Chapter 1 Inside a Bungalow

Inside a bungalow in the Sinaloa region, Su Tianyu sat in a corner, quietly watching the newly arrived man talking with Wei Xiangzuo.

"...I don't care about rumors," Wei Xiangzuo said, lighting a cigarette and frowning at the man. "The important thing is, do you believe I killed Gu Lao?"

"Alas, if I believed it, I wouldn't be here today." The man sighed, "But the rumors are very detailed, saying that you colluded with outsiders to seize power and killed your own master. Especially that Cheng Gang, he used to be by your side. What he says has a great impact on the people below in the Ma Gang. Lao Wei, sometimes rumors can really kill people."

Wei Xiangzuo paused and replied, "Lao Tong, as long as I don't die, rumors will always be just rumors. I called you here today because I want to ask you, if I go back, can you help me?"

The man paused slightly, picked up the cigarette case on the table, and asked, "What do you want me to help you with?"

"I need the Coast Guard to give me some support at a crucial moment." Wei Xiangzuo didn't beat around the bush or try to test him. He simply replied straightforwardly.

The man lit a cigarette and took a deep breath, "I can't guarantee anything about other teams, but if you want to go back, I'll help you."

The conversation between the two was very concise, and Su Tianyu, who was sitting next to him, heard it clearly. He didn't expect the man to agree so readily.

After a slight pause, Wei Xiangzuo reached into his pocket, took out a bank card, and pushed it across the table before the other party had done anything for him, "There's a hundred in here. You take fifty, and use the remaining fifty to work on the Coast Guard's connections. If anyone is willing to support me, and the money isn't enough, I'll add more."

The man picked up the bank card, took a deep breath of his cigarette and replied, "Don't worry about my share. I'll use this money to work on the higher-ups."

"No, business is business. Take what you should take, and don't be polite with me." Wei Xiangzuo waved his hand, "After all, you still have a bunch of brothers to support."

"Hehe." The man grinned, "Lao Wei, I owe you a favor, and I've never known how to repay it. Don't try to persuade me. This time, whether it works out or not, I won't take a penny from you."

Wei Xiangzuo paused, and didn't hesitate, "Alright!"

Su Tianyu looked at the expressions of the two men with a very strange feeling. He couldn't understand why these people who were involved in both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds seemed to be so sentimental. He felt a little unreal.

After the two finished talking about the matter of help, the man began to introduce the current situation in Zha Nan to Wei Xiangzuo, "Your subordinates Wen Tao, Xu Jun, Lao Gan and the others... have all been arrested by the Second Team and are currently detained in the Coast Guard's facilities...."

Wei Xiangzuo listened quietly, his brow furrowed.

...

Tianhong Port.

Gu Baishun spent nearly a day meeting with many of Wei Xiangzuo's top men, but his conversations with them were not very smooth. These people all said that they no longer supported Lao Wei, but when it came to handing over their territories and businesses, no one was willing.

After Gu Baishun returned to Xu Hu's place, he sat on the sofa and said softly, "Brother Hu, I've tried my best, but... these people are still very resistant."

"Damn it, they haven't been hurt enough! Kill a few more and throw them into the sea. I'll see if anyone else dares to sing a different tune!" Xu Hu's brother, who had gone with Gu Baishun, said fiercely.

Gu Baishun sat respectfully to the side, without interrupting.

"The remaining people under Lao Wei, although they have scattered, there are still quite a few of them." Xu Hu thought carefully and said, "If we really push them too hard, and they band together and cause some big trouble, the higher-ups won't be able to handle it. The police department has already made it clear that if there are any more mass incidents, they will have to deal with the General Association, and deal with me."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing these words.

At this moment, Cheng Gang, who had been standing next to them, suddenly said, "Brother Hu, if we're going to do it, we can't be soft."

Xu Hu looked up at him and asked politely, "Gangzi, do you have any ideas?"

"The reason why these people are unwilling to hand over their businesses is nothing more than two concerns." Cheng Gang had been with Wei Xiangzuo for a long time, so he knew the situation there very well. He offered another insidious plan, "First, these people don't really trust you. They're afraid that if they hand over their businesses, they'll eventually be kicked out of the port, and they'll lose their livelihoods. Second, they still have hope for Wei Xiangzuo. They always feel that Big Brother can come back and take charge for everyone. So, while they say they're cooperating, they're actually all scheming, and may even be secretly in contact with Lao Wei."

Xu Hu nodded in agreement upon hearing these words.

"We only need to do one thing to disperse these people." Cheng Gang said in a low voice, "Be ruthless, kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, and make them completely lose hope in Wei Xiangzuo."

"How do we do that?" Xu Hu asked.

"I want to go to the Coast Guard and see the people who were arrested." Cheng Gang said directly.

Xu Hu stared at him for three seconds, and slowly nodded, "Alright, I'll arrange for you to meet them. How much time do you need?"

"Three days at most." Cheng Gang replied decisively.

"It's settled then." Xu Hu agreed.

In fact, Cheng Gang's heart was now filled with anxiety and fear, because he knew too well what kind of person Wei Xiangzuo was. If he didn't completely kill this person now, then he, this traitor, would definitely not have any peaceful days in the future.

After discussing with Xu Hu, Cheng Gang left by car and headed to the Coast Guard's detention unit.

...

Sinaloa. After Lao Tong chatted with Wei Xiangzuo in the room for more than two hours, he left with the money.

Su Tianyu held a water glass and sat next to Wei Xiangzuo, softly asking, "He hasn't even done anything yet, and you've already given him a million. Is this reliable?"

Wei Xiangzuo looked up at Su Tianyu, "I don't have any purpose when I make friends, and I don't necessarily want any benefit from them. Lao Tong used to be in the administrative department, and he couldn't control the maritime business at all, but we always got along well. When I was on the run, his son got sick and needed money for surgery. I wired him 70,000 twice. I didn't expect him to get into the Coast Guard's power department, and he didn't expect that I would end up like this today. Do you understand what I mean?"

Su Tianyu slowly nodded, "Did you have 70,000 in your pocket back then?"

"No, I helped him raise it."

"...Hehe." Su Tianyu grinned, "Then how did you know that this person was worth making friends with, and worth raising money to help him? What if he's the second Cheng Gang?"

Wei Xiangzuo looked at Su Tianyu and said pointedly, "You're very smart, but sometimes your intelligence can limit you. If you think about whether it's worth it before you make friends, then it's not worth it in the first place. Xu Hu only considers benefits when things happen, but if the roles were reversed today, would you and Yu Mingyuan still give him five million to help him?"

The usually quick-witted Su Tianyu was speechless upon hearing these words. He really felt the difference in Wei Xiangzuo.

"...If I were a person who only had money in my eyes, then from the moment Xu Hu came to power as the leader, I would have had no room to survive in Zha Nan." Wei Xiangzuo slowly got up and walked straight towards the door.

Su Tianyu looked at his back and muttered softly, "Is he for real, or is he acting? Damn it, if he's acting, he's really good... It's not easy to act for so long."

Outside, Wei Xiangzuo stood in front of the house, looking at the night, his mood very complicated. Today, he learned from Lao Tong that Xu Hu was desperately strangling his power in Zha Nan, and he was hiding there like a turtle, feeling a little ashamed of those people who called him Zuotang (leader) and Big Brother.

Wei Xiangzuo had an uncontrollable impulse in his heart, and his eyes looked towards Dragon City.

Inside the room, Su Tianyu was also thinking about how to help Wei Xiangzuo out of his predicament. After thinking for a long time, he picked up his phone and sent a message, "Did you investigate what I asked you to investigate?"