District Two.
Bingquan Street.
At the end of the street, a mansion covering hundreds of square meters was bustling with noise and heat. Numerous torches were scattered throughout the mansion, and under the intense heat, the flying snow melted silently before it could touch the ground.
This place was uninhabited on ordinary days, resembling a forsaken, desolate mansion. However, only a very few people knew that the master behind this mansion, which was worth enough to buy half of the Cold Frost Street in District Three, was named Ma Zhong.
At this moment, the mansion had completely transformed from its original desolate and decadent state. Enchanting music was continuous, and the mix of women's coquettish laughter and men's hearty laughter made it seem like a paradise of extreme happiness.
"Ma Zhong's mansion is really nice... It's a pity that it has been left to waste for so long on ordinary days."
Qian Fan, wearing the black and red uniform of an enforcer, sat in the front row, squinting at the half-naked women dancing lightly on the stage while couldn't help but feel regretful.
"What's the pity? Ma Zhong's mansion in District Three is even bigger than this," another enforcer sitting beside him said, raising his glass to touch Qian Fan's and draining the fine wine.
"I envy him so much... I wish I could buy a mansion like this someday."
"Once Han Meng is gone, no one can disrupt our business. A few years later, we'll each have one."
"Haha, come on, let's have another drink!"
"By the way, isn't Ma Zhong here yet?"
"He's already on the way. He said to let us enjoy ourselves first."
Qian Fan nodded and was about to say something else when Gudao walked over to him, each arm around a dancer, with a smiling face.
"Come on, let's toast our Qian boss! There were some misunderstandings between us before, so please take good care of our future business..."
"You're joking, Gudao boss. Ma Zhong is the host this time, and I'm just here to join in," Qian Fan laughed. "But for business, we must cooperate sincerely for mutual benefit and win-win, of course..."
"Well said, mutual benefit and win-win!"
The nineteen residents of Bingquan Street who were present all stood up to toast Qian Fan. Some of them were in the gun business, some in the drug business, and some in the sex trade... But at this moment, they all smiled so genial and harmless that if an outsider stumbled upon this scene, they would most likely think it was some sort of networking event for business tycoons.
"Qian boss, how was that batch of goods a few days ago?" Gudao seemed to remember something and lowered his voice to ask with a smile, "That heart, and those organs, were they all of good quality?"
"Yes," Qian Fan nodded slightly. "The buyer was very satisfied."
"It's uncommon to have a buyer with such a large hand, buying all the organs in one breath... Did that batch of goods go to the Aurora City?"
Upon hearing the name Aurora City, Qian Fan's eyes narrowed, and he spoke slowly, "Gudao boss, in this line of work, it's best not to ask too much about things you shouldn't know... Be careful of bringing trouble upon yourself."
"Haha, my apologies for being presumptuous. I'll drink a penalty cup!"
Gudao drained the wine in his cup at once, his gaze shifting to the charming and plump dancers on the stage. His hand, which was originally resting on the shoulder of the woman beside him, automatically slid down, casually playing with her in a burst of coquettish laughter.
"Speaking of which, it's always the same programs every time... Isn't there anything else?"
"What else do you want to see?"
"I heard that in Aurora City, there are also singing, sketches, magic, operas, and so on... Why is it only dancing here?"
"Like you said, that's in Aurora City... In a place like District Three, where can you find so much variety? It's already great that I can find so many dancers and accompaniment for you."
"...This is really boring."
Gu Dao's cheeks flushed with the afterglow of alcohol. He pushed the two beauties in his arms aside and walked straight to the center of the stage, disrupting the formation of the dancing girls who were performing. They looked at each other in confusion and bewilderment.
Beside the stage, the musicians who were beating the drums and playing string and wind instruments suddenly stopped.
"Don't stop, continue dancing..."
Gu Dao's body lightly pressed against one of the dancing girls from behind, and his hands slithered like snakes over her body, finally grasping her wrists. Like a puppet controlled by strings, he manipulated her dance steps, making her awkwardly writhe on the stage.
The dancing girl's face turned pale with fright, but she dared not resist. She could only let Gu Dao manipulate her body. The other dancing girls glanced at Qian Fan below the stage, pretending nothing had happened, and continued to dance in unison...
The drumbeats continued, and the string and wind instruments played melodiously.
"Hahahaha, Gu Dao, your dancing is too ugly!"
"Let me do it instead!"
"No, I think he's dancing quite well. Continue dancing, continue dancing! Hahahaha..."
"I didn't expect you to have a talent for dancing? How about performing a pole dance for everyone!"
"..."
Seeing this, the crowd in Bingquan Street below the stage laughed heartily, as if they had found some great entertainment, pushing the fiery and lively atmosphere to a higher climax.
Just then, a figure pushed open the gate of the mansion in the heavy snow and walked slowly towards them.
"What? Has Ma Zhong finally arrived?"
Everyone turned around and looked towards the front yard, but they all froze in place at the same time.
It was not Ma Zhong who had arrived, but a teenage figure wearing a bright red theatrical robe. He silently walked across the stone path in the front yard, and the falling snowflakes dyed his temples white.
In the pale world, that splash of vermilion was so glaring and intense.
Upon recognizing the face of that person, most of the people in the room changed their expressions, as if they had recalled something, and resentment and malice appeared in their eyes.
At the same time, Qian Fan was slightly startled. He exchanged a glance with the law enforcer beside him and rose from his seat.
"Younger brother Chen Yifei, why are you here?" A warm smile appeared on his face. "You see, how unfortunate. Just after you left, the second and third districts were unsealed, and we wanted to hold a celebration to rejoice. I just said that we should have kept you here in the morning...
Come, come, since you're here, sit down and have a drink with us."
Chen Yifei did not respond. He calmly walked through the snowy courtyard, and his muddy shoes left deep imprints as he entered the room.
"It's not necessary," he said calmly. "I've come to retrieve some things..."
"Retrieve things? What did you leave behind?"
Under the gaze of everyone, Chen Yifei walked through the banquet and stepped onto the stage one step by one step... His gaze was fixed on Gu Dao from start to finish.
"Oh, I thought it was someone else. It's Chen, the great law enforcer..." Gu Dao, who was drunk, sneered, released the dancing girl in his hand, and pushed her aside. "What, dressed like this, are you going to perform a show for us?"
Now that Han Meng was dead and Ma Zhong had regained control over the third district, Gu Dao and the others didn't believe that Chen Yifei would dare to act recklessly... Now, both the second and third districts were their territories!
"Hahaha! Come on, let him perform!"
"Since he's dressed like this, is he going to sing an opera? Which one?"
"..."
At this moment, everyone was fearless. They held their wine cups and looked at Chen Yifei in his red robe with sarcasm in their eyes.
Qian Fan's eyebrows furrowed deeper. He vaguely felt that something was wrong.
"Chen Yifei, if you've lost something, just tell me... I'll go and find it for you."
"I've lost a heart."
Chen Yifei stared straight at Gu Dao's face.
"And, the life of my younger brother."
The next moment, a hand instantly pierced through Gu Dao's chest!!