Wu Maocai's voice trailed off as he noticed the commotion at the entrance.
A line of Jinbei vans pulled up outside. Young, muscular men began filing out of the vehicles. They were all dressed in black tank tops, some displaying intricate tattoos, others sporting thick gold chains around their necks.
After the men had exited, a sleek black Range Rover slowly rolled up and parked directly in front of the entrance, blocking the doorway completely.
"You can't park here," the doorman said hesitantly.
Instantly, the men from the vans turned their dark gazes towards him, causing the doorman to shrink back and lower his head, pretending he hadn't seen anything.
Once the Range Rover was parked, Iron Head and Ah Yong stepped out from the front seats. Ah Yong's head was still bandaged from their last encounter. He hurried to the back door and opened it.
With a broad smile, Laughing Tiger Yang Sandao stepped out and made his way towards the Wu family residence. Trailing him were Ah Yong and Iron Head, followed by the over one hundred men in black tank tops.
The group marched into the Wu family courtyard in an intimidating procession.
Yao Jing edged closer to Wu Zhiming and whispered, "That's Yang Sandao. I've heard about him. He's a big shot in the underworld."
Wu Zhiming nodded slightly, "Yeah."
"Master Wu, it seems you've forgotten someone," Yang Sandao called out as he approached Wu Zhiming. "How could you hold such an important event like appointing a new family head and not send me an invitation?"
"I was just worried you'd be too busy, Boss Yang," Wu Zhiming replied, his gaze shifting to Ah Yong. With a smile, he added, "Ah Yong, you've got quite the skull. Two hits and you didn't even need to stay in the hospital?"
"Wu Zhiming, we came today to congratulate you. Don't bring up old grudges now," Ah Yong said, forcing a grin.
"Indeed, we're here to celebrate! Now, bring in our gifts!" Yang Sandao shouted.
Several of his men dragged in large burlap sacks from outside. As soon as they entered the courtyard, a foul stench filled the air. The bags were soaked through, leaving wet, red streaks across the ground as they were dragged.
"Present our gifts to Master Wu!" Yang Sandao commanded.
Ah Yong and Iron Head shared a smirk before each grabbed two sacks and threw them at Wu Zhiming's feet. They then ordered their men to open the bags.
As the bags were opened, the expressions of many in the crowd changed drastically. Several people covered their noses, while others with weaker stomachs turned away or ran off to retch.
Right in front of Wu Zhiming lay the decomposing corpses of various animals: a goat, a dog, and a cat. They had clearly been dead for days, their bodies emitting a nauseating odor. Their fur was matted with grime, and their wounds were crawling with maggots.
"You know, it wasn't easy getting these fine specimens overnight. You can make a nice stew with the goat, maybe a dog meat hotpot, and as for the cat… well, if you cook it right, cat meat is quite sweet. You might want to give it a try… Master Wu, do you appreciate our gifts?" Yang Sandao asked with a grin.
"Thank you for the effort, Boss Yang. Wu Yuwei, take care of these," Wu Zhiming said calmly.
Wu Yuwei's face twitched slightly. The thought of handling those decomposing carcasses made his stomach churn. But remembering the debt he owed Wu Zhiming, he gritted his teeth and motioned for some of his cronies to help him clear away the animals.
"The gifts are delivered, so I've fulfilled my etiquette. Master Wu, we need to discuss some serious business now. I know today is important for you, so I'll keep it brief. I heard you took some of your men to my club last night, beat up over a dozen of my security guards, and left my brother Ah Yong here injured. How do you propose we settle this?" Yang Sandao asked, his tone turning cold.
"Wu Zhiming, my head didn't get smashed for nothing!" Ah Yong snarled, a vicious grin spreading across his face.
"You went to the club and fought?" Yao Jing asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.
"Yes," Wu Zhiming nodded.
"You've really disappointed me," Yao Jing whispered, her voice tinged with hurt. She thought Wu Zhiming would be there to protect her, but after her near escape yesterday, he went to a bar and got into a fight.
Wu Zhiming paused, realizing that Yao Jing had misunderstood. However, he didn't bother to explain; he had never been one to clarify things.
"Honestly, if the cops hadn't shown up, your boys would be in the hospital right now," Wu Zhiming said. "I already went easy on you. So, what do you want from me?"
Yang Sandao grinned, his eyes narrowing. "Impressive, really impressive. You beat my guys and say you went easy? Is this how the Wu family does things now, Madam Shen?" he asked, turning to Shen Hongyue.
"The Wu family has always been about keeping the peace," Shen Hongyue replied calmly. "We don't bully others, but it's true that I'm no longer in charge. My son was forced to step down, and now it's Wu Zhiming who calls the shots. Whatever the Wu family does from now on, it's on him."
"I see," Yang Sandao said, chuckling. "So, Wu Zhiming, you want to act tough? Fine, let's get to it. I'm not here just for show. I've got a problem with how you handled things last night. You trashed my bar, beat up a dozen of my security guys, and injured my brother Ah Yong. Now, how are you going to fix this?"
"Hey Wu Zhiming, my head didn't get smashed for nothing!" Ah Yong snarled, still nursing his bandaged head.
Yao Jing frowned at Wu Zhiming. "You went to a bar and got into a fight?"
"Yeah," Wu Zhiming nodded.
"You've got guts, I'll give you that," Yang Sandao said, taking a step closer. "But today, you're going to show some respect. All you need to do is get on your knees and apologize to my brother. Do that, and I'll forget about last night. If you don't, well, you can forget about holding any ceremonies today. You'll be spending the day in a hospital bed instead."
Yang Sandao's words sent a chill through the crowd. He had chosen his moment perfectly. With so many people watching, Wu Zhiming was caught in a no-win situation. If he knelt, he would disgrace the Wu family, losing their respect and possibly their support. But if he refused, Yang Sandao would undoubtedly resort to violence, and not just Wu Zhiming, but everyone present could end up in trouble.
Wu Zhiming stared at Yang Sandao without flinching. Yang Sandao's grin never wavered—a perfect match for his nickname, "the Smiling Tiger."
"In that case, I have two choices for you," Wu Zhiming said calmly.
"Oh really?" Yang Sandao's grin widened, as if he had just heard a good joke. "What choices are you offering me?"
"First, you and your men leave now, and we settle this later. Second, you and your crew can spend the day in jail," Wu Zhiming replied, his voice steady.
The crowd felt a collective jolt of surprise. Wu Zhiming's response was audacious. He wasn't giving Yang Sandao any real options—just issuing a challenge. Even if Yang Sandao were an ordinary man, these choices would force a fight.
"Very good!" Yang Sandao's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, hard stare. "If that's how you want to play it, then so be it. Tie Tou, get ready!"
"Got it!" Tie Tou bared his teeth in a savage grin, raising his fist. "Listen up, everyone! Tear this place apart and break Wu Zhiming's legs!"
Yang Sandao's men roared in unison, their voices echoing through the courtyard. The sound sent many of the Wu family scurrying for cover, fearing they might get caught in the brawl.
"What kind of world is this, still resorting to violence?" Wu Zhiming sighed, shaking his head.
Just then, the piercing wail of police sirens filled the air.
Yang Sandao's face twisted in shock. He turned to Tie Tou. "I thought you had the cops handled?"
"I did!" Tie Tou stammered, looking just as bewildered. "I set up a distraction near the police station. They shouldn't be paying any attention to us!"
In no time, a dozen police cars pulled up at the Wu family's doorstep. A large group of heavily armed police officers rushed out of the cars and hurried into the Wu family's yard. Leading them was none other than the righteous and stern Zhou Jianye.
With a stern expression, Zhou Jianye walked straight up to Yang Sandao.
"Yang Sandao, I suspect you are involved in multiple cases of organized crime and violence. I am now legally summoning you for questioning!" Zhou Jianye said, pulling out a document and presenting it to Yang Sandao.
"Captain Zhou, what do you mean by this! I have connections with your chief..." Yang Sandao started to mention his relationship with the chief.
"Sorry, our chief doesn't know you at all! Officers, cuff Yang Sandao!" Zhou Jianye ordered.
Immediately, several officers stepped forward to grab Yang Sandao's hands.
"Bastards!" Yang Sandao roared, shaking his arms with immense strength. The force sent the officers holding his arms flying. Then, with a swift turn and a powerful leap, Yang Sandao jumped two to three meters away, stepping on the shoulders of his subordinates and quickly dashed out.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Sandao had vanished from everyone's sight.
"Yang Sandao assaulted an officer. Inform the bureau immediately and initiate a city-wide manhunt for Yang Sandao!" Zhou Jianye commanded.
"Yes, sir!"
"Ayong, you are suspected of being involved in a kidnapping case that occurred last night. I am now arresting you according to the law!" Zhou Jianye said coldly to Ayong.
Ayong turned pale. He hadn't expected Zhou Jianye to know about his involvement in hiring people to kidnap Yao Jing last night. Could it be that those people were caught by Zhou Jianye?
"Tietou, we have evidence showing your involvement in several money laundering cases related to underground banks. You're coming with us too!" Zhou Jianye said, turning to Tietou.
Tietou's face turned grim. "Zhou Jianye, don't push it too far!"
Zhou Jianye sneered, "Dealing with scum like you, no measure is too extreme."
Then, Zhou Jianye shouted loudly, "Arrest all of Yang Sandao's men. Investigate each one thoroughly. I will not allow a single guilty person to escape!"
"Yes, sir!!"