Chapter 465: Understated
Chan Tai said with heartache:
"You've always been a lone wolf, showing off your personality, never connecting with the Triad brothers."
"Do you know how many Triads we have to deal with?"
"Can you identify all the brothers under your command?"
"You know nothing, and you can do nothing!"
"I'm the one who does things!"
"It's me!"
"Godfather is truly biased, still wanting someone like you to be the Chairman!"
"What a pity, Godfather never expected that a guy like you would covet the position of Chairman, even hiring assassins to murder your father!"
"Godfather, you trusted the wrong person!"
Li Xiu's expression was particularly intriguing:
"So, this is your reason for patricide?"
Xiao Qi sneered:
"Brother Xiu, haven't you understood yet?"
"This guy keeps boasting about his achievements, never realizing that doing these things is his duty."
"If it weren't for the Yi Group giving him a meal, could he live in a villa and have his current status?"
"Now he's complaining?"
"What about those partners who risked their lives for the Yi Group? Who are they to complain to?"
Ma Wu sighed:
"Ah Tai, I really didn't want to believe this was your doing."
"I never thought..."
"How could you do such a thing?"
Li Fu also said:
"Lord Cao was such a heroic figure; the Jianghu (underworld) all said that his three adopted sons were each more heroic than the last."
"It was utterly unexpected that in the end, he would die by the gun of his own adopted son."
Chan Tai was dumbfounded.
"You... what nonsense are you talking about?"
"Are you all deaf?"
"A-Biao clearly said in the recording that Brother Xiu forced him, and Brother Xiu was the one who killed Godfather."
"Are you all collectively pretending to be deaf and mute?"
"Lord Ma, you are at least Godfather's right-hand man. He was killed, and instead of punishing the murderer, you are still glossing over it?"
"Brother Xiu, how dare you say such things with such a thick skin? You clearly killed him, yet you're pointing fingers at me? This is not how you twist black and white!"
"Xiao Qi, I never thought you'd be such a person; you're just Brother Xiu's lackey now!"
"And Mr. Li, by shielding Brother Xiu like this, are you worthy of Hung Hing's Lin Feng's reputation!"
Chan Tai couldn't understand. A-Biao's recording was right there, the evidence was clear, yet these people didn't suspect Brother Xiu; instead, they all accused him.
A tremendous sense of absurdity filled his heart.
What on earth was wrong with this world?
Li Fu looked at him with pity:
"Don't try to guess our thoughts with your narrow-mindedness."
"I told you before, Hung Hing received kindness from Lord Cao, and the three of us are here to repay that favor."
"And I'm not afraid to tell you, the so-called repayment of favor is to find the murderer of Lord Cao and comfort his spirit in heaven."
Chan Tai pointed at Li Xiu and said:
"The murderer is right there, go catch him!"
"Why aren't you catching him?!"
"Just because he is still the Dragon Head successor recognized by Godfather, can you ignore the fact that he committed patricide?"
Li Fu mocked:
"Did you get something wrong?"
Chan Tai was stunned.
Li Fu said indifferently:
"It seems Brother Feng's change in identity has made everyone in the Jianghu (underworld) forget one thing—in Hong Kong, if Brother Feng wants to know something, it cannot be hidden from Brother Feng's eyes."
"Many people didn't believe this fact, so they all perished."
"I thought no one would challenge this fact, but I never expected... you would still doubt it."
Chan Tai suddenly felt uneasy, a terrible thought appearing in his mind.
"How could this be? I believe in Mr. Lin's fairness."
Li Fu nodded slightly:
"Good that you believe!"
"Then I'll tell you the truth."
"When I came here yesterday, I already told Lord Ma who the murderer was."
"Lord Ma told this to Brother Xiu."
"I was thinking of making a move yesterday, but Lord Ma and Brother Xiu stopped me."
Chan Tai looked at everyone in disbelief.
Ma Wu sighed:
"Lord Cao had a lifetime of renown, well-known in the Jianghu (underworld)."
"Besides our Yi Group's upright conduct, it was also because the three of you brought him honor."
"Ah Wei retired from the Jianghu (underworld) after being heartbroken."
"Only two of you brothers are left."
"If it were to be revealed that Lord Cao was ambushed by his own adopted son, Lord Cao's reputation would be ruined."
"Lord Cao's reputation can be ruined, but not at this time."
"The first seven days haven't even passed; we don't want the Jianghu (underworld) to criticize Lord Cao; that would be disrespectful to him."
Chan Tai shouted:
"Is that why you're shielding Brother Xiu?"
Ma Wu seemed not to hear Chan Tai's shouting:
"I told Brother Xiu about this, after all, he is the Chairman of our Yi Group."
"Brother Xiu, however, respected my old bones more and agreed to follow my suggestion."
Li Xiu looked at Chan Tai:
"I never doubted you."
"I even thought Lord Cao was ambushed by Brother Hua, and the reason was obvious: Brother Hua always wanted to do business with Godfather, smuggling arms, but Godfather didn't agree, so Brother Hua might have killed him."
"Of course, I guessed wrong."
"Do you know, after the incident, Lord Ma immediately determined that Godfather's death was an inside job."
"The entire assassination was too elaborate."
"In just over ten minutes, everyone in the car except A-Biao was dead."
"With Xiao Qi's skills, when he arrived, he didn't encounter a single robber, or a single body of a robber."
"How meticulously planned this was."
"Besides an inside job, I couldn't imagine anyone else being able to achieve such a degree."
"Yet, I was still unwilling to suspect you. I'd rather suspect Lord Luo and them, I'd even rather believe it was a setup by Chui Shui Min and his group."
"Even when Mr. Li and his group brought evidence, I was unwilling to believe it was your doing."
"I thought, could someone be framing you?"
"What Lord Ma said suited my intentions perfectly, so I made a selfish decision—to stall for time."
"I thought, as time passed, you would reflect on yourself out of guilt for Godfather."
"I never expected that you would not show the slightest remorse."
"Now you're even turning the tables and trying to pin the blame on me!"
"Your intentions are truly malicious!"
Xiao Qi said coldly:
"Brother Xiu, I know you and Ah Tai have a good relationship."
"This guy could even kill Lord Cao; how could he still care about past feelings?"
"It's best to bring him to justice now."
"Otherwise, he might mislead many brothers."
Chan Tai suddenly took a step back and shouted:
"What nonsense are you all talking about?"
"Are you all ganging up to frame me?"
"If you want to remove my military power, just say so directly."
"There's no need for such despicable tactics!"
Li Fu spoke calmly:
"Are you questioning our Hung Hing?"
Chan Tai was speechless.
You can question anyone but Hung Hing. Actually, Hung Hing doesn't matter, but questioning the richest man, Mr. Lin, isn't that just asking for death?
Li Fu said softly:
"Let me tell you the reason."
"You keep saying this tape is evidence that Brother Xiu killed Lord Cao, right?"
Chan Tai nodded fiercely:
"That's right."
"A-Biao clearly said it in the tape, why do none of you believe it?"
Li Fu ignored him and asked directly again:
"You've been privately inquiring about A-Biao's whereabouts these past few days, but you haven't seen him until now, right?"
Chan Tai said loudly:
"If I had found A-Biao, I would have dragged that bastard kid here long ago."
"With A-Biao confronting Brother Xiu, you'd see who's lying."
Li Fu mocked:
"Of course we know the truth, and of course we know who's lying."
"I'm very curious about one thing: how do you manage to lie without batting an eyelid?"
Chan Tai exclaimed:
"Mr. Li, how can even you..."
Li Fu turned his head and said:
"Jian Jun, give him yesterday's photos."
Chan Tai was puzzled:
"Photos? What photos?"
Wang Jianjun sneered, pulled out a stack of photos, and threw them into Chan Tai's hand.
Chan Tai opened them and his pupils suddenly contracted. On them was A-Biao's photo!
One of them was even a group photo of himself and A-Biao!
In an instant, Chan Tai felt his world collapse.
"Impossible!"
"This is impossible!"
"This is fake!"
"Fake!"
Wang Jianjun said unceremoniously:
"You'd better look at the time on the photos!"
Chan Tai focused his eyes and almost fainted.
This was the time from the night before yesterday.
"You've been saying that you've been having your subordinates constantly search for A-Biao, but haven't found him."
"Of course your subordinates couldn't find him."
"A-Biao has been in your villa all this time, it would be a miracle if they found him."
Lok Tin-hung said in surprise:
"Why would this guy keep A-Biao?"
Chan Tai immediately said:
"Someone is framing me. Mr. Luo is right, why would I keep A-Biao?"
"If my foster father was really killed by me, wouldn't I just silence A-Biao?"
Lok Tin-hung wanted to slap himself.
Why was he talking about this when there was nothing to do?
Li Fu said calmly:
"Because you weren't sure whose name was written on Lord Cao's will?"
Chan Tai's heart sank:
"What do you mean by that?"
Li Fu sneered:
"Do I need to make it clearer?"
"If Lord Cao's will had your name on it, then naturally everyone would be happy, and A-Biao could be dealt with anytime."
"If Lord Cao's will had Ah Wei's name on it, that would also be fine. Ah Wei retired from the underworld a long time ago, and the Yi Group brothers have always followed you. You believed you would win against Brother Xiu."
"The scariest thing is if Lord Cao's will had Brother Xiu's name on it."
"With Lord Cao's will in hand, even if Brother Xiu hadn't been heavily involved in underworld matters before, with that will and Lord Ma's support, he would definitely secure the position of Yi Group Chairman."
"At this point, A-Biao would be needed."
Li Fu pointed to the tape recorder,
"With A-Biao in your hands, isn't it a simple matter to fabricate a tape recording?"
Lok Tin-hung suddenly realized:
"This guy really went to great lengths."
Chan Tai yelled:
"This photo is fake, it doesn't count."
Li Fu sneered:
"Everyone can see clearly, that's you in the picture."
"This place is your house."
"Why do you think Xiao Qi changed his attitude and turned to support Brother Xiu?"
"You know he used to be your loyal subordinate."
Xiao Qi said coldly:
"Brother Tai told me before that when you do things, you must be open and honest, and also righteous."
"But you even killed Lord Cao!"
"Where is the righteousness you spoke of?"
"Where is the loyalty you spoke of?"
"I, Xiao Qi, am a man, and I will not collude with you!"
Chan Tai suddenly laughed:
"So you all knew already."
"That's good too, when we really fight, I won't have to hold back."
Ma Wu frowned:
"What else do you want?"
"Do you really want to split the Yi Group?"
Chan Tai shouted like a madman:
"I am the eldest of the three brothers, and I have done the most for the Yi Group."
"All the dirty and tiring work was done by me."
"But I get no credit, and I'm the one who suffers."
"The position of Yi Group Chairman should have been mine."
"That old scoundrel Cao Ya ignored me."
"I'm not convinced!"
Li Fu said calmly:
"What are you not convinced about?"
"What are you proud of?"
"If Lord Cao hadn't adopted you and given you such a big platform, you would have died a long time ago."
"Do you know why Lord Cao didn't choose you to be the Dragon Head?"
Chan Tai's eyes turned red:
"Why?"
Li Fu said coldly:
"Because you have no loyalty!"
Chan Tai laughed up to the sky:
"Loyalty?"
"If I have no loyalty, who in the Yi Group has loyalty?"
Li Fu mercilessly struck him down,
"What loyalty do you have?"
"In terms of ability, you are the lowest among Lord Cao's three adopted sons."
"Why did Jiang Wei withdraw from the underworld? He worked for the Triad, and when he had to flee, he asked you to take care of his girlfriend."
"You took care of her into your bed."
"It's a good thing you weren't born in Hung Hing."
"In our Triad, this is seducing a brother's woman, which requires three knives and six holes."
"This is utter nonsense about loyalty."
"When things happen, you make more mistakes, and Brother Xiu and Ah Wei always have to clean up your mess."
"If I were Lord Cao, I definitely wouldn't hand the Yi Group over to you."
"Following you, the Yi Group would be finished sooner or later."
Chan Tai's face was flushed, and he suddenly waved his hand:
"Come in!"
Outside the door, it was quiet, and nothing happened.
Chan Tai suddenly turned around, distraught:
"Where are my men?"
Li Fu said sternly:
"Why do you think we've been wasting so much time talking to you?"
He raised his voice,
"Come in!"
Axe Jun walked in with his men.
"Brother Fu, all of Chan Tai's men have been disarmed."
"What should we do with them?"
Li Fu shrugged:
"These are Yi Group members, how to deal with them is up to Brother Xiu."
Li Xiu gritted his teeth:
"Those who raise a butcher's knife against their own brothers cannot be kept."
Xiao Qi immediately stepped forward:
"Brother Xiu, I'll take care of it."
Li Fu ordered:
"Ah Jun, hand the men over to Xiao Qi."
Axe Jun glanced at Chan Tai, then added:
"Brother Fu, when our men arrived at Chan Tai's house, his wife jumped to her death."
Chan Tai almost went crazy:
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
He lunged forward to fight Axe Jun, but Axe Jun wouldn't tolerate him, and slapped Chan Tai back onto the sofa.
"Our men said that Chan Tai's wife told them before she died that Lord Cao was murdered by Chan Tai."
"She misjudged Chan Tai!"
Chan Tai lowered his head and remained silent.
Li Fu sneered:
"You two are truly a match made in heaven."
"It makes people sick!"
"You, as an elder brother, ended up seducing your brother's woman."
"Your wife, Xing Hui, abandoned Jiang Wei to become a big brother's woman."
"But in the end, your wife never became a big sister-in-law until her death."
Li Xiu sighed:
"Mr. Li, thank you for helping us find the murderer who killed our foster father."
"Thank you to all the esteemed members of Hung Hing for helping us quell this disaster."
Li Fu said seriously:
"Please don't mention it."
"When we Hung Hing do things, we always repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring."
Li Xiu smiled:
"In any case, thank you very much!"
"Xiao Qi…"
Xiao Qi immediately stood up and said:
"Brother Xiu."
Li Xiu looked at Chan Tai with a complicated expression:
"Send Brother Tai on his way."
Xiao Qi said decisively:
"Yes!"
Chan Tai suddenly looked up and sneered:
"If you want my life, you'll have to see if you have the ability."
He suddenly drew his gun and aimed it at Li Xiu,
"No one can take my…"
Lok Tin-hung silently drew his Eight-Faced Sword, and a cold light flashed. A mark suddenly appeared on Chan Tai's neck, and Chan Tai's head instantly separated from his neck.
Li Fu nodded slightly to Lok Tin-hung and left directly:
"Brother Xiu, Lord Ma, we have completed Brother Feng's mission."
"We'll take our leave!"
Li Xiu was staring blankly at Chan Tai's corpse. Hearing this, he immediately stood up and said:
"Are you leaving so soon?"
"Won't you stay a while?"
Li Fu smiled:
"The Yi Group still has many things to deal with, so we won't delay you."
"It's better to go back early."
Ma Wu said repeatedly:
"I'll see off the esteemed members of Hung Hing."
Li Xiu quickly said,
"We'll see them off too, Xiao Qi!"
They didn't even look at Chan Tai's corpse, their minds were entirely on the Hung Hing members.
Walking outside the door, Li Xiu and the others finally understood what Hung Hing had done.
Outside the door was a huge crowd of people.
Axe Jun didn't come alone; he brought the Thunder Security action team.
All of Chan Tai's core members had been captured.
Li Fu explained:
"I originally thought Chan Tai would hold out for two days before making a move, but I didn't expect him to be unable to resist today."
"Just now, when Chan Tai said he wanted an explanation, I had already sent a message to Ah Jun to take action."
Axe Jun smiled:
"I didn't fail you!"
Li Xiu held Li Fu's hand and wouldn't let go:
"Hung Hing's Ko Yee is etched in the hearts of our Yi Group."
"Please trouble Mr. Li to go back and convey to Hung Hing Chairman Mr. Li, and also Mr. Lin."
"Our Yi Group owes Hung Hing a favor, and from now on, we are willing to follow Hung Hing's lead."
"The Yi Group currently has matters that make it inconvenient to visit Hung Hing, but another day I will personally visit Mr. Lin's residence to express my gratitude."
Li Fu said softly:
"I will definitely convey it."
He ordered,
"Ah Jun, hand over the personnel, we're going back."
Li Xiu and the others watched Hung Hing's retreating figures until they disappeared before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Xiao Qi sighed:
"Hung Hing truly is righteous and noble."
Ma Wu said with lingering fear:
"It's a good thing Hung Hing is our friend, not our enemy."
"Otherwise, in that short time just now, the Yi Group would have been eliminated."
Xiao Qi suddenly understood, and his sweat soaked through his clothes!
+++
Chapter 466: Li Xiu's Realization
Some things are best not to dwell on; the more you think, the more terrifying they become.
Xiao Qi broke out in a cold sweat watching Hung Hing and the others leave.
Ma Wu said earnestly to Li Xiu:
"Lord Cao's kindness cannot be remembered for a lifetime. It was fine when Lord Cao was here, but now that Lord Cao is gone..."
Li Xiu said solemnly:
"Lord Ma, I understand."
"Hung Hing has completely surpassed the bounds of a favor. One could say that without them, Ah Tai might have succeeded this time."
"Even if we could eliminate Ah Tai's threat, we don't know how many people would be left."
Xiao Qi whispered:
"Isn't that an exaggeration?"
Ma Wu shook his head:
"Those who weren't deceived by him either colluded with him or stood against him."
"It's hard to say who among those two would survive."
"But for those who were deceived by him, there's only a dead end."
Xiao Qi was startled:
"A dead end?"
Li Xiu pondered:
"Lord Ma is right."
"Ah Tai has always cultivated the image of Lord Cao's good assistant, his loyal eldest son."
"Lord Cao was always like that, and the three of us were pretty much the same."
"However, Ah Wei and I were genuine, while Ah Tai was faking it."
"Many people were misled by Ah Tai."
"If Ah Tai wanted to make trouble for us, who would he eliminate first?"
Xiao Qi suddenly shivered!
Ma Wu sighed:
"Of course, it would be those people he deceived."
"Those people followed Ah Tai out of loyalty. When they suddenly discover that their so-called loyalty was just Ah Tai's cover, they certainly won't risk their lives for him."
"In fact, when Ah Tai turns against us, those people will definitely stand against him."
"Simply to uphold loyalty!"
"Ah Tai wouldn't take that risk; he would nip the danger in the bud."
"Those people would be eliminated by him first."
Xiao Qi remained silent.
Ma Wu patted Xiao Qi's shoulder:
"Ah Tai's current actions against us already show that he's making his move."
"In other words, those brothers he deceived... are already gone."
Xiao Qi's jaw dropped in shock:
"...How is that possible?"
Li Xiu sighed:
"Xiao Qi, although you are an outstanding figure of the new generation, you lack experience in the Triad."
"Especially in the action team, the Triad cannot tolerate those who are indecisive."
"For Ah Tai, these people are typical examples of indecisiveness."
"They must be eliminated."
Xiao Qi wasn't a fool; he had already been enlightened by Li Fu's scolding. Now that Li Xiu and Ma Wu were guiding him, he understood what to do.
"Brother Xiu, don't worry, I will lead the action team to eliminate Ah Tai's men."
Ma Wu thought for a moment, then said:
"Betrayal is either once or countless times. If they can betray us once with Ah Tai, they will betray us countless times."
"You must not let them off."
Xiao Qi gritted his teeth:
"Such unrighteous and disloyal people don't deserve to live."
Ma Wu smiled and nodded:
"Cut the weeds and dig up the roots!"
Just as Xiao Qi was about to lead his men to act, Li Xiu admonished:
"Xiao Qi, be quick about it."
Xiao Qi thought Li Xiu was underestimating him.
"If you act quickly, I'll take you to Mid-Levels to meet Mr. Lin."
Xiao Qi was taken aback:
"Meet Mr. Lin?"
Li Xiu said indifferently:
"After Lord Cao's death, our Yi Group entered a critical period."
"Now that the world has changed so much, no one knows what will happen in the future."
"We need to find a way out for our brothers."
"The Yi Group needs to find a new backer."
Xiao Qi hesitated:
"Is Hung Hing a backer?"
Li Xiu shook his head:
"I never considered Hung Hing a backer."
Xiao Qi was puzzled:
"Then..."
Li Xiu said calmly:
"Hung Hing's Chairman, Liang Kun, and Second Marshal Lin Feng are the true backers."
"The most crucial one is Mr. Lin."
"With his support alone, our Yi Group will be worry-free for thirty years."
Xiao Qi was still confused:
"Although Mr. Lin is the newly appointed Hong Kongs richest man, isn't his foundation a bit too shallow?"
Li Xiu shook his head repeatedly:
"You still see things too superficially."
"Go and do your work. Remember, the speed at which we meet Mr. Lin depends on the speed of your work."
Xiao Qi reminded him:
"Brother Xiu, Lord Cao's first seven days haven't passed yet."
Li Xiu said wistfully:
"Yes, my godfather's first seven days haven't passed, yet the murderers who killed him have already been brought to justice."
"Isn't this a big enough gift from Mr. Lin?"
"I don't recall my godfather giving Hung Hing such a great favor during his lifetime."
"Lord Ma, do you remember?"
Ma Wu shook his head:
"Cao is inseparable from Ma, and Ma is inseparable from Cao. Many of Lord Cao's affairs during his lifetime were handled through me."
"But I can confirm that Lord Cao definitely didn't give Hung Hing much convenience."
"In fact, our two Triads had no interaction whatsoever."
"If I had to name one person, it would be..."
Li Xiu and Xiao Qi asked in unison:
"Who?"
Ma Wu said calmly:
"Hon Ban."
"Back when Hon Ban was just starting out in Hap Tu, he once received help from our Yi Group."
"It was called help, but in reality, it was just convenience provided according to Triad rules."
"After that, we had almost no interaction."
Li Xiu clapped his hands:
"Then it must have been Hon Ban who sought out Mr. Lin."
"I heard that Hon Ban has always been very close to the Mong Kok faction."
"It should be this matter."
Ma Wu said meaningfully:
"For us, the help we gave Hon Ban back then was merely a casual act."
"But Hon Ban has always remembered it."
"This time, when Lord Cao had trouble, Hon Ban being able to rush over to help immediately shows his character."
"Ah Xiu, Hon Ban is also a loyal and righteous person."
"Mr. Lin is even more so."
"Your choice won't be wrong."
Li Xiu asked Xiao Qi:
"Did you hear what Lord Ma said?"
Xiao Qi immediately said:
"I'll go handle this matter now."
"Ah Tai's subordinates, all of them will feed the fish; not a single one will be spared."
Li Xiu said seriously:
"In troubled times, use severe measures."
"This is unavoidable."
"Never harbor a woman's kindness."
Xiao Qi grinned:
"Understood!"
Ma Wu threw him a cigar. Xiao Qi caught it, gripped it tightly, and shouted:
"Action team, follow me!"
A large group of men followed Xiao Qi out.
Ma Wu asked:
"What do you think of Xiao Qi?"
Li Xiu said without hesitation:
"This kid reminds me of myself when I was young."
Ma Wu shook his head:
"When you were young, you were too busy trying to look cool. How are you like Xiao Qi?"
Li Xiu argued:
"I really am like him."
"Back then, I had my godfather, you, Lord Luo, and the others above me, so I had no pressure at all. Naturally, I wanted to act cool."
"If I didn't act cool, there was nothing else to do."
"Look at Ah Wei, he doesn't act cool, yet he still has to run away."
"Things are not like before."
Li Xiu looked at the distant sea and sighed,
"Time really flies."
"Before, we were just kids."
"Me, Ah Wei, and even Ah Tai to some extent..."
"Back then, with you guys at the top, we were like carefree children."
"We could play and mess around as much as we wanted, without any worries."
"Any worries or troubles wouldn't fall on us."
"In Lui Lok's era, I didn't feel anything."
"In Lung Shing-pang's era, I still didn't feel anything."
"In the ICAC's era, it was just like that."
"I originally thought the Triad was easy to navigate."
"Who knew that as soon as my godfather had trouble, the burden fell on me, and I felt the pressure."
"It can crush a person to death!"
"I can't bear it alone."
Ma Wu said with satisfaction:
"We indeed chose the right person."
"Ah Xiu, you've grown up."
"What you're talking about is growth."
"It's like Chinese New Year."
"When we were young, we looked forward to Chinese New Year."
"During Chinese New Year, we'd wear new clothes, and if we were lucky, we'd get some delicacies we usually couldn't eat."
"We boys also had firecrackers to set off."
"The older we get, the more we feel that Chinese New Year has lost its festive spirit."
Li Xiu nodded:
"Yes."
"How happy Chinese New Year was when we were young."
"The older we get, the less festive it feels."
Ma Wu sighed:
"Actually, it's not that there's no festive spirit; it's that life has crushed us so much that we don't even pay attention to Chinese New Year anymore."
"When I became an adult, you were just experiencing childhood."
"Did you feel the festive spirit back then?"
Li Xiu laughed:
"Of course."
Ma Wu spread his hands:
"See, we are people from different eras, yet we both feel that Chinese New Year was happiest in childhood."
"The older we get, the less festive it feels... Isn't that a contradiction?"
"Ultimately, Chinese New Year, like childhood, is about being carefree."
"Once you shoulder responsibility, things become unclear."
"Are you ready?"
Li Xiu took a deep breath:
"Lord Ma, I am ready."
"To be honest, I never suspected Ah Tai in the death of my godfather."
"I only thought it was Brother Hua or someone from another Triad who did it."
"My godfather was so good to us three brothers, how could he dare to betray his master?"
"I never even thought such an idea was possible."
Ma Wu murmured:
"Good boy."
Li Xiu gave a bitter smile:
"Even when Mr. Li showed me those photos, I was still half-skeptical. This isn't something a normal person would do."
Ma Wu said in a muffled voice:
"But Ah Tai did it."
Li Xiu said gloomily:
"I know, that's why I'm disappointed."
"If it weren't for Mr. Li, it's highly probable that I would have died without ever suspecting that Ah Tai killed my godfather."
"It would have been too easy for Ah Tai to deal with me."
Ma Wu was speechless.
Li Xiu truly had such a personality.
He was honest and loyal; once he recognized someone as a brother, he wouldn't doubt them.
He would instinctively suspect others.
A cunning person like Ah Tai, who appeared loyal, would easily trick Li Xiu every time.
If it came to playing mind games, Li Xiu would definitely lose to Ah Tai.
If Li Xiu was like this, Jiang Wei was even more so.
Ma Wu greatly admired Cao Ya in his heart; he was truly accurate in judging people.
Logically, someone like Chan Tai would be seen by anyone as the next leader of the Yi Group.
However, Cao Ya would rather give it to Jiang Wei, who had retired from the Triad, than to Chan Tai.
He had probably recognized Chan Tai's nature early on.
It's just that Cao Ya's favoritism was truly strong; he would rather give the Yi Group to Jiang Wei than to Li Xiu.
Ma Wu didn't know what Cao Ya was thinking.
However, no matter what he thought, it no longer mattered.
Cao Ya was dead, and whatever was written in the will, he would decide for himself.
Ma Wu also admired his own keenness; he had felt early on that Cao Ya was killed by one of his own.
He just never expected it to be Chan Tai.
Li Xiu sighed:
"It looks easy when others carry the load, but you'll break your back when you carry it yourself."
"Some things, you only know how difficult they are when you do them yourself."
"Before, when it was just me, I could do whatever I wanted, very carefree."
"Now, the lives of thousands of brothers in the Yi Group depend on my single thought."
"Honestly, this responsibility is heavy."
Ma Wu was even happier:
"Ah Xiu, it's best that you think this way."
"With the Yi Group in your hands, we can rest assured."
Li Xiu hesitated for a moment, then said sincerely:
"My godfather had you by his side; you were his strategist. The two of you, working together, brought about the thirty years of glory for the Yi Group."
"Honestly, I'm good at action, but I always lack a bit of wisdom when making decisions."
Ma Wu shook his head:
"No, the fact that you can say such a thing shows that your wisdom is extraordinary."
Li Xiu shook his head:
"I'm not being modest; I truly believe I lack some wisdom."
"Originally, I wanted to invite Ah Wei back..."
Ma Wu opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.
"Unfortunately, Xing Hui actually jumped off a building!"
Ma Wu gave a bitter smile:
"That's right, Ah Wei couldn't accept that Xing Hui chose Ah Tai, which is why he retired from the underworld."
"With Xing Hui's death, Ah Wei can't come back even more."
Ma Wu secretly sighed. Jiang Wei was someone he thought highly of, but he was actually heartbroken over a woman... it was simply incredible.
In the eyes of old hands like Ma Wu, what were women?
They were purely like clothes!
You could have as many as you wanted.
To let oneself suffer because of a woman was truly foolish.
Cao Ya wanted Jiang Wei to take the top position, wasn't that dreaming?
Among those who mixed in the underworld, how many would disregard brotherhood for a woman?
In Triads, women were appendages to men!
But there was no need to say such things to Li Xiu. Ma Wu knew that Li Xiu loved his wife dearly—Cao Ya's three sworn sons were all infatuated, which was truly an anomaly!
He truly didn't know if the feng shui of this generation of the Yi Group was problematic.
Women could actually hinder the development of the Yi Group.
This kind of thing was simply laughable.
"If I can't see clearly myself, then I'll find someone who can see clearly to guide me."
Ma Wu frowned:
"Xiao Qi probably won't do, right?"
Li Xiu shook his head:
"Xiao Qi has the same problem as me."
"It's not him."
Ma Wu was startled, then suddenly turned his head:
"Are you saying..."
Li Xiu said solemnly:
"Hung Hing — Mr. Lin!"
"Lord Ma, you should understand that Hung Hing has practically saved our Yi Group this time."
"We are not ungrateful people."
"If Hung Hing can repay kindness with a gushing spring, I, Li Xiu, certainly can too."
"As long as the Yi Group can be preserved, what does it matter if I give my life to them?"
"I have that kind of awareness!"
Ma Wu thought for a moment and said solemnly:
"It's good that you have such awareness."
"However, I must warn you."
"When you meet Mr. Lin, you must recognize your own status."
Li Xiu humbly asked:
"Lord Ma, are you saying?"
Ma Wu said earnestly:
"The Yi Group is not what it used to be. The former Yi Group could even shelter Hon Ban, who was discontent in Hap Tu."
"However, now, even Hon Ban's strength is greater than that of the Yi Group."
"Not to mention the behemoth like Hung Hing, and Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin."
"Since you're going to be a subordinate, you must act like one."
"Absolutely no arrogance can occur."
Li Xiu said speechlessly:
"Lord Ma, you're overthinking it."
"I grew up in a Triad; I understand the rules of a Triad."
"Since I'm going to meet Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin, I will absolutely not put on the airs of the Yi Group's Chairman."
"Besides, what does an underworld Triad count for to truly wealthy people?"
Ma Wu said happily:
"With that, I'm relieved."
"However, how dare you place your bets on Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin?"
Li Xiu said softly:
"We all know Hung Hing's past."
"Who in the underworld doesn't know about the brotherhood between Mr. Li and Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin, and how they rose to prominence?"
"Coincidentally, because of the Yi Group, I also know many things that other underworld figures don't."
"For example, Hung Hing's former Dragon Head, Chiang Tin-Sung."
"This guy desperately wanted to go legitimate, desperately wanted to hide behind the scenes and control the Triad."
"He wanted to learn from us... no, he wanted to learn the Sun Yee On model."
"It's a pity."
"Mr. Li and Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin, were more skilled than him. Chiang Tin-Sung was an old fox; he cut ties cleanly, without any lingering attachments. It was a disguised way of going legitimate."
"Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin, allowed Mr. Li to easily become Hung Hing's Chairman without shedding any blood."
"His wisdom is even greater than mine."
"This is one of the reasons I chose him."
Ma Wu said speechlessly:
"Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin, is the richest man; he was able to acquire the Tycoon Group. His wisdom goes without saying."
Li Xiu smiled:
"What made me agree with him even more were other things."
Ma Wu raised an eyebrow:
"What things?"
Li Xiu said word by word:
"Leading the entire Hung Hing to go legitimate."
"Has a Triad ever gone legitimate in Hong Kong's history?"
Ma Wu shook his head and gave a bitter smile:
"We bosses live in luxury, but it's good enough if the low-level subordinates can just get by."
Li Xiu nodded:
"Exactly, that's the reason."
"Supporting subordinates costs money."
"Hung Hing has more than 50,000 members in Hong Kong alone."
"With so much money, what can't you do?"
"Yet, even after becoming wealthy, Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin, didn't forget these poor brothers and painstakingly helped them go legitimate as well."
"Mr. Lin's reputation for loyalty and righteousness is not just talk."
Ma Wu suddenly understood:
"That's right, Hong Kongs richest man, Mr. Lin, and Mr. Li are paragons of loyalty and righteousness."
Their stories not only circulated in the underworld, but as their status rapidly rose, the stories of their loyalty and righteousness became known to everyone in Hong Kong.
Who knows how many people envied Liang Kun for simply picking up a future richest man.
Many people put themselves in Liang Kun's shoes, thinking they could do it too.
But in reality, if it were truly them, they really couldn't.
The two words "loyalty and righteousness" had become their labels, impossible to remove.
While this brought them immense prestige, it was also a huge shackles (shackles).
Lin Feng and Liang Kun's actions would definitely be within the scope of "loyalty and righteousness."
Otherwise, they would face a backlash.