Chapter 25: You Lost—The Woman Stays!

In truth, according to the rules of the underworld, Shan Wei had no need to meet with Lu Feng in person. As the one who called the shots for the Lianhong Society in the Hongqiao area, he was a man of considerable standing and reputation in these circles. Lu Feng, on the other hand, held no position whatsoever—he was a mere novice, barely setting foot in this world.

Shan Wei never actually intended to sit down with Lu Feng at all. At first, he simply sent his trusted lieutenant, Chang Mao, with orders to cripple Lu Feng and drag him back to the headquarters for questioning. Unfortunately, Chang Mao, who was renowned in Hongqiao for his fighting skills, went out on his own two feet but was carried back by others.

At this point, Shan Wei still had other options—he could have gathered a mob to hack Lu Feng to pieces. No matter how skilled a fighter, a single man could not withstand hundreds of blades. Yet, Lu Feng's repeated defeat of his men made Shan Wei begin to suspect there was more to him than met the eye.

A man of mysterious power suddenly appearing and persistently stirring up trouble for a gang was a clear signal—perhaps another group was looking to expand its territory and had set its sights on Hongqiao Street. Shan Wei wondered if Lu Feng was an agent sent to provoke conflict and seize ground.

Shan Wei had presided over this area for several years, holding firm control over six streets of Hongqiao—not by luck, but by cunning. He was always cautious. From the moment Lu Feng sat down, Shan Wei had probed and tested, seeking to uncover his background, but found nothing.

The reason was simple: Lu Feng had no background to uncover. He did not belong to any gang. He was merely a young man from the mountains, who had come to heal the sick and save lives, but had fought his way to the Lianhong Society's Hongqiao base by pure happenstance.

...

Soon, the lackey who had taken the card to be swiped returned and whispered in Shan Wei's ear, "It really went through—two hundred thousand."

Shan Wei's gaze sharpened. He looked Lu Feng over once again, now harboring a host of new suspicions.

...

Chen Lan had also overheard the underling's words and stood frozen in shock. When Lu Feng handed her the card earlier, she had assumed it held perhaps a thousand or two at most. Never had she imagined it contained two hundred thousand.

Two hundred thousand, handed so casually to a stranger.

For that sum, the thugs in Baiyun District would not hesitate to kill or set fire.

Chen Lan no longer knew whether she should be moved or think Lu Feng was a fool.

...

At last, Shan Wei found it hard to contain himself any longer. He asked bluntly, "Who do you belong to? What are you really after, coming to the Lianhong Society's turf?"

"I don't belong to anyone," Lu Feng replied with a faint smile. "I just happened to see you bullying someone, and couldn't resist bullying you back a bit."

To Shan Wei, these words sounded outrageously arrogant.

He, a dignified leader of one of the Lianhong Society’s branches, was being taunted by a mere youth. Fury flared instantly. Pointing at Lu Feng, he said, "If you refuse to tell me who you work for, if I cripple you, I won't even know where to dump you."

Lu Feng could have claimed to be from Yunshan. Although reclusive sects and criminal gangs were worlds apart, introducing oneself by one's sect was not unheard of. However, when Lu Feng left the mountain, the old man had warned him not to stir up trouble outside. So, he decided not to invoke Yunshan’s name, lest he scare people out of their wits.

Of course, the idea that he might frighten anyone was only Lu Feng’s own fancy. Someone like Shan Wei had never even heard of Yunshan and would sooner laugh than tremble at its mention.

"You needn't worry about that," Lu Feng said, sweeping his gaze over the thugs in the restaurant and shaking his head. "Even all your men together wouldn't be enough for me to take seriously."

Arrogant—beyond arrogant!

Shan Wei could hold back no longer. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "So you're saying you want to fight, then!"

"Not at all. I'm just stating a fact. When I left home, the old man told me not to cause trouble outside. So unless you come after me, I honestly can't be bothered to hit you," Lu Feng replied, shrugging innocently.

This only infuriated Shan Wei further, as Lu Feng’s words reduced all his men to the level of not even being worth his time.

"Fine! I’ll have someone fight you. If you lose, you leave the woman here!" Shan Wei said, pointing at Chen Lan.

At this point, Chen Lan was no longer the main issue—Lianhong Society's reputation was at stake. If Lu Feng walked away with her unharmed, Shan Wei would lose all standing in the underworld.

For gangs, money was important, but face was everything. There was no way Shan Wei would let Lu Feng take Chen Lan away unscathed.

Lu Feng glanced back at Chen Lan. Though he was confident in his own abilities, it felt somewhat disrespectful to wager a woman as the prize.

Chen Lan was terrified. The negotiations had failed, and she knew that if she were left behind today, by tomorrow she could be dead in some filthy gutter, or worse—drugged and thrown into a brothel, condemned to unending torment.

What frightened Chen Lan even more was the prospect of placing her fate in another's hands. She had done so once before, believing she could settle into a peaceful life, but the result had been cruel betrayal. These years, she had gritted her teeth and struggled to provide for herself and her daughter, determined to seize her own destiny and rely on no one, no matter how hard that made her life.

She was beautiful, and even with a daughter, many wanted to be kind to her—but she dared not accept, afraid of making another disastrous choice.

Now, faced with this situation, she didn't know what to do. Yet when Lu Feng looked back at her, she nodded her assent.

Seeing her nod, Lu Feng turned to Shan Wei and agreed, "Very well. But if your man loses, then what?"

"Whoever wins gets to decide!" Shan Wei replied confidently.

The moment he learned Chang Mao had been beaten, Shan Wei had already called in reinforcements from other Lianhong Society branches.

Six streets in Hongqiao might sound like a lot, but it was a poor area in Baiyun District, with little profit to be had. Though there was a branch here, they couldn’t afford any real masters. Chang Mao was Shan Wei’s right-hand man and Hongqiao’s top fighter—if he had been taken down, it was only reasonable to borrow help from other branches.

And the man he had borrowed was Mad Xi—the boxing king.

Mad Xi lived up to his name. In local slang, he was downright deranged. He’d made his name in underground boxing matches, once beaten so badly he was left crippled, only to be picked up and healed by a Lianhong Society boss. After his recovery, he went truly mad—not staying with the gang, but returning to the ring to seek revenge on the man who had ruined him. He killed his enemy in the ring.

From that day on, Mad Xi fought every match to the death. None who faced him left the ring whole. Eventually, no one dared fight him anymore, so he returned to the boss who had paid for his recovery.

Shan Wei knew exactly what Mad Xi wanted—fighting, or rather, killing. As long as a fight was involved, he would come if his boss allowed it.