Chapter 22: Grandpa, You Mustn’t!

The arrogant old man at the head of the table finally spoke: "Get out!"

Agang tried to push back: "Boss, he...!"

Luo Bingrun looked at him with a dark expression and stood up abruptly. Every time he saw this idiot, he got a splitting headache. The man was a stubborn piece of work.

"I told you to get out," the leader roared. "Are you deaf? Is your skin itching for a beating, or do you just not take me seriously as your boss!"

"Oh!"

Agang lowered his head, crestfallen, and prepared to leave.

At that moment, Luo Bingrun shouted to everyone present: "Whoever dares to leak the news of Sha Meng's death outside will be dealt with according to the gang's rules!"

"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Understood!"

The crowd responded in unison, not daring to disobey.

As Agang passed Liu Haizhu, he muttered under his breath: "Damn him, this doesn't count. I'll find you again tonight to settle this!"

*Whack!*

"I told you to get out!"

Luo Tuo grabbed the heavy iron ashtray from the table and hurled it like a meteor, smashing it into the guy's back!

"Aow!"

With a miserable shriek, Agang’s thick legs moved like wheels of fire—faster than anyone could believe. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

"You all go too," Luo Tuo said, looking at Situ Sang and the others. "Zhiwei, stay behind."

"Yes!" replied Kongjun Hua.

"Boss," Situ Sang asked, "what about Sha Meng...?"

"A piece of trash like that has no business holding the title of Five Tigers!" Luo Tuo glared sharply at Situ Sang, who met his gaze despite the pressure. There was reverence in Situ Sang’s eyes, but only a little.

Uncle Ben tried to smooth things over: "Forget it. Sha Meng was your man. Now that he's dead, his territory belongs to you."

Situ Sang withdrew his gaze, bowed with a dark face, and said, "Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Uncle Ben!" He then squinted at the young man standing in the room, rose, and left with Ah Hua.

...

Liu Haizhu went to the side to grab a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, washed the blood off his hands, opened another bottle, and downed it in one go. Refreshing.

After Situ Sang and Kongjun Hua left, several Dongsheng disciples ran in with a stretcher to haul away the now-deceased Sha Meng. Following them, others came in with heads bowed to scrub the floor, wipe away the stains, and light incense.

After the whole process was done, looking at the clean, shiny floor and smelling the faint scent of sandalwood, even Liu Haizhu felt a bit dazed. Was everything that had just happened real? Why did it feel so much like a movie?

...

Once the hall was completely quiet, Luo Tuo glanced at Uncle Ben and asked with a smirk, "Your name is Liu Haizhu, right?"

Liu Haizhu’s personality had been set since he was a child; he had never liked anyone from the underworld. Hearing the old man call him, he turned his head and raised an eyebrow: "That's me. What of it?"

Luo Bingrun gestured toward Liu Haizhu and said to Uncle Ben: "The young man is quite handsome, so why is he so hot-headed?"

"Hehe, he does have style," Uncle Ben said, looking at Liu Haizhu with a meaningful gaze. "No worse than 'Handsome Nan' from Hongle."

"Hehe." Ding Zhiwei chuckled along, though he had a question in his heart: the boss had dismissed everyone else, so why keep him here?

...

"Liu Haizhu, orphan, mainlander, currently residing in Hubei Province, working at the Huang'an County Land Management Office." A man beside Luo Bingrun read the file aloud.

Before Liu Haizhu could speak, Zhiwei chimed in: "Boss, what kind of place is this Land Management Office?"

"Hmm," Uncle Ben mused, "it should be similar to our Lands Department."

Upon hearing this, Zhiwei smiled. As long as he wasn't a cop from the mainland, that was fine. Those people were incredibly annoying, and their ability to catch you off guard was insane. They were all cold as ice, yet their acting skills were heaven-defying.

Liu Haizhu listened to their conversation in silence, feeling deeply annoyed by these people. They were criminals who bullied the weak and broke the law daily. Back home, he would have beaten them until they couldn't find their teeth, yet here he was, forced to sit and chat with them. He thought of Uncle Wan, thought of Yang Mi, and then thought of that damned mission.

*Fine, I'll endure it!*

Luo Tuo appeared to be chatting casually, but he was actually observing the young man closely, noticing every detail. Seeing that the boy was solemn and humorless, he asked: "Where is the USB drive?"

"Here." Liu Haizhu took it out of his pocket and tossed it to him without a second thought, then pointed to the door: "Can I leave now?"

The two old men, seasoned and cunning, exchanged a subconscious look. Their expressions actually relaxed. Whether someone was putting on an act or faking it, they couldn't hide it from their eyes.

On the contrary, 'Smiling Tiger' Zhiwei felt his heart skip a beat. *How ruthless.* It had been years since anyone dared to speak to the Dragon Head of the triad like that.

...

"Leave?" Seeing this young man who reminded him of his own youth, the old man almost laughed with frustration. His dignity as the gang leader would not be offended!

Luo Bingrun’s face darkened instantly: "Young man, you’ve offended Hongle. Even if you walk out this door, I doubt you’ll make it out of Hong Kong!"

Liu Haizhu glared at him impatiently: "That’s my business!"

Luo Bingrun’s bad temper was well-known in the underworld.

"Phew!" Luo Bingrun forced himself to pull a kinder expression onto his aged face: "Handsome, you saved my granddaughter. How about joining Dongsheng? Don't worry, you won't have to start as a low-level grunt. I will promote you in the name of a Dongsheng Hall Master; I’ll guarantee you become a Red Pole immediately, promote you to a Double-Flower Red Pole within a year, and nominate you for Hall Master within three..."

"Hehe!" Liu Haizhu waved his hand before he could finish: "No thanks. I have no interest!"

*Whoosh!*

The stubborn man turned around and started to walk away.

"How bold!" Luo Bingrun slammed the table: "You killed a Dongsheng Hall Master—do you think you can just walk away!"

The pressure surged, filling the entire hall.

...

*Bang!* The door was pushed open. Luo Yingsi, who had been eavesdropping outside, saw her grandfather losing his temper and rushed in like a gust of wind.

That orange-clad figure was like a dream, etched into Liu Haizhu’s complex and mesmerized eyes.

*Whoosh!* Luo Yingsi flashed in front of Liu Haizhu and shouted: "Grandpa! You can't!" The girl bit her lip, her eyes full of defiance.

...

"Hehe, you, sit down." Uncle Ben, his face wobbling with fat, pulled the furious Luo Tuo back down and smiled: "Let me handle this!"

*Step, step.* Uncle Ben walked toward Liu Haizhu and patted his shoulder: "Comrade Little Liu, that’s what you call each other over there, right?"

Liu Haizhu glanced at the old man, then gently took the girl's hand and sat down to the side. Luo Yingsi blushed, and surprisingly, she did not refuse, only stealing a glance at him. *Not bad, he looks decent.*

Liu Haizhu shrugged at the fat old man. He was reckless, but he wouldn't do anything to this kind-looking old man, even though he knew exactly what this person did for a living!

Liu Haizhu opened his mouth: "Old man, don't call me 'Comrade.' You're old, just call me Zhuzi."

Uncle Ben smiled and waved his hand: "Hehe, right. Sit, let's talk."

Liu Haizhu narrowed his eyes: "You talk, I'll listen."