Hong Kong film: People in Wo Luen Shing, summoning the King of Fighters.

When she woke up the next day, it was already 11:30 a.m. Leona had gotten up sometime earlier, and there were clean, neatly folded clothes on the bedside table.

Jialu felt a little disappointed for a second and ran off without saying goodbye. But he quickly recovered from that disappointment; what kind of man would be so immersed in emotions?

He sat up in bed, took a refreshing shower, and dressed in the clothes Leanna had prepared before leaving. As he passed through the living room, he saw a note on the table.

He picked it up and saw that it said, "There's rice in the pot." He couldn't help but grin. He draped his coat over the chair "417," went to the kitchen, opened the pot, and found a bowl of mushy noodles with a fried egg on top.

"Idiot, don't you know noodles can't be left out for long?"

He complained as he took out the noodles, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and sat down to eat. To be honest, the noodles didn't taste very good, and they were a bit cold.

But he ate it all, then let out a satisfied burp. He put the bowl on the table, went to his bedroom to find paper and pen, and wrote, "The noodles tasted good, but remember to cook less next time, otherwise you'll feel bloated."

As soon as he left Leona's house, Nine-Headed Body was already waiting downstairs in his car. As soon as he got in, he said to Nine-Headed Body, "To the main building."

Around 1:30 p.m., the car stopped in front of the main hall. The two short, stocky gatekeepers at the entrance quickly came forward to greet him.

Chen Jialuo casually pulled out two Hong Kong dollars from his wallet and handed them to them. Their fawning smiles widened, and they practically kowtowed to the ground.

He asked the short mule guarding the gate, "Has Dapu Hei come over yet?"

The short mule said, "He didn't come over, but Big D did. When he came, his face was ashen. I don't know what happened. He came out with a long face too."

Another short mule said obsequiously, "It must be because the election of the leader was found to have cheated, and they were dissatisfied, so they came to the main hall to cause trouble."

Chen Jialuo looked at them with amusement and said, "Judging from your tone, you have quite a few complaints about him."

The two short, stocky gatekeepers exchanged a glance. One of them, the taller one, said, “To be honest, we both have a lot of grudges against Big Pu Hei and Big D. These two bosses only come to headquarters once a month, but every time they do, they scold us. We don’t know what we did to offend them. Whenever we see them, we wish we could just lower our heads.”

The shorter one said, "I know why Dapu Hei is like this. Once, when you, Prince Luo, gave us a tip, he saw it. He was jealous or unhappy, so he started messing with us."

Chen Jialuo said with a laugh, "So, it's still my problem after all."

The shorter man quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, I'm not good with words and don't know how to say it. But Brother Luo, you're the best to us, and we're willing to do anything for you."

The taller man quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, we're willing to do anything for you."

This means they've come to surrender.

Jialuo raised an eyebrow. A seventh-rank gatekeeper at the Prime Minister's residence might be of some use. He said, "Alright, I understand. If I need your help, Jiu Tou Shen will contact you."

He gestured with his lips as he spoke.

The nine-headed creature raised a hand towards the two short mules and said, "Brothers." This address made the two short mules grin from ear to ear.

Chen Jialuo arrived at the hall with ease. Deng Wei was eating something in the hall, and his advisor Su was sitting next to him. The two of them were talking.

He laughed and called out, "Grandpa, Master Su!"

Hearing the voice, the two looked up. Deng Wei smiled and waved to him, saying, "You've come at the right time. Sit down and have something to eat with me. There's some sweet and sour fish here that you like. I haven't even touched it yet."

Chen Jialuo took off his coat, revealing a white shirt underneath. His underling draped the coat over his arm, and Chen sat down casually, laughing as he said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Deng Wei instructed his advisor, Su, to fetch a set of bowls and chopsticks, the best set available. Su smiled and got up to agree, and soon brought out a set of blue and white porcelain bowls and chopsticks.

The bowls and chopsticks are quite valuable, carved by a top master craftsman. Deng Wei doesn't have many hobbies; one is fishing, and the other is collecting.

He has collected many valuable items, such as bowls, dishes, and vases from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as ancient coins and paintings. However, his most expensive piece is a painting titled "Returning Home on a Snowy Night" by Tang Bohu, one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties. Its market value is estimated at 10 million yuan, and it remains unavailable even at a high price.

"I'm really afraid of accidentally breaking these bowls and chopsticks when I use them to eat or pick up food," Chen Jialuo joked with a smile.

Deng Wei laughed and said, "It's alright if you broke it, but if it had been damaged by something else, I'd have to demand an explanation." He then picked up a piece of chicken, chewed it, swallowed it, and said, "Ah Luo, you deserve the most credit for this. What reward do you want? Just tell me, and as long as Grandpa can do it, I will."

Chapter 443 I Want to Implement Internal Reforms

Da Pu Hei's position as leader was revoked due to drug trafficking. Da D, who was originally slated to replace him, was also disqualified for cheating. This was unprecedented in the history of the Wo Luen Shing. As the situation escalated, with Chen Jialuo's help and Deng Wei's behind-the-scenes manipulation, some have proposed that he continue as leader for another term.

Voting starts tomorrow, and it's obvious the result will be a success. He's already celebrating. Chen Jialuo smiled, picked up a piece of sweet and sour fish, and chewed it.

After eating it, he said, "Since Grandpa said so, I won't hide it anymore. I want to carry out reforms within my branch."

Deng Wei was taken aback and asked, "Reform? What reform?"

Chen Jialuo said, "It's about operating everything under the company name, registering all the venues under my control as companies, and making the big shots into managers or something like that. I'm the general manager, and you're the chairman. We'll make it more professional."

As soon as he said that, the advisor Su immediately became restless. He frowned and said disapprovingly, "If we register everything as a company, wouldn't that be equivalent to completely whitewashing our past and abandoning tradition? What kind of triad or gang would I be then? No way! I don't agree!"

He felt disgusted, believing that Chen Jialuo had abandoned the old rules and disrupted the stability of the commune members. What chairman, general manager, and manager titles? This is nothing compared to what we have now; it's all so neither modern nor traditional.

The more he thought about it, the tighter his wrinkles became, the creases almost enough to trap a fly.

Chen Jialuo said, "What is tradition? Master Su, the tradition still tells us to use only our fists. That's what makes a real gangster. Now, Zhao Yang is using machetes, steel pipes, and guns all at once. Some old traditions should be discarded. They're like an old lady's foot binding cloth—smelly and long, making people uncomfortable."

He picked up another piece of sweet and sour fish with his chopsticks, but didn't eat it, leaving it in his bowl. He casually fiddled with it, saying, "As for 'whitewashing,' that's even more interesting. What was our original intention? To make money. As long as we make money, we don't care about the underworld or the legitimate world; it's all good. Those cops are legitimate, but some of them are even more ruthless than us. This shows that it's just a facade, useless. Moreover, I have a feeling that Hong Kong will undergo earth-shattering changes in the near future. Reforming at this time is the wisest thing to do. If we wait any longer, we'll make less money."

The advisor, Su, waved his hand and refused, saying, "I won't listen. I won't listen to your twisted theories. I just can't accept your reforms. We're making money just the way we are now. There's no reason to go through all that fancy stuff."

Deng Wei took a cigarette from the pack, and Chen Jialuo, ever observant, took out a lighter and lit it for him. Jialuo didn't care whether his advisor Su agreed or not, or even if he listened. As long as Deng Wei agreed and listened, that was enough.

He had originally considered doing it privately, but there were too many people within the Lian Sheng Group causing him trouble, so it was better to just talk to Deng Wei directly and get his approval; then there wouldn't be any problems. Deng Wei would cover for him.

Deng Wei understood this clearly. He was weighing the pros and cons, choosing the lesser of two evils. After finishing his cigarette, he spoke, "Okay, let's do it your way. But keep a low profile, otherwise it'll get back to me and cause trouble. Also, since this is a pilot reform, you need to write down both the good and bad aspects."

Chen Jialuo's heart skipped a beat. He knew Deng Wei would agree, but he was still very happy when he actually did. He said, "Okay, Grandpa, don't worry, I will definitely write it well and share it with everyone if it's successful, so that everyone can earn more money." Deng Wei glanced at him and said, "You are quite confident in your reform."

Chen Jialuo said, "Of course, otherwise why would I do these things? I must think there's something to be gained."

Master Su shook his head. He strongly opposed Deng Wei's decision, but he had no way to stop it, so he could only let it go. He said indifferently, "It's just changing the name. What benefits can it bring? It's just a vanity project."

Before he could finish speaking, Jialuo interrupted, "Time will tell. Let's wait and see."

What appears to be a change in name is actually an organizational restructuring, transforming the branch into a sophisticated and streamlined company. This saves time and effort by assigning specific tasks to specific individuals, preventing the chaos that occurred before the reforms.

A task is assigned to several people, but none of them can accomplish anything, or the task simply cannot be assigned to anyone, causing it to stall in the first stage.

Su wouldn't understand these things, and Jialuo wouldn't explain them to him; he would only quietly develop and strengthen himself.

"What Alo said makes a lot of sense. Time will tell," Deng Wei said with a smile.

Chapter 444 What do you think of the skewer business?

He regained control of his power. Those who had disrespected him, now realizing the gravity of the situation, fawned over him even more than before. It felt like drinking an ice-cold beer in summer or eating hot pot in winter—incredibly intoxicating.

"Jiang Tianyang's birthday is coming up, and he sent out birthday invitations. You'll come with me. Also, I have a task for you: pick out a handsome rooster."

Jialuo was a little confused and asked, "I've only ever heard of giving someone an old hen to make soup for health, I've never heard of giving someone a rooster."

Deng Wei looked at him with a smile and said, "Your knowledge is a bit shallow, you don't even know much about common folk knowledge. Master Su, what kind of master do you think you are? Why don't you give A Luo a lesson?"

Su, the advisor who was still feeling annoyed, was startled when he suddenly heard Deng Wei shout. He looked at Deng Wei blankly, having not heard what Deng Wei had just said. He awkwardly touched his nose and asked, "What kind of tutoring?"

Deng Wei glanced at him sideways and said, "Your ears are stuffed with something. You can't hear me even when I'm talking so close. A Luo asked you why you gave a rooster instead of a hen for your birthday."

The advisor, Su, said, "Ask about that? Giving someone an old hen is mainly about wishing them good health and showing concern for their well-being. Giving someone a rooster has an extra layer of meaning. The rooster is the earthly embodiment of the Pleiades star god, and the rooster's name is a homophone for fairness. With fairness comes justice, so it represents a blessing for the family to have peace and happiness year after year, and for fairness and justice to always prevail."

"Fairness and justice?" Chen Jialuo blinked and said, "Offering fairness and justice to a triad boss? Isn't that insane?"

Is this a blessing or a curse?

"Hahaha, you don't understand. After it's delivered, the attack will definitely be stewed and eaten. Eating up fairness and justice means he'll be safe and sound for years to come, right?" Master Su explained.

His explanation truly stunned Jialuo. He thought to himself, "To think he could explain it like that? Amazing! What a madman!" But whether he was mad or not didn't matter. He'd just do whatever Deng Wei told him to do. Even if the gift didn't please Jiang Tianyang, it wasn't his problem.

However, he couldn't help but offer another explanation: In folk tradition, important matters have important principles, and these principles need to be governed by rules and regulations. The less important principles in minor matters are insignificant and don't necessarily need to be taken so seriously. For example, on New Year's Eve, the old image of the Kitchen God is swept away. What's burned isn't the Kitchen God's power, but rather the hope that he can use the fire to ascend to heaven and report on the family's situation, perhaps even mentioning some luxurious aspects.

That's pretty much the gist of it; whether it lives or dies depends on how the person who sent it interprets it. Thinking this way, he felt much better.

He said, "That makes sense. It seems I really need to brush up on this common sense."

The advisor, Su, nodded and said, "It should indeed be made up." He didn't care whether Chen Jialuo was telling the truth or not; he just gave that answer anyway.

While eating, Deng Wei asked urgently, "Have you heard about the collaboration between Chuan Bao and the Datuk?"

Chen Jialuo ate the sweet and sour fish he had picked up with his chopsticks, then put them down and said, "He's so eager to announce this to the world, it's hard not to know about it."

Ever since he got that contract, he's been all smiles, always looking up at people, and constantly slapping them with his nose in the air. It's funny to see him like that; people secretly laugh at him for being sold out and still counting money for the Datuk, completely oblivious to the fact that he's been sold out.

Deng Wei took the towel from the maid, wiped his mouth, and tossed it on the table. He looked at Chen Jialuo and asked, "What do you think? What do you think of his business?"

The maid brought a washbasin with an unused towel soaking in it. Chen Jialuo took it out of the basin, wrung it out, wiped his face with it, and then dried his hands.

He said, "I think it's alright."

Before he could finish speaking, Deng Wei pointed at him, a glint of shrewdness in his cloudy old eyes, and said, "Tell the truth."

Chen Jialu chuckled, lifting his lowered eyelids slightly, and said, "You really can't hide anything from me, Grandpa. Okay, to be honest, I don't think Datuk is very trustworthy. He's just here to swindle money from Wo Shing Wo. The contract that Chuan Po signed with him is very likely a trap, and signing it could lead to his bankruptcy."

He took a sip of tea, paused, and said, "But these are all just my speculations. I don't know if they're true or not. If you hadn't asked me, Grandpa, I would have been buried in the ground and wouldn't have said a word even in death."

Upon hearing this, Deng Wei picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. The warm tea slid down his esophagus and into his stomach, and immediately he felt a churning in his stomach. He frowned involuntarily and said, "You're quite clever. I was fooled by this Datuk. A couple of days ago, my man went to Malaysia on some business and happened to run into the Malaysian government looking for the Datuk, saying he was involved in fraud, gambling, and other activities, and the police were prosecuting him. I didn't expect him to run off to Hong Kong."

Chapter 445 Do you want to hear the truth or the lies?

At this point, Deng Wei looked at Chen Jialuo and asked, "What do you think should be done about this?"

Chen Jialuo countered Deng Wei's question, "Grandpa, do you want me to tell the truth or a lie?"

Deng Wei laughed and said, "Tell me the truth or a lie."

Chen Jialuo smiled slightly and said, "The lie is to tell Chuanbao right now that he's been scammed, and before things get out, quickly find a way to back out. He will undoubtedly suffer some losses, but it's a matter of cutting off one's arm to save oneself. As long as one's reputation is intact, money can always be earned back."

"The truth is, the main thing is to let things take their course and not care at all." He looked at Deng Wei as he said this. "I used to be the shortest mule among the short mules under the gang leader. When Big Brother Ba Bi was around, he took care of me a couple of times. But I paid off 417 back when I was the boss of Causeway Bay. Some time ago, he tried to get something out of me for nothing and tried to persuade me to sell heroin. I won't go into details about all the things he did."