Beginning with the Ubume Bird

“Hail a cab yourself, and be more careful when you go out in the future; the people from He Liansheng won’t let this slide easily.”

After walking two blocks from Kowloon Walled City, Li Yan said this to Xu Tianci.

Xu Tianci’s strikes were brutal, indeed, but both had signed a life-and-death waiver before stepping onto the stage. Once they entered the ring, life and death were in their own hands, and there were no hard feelings, especially since Xu Tianci’s injuries were not light. Logically, He Liansheng should not make trouble.

Unfortunately, things in this world never go by the book. If He Liansheng wanted to completely eliminate Xu Tianci, they only needed influence, not reason.

“These guys are senseless, they don’t follow the rules.”

Xu Tianci stiffened his neck, appearing unconcerned about He Liansheng.

Li Yan glanced at him and slightly sneered in his heart, but said nothing.

“Fifteen days, I will definitely heal within fifteen days.”

Li Yan acted as if he hadn’t heard Xu Tianci’s words and turned to walk eastward.

“Hey, that’s not the way back to Kowloon Walled City, where are you going?”

“I’m going to a game arcade to play pinball. Back to Kowloon Walled City? I’d have to be out of my mind to go back there right now.”

Li Yan licked his lips. Taishuai, Hua Shanjiu, Taizi Le, and that Wu Haoxi he had never met… Kowloon Walled City tonight would probably be even more explosive than some might expect!

…

Maybe the name Taishuai hadn’t been used for so long it was nearly rotting away, or perhaps Taizi Le really would brave the mountains of knives and the pans of oil for his brothers.

The men from He Liansheng poured into the city incessantly, and the situation was gradually spiraling out of control.

“Of course, I follow the rules, but they are the rules of the underworld. I am very fair. If that kid cut off one of my brother’s arms, he has to offer up one arm in compensation. If he sliced open my brother’s belly, he just has to stab himself. After that, my men will immediately withdraw from Kowloon Walled City.”

On the opposite side, sitting to the left and the right, were Red Ghost and Liao Zhizong. In front of them sat a woman dressed in a tracksuit, her long, smooth hair hanging down to her waist.

She wore a dignified smile on her face: “The boxing ring of Kowloon City has been around for decades, and there haven’t been many who dared to run wild here. Moreover, no one who caused trouble here has walked out alive afterwards. Young Master Chang, think carefully.”

Taizi Le laughed softly, speaking at a leisurely pace. “Speaking of that, I’m rather curious. Miss Yu, how does a young lady like you, manage to secure a position among the five influential leaders of Kowloon City? There are so many heroes in Kowloon City, did Taishuai persuade them one by one? It must have taken a lot of effort…”

Taizi Le emphasized the word “persuade,” his tone brazen and unrestrained. But before he could finish, a gust of wind rushed at him, an overwhelming pressure making him instinctively open his eyes wide!

“Ah Hong.”

The words had barely left Yu Shu’s mouth when Red Ghost’s foot abruptly stopped right in front of Taizi Le’s nose. In that tense moment, there was no hint of hesitance.

Taizi Le’s companions, as if waking from a dream, had just raised the cleavers in their hands when Taizi Le stopped them.

Red Ghost withdrew his right foot little by little, his face cold and somber, as he slowly retreated behind Yu Shu.

Taizi Le’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Red Ghost was at least four or five steps away from him, and not just him; even the two men behind him, who had nearly fought their way to power with their fists and feet and were known as the most famous of He Liansheng’s Twin Red Clubs, had not seen Red Ghost’s movements clearly.

“Taishuai’s temper is so fiery, I was just making a joke (I was just kidding).”

Taizi Le forced a smile and spoke.

The civil and military sides under Taishuai were never to be underestimated. Chen Minhong was the previous Sixth Ringmaster, and since stepping back in recent years, not a single person in Kowloon’s boxing ring had dared to claim the title of the Sixth Ringmaster, which speaks to his intimidating presence. Liao Zhizong was even more formidable, a veteran of the Hongmen. The former big boss of Shanghai’s Hongmen, Xiang Qianhai, had him as a close aide, and he was the former grandson-in-law of the elder statesman of Hongmen, Zhong Yangzhao. Back in the day, when Dr. Sun Yat-sen joined Hongmen to orchestrate a revolution, his sponsor was Zhong Yangzhao!

If hierarchy was to be considered, Taizi Le should actually call Liao Zhizong ‘Uncle.’ For many years, people thought that Liao Zhizong was the Taishuai of Kowloon Walled City; even Taizi Le was convinced that Yu Shu was just bait dangled by Liao Zhi; he himself was the real power behind the boxing ring of Kowloon City.

Yu Shu didn’t take up Taizi Le’s conversation. She scrutinized his expression for a while before slowly shaking her head, uttering words that made Taizi Le’s heart skip a beat.

“Young Master Chang, I actually quite admire your courage and boldness, but you’re underestimating that old ghost Wu Haoxi too much…”

…

In the dark alley, a boy walked with a pop stick dangling from his mouth, his eyes aimlessly wandering. On his back, he carried a loose bundle. Ahead of him was a restaurant painted red, with a sign bearing the golden letters “Fuxiang Restaurant” on a blue background.

The boy stood for a moment, violently cracked the pop stick between his teeth with a crisp snap, and then stepped into the restaurant.

The owner of Fuxiang was Wu Haoxi’s son-in-law. Wu Haoxi, over sixty and without a son, usually had lunch here.

“I always said Taizi Le, that playboy, would eventually squander all his old man’s fortune. He Liansheng is in hot water right now, and he actually ran off to the ring to fight for his underlings?”

The biggest drug lord of Hong Kong and the chairman of the Kowloon City council, Wu Haoxi bore a square face with drooping eyelids.

He listened quietly to his son-in-law’s words, and after a while, he spoke: “I haven’t met this young man Chang Kaile, but he has a good reputation. His father, Chang Shen, is almost on his deathbed, and not all the old-timers in He Liansheng are loyal. The others are all fair-weather friends, while Hua Shanjiu is one of the few thugs truly loyal to Taizi Le. It’s not strange for him to make such a big scene…”

There were about seven or eight people sitting around the table, all close associates and juniors of Wu Haoxi. They all more or less smiled upon hearing the words. Helian Sheng was known to be the largest “He” (Harmony) organization in all of Hong Kong. However, spreading their influence too thin wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Dealing with just Wu Haoxi alone has already caused Chang Shen a major headache; if they were to provoke Taishuai from Kowloon City, who was notoriously tough and brave, Helian Sheng surely wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

The boy ascended the staircase, his expression tight. He looked around in confusion, out of place in the bustling, lively environment of the restaurant.

Wu Haoxi received a phone call amid the feast. The voice on the other end was anxious, but Wu Haoxi didn’t even lift his eyelids; his relaxed flesh drooped in layers, resembling a monk deep in meditation.

“Dad, what’s up?”

The man who had previously made sarcastic remarks about Taizi Le filled Wu Haoxi’s cup with wine and asked.

Wu Haoxi did not answer, his tone laced with amusement.

“Ignorant fools are fearless!”

The man blinked, not understanding the old man’s sudden sentiment.

“After entering the city, Helian Sheng’s people didn’t go to Fuyi Building but took Longjin Road to New Street instead.”

The man’s complexion changed, he tilted his glass and wetted his sleeve; others at the table also began to stand up.

New Street was Wu Haoxi’s stronghold, where most of his men, equipment, and funds were concentrated.

“What’s the panic!”

Wu Haoxi rebuked.

“Dad, I didn’t consider thoroughly enough.”

The man’s expression darkened. He had thought that Taizi Le wanted to pick a fight with Taishuai, and Helian Sheng didn’t stop them from coming into the city. Gleefully hoping to watch the tigers fight, he hadn’t expected Helian Sheng to come charging at him with overwhelming force.

“A feigned path to crush Guo—such an old trick.”

The old man gently patted the table, leisurely lifted his cup, and guzzled down the liquor, his face flushed from the strong fumes.

“Chang Shen, your son is not half bad.”

He pulled out his chair, intending to rise, when he suddenly caught sight of a boy with dirty hands inside a cloth bag. A chilling sensation sobered up the slightly tipsy man, and almost by instinct honed through years of battling, the old man violently flipped the table!

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The boy squinted an eye shut, his arms numbed by the recoil, and wisps of smoke trailed from the barrel of the gun.

The bullets pierced through the table, one grazing the old man’s shoulder, another hitting Wu Haoxi’s son-in-law squarely in the neck.

“Ah Jun!”

Wu Haoxi’s eyes reddened.

The boy clumsily handled the gun, his head tilted back as the barrel shook uncontrollably. A burly thug fearlessly pounced over, pinning the boy to the ground. Squeezing the boy’s frail arm against the floor, the handgun was sent flying.

Wu Haoxi rushed over in huge strides. Before he could get a clear look at the boy’s face, his expression suddenly tightened, and with a swift motion, he lifted the boy’s clothes to reveal a gaunt body with a circle of yellowish detonators.

!!!!!!

Outside the restaurant, a man tugged at a cigarette, its ember glowing dimly bright in the dark. Suddenly, gunshots rang out from inside the restaurant, and without hesitation, the man pulled out a remote control from beneath his clothes and pressed the button!

“Boom!”

…

“You’ve arranged to contact the committee members privately. Si Lizheng is a fence sitter and won’t make any bold moves. Mrs. Hua, who lives off the flesh trade, has long accepted your money. The smuggling czar, Yu Shu, has some background, so he’s practically one of your own. Kowloon City hasn’t seen firearms used on its streets for many years, and you want to change that. Your plan was thorough enough to be considered brave and smart.”

Taishui Yu Shu spoke in an even tone, “But you miscalculated two things.”

Taizi Le leaned back, his expression flickering but still said in a careless manner,

“I’d like to hear the details.”

“First, Wu Haoxi has been dominating Longcheng for so many years, controlling over eighty percent of the drug sources in all of Hong Kong. He’s a tough bone to chew; Helian Sheng will lose a few teeth trying to uproot him. Second…”

The woman’s smile suddenly vanished, veins on her forehead bulging as her voice turned ice cold!

“You motherfucker, using me as a human shield, think I’m a pushover? Fuck your moth-eaten mandarin duck butterfly bullshit, I wouldn’t give a damn about your sorry ass even if you were the last man in the West. Today, if anyone from Helian Sheng is here, no one is walking out of this building upright!”