Chapter Five: The Foreigner's Tale

Yang Sheng was eating dinner.

Not far from the Hongsheng Lianshe headquarters, there was a food stall that sold snacks like shark fin soup and rice plates. The prices were fair, and many of the gang members on duty at the headquarters would come here for a late-night meal.

Yang Sheng had just finished competing in the ring. Although he appeared to have defeated Ruan Feng in mere minutes, the physical toll was immense. He had learned traditional martial arts for the sake of vengeance, which meant every move he made was designed for extreme, explosive lethality.

Strike with one breath, move forward without hesitation!

This style of combat required him to go all out from the very beginning, making it incredibly taxing. The last thing he could afford was to get bogged down in a prolonged struggle.

After returning to the headquarters and seeing the Three Elders and Di Wei heading into the inner hall to discuss business, Yang Sheng had come out to fill his stomach, ordering two servings of braised pork with tofu. The fried tofu was smooth, tender, and savory; the roasted pork belly had crispy skin and succulent meat. Swallowing it down with a bowl of white rice was, quite simply, a delicacy.

Braised pork with tofu—the romance of a man.

As Yang Sheng devoured the plate like a whirlwind, he felt he finally understood the meaning of that phrase. Although he was from Liaodong, he had spent several years in Guangdong Province apprenticing, so he had grown accustomed to and enjoyed the food in Hong Kong.

Moreover, this was arguably the most peaceful and unburdened meal he had eaten in years. For a long time, he had been consumed by a fixation, a weight like a millstone pressing on his heart, keeping his nerves constantly taut. If he had been forced to hold that in for a few more years, let alone getting his revenge, he likely would have driven himself insane.

Now that he had achieved his vengeance with a death-defying resolve, even though Fatty Wang had warned him that failing his mission in the reincarnation world meant death, Yang Sheng felt surprisingly little burden. After all, for the current Yang Sheng, every extra day he lived was a day gained.

The thrill and excitement of fighting in the ring seemed to have given him a new sense of purpose. In fact, the moment he killed Ruan Feng, he had felt a shiver of genuine exhilaration. It was a completely different sensation from the revenge he had exacted on the trash of the Lin family.

Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind and took a seat beside him.

"Wow, handsome, you just killed Ruan Feng and the blood on you hasn't even dried yet, and you still have an appetite to eat?"

Before Yang Sheng could respond, the man shouted to the stall owner: "Uncle Hua! One order of barbecue pork rice, extra portion, extra roast pork!"

Yang Sheng had sensed the man approaching earlier, but since there was no hostility and they were within the Hongsheng Lianshe territory, he hadn't paid him much mind. When he finally turned to look, he was taken aback. It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that this guy was incredibly handsome—so handsome that when he had called him "handsome," Yang Sheng felt as if he were being mocked.

The man beside him looked to be in his early twenties, with black hair, deep-set eyes, and a high bridge of the nose. His eyes held a hint of blue, a clear sign of mixed heritage, looking like a young, slightly Asian-featured Leonardo DiCaprio. Of course, not the version with a beer belly playing with a water gun, but DiCaprio at his peak.

The mixed-race "DiCaprio" flashed a brilliant smile at Yang Sheng.

"Handsome, let's get to know each other. My name is Liang Ziwen. Because my deadbeat dad who ran off was British, the brothers in the syndicate call me 'Gweilo Wen.' I work under Uncle Wen."

Yang Sheng wasn't sure of Gweilo Wen's intentions, so he simply nodded and said, "Yang Sheng. From the Mainland."

Gweilo Wen nodded repeatedly, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I know! I know! Are people from the Mainland all as fierce as those 'Big Circle Boys'? You used Southern Choy Li Fut, Northern Baji, Tai Chi, and Bagua to kill Ruan Feng! Proficient in both Northern and Southern boxing styles—that's so sharp!"

"I used to study Hung Ga with a master next door. But that old bastard kept his secrets. If you paid, he'd only teach you the basics; the real stuff was only for the wealthy and influential students. He often made us poor bastards clean the martial arts hall, calling it 'training,' and would beat or scold us at the slightest provocation. So, in the middle of the night, I stabbed the old bastard to death, took his secret manual for the Gong Zi Fu Hu Kuen, and ran away."

"Later, I heard Bruce Lee's master, Ip Man, was very sharp, and that Bruce Lee created Jeet Kune Do after learning just a fraction of Wing Chun. I went to apprentice in Wing Chun, but that guy claimed to be Ip Man's grand-student and a disciple of the Four Great Heavenly Kings of Wing Chun. Turns out he was a total fraud; I cracked his skull open after a few punches. But the guy actually had some tricks up his sleeve—the Eight-Slash Knife technique he had was quite authentic."

"In the end, I joined Hongsheng Lianshe and followed Uncle Wen. Uncle Wen told me to learn Muay Thai, saying it was explosive and perfect for ring fighting, and that traditional martial arts were just for show. But that little Southeast Asian guy hadn't taught me for more than a few days before I kicked his leg to pieces. He was weak as a chicken—I should have just learned Tan Tui instead. Handsome, your skills are so sharp, why don't you teach me a thing or two?"

Gweilo Wen was incredibly familiar, behaving like a chatterbox, yet the things he said were chilling. This guy had killed all three of his masters—who would dare teach him anything?

Yang Sheng shook his head directly. "Sorry, it's not that I don't want to teach, but without my master's permission, the kung fu cannot be passed on to outsiders."

Hearing this, Gweilo Wen didn't press the issue, just shook his head regretfully. "You guys in the Mainland have too many rules. It's a shame to waste such beautiful skills. If you opened a martial arts hall, you'd definitely make more money than those bullies and braggarts who call themselves masters."

Yang Sheng smiled. "If you went into acting, with that face of yours, you'd definitely make more money than hacking people for the syndicate."

Gweilo Wen paused, then shook his head. "Can't do it. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stop myself from slashing the actor I'm working with. If the director came over, I'd slash him too. Once I start fighting, I can't hold back."

Yang Sheng was momentarily stunned. He was now certain: this handsome mixed-race guy was a psychopath with serious issues!

Of course, Gweilo Wen didn't consider himself a psychopath. After his barbecue pork rice arrived, he began shoveling it into his mouth like a starving ghost. With his mouth full, he mumbled, "Handsome, be careful later. I passed the inner hall door just now and heard Luo Rong from the Yinglian Society calling the boss, asking for you."

"Damn, the Yinglian Society deserves to be one of the top ten syndicates in Hong Kong. A mere leader has the nerve to call the boss to demand a person. That guy Luo Rong is even more arrogant than Chai Jiu, the head of the Yinglian Society. But, you know, when you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. It seems the boss doesn't want to fight the Yinglian Society head-on, especially not for a low-level grunt like you."

Yang Sheng frowned slightly. This was his first novice world, and the mission wasn't too difficult. The two main quests were straightforward, and the only challenge was finding the Yulin Army saber, which had absolutely no leads. The mission to survive for three months was practically a newcomer's perk. After all, despite the chaos and corruption of this era in Hong Kong, surviving quietly for three months shouldn't be an issue.

But now, on the very first day, he was facing a death trap. If Hongsheng Lianshe actually handed him over, Luo Rong would immediately stuff him into a sack and dump him into the high seas. If he fled, he would be hunted by two syndicates. Whether he could last three months was a mystery, and how would he complete the other main quest?

Although Fatty Wang had temporarily boosted his martial arts expertise to near-master levels, he wasn't Superman. It was hard for even a god to defend against several guns pointed at him at once. Even the legendary Bagua grandmaster Cheng Tinghua, with his unparalleled boxing skills, had died under a hail of bullets.

Moreover, the name of this reincarnation world was "Dragon City Hegemony." The side quest was related to the Dragon City ring, and the main quest was likely the same. If he forcibly left the syndicate and went off on his own, the likelihood of straying further from the main quest would increase. Therefore, to solve the immediate dilemma, he had to find a way from within the syndicate.

Yang Sheng set down his chopsticks, a look of contemplation in his eyes. Fatty Wang had once said that in the reincarnation world, you have to rely on your brain as much as your fists. In truth, even Fatty Wang hadn't expected Yang Sheng to be so fierce, triggering a hell-difficulty start for himself. If another newcomer had been in the ring, they might not have been as ruthless and decisive as Yang Sheng; a stronger one would have just defeated Ruan Feng, and a weaker one could have used newcomer rewards to protect themselves. Regardless, they would have been able to slowly develop their power within the syndicate, seeking to complete the mission without seeking glory, only to avoid trouble.

Instead, Yang Sheng had gone and killed the Yinglian Society's champion. He was certainly impressive, but he had also put himself in a corner.

"You just said Luo Rong is more arrogant than Chai Jiu, the leader of the Yinglian Society? During the Dragon City competition, Luo Rong left just like that without even greeting Chai Jiu?"

Gweilo Wen swallowed a large mouthful of rice, nearly rolling his eyes from choking. After catching his breath, he said, "Luo Rong is currently the strongest leader in the Yinglian Society. Two of the 'Three Tigers' of the Yinglian Society are under his command. Of course, he's more arrogant than Chai Jiu. As a single leader, he has more power than eighty percent of the syndicate bosses in Hong Kong."

"And Chai Jiu? Isn't he dissatisfied?"

Gweilo Wen laughed. "Of course he's dissatisfied, but what can you do when the situation favors the other guy? It's just like our boss. Chai Jiu is nicknamed 'Crown Prince Jiu.' Although he's the same generation as our boss, he's not even forty yet. His old man was something else, though."

"The head of the Yinglian Society, Chai Hongtu, was an authentic descendant of the Hongmen. It's said he was carrying a gun and rebelling with Chen Jimei at fifteen. After Chen Jimei was assassinated, he was heartbroken and came to Hong Kong alone to build the foundation of the Yinglian Society. But the old man lived too long. He didn't step down as head of the Yinglian Society until he was over seventy, allowing his youngest son, Chai Jiu, to take over. But Chai Hongtu died within two years."

"Chai Hongtu's first eight sons all died in syndicate struggles or various accidents. Only the youngest, Chai Jiu, was protected the best, to the point where he barely had any contact with syndicate affairs. So, when Chai Jiu first took over, the old-timers of the Yinglian Society supported him out of loyalty and gratitude to Chai Hongtu. But leaders like Luo Rong, who built their own territories, never really respected Chai Jiu. They thought he was just lucky to have a good daddy, and that he wouldn't be qualified to lead the Yinglian Society otherwise."

"The former leaders of the Hongmen were called 'Old Emperors,' but Chai Jiu has been called 'Crown Prince Jiu' since he became the head. It's not a compliment; it's a mockery, implying he's only fit to be a prince."

After hearing Gweilo Wen's words, Yang Sheng suddenly thought of something and nodded thoughtfully.

At that moment, a gang member shouted from the headquarters: "Yang Sheng! The boss wants to see you!"

Yang Sheng stood up and said to Gweilo Wen, "Thanks. But why did you warn me? Aren't you afraid of being punished if Uncle Wen finds out?"

Gweilo Wen didn't look up as he shoveled rice, saying, "Put yourself in my shoes. We're all low-level grunts; no one wants to be sold out after doing a job for the syndicate. Even though my sponsor is Uncle Wen, one of the three elders of Hongsheng Lianshe, I'm still just a grunt. If they can sell you out, they can sell me out. Helping you is helping myself. This precedent can't be set; if it is, the hearts of the Hongsheng Lianshe members will scatter. Even though Hongsheng Lianshe is a sunset syndicate, I'm still quite comfortable here. I don't want the syndicate to go from a sunset to a complete collapse."

Yang Sheng nodded, looked deeply at Gweilo Wen for a moment, and turned to walk into the headquarters.