"I know." The bodyguard held up a flashlight and flashed it three times at a spot in the distance.
A light immediately responded from that location, shining on the Green Gang group in the unloading area.
Tonight, the men leading the Green Gang were Li Caifa's three trusted confidants: Bai Huansheng, Wang Qinian, and Qiao Yuanfei. These three had followed Li Caifa through countless battles Shanghai Bund, and were seasoned veterans. As for the other leaders under them, there were dozens of others, all of whom were ruthless killers who killed without blinking an eye in the Shanghai Bund of yesteryear.
Seeing the signal light from the flashlight, Wang Qinian, gripping a machete in one hand, shouted the Green Gang's missionary poem towards the other side:
"After two cycles of seventy-seven, only this wine shop remains. One must diligently study the bottle and the cauldron, painstakingly remembering peace and joy, for the sun and moon shine majestically upon the jade pot!"
In ordinary fights, members of the Green Gang would disdain reciting this missionary poem that has been passed down for over two hundred years. Of course, most of the lower-ranking members of the Green Gang might not be able to recite it either. Wang Qinian had to write it down on paper and recite it several times in the afternoon before he could memorize it. Shanghai Bund, fighting was nothing like the fuss in a small place like Hong Kong. When fighting, people would first decide on the time and place, and even recite a poem to confirm each other's identities.
Two hundred people from the He-prefix gangs came tonight because the He-prefix gangs uncles and Li Caifa that the first fight shouldn't be too ugly, and the total number of people from both sides should not exceed five hundred.
Even in a large-scale brawl at the docks, where there are enough people, the usual fights and robberies at the docks only involve a hundred or so people. If each side has two hundred people, that's four hundred people in total, which is already considered a large-scale event. If there were any more, it would probably alert the British Forces in Hong Kong, who would come along with the police to disperse the crowd.
However, although there are only two hundred people, there are now more than a dozen large and small societies in Hong Kong with signboards prefixed with and. These two hundred people are almost elite soldiers selected from various societies. Among the people present at this time, there are probably nearly a hundred people with red stick names, not counting other low-level figures such as straw sandals or white paper fans.
Leading the group were all renowned figures of the He-prefix gangs, holding the rank of Double Red Pole. Swift Blade Cheng, the youngest of the Twelve Imperial Uncles of Wo Hop To, was the overall commander of the two hundred He He-prefix gangs present. Although only in his early thirties, he held a high position, being the last junior apprentice taken in by the youngest of the previous generation of the Twelve Imperial Uncles of Wo Hop To. Ordinary martial artists, even those older than him, would address him as Uncle Cheng. Furthermore, his martial arts skills were superb, and he was Double Red Pole, so no one dared to disobey his He-prefix gangs of these arrogant He clan members.
Besides him, there was Hei Zai Jie, the Double Flower Red Stick who was still injured but insisted on fighting; Ming Zai, the top fighter under An Le Ting; Tie Niu Wei, the Double Flower Red Stick who was also a disciple of Yong Yi; and Han Jin Qing, the newly promoted Double Flower Red Stick who had made a name for himself in Sai Kung Wharf in the past two years with just a towel.
In this battle, both the Double Red Pole He-prefix gangs sent out five members.
New recruits like Chen Tai, a member of the Harmony Heroes, were also among the two hundred people. However, carrying a samurai sword, he didn't even have the right to stand at the front and was crammed into the back row.
The other party recited Green Gang missionary poem, referring to the Swift Blade Cheng from the Twelve Imperial Uncles of the Wo Hop To, who held two knives in both hands and began reciting the He-prefix gangs ": "With the Harmony and Union chart hanging up, all roads are open; throughout the four seas and nine provinces, all bear the surname Hong; one day when our Emperor ascends the throne, the Hong brothers will receive imperial titles!"
Both sides recited their nameplates and identified themselves according to the rules, without seeming to mind each other. However, one of the men who had come to support Li Caifa on the 14K was in a panic. He was a tall, burly young man with striking features: thick eyebrows, round eyes, and a shirtless man wearing a black vest. His muscular arms were taut, and he carried a meter-long iron whip on his shoulder. He spat on the ground and cursed in a thick Guiping accent:
"Fuck your mother! Are these two gangs fighting or trying to pass the imperial examination? Even passing the imperial examination wouldn't be this difficult! Fighting and having to memorize poems? Luckily I didn't join either of these gangs when I came to Hong Kong, otherwise, after two years of wandering the underworld without making a name for myself, I might have passed the private school exam and gone to teach in the countryside!"
"You're the youngest in the outer hall, of course you wouldn't understand. This is the rule. 14K also has a lot of poetry, but you'll only have the chance to see it after you become Big Brother." A member of 14K next to him, hearing the loud scolding, frowned and looked the young man up and down. "When did you join 14K?"
"The day before yesterday, I had just arrived in Hong Kong and had no food. I robbed a gambler outside the 14K Gambling den. The people at the Gambling den stood up for the gambler, and I easily defeated several guys chasing me with machetes. Then the people at the Gambling den asked me if I wanted to eat, if I had just arrived in Hong Kong, and if I would like to join 14K. If I did, they would give me clothes and food. So I joined, and wow, sure enough, there was food! Every meal had fish and meat." The young man said, touching his short, thin stubble.
"What's your name? You seem pretty good at fighting. No wonder the Hall Master and the others chose you." The member next to him, after hearing the young man's words, looked at him with a change in expression, the previous disdain gone. Then, glancing at the heavy black iron whip on the young man's shoulder, he said, "Is your weapon different from the others?"
The young man arrogantly raised his chin slightly. "My name is Deng Zhilong. My favorite Shi Jin from Water Margin, so I call myself Nine-Tattooed Dragon! I learned kung fu in the countryside for fifteen years, and this iron whip has been with me for fifteen years. I've fought my way from the countryside to Hong Kong and have never had a match. The Big Brother took me into the 14K told me that as long as I'm willing to work hard, I can become the Fifth Brother of the Red Flag of the Outer Hall in less than a year, and the Sword-Guarding Grand Master in the Inner Hall in three years! Tonight, I'll show everyone what Nine-Tattooed Dragon's skills are like!"
"Are you out of your mind? Your nickname was given to you by someone else, not by yourself, you idiot! Be careful later, this is a scene with hundreds of people, not a fight between three or five people on the street. You can easily get stabbed if you're not careful. In this kind of scene, it's always newbies like you who die." The companion kindly warned the arrogant 14K newcomer.
Nine-Tattooed Dragon, carrying an iron whip, snorted, "They should be careful of me! I'll let the Big Brother took me in know that I didn't eat two roast geese in one meal for nothing! I'm a formidable fighter!"