Chapter 28: Bearing It Together

At high noon, in front of Qi Jinlong’s lottery shop.

Wu Bei approached slowly, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Before leaving the hotel, he had taken a shower and shaved, making himself look much sharper. Deep down, Wu Bei was no saint, nor was he the type to risk his own skin for others. Especially over the past year, the grueling experience of begging for help everywhere had forged his resolve like tempered steel.

Yet, he hated trouble even more. The fact that he had moved house six times in two months just to dodge debt collectors was proof enough. The only reason he had chosen to show his face today was for Luo Hou. For now, he had no desire to cross paths with the Aoxue Group, so the fact that he had beaten up Han Wei must never be leaked.

As for paying out of his own pocket to settle the matter? That was out of the question! In his own words, he had experienced the life of squandering five-figure sums in a single day, and he had also felt the misery of checking his balance just to buy a bottle of water. To take money from his pocket was like taking his life.

Through the glass window, Wu Bei saw the lottery shop filled with a hazy cloud of smoke, occupied by at least a dozen people.

"Haven't moved in a while. Wonder if I've gotten rusty?"

He flicked away the cigarette butt, shook out his wrists, and a lazy smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. The disappearance of Wu Shihao was truly unbearable, but it also felt as if his shackles had been completely shattered! At the very least, he no longer had to fear anyone using the old man as leverage against him.

At this moment, he was like a tiger released from its cage, a dragon unleashed upon the sea—unstoppable!

He pulled open the sliding door, and the pungent, choking stench of smoke hit him instantly. Wu Bei saw Qi Jinlong and Luo Hou kneeling in the corner of the room at a glance. The two brothers had been stripped bare like skinned puppies, left with nothing but their briefs, each holding a brick high above their heads. Their bodies were covered in red welts—the marks of a belt.

"Brother, you finally came to save me!" Seeing Wu Bei, Luo Hou shouted at the top of his lungs, as if he had just seen his own kin.

"Bang!"

A young man raised his leg and kicked him. "Keep those bricks above your head! If you drop them again, I'll beat you until you bleed!"

"It's about the money, not the person. Why go this far, brother?" Wu Bei glanced at the youth, shook the travel bag in his hand, and cast his gaze toward the bald, fat man sitting on the counter.

The bald man weighed at least two hundred pounds. He was shirtless, his belly fat folding in layers, and his arms were covered in colorful tattoos that looked quite intimidating. His right arm was wrapped around a scantily clad young woman.

"You're Little Wu, right?" The bald man pushed the girl aside, stroked the gold chain on his neck—as thick as a little finger—and stood up.

"What I'm called doesn't matter. I'm not here to make friends." Wu Bei tossed the travel bag directly at the bald man and laughed with disdain. "Count it!"

"Zip..." The bald man immediately tore open the zipper, grabbed several bundles of brand-new bills, and his fat face bloomed into a smile as greasy as a woman's backside.

"Can you let them go now?" Wu Bei wasn't one for awkward formalities; he grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the table and tossed one to his lips.

"Brother, you're the real deal!" The bald man chuckled, gave a thumbs-up, and waved at his men. "Let them get out of here!"

Luo Hou and Qi Jinlong finally helped each other up and began to limp toward the door. As they passed Wu Bei, Qi Jinlong broke away from Luo Hou. He took a long look at Wu Bei, then turned to face the bald man. "Boss, I’ve been with you since I was sixteen. All these years, you told me to go east, and I never dared to go west. Is our bond really not worth more than half a million?"

"Cut the crap! Don't let me see you in Chong City ever again. Get lost!" The bald man grabbed a bundle of cash and smashed it brutally against Qi Jinlong’s face.

Qi Jinlong looked at the money at his feet, and tears welled up in his eyes instantly.

"Don't be a fool, take the free money. Get out of here first!" Wu Bei bent down, picked up the money, and shoved it into Qi Jinlong’s hand, then signaled to Luo Hou.

Luo Hou pulled at Qi Jinlong, but the latter stood frozen on the spot.

"Damn it! If we aren't leaving, then nobody’s leaving! At worst, we fight them! I’ve never taken a beating like this in my life!" Luo Hou let out a wild cry and grabbed a stool nearby.

"Heh..." The bald man sneered derisively. As he laughed, the dozen or so thugs in the room roared with laughter as well.

"Clatter!" The door was suddenly flung open, and Wang Shun stumbled in, panting, clutching a wooden beam.

"Why are you here?" The three of them looked at this honest, simple man in unison. Wu Bei frowned as he asked.

"Brothers face trouble together! Last night, the three of us swore an oath at that small restaurant. Even though we were drunk, you can't lie to Lord Guan!" Wang Shun’s lips were trembling violently, but his eyes were filled with resolve.

Luo Hou whispered, "Brother Shun, he’s worshipping Zhao Gongming."

"It’s all the same! You can’t touch my brothers!" Wang Shun waved the wooden beam, trying to bolster his own courage.

"I’ll grant you your brotherhood. Boys, take them all down!" The fat man gave a sinister grin and pointed at Wu Bei’s group.