Lin Fei, of course, didn't know that Chen Qi had already seen his name and face through the hospital's security cameras. But even if he had known, Lin Fei wouldn't have taken Chen Qi too seriously.
If it weren't for the fact that he had let a woman's clothing come undone in public and felt a shred of guilt about it, Lin Fei wouldn't have bothered with her or her police status at all.
Though Lin Fei didn't like trouble, it didn't mean he was afraid of it. If time could turn back to the day Old Wang was beaten up, Lin Fei would do the same thing all over again.
Chen Qi was clearly all brawn and no brains. To someone like Lin Fei, who was used to sorting things out with his fists, Chen Qi's actions that day were simply too foolish.
After leaving the hospital, Lin Fei took out a cigarette, lit it for himself, flagged down a taxi, and headed straight to his small rental.
Since he had decided to move to the Purple Garden Pavilion, there would be few chances to return to sleep in his rental place, and there were some personal belongings that Lin Fei needed to pack.
With Mu Shanshan's wealth, the Purple Garden Pavilion villa naturally lacked nothing. Lin Fei also didn't plan to move with any fanfare; he just needed to take some clothes he usually wore.
Lin Fei's rental was an old-style apartment from the 1990s. Although a bit run-down, the rent was much cheaper.
He lived there mostly because it was close to the overpass where Lin Fei set up his stall, which, using the terms of urban office workers, was convenient for work.
Lin Fei's room was on the 5th floor. He took out his keys to open the door, and a pungent smell of smoke and alcohol assaulted his nostrils, "Damn, how did I never realize how messy it was here before?"
Cigarette butts, beer bottles, stinky socks, leftover boxed meals—the level of filthiness was beyond what most people could imagine. Lin Fei even started to doubt if he had entered the wrong room.
He turned back to check the number on the door and confirmed it was his rental.
Actually, this was entirely Lin Fei's delusion—it's not that the room's mess was a lie; Lin Fei's rental had always been this dirty.
In the past, Lin Fei slept during the day and went out at night to set up his stall or find fun in bars and nightclubs. He never had the time to tidy up his room.
Since he was moving to Mu Shanshan's place anyway, Lin Fei couldn't be bothered with a thorough cleaning. He opened the windows to air out the room's smell, cleaned up some of the trash, and then went back to his bedroom to pack his clothes.
Lin Fei had just finished packing when his ancient Nokia phone rang. Lin Fei didn't have many friends in Zhonghai and only three to five people there knew his phone number.
Thinking it was his wife Mu Shanshan calling to berate him, he took out his phone only to unconsciously smile and answer the call.
"Boss, am I disturbing your rest?"
The number was international, and the voice that came through Lin Fei's phone spoke clear Mo Country language. Lin Fei was familiar with this voice, as it belonged to a comrade who had followed him for many years.
During those years abroad, Lin Fei wasn't fighting alone. Otherwise, he couldn't have become the underworld-famous Mercenary King.
Several loyal brothers were by his side, together they had established the influnetial Mercenary Organization known as Hell's Judgement.
The person calling Lin Fei right now was Xue Zhi, one of the four Main Gods of Hell's Judgement, while Lin Fei himself was the true soul behind the establishment of the Hell's Judgement Organization.
Lin Fei sat back on the bed and said with blatant indifference, "If you're so worried about disturbing me, spit out whatever crap you've got to say. I've got to move house soon."
"Moving? Weren't you married, boss? Please don't tell me you've had some spats with the sister-in-law and are separating?"
"On the contrary, I'm moving back in to live with your sister-in-law."
"I'd really like to see who this sister-in-law is, to have you willingly come back and get married."
Lin Fei, frustrated, thought to himself—if Xue Zhi were right in front of him, Lin Fei truly wanted to slap him awake, "Damn it, what makes you think I'm willing?!"
Of course, Lin Fei merely grumbled this to himself. Even to a brother, one shouldn't air dirty laundry. If those guys ever found out that even after more than half a year of marriage, he hadn't even touched Mu Shanshan's hand, the glorious image that Lin Fei had built up over the years would mostly be gone.
Lin Fei was too lazy to fuss with Xue Zhi, "Cut to the chase, do your business, don't test my patience."
"Here's the thing, boss, we've pretty much wrapped up matters in Southern Continent. What remains are just small fries who can't stir up much trouble. I've also placed some of our people in the council. As long as those council members aren't dead, no one can encroach on our interests."
Xue Zhi clearly sensed Lin Fei's impatience and went straight to the point.
Lin Fei nodded with a slightly grave expression, "Good, but don't let your guard down. Anything else? If not, I'm hanging up."
The influence of Hell's Judgement mainly stretched across North Continent and Western Continent. Their influence in Southern Continent was limited amidst the complex web of power. However, due to the abundant raw materials and unstable political climate among the nations there, mercenary jobs weren't rare. When Lin Fei returned to his home country, Xue Zhi, along with another Main God named Butcher, led men to Southern Continent to expand their territory.
Now that Xue Zhi was calling to share good news, it indicated that Hell's Judgement had truly secured a footing in Southern Continent. There were numerous drug lords and arms dealers there, and small-scale terrorist attacks were common. Xue Zhi's ability to consolidate a position in just a few months showcased his capability and dexterity.
Xue Zhi, on the other end of the phone, sounded a bit hesitant, "Boss, there's, there's one more thing. I'm not sure if I should tell you."
"When did you start dilly-dallying like this? If you've got something to say, spit it out!" Lin Fei said, clearly annoyed.
"It's about the Butcher. That bastard saw the situation in the South Continent stabilizing, and he told me he wanted to take a stroll. I thought he meant around here in the South Continent, so I didn't pay much attention. It wasn't until I looked for him today that I found out the bastard had already returned to the country."
"Did you tell him I'm in Zhonghai?"
"No, I didn't, but he could probably guess it."
Lin Fei stubbed out the cheap cigarette in his hand and said with a bit of a headache, "Alright, I got it. There's nothing else, so let's hang up."
"Boss..."
"What, something else?!"
"Can I go back too?"
"Why?"
"I've grown tired of foreign women."
Lin Fei hung up the phone with a snap. If the conversation had gone on, he feared he wouldn't be able to resist hopping on a plane to the South Continent to punch someone overnight.
Lin Fei's arrival didn't greatly impact Zhonghai. After all, he came on a mission, returning to get married. But for people like the Butcher, killing was as common as eating—at their hands, not a single one lacked fresh blood.
With the power of the Hell's Judgement Organization, they could completely dominate in places like the North Continent and the Western Continent, and could even initiate small-scale wars. However, Mo Country was different from abroad; casually killing someone here could bring police pursuit. If things got out of hand, even the armed police and military would be mobilized.
Given the Butcher's temperament, his return could very likely cause trouble, which was the source of Lin Fei's headache.
The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the pier. Shaking his head, Lin Fei simply stopped thinking about it. Since the Butcher had sneakily returned, it wouldn't be right for Lin Fei to just send him back.
When that bastard, the Butcher, returned to the country, Lin Fei might have to give him a warning.
Lin Fei got up, found a bottle of cheap baijiu in the fridge, unscrewed the cap, and walked onto the balcony, "Xiaohu, that bastard the Butcher is also coming back to the country. You must miss him a lot."
At this moment, Lin Fei's entire demeanor became much more solemn, his face bearing an undeniable sense of melancholy, his entire being enveloped in an air of desolation.
Lin Fei guzzled the baijiu as if he were drinking plain water.
Men only reveal the deepest sorrow hidden in their hearts when they're silent and alone.
People in the underworld knew that the Hell's Judgement Organization had four Main Gods and Lin Fei, the spirit of the group. But only Lin Fei and the others knew that they had originally been a group of six.
Lin Fei, the Butcher, Xue Zhi, and the others were all soldiers, not just any soldiers, but those in the most covert Special Forces.
They were a squad of six, carrying out missions together, drinking and bragging together. Though not related by blood, they were closer than brothers.
Even though the missions they undertook often put their lives at risk, that time was the happiest time in Lin Fei's youth.
It was after his parents had been on a plane hijacked by terrorists and had died that Lin Fei, in a rage, enlisted in the army.
Back then, all Lin Fei could think about was improving himself and avenging his parents. One could say that hatred had blinded him.
It was the company of people like the Butcher that allowed Lin Fei to experience brotherhood beyond parental love, helping him recover from the sorrow of losing his parents. It's fair to say that without the Butcher and the others, Lin Fei would not be who he is today.
Even if Lin Fei had barely survived, he would have been nothing more than a cold-blooded killing machine.
Under Lin Fei's leadership, their squad had made countless achievements. However, as the saying goes, you can't be near water without getting your shoes wet. Eventually, during a mission, Lin Fei's team was ambushed by a large force. To cover the retreat of Lin Fei and the others, Xiaohu, the youngest member of the squad, sacrificed himself.
Afterwards, Lin Fei went crazy with revenge and completely wiped out the force that had ambushed them. But this also led to him nearly being brought before a military court for violating regulations, saved only because each of them had military achievements to their name that spared them from death.
After the event, a grief-stricken Lin Fei and others left Mo Country and ventured abroad. For many years, Lin Fei was unwilling to return to the country because he felt he had let Xiaohu down and was burdened with guilt.
If it hadn't been for Mu Hong's coercion, Lin Fei wouldn't have come back at all.
Although the Butcher didn't specify why he was returning, one thing was certain: he was definitely coming back to pay his respects to Xiaohu.
If not for that, Lin Fei would never have let the Butcher return to the country—he and the others no longer had much affection for this country, only indifference!