Zhong Shenxiu led his younger brother and sister on an outing in the woods, eventually arriving at the hunter’s cabin.
He instructed Jones and the others, pushing the cabin door open with his right hand.
The cabin was cramped; when the door opened, there was only one room with firewood and miscellaneous items piling up in the corner, and the only bed was in plain sight.
At that moment, the scar-faced man on the bed, trying to sit up warily, looked towards the door, shotgun in hand.
Seeing it was Zhong Shenxiu, he revealed a smile of relief.
Zhong Shenxiu stepped forward with a smile, gesturing for a high-five with the scar-faced man.
But scar-face didn’t go for a high-five or a typical gangster fist bump.
Instead, he grabbed Zhong Shenxiu’s right hand, brought it to his lips, and performed a loyalty ritual, murmuring, "I knew you wouldn’t abandon me..."
Zhong Shenxiu broke out in goosebumps, almost slapping him in response.
He then remembered that in the Old Sea Dog and the scar-faced man’s Notting Hill family, the kiss of the hand was a significant gesture.
Kissing the left hand meant begging for forgiveness.
Kissing the right hand, however, signified loyalty!
If it became known that scar-face had performed the loyalty ritual to Li Wei, it would surely cause an uproar.
At the very least, the Old Sea Dog would never trust this gunman again.
"Yes, we are comrades, and of course I wouldn’t abandon you."
Zhong Shenxiu suppressed his discomfort, withdrew his hand, and silently decided that in the future he should at least wear a large, thick ring.
Then he could just have them kiss the ring as an acknowledgement, as he truly couldn’t accept anything else.
"Alright, it’s safe now, come on in."
He called out to the door, inviting his siblings inside to spread out a picnic cloth and start their meal.
Even though it was just dark bread, Carmela and Jennifer ate joyfully, almost believing they were indeed just on a picnic.
Seeing this, scar-face, who was taking his medicine, changed his expression, "About the Old Sea Dog..."
"It’s not that urgent; I’m just taking precautions..."
Zhong Shenxiu’s smile gradually faded, "Scar-face, to eliminate danger, what do you think I should do?"
Scar-face, just a gunman, likely saw the most straightforward solution as eliminating the source of problems, so he glanced at the shotgun and whispered, "Once I’m better, I’ll go clear things up, and if I can’t clear them up, I’ll take him out."
"Good, I appreciate your resolve, but now, you just rest and take care of my siblings."
Zhong Shenxiu sneered, "By tonight, everything will be settled."
Some gangs had absurd traditions, such as not seeking vengeance on a wife or mother who declared an end to seeking revenge, allowing them to live as before—even if their husbands and sons had been killed—but Zhong Shenxiu didn’t believe in that.
Rules were meant to be broken!
Besides, that Old Sea Dog wasn’t the kind to follow rules anywhere.
Zhong Shenxiu, wearing a beige trench coat with a cowboy hat and a toothpick in his mouth, walked in the shadows of the streets.
A vagrant approached, nearly bumping into him, as if he couldn’t see Zhong Shenxiu at all.
’Utilizing light and blind spots for a certain degree of stealth... does it mean I’ve reached some limit of control over this body?’
Even though this body had undergone no training whatsoever, having the Martial Arts consciousness of Zhong Shenxiu was enough to turn into a nightmare for the average person.
As for the miraculous rescue of the man with the scarred face that day, it was nothing but a stroke of luck.
Unless he used a large amount of Heavenly Show Points to unlock "Pastor," he would still have to train and explore gradually to see any tangible results.
He turned into a quiet alleyway.
This alley was secluded and lacked streetlights, but occasionally, two people would pass by reeking of alcohol.
At the end of the alley, there was a hidden door that led to the underground speakeasy of the Old Sea Dog.
At that moment, outside the hidden door, there was a burly white Great Han standing guard, vigilantly scrutinizing everyone who came and went.
Due to Prohibition, gathering to drink and selling alcohol were both illegal.
But since Prohibition agents couldn’t illegally enter private homes, this Great Han served as a fire door, responsible for keeping those they suspected to be agents out.
And for strangers to gain entrance, they needed a referral from someone already known, which involved a set of strict rules.
Zhong Shenxiu emerged from the darkness and confronted the Great Han.
"Li Wei? Don’t you know the Old Sea Dog has been looking for you?"
The Great Han revealed a ferocious smile, "I heard... you took your brothers and sisters and left during the day, why would you come back? Foolish decision!"
"Take me to Old Sea Dog, I want to explain about the cargo."
Zhong Shenxiu responded without any emotion.
The Great Han gestured for Zhong Shenxiu to raise his arms and began to frisk him.
Zhong Shenxiu didn’t carry any weapons, so after the check, he was let into the bar.
After descending a spiraling staircase and opening a door, a cacophony of noise, loud drinking, and music came pouring out.
Swathes of drunken men were crowded together, guzzling down various expensive smuggled liquors.
Among them were company employees, government workers, doctors, lawyers, and small-time merchants, as well as dancers and nurses...
But at this moment, they all shared a single identity, that of poor souls almost suffocated by life, desperately needing the solace of alcohol to temporarily forget all their troubles.
Therefore, all they needed was a drink that could intoxicate them, nothing more.
’Sigh, I finally understand why Li Wei couldn’t find work after losing his job, with such low-quality alcohol, no mix would make a difference... and the people don’t care anymore, they just need alcohol, and if there isn’t any, they’d still drink medical alcohol or antifreeze...’
Zhong Shenxiu followed the Great Han through the tightly packed crowd to an office on the second basement level of the bar.
Two gang gunmen guarded the door, the Great Han said a few words, and then Zhong Shenxiu was led inside.
Old Sea Dog had a head of graying hair and was dressed in a sharp suit, sitting behind a mahogany desk, looking every bit the proper businessman rather than the owner of an underground speakeasy.
Seeing Zhong Shenxiu enter, he just puffed on his cigar, drawing out lazily, "Li Wei... kid... you’ve disappointed me."
"The cargo is gone, it was the work of a bunch of masked bandits, they must be rookies, their methods were childish. As long as we start with the sales channels, we’re sure to catch them."
Zhong Shenxiu attempted one last reconciliation.
"Yes, I know you did your best," Old Sea Dog’s voice was low and hoarse, as if struggling to suppress a burst of anger: "But do you have any idea how much I lost? Even if we recover that cargo, I still have to pay off the gang, I’ve lost thousands of US Dollars this time, you..."
He didn’t finish his curse, suddenly feeling a surge of danger.
It was an instinct honed from years of living on the edge, but alas, it was too late!
"So there’s no room for negotiation, huh!"
Zhong Shenxiu lunged forward in one quick step, his hand mysteriously holding a toothpick that hadn’t been there before, stabbing it into Old Sea Dog’s eye.
A small spurt of blood sprayed out.