Yang Jian never expected Qin Ming to praise him so highly. Had he already become famous on the Dongjiang circuit?
Upon hearing Qin Ming's words, Bai Zheng's smile widened. "Old Qin, I've heard of this Yang Wu too. He's truly formidable. To be honest, single-handedly taking down the Yuzhen Gang and kidnapping Chen Kai is something neither you nor I could have done in our youth. Even now, with our skills and strength, it would cost us dearly to dismantle established forces like the Yuzhen Gang and Xichuan Gang."
Qin Ming nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! I admit what you said. This Yang Wu is even more ruthless than both of us. He's decisive, quick-thinking, and incredibly powerful. Plus, the few brothers he leads are also terrifying, with combat capabilities no less than his. So, it's best you don't interfere with Phoenix Street affairs. Yang Wu might just confront you, and it's uncertain if you could escape his lone wolf-style attacks, hahahaha."
Facing Qin Ming's gloating and somewhat arrogant expression, Bai Zheng shook his head and said to Zheng Jingfa, "Boss Zheng, where did you find such a fierce individual? Could you introduce me?"
"Mr. Bai, it's not convenient today. If there's time later, I'll definitely bring my brother Yang Wu to visit you." Zheng Jingfa brushed it off, thinking to himself that he hadn't even met Yang Wu yet.
Qin Ming chuckled again. "Old Bai, you're not trying to poach him, are you? Forget it. Yang Wu is moving his Xichuan Gang brothers into Phoenix Street in the next couple of days. If you're not convinced, you can go head-to-head with him yourself. Don't worry, I absolutely won't offer him any support."
"Old Qin, have you met Yang Wu?" Bai Zheng suddenly asked.
Qin Ming was taken aback. "No, but I plan to meet him this afternoon. Old Zheng, can you arrange it? I haven't encountered such an impressive young man in many years."
Zheng Jingfa nodded. "No problem, I'll call him shortly. Where do you want to meet?"
"Of course, at my place. This young man is a talent, and we must value him, or someone else will snatch him away."
"Right, right. I will personally escort him to visit you." The two of them, playing along, thought they would infuriate Bai Zheng.
Bai Zheng, however, added, "Boss Zheng, have you met Yang Wu?"
"Yang Wu is my brother, of course, I've met him! He's a distinguished figure, not only handsome but also incredibly skilled. He wields two batons expertly. He once single-handedly fought Cheng Guang, Ah Liang, and over a dozen elites from the Yuzhen Gang, beating them soundly. At the fruit market, when Master Fo cornered Yang Wu with fifty or sixty men and two firearms, Yang Wu fought back from a desperate situation and forced Master Fo to retreat meekly. On Phoenix Street, Yang Wu and his three brothers caused chaos at the Blueberry Nightclub, beating down dozens of Master Fo's men and even taking Master Fo away in full view of everyone. Yang Wu and his brothers are now the golden hitters of my Xichuan Gang, our primary combat force. If you're interested in him, Mr. Bai, I can arrange for him to meet you in a couple of days. After all, Phoenix Street was a territory you conquered yourself, and now he's taking over, so he should show some respect to a senior like you."
With Qin Ming's backing, Zheng Jingfa's tone became more arrogant. Yang Jian stared at him with his mouth agape, utterly bewildered. When had he become Zheng Jingfa's golden hitter?
Bai Zheng waved his hand. "No need for such trouble. Old Qin, let me introduce you. This is my junior brother Yang Fan's younger brother. His name is Yang Wu, the golden hitter that Boss Zheng mentioned."
The air instantly froze. Qin Ming took a moment to react, pointing at Yang Jian. "Old Bai, you're saying *he* is Yang Wu?"
"Genuine article. Boss Zheng can vouch for it. Didn't he say Yang Wu is his brother? He must have met him." Qin Ming looked at Zheng Jingfa and saw his blank stare. He patted him on the shoulder. "Old Zheng, what's going on?"
Zheng Jingfa finally came to his senses and looked at Yang Jian. "You, you're Yang Wu?"
Yang Jian stood up. "Hello, President Qin. Hello, Boss Zheng. Thank you for the Q7 that Brother Cheng sent me. It's very useful. I wanted to visit you earlier, but Brother Cheng said you were back in your hometown for the New Year."
"Oh, I, I was indeed back home. I just arrived yesterday. You, why are you with Mr. Bai?" Hearing the mention of the Q7, Zheng Jingfa knew the young man in front of him was Yang Wu.
"Didn't Brother Zheng just say, my brother is his junior brother." Yang Jian smiled at him. He had initially felt a good impression of Zheng Jingfa, but hearing himself described as his golden hitter annoyed him. Now was the time to put him in his place.
Qin Ming's face turned grim. "Old Bai, what kind of game are you playing? Internal strife, purging dissent? Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me today?"
Bai Zheng quickly smiled and picked up his teacup. "Old Qin, don't get agitated. Have some tea. At our age, we should cultivate tranquility and not get angry easily."
"Spare me the pleasantries. Tell me, what's your real purpose in inviting me here today?"
"There's no special purpose. Firstly, we're old classmates, and it's been a long time since we met. I wanted to catch up and have a chat. Secondly, I wanted to introduce my brother here to you. He plans to develop in Dongjiang and needs the support of big bosses like you."
"Cut the nonsense and get to the point." Qin Ming was starting to lose his composure. This was too much of a humiliation. He had just been bragging about Yang Wu's prowess, his battlefield dominance, and his status as his rising star. Now, it turned out Yang Wu was Bai Zheng's brother, leaving him in an extremely awkward position.
Bai Zheng stopped joking. "Old Qin, don't get angry. I have no ill intentions in inviting you today, nor am I deliberately trying to embarrass you. I just want to discuss and finalize the Phoenix Street territory with you."
Qin Ming's demeanor softened. "How do we finalize it?"
"As you said earlier, with our current status, we don't need to interfere in the affairs of our subordinates. Therefore, I don't care who controls Phoenix Street. I have no objections to the Xichuan Gang, led by Boss Zheng, moving into Phoenix Street. However, the alcohol business in Phoenix Street must be separated. That is my only condition."
"Impossible. At most, we can split it in half. Let the road in the middle of Phoenix Street be the dividing line. The alcohol business east of the road belongs to you." Alcohol sales were the most profitable business on Phoenix Street, generating more revenue than K-powder or 'divine water.' Not everyone indulged in these hallucinogenic drugs, but everyone who frequented nightclubs drank alcohol. More importantly, the alcohol business was not within the scope of police crackdowns. Qin Ming was unwilling to let it go. Unlike Bai Zheng, he didn't intend to sever ties with his subordinates. He still needed to collect dues and support his legitimate businesses and industries with underground forces, otherwise, he would become a toothless tiger, eventually devoured without a trace.
The atmosphere suddenly tensed. It had been a long time since the two bosses had confronted each other so directly and fiercely.