Chapter 101: Going All Out

Wang Hu lay on the wooden plank bed in his rented room, which was utterly bare—not even a quilt to cover himself. This was to be his final refuge.

That afternoon, after smashing into Vice President Su’s office, a sense of unease gnawed at him. Suddenly, he wondered if Yang was playing a desperate ruse. According to solid intelligence, Yang’s relationship with Chen Aijia wasn’t ordinary; their quarrels were mere bickering, and not necessarily real disputes.

What if…

Wang Hu dared not think further. He packed his valuables and purchased a ticket for an early flight abroad the next morning. His visa had long been prepared; for him, readiness to flee at any moment was a constant state—he could never feel truly safe.

But this time, his anxiety was heavier than ever. He thought of Yang’s ruthlessness, his boss’s vast wealth and influence, and most of all, his own vulnerable position. None of the Five Tiger Generals were around; he had no protection. He knew that if Yang was truly playing a desperate game, this time he was done for.

He had over ten million dollars in his account—enough to live comfortably—but Wang Hu couldn’t bear to give up the huge sum he was about to seize. Besides the money extorted from the company, there was a cache of drugs weighing dozens of kilograms, worth a fortune.

Few knew that Big Dog was nothing more than a partner, or even a subordinate. Wang Hu controlled nearly half of the scattered narcotics in Jiangzhou, which brought him considerable profits. Yet, to win loyalty, Wang Hu gave Big Dog a generous share. Now, with his status, he no longer personally managed the Southeast Asian channels, delegating everything to Big Dog. This time, he wanted to secure the last sum and sever ties with Big Dog forever.

That brat was growing reckless and arrogant, ignorant of his own limits. Sooner or later, the police would take him down. Dealing with him abroad wouldn’t be safe either.

With these thoughts swirling, Wang Hu couldn’t sleep deep into the night. A wave of panic surged and ebbed—dry skin, a heavy chest, parched mouth and throat.

“No more thinking. Tomorrow, leave Jiangzhou. Safety comes first,” he resolved.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from outside the door.

Who was that?

Wang Hu immediately grabbed his pistol from the bedside, then hesitated and pulled out a grenade from his pocket. He tiptoed to the door.

This was an old residential building in a narrow alley of Jiangzhou, a row-house style with a corridor.

No one knew that this small courtyard had been rented by Wang Hu years ago; he had never come here before.

The knocking was slow and steady.

Who could it be?

A growing unease gripped Wang Hu. His instincts told him this was no friend.

“Who’s there?” Wang Hu whispered sharply, leaning against the door.

A voice came from outside, chilling his limbs—calm, yet filled with murderous intent.

“Open the door. Don’t make me open it myself. Trust me, you’ll suffer less that way.” It was Yang Changfeng’s voice.

So it was him. He had come.

Wang Hu shut his eyes tightly, tossed the pistol aside, clutched the grenade, yanked the door open, cocked the safety, and warned in a low growl, “Don’t move or—”

Before he could finish, Yang Changfeng slammed a foot into his stomach. Wang Hu cried out in pain, his hand slipping off the safety.

In front of this man, he had never summoned the courage to fight to the bitter end. Yang seemed his nemesis.

Yang stepped inside the tiny room—less than eighty square meters, utterly empty.

He switched on the light, glanced around, and returned to the doorway where Wang Hu slumped against the wall, grenade discarded.

Picking it up, Yang raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Ah, American-made. You play rough, huh?”

Wang Hu forced a dry voice, struggling to say, “Why?”

Yang chuckled. “No choice. Since you refuse to live right, I’ve got to teach you a lesson. Let’s go. You can’t escape death by your crimes, and living will be no easier. Considering you’ve at least built some empire, I won’t make this hard for you. You know what to do.”

Wang Hu never imagined he lacked the courage to end his own life. The pistol was right there, the grenade nearby—if he fought hard, maybe he could escape. But he couldn’t even summon the strength to reach out.

“Return the money to the company. Whatever you took, pay it back. The ‘profits’ you made have a special agency to deal with—I’m not involved. It’s your problem now,” Yang said as he squatted opposite him, idly spinning the pistol, calm and detached. “Also, tell me where Big Dog is. You know, that’s what I really want to know.”

Wang Hu was silent for a moment, then spat out four words: “Asian Bar.”

It was a chain bar, reportedly owned by a well-known real estate tycoon in Jiangzhou.

Yang smiled. “That’s more like it. Don’t hold back with me—say whatever you know.”

Wang Hu lifted his head. “Why help Chen?”

“She’s my wife,” Yang shrugged. “Though we haven’t registered the marriage yet, but I guess I don’t have much choice.”

Wang Hu chuckled bitterly. Truly a madman.

“What about the company guys?” Wang Hu knew that Yang’s arrival here meant he had already turned his trusted men’s loyalties. He didn’t want to know how or who broke first—only that from now on, he had nothing left.

Yang clapped his hands. “Don’t mention them. None are any good. Now they’re busy cleaning up.”

The door opened silently. Two plainclothes anti-drug officers entered, eyes cold as ice. They tossed handcuffs onto Wang Hu’s legs. “Let’s go.”

They refused to waste words on drug dealers. Their brothers, comrades, had sacrificed too much; even a single word felt like desecrating their spirits. Justice had finally caught this great drug lord.

“Head to the Asian Bar. Big Dog’s there,” Yang said.

The two nodded; one stepped into the corridor to make a call, the other leaned against the wall, waiting for Wang Hu to stand.

Wang Hu reached into his pocket. No one paid him any attention.

He pulled out a pack of cigarettes—Red Plum, five yuan a pack.

Lighting one, he inhaled deeply in satisfaction and asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll resist?”

The plainclothes officer smiled faintly, face worn. “If you break into pieces, I’d be overjoyed.”

To them, every day Wang Hu lived was the worst outcome. If he dared to kill himself, it would be the best.

Wang Hu smiled bitterly, murmuring, “One thing I’ll never understand in this life: you risk your lives for so little money. What are you really after?”

The officer smiled weakly, eyes weary. “We dare not ignore it, so we have no choice but to risk it all.”

Such men commanded profound respect.

No one is born great; all greatness is forced upon them.