Golden Scale [EN]: Chapter 146

Another high-end nightclub was registered under the name of the Dongxing Group. After the opening ceremony, Sha Bi returned to his office, took out the ledger, and looked at it. Since coming to Guangzhou, he had helped Dongxing earn millions, but he had only earned about twenty thousand himself.

“Sigh…” Sha Bi threw the ledger aside, feeling more and more aggrieved. Truly, a man’s heart is never satisfied.

“Why are you sighing again?” Liu Chun entered from outside, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

“Isn’t it all because of you?”

“What about me?”

“Damn it, have you figured out a solution or not?” Sha Bi slumped listlessly in his swivel chair.

“I do have a way, but it depends on whether you have the guts.”

“Really!?” Sha Bi jumped up from his chair, his eyes gleaming. He had only asked casually and didn’t expect a positive answer. He didn’t expect the other party to already have an idea, which was a pleasant surprise. “Quick, quick.”

“It’s still the same saying, fortune favors the bold. You have to have courage,” Liu Chun said, his eyelids drooping, looking very mysterious.

“Why are you talking so much nonsense? Hurry up.”

“Like this…” Liu Chun leaned forward, looked up at Sha Bi, and a hesitant expression appeared on his face. “I think we should forget about it.”

“You…”

“You’re too impatient. I’m afraid you’ll mess things up. People die over this.”

“I’ll listen to you, okay? We’ll do whatever you say. I won’t act on my own, so things won’t get messed up,” Sha Bi said, almost dying of anxiety. “Just tell me.”

“Okay,” Liu Chun clenched his fist and slammed it into his left palm. He leaned forward again, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes, and revealed his idea. “If this succeeds, we can rise to the sky in one step and live a life that even emperors would envy.”

“This… this…” Sha Bi’s face turned a little pale, and he seemed to lose all strength, slumping back into his chair. “Can this work?”

“It can work. I’ve already consulted with a lawyer. As long as they sign, it will be legally binding. Dongxing will be ours,” Liu Chun clenched his fist fiercely.

“I…” Beads of sweat oozed from Sha Bi’s forehead. “But that’s Hou Longtao.”

“What about it? You don’t want to be loyal and do odd jobs for him, do you?” Liu Chun frowned. “Are you grateful to him? He sent you alone to Guangdong, but he wasn’t really valuing you. He was sending you to die. At that time, Dongxing had no power in Guangdong. You were developing under its banner, which was no different from a black society from another province coming to seize territory. If you weren’t clever and made one wrong sentence or did one wrong thing, you would have been killed by the people here. And you’re talking about loyalty to him?”

“That’s not the problem,” Sha Bi shook his hand. “I mean, it’s Hou Longtao. He’s a ruthless character.”

“Don’t I know that? But even the most ruthless person can’t be ruthless when a knife is held to their neck and their hands and feet are tied up. Sigh,” Liu Chun leaned back in his chair, spreading his hands. “I already said that fortune favors the bold. I was just saying… if we don’t have the guts, then let’s not do it. Let’s just maintain the status quo. Maybe we’re just destined to make money and work for others.”

Sha Bi sat there for a long time without saying a word. He didn’t even know how much time had passed. “Details, we have to plan carefully. Every detail must be planned. We can only spend money if we have our lives.”

“Okay! Let’s do it big!” Liu Chun stood up, full of vigor…

“It’s almost time to make a move,” Tian Donghua put down his chopsticks and pulled his chair closer to Long. “I’ve already arranged everything I need to do. Now it’s up to you.”

“Okay, okay, hurry up. What do I need to do? What do you want me to do?” Long was very excited.

Tian Donghua explained the entire plan to Long step by step, down to every detail. “Your task is, if Hou Longtao is unwilling to move, you have to find a way to make him move, to convince him. This matter cannot be implemented immediately. Guangdong needs time to prepare. When it’s really time to make a move, I’ll probably already be in the United States. Can I rely on you here?”

Long lit a cigarette, took a strong drag, and rubbed his forehead with his left hand, as if he didn’t intend to answer the other party’s question.

“I understand,” Tian Donghua patted Long’s shoulder. “When the time comes, you’ll feel a little unable to do it. That’s normal. After all, you’ve been together for so long. But remember, only this way can you and Yu Qian have a future. Now we have no chance to turn back. If we don’t do it, and the news leaks from Guangdong, we’re finished.”

“I understand,” Long threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out fiercely. “Now we can only move forward.”

“If we fail in one strike, it will be like hitting the grass and startling the snake [alerting the enemy]. With Hou Longtao’s intelligence, we won’t have another chance within five years. Even if there is a chance, we can’t go up. Who knows if that’s a trap he’s playing. This situation is not impossible. You must remember, if things don’t develop as we planned, first, you must not act rashly. As long as you are by his side, we will still have a chance in the end; second, you must make sure that Hou Longtao has a chance to interrogate…”

“Kill them to silence them?”

Tian Donghua nodded…

Wednesday night, the “Dongxing Soldiers” barbecue restaurant was not open to the public, but the lobby was brightly lit. The seven Dongxing brothers and Situ Qingying sat in the middle at a large round table that could seat twenty people, while dozens of Beijing hooligans sat at scattered tables around them.

Just after 8:00, a man in his thirties came in from outside. He walked to Hou Longtao’s table. “Those Taiwanese are here.”

This man was called Tang Jun, and he was the director of the film investment department of Changqing Teng Group. He naturally became the contact person for today’s “meeting.”

“They’re here? Why didn’t they come in? Why did only you come in?” Liu Nan was not very polite to these subordinates of his uncle.

“It’s out of respect for the host.”

“What respect? It’s just that they want us to greet them,” Wu Da didn’t even lift his eyes. “Just bring them in.”

Tang Jun turned and left, and after a few minutes, he led seven men in, including Zhou Yumin, Huang Qiang, and Li Ke.

Hou Longtao and the others weren’t completely rude and stood up.

Tang Jun introduced both parties. On Zhou Yumin’s side, a middle-aged man with glasses was his agent, a slightly bald dwarf was the representative of the film company he signed with, and the remaining two, one fat and one thin, surnamed Jiang and Song respectively, were liaison officers who had just arrived from the Taiwan headquarters yesterday, but it was unclear what kind of headquarters it was.

“Is it necessary for Mr. Hou to make such a big show?” Fatty Jiang pointed to the dozens of hooligans around him after sitting down. He had some understanding of who these people were.

“You guys actually came,” Hou Longtao’s tone was full of sarcasm. “Wouldn’t it have been wiser to escape to Taiwan like your dead president?”

“The matter will be resolved sooner or later. As long as Mr. Zhou still wants to develop in the mainland, it’s better to resolve it sooner rather than later.”

“Develop? Like a scared rabbit?”

“Mr. Hou, we’re here to negotiate. Shouldn’t you show at least some respect?” Thin Song was obviously very dissatisfied with the treatment he was receiving.

“Hahaha, respect?” Hou Longtao spread his hands. “What do you think I brought you here for? Today, everything is up to me. Only those three will be unlucky,” he pointed to Zhou Yumin and the others. “If it’s not up to me, I don’t care if you’re from the Bamboo Union Gang [a Taiwanese triad] or not. None of you will leave. This is Beijing, not Taipei. Even the Heavenly King [a very influential person] has to act like a grandson here.”

The newcomers didn’t expect the other party to be so aggressive without even saying a polite word. For a moment, they didn’t know what to say.

“Mr. Hou, didn’t you say you would guarantee their safety?” Tang Jun, as the liaison, had to speak at this time.

“I lied to them. When they asked my girlfriend to go to the hotel, they tricked her into thinking it was a party. When I asked them to come here, I could naturally trick them into thinking I would guarantee their safety.”

“Pa,” Thin Song came to his senses, slammed the table, stood up abruptly, and pointed at Hou Longtao. “We’re here today to…”

“Bang,” Before Thin Song could finish his sentence, he was hit on the head with a beer bottle. Four hooligans pulled him away from the table, pressed him to the ground, and smashed two more beer bottles on his head, immediately knocking him unconscious.

Hou Longtao acted as if he hadn’t seen anything, his expression unchanged. “You can raise different opinions, but your attitude must be good. If you speak even a little louder, I’ll take it as a provocation.” Seeing that the people opposite him didn’t express any disagreement, he sat back in his chair. “Let me hear your solution.”

“Huff.” Fatty Jiang breathed a sigh of relief. The other party was just trying to intimidate them. It seemed that he still intended to resolve the matter peacefully. He gave the film company representative a look.

The representative placed a black briefcase on the table, opened it towards Hou Longtao, revealing bundles of banknotes inside. “We express our sincerest apologies for the harm and fright that Sister Dai Jing, Sister Yao Lina, and Sister Liu Ying suffered. Here is 150,000 RMB [Renminbi, Chinese currency]. Please pass it on to them on behalf of Mr. Zhou. Although it can’t completely make up for Zai Zai’s mistakes, it’s at least a little compensation. As for Sister Xue Nuo, given Mr. Hou’s financial situation, we know that money can’t solve the problem. The head office is willing to take this opportunity to establish a long-term friendship with Dongxing Group.”

“Hehehe,” Liu Nan was very amused. “Did your company’s lawyer draft this?”

“Let’s not joke around,” Hou Longtao turned the money box in front of him. “150,000,” he grabbed the handle of the box and suddenly threw it towards the Taiwanese, scattering several bundles of money, which flew in the air. “Do you think mainland girls can all be bought with money?”

“Economic compensation is necessary.” The representative lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Hou Longtao’s sharp gaze.

“That’s right, economic compensation is necessary,” Er Dezi picked up a hundred-yuan bill scattered on the table and flicked it. “But our mainland girls are all very precious. At home, they are all princesses. Their families can’t bear to touch even a finger. But when they go outside, you scare them, touch them, and drug them. 50,000 per person is enough? 5 million is more like it.”

“This…”

“Hey, Lao Wu, don’t go too far,” Hou Longtao waved his hand. “3 million for those three girls, 1 million each. Within three days, have someone send the money to Manager Tang.”

“Mr. Hou, you’re being too insincere, aren’t you?” The film company representative showed a very disappointed expression.

“Are you a stupid Bī [a derogatory term]?” Hou Longtao grabbed a teacup from the table and threw it at the other party’s face.

“Ah!” The representative was quite alert. While screaming, he tilted his head and dodged the teacup, but his face had already turned pale with fright. “You… what are you doing?”

“3 million. If you’re short even one cent, your company can forget about filming in the mainland, your company’s contracted actors can forget about taking roles in the mainland, and your company’s films can forget about being shown in the mainland. Stupid Bī Taiwanese, do you understand what I’m saying?” Hou Longtao didn’t adopt his usual deep strategy, but came out aggressively from the start.

“3 million? Okay, I agree to this condition,” Fatty Jiang was the one who could really make the decision. The other party wasn’t just making wild threats. Judging from his understanding of him from the side, he had the ability to fulfill his threats. “Then how do we resolve Sister Xue Nuo’s matter?”

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Hou Longtao glanced at Fatty Jiang impatiently. “The matter of those three girls isn’t over yet.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t we already agree on 3 million?”

“That’s for mental damages, and it’s also his life-saving money,” Ma Lian pointed to Li Ke and Huang Qiang. “But punishment is still necessary,” he raised his head at Li Ke. “You’re from Beijing, right? You mixed-breed Bī, helping Taiwanese bastards bully your own sisters. You’re really bringing honor to Beijing men.”

“I… I…” Li Ke was about to wet his pants. Before he came, he was told that he was just coming to talk, and everything would be fine as long as he gave the money. Only when he arrived did he realize that it wasn’t like that at all. Judging from the situation, his life was in danger.

“You… you… you mother Bī!” Da Pang suddenly stood up. “Son of a Bī, I’ll give you two choices. Either let me beat you up, or I’ll drag all the Bī’s in your family out to be raped.”

Li Ke looked at the “black iron tower” in front of him, so frightened that he couldn’t even speak.

“Mr. Hou, isn’t this too out of line with the rules of the underworld?” In the current environment, Fatty Jiang couldn’t possibly confront the other party head-on, so he could only try to reason with him.

“Rules? We are the rules,” Hou Longtao waved his hand. “This is no longer your business. The three of you can get out now, or you can stay and watch the show.”

“Speak!” Da Pang rushed out, grabbed Li Ke’s neck, and lifted him from his chair. “Speak, do you want to suffer yourself, or do you want me to send your mother to sell Bī?”

“Myself… myself… come yourself… come yourself…” Li Ke grabbed Da Pang’s wrist with both hands, but couldn’t break it at all.

“Okay,” Da Pang pushed Li Ke out violently, and several Dongxing people grabbed him. “Take him in. You guys play with him first.”

Several hooligans pushed and dragged Li Ke towards the kitchen.

Da Pang turned his head and saw that Zhou Yumin and Huang Qiang were both lowering their heads. From their backs, he could tell that they were avoiding his eyes, giving people a feeling of covering their ears, as if they wouldn’t come looking for them if they didn’t look at him.

“I heard you take pictures of models, right?” Da Pang bent down and patted Huang Qiang’s shoulder.

Huang Qiang trembled violently, and then began to shiver. “I… am…”

“You’ve tricked a lot of girls under the guise of being a photographer, right?”

“No… no…”

“Don’t be afraid, it’s just a beating, you big man.”

“I… I’ll give you another… another 100,000… 100,000…”

Da Pang raised his eyes and looked at Hou Longtao.

Hou Longtao shook his head with a pout.

“Come with me.” Da Pang grabbed Huang Qiang’s collar from behind and dragged him away, knocking over his chair.

“I’m Taiwanese! I’m Taiwanese!” Huang Qiang began to struggle frantically, reaching behind his head to grab Da Pang’s arm, his legs kicking wildly, but he couldn’t slow down the speed of being dragged away at all. “I’m Taiwanese! You can’t do this to me!”

“Fuck you!” Da Pang threw Huang Qiang far away.

Several hooligans went up and started punching and kicking him, with several kicks landing squarely on Huang Qiang’s stomach, causing him to shut his mouth immediately.

Da Pang grabbed Huang Qiang’s collar again and dragged him and several others into the passage leading to the kitchen.

“Mr. Zhou.”

Zhou Yumin slowly raised his head, looking at the young man with a refined appearance across the table. “Ignorance… ignorance is bliss. I didn’t know she was your woman, otherwise I wouldn’t have touched the boss’s woman.”

Hou Longtao stood up, slowly walked around to Zhou Yumin’s side, pulled over the chair that Li Ke had just been sitting on, sat down, and sized him up from the side. “What do you think attracts girls?”

“No… nothing.”

“Don’t be too modest,” Hou Longtao reached out and patted Zhou Yumin’s fair face. “You rely on this face to make a living, right?”

“Mr. Hou,” Fatty Jiang sat down on the other side of Zhou Yumin and reached out to block Hou Longtao’s hand. “My boss told me not to let anything happen to Zai Zai. You can do whatever you want with those two just now, but we must resolve Zai Zai’s matter peacefully.”

If it were anything else, Hou Longtao would definitely give face if the other party made such a big concession, but today was different. He pushed Fatty Jiang’s hand away. “Why do you still have to come out and nag when I’ve made myself so clear?”

“Mr. Hou, don’t go too far. It won’t be good for anyone if we really tear up the agreement.”

“There are too many people at this table.” Hou Longtao pointed at Fatty Jiang with two fingers of his right hand.

Several people immediately came up and “pulled” the two Taiwanese away, pressing them on the chairs on the side, while Tang Jun wisely avoided them.

Long sat down on Zhou Yumin’s right, and Situ Qingying sat down on Hou Longtao’s left.

Hou Longtao stopped looking at Zhou Yumin, crossed his eight fingers together, and rested his chin on his two thumbs. “Xue Nuo is my beloved treasure. I promised her that I would protect her for life and not let anyone bully her, but you made me break my promise. Seeing her slapped in the face by you, my heart really ached to death. Every tear she shed was like a knife stabbing into my heart. How are you going to compensate my beloved girl? How are you going to compensate me?”

Zhou Yumin couldn’t answer such a question at all. “I’m a Taiwanese star. If… if something happens to me, someone will definitely investigate. Even if the mainland media can be bought off by you, the Taiwanese media will expose the truth.”

“You’re right. Although I’m not afraid of being exposed, there’s really no need to cause such trouble, so I won’t kill you, I won’t leave you with permanent disabilities, and I won’t ruin this face of yours that you use to make a living. I just want to give you a small lesson.” As he spoke, Hou Longtao grabbed Zhou Yumin’s left wrist and pressed his left hand on the table. “Did you use this hand to hit Nuo Nuo?”

“What are you doing!?” Zhou Yumin instinctively felt uneasy. While trying to pull his hand back, he tried to get up.

Long struck Zhou Yumin in the back with an elbow, and then pressed him firmly on the table.

Hou Longtao clenched Zhou Yumin’s wrist tightly, preventing his hand from moving.

“Wang Ba Dan [bastard], you touched my sister!” Situ Qingying stood up, flicked open the folding knife in her hand, and stabbed Zhou Yumin’s hand twice. “You touched my sister! You touched my sister!” She threw down the knife, picked up a four-pronged fork from the table, and drove it into the man’s hand with the force of a thousand pounds, piercing through his palm and nailing it to the wooden table. “I told you to touch my sister!”

“Ah…” Zhou Yumin screamed hoarsely. The first two stabs were very short, but the last one was really life-threatening. The fork wasn’t sharp at all, and it was completely tearing the flesh raw under the drive of brute force. The pain was unimaginable.

Hou Longtang picked up a napkin, wiped the blood splattered on his face, stood up, and patted Zhou Yumin’s head. “Don’t move. If you dare to move, I’ll nail your right hand too.”

Long and Situ Qingying both took two steps back.

“Ah… ah…” Zhou Yumin groaned from his throat. His face was pale, his face was covered in sweat, and his whole body was trembling slightly.

Hou Longtao slowly lifted the wooden chair he was sitting on, raising it above his head.

“No… don’t…” Zhou Yumin looked at the cold smile on the other party’s face, knowing what he was going to do, but he was already exhausted from the intense pain and couldn’t even move, let alone dodge or resist.

The wooden chair crashed down like Mount Tai, and the moment it came into contact with Zhou Yumin’s left arm, there was a loud “crack.” Due to the huge impact, the chair fell apart in the air, leaving only the backrest in Hou Longtao’s hand.

Zhou Yumin fainted without even screaming. His left hand was still nailed to the table, and his left arm was twisted to a degree that a normal person couldn’t reach, obviously with broken bones.

“Take off your clothes.” Wu Da pointed to Fatty Jiang.

The film company representative was already frightened, neither moving nor speaking.

Fatty Jiang probably saw a lot of this kind of scene when he was in Taiwan, and he didn’t have a nervous expression at all. He said with a gloomy face, “Hou Longtao, you’ve caused a lot of trouble.”

“Hmph,” Hou Longtao put on a cigarette with a look of disdain. “I told you to take off your clothes, don’t play dumb.”

“What do you mean?”

“You mother Bī,” Liu Nan looked incredulous, as if he hated iron for not becoming steel. “You Taiwanese Bī, you’re really troublesome. Help them take them off!”

Several hooligans swarmed up, along with Thin Song, who was still lying on the ground, pressed the three Taiwanese to the ground, and stripped them of all their clothes and pants except for their underwear.

“Brother Bing.” A hooligan put a still-running tape recorder that he had found on Thin Song in front of Wu Da.

“You dog Bī bumpkin, trying to play this game with us.” Hou Longtao shook his head and walked towards the kitchen…(The carp leaping over the dragon gate)