his phone, and made a call. He spoke a few quiet words to the person on the other end, then hung up.

Without explaining anything, Fang Zheneng and the other Red Poles rounded up Da K, his men, and Mu Yuan, and brought them all with them.

Mu Yuan sat silently in the back seat of the car. He didn’t know what Fang Zheneng’s intentions were. From the driver’s seat, Fang Zheneng glanced at him now and then through the rearview mirror, as if trying to guess what was going through his mind. After a while, he said, “Relax. No one’s going to hurt you. We just need you to come along because someone wants to see you.”

“Is it Elder Chang?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

Neither of them said another word until the car pulled up to their destination.

It was Mu Yuan’s first time at Renhe’s headquarters. Inside Lei Hall, the atmosphere was solemn and imposing. Chang Yunxuan sat at the center of the main hall, his presence exuding the commanding aura of a triad dragon head.

“Elder Chang.” Fang Zheneng nodded at him, then shoved Da K forward and kicked the back of his knees. Da K dropped to the floor and landed on both knees.

“He’s the one you wanted.”

Chang Yunxuan rose from his seat, walked over to Da K, and kicked him hard in the chest. Only then did he speak.

“Didn’t I tell you last time that matter was already settled? As a member of Renhe, not only did you ignore my warning, you even stirred up shit right outside our doorstep. If A-Neng and the others hadn’t been there, someone could’ve died tonight. What the fuck do you expect me to say to the cops when that happens?”

Da K kept his head down, mumbling apologies. Chang Yunxuan wasn’t interested in hearing his excuses. He turned and walked up to Mu Yuan, giving him a long, steady look. His gaze eventually stopped at the wound on Mu Yuan’s right arm.

He pointed to the gash and asked Da K, “You did this?”

Da K hesitated, his mouth half open. Chang Yunxuan had no patience for it. He bellowed, “Answer me!”

Only then did Da K mutter, “Yeah…” The cowardly tone coming from him now was nothing like the tough act he’d put on earlier.

That was all Chang Yunxuan needed. He shot a glance at one of the men nearby. The other man understood immediately, grabbed Da K, and slammed him down on the table.

Fang Zheneng walked over to the tool rack and picked up a machete. In one clean stroke, the blade came down. Just like that, Da K’s right pinky finger was gone. A pool of blood spread across the table.

“Consider losing that finger the last bit of mercy I’ll show you. There won’t be a next time. Got it?” Chang Yunxuan’s voice was calm but ice cold.

Da K didn’t know whether “no next time” meant he couldn’t touch Mu Yuan again or that he was never to stir trouble on Renhe turf. Either way, he wouldn’t dare push his luck again. Next time, it wouldn’t be just a finger he lost.

With Da K’s punishment done, Chang Yunxuan had someone come over to treat the wound on Mu Yuan’s arm. After the injury was cleaned and dressed, he waved the others away. The massive hall emptied out until only the two of them remained.

This was Mu Yuan’s first time meeting Chang Yunxuan face to face. He stood frozen for a moment before realizing he hadn’t greeted the man yet. He gave a polite nod and said, “Elder Chang.”

Chang Yunxuan gave only a faint hum in response. “Come with me. Someone wants to see you.”

He didn’t offer any explanation. He simply turned and walked out of the hall. Mu Yuan followed behind, step by step, trailing him through a classically designed courtyard garden. They eventually stopped in front of a two-story house.

Someone was playing an instrument inside. Mu Yuan immediately recognized the sound of the gaohu, a staple in Cantonese opera performances. The tune being played was one he knew well. It was “Parting Swallows,” a piece he had sung many times before. His curiosity about the identity of the player only deepened.

The door wasn’t locked. Chang Yunxuan pushed it open and led Mu Yuan inside. They climbed the stairs to the second floor. The person playing was seated out on the balcony and didn’t pause even when they entered.

“Bai-ge,” Chang Yunxuan called out respectfully, his tone revealing just how much regard he had for the man. “I’ve brought him.”

The man didn’t reply. He remained absorbed in his music. With his part done, Chang Yunxuan quietly left, leaving Mu Yuan alone in the room to wait.

The notes of the gaohu were slow and fluid. Under this man’s hands, “Parting Swallows” took on a unique and graceful elegance, like a spring breeze in March, gentle and warm. Mu Yuan couldn’t help but hum along as he listened.

When the piece ended, the man finally lowered the gaohu and stepped back into the room from the balcony.

With the light from inside, Mu Yuan was able to see the man’s face clearly. He looked to be around fifty, dressed entirely in white, with a refined and scholarly air. His dark eyes held a quiet power and intelligence that lay deep beneath the surface. The left side of his face was scarred, seemingly from an old burn, and he had grown his hair long to cover it. Even so, from the other half of his face, it was clear that he had once been a strikingly handsome man.

Mu Yuan studied him for a long while. Then his entire body stiffened as realization hit. He opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. After a long pause, he finally whispered, almost in disbelief, “Third Uncle?”