Starting from Hong Kong in 1988!

"One man, with just a gun, killed the Dragon Head and the Second Marshal in full view of everyone, and he still got away?"

"What kind of job is this, hall master?"

"say!"

"say!!!"

Looking at his uncles, who had just scrambled to their feet like him, Yin Tao opened his mouth, but didn't know how to explain.

They said no one had ever done such a thing before, and they never expected it?

You said you were too busy, so you neglected it?

Or should we find some other plausible reason?

As he pondered this, Yin Tao realized the answer.

no need.

Yes, there's no need to explain.

What they wanted was never a seemingly reasonable explanation.

All they wanted was to vent their anger over their hasty escape and for someone to take responsibility for the leader's death.

I've figured everything out.

Yin Tao wiped the red and white splattered on his face and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Uncle. It's all my fault. I've already arranged for people to chase after him. I will definitely cut off that person's head, no, his whole family's head, and offer it to the Dragon Head as a sacrifice."

His uncles watched him for a long time, until his head drooped lower and lower and cold sweat appeared on his forehead, before someone finally spoke.

"You'd better keep your word, or else your position as hall master... hmph."

The uncles left, leaving only a threat. The echoes still linger.

Looking back at the messy restaurant, Yin Tao inexplicably recalled the scene of his uncles congratulating him at the beginning.

He was smug then, but now he is dejected.

On the day of his appointment, he was turned upside down and became the laughingstock of many. How many people would accept his decision?

Was it because he rose to power illegitimately and betrayed his brothers?

Is it because of cause and effect, or divine retribution?

He walked to the table where the food was placed and chewed and swallowed the cold food.

Amidst the clinking of chopsticks against the plate, he suddenly felt a profound sense of loneliness.

It was so quiet it didn't feel like a banquet; it was as if the hall master's identity was about to slip away from him at any moment.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt, and the more suffocated he became. He muttered to himself.

"Is this all the feast I'm having?"

"This is my feast!"

With that, he slammed his chopsticks down and roared, "This is fucking, fucking not my banquet!"

His speech became faster and faster.

"I didn't betray my brother. He and I weren't brothers at all!"

"There is no cause and effect, no retribution!"

"I am the head of Hesheng Hall, the eternal head! Whoever ruins my future, whoever destroys my banquet, I will rip out their heart, rip out their liver, cut off their head, and set up a new banquet!!"

After saying that, he swept all the food onto the ground, grabbed the wooden table, and flipped it over violently.

....

"boom…"

With the roar of the engine, Xu Guangkun twisted the accelerator and sped out of Mong Kok. Behind him, not only were there more and more pursuers, but also several police cars that appeared out of nowhere, sirens blaring.

Xu Guangkun glanced down at the nearly empty fuel tank, licked his lips, and turned in another direction.

....

"Brother, why don't we Wo Shing people dare to enter Kowloon Walled City?"

"Still thinking about avoiding a death sentence?"

"Brother, you know my skills; the chances of me succeeding are..."

"I already told you, if you go into the walled city, you'll almost certainly die. Even if you sign a death warrant, there's still a sliver of hope."

"..."

"Why are you staring at me like that? Why do you have to pry?"

"I won't be satisfied until I get to the bottom of this."

"Alright, if you want to know, then listen carefully."

"First, the area around the walled city is the territory of the Yi An. We and Sheng Zi have been mortal enemies with them since the beginning of our establishment. If our people are discovered going in, they will be attacked. That is why we don't go there."

"Secondly, this walled city is a lawless zone, intricate and complex, with countless secret rooms. Murderers, smugglers, drug manufacturers, organ traffickers, people being hunted by gangs, and people wanted by the police—anyone with nowhere else to turn crowds in there. In a place the size of two football fields, there are 50,000 people crammed in. They have to sleep with their eyes open..."

"These two reasons combined are why no one dared to enter Kowloon Walled City."

"Then, if they don't recognize me, can I stay in my territory instead of entering the city?"

"no."

Why?

"The triads can't get in there, but they can issue a kill order against you, offering money to buy your life. Then it won't just be Wo Shing hunting you down; all the triads will be after you!"

"In all of Hong Kong, aside from those in Kowloon Walled City, who wouldn't want to fulfill the wanted order?"

"Wait, why isn't Kowloon Walled City doing it?"

"Because most of the high-ranking members of Kowloon Walled City are on the lookout for assassination orders from the underworld, whoever takes a position in the Walled City is considered an enemy of them."

"So, according to you, hiding inside is theoretically feasible?"

"Yes, but with your skills, letting you in would be like a sheep falling into a pack of wolves. How many days do you think you could survive with those desperados?"

.....

The brake pads gripped the rear wheel, and the exhaust pipe emitted the last wisp of black smoke. Xu Guangkun stopped the car, and in front of him was a quiet, sprawling concrete jungle.

"I never expected to end up here."

He stared blankly ahead, recalling the scene of drinking with his older brother that day.

At the same time, two thoughts kept churning in his mind.

Firstly, since we've already killed the leader of Wo Shing Wo, it's better to let the police catch him and keep him safely in the police station for seven days, waiting for his return.

Hong Kong, where there is no piracy, has no death penalty.

Secondly, they lie low here, waiting for more opportunities to take revenge and wipe out the top executives of Hesheng.

"Brother, should I go in or not?"

No one answered, but he had already made his decision when he spoke.

....

Several police cars were parked at the entrance to Kowloon Walled City.

The lead officer got out of the car, glanced at the motorcycle abandoned by the roadside, then at the figure entering the walled city, and reached out to stop the officers who wanted to rush in.

"Jiang Sir, aren't you going to pursue them?"

The newly recruited policewoman asked, puzzled.

"The people inside don't welcome us. Don't take the risk." Inspector Jiang shook his head. "What can a thug with a gun do? He can only kill a few other thugs. He can't possibly turn Hong Kong upside down."

"But…."

The policewoman was about to speak when Inspector Jiang raised his hand to interrupt her. He turned to the officers behind him and gave them instructions.

"Gang warfare is none of our business. Let's call it a day and go have some tea. It's on me."

"Yes, sir."

...

Stepping into Kowloon Walled City is like stepping into another world.

The houses on both sides grew crookedly upwards, blocking out the sky.

Sewage was flowing freely in the narrow alleyway, which was less than two meters wide.

A strange smell filled the air.

It smelled like something rotting, or like excrement mixed with the scent of photinia flowers.

This fortress, which later became the subject of various legends and stories, was even dirtier and more dilapidated than Xu Guangkun had imagined.

But now that we're in, there's no reason for us to leave.

He kept walking forward along the alley, passing through several dead ends, turning and twisting for who knows how long.

suddenly.

A road sign hanging on his right caught his attention.

"Longjin Road, 20 meters ahead?"

He muttered the words on it.

He didn't know what Longjin Road was, nor did he know why there was a sign specifically for it.

But as I said before, since we're already here...

He quickened his pace and walked forward.

Before you've gone a hundred steps, the view suddenly opens up.

A burst of noisy, bustling sounds from the marketplace suddenly filled my ears.

He looked up in astonishment.

Compared to the dirty and chaotic alleyways, this place feels like another world.

Two massive main roads intersect at a crossroads, and sunlight streams straight down from the unobstructed sky.

The streets were bustling with people, filled with convenience stores, smuggling shops, herbal tea stalls, and brothels advertising massage and hairdressing services but flashing suggestive neon lights...

Xu Guangkun walked into the crowd with an incredulous look on his face.

"Handsome, come in for a hair wash." A woman with a large expanse of white breasts stood on the second floor of the hair salon and waved.

"Hey buddy, we've got some fresh, amazing stuff here. I guarantee you'll be blown away by the taste." The shop owner pointed mysteriously into the depths of the store.

Then, all sorts of shop owners were shouting and laughing on the street, and a huge sense of absurdity filled Xu Guangkun's heart.

Is this the Kowloon Walled City that the elder brother described as a place where there is no chance of survival?

.....

"Brother."

A middle-aged man wearing an apron suddenly called out to him.

Have you eaten?

Xu Guangkun shook his head, about to refuse, when he heard the man's next words.

"Sichuan cuisine, give it a try, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Xu Guangkun stopped and asked in his hometown dialect, "A Sichuanese?"

Upon hearing the familiar accent, the man paused for a moment, then nodded, "From Shancheng."

Xu Guangkun sized up the man. He had dark skin, a round face, and gentle eyes that seemed a little dull. He resembled Xu Sanduo from the TV series "Soldiers Sortie," honest and simple.

So he took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to the man, "Brother, do you have some free time right now? I need to ask you about something."

....