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Yes, just after we finished discussing the collaboration, Tam died. It would have been better if Xiang Lao Da had called our headquarters before coming over, and perhaps he could have finalized things with the new forces while he was there. This would undoubtedly be a significant achievement! Don’t you think? I believe that Xiang Lao Da should take charge of this collaboration with the Drug Lord. I certainly won’t compete with you for this credit.
Cao Minghui said with a smile, but what a fool he was to bring this up at such a time. How did he interpret the situation? Perhaps he thought that such an important, dangerous, and commendable task would be assigned to the most trusted person by Fang Ying, and undoubtedly, he considered himself the best candidate since Fang Ying had sent him last time.
What he didn’t know was that Fang Ying had sent me last time because she had planned everything in advance; there was no danger for me at Tam's place, which is why she chose me. Could she send me again this time? Certainly not.
“Shut up! Xiang Dong has already made significant contributions. He just arrived, and what does he know about Jinshan Jiao?” Fang Ying immediately scolded Cao Minghui. He froze in place, realizing he had misjudged the leader’s thoughts. If you can’t read your superior’s mind accurately, then don’t speak carelessly; it’s no wonder you get scolded!
Sigh, this matter troubles me as well. After all the effort I put into negotiating with Tam, he had to die at such a critical moment. I wanted to do something substantial for Tian Ye Gang. Before I came here, I had a falling out with a local thug who happened to have connections with the new leader of Jinshan Jiao. They still don’t know my identity; if they recognize me and I end up dead, that would be minor compared to the fact that this deal would definitely fall through.
I shook my head and feigned disappointment. Sometimes in life, you have to sacrifice a bit.
“Cao Lao Da, your eloquence is well-known among everyone. You’ve just taken over as the boss of North District and need an achievement to prove your capability to Tian Ye Gang. Don’t you think so?” I smiled at Cao Minghui.
Cao Minghui will eventually become a disaster; I’ll have to deal with him sooner or later. If he marries into Jinshan Jiao this time, it will surely be disastrous!
“Me? That doesn’t seem appropriate. I’m not as brave as Xiang Lao Da; I can’t handle such an important task. Besides, Fang Zhu Master wouldn’t trust me with it,” Cao Minghui said with a forced smile, clearly believing that Fang Ying would only send someone she trusted.
“Really? It’s not that big of a deal. How about this: let Cao Lao Da go first? If he can’t handle it, then I’ll let my brother Zheng Yu take over. We don’t want Cao Lao Da to feel too much pressure; it could just be seen as our Tian Ye Gang sending condolences to the new leader of Jinshan Jiao. What do you think?” I asked Fang Ying with a smile. After all, negotiating counts as an achievement too; there’s no way I would let that credit go to someone else.
Cao Minghui looked completely bewildered; he probably never expected Fang Ying would actually send him.
“Fang Zhu Master, my abilities…” Cao Minghui said awkwardly.
He wasn’t unaware of how dangerous Jinshan Jiao was, especially since he had just taken over as the Northern District Boss. If he failed there, his North District would surely face oppression from other regions; how could he possibly agree?
“What abilities? Didn’t you hear what Xiang Dong said? Just go and greet the new leader of Jinshan Jiao; I’m not expecting you to negotiate anything substantial. Don’t tell me you can’t even handle such a small task; we Tian Ye Gang don’t support useless people!” Fang Ying said coldly.
Cao Minghui trembled at her words and dared not object any longer; he could only agree.
What a trap! He ended up digging his own grave!
Things have been settled, and Fang Ying chatted with me for a while longer. During our conversation, she mentioned that she suspected the assassin who tried to kill me was sent by Liu Hao. Recently, Liu Hao's performance at Tian Ye Gang had not been good, and she had just fired him. Only a month after his dismissal, Liu Hao was killed by his enemies.
I understood what Fang Ying meant; she was giving me an explanation. But how could I be satisfied with just that? I still planned to set up Qian Cun Jin!
"Master Fang Zhu, there's something I don't know if I should say," I hesitated.
"What’s there to hold back? Just say what you want," Fang Ying replied with a smile.
I started to speak, "When the assassins attacked me, I heard them mention Qian Duozhu's name."
"What?" Fang Ying was taken aback.
"Xiang Lao Da! You can't just say things like that. Mentioning Qian Duozhu? That seems unlikely. Even if they did mention it, it could be a setup to frame someone!"
Before Fang Ying could respond, Cao Minghui immediately interjected, clearly anxious. Was he already trying to curry favor with Qian Cun Jin? That would explain his nervousness.
"Shut up!" Fang Ying scolded him sharply. Cao Minghui quickly added, "Master Fang Zhu, I just don’t want you to have a conflict with Qian Duozhu."
"Do you not understand what I'm saying?" Fang Ying shot him another glare, and he fell silent. Then she turned to me and said, "Xiang Dong, what Cao Lao Da said does make some sense. An assassin mentioning their employer's name during an attack? That’s hard to believe."
"Yes, so I'm unsure whether to bring this up. It feels like a setup; why would they say that? If they truly intended to kill me, I would have been dead by now if I hadn't found the chance to jump off the cliff," I replied, feigning confusion.
This was the best approach for me. I knew that mere words wouldn’t be enough to deal with Qian Cun Jin. Just like last time, I could smear his reputation a bit and make him suspicious in the eyes of his superiors. This way, they would investigate him, and once they did, he wouldn’t dare make another move against me.
Eventually, one day I would have to confront him. Any suspicion from above would only benefit me and not harm me.
"Well, if that's the case, it could indeed be the assassin's carelessness. Xiang Dong, you should investigate this further. I'll help you look into it too. Once we have clarity on this matter, we can decide how to proceed," Fang Ying suggested as she looked at me.
I smiled and nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what I want!"
After chatting for a while longer, Fang Ying prepared to leave. I stood up to see her off.
"Brother, well done! Your future is bright!" Northwest Tiger gave me an encouraging remark as he shook my hand warmly before departing. East District Boss Xing Lianbo also gave me a thumbs-up. After Liu Hao's death, he had shown interest in getting on good terms with Liu Zi; now that Liu Zi was gone, he was likely starting to warm up to me.
"You’re impressive!" Cao Minghui whispered beside me.
I chuckled coldly and nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you for the compliment."
Cao Minghui's face turned a shade of purple as he listened, clearly agitated. I couldn't help but wonder; he hadn't been this foolish before. How had he changed so much during my three months at Jinshan Jiao?
Fang Ying had told me earlier to take a couple of days off, promising to organize a celebration for me after I had a successful discussion with Tam. I understood what she meant; she intended to fulfill her previous promise and elevate me to the position of Vice Leader in Kyoto during my celebration.
After Fang Ying finished speaking, she left the room. I made my way to the Security Company and settled into my office. It was quiet. Everything felt as if it had returned to how it once was; I was still the big brother Xiang Dong of the Kyoto South District.
Yet, amidst the calmness, there lingered a sense of loss. I missed Linna so much. That mischievous girl—was she still angry with me? I wondered if she had heard about my supposed death and whether it would sadden her.
“Dong Ge, where are you going?” Zheng Yu asked as I stood up to leave.
“Just going for a walk; stay here at the company,” I replied, not bothering to engage further. I stepped out of the Security Company and into Youbai Road, a place I hadn't visited in a while. The familiar smog of Kyoto enveloped me as I took slow, deliberate steps toward that long-forgotten area.
The crunch of snow beneath my feet echoed softly in the stillness. At that moment, I realized that all my memories with Linna were contained within that small one-bedroom apartment we shared—Linna doing yoga, bustling around cooking and tidying up, and her burnt black beef.
We had known each other for so long, yet it felt as if we couldn't exist under the sun together; we never dared to go out shopping side by side. I knew I was better off than her; every time Linna stepped out, she would meticulously dress up, afraid of being recognized.
As I walked down this familiar street, I wished more than anything that Linna could stand beside me. On those well-known stairs, how I longed for the moment when I would push open the door and see Linna practicing yoga inside.
I arrived at the entrance of my old apartment, standing there for a moment before pulling out my key and pushing open the door.
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