The welcome luncheon finally ended amidst laughter and joy.
By this time, it was already evening.
Li Sina started Wu Zhiming's car and parked it just outside the courtyard.
Wu Zhiming, stumbling slightly, bid farewell to the guests. With Yao Jing's support, he got into the car.
When Yao Jing followed him into the car, she noticed that despite appearing very drunk earlier, Wu Zhiming was now completely sober.
Wu Zhiming was holding his phone, engrossed in something on the screen.
"I'll take you home first," Wu Zhiming said without looking up.
"Are you going out again?" Yao Jing asked with a frown. Wu Zhiming had consumed at least a liter and a half of white liquor this afternoon, which was a considerable amount by her standards.
"Yeah," Wu Zhiming nodded, replying, "I've arranged another car for your parents. You don't need to worry about them."
"Are you angry with me?" Yao Jing asked.
Wu Zhiming shook his head but didn't say more.
Yao Jing sighed and directed Li Sina, "We live in the Jingyuan Complex."
"I know," Li Sina replied, steering the car away.
The entire journey home was filled with silence between Wu Zhiming and Yao Jing.
Upon arriving at her building, Yao Jing gave Wu Zhiming a reminder before stepping out of the car without saying much more.
"Drive around for a bit; I need to sober up," Wu Zhiming said.
"Alright," Li Sina responded, and drove the car away from the complex.
The car navigated through several streets, ascended onto an elevated expressway, and eventually entered the ring road highway.
Wu Zhiming closed his eyes, regulating his breathing.
Despite the air conditioning in the car, sweat began to seep through his clothes.
Within moments, his entire body was drenched.
"Take the next exit and head north," Wu Zhiming instructed.
Li Sina remained silent, following Wu Zhiming's directions.
After driving for about ten more minutes, Wu Zhiming said, "Pull over to the side."
Li Sina stopped the car. Wu Zhiming opened the door and walked to the roadside, where a medium-sized river flowed.
The river wasn't particularly deep or swift.
Wu Zhiming walked down a gravel path to the riverbank, stripped off his clothes, and, naked, dove straight into the water.
Li Sina followed him to the river's edge, gathered his clothes, then crossed her arms and watched Wu Zhiming swim.
"Boss, this river has many hidden currents. Please be cautious. If you sense anything amiss, call for help immediately," Li Sina cautioned.
Wu Zhiming didn't reply but continued swimming back and forth in the river.
Half an hour quickly passed.
Li Sina was slightly surprised that Wu Zhiming showed no signs of fatigue despite swimming constantly in the river.
At that moment, a black sedan pulled up behind Wu Zhiming's Bentley.
Dong Jian stepped out of the car and walked down the gravel path to the bank.
Li Sina was puzzled by how Dong Jian knew they were here.
"Whenever the boss accomplishes something significant, he comes here to swim," Dong Jian explained.
"Got it," Li Sina nodded. As a bodyguard, she knew not to ask too many questions.
Dong Jian pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and glanced at Li Sina.
"I don't smoke," Li Sina declined.
---
### Chapter 53: Chasing Yang Sandao
Dong Jian chuckled, lighting a cigarette for himself and squatting down.
In the distance, the sun was setting.
The fiery red sunset painted the entire landscape in crimson hues.
This wash of twilight fell on Dong Jian, making him appear vibrant and full of life.
Wu Zhiming swam to the shore and looked at Dong Jian. "Give me a cigarette," he said.
Dong Jian lit another cigarette and tossed it towards Wu Zhiming.
Wu Zhiming caught the cigarette mid-air, placed it in his mouth, and took a deep drag.
The glowing red tip of the cigarette mirrored the fiery sunset.
"We've found Yang Sandao's hideout," Dong Jian reported.
"Alright, good. I'll take a few more laps. You wait in the car. Sina, get a set of clothes from the trunk, including underwear," Wu Zhiming instructed.
Li Sina and Dong Jian both turned and walked back to the car. Soon, Li Sina returned with a set of clothes and laid them out on the grass.
"You wait in the car too," Wu Zhiming said to her.
Li Sina shook her head and turned her back to him.
As his personal bodyguard, she wouldn't easily leave his side.
Wu Zhiming chuckled, leapt out of the water with a splash, and landed on the ground.
He shook his body, spraying water droplets around, then began dressing.
"I'm heading out with Dong Jian. You wait for me back at the Jingyuan Complex," Wu Zhiming said.
"Boss, I'm your personal bodyguard. Wherever you go, I have to follow," Li Sina insisted seriously.
"This is a private matter; it's not convenient for you to come along," Wu Zhiming replied.
"I'm responsible for your safety," Li Sina said firmly, shaking her head.
"There aren't that many bad guys around. I'll be fine with Dong Jian," Wu Zhiming said, walking towards the roadside.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Sina followed him.
Wu Zhiming quickened his pace, swiftly reaching Dong Jian's car and getting in.
Dong Jian started the car and drove away.
Watching Wu Zhiming's car disappear into the distance, Li Sina felt a bit dissatisfied. However, she chose not to follow and instead got into her own car, driving back to Wu Zhiming's residential complex.
Nightfall finally descended upon the city of Haixia.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for the Haixia City police.
In a swift operation at the Wu family's old mansion, nearly all of Yang Sandao's infamous gang had been captured.
Over a hundred of them were now detained at the police station. Only Yang Sandao managed to escape, while his two top lieutenants, A Yong and Iron Head, were arrested.
Yang Sandao, a notorious figure in Haixia City, was toppled so swiftly that it caught many by surprise.
With Yang Sandao's power crumbling, several high-ranking officials within the police, known for their close ties to him, were also taken in for questioning.
People soon realized that the takedown wasn't orchestrated by Zhou Jianye, as he didn't have the influence to mobilize the police's upper echelons.
The police had deployed massive resources to search for Yang Sandao city-wide. Every route leading out of Haixia City was tightly monitored.
Everyone believed it was only a matter of time before Yang Sandao was caught.
Somewhere in Haixia City...
Yang Sandao stood shirtless before a sharpening stone.
In his hand, he held a steel knife, rubbing it against the stone.
A cigarette hung from his lips.
---
### Chapter 53: Chasing Yang Sandao
Back in the day, Yang Sandao carved out his fearsome reputation in Haixia City not because of the "three knives" in his name, but because of the three actual knives he wielded in his hands.
At eighteen, Yang Sandao once chased a local gang leader down two streets with three knives. This daring act cemented his legendary status.
Though he hadn't needed to use his knives in years, having achieved his status and success, as a boss, he had plenty of subordinates to do his bidding.
Yet, despite his rise, Yang Sandao never abandoned his training. Approaching forty, he had become a formidable Grade 6 martial artist.
To understand what being a Grade 6 martial artist means: it indicates a level of skill where one can effortlessly take on ten opponents at once.
The grading system, established over fifty years ago by renowned martial arts masters, ranks a person's prowess based on their grade level. The higher the grade, the stronger the individual. The scale goes up to Grade 10, which is the pinnacle of martial ability.
A Grade 10 martial artist is nearly invincible, save for those armed with weapons. Beyond the grade system are ranks like Wuqing (Martial Lord) and Wuwang (Martial King), each with their own ten-grade hierarchy. A Grade 10 Wuwang is exceedingly rare in the modern world and is revered as a grandmaster, often supported by national governments.
As a Grade 6 martial artist, Yang Sandao could easily eliminate almost anyone he chose, with few capable of stopping him.
Today, Yang Sandao had brought out his three knives, long unused. He had two targets in mind.
One was Zhou Jianye, and the other, Wu Zhiming.
Both of these men needed to die, according to Yang Sandao's reckoning. As for what would happen afterward, he had already planned his escape to join his secret backer after taking them out.
He had just finished sharpening two of his knives when his phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, Yang Sandao's expression turned respectful immediately.
"Boss!" Yang Sandao answered solemnly.
"Useless," a deep male voice growled from the other end.
Yang Sandao bowed his head, not daring to retort.
"I sent you to a small place like Haixia City to keep you under the radar and let you build your strength quietly, so you could eventually support my rise to power. But now, you've been nearly wiped out! You're utterly incompetent!" The voice on the other end fumed.
"Boss, it's all because of Zhou Jianye. That guy is incorruptible and hard to handle. And then there's Wu Zhiming; that bastard barged into my bar with his men, acting all tough. When I went to deal with him, he had already teamed up with Zhou Jianye. I swear, Boss, I will send both of those scumbags to their graves myself. You can count on it!" Yang Sandao growled through gritted teeth.
"Wu Zhiming, I just looked into him. He's been lying low for over twenty years before making his move. But so what? He runs a small-time Wu Group, has limited connections. He's only significant in Haixia City. In Tianlu City or Yongjin City, he's a nobody. I'll give you one day to take care of Zhou Jianye and Wu Zhiming, then come find me in the provincial capital," the voice instructed.
"Understood, Boss," Yang Sandao replied respectfully. Only after hearing the busy tone did he hang up.
Putting down the phone, Yang Sandao grabbed one of his newly sharpened knives, his voice dripping with venom, "Wu Zhiming, I'm coming for you!"
"You want my life? Let's see if you have what it takes," a strange voice suddenly echoed.
Startled, Yang Sandao looked in the direction of the voice.
With a creak, the locked door was effortlessly pushed open, and Wu Zhiming walked in with Dong Jian, both smiling.
Yang Sandao's expression shifted from shock to elation. Wu Zhiming had walked right into his trap, saving him a lot of effort!