Chapter 457 The Deterrent Power of the First Triad
The people one interacts with are different, and so are the Triads.
Those who came to mourn Cao Ya were either pure businessmen or Triad Dragon Heads like Cao Ya.
Not a single traditional Triad came.
Take Wang Dong of Quanxing, for example.
If it were in a traditional Triad, they would probably dismiss Wang Dong—what is Quanxing?
A small Triad the size of a palm.
However, only those who truly understood Quanxing knew that while Quanxing was small, they were a genuine Triad.
Their composition was completely different from ordinary Triads.
The gap between the two was too wide.
Although Quanxing was small, if it were to truly unleash its power, the entire Wo Luen Shing would not be its match.
After all, Quanxing wielded guns, while Wo Luen Shing didn't even use swords, only knives.
Ma Wu, with a heavy heart, saw off the guests.
As the day drew to a close, he received the company's senior executives in the Chairman's office. Most importantly, the Action Team.
The Yi Group's model heavily relied on the Action Team to protect its legitimate businesses.
In simple terms, the Yi Group was just as overbearing when doing business, and without a sufficient Action Team, the business would be impossible to expand.
It was very troublesome.
The leaders of the Action Team stood behind the sofa, while only three people sat on the sofa.
Two of them were naturally Cao Ya's adopted sons, Chan Tai and Li Xiu, and the other was Xiao Qi, a new generation leader cultivated by the Action Team and deeply trusted by Cao Ya!
These three stared blankly behind Ma Wu.
Even the Action Team leaders behind the three couldn't help but look in that direction.
Ma Wu sighed:
"Lord Cao was harmed by treacherous people; this is a disgrace to our Yi Group."
"We must avenge Lord Cao, no matter what."
"As the saying goes, a snake without a head cannot move."
"Our Yi Group also needs a Chairman to lead us in avenging Lord Cao and to guide our Yi Group to new heights."
"When Lord Cao was alive, he said more than once..."
"If something were to happen to him, then the position of Yi Group Chairman would be filled by the person he designated."
"Now, Lawyer Huang will announce Lord Cao's will."
Lawyer Huang stepped forward, cleared his throat, but hadn't spoken yet.
Chan Tai stood up:
"Lord Ma, who are the two behind you?"
Ma Wu glanced behind him and said solemnly:
"These three are distinguished guests I invited to observe."
Xiao Qi had always followed Chan Tai's lead and quickly stood up, saying:
"Lord Ma, today is a big day for our Yi Group, how can we invite outsiders to watch?"
Ma Wu's face fell, and he said indifferently:
"I said, they are distinguished guests who came to observe."
Chan Tai and Xiao Qi were rebuffed. The latter still wanted to speak, but the former gently pulled his hand.
Ma Wu looked at them with a strange emotion in his eyes:
"Inviting distinguished guests to observe is a tradition in the Jianghu. You two are even high-ranking members of the Action Team, yet you don't even remember this?"
Xiao Qi said, unconvinced:
"Lord Ma, who is this? What a grand display!"
Ma Wu looked behind him, and the leading person smiled slightly:
"Li Fu of Causeway Bay."
The latter immediately followed—
"Wang Jianjun of Yuen Long."
"Lok Tin-hung of Causeway Bay."
The Yi Group members gasped.
"Hung Hing?!"
"Mr. Lin's disciple?!"
Xiao Qi was so scared he quickly sat down.
He could be rude to everyone, but he had to show reverence to Mr. Lin.
True Triads fear the strong.
They follow whoever is strongest.
It has nothing to do with loyalty or brotherhood.
The biggest difference between a Triad and a traditional Triad is that a traditional Triad is merely a business arena, while a Triad is truly playing with their lives.
If the leader is not strong, death awaits them.
This is the survival rule of a true Triad.
Not only Xiao Qi, but all the leaders of the Action Team looked at Li Fu and the other two with surprise.
Indeed, the reputation of these three was too terrifying.
Their rise was almost as fast as that of the Chung Ching Society in the past, but much more enduring.
If ordinary Hong Kong citizens mentioned the three, they would certainly say these were three big bosses.
Li Fu and the others' public identities were high-ranking executives of Thunder Security; Li Fu was the Chairman, Wang Jianjun was the General Manager, and Lok Tin-hung held the title of Security Manager.
Most importantly, these three were qualified to be invited to dine at the Governors Office.
Although they didn't reach the level of the twenty-three-member advisory committee, they were still extraordinary.
Far beyond the heights that the Yi Group members could reach.
Not to mention that Lin Feng stood behind Li Fu and the other two.
Everyone knew that Li Fu and the other two must have come with Lin Feng's permission; otherwise, the three of them would never have appeared together so neatly.
Once one reached a certain status, there were very few public events that would require all three of them to attend together.
This was influence!
Li Fu smiled and said to everyone:
"Hung Hing's high-ranking members owe Lord Cao a favor. Now that Lord Cao has met with a great misfortune, we have come uninvited, naturally to quickly apprehend the murderer of Lord Cao."
Everyone looked at each other, deeply surprised.
Did the Yi Group and Hung Hing have such a deep friendship?
Why didn't they know?
Li Fu said to Ma Wu:
"Lord Ma, Lord Cao has just passed away, which has indeed caused unrest among your gang members."
"No matter what, you are now the patriarch of the Yi Group, but it seems your subordinates are not listening to you."
Ma Wu quickly said:
"They are all good children."
Li Fu nodded:
"In our kind of Triad, good children must be obedient."
"Especially the Action Team."
"You can have your own ideas, you can even question, but orders from your superior must be carried out."
"The Action Team is the knife in the hand of the top brass; a knife is not allowed to have its own thoughts."
As Li Fu spoke, he swept his cold gaze over Chan Tai, Li Xiu, Xiao Qi, and the key members of the Action Team.
Ma Wu remained silent, letting Li Fu speak his mind.
When Cao Ya was present, Ma Wu's words were naturally absolute. With Cao Ya's support, Ma Wu was a solid second-in-command.
However, now that Cao Ya had been killed, the younger members no longer listened to Ma Wu.
It had only been a little over a day since Cao Ya's death, and these subordinates had already begun to openly and secretly disobey orders.
Therefore, Ma Wu remained silent like an outsider.
Xiao Qi immediately became furious:
"You Hung Hing are guests; our Yi Group's matters do not require your interference."
Li Fu said indifferently:
"No Triad can function without a leader."
"Everyone in the Jianghu knows that Cao cannot be separated from Ma, and Ma cannot be separated from Cao; the two of them are a whole."
"With Lord Cao gone, Lord Ma is naturally the boss."
"What? You all won't listen when Lord Ma speaks?"
"Do you want to rebel?"
Xiao Qi was instantly speechless.
Li Fu didn't give Chan Tai a chance to speak,
"My Hung Hing and the Yi Group are brother Triads."
"The one who showed kindness to my Hung Hing was Lord Cao."
"We, Hung Hing, will definitely carry out Lord Cao's will to the end."
Xiao Qi said, unconvinced:
"Everyone's goal is the same, so why are you so aggressive?"
Li Fu said, amused:
"Our goals are consistent?"
"I don't think so, do you?"
Xiao Qi was even more unconvinced:
"How are they not consistent?"
Li Fu said indifferently:
"If I remember correctly, Lord Cao made a will during his lifetime."
"It recorded the person Lord Cao wanted to pass his position to."
"We, Hung Hing, recognize Lord Cao's will and consider it legitimate."
"Do you recognize Lord Cao's will?"
Xiao Qi stiffened his neck and said:
"Of course I do!"
Li Fu said playfully:
"What if the chosen person in the will is not Chan Tai, whom you follow?"
"Would you still recognize it?"
Xiao Qi blurted out:
"Of course not!"
Chan Tai shouted:
"Xiao Qi, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"I recognize Godfather's will!"
Xiao Qi didn't react for a moment:
"Brother Tai, the brothers don't recognize anyone but you."
Li Fu burst into laughter, his smile full of mockery.
Ma Wu said helplessly:
"Mr. Li, you've seen our misfortune."
"A family disgrace."
Li Fu was still very respectful to Ma Wu:
"Lord Ma, when Brother Feng came, he instructed that we must carry out the will of both of you, no matter what."
"We will avenge Lord Cao!"
Xiao Qi immediately became furious and jumped up:
"Lord Cao is our Yi Group's Lord Cao; the great blood feud of Cao Dong should naturally be avenged by our Yi Group. What does it have to do with your Hung Hing?"
Li Fu mocked:
"You're already trying to rebel against both Cao and Ma, how can you have the nerve to say you want to avenge Lord Cao?"
Xiao Qi was enraged:
"When did I ever try to rebel?"
Li Fu said indifferently:
"Lord Cao made a will, which recorded the Dragon Head of the Yi Group."
"However, if you recognize what suits your wishes and reject what doesn't, what is that if not rebellion?"
Xiao Qi yelled:
"Lord Cao wouldn't possibly not choose Brother Tai."
Li Fu chuckled, "What if he doesn't choose him?"
"What will you do?"
Xiao Qi was caught in a dilemma, "I..."
Li Fu sneered, "You what?"
"You're just a leader of the operations team. Since when did the Triad's major affairs have to align with your wishes?"
Chan Tai stood up and said, "Mr. Li, today is a big day for our Yi Group. Hung Hing's presence makes everyone in Yi Group very happy."
"However, you are a guest after all. There's no need to get so deeply involved, is there?"
"Yi Group has its own way of doing things. It's not appropriate for Hung Hing to interfere, is it?"
Li Fu shrugged, "You're right. You are Yi Group, and we are Hung Hing. It's not appropriate for us to interfere."
Chan Tai had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Li Fu say with a smile,
"But our Hung Hing isn't interfering either."
"We're just speaking a fair word."
"Do you think the underworld recognizes you, Chan Tai, or Xiao Qi?"
"Remember this, we recognize Lord Cao."
"We recognize Yi Group."
"You can't represent Yi Group right now."
"If you want to represent Yi Group, become the Dragon Head of Yi Group first."
"Which means, you need to gain Lord Cao's approval."
Chan Tai immediately fell silent, speechless.
Xiao Qi angrily said, "Lord Cao will definitely choose Brother Tai."
Li Fu stared at Xiao Qi. His status was extraordinary; to say he was on par with Ma Wu would be an understatement. Xiao Qi felt a chill under his gaze.
"Brother, when you join a Triad, you follow Yi Group, not an individual."
"You have many high-ranking members of the Triad above you."
"Do you listen to Lord Cao's words?"
"Do you listen to Lord Ma's words?"
Xiao Qi quickly replied, "Of course I listen."
Li Fu shook his head, "I don't think so."
Xiao Qi's face turned red with anger, "Of course I listen."
"My loyalty to the Triad is clear to all the brothers."
"You are insulting me."
Li Fu laughed, "Since you listen to Lord Cao's words, why don't you abide by Lord Cao's will?"
"Lord Ma is carrying out Lord Cao's dying wish and wants to implement Lord Cao's will, why don't you obey?"
"Or in your heart, do you only recognize Chan Tai as your boss?"
Xiao Qi was at a loss for a moment.
Chan Tai had to speak, "Mr. Li, you've gone too far."
"This is our Yi Group's internal affair."
"Even though Hung Hing is the number one Triad, you can't be so overbearing."
Li Fu gently shook his head, "Hung Hing is indeed the number one Triad, but we have no interest in anything outside of Hung Hing."
Chan Tai immediately said, "But Mr. Li treating an executive of our Yi Group like this, isn't that a contradiction?"
Li Fu mocked, "Our Hung Hing is here only to repay the kindness Lord Cao showed us years ago."
"I am speaking here with Lord Ma's permission."
"Are you and Xiao Qi also going to rebel?"
Chan Tai was choked and couldn't speak.
Li Fu said coldly, "When the road is uneven, someone will step on it. Although our Hung Hing is the number one Triad, go ask around the underworld, what is Hung Hing's reputation?"
Chan Tai slowly sat down.
There was nothing he could do. The current Dragon Head of Hung Hing was Liang Kun, and Liang Kun's reputation, bolstered by Lin Feng, was one of unparalleled loyalty and righteousness.
There was nothing to criticize.
Regardless of whether they were rival Triads, regarding Hung Hing's Liang Kun, they could only give a thumbs up and say, 'Good!'
Beyond that, there was no other evaluation.
Li Fu said in a cold voice, "I ask you, will you abide by Lord Cao's will?"
Li Xiu, who had been silent, was the first to answer, "Yes."
Upon hearing Li Xiu, Chan Tai immediately followed, "Of course I listen."
Li Fu looked at Xiao Qi, "And you?"
Xiao Qi said with a stiff neck, "I will also obey."
Li Fu said indifferently, "Lord Ma, please announce Lord Cao's will."
Ma Wu felt quite absurd, and also desolate.
When Cao Ya was alive, every single one of these youngsters was as respectful as could be.
Who would have thought that just a few days after Cao Ya's passing, these people would all have their own little schemes?
He, the dignified number two figure of Yi Group, actually had to rely on outsiders to subdue the crowd.
Yi Group was doomed!
However, now was not the time to say that. Ma Wu composed himself, took the will from Lawyer Huang's hand, and opened it.
He had already read the will.
Cao Ya's will was for Jiang Wei to serve as the Dragon Head of Yi Group.
However, Jiang Wei had already left the Triad.
Ma Wu composed himself and lied calmly:
"The Dragon Head of Yi Group designated by Lord Cao during his lifetime is—Li Xiu!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was in an uproar.
Xiao Qi said with a stiff neck, "How could this be?"
"I don't..."
He immediately saw Li Fu, and the last few words were forcibly left unsaid.
Chan Tai was distraught.
Li Xiu was utterly bewildered, pointing at his own nose in disbelief, "Me?"
Heaven knew he only came to be a prop, to go through the motions.
He never imagined that the new Dragon Head would be himself!
Li Fu said in a deep voice, "As Hung Hing's representative, I am here today to witness the inauguration of Yi Group's new Dragon Head."
"Does anyone have any objection to Lord Cao's will?"
Xiao Qi instinctively looked up, then met Li Fu's half-smiling gaze.
He immediately lowered his head, not daring to confront Li Fu.
He didn't want to recognize Cao Ya's will.
However, now he couldn't help but recognize it.
Hung Hing's deterrence was evident.
Xiao Qi feared that if he opened his mouth to object, Li Fu would immediately label him as 'rebellious.'
In fact, not abiding by Cao Ya's will was indeed an act of rebellion.
Xiao Qi knew this perfectly well.
Chan Tai was already stunned.
It wasn't him!
It really wasn't him?!
Did Godfather choose Li Xiu over him?
Li Fu asked, "Chan Tai, do you abide by Lord Cao's will?"
Chan Tai quickly composed himself, "Of course I abide by it."
Li Fu slowly nodded, "Good, both of you from the operations team also abide by it. So, under the witness of our Hung Hing..."
"Yi Group's new Dragon Head after Lord Cao will be Li Xiu."
Li Xiu looked at Ma Wu blankly, "Lord Ma, why me?"
These words made Chan Tai and Xiao Qi feel a surge of anger.
You've been designated as Lord Cao's successor, how could you say such a thing?
However, Li Xiu genuinely wanted to know, why him?
Ma Wu said earnestly, "You misunderstood Lord Cao."
"Lord Cao didn't show much overt attention to you, did you think he had a prejudice against you?"
"Actually, no."
"Lord Cao always admired you."
"It's just that before, you were always a lone wolf and didn't integrate well enough with the Triad's brothers."
"Now that you are the Dragon Head of the Triad, you must make an effort to change this habit."
Li Xiu nodded solemnly.
Ma Wu said, "Alright, I need to discuss matters with A Xiu. You all go and relay Lord Cao's instructions."
Everyone nodded in unison.
Li Fu spoke, "Xiao Qi, stay."
Xiao Qi was utterly bewildered.
Chan Tai frowned, "Mr. Li, Xiao Qi offended you just now, you're not so petty, are you?"
Li Fu laughed, "I'm not a petty person."
"The new Dragon Head has something to tell Xiao Qi."
Chan Tai was helpless.
He knew that was just an excuse; Li Fu must have a reason for keeping Xiao Qi, but now the Dragon Head of Yi Group was Li Xiu, not Chan Tai.
Chan Tai could only give Xiao Qi a look, telling him to fend for himself.
Xiao Qi suddenly felt a strange sense of tragic heroism.
After everyone left, Li Xiu frowned and asked Li Fu, "Mr. Li, why did you keep Xiao Qi?"
Li Fu looked at him speechlessly, "Do you really think I want to get revenge on Xiao Qi?"
"I'm not that idle."
"I came to Yi Group on Brother Feng's orders, to avenge Lord Cao."
Xiao Qi wondered, "Then why are you looking for me?"
Li Fu looked at him coldly, "The day Lord Cao was murdered, Lord Ma asked you to escort Lord Cao home, didn't he?"
Xiao Qi's face immediately changed, "That's right."
"After watching the play that day, I escorted Lord Cao home."
"I was following behind Lord Cao's car, but a dump truck from the roadside cut in and blocked me."
"By the time I caught up, Lord Cao was already gone."
"Everyone in the car was there, except for the driver, A-Biao."
Xiao Qi suddenly realized,
"You want to frame me?"
"I didn't kill Lord Cao!"
Li Fu mocked, "Why would I frame you?"
"Lord Cao was killed while under your protection, so you have an obligation to kill the murderer and avenge Lord Cao!"
+++
Chapter 458: Helping Someone Along the Way
Li Fu looked at Xiao Qi, amused:
"How could a Triad like Yi Group and a man of Lord Cao's magnanimity raise someone as narrow-minded as you?"
"What do you think I kept you here for?"
"To deliberately set you up?"
"I'm a Hung Hing man, not one of your Yi Group."
"Even if Mr. Li wants to eliminate dissidents after he takes power, that's not my job."
Xiao Qi was speechless for a moment.
Li Xiu said unhappily:
"I would never eliminate dissidents."
Li Fu looked at him seriously and said:
"A new emperor brings new courtiers. You need to quickly take control of your action team."
"Before, you were a lone wolf, fighting by yourself, and no one said anything."
"Now, everyone in Yi Group is relying on you, and if you don't have your own power, you'll be killed in minutes."
Li Xiu remained silent.
Li Fu turned his head and looked at Xiao Qi:
"My Big Brother taught me one thing: when you're out in the world, if you make a mistake, you admit it; if you get beaten, you stand at attention."
"Lord Cao was murdered under your protection; this is a fact."
"Instead of thinking about how to avenge Lord Cao, you were single-mindedly defying Lord Cao's orders."
"Even an outsider like me from Hung Hing is wondering if you colluded with Lord Cao's driver, A-Biao, to commit such a major act."
Xiao Qi felt a chill run from his feet to the top of his head:
"Don't you dare falsely accuse me!"
Li Fu snorted coldly:
"Am I falsely accusing you?"
"Wasn't Lord Cao under your protection that night?"
"Wasn't it you who contended for the position after Lord Cao's passing?"
"And wasn't it still you who didn't investigate the cause of Lord Cao's death?"
Xiao Qi was speechless.
He himself even felt that he might be the murderer of Lord Cao.
Li Xiu sighed:
"Mr. Li, Xiao Qi is just a child, don't mess with him."
"Lord Cao wouldn't have been killed by him."
Li Fu said coldly:
"Is he a child?"
"He's jumping around quite happily!"
Xiao Qi was so choked up he couldn't speak. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said:
"I admit what I've done, and I'll make up for the mistakes I've made. I will definitely catch the killer and avenge Lord Cao."
"You don't need to insult me anymore."
Li Fu said, exasperated:
"What do you think I kept you here for?"
Xiao Qi was stunned:
"You know who killed Lord Cao?"
Li Xiu suddenly sprang up:
"Mr. Li, who killed Lord Cao?"
Li Fu said faintly:
"Lord Cao was kind to Hung Hing, and Hung Hing's principle has always been to repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring."
"We couldn't repay Lord Cao's kindness during his lifetime, so we'll have to repay it to you all."
"It seems that avenging Lord Cao is a suitable way to do so."
Li Xiu said seriously:
"If Hung Hing can truly help avenge Lord Cao, my Yi Group will owe Hung Hing a favor."
Li Fu looked at him deeply:
"I believe you!"
Xiao Qi waited for the two Big Brothers to finish speaking, then impatiently said:
"Who is the murderer of Lord Cao?"
Li Fu asked:
"What do you think?"
Xiao Qi frowned and said:
"I don't know who the murderer is, but he must have bribed Lord Cao's driver, A-Biao."
"Brother Tai and I discussed it; the killer's plan was so precise, he must have obtained Lord Cao's itinerary."
"For a big boss like Lord Cao, his itinerary is often kept secret."
"The person who could know Lord Cao's itinerary is most likely among the crowd who accompanied Lord Cao to watch the play that day."
"In other words, there's an inside man!"
Li Fu nodded slightly:
"Not too stupid after all!"
Xiao Qi was furious:
"I respect you as Mr. Lin's confidant from Hung Hing, but you cannot insult me again and again."
"If you say that again, we'll have a fight."
Lok Tin-hung was eager to try:
"You want to challenge Brother Fu? Then let's you and I fight first."
Wang Jianjun said, exasperated:
"Tin Hung, don't be silly."
Lok Tin-hung shrugged.
Xiao Qi wilted.
Yi Group's intelligence was very well-informed; Lok Tin-hung had made a big name for himself in the underworld.
Eight-Faced Sword Lok Tin-hung was not someone he could challenge.
Li Fu looked at Xiao Qi, amused:
"Am I insulting you?"
"I'm putting you on the right path."
"You really don't know what's good for you."
Xiao Qi grew even angrier.
Li Fu asked:
"Now that Lord Cao's will has been announced, the new Dragon Head of Yi Group is Li Xiu, Mr. Li."
"Do you acknowledge his words?"
Xiao Qi's face was full of reluctance.
Li Xiu was speechless.
Ma Wu quickly said:
"Xiao Qi, Ah Xiu is the Dragon Head."
Xiao Qi reluctantly said:
"I acknowledge it!"
Li Fu was very disappointed:
"You still say you're not stupid."
"You don't even know who made you who you are, yet you dare to stick out your neck and complain!"
"Do you think it was Chan Tai who made you?"
"Wrong!"
"What made you was Lord Cao, Lord Ma, and the big platform of Yi Group!"
"And not Chan Tai."
"If it weren't for Yi Group, do you think you'd have your current status?"
"When you're out in the world, you have to be loyal."
"But your object of loyalty is selectable."
"Is it the company, or an individual?"
Xiao Qi remained silent.
Li Fu said seriously:
"You must be loyal to the company."
"That means being loyal to Li Xiu; he is the Dragon Head of Yi Group."
Xiao Qi pouted.
Lok Tin-hung also pouted.
It was clear that neither of them was convinced.
Li Fu himself knew his words were nonsense, but in the current situation, he had to say them.
"Keeping you here is to make you choose."
"Loyalty to Lord Cao or loyalty to an individual?"
Xiao Qi immediately said:
"I am definitely loyal to Lord Cao."
Anyway, Cao Ya was already dead. If he didn't say nice things now, when would he?
Li Fu nodded slightly:
"It's good to be loyal to Lord Cao."
"Lord Ma, you can bring it out now."
Li Xiu and Xiao Qi both looked at Ma Wu.
"Lord Ma, what is it?"
Ma Wu said sadly:
"Lord Cao was harmed by his own people."
Li Xiu and Xiao Qi asked in unison:
"Who?"
Ma Wu handed them a stack of photos:
"See for yourselves!"
Li Xiu flipped through the photos, his eyes suddenly widening.
Xiao Qi also flipped through the photos, exclaiming:
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
Lord Ma sighed:
"It seems you are both very familiar with the addresses in the photos."
"So I don't need to say much more."
Xiao Qi muttered:
"It couldn't have been Brother Tai; absolutely not!"
"These photos of yours are fake, aren't they?"
Ma Wu said angrily:
"Xiao Qi, look carefully, these are photos from last night!"
"Ever since Lord Cao's incident, A-Biao has disappeared."
"Everyone knows that wherever A-Biao is, the murderer is there!"
"Anyone with a brain knows this."
Xiao Qi suddenly collapsed to the ground, dejected:
"Impossible."
"Brother Tai even told me that A-Biao was the murderer and that if I saw him, I shouldn't leave him alive."
Li Fu said mercilessly:
"That's why I say you're stupid."
"You've been used without even realizing it."
"You think you're loyal to others, but you're not even Chan Tai's confidant."
"You jump up and down to stand up for Chan Tai, but you're not even Chan Tai's confidant."
These words broke Xiao Qi, who shouted:
"Brother Tai trusts me!"
Li Fu sneered:
"Such a big matter as Lord Cao's murder, and he didn't even tell you. What a confidant."
Xiao Qi could no longer hold back and lunged at Li Fu.
Lok Tin-hung stepped forward, intercepting Xiao Qi, and the two began to fight.
Ma Wu said with a wry smile:
"Mr. Li, you are Hung Hing's customers..."
Li Fu called out:
"Tin Hung, let this guy sober up properly. Don't hit him too hard; we'll need him to do things later."
Lok Tin-hung shouted:
"Brother Fu, don't worry, I know my limits."
Li Xiu ignored Lok Tin-hung and Xiao Qi's fight; his eyes were bloodshot:
"It was Chan Tai who did it?"
"I must clean house."
Li Fu said seriously:
"Chan Tai must be dealt with, but do you have the men?"
Li Xiu gritted his teeth and said:
"Even if it's just me, I will definitely avenge my godfather."
Li Fu gently patted Li Xiu's shoulder:
"Brother Feng sent the three of us here to help you."
To see a task through to the end, just like seeing a Buddha off to the Western Paradise.
Lin Feng never did things that were merely icing on the cake; the cost-effectiveness was too low.
He didn't mind doing more things that were like sending charcoal in the snow.
Li Fu pointed at Xiao Qi and said:
"Revenge must be taken, but how to take revenge is a matter of strategy."
"Chan Tai has always been in charge of the action team."
"Most of the people in the action team obey Chan Tai's orders."
"Frankly, Chan Tai did quite well; he won over most people's hearts."
"Even loyal people like Xiao Qi were speaking well of Chan Tai."
"Unfortunately, no matter how well Chan Tai did, he couldn't hide it from those with discerning minds."
"Lord Cao and Lord Ma never intended to pass the Yi Group Dragon Head position to Chan Tai."
"It was precisely because of his hypocrisy."
"Those of us who live in the underworld can be fake, can be real, can be reckless, but we cannot be hypocritical."
"We wouldn't dare associate with someone like Chan Tai."
"Of course, your situation might be even worse."
"If you fight him alone, you'll be the one to suffer in the end."
Li Xiu fell silent.
Li Fu then said:
"You could also continue to be a lone wolf as before, but Lord Cao and Lord Ma have entrusted the Yi Group to you. If you die, then so be it."
"But the Yi Group will change its surname."
"You wouldn't want the person who murdered Lord Cao to sit in the high position of Dragon Head, would you?"
Li Xiu slowly nodded:
"Even if I die, I cannot let A Tai's scheme succeed."
Li Fu shrugged:
"It seems we've reached an agreement."
He turned his head and said,
"Tin Hung, has Xiao Qi sobered up yet?"
Lok Tin-hung grinned and said:
"He's already sober."
Li Xiu quickly looked over and saw Xiao Qi lying on the ground with vacant eyes, seemingly quite shaken by Lok Tin-hung.
The young man with blue hair mocked:
"With your skills, you actually wanted to challenge Brother Fu? You have no self-awareness whatsoever."
"No wonder you're being played for a fool!"
Xiao Qi was already too weak to retort.
Li Fu chuckled:
"Young people, they always think they're invincible."
"Tin Hung, he's just like you back then!"
Lok Tin-hung stamped his foot and said:
"I was definitely not that stupid."
Li Fu and Wang Jianjun burst out laughing.
Lok Tin-hung loudly declared:
"I want to challenge you all."
Wang Jianjun sneered:
"A guy who's 'Seven Times a Night' every day still wants to challenge us?"
Ma Wu blurted out:
"Seven Times a Night?"
"Tin Hung is amazing."
Lok Tin-hung looked smug:
"Just average, just average."
Li Fu sighed, wondering what kind of team he was leading.
He took a step forward and nudged Xiao Qi, who was still lying on the ground, with his toe:
"Are you sober?"
"Stop playing dead, Tin Hung knows how to hold back."
Xiao Qi got up, gritting his teeth:
"I'll avenge Lord Cao. I will make Tai... A Tai face justice."
Li Fu snorted:
"With your foolishness, unable to hide anything on your face, I already know what you're going to do next."
Xiao Qi angrily said:
"You know again?"
Li Fu said indifferently:
"You're here, loudly proclaiming you'll kill Chan Tai to avenge Lord Cao."
"But I'd bet everyone here that this guy, once he gets to Chan Tai's villa, will definitely pull out photos and confront Chan Tai."
"I've even thought of the lines..."
"Brother Tai, tell me, was someone else framing you? Was someone else threatening you?...Things like that."
Xiao Qi's mouth fell open, looking at Li Fu incredulously, as if he had seen a ghost.
Lok Tin-hung also looked at him as if he had seen a ghost:
"You actually planned to do that?"
"Please, the ones who appreciated you were Lord Cao and Lord Ma, never Chan Tai."
Xiao Qi angrily said:
"Brother Tai appreciated me."
Lok Tin-hung said mercilessly:
"Are you stupid? If he really appreciated you, he wouldn't even tell you about such a major event?"
"It's obvious he's just using you."
Xiao Qi was speechless.
Li Fu said indifferently:
"If you really did that, then all I can say is that you're a hopeless idiot, nothing more."
Xiao Qi was silent.
Li Fu said softly:
"Chan Tai must be removed. This is Hung Hing's promise to Lord Cao."
"But how he is removed needs an explanation."
Xiao Qi sighed:
"Are you going to hold a martial arts conference?"
Li Fu shook his head:
"This is a family matter for the Yi Group, why would we do that?"
"They all say that family shame should not be aired. It's already wrong that my Hung Hing knows about this, do you still want to shout it out for the whole underworld to know?"
Xiao Qi remained silent.
Li Xiu asked:
"Mr. Li, do you have any good suggestions?"
Li Fu said indifferently:
"A person who can commit patricide must be unwilling to accept their fate."
"Chan Tai knew Lord Cao wouldn't choose him as his successor, which is why he chose to act suddenly."
"The goal was for someone to cause trouble when Lord Ma announced the will."
"This way, Chan Tai might be able to take over as the Dragon Head of the Yi Group."
Xiao Qi felt quite absurd:
"Lord Cao's will, who wouldn't listen?"
He paused, realizing he himself wouldn't listen!
Li Fu said indifferently:
"Chan Tai didn't expect my Hung Hing to come and observe the ceremony, so this plan won't work."
"He will certainly have another plan."
Xiao Qi frowned:
"What plan?"
Li Fu didn't hide anything:
"Now everyone knows that Lord Cao's driver, A-Biao, must have been bribed."
"He has now disappeared without a trace."
"So, Chan Tai will definitely make an issue of this."
Xiao Qi completely didn't understand:
"A-Biao is at A Tai's house, what tricks can he play?"
Li Fu sighed:
"In the future, you just need to honestly follow the orders of Mr. Li and Lord Ma; you don't need to use your brain for things."
Xiao Qi said defiantly:
"Then tell me what tricks he can play?"
Li Fu said with a laugh:
"Are you unconvinced?"
Xiao Qi was, of course, unconvinced, but he had been scared by Lok Tin-hung, so he changed the subject and said:
"You're always giving advice, you must be very skilled, I'd like to see it."
Li Fu shrugged:
"Then I'll let you see it."
Xiao Qi was particularly unconvinced; he didn't believe Li Fu could say anything that would convince him.
Li Fu said indifferently:
"Chan Tai desperately wants to become the Chairman of the Yi Group. This is his obsession. He will definitely not be reconciled to the Chairman position falling to someone else and will certainly cause trouble."
Xiao Qi couldn't help but say:
"Brother Xiu has Lord Cao's will as proof; he can't turn things around."
Li Fu nodded:
"Normally, that's how it is."
Xiao Qi frowned:
"Normally?"
Li Fu explained:
"Normally, the previous Dragon Head appoints the next Dragon Head; this is what provides legitimacy."
"And it won't affect the stability of the Triad."
"However, Lord Cao is different; he was murdered."
"The killer is still at large."
"This gives Chan Tai an opportunity to manipulate things."
"Making it possible for him to pull Mr. Li down."
Xiao Qi kept shaking his head:
"Impossible!"
Li Fu said playfully:
"Really impossible?"
Xiao Qi asked:
"If you were Chan Tai, what would you do?"
Li Fu said casually:
"The simplest thing is for Chan Tai to throw out a recording."
Xiao Qi asked in confusion:
"What kind of recording could pull Brother Xiu down?"
Li Fu laughed:
"A recording of Chan Tai and A-Biao."
"For example, in the call, A-Biao tells him that Lord Cao was killed by Mr. Li, and A-Biao was merely forced to flee."
"Now he doesn't want to run anymore and wants to return, so he calls Chan Tai for help!"
Xiao Qi was dumbfounded.
Li Fu gently patted his shoulder and said:
"You see, Lord Cao's body is barely cold, and avenging him is the duty of the entire Yi Group, and also a good opportunity for Mr. Li to establish his authority."
"Both emotionally and logically, Mr. Li has to avenge Lord Cao, right?"
Xiao Qi nodded.
That goes without saying.
On a public level, Cao Ya was the former Dragon Head of the Yi Group; if he was murdered, revenge was definitely necessary, otherwise the Yi Group's reputation would be tarnished.
On a private level, Cao Ya was Li Xiu's adoptive father; even for filial piety, Li Xiu would have to eliminate Cao Ya's killer.
"But if Chan Tai throws out such a tape, won't Mr. Li's position as Chairman become unstable?"
"If someone then verifies that it is indeed A-Biao's voice, Mr. Li will not only be unable to sit securely as the Yi Group's Chairman, but he will also be branded with the reputation of being disloyal and unfilial."
"His entire reputation will be ruined."
"Am I right?"
Xiao Qi was numb.
If he hadn't seen those photos, he really wouldn't have thought of how Li Xiu could turn the situation around.
Now, he had to admit that Li Fu was much more capable than him.
Completely convinced.
Li Xiu sincerely asked:
"Mr. Li, what should I do?"
Li Fu looked at Ma Wu:
"Lord Ma, I am a guest, is it appropriate for me to speak?"
Ma Wu quickly said:
"Right now, we are at our wits' end and can only be impolite; please speak freely."
The old hand in the underworld understood best that the current Yi Group could not withstand any more turmoil.
When Cao Ya was alive, things were fine; he could deter the underworld with his prestige.
With Cao Ya's death, the Yi Group was in decline.
Instead, they had to rely on Hung Hing's protection to get through this difficult period.
Hung Hing was truly a good friend, wanting to help Li Xiu get started and then support him further!