A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 71 The Man with the Golden Hand

Xiao Jiang's lunch today is hot pot.

The club president wanted his library card, and he took the opportunity to jokingly ask for a small favor, deciding to treat himself to a nice meal at noon.

The most famous hot pot restaurant at Southwest Pier No. 2 isn't even a storefront, but rather a shed made of plastic sheeting.

Thick yellow electrical wires crisscrossed on the ground, with sockets extending under each table, induction cookers plugged into them, and bubbling soup on the tabletops.

The bright red broth is mostly made from hand-stirred chili oil, so it's not that spicy. After dipping vegetables in the broth, they become both numbing and fragrant.

The people who come here to eat are all connected to the underworld and are keen to discuss gang affairs. The Black Spider's attack on Yan Xiong's birthday banquet a couple of days ago is a hot topic of conversation among them.

"...You didn't expect that Black Spider and Yan Xiong would fight to the death, and in the end, the territory on both sides ended up in the hands of a new face. This new boss is no ordinary person. I heard that he has been working under Yan Xiong for several years, and no one has seen his abilities. He waited for this opportunity to make a decisive move."

"Is he really that powerful? I heard he was Steel Wrist's second-in-command who first secretly stirred things up, letting Yan Xiong steal Black Spider's goods, then betrayed Yan Xiong, letting Black Spider come to their door, and only made his move at the very end, killing both bosses?"

"Yan Xiong is a tough guy, and Black Spider's legs aren't just for show. This newcomer who managed to snag this opportunity must be quite capable. My cousin was working there and saw it with his own eyes. That new boss's fists are as big as watermelons, and even his teeth are made of pure steel, crackling and sparking..."

"Hahahaha!!"

Xiao Jiang, who was sitting there alone, slapped the table and burst into laughter.

"What kind of fist is that, the size of a watermelon, with a mouthful of steel teeth? Do you think he's some old-fashioned cyborg from a movie from twenty years ago?"

A man in a floral shirt standing nearby, dissatisfied, shouted, "You say it's not like that? Then you tell me, your information is more accurate than mine."

Xiao Jiang leisurely picked up a fish ball: "I'm actually more accurate than you. I was at the Jinli Hotel that night and personally experienced the fire. The new boss is my buddy. If you don't believe me, go and find out."

These people were eating hotpot and drinking heavily, their words a mix of truth and fiction, just for the fun of it all. As soon as he said that, someone immediately shouted.

"Then tell me, what exactly is your new boss like?"

Xiao Jiang replied, "Our boss is a handsome man with fair skin and tender flesh. You can't see any signs of modification on his face. But he has a precious sword in his hand that can cut through iron like mud. Once he starts wielding it, it's like a windmill, so smooth and impenetrable that water can't get in."

The floral shirt scoffed: "How could it be possible without modifications?"

"Haven't you heard of bionic prosthetics? They look exactly like real hands. The cost of just one finger is enough to feed you for a year."

Xiao Jiang chewed on the fish balls, feeling the attention of everyone. He put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, picked up his beer glass, and his face became excited in the steam of the hot pot. "The fight he had with Black Spider, it was those seemingly delicate hands that smashed into those two legs made of bronze and iron, one punch and there was a dent."

"With a clanging sound, just like a lathe, figures flashed by, and the ground shook. In less than ten rounds, Black Spider was lying on the ground, barely breathing."

The people at the next table laughed; some didn't believe him, while others urged him to say more.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over Xiao Jiang from behind.

When Xiao Jiang turned around, he saw that the man had thick black hair that hung down to his neck, one eye was normal and the other was completely white, he was wearing a suit and bow tie, his chest muscles were bulging, and he was more than a head taller than him.

"What you said makes a good point. Our eldest brother would like to invite you to have a chat."

Xiao Jiang was a little scared, but still stubbornly insisted, "You think I'll go just because you tell me to? Who's your older brother?"

The one-eyed man in the suit stretched out a hand, his gloved hand directly lifting the boiling hot pot. He deliberately lingered in his hand for a few seconds before placing it on the table next to him.

The tabletop was so hot that a layer of white smoke rose up.

"This ingredient isn't fresh, my older brother will treat you to something better."

The fingertips of the leather gloves were burned off, revealing the steel-colored fingers underneath.

Everyone turned their attention away. Xiao Jiang didn't dare to say anything and followed him nervously for several hundred meters until they reached a place where many large containers were piled up at the dock.

One of the large shipping containers had its door open, and inside it turned out to be a cold storage room.

The surroundings were chilling, with various kinds of meat on display, including a large salmon that was nearly a meter long being gutted on the counter next to it.

But steam was rising from the middle of the container.

A man with a stubble beard but his hair was neatly combed back was eating hot pot in the cold storage room.

Xiao Jiang immediately noticed the man's hands. The hands that held the bowl and chopsticks were a dark gold color, and the palms and backs of his hands were covered with many symmetrical geometric patterns, which probably served to prevent slipping.

"Brother Hao, we've met someone who knows the inside story."

One-Eyed Dragon stood behind the man with the golden hand.

The man with the golden hand raised his head, glanced at Xiao Jiang, and smiled kindly, "Don't be nervous. Erlang may look fierce, but he's actually a nice guy. Sanlang, get a seat for this young man and bring him a bowl and chopsticks."

Besides Xiao Jiang, there were four other people in the cold storage: the man with the golden hands, the one-eyed man, the chef cutting fish over there, and a handsome young man in a silver-gray suit with white gloves. He went to the boxes at the back and brought over bowls, chopsticks, and stools.

Seeing this attitude, Xiao Jiang's earlier smugness vanished completely. He smiled awkwardly and said, "No, thank you, brother. Is there anything you want to ask?"

"Hey, don't rush, sit down and chat. The fish over there is good for eating raw, but this meat is only really delicious when cooked in hot pot."

The man with the golden hands picked up a plate of beef and handed it to Xiao Jiang.

Inside the stainless steel rectangular plate, the bright red beef, with its fat distributed exceptionally evenly, resembles snowflakes and rubies, making it incredibly tempting.

Xiao Jiang took the plate with both hands and sat down awkwardly.

"Here, have a taste."

Upon hearing the invitation again, Xiao Jiang picked up a slice of beef and put it into the hot pot.

The golden-handed man paused, put down his chopsticks, and his smile deepened: "Is Black Spider truly dead?"

"yes."

"Yan Xiong is gone too?"

"Yes."

Xiao Jiang had never eaten it before, but he had heard that the best meat shouldn't be left in the hot pot for too long. He timed it carefully and, seeing that the meat slices had completely changed color, he stuffed them into his mouth.

The smooth and delicious texture made him squint his eyes and exclaim involuntarily, "It's really delicious."

"Hehehehe!!"

The man with the golden hand laughed. His laughter seemed to come entirely from his Adam's apple, with a trembling, impactful sound and a very unique timbre. "If you like it, eat more. Yan Xiong and I have some connections."

Xiao Jiang's eyes lit up, and he picked up another piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it in, saying, "So you're Boss Yan's friend."

"I also have some connections with Black Spider."

Xiao Jiang's smile froze instantly.

The man with the golden hand chuckled and continued, "Yan Xiong calls me Brother Hao, and Black Spider calls me Godfather. Although I have quite a few godsons, Black Spider recently borrowed money from me, so I remember him a bit better."

"Now that he's gone, it's only natural that the blame falls on you, the new boss."

Xiao Jiang quickly put down her chopsticks and said, "I don't know anything about this."

The man with the golden hand said, "Oh, you don't know? Then do you know how to contact your new boss?"

"I don't know either."

Xiao Jiang stood up nervously and said, "I won't lie to you, brother. Actually, I was just bragging. I don't know our new boss at all. I am indeed one of Yan Xiong's men, but I've only seen the new boss from afar. It's no use coming to me about this debt."

The golden-handed man's smile faded slightly. He looked at him, shook his head, and said, "You're lying. Why bother? With your limited perspective, you probably don't understand our views. In fact, since Black Spider is dead, it proves that your new boss is a more capable person. My meeting with him to discuss the debt was also to give him a pretext to facilitate future cooperation."

"Take out your phone. I'm not exactly a super busy person, but I do have my share of things to do. I can only wait here for your boss for half an hour at most. If we miss this opportunity to cooperate, I don't know if you'll be able to handle the responsibility in the future."

Under his indifferent gaze, Xiao Jiang hesitated for a while, feeling undecided. In the end, she took out her phone and dialed the number slowly and deliberately.

Just as I finished dialing the number and was about to press the call button, the phone was suddenly snatched away.

That Saburo, I don't know when, stood next to him and took his phone.

Xiao Jiang shouted, "What are you doing? Give it to me!"

He tried to grab it, but the golden-handed man sitting across the table suddenly stood up, leaning over the table with most of his body, and slapped him in the chest.

With a bang, Xiao Jiang flew out of the container and rolled several times on the ground.

The one-eyed man went out and dragged him back.

Blood was flowing from Xiao Jiang's mouth and nose. She was weak all over and looked in horror at the golden-handed man who had returned to his original position.

"You, you..."

"Take him aside, make a phone call, and tell that person to come see me within half an hour."

The man with the golden hands wiped his hands with a napkin and casually gave a few instructions.

Erlang and Sanlang nodded and led Xiao Jiang to a corner.

The chef brought over a plate of sashimi on a white porcelain plate, along with sauce, wasabi, and a brand new pair of chopsticks.

Just as the man with the golden hand was about to make a move, his phone rang. He took it out, glanced at it, raised an eyebrow, and answered.

"Hey, Hao-ge, didn't you say you and your three brothers were coming back today? Where are they?"

The man with the golden hand chuckled, "Second Brother Yun, I don't need to report to you where I am or what I'm doing, do I?"

A bold voice came from the other end of the phone, along with the whistling wind. The person speaking was probably standing by the sea, facing the strong wind.

"What do you mean by 'reporting'? It won't be long before the old man's precious darling turns eighteen for his birthday party, will it?"

"There are nine of us siblings, so we're practically his older siblings. We can't be stingy with our gifts. I'm just reminding you because I know you're a busy person."

The man with the golden hand laughed and said, "No need for you to worry about it. You can send whatever you want. I'll just send myself a small portion. I don't think the old leader will mind.

He hung up the phone immediately, a smirk on his face.

"I'm just an adult, I have a long road ahead of me, and you're all getting so anxious. Do you really think I, Dugu Hao, am like you..."

In that corner, Saburo had already dialed the phone.

"Hello, are you the president of the Shenzhou Brotherhood Society?"

(End of this chapter)