Chapter Thirty-One: My Blade Is Very Sharp

"Hello? Who is looking for me? Don't you know I'm swamped with collecting debts these past two days? I'm working myself to death here!

Hong Sheng Lian? What kind of small-fry outfit thinks they can see me? Do you have any idea how much money I make every minute?"

Piggy, buried under a mountain of ledgers, instinctively reached to hang up the phone.

Suddenly, something clicked. He quickly asked, "Wait, what's the name of the person looking for me? Yang Sheng? Invite him in immediately!"

Piggy called over a few accountants to continue with the books while he personally went to the door to welcome Yang Sheng.

Lei Luo's reputation in the outside world was a mixed bag, but Piggy was a mysterious character. Whether within the police force or among the secret societies, no one ever spoke ill of him.

This was because Piggy was loyal. No matter who you were, if you came to him for help, he would do his best to assist.

If some small gangs couldn't pay their protection fees for various reasons, he would offer leniency whenever possible.

Of course, although he was chubby and soft-spoken, he was no pushover.

If anyone truly took him for a fool, they would soon find Lei Luo leading his men to sweep through their operations until the entire organization collapsed.

"Wow! My great benefactor! Whatever you need, if I can do it, I certainly will!"

Piggy enthusiastically ushered Yang Sheng into the office.

Before this, he hadn't known who Yang Sheng was, assuming he was just a regular street fighter for Hong Sheng Lian.

It wasn't until he did some checking that he realized the young man who had saved him was actually a rising star from the Dragon City Tournament—a fierce and domineering fighter, a veritable 'Red Pole' killer.

For a newcomer with such potential, Piggy naturally wanted to build a good relationship. Even if Yang Sheng hadn't come to him, he had planned to seek him out once he finished his current workload.

Yang Sheng said, "I came here specifically to ask you to introduce me to Chief Inspector Lei. Without a referral, it's very difficult for someone like me to see him."

A contemplative look crossed Piggy's face. "You want to see Brother Luo? It’s not impossible. But Brother Luo hates it when people bother him with trivial matters. If you don't have a necessary reason, I suggest you reconsider."

"I know the Chief Inspector is a busy man. Why would I bother him if it weren't necessary? Rest assured, the matter I have to discuss is something he will be very interested in."

Hearing this, Piggy didn't press further. Based on Yang Sheng's performance the other day, he didn't seem like a fool; he surely knew the consequences of playing games with Lei Luo.

Lei Luo had his own office at the police station, but in reality, he rarely worked from there. Even the foreign superintendents had to call and make appointments in advance to see him.

Yes, even his superiors had to make appointments to see their subordinate; that was just how arrogant Lei Luo was at the peak of his power. Only a trusted confidant like Piggy could visit him at any time.

Piggy made a call to Lei Luo, then drove Yang Sheng to a restaurant in Kowloon, pointing upward as he said, "Brother Luo is having tea inside. Remember, don't say anything foolish. And don't call him 'Chief Inspector'; he actually dislikes that title. Just call him 'Brother Luo,' same as me."

Yang Sheng nodded in understanding.

The title of Chief Chinese Detective sounded impressive, and while it carried weight, it was technically a rank-and-file position at the bottom of the police hierarchy. Naturally, Lei Luo didn't like being addressed that way.

Yang Sheng followed Piggy upstairs and pushed open the door to a private room, finally seeing the man who dominated both the underworld and the police force: the "Five Hundred Million Detective," Lei Luo.

The man was over fifty, with a dignified and scholarly appearance. Dressed in a suit vest with his hair meticulously combed, he looked more like a government official.

"Brother Luo, this is Yang Sheng, the one who saved me. He specifically came today to pay his respects."

Yang Sheng stepped forward and said, "Brother Luo."

Lei Luo nodded slightly and said coolly, "You saved Piggy in the Kowloon Walled City, and for that, I am grateful. He has been with me for over twenty years; it would have been a real tragedy if he had died in a place like that. What do you want by coming to see me? To help you become the head of Hong Sheng Lian?"

Yang Sheng shook his head. "I've already secured the position of head of Hong Sheng Lian. Such a small matter wouldn't require me to trouble Brother Luo."

Piggy was stunned. "Isn't the head of Hong Sheng Lian that old guy, He Wenchang?"

Yang Sheng grinned at Piggy. "I took care of that old man yesterday. Now, I call the shots at Hong Sheng Lian."

Lei Luo sat up straight, taking a moment to look Yang Sheng up and down.

Only then did he truly become interested. Piggy had told him about being rescued, but aside from reprimanding Piggy to be more careful, Lei Luo hadn't paid much attention to Yang Sheng.

Although the young man had made a name for himself at the Dragon City Tournament, to a power player like Lei Luo, he was just a thug with a heavy fist.

You can kill one, ten, or even a hundred people with your fists, but so what? People like that popped up every year, only to end up dead on the street sooner or later.

However, hearing that Yang Sheng had managed to eliminate the former leader and take control of the gang within months of joining—that was not something an ordinary thug could achieve.

"Then what do you want?"

Yang Sheng said in a low voice, "I want to be the blade in your hand, Brother Luo, to break the current power structure of all the gangs in Hong Kong!"

Lei Luo never expected such a statement. He raised an eyebrow. "Kid, do you know what you're saying? You want to be my blade? What makes you think you're qualified? And why would I need your blade?"

"Because there are people who refuse to listen to you, yet you cannot afford to have a direct confrontation with them. The Dragon City Tournament was meant to divide interests among the gangs to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. But now, someone wants to use it to unite all the gangs in Hong Kong and become the absolute underworld emperor. You must have noticed this, Brother Luo."

Lei Luo's expression darkened. He said coldly, "That crippled bastard?"

When Lei Luo and 'Limping Ho' were rising to power, they had a 'honeymoon' period where one controlled the police and the other the streets. But as their power grew, conflicts inevitably emerged. Lei Luo wanted to unite both worlds to increase his leverage with the British, while Ho harbored his own ambitions, wanting to be the king of the night.

Though they hadn't clashed openly, the friction was immense.

Yang Sheng nodded. "Wu Tianhao is ambitious. The tournament is his first step toward controlling the gangs. He is determined to win it, even going so far as to force He Wenchang to order me to forfeit. My coward of a boss was terrified of him and didn't dare to resist. He wanted me to throw away the reputation I earned with my life, so I had no choice but to take him out, which officially made me an enemy of Wu Tianhao."

Lei Luo smiled enigmatically. "So, you didn't come here to be my blade, but to seek my protection."

Yang Sheng shook his head. "You need someone from the gangs to be your blade, to handle the underworld matters for you. You can't openly fight Ho right now. If you do, the Chao Yi Yong gang and all their affiliates will rise up. The British won't let you off if things get that chaotic. Plus, there are people in the police force who don't like you and would use the opportunity to cause trouble. Things must remain stable. But if I am the one doing the work, no matter how big the mess gets, you can remain in the background, controlling the situation."

"And why should I trust you?" Lei Luo stared directly at Yang Sheng.

Yang Sheng smiled. "Because my record is the cleanest, I am the easiest to control, and I am the sharpest. The big gangs like He Yi Xing or Ying Lian She won't serve you wholeheartedly, and the others have too many complex ties to big financiers. I've been in Hong Kong for less than a year. My background is clean. And compared to those other losers, I can fight. That, at least, is beyond doubt."

Lei Luo gazed at Yang Sheng for a long moment, then a smile finally appeared on his face.

"Good! I'd like to see just how sharp this blade of yours is. If that crippled bastard dares to pull any more tricks, I will step in to stop him."

Yang Sheng bowed slightly. "Thank you, Brother Luo. I won't disturb your tea any longer."

After Yang Sheng retreated, Lei Luo picked up his teacup, gestured for Piggy to sit, and asked, "What do you think of this kid?"

Piggy shook his head. "Brother Luo, you have the best eye for people; I'm no judge of character. But don't let his saving me influence you. If he dares to lie to you, just deal with him!"

Lei Luo stood up and laughed. "Even if I were a fortune teller, I couldn't tell if someone was lying to me. But! No one can bear the consequences of deceiving me. Regardless of whether he's lying, he was right about one thing: that crippled bastard is due for a lesson."