SA 13.2

Chen Chen stood in the study, his hands clasped behind his back, quietly admiring the scroll mounted on the wall. It was a piece of wild cursive script by Huai Su, purchased at an auction house in New York for eight million USD. The ink strokes were bold and unrestrained, exuding an awe-inspiring vigor. Just standing before it gave a sense of daunting reverence. Chen Chen’s lips curved in a faint smile, but he said nothing, offering only a subtle nod in appreciation.

“Chen ge.”

Chen Chen turned, slightly raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Where’s Ah Yang?”

Liao Qiu lowered his voice. “Yang ge… hasn’t gotten up yet.”

Chen Chen, a man of strict discipline, had always maintained the habit of waking up before seven, whether in his youth as a wanderer struggling to find his next meal or now as the leader of Hongyun, commanding respect with a single word. It was a habit he’d passed on to Fang Yang over the years. “Hasn’t gotten up?”

“He’s in Ye Jingsheng’s room.”

“…I see.” Chen Chen nodded in understanding, pausing for a moment before turning back to the scroll. “Liao Qiu, what do you think of this calligraphy?”

“Chen ge, I’m just a rough man. How would I know anything about—”

“This calligraphy, though excellent, is ultimately too wild and unrestrained, its strokes reckless and lacking refinement. It falls short of Zhang Xu’s work. Don’t you agree?”

—-

When Ye Jingsheng followed Chen Chen into Yulong Xuan, the century-old restaurant had already been cleared for their visit. Normally, the establishment catered exclusively to political and business elites, reflecting Hongyun’s rigorous precautions.

Since agreeing to Fang Yang’s request, Ye Jingsheng had been shadowing Chen Chen, accompanying him everywhere as his personal guard. He took the role seriously, but ever since then, Fang Yang had been greeting him with a sour, perpetually grim expression, his tone dripping with sarcasm whenever they did cross paths. Yet Fang Yang had been so busy that they hadn’t had a proper conversation in over ten days.

Tch. Making a fuss over something so trivial? Ye Jingsheng thought with disdain as he stabbed a piece of roasted pigeon with his fork, biting into it with a hint of frustration. Not like he’s some paragon of virtue himself. And besides, it’s not like I forced him. What’s he so pissed about?

“The crispy roasted pigeon here at Yulong Xuan is renowned, better than even abalone or shark fin soup. What’s wrong? You don’t like it?” Chen Chen asked with a smile, dabbing at the sauce on the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ye Jingsheng scratched his head awkwardly and replied, “No, it’s great. Really good.”

The more time he spent with Chen Chen, the more he realized how unlike a typical crime boss he seemed. Chen Chen was refined, courteous, and articulate. Ye Jingsheng couldn’t imagine him wielding a gun to settle a score.

Chen Chen smiled as he casually shared anecdotes and historical tidbits, which piqued Ye Jingsheng’s curiosity. Though he was rough around the edges and knew little of such matters, he found himself unexpectedly drawn in. Their conversation grew more relaxed, and the tension between them seemed to dissipate.

When the waiter brought the last dish, their meal was interrupted by the arrival of uninvited guests. At the head of the group was none other than Zhong Qinglin, the man Fang Yang most wanted dead.

“Ah Chen, what a coincidence! You’re here for morning tea too?” Zhong Qinglin’s false smile was thinly veiled. Chen Chen didn’t even spare him a glance, leisurely pouring himself a cup of Dongding Oolong tea and taking a sip.

Zhong Qinglin stepped forward, his tone hardening. “Good nephew, I worked with Old Master Chen for over 30 years. Surely you could show me a little respect?”

Ye Jingsheng knew Zhong Qinglin had allied with smaller factions to try to overthrow Hongyun, only for Fang Yang to seize the opportunity to retaliate, costing him a significant portion of his territory and leaving him severely weakened. No wonder his face was full of resentment.

Chen Chen slowly set his teacup down. “My mother was married to Old Master Chen. Tell me, did you show her respect? Did you show me respect?”

Zhong Qinglin’s expression darkened. Chen Chen had dredged up old grievances, dropping all pretense of civility. It was clear he intended to crush Zhong Qinglin completely.

He took a step closer. “Chen Chen, I’m trying to prevent Hongyun from falling apart. I didn’t even hold you accountable for ruining my plans in the Americas—”

A foot suddenly blocked his path. Zhong Qinglin turned to see Ye Jingsheng, still chewing on a piece of roasted pigeon. Between bites, he said, “If you’re going to beg, then beg. Why pretend to be noble when you’re just wagging your tail and groveling?”

“You!” Zhong Qinglin’s eyes flared with rage. He had made the mistake of recruiting Ye Jingsheng to deal with Fang Yang, only to have it backfire spectacularly. “Ye Jingsheng! Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that?”

Ye Jingsheng casually rubbed his nose before slamming his chopsticks down and standing. He drew his gun and aimed it at Zhong Qinglin’s forehead.

“Uncle Zhong!” Zhong Qinlin’s bodyguards immediately drew their weapons, but Jingsheng remained unfazed. “Let me tell you something,” Ye Jingsheng said coldly. “They might care about Hongyun’s reputation and the balance of power, but I don’t. If I’m pissed off, I’ll pull the trigger and send us all to hell together!” He narrowed his eyes menacingly. “I’m the kind of guy who will do anything. You want to use me as a pawn? You’re courting death!”

“Ah Sheng.” Chen Chen’s calm voice broke through the tension. “If someone comes to make trouble, it’s because they’re prepared. No need to scare everyone.”

Ye Jingsheng glanced around and noticed the restaurant staff cowering in fear. With a scoff, he slowly lowered his gun and holstered it. “Fine. I don’t want to attract the cops anyway. But if I were you, I’d get out of here now. Do you think we’d show up here unarmed and unprepared?”

Zhong Qinglin stepped back, though his voice was still venomous. “You’d better watch yourself,” he spat. Though he addressed Ye Jingsheng, it was clear his threat was aimed at Chen Chen.

After the commotion, Chen Chen lost interest in continuing their meal. As they made their way to the door, Ye Jingsheng suddenly grabbed Chen Chen and pulled him down, the two of them rolling to the side just as a hail of bullets struck the spot where they had been standing. Smoke and chaos erupted around them.

“It’s Zhong Qinglin!” Chen Chen roared, his voice full of fury. “That bastard came prepared! He dares to do this in broad daylight?!”

There was no time to hesitate. Chen Chen, who preferred peace and quiet, had most of his bodyguards stationed in the parking lot. Only two or three had accompanied them inside. Ye Jingsheng drew his gun and shielded Chen Chen behind him. The gunfire was ceaseless, and it was impossible to tell how many attackers there were. If they couldn’t block the entrance, they were doomed.

The chaos in Yulong Xuan’s main hall was absolute. Glass shattered everywhere, screams echoed as people ran for cover, clutching their heads. Cries of fear mingled with the wails of those injured or caught in the crossfire. In mere moments, the hall was littered with the dead and wounded.

The assailants were closing in on the main hall. Ye Jingsheng knew that if they breached the room, it would be over for them. Sweat slicked his palms. He had promised to keep Chen Chen safe, but now—

Bang! A bodyguard was struck and fell to the floor. While firing back, Ye Jingsheng grabbed the fallen guard’s gun and thrust it into Chen Chen’s hands. “Take this. I’ll cover you, but you’ll have to protect yourself.”

Chen Chen hesitated, but Ye Jingsheng had already leaped into action. It was too late. The attackers had burst through the door.

With no time to retreat, Ye Jingsheng surged forward instead, grabbing a plastic bag from the ground and shoving it over the head of the nearest assailant. The man panicked, his aim going wild. Ye Jingsheng seized his wrist, twisting it with brutal force until the sound of snapping bones echoed through the chaos. He wrested the gun from the man’s hand and, with a powerful shove, sent him crashing into a large display aquarium.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

Before the others could react, Ye Jingsheng raised his gun and unleashed a barrage of shots, forcing them to cower. Blood streaked across his face, making him look like a blood-soaked demon. His voice boomed through the chaos. “If you’ve got a death wish, come at me!”

Taking another step forward, he radiated pure menace. But behind him, Chen Chen suddenly let out a startled cry. Ye Jingsheng’s instincts kicked in, and he moved to shield Chen Chen with his body. A stray bullet tore through his shoulder, sending a spray of blood into the air.

The familiar sensation of torn flesh and searing pain was something Ye Jingsheng knew all too well. But it still cut deep, stealing his breath. He gritted his teeth, knowing that if he faltered for even a moment and let the attackers flood in, their escape would be impossible. Ignoring the blood streaming down his arm, he kept firing, forcing the attackers back step by step.

The hall was thick with smoke, and Ye Jingsheng’s relentless assault finally unnerved the hired killers. Realizing the resistance was fiercer than expected and unwilling to risk their lives, they exchanged glances and retreated.

He collapsed to the ground, his hands trembling so much he could barely hold his gun. He ejected the magazine and saw only two bullets remaining. A cold sweat broke out over him as the reality of their narrow escape sank in.

“Jingsheng, are you alright?” Chen Chen’s usually composed demeanor shattered as he rushed to Ye Jingsheng’s side. The moment his hand touched Jingsheng’s arm, he felt the wet, sticky heat of blood. His palm was smeared with dark crimson.

Ye Jingsheng waved weakly, intending to reassure him, but no words came out. Suddenly, his expression froze, and in an instant, he sprang to his feet, gun in hand.

Chen Chen turned in confusion, only to see a female server standing behind them, clutching a tray, trembling with fear. Her sobs were heart-wrenching. “P-please, don’t kill me. I don’t know anything… please!”

Chen Chen exhaled, relieved, and said, “Let’s go.”

But Ye Jingsheng remained silent, his gaze fixed on the woman. After a long pause, his hand, which had started to lower, suddenly raised again. Wasting no time, he fired a single, precise shot.

“No!” Chen Chen shouted, but it was too late. The woman let out a piercing scream as she collapsed, blood pooling beneath her lifeless body.

“Was that necessary?” Chen Chen frowned, his voice tinged with disapproval.

Ye Jingsheng dropped the gun, clutching at the wound on his shoulder as fresh blood seeped through his fingers. Staggering forward, he approached the corpse and kicked the tray out of the way. Hidden behind it, clutched in the dead woman’s hand, was a small palm grenade.

Chen Chen froze, his expression shifting from shock to grim realization.