“Clang clang clang.... Bang!”
“Oh dear! Our Boss Lu is done for, did he spend all his energy on women? I heard Boss Lu loves black chickens, is that true?”
The battle between the two bosses didn't live up to the hype of a clash of titans. There was no fiery explosion, no thrilling peak showdown. Everything was so mundane. Old Ghost Lu, having retired from the blade for over a decade, his strength sapped by wine and women, leaving only a bunch of flabby meat. He even struggled to hold his Guan Gong cleaver, let alone chop someone. Wielding the twenty-pound cleaver for a few minutes left him gasping for breath, and after a few exchanges with Chen Dong, he was forced to retreat. If it wasn't for his loyal and righteous subordinates, a few of whom, earning only a few hundred bucks a month, seeing their boss being slashed rushed in to defend him, only to be knocked down by Chen Dong's iron rod, Old Ghost Lu wouldn't have lasted two rounds against Chen Dong.
However, after all his subordinates were knocked down by Gao Jin and A Bao, Old Ghost Lu was also sent flying by Chen Dong's kick, landing face down on the ground.
Chen Dong, with the same swaggering dance moves as the Axe Gang boss, approached Old Ghost Lu, grinning mischievously, a stark contrast to his earlier rage when his cousin was severely injured.
“Spare my family’s wealth! If I was twenty years younger, I’d chop you to pieces! Go ahead and kill me!”
Old Ghost Lu was tough as nails, a true testament to years in the underworld. Unlike the young upstarts who were afraid of death, Old Ghost Lu, an old-timer who had been around since the good old days, possessed a certain kind of old-world chivalry and spirit.
It felt like he had lost the battle, but he himself had not.
Only he knew what he was thinking. Of course, he didn't want to die. If he died, those beautiful wives would fall into the hands of that bastard, the Prince!
But he also knew what kind of guy this "Pretty Boy" Dong was. A man who would go to great lengths for a boss who was already retired, a man who dared to fight against two major gangs for his cousin. He was undeniably loyal and righteous. With someone like that, the more afraid you were of death, the sooner you’d die. But if you showed your unwavering spirit, maybe you’d gain his respect and survive.
So, even though he was terrified and couldn't lift his cleaver anymore after being kicked by "Pretty Boy" Dong, Old Ghost Lu decided to gamble. He raised his chin, straightened his back, and exuded the kind of pride and unyielding spirit that a leader should possess!
“Oh, your mouth’s pretty tough, huh? I love a man with a backbone…,”
Sure enough, hearing "Pretty Boy" Dong's words, Old Ghost Lu's heart leaped with joy… He’d gambled right!
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your wives, I’ll take a loss for you. A Bao, send our Boss Lu on his way.”
However, before Old Ghost Lu could celebrate his victory, Chen Dong's next words sent his spirits crashing down.
“Heh heh… Time for Boss Lu to hit the road…,”
“Wait…,”
A Bao, with his face covered in blood, grinned wickedly and walked forward, not giving Old Ghost Lu a chance to speak, he plunged a knife straight into Old Ghost Lu’s oily chest.
“Boss is gone!! ”
“Boss is gone! Run!....”
With Old Ghost Lu dead, his subordinates, seeing their leader fall, scattered like rats.
When their boss was alive, they might have fought. Now that he’s gone, what’s the point? What are they fighting for?
“I’ll call Uncle Deng, you guys take over Old Ghost Lu’s territory.”
“A Jin, comfort the injured brothers, give them what they deserve, don’t be stingy with money.”
Seeing the fleeing Hong Tai members, Chen Dong tossed his steel pipe to the ground, took the brick from A Bao, gave them both instructions, then called Uncle Deng.
Even though it was the middle of the night, he knew that Uncle Deng would be awake, waiting for his call.
“Hello…,”
As soon as the call connected, Uncle Deng's voice came through the phone.
“Uncle Deng, it’s done. But A Bao accidentally stabbed Old Ghost Lu, at this rate of blood loss, he’ll probably be dead before the ambulance arrives…,”
Chen Dong glanced at Old Ghost Lu, lying on the ground.
It had to be said, Old Ghost Lu’s layer of fat had served him well, it had blocked a lot of the damage. A Bao’s knife had only gone in halfway, it didn’t even penetrate his heart, and he was still clinging to life.
“So fast?”
Uncle Deng in the old building was slightly taken aback. Hong Tai, although not as strong as their own Wo Sing Wo, still controlled four streets in Mong Kok, which meant they had a thousand or so people at least.
And they were on home ground. Uncle Deng had expected that even if A Dong was tough, Old Ghost Lu was a complete waste, the battle would last until the early hours. He had even made arrangements with the police to clean up the mess in the early morning. But it was barely three in the morning?
Was A Dong really that good, or was Old Ghost Lu really that pathetic…?
“Hey! Old Ghost Lu probably just got off his wife and was still weak. It took less than two minutes before A Bao accidentally took him out…,”
Chen Dong explained.
“Alright, I’ve already made an agreement with Hong Tai’s A Mei, after you take over the territory, you can release his son. The underworld isn’t just about fighting and killing…,”
Uncle Deng nodded in understanding. If that was the case, it made sense. Otherwise, Old Ghost Lu was truly useless.
A Dong was indeed good, but he wouldn't be able to take out Old Ghost Lu in less than an hour.
“Uncle Deng, don’t worry, I got it. But…Uncle Deng, tonight a lot of my brothers got hurt, and we suffered heavy losses. When we release this Prince, could we…,”
Chen Dong nodded, then his eyes rolled. He felt like he was losing out by just letting the Hong Tai prince go. How could he not milk this for all it’s worth?
He pretended to be hesitant and asked.
“…. You can do what you need, but don’t get too greedy.”
Hearing this, Uncle Deng knew what he was up to. Although he had already made an agreement with A Mei, he couldn't help but think about A Tong, his own subordinate, who had been implicated in A Tong's affairs and had a hard time lately. If it wasn’t for his lucky break when the big creditor, Ba Bi, was killed, he probably wouldn’t even dare to fight Hong Tai. The key was that this kid was asking him now, showing respect for his elders, which the old man greatly admired. In this day and age, there were few young people like him, so he approved of his actions.
“Got it! Nothing else, I’ll hang up now. Uncle Deng, get some rest…,”
Having received Uncle Deng's nod, Chen Dong, holding the brick, grinned and chatted for a few more sentences before hanging up the phone.
“Sigh! Life in the underworld is full of hardships, there’s no way out, no way out…,”
Looking at the carnage around him, Chen Dong looked up at the moon, lamenting.
He just wanted to be a lazy bum…
“Where does Old Ghost Lu live? I’m going to check on his wives, just in case they do something stupid…,”
After his moment of sadness, Chen Dong suddenly remembered something and asked one of his subordinates.