The Heir to the Seven Killers in the City

Chapter 42: When the Rabbit Dies, the Fox Mourns

“Fuck!” Miaojiang returned to his office, kicked over his bonsai with a thud, and continued, panting heavily, “I invited you here as a fucking favor to you, and you’re taking advantage of me. You really think you’re some big shot? You managed to tear the massive Fire Scorpion Gang to shreds, and you still have the nerve to brag about it!” Miaojiang ranted endlessly about Yang Yong in his office, trying to look all tough—but he was doing it behind Yang Yong’s back. Back on the island, when Yang Yong had told Miaojiang to either cooperate or get the hell out, he hadn’t said a word and had just run back here. Miaojiang didn’t think his actions on the island had cost him any face. Having been in the underworld for so many years, didn’t he know how to read the situation? If he didn’t, he’d probably be resting in peace in a coffin by now. “Calm down, Master Miaojiang. I think Mr. Yang went a bit too far, but without them, we’d be stuck.” Out of nowhere, a middle-aged man had walked in. Seeing Miaojiang fuming, he still spoke up like that. “Did I fucking tell you to come in?” Miaojiang saw the man—and especially after hearing his words—his anger didn’t subside one bit; if anything, it flared up even more. So he snapped, “Who the hell are you, taking his side? I must’ve promoted you for nothing. With an attitude like that, do you really think you can be my second-in-command?” Hearing this, the man suddenly lost his temper as well, his anger clearly visible on his face. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “I don’t just want to be second-in-command—I want to be the top dog.” Miaojiang was completely taken aback by this remark. He felt like the world must have gone mad. Looking at the man, he suddenly burst out laughing and said, “Zhao Huangfei, Zhao Huangfei, if you don’t want to live anymore, just say so. I’ll gladly tell you that there are plenty of brothers under me who are salivating over your cushy job. If you don’t want it, I’ll find someone else to take your place.” The man named Zhao Huangfei said nothing; he pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Miaojiang. Miaojiang smiled calmly, completely unfazed, and said, “This is my office. You want to kill me right here? Are you out of your mind?” Before he could finish speaking, three or five burly men burst in from outside. Miaojiang was smiling, but the smile vanished within two seconds. The three or five burly men stood behind Zhao Huangfei, and then there was no further movement. “What the hell? Do you guys want me dead too? Pin him down!” Miaojiang shouted angrily. The men remained unmoved; this time, they walked over to Miaojiang’s side and pressed a pistol against his temple. “Master Miao, aside from yelling and throwing tantrums, what else can you actually do? I trained these brothers myself—who do you think they’ll listen to?” Zhao Huangfei said calmly. At this life-or-death moment, although Miaojiang was trembling, he still spoke with a defiant edge: “Kid, I admit you’ve recruited quite a few people under me, but I don’t believe everyone under my command is completely loyal to you. Take the older guys with more seniority, for example. I’ve said it before: back then, I only made you my second-in-command because I thought you were a decent kid and young.” Seeing that Zhao Huangfei had nothing to say, Miaojiang continued, “You don’t have the credentials to be the boss—and that’s not just my opinion; many people have said the same. Kid, I’ve accepted my fate today. Even if you kill me, you won’t get what I’ve worked so hard to build in my lifetime. I’ll just watch as you all fight it out until everything’s gone. Oh well, even though it pains me to see it, I won’t let you have it easy even after I’m dead.” “Old Man Miao, you might be mistaken. I’ve never said that I’d become the boss if you died.” Zhao Huangfei watched as Miaojiang bared his teeth in a forced smile, and a bad feeling crept over him. “What about Mr. Yang? He’s got plenty of seniority, and those old-timers agree with him. Anyone who didn’t is already down there keeping you company.” “Fuck you! Yang Yong, Yang Yong!” Miaojiang’s last hope had been shattered. All that remained was hatred and despair. He suddenly tried to break free, swinging one hand at Zhao Huangfei’s gun-wielding hand, but the shot had already been fired. With a “bang,” Miaojiang collapsed in a pool of blood. Zhao Huangfei looked down at the dead man and said, “You were in such a hurry. I was actually going to ask if you had any last words—after all, you used to be my boss…” “Hey, why’d you go and kill him already? I was hoping to chat a bit more with my brother Miao.” Yang Yong heard the gunshot, took a few long strides, and walked straight into the room. Everyone bowed to Yang Yong upon seeing him, but he gently waved his hand to indicate it wasn’t necessary. “Miaojiang tried to grab my gun and escape. I had no choice but to kill him. If this has jeopardized Mr. Yang’s plans, I’m willing to accept whatever punishment is necessary,” said Zhao Huangfei. “It’s no big deal. It’s just a shame—after all these years of being brothers who’ve looked out for each other—that I didn’t get to see how he died,” Yang Yong said, patting Zhao Huangfei on the shoulder. “All right, I have more important matters to attend to now. You know best about Miaojiang’s former casino and those shady businesses, so you’ll take care of this for the time being.” Yang Yong spoke as if washing his hands of the matter. He glanced once more at Miaojiang lying in a pool of blood and added, “Bury him later.” With that, Yang Yong walked out of Miaojiang’s house, where Luo Jiang was waiting at the door. Luo Jiang escorted Yang Yong to the car and asked, “Are we heading back to the island now, or what?” “We’re going somewhere.” Zhang Xiaofei drove the car with Qin Yu and Lin Xiaorui on board; for a moment, the three of them were silent. Zhang Xiaofei had bought paint and a new bedspread as Qin Yu had asked, only to be told they had to return to downtown Jiangcheng right away. He looked thoroughly reluctant—he didn’t know how long he’d been driving that day or how exhausted he was—but in front of these two, Zhang Xiaofei had no choice. “What are we going back for?” Zhang Xiaofei was the first to break the awkward silence. “To go home, of course. It’s getting late. If we don’t go back soon, Zhang Qiqi will start to get suspicious.” As Qin Yu mentioned Zhang Qiqi’s name, he glanced at Lin Xiaorui, who noticed his cautiousness and couldn’t stop grinning. After that, the three of them remained mostly silent. Before long, they entered Jiangcheng’s urban area and headed home. “Want to come over for dinner?” Qin Yu asked. Lin Xiaorui shook her head. Although she believed she was no longer jealous of Zhang Qiqi, she didn’t know how Zhang Qiqi would react, and she certainly didn’t think of herself as particularly magnanimous. Just as Lin Xiaorui was about to say something, she saw black smoke rising in the distance. “Is there a fire somewhere?” Zhang Xiaofei asked. Qin Yu had keen senses; besides seeing the black smoke in the distance, he could also hear fire trucks and the sounds of people arguing, so he nodded. “This place looks familiar. Yes, it’s Lin Hao’s shop!” Lin Xiaorui exclaimed.