Chapter 9: Xu Qiang

“How many servants are in the house?”
The woman shook her head, indicating there were none.
“Is Hong Tianxiong downstairs?”
She nodded.
“That Japanese man is there too?”
She nodded again.
“Did Hong Tianxiong tell you to serve that Japanese tonight?” Lin Fan didn’t quite know why he suddenly asked this question.
The woman hesitated, then nodded. Lin Fan let out a cold snort. Some people are simply a disgrace to China, always eager to curry favor with the Japanese, bowing and scraping before them like a lapdog, utterly spineless. People like that are a waste of air alive, and a waste of land dead.
“Thank you for your cooperation. You can rest now.” With that, Lin Fan struck the woman on the back of her head. Her eyes rolled back and she slumped down, unconscious.
He laid her on the bed and, gazing at her face, nodded to himself. She truly was a beauty—Hong Tianxiong, that old bastard, certainly knew how to enjoy himself.
Moving lightly, Lin Fan crept toward the stairs, calculating the general layout. He followed the wall, his steps silent as he descended. He was halfway down when Hong Tianxiong’s voice drifted up to him: “Mr. Fujino, I hope your organization can grant me a little more time. Rest assured, I will get my hands on the Millennium Blood Jade.”

“You let such a promising Su Zhennan die—now I must question your competence,” the man addressed as Mr. Fujino snorted coldly.
At these words, Lin Fan’s mind pieced together the truth. To think his foster father had been murdered through the collusion of this Japanese and Hong Tianxiong—killing intent flashed in Lin Fan’s eyes. But he did not rush down to slaughter them, for he knew that if Hong Tianxiong was so desperate for the Blood Jade, it must mean he’d reached some kind of agreement with this Japanese or the power behind him.
“I’ve received news. A few days ago, Su Zhennan’s wife passed away, and his daughter just returned home. If we capture the girl, we’ll be able to find the Blood Jade,” Hong Tianxiong said smugly, never realizing he’d have no chance to put his plan into action.
A dragon has its reverse scale, a wolf its hidden thorn—touch it and it will rage, provoke it and you will die. For Lin Fan, Sophie was both his reverse scale and hidden thorn. That Hong Tianxiong dared to plot against Feifei for the Blood Jade—regardless of Su Zhennan’s death, just for daring to target his sister, Lin Fan could never let him go. Honestly, Lin Fan was grateful to have overheard their scheme today; otherwise, Feifei would have been in grave danger.
“Oh, it seems Mr. Hong already has his plan. Very well, I am at ease. I hope you won’t disappoint our boss this time. Once our leader acquires the Blood Jade, he will help you unite the underworld of T City. Then, Mr. Hong, you will be the true emperor of T City’s shadows.” Though the Japanese spoke fluent Mandarin, Lin Fan found his accent subtly grating.
So Hong Tianxiong was not only ruthless, but also wildly ambitious—colluding with the Japanese in a bid to dominate T City’s underworld. This, Lin Fan could never tolerate. His resolve to eliminate Hong Tianxiong only strengthened.
“Then let us wish for a happy partnership.”
“A happy partnership,” the two said, clinking their glasses together.
Just as Lin Fan was preparing to make his move, the villa’s door opened and a young man strolled in, calm and collected. With a blank expression, he announced, “Mr. Hong, I suspect someone has infiltrated the villa.”
“What?” Hong Tianxiong was clearly startled. He trusted this bodyguard implicitly—not only for his skill, but because he only concerned himself with Hong Tianxiong’s safety, never meddling in other affairs. This suited Hong Tianxiong perfectly. Since he said so, it was nearly certain the intruder had overheard everything.
“Guard the perimeter. Find this person at all costs,” Hong Tianxiong stubbed out his cigarette and stood, his voice tinged with panic. If word of his collaboration with the Japanese got out, the other gangs would unite to destroy him. With his life at stake, what good would ruling T City do? At that thought, Hong Tianxiong’s mind turned murderous; whoever the intruder was, they could not leave alive.

…………….
“Well, well—four years apart and you’ve grown bolder, even cozying up to the Japanese,” Lin Fan descended the staircase, a cold smile on his lips, eyes fixed on the young man before Hong Tianxiong.
“Xu Qiang, what are you waiting for? Seize him!” Hong Tianxiong shouted at his bodyguard when he saw Lin Fan reveal himself.
But Xu Qiang seemed not to hear, standing with his back to Hong Tianxiong and locking eyes with Lin Fan. Slowly, Xu Qiang’s eyes reddened with emotion and he cried out unconsciously, “Captain—it’s really you! You’re alive! I knew you wouldn’t die so easily!”
Xu Qiang’s story began four years ago, when he and Lin Fan were sent on a mission to the United States. After completing their task, they were hunted down, and in the ensuing chaos, the two were separated. Lin Fan was rescued by Han Feng, former leader of Dragon Soul, but Xu Qiang vanished without a trace. All these years, Lin Fan had used the resources of Dragon Soul to search for news of his comrade, refusing to believe that his brother had simply died.
Staring at the young man calling him “Captain,” Lin Fan said nothing, only nodded slightly before shifting his gaze to Hong Tianxiong.
Truthfully, Lin Fan had been overwhelmed when he first saw Xu Qiang from upstairs—he’d wanted to rush over and embrace him. But he refrained, uncertain why Xu Qiang was here or what he had become over the years. He also feared Xu Qiang might have been involved in Su Zhennan’s death, so he kept his demeanor cold.
Lin Fan’s caution was understandable, but this time, his worries were unfounded. During the pursuit years ago, Xu Qiang was gravely wounded and saved by a Chinese expatriate. He soon returned to China and, by chance, met Hong Tianxiong. Impressed by his skills, Hong Tianxiong persuaded him to become his bodyguard, and necessity drove Xu Qiang to accept. Over the years, Xu Qiang never forgot he was a member of Falcon. He did nothing beyond protecting Hong Tianxiong, never involving himself in the underworld, and knew nothing of Su Zhennan or the Blood Jade.
“Who are you, and why have you come here?” Hong Tianxiong demanded, glancing warily at Lin Fan. Yet their expressions could not have been more different—Hong Tianxiong’s face was tense and alert, while Lin Fan’s eyes blazed with a deadly light, as though Hong Tianxiong were already a dead man in his eyes.