Three AM, Platinum Palace.
Xu Yuejin, Chen Dawei, and Xiong Hai walked out of the Platinum Palace, each with a scantily clad girl by their side.
They bantered and laughed with the girls, their hands roaming.
The security guards, who had previously regarded the trio with disdain, now eagerly ushered them out, having been personally received by Chen Guoyao.
Outside the nightclub.
Xu Yuejin generously pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it to the security guards and the girls, as a tip for the night.
It looked to be over ten thousand yuan. How it was divided was up to the guards and the girls to negotiate.
After seeing them off, Xiong Hai rubbed his belly, burped, and grinned, "So comfortable, completely comfortable! After half a month's worth of ammo, I finally fed it to that woman."
"Damn, you're truly disgusting!"
Chen Dawei rolled his eyes at him, then looked at Xu Yuejin, who was lighting a cigarette, "Old Xu, you drank quite a bit less tonight. You usually drink at least two cases, and tonight you barely finished half a case. What's up?"
"I overdid it during the day and haven't recovered yet."
Xu Yuejin took a deep drag, glancing at his watch, "It's getting late. Let's find a taxi at the intersection and head straight back to bed."
"Alright!"
Chen Dawei and Xiong Hai nodded in unison.
They had eaten and drunk their fill tonight and satisfied their biological needs, so they had no interest in a second round and followed Xu Yuejin towards the intersection.
While waiting for a taxi, Xiong Hai glanced back at the opulent, gleaming Platinum Palace and asked curiously, "Old Xu, since you know Brother Yao from this place so well, why didn't you ask him to send us back?"
"Ah Yao has many businesses to manage besides Platinum Palace. Him personally coming to arrange for us tonight is already a great honor for Mr. Guo."
Xu Yuejin replied casually, flagged down a taxi, and they left.
As soon as the trio left, a car with a cloned license plate from across the street immediately followed them.
Meanwhile, at the hot pot restaurant where Master Wang and the three Four-Nine members were.
"Okay, okay, keep following. Be careful, don't expose yourselves."
Guo Hao, a Four-Nine from Bailian Sheng, spoke into his phone, then hung up and looked at Wang Shi, who was drinking tea, "Master, Xu Yuejin has left Platinum Palace and is on his way back to Xilin Village."
"How long will it take them to reach Xilin Village?"
"About half an hour, Master. When do we make our move?"
Master Wang tapped his folding fan, thought for a few seconds, and said, "Ah Hao, have your men move towards Xilin Village. Ah Wei, the people ambushing in the village are to remain in position, do not expose yourselves. Ah Lin, have your men keep watch at the three exits of Xilin Town. Once Xu Yuejin returns to his residence, apprehend him immediately and return to Hong Kong swiftly."
"Yes!"
The three Four-Nines nodded in unison and relayed the Master's orders.
At a glance, Guo Hao, a Four-Nine from Bailian Sheng. Lin Xiao, a Four-Nine from Xin He. Yang Wei, a Four-Nine from Yiqun.
Their eyes and faces were filled with unconcealed excitement.
If they could capture Xu Yuejin alive and bring him back to Hong Kong tonight, all three would be promoted, from Four-Nine status to Cao Xie.
Guo Hao, Lin Xiao, and Yang Wei had been in the triad for nearly ten years, yet they remained Four-Nines.
And among the many members of the triad, Four-Nines were abundant.
To get promoted to Cao Xie was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for every Four-Nine.
While Cao Xie was not as prestigious as Double Flower Red Sticks, the number of them in the entire triad was still very limited.
Once promoted to Cao Xie, not only would their status increase, but their monthly income would also significantly improve.
Why do people get involved in this life?
Besides fame, it was certainly money!
With the opportunity for promotion and advancement right before them, how could the three Four-Nines not be excited?
A moment later, all arrangements were made.
Wang Shi looked at the three men eager for advancement, raised his half-full glass of white wine, and smiled, "Let's go! I, Wang, wish you three success in your promotion in advance!"
"Thank you, Master Wang, for your guidance!"
*Clink!*
The glasses met, and the three Four-Nines drank it down in one go.
A few minutes later, three black SUVs sped away from the hot pot restaurant towards Xilin Village.
...
Three-thirty AM.
A taxi slowly entered Xilin Village.
It was late at night, and most of the villagers had already fallen asleep.
Every household was shrouded in darkness, with only the dim yellow light of the streetlights illuminating the village.
As the taxi drove into the village, dog barks echoed sporadically.
Only when the car drove back the way it came did the barking gradually subside.
As soon as the taxi collected its fare and left, from the dark corners, pairs of eyes simultaneously fixed on the bungalow with the fish pond.
But the people hidden in the darkness did not act, waiting for their leader to arrive.
Xu Yuejin watched the car leave, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked in.
Chen Dawei and Xiong Hai behind him were still laughing and chatting.
But as they entered, Chen Dawei suddenly turned his head to look at the dark alleys and fields around them, his brow furrowing slightly.
"What's wrong, Dawei?"
Seeing him suddenly stop, Xiong Hai asked curiously.
"I have a feeling someone is watching us, and that unease from the day is back."
"You're being paranoid!"
Hearing Chen Dawei's reply, Xiong Hai glanced around. All he saw was darkness, not a soul in sight.
Xu Yuejin, standing in the courtyard, turned back to them, "What are you two standing around for? Lock the door and go inside to rest. You must be tired after a night out."
Xiong Xiong responded, pulled Chen Dawei into the courtyard, and closed the gate.
Chen Dawei, however, quickly stepped forward, his brow furrowed, "Old Xu, I have a bad feeling about outside. It's giving me the creeps."
"What could be wrong? You're just too suspicious. You need to get that treated, otherwise, you'll see everyone as a bad guy."
Xu Yuejin teased, then pushed open the door and went inside.
Just as Chen Dawei was about to speak, Xiong Hai hooked his arm around his neck, "It's okay, get some sleep. In the mainland, can those triads really turn things upside down?"
As they spoke, they also returned to the inner room.
*Bang!*
A muffled sound of a door closing echoed through the night.
Soon, lights flickered on in the three-story residential building.
At the same time.
At the entrance of Xilin Village, Guo Hao, Lin Xiao, and Yang Wei, the three Four-Nines, arrived.
They did not drive into the village but were led in on foot by their subordinates.
Moments later, the three arrived at an orchard, about a hundred meters away from the residential building.
"Boss!"
"Boss!"
As the three entered the orchard, subordinates who had been lying in wait for a long time called out softly.
Counting them in the moonlight, there were a total of six people hidden in this location.
The capture of Xu Yuejin was led by Bailian Sheng, and Master Wang had personally deployed them.
Therefore, Guo Hao, the Four-Nine from Bailian Sheng, was in command of everyone after entering Xilin Village.
"What's the situation at their place?"
"They just returned to the house about five or six minutes ago. But the people around Xu Yuejin are very vigilant. They've been observing their surroundings since they went inside."
A subordinate holding binoculars replied in a low voice.
Guo Hao glanced at his watch, not acting immediately, but waiting according to Master's plan.
...
Time ticked by.
About ten minutes later, the lights in Xu Yuejin's residential building finally went out.
Seeing the lights turn off, Guo Hao whispered, "Ah Lin, Ah Wei, go gather the rest of the brothers. We'll act in ten minutes."
The two Four-Nines from Yiqun and Xin He nodded, and followed the guide into the darkness.
After they left, Guo Hao took out a prepared cleaver, wrapped the handle with gauze, and instructed his subordinate, "Pass a message to the brothers below: no firearms, only knives. If a gun goes off in the mainland, none of us will make it back to Hong Kong."
"Understood!"
The subordinate nodded and sent the message via text.
The time to act arrived.
Centering on Xu Yuejin's residential building.
From the surrounding wasteland, bushes, orchards, and alleys, wherever darkness concealed them, figures emerged.
These people soon gathered, totaling thirty-two in number.
Each wore black clothing, a mask, and held a gleaming steel knife in their hands.
Guo Hao, leading the operation, gestured to Lin Xiao and Yang Wei.
The two Four-Nines understood and led their men to flank from both sides to prevent anyone from escaping.
Approaching the three-story building standing in the darkness.
A nimble subordinate leaped over the courtyard wall.
As soon as he landed, the sleeping Da Huang's eyes snapped open.
Sensing an intruder, before Da Huang could bark a warning, a boulder the size of a basketball fell from the sky, crushing Da Huang instantly.
The subordinate who entered the courtyard breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, he tiptoed to the iron gate, unlocked it, and let the others in.
As Guo Hao entered the courtyard, Lin Xiao and Yang Wei also returned simultaneously.
Without much conversation, they exchanged gestures, indicating that the residential building was surrounded.
Receiving the information, two burly subordinates approached the main hall door and kicked it open forcefully.
*Bang!*
The door was violently kicked open.
Two subordinates rushed into the house first.
The three Four-Nines also led their men into the residential building.
But the moment they entered, shouts of killing suddenly erupted from outside.
Hearing the noise, Guo Hao, Lin Xiao, and Yang Wei, who had just entered, felt a jolt of panic.
But before they could figure out what was happening.
*Snap!*
The dark room was instantly illuminated.
The dozen or so people standing in the main hall immediately raised their hands to block the light.
Before they could adjust, a furious roar reached their ears.
"Beat them!"
With a command, the room erupted in flashing blades and sounds of combat.
A few minutes later.
The first floor of the residential building was filled with the smell of blood.
The dozen or so subordinates who had just entered were all lying in pools of blood.
Only over twenty imposing men in black t-shirts and white gloves remained.
As for the four-nine from the three triads, they were dragged by their hair to the backyard.
One had his hand missing, another his ear, and the third had a deep cut from his forehead to his mouth.
*Thump.*
The three were thrown to the ground like dead fish.
Guo Hao, Lin Xiao, and Yang Wei endured the pain and looked up.
Directly in front of them stood Xu Yuejin with his hands behind his back. To his left were Chen Dawei and Xiong Hai, and to his right was Chen Guoyao, who had suddenly appeared.