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墨書 Inktalez
He Junling's piercing gaze fixed on Zhang Qiu, who remained unfazed on the surface but was already calculating the future developments of Hall Society and White Day Fire in his mind. His uncle did not seem to be speaking out of anger; he would definitely take action next. The days ahead for the major gang in Beilan County were bound to be difficult. More importantly, did his uncle's words carry another meaning, perhaps a warning to his Hall Society?
"Uncle, it's getting late. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Go ahead, just remember to come over for dinner at Grandma's this weekend."
"Sure."
Zhang Qiu bid farewell and left. Taolengman and Tao Ya were waiting at the stairway. Zhang Qiu smiled and waved at them, saying, "Let's go home."
"Home?" Taolengman looked up at Zhang Qiu in surprise, while Tao Ya blushed.
"Yes, home, back to White Day Fire."
Zhang Qiu pushed the two sisters, who were still in shock, out the door when they encountered two police officers escorting a prisoner. Zhang Qiu looked up and was taken aback to see Biao Ge. Just as he was about to speak, Abiao suddenly lowered his head and shook it gently. Zhang Qiu closed his mouth and stood frozen as he watched Biao Ge being taken away.
Taolengman lightly patted Zhang Qiu and asked, "Brother Qiu, weren't you going home? Why are you standing still?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Let's go."
Zhang Qiu walked out of the building and gazed up at the night sky where a crescent moon hung above. The clouds had been blown away by the wind, and the moonlight softly illuminated the ground.
Upon returning to White Day Fire, the police had already left. The ground was wet with traces of water; the blood from the fight had been washed away completely. The front door of White Day Fire was tightly shut, prompting Taolengman to voice her concern.
"Brother Qiu, nothing bad happened, right?"
"It won't!" Zhang Qiu surveyed White Day Fire; water was still flowing on the ground, and Ming Police had only just departed. There were no obvious signs of forced entry on the rolling shutter door; it was merely a defensive measure that had been taken.
As Zhang Qiu spoke with Sister Flowers, the electric rolling shutter door automatically opened. Taolengman and Tao Ya instinctively tensed up, their eyes fixed on the entrance. Zhang Qiu chuckled, "Don't worry; it's definitely someone coming out to greet us."
Sure enough, before the electric rolling shutter door had fully opened, Yang Yu, Gao Zhi, and others had already emerged. Especially Jiang Xue, who ran towards Zhang Qiu. He smiled and lifted Jiang Xue off the ground, spinning her around twice before setting her down.
"Brother Qiu, are you alright?" Rui Rui approached to ask.
"I'm fine. I've already explained everything that happened tonight to the police; the responsibility lies with Mao Tong and not with us. It's our bar that protected the students celebrating their graduation."
"You are really impressive. No wonder you asked me to change the words on the display," Rui Rui said, looking up at the Electronic Display Screen, which still showed 'Inside Student Gathering, Do Not Harm Students.' At first, Rui Rui didn't understand; the promotion for Co-Creating a Civilized City was directly mandated by the county, and all major business establishments had to comply. At such a critical moment when Mao Tong came knocking, Brother Qiu's concern for an Electronic Display Screen made sense, and Rui Rui couldn't help but admire Zhang Qiu's cleverness.
"Your words remind me of something."
"What is it, Brother Qiu?"
"You'll find out in a few days. Come on, step aside; I want to take a photo."
Zhang Qiu took out his phone, focused on the Electronic Display Screen, took a close-up shot, and then ran to the roadside for a distant shot, but he wasn't satisfied with either. Zhang Qiu called out to Rui Rui, "Rui Rui, lend me your phone; yours has a higher resolution."
"Sure." Rui Rui ran over to Zhang Qiu and handed him her phone while asking, "Brother Qiu, what are you planning to do?"
"Keep it a secret for now; you'll definitely know in a few days." Zhang Qiu chuckled as he raised the phone and snapped several pictures. When returning the phone, Zhang Qiu emphasized that Rui Rui should send him those photos in their original form!
After a fierce battle ended, many Brothers were injured, and Zhang Qiu comforted each one. As they entered the hall, over a hundred Hall Society Brothers were filled with fighting spirit and stood up shouting, "Boss!"
The cheers were deafening and echoed throughout the hall.
"Brothers, I am Zhang Qiu. Thank you all for coming to help me tonight!"
Zhang Qiu said as he bowed to everyone. If it weren't for the brothers arriving in time tonight, the outcome could have been very different; at the very least, they wouldn't have had any reason to fight back, especially when his uncle was determined to crack down on gangs.
As Zhang Qiu bowed, everyone else followed suit and bowed together, saying things like how polite their boss was. Rui Rui emerged from the crowd and smiled, "Brother Qiu, guess who is here?"
"Who?" Zhang Qiu looked around at the familiar faces nearby.
"Of course it's me."
With a strong voice amidst the cheers, the crowd parted automatically as a middle-aged man walked through. Zhang Qiu exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Leopard?"
"Haha, didn't expect this, did you? I never thought I would end up in such a situation myself," Brother Leopard said with a wry smile. After tonight's battle, the Stone Dagger Gang was severely weakened. At the start of the conflict, Scorpion had gone missing while he led his men to hold on desperately. The Eastern Sea Gang launched fierce attacks without fear; however, no one anticipated that Third Brother would suddenly betray them and turn against his own people. The original plan fell apart immediately; he could only lead his men while fighting and retreating.
"Where there is life, there is hope. As long as you are alright, Brother Leopard," Zhang Qiu reassured him. He noticed Brother Leopard's desolation; although Brother Leopard tried hard to maintain his usual composure, his once sharp gaze had dulled significantly. His hair had also turned much grayer as if this one night had aged him several years.
"You don't need to comfort me. The world belongs to you young people; we won't have anything to do with it anymore. The boss has passed away, Third Brother has betrayed us, and Scorpion has vanished. I see the Stone Dagger Gang has reached its end. Well, after so many storms, I plan to take a break. Tonight, the police arrived just in time. Our gang still has a few venues left, and I've instructed the others to follow you. Don't let the Brothers down."
"Brother Leopard..."
"Don't interrupt me, listen." Brother Leopard raised his hand to stop Zhang Qiu. "Actually, I've wanted to step down for a long time. It's just that in our line of work, leaving isn't as simple as wanting to. This incident is an opportunity for me. I've saved up some money, and tomorrow I'll take Lan to the countryside. Once the storm passes, we'll go abroad and get far away from this place of strife."
"That sounds good; you and your wife can live a peaceful life together." Zhang Qiu knew Brother Leopard's feelings for Lan very well. Those in the Stone Dagger Gang who knew Brother Leopard's story could probably be counted on one hand. Zhang Qiu couldn't help but glance at Jiang Xue; perhaps he too wanted such a life—an estate, a wooden house, sunshine, beaches—far away from fighting and scheming.
Jiang Xue blushed under Zhang Qiu's gaze; she could naturally understand what Zhang Qiu meant by looking at her.
Brother Leopard smiled as he reminisced, lighting a cigarette and taking a comfortable puff before saying to Zhang Qiu, "When you were in high school, you formed a club called Hall Society, right?"
"Yes," Zhang Qiu nodded.
"That's it then; from now on, we'll call it Hall Society. Including those brothers from the Stone Dagger Gang who are with you, they will all be part of Hall Society. From this night on, the Stone Dagger Gang will no longer exist."
Brother Leopard felt a sense of solemnity as two tears rolled down his cheeks when he thought about the Stone Dagger Gang's demise. From his youth alongside Meng Tuanjie, through countless battles until now, it all seemed like a futile effort in the end. When times were tough, they were close brothers; now that they had made something of themselves, some had died while others had left. It felt like fate was playing a cruel joke—how could one not feel sorrow?
"Brother Leopard, you really don't need to feel this way."
Brother Leopard wiped away his tears and looked directly at Zhang Qiu with red-rimmed eyes. "What? I'm only asking you for this one thing; can't you agree?"
"I..." Zhang Qiu hesitated before finally saying, "Brother Leopard, I promise I will."
"That's my good brother." Brother Leopard smiled and patted Zhang Qiu on the shoulder, reminding him, "If you ever get the chance to see Abiao again, tell him I've always wanted to thank him properly for being by my side all these years—hardworking and without complaint. If he has the chance to come abroad, I'll be waiting for him."
"Brother Leopard, I saw Biao Ge tonight."
Brother Leopard's eyes lit up as Zhang Qiu continued, "At the police station."
Brother Leopard squinted at Zhang Qiu as smoke escaped from his nostrils. Zhang Qiu watched Brother Leopard's lips slightly part before he sighed and said, "Well, at least I know he's okay; that puts my mind at ease."
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. The Brothers stationed at White Day Fire were downcast while the students who arrived later were spirited. Yang Yu, Gao Zhi, and others felt genuine joy upon hearing that Brother Leopard intended to pass on what remained of their forces to Zhang Qiu. Having lost their leader and brothers while facing repeated setbacks left Brother Leopard feeling dispirited. Rui Rui's emotions were particularly complex; on one hand, she felt happy for Zhang Qiu while on the other hand she deeply sympathized with Brother Leopard's plight.
"Alright, I just wanted to tell you these things before you came. Now that I've said what I needed to, I should be on my way."
Brother Leopard stood up to leave, but Zhang Qiu stepped forward and blocked his path, saying firmly, "No, Brother Leopard, you can't leave right now. The police are out there arresting people, and I’m afraid the Eastern Sea Gang might still be looking for you. Just stay here at White Day Fire and lay low for a bit. Once my brothers gather some information, we can decide what to do next."
"No need!" Brother Leopard replied with determination. "I am the Second Brother of the Stone Dagger Gang; I won't be afraid of this. Don't worry, I've made it this far for a reason. They definitely won't catch me. I'm going to pick up your sister-in-law; maybe by tomorrow we'll be in the countryside. Goodbye."
"Brother Leopard!" Zhang Qiu called out to him.
Brother Leopard turned back and smiled, "Is there anything else?"
"Sending off Brother Leopard!"
Zhang Qiu shouted loudly and bowed deeply, followed by over a hundred people who bowed in unison. Brother Leopard turned back with a smile, "You really know how to set the scene. Not bad! Work hard, and when you have time, come visit me and your sister-in-law abroad."
Brother Leopard waved goodbye as he left. On the empty street at midnight, his figure appeared particularly lonely. A police car drove by from south to north, its red and blue lights flashing alternately. Brother Leopard quickly turned and ducked into a side alley. Zhang Qiu looked at the deserted street when Jiang Xue suddenly tapped him and exclaimed, "A shooting star!"
Zhang Qiu looked up in the direction Jiang Xue was pointing and indeed saw a shooting star trailing a long tail as it fell.
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