232: Chapter 228: Brother Hao?
232: Chapter 228: Brother Hao?
PS: Thanks to mario-gump, 画里天空, 昵称人间擎天柱, and other book friends for their rewards!
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Borrowing a car was a trivial matter for Buck Teeth Zhu.
Since Chen Hai insisted on driving himself back, not wanting anyone else to take him, he surely had his reasons.
Buck Teeth Zhu, who was always very sensible, naturally wouldn’t ask too many questions.
After all, in his eyes, Chen Hai himself seemed to be synonymous with mystery.
After taking the car keys from one of Buck Teeth Zhu’s men, Chen Hai started the car and drove out of the villa.
The roads were almost empty at this late hour of the night.
He arrived calmly and safely back at his residence at the Sunny Day Hotel, took a bath, and before long had fallen into a deep sleep in bed.
His body was so worn out due to the severity of his injuries.
He had been diligently practicing his cultivation every day at dawn, and he had unintentionally missed it this morning.
The next day, around nine o’clock, the sound of the doorbell of his suite finally woke him from his deep sleep.
After a night’s rest, his condition had slightly improved.
His steps were only a bit unsteady, no longer staggering.
Walking to the front door, Chen Hai opened it.
As expected, standing outside were none other than Bai Xiaohang and Tian Mingjian.
“Boss, did you have breakfast?
I specifically bought you your favorite soy milk and fried dough sticks!” Bai Xiaohang called out with a smile, waving several bags of food in his hand.
Compared to Bai Xiaohang, Tian Mingjian on the side seemed to be much more attentive.
“Boss, you don’t look so good,” he said.
“Did things not go smoothly with Buck Teeth Zhu last night?”
Entering the room and closing the door behind him, Tian Mingjian tentatively began to ask Chen Hai.
“Indeed, there was a bit of an unexpected event, but in the end, it was successfully resolved.”
“These injuries of mine, after resting for ten days or so, should heal.
It’s nothing serious.”
“Have you and Xiaohang eaten breakfast?
How did the things we discussed yesterday go?”
As Chen Hai took the soy milk and fried dough sticks from Bai Xiaohang and sat down on the sofa, he opened the bag and spoke with a smile.
The soy milk was still hot, and the dough sticks must have just come out of the fryer not too long ago; a few bites in, he felt the taste was indeed pretty good.
At Hao River, there were many types of exquisite Cantonese dim sum, but Chen Hai still preferred the soy milk and fried dough sticks to his taste.
“Xiaohang and I had breakfast before coming to see you, Boss.”
“We ran around all afternoon yesterday and spent a few thousand yuan to get a second-hand car.”
“For the weapons, we plan to sort it out today.
Through some connections, I contacted an old comrade of mine.”
“Now he’s involved in the big circles.
If nothing unexpected happens, he should be able to get a handgun for me tonight.”
“With that thing in hand, those guys with the surname Zhang won’t be able to cause any trouble in front of me!”
…
Tian Mingjian explained with a confident smile.
Being recognized as the Gun God in the military, his title was certainly not for show.
With a gun in hand, he would dare to take on anyone, even the mightiest.
“It’s good to have that confidence.
The Zhang gang won’t be coming to Hao River until tomorrow night.”
“Whether it’s buying a car or weapons, you guys need to be careful not to leave any traces.”
“And again, if it’s possible, try not to take lives unnecessarily.”
“After all, we’re on a mission of justice, just dealing a small punishment to those guys on behalf of the people.”
Chen Hai chuckled and nodded his head.
The Bai Xiaohang and Tian Mingjian before him, one a born warrior, the other fated to break armies.
How capable were they in combat?
There was simply no need to question it.
With them handling it, this little task was almost certain to succeed, and the likelihood of any mishap was virtually nil.
After chatting idly for a while, Chen Hai stayed in his room to continue recuperating.
Bai Xiaohang and Tian Mingjian left the hotel to prepare for tomorrow night’s activities.
Time is such a thing; sometimes it flies by, yet other times, it feels incredibly slow.
In the blink of an eye, it was already the next evening, just after eight o’clock.
“Doot doot doot…” At the Outer Port Pier, with a few honks of the horn, a hydrofoil ferry slowly entered the harbor.
“Laoliu, last time you came to Hao River, you almost lost your pants, huh?
How come?
It’s only been a few days, and you’ve got some money in your hand again, already planning to give it all to the casino?”
“Damn, you crow’s mouth, can’t you say anything nice?
Let me tell you, yesterday I went to pray to Immortal Huang, and the Immortal gave me a dream, saying that today I would have a windfall.
Today I come to Hao River intending to kill left and right and win a big fortune!”
“Pfft!
Do you even believe that yourself?
On this ferry, who doesn’t think they’ve got great luck and are sure to win big?”
…
No sooner had the ferry stabilized than many passengers, unable to contain their impatience, hastily disembarked.
At this time, of those who came from Xiangjiang to Hao River, at least eight out of ten were eager to hit the casinos, to play a few rounds and try their luck.
Many had come in groups, and as they came down from the ferry, they joked around and teased each other.
Sometimes, when they ran into someone they didn’t quite get along with, they’d be amused and might even throw a few insults their way.
Zhang Zihao, known in the underworld as a magnate, was clad in a white suit with a floral shirt underneath, blending into the crowd.
His trusted lieutenants Feng and Han carried briefcases, one on each side, trailing beside him.
The three of them, in terms of appearance, looked utterly ordinary, like regular businessmen, not at all like underworld figures.
Especially Zhang Zihao himself, who at a glance, even seemed to have a bit of a refined gentleman’s air.
“Brother Hao, you’ve been shining with good fortune lately.
We thought that once you went in, you wouldn’t come out for at least a decade or two.”
“Sister Fang is awesome, she got a team of top lawyers and not only got you cleared of charges but also made the police compensate you eight million.”
“The police force in Xiangjiang lost face big time this time around…
their faces were swollen by you and Sister Fang…”
Hee hee ha ha, Feng, the guy addressing Zhang Zihao, whispered amidst laughter.
Han, on the other hand, also wore a beaming smile, and following suit, chimed in: “With Brother Hao’s luck, the bit of money we brought to Hao River this time will definitely multiply several times over.”
“Who knows, eight million might come here and turn into eighty million on the way back…”
Confronted with his underlings’ flattery, Zhang Zihao seemed unconcerned, casually smiling.
He waved his hand and said, “A few million, that’s chump change.
That money is for spending anyway, courtesy of the Xiangjiang police!”
“We’re here in Hao River to eat well, drink well, and have a good time.
I don’t care about the money; as long as everyone is happy, that’s good.”
“I didn’t plan on leaving Hao River without spending every penny of that few million clean.”
“If we run out of money, as long as I have my brothers, we can always make more!”
“It’s just that lately, the police in Xiangjiang have been watching me closely, so it’s not convenient to do business.”
“Otherwise, I’d take you guys for a big score.
Without making a billion or eight hundred million a heist, wouldn’t my title of magnate be in vain?”
Listening to him speak, Feng and Han felt as though they were hearing something almost heretical, but when Zhang Zihao spoke of these matters, he did so in a matter-of-fact way, as if, to him, it was no big deal at all.
As he mingled among the crowd speaking his mind, he made no attempt whatsoever to avoid being overheard by others.
Of course, even if someone did overhear what he said, they wouldn’t take it seriously, assuming he was just boasting.
After all, among those who took the ferry from Xiangjiang to Hao River, many had the idea of winning millions or even tens of millions to take back with them.
But wanting and saying is one thing; whether it is achievable or not is quite another.
“Brother Hao, over here…” Following the crowd, Zhang Zihao and his companions looked around as they descended to the pier, and he had just taken out a cigarette and lit it for himself.
Not far away, someone who seemed to recognize them was now waving excitedly, beckoning to them.
Zhang Zihao was accustomed to making trips to Hao River to gamble a few times when he was free.
He was well-traveled here and for sure had acquaintances.
His exploits had made it into the newspapers.
Though Hao River and Xiangjiang were two different places, the two shared a close connection.
Many gangsters in Hao River, after reading of Zhang Zihao’s exploits in the newspapers, held great admiration for him, seeing him as an idol.
Zhang Zihao took several hard drags of the lit cigarette in his hand.
He glanced at the person greeting him—one heck of a tall fellow over 1.9 meters, a towering figure that even the typically world-wise Zhang Zihao inhaled sharply at, almost dazzled by the sight.
“A guy like this, working as a junket operator, what a waste.
Not being a thug is a pity…”
Eyeing the tall figure a few more times, Zhang Zihao sighed inwardly.
Although the tall figure seemed somewhat unfamiliar, Zhang Zihao didn’t give it much thought; he assumed this person was just one of the little fanboys who admired him after learning of his impressive feats.
Ever since his deeds had been reported in the newspapers, his nights out on the street often included encounters with individuals whose hair was dyed in various colors and whose clothes jangled with metal chains, looking up to him with admiration and taking the initiative to greet him.
The more popular you are, the more trouble you attract—running into his fanboys every time he went out was something that even Zhang Zihao found annoying.
“Brother Hao, over here…”
In another direction, a shirtless guy with a wolf head tattoo on his arm, was smiling broadly as he waved eagerly towards Zhang Zihao and his group.