Chapter Four: Arrogance

Ruan Feng's body twisted at a strange angle on the boxing ring, trembling slightly before going still.

The entire arena of the Dragon City Championship fell into complete silence, not a single sound to be heard.

The Dragon City Championship had been underway for several days, and new faces had emerged from time to time.

After all, with so many societies in Hong Kong, there were quite a few capable low-level fighters, but someone like Yang Sheng—a nameless nobody—overturning the Dual-Flower Red Stick was unprecedented.

Moreover, this young man was ruthless; he had outright killed Ruan Feng.

At that moment, from the British United Society side, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, gold-rimmed glasses, dressed in a gray suit that made him look more like a lawyer than a gang leader, suddenly stood up. Holding a cigar between his fingers, he pointed accusingly at Hong Sheng United.

"Damn your mother, Hong Sheng United! Who gave you the guts to kill my top fighter?"

Hong Sheng United’s chief elder, Old Chang, sat pale-faced but still stood up with the support of his cane, snorting coldly:

"Lo Wing, in the ring, life and death don’t count. More than one person has fallen in the Dragon City Championship these past days, not just Ruan Feng. Why hasn’t anyone else come looking for trouble? After all, I’m the same generation as your British United Society’s main enforcer, Chai Jiu. Who are you, a junior, to shout here?"

The disparity in strength between Hong Sheng United and the British United Society was like night and day.

The man before them was Lo Wing, one of British United’s enforcers in Mong Kok, and Ruan Feng was his top fighter.

Though Lo Wing was only one of their enforcers, his power was enough to sweep through the entire Hong Sheng United.

But Old Chang was the chief elder of Hong Sheng United. If he cowered under such insults, it would be a disgrace to the entire society, and they would be unable to survive in the underworld.

Just then, an elderly man in a long robe, resembling a referee, snorted coldly:

"Lo Wing, stop causing trouble here! Both sides have signed death oaths. On the ring, victory depends on the fighter, but life and death are in heaven’s hands. Have you forgotten the rules of the Dragon City Championship? Or is it that your British United Society wants to withdraw?"

Lo Wing seemed quite intimidated by the elder’s words. He snorted and turned his back with his men and left.

Yang Sheng stepped down from the ring, and the eyes of Hong Sheng United’s followers changed as they looked at him.

There was a mixture of admiration and excitement.

Most of Hong Sheng United’s younger members had little spirit. Their main goal in joining the society was to pass the time, and being looked down upon by other societies was a common occurrence.

But now, Yang Sheng had represented Hong Sheng United in front of all Hong Kong’s societies by toppling the Vietnamese Tiger Ruan Feng. This greatly boosted their morale, and the young members felt a sense of pride.

However, Di Wei frowned as he looked at Yang Sheng, and the three elders of Hong Sheng United also stared at him with grim expressions.

Yang Sheng’s memory contained information about the three elders of Hong Sheng United.

The chief elder, Old Chang, was the highest in rank. Nearly sixty years old, he wore a white Tang jacket and leaned on a cane, resembling a kindly gentleman.

He became the chief elder because his father was the previous leader of Hong Sheng United.

When the leadership was contested, many veterans supported him, allowing Old Chang to claim the position with little effort.

The other two were in their fifties, one tall but stooped with dark skin.

He was Qiang Shu, nicknamed Fisherman Qiang.

Fisherman Qiang was once a fisherman who joined Hong Sheng United. Using a harpoon, he claimed a territory at Saigon Pier for the society and earned great merit.

However, as he aged and due to years spent in icy seawater and injuries from past battles, he had retired from fighting more than ten years ago and moved behind the scenes.

The other was a lean man wearing a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, also in his fifties or sixties.

He was Huang Wen, the White Paper Fan of Hong Sheng United, managing the society’s finances since his youth and currently controlling its financial lifeline.

In Yang Sheng’s memory, these three elders were no good.

Outwardly deferential and timid, inwardly they lorded over others with seniority and rank, leaving almost no chance for younger members to rise.

As one of Hong Kong’s oldest societies, it had fallen into such a state largely due to the incompetence of these three elders.

Facing the three solemn elders, Yang Sheng suddenly grinned:

"Old Chief, I did not fail you."

Huang Wen frowned:

"The Dragon City Championship is the playground of the big societies. Hong Sheng United only needs to avoid disgrace. You struck so ruthlessly and killed the British United Society’s Dual-Flower Red Stick. Do you realize the trouble you’ve brought to the society?"

Yang Sheng spread his hands innocently:

"Uncle Wen, swords and fists have no eyes, no mercy. If I hadn’t killed him, he would’ve killed me. Should I have been beaten to death on the ring by Ruan Feng to avoid bringing trouble?"

Seeing Yang Sheng dare to talk back, Huang Wen frowned further. Old Chang cleared his throat:

"Discuss this later. Don’t let outsiders see and laugh."

The Dragon City ring continued, but Hong Sheng United’s group withdrew early.

Hong Sheng United’s headquarters, located in Wan Chai, was just a small street, but it was one of the few remaining symbols of their dignity.

If the entire headquarters were pushed to an industrial area like Kwun Tong, Hong Sheng United would truly become a bottom-tier, shabby society.

Yang Sheng looked up; the headquarters was indeed impressive.

It was a four-story wooden antique building, black and red throughout, with a plaque above the door inscribed with four large characters: "Hong Sheng, Mighty and Far-reaching."

At the entrance stood two young men in dress pants, with buzz cuts and cold, fierce expressions.

Strictly speaking, they were not Hong Sheng United’s followers but hired guns paid for at great expense by Old Chang and the others, each carrying real firearms.

If anyone dared to attack the society, these were the last line of defense.

Of course, if guns were fired, someone would have to take the blame at the police station afterward.

Old Chang and the three elders, accompanied by Di Wei, entered the inner hall of the headquarters and took their seats.

Old Chang frowned:

"Who is that kid Yang Sheng’s follower? When did he join Hong Sheng United? Since when did we have such a capable low-level fighter?"

Huang Wen pushed up his glasses and thought for a moment:

"It seems a few months ago, Big Head Lin and a low-ranking member of Hong Lian fought over territory and lost. This guy didn’t follow the rules and somehow brought a group of mainlanders who swam over, bypassing the Blue Lantern, and all became low-ranking fighters. Yang Sheng joined Hong Sheng United then.

Although they won the territory dispute, Big Head Lin was later killed in retaliation by Hong Lian’s followers.

Hong Lian compensated us with two hundred thousand. At that time, Old Chief, you didn’t want to start a war with Hong Lian, so it ended there.

Yang Sheng and the others who were Big Head Lin’s followers simply entered the headquarters and haven’t mixed with others yet."

In Hong Kong’s societies, the lowest tier was the Blue Lanterns, the society’s peripheral members. Only after enduring several years and proving loyalty could they be accepted as full members—the lowest rank fighters.

Above them were the 4-3-2 low-ranking fighters, who had the right to open headquarters and recruit.

Higher still were the strategists, the White Paper Fans, the strongest fighters, the Red Sticks, the second-in-command marshals, and the chief leaders.

Of course, these rules were outdated. Nowadays, no one strictly followed them; profit came first.

At that moment, a follower approached with a mobile phone:

"Old Chief, a call from Lo Wing of British United Society."

Old Chang took the phone. As he listened, his expression darkened. Finally, he gave a heavy "hmm" and slammed the phone onto the ground, shattering it.

"Damn you, Lo Wing! Bastard! Scoundrel!"

Everyone was startled. Di Wei quickly asked:

"Old Chief, what’s going on?"

Old Chang’s face was grim:

"That bastard Lo Wing is demanding we hand over Yang Sheng, or he’ll send men to wipe out Hong Sheng United."

The expressions of those present changed.

British United Society was one of the top ten societies in Hong Kong. Even without British United’s involvement, Lo Wing alone could easily crush Hong Sheng United.

Moreover, Lo Wing had risen rapidly in recent years, acting arrogantly and disregarding even the chief leader of British United Society, Chai Jiu, much less a declining society like Hong Sheng United.

So when Lo Wing threatened Hong Sheng United, they did not think it a joke.

Huang Wen sighed:

"This is trouble. Yang Sheng was impressive on the ring, but he’s brought disaster to the entire society."

Fisherman Qiang frowned:

"Are we just going to hand him over? If we do, what face will Hong Sheng United have?"

In the underworld, reputation was everything.

If someone came to demand a man, and their own society immediately handed him over to apologize, it was like having their face trampled underfoot.

Such behavior would not only be ridiculed by other societies but would also dishearten their followers.

Di Wei raised an eyebrow:

"Qiang Shu, which is more important, face or life?

Lo Wing has money and men. Two of the three tigers under British United belong to him. One, the Vietnamese Tiger Ruan Feng, is dead. The other is the Nanshan Tiger Yao Hui.

Hong Sheng United has gathered a lot of assets with difficulty. Should we really risk everything for a low-level fighter?"

Di Wei’s cutting remark was not only because he feared Lo Wing.

He also harbored a trace of jealousy toward Yang Sheng.

As Hong Sheng United’s only Red Stick, he should have been the one to shine in the Dragon City Championship.

But he chickened out, and a low-level fighter stole his thunder.

The next day, all of Hong Sheng United would know that faced with the Vietnamese Tiger Ruan Feng, Di Wei had cowardly fled, and it was a low-level fighter who had killed Ruan Feng on the ring.

So long as Yang Sheng lived, it would be awkward for him.

Old Chang took a deep breath and ordered:

"Where is Yang Sheng? Bring him to see me."