"When I watch a play where the male and female leads part, they even pretend to cry a few times. But the Widow Yun just leaves without saying another word. Is that what you call being devoted?"
Song Tianyao shook his head and said, "That's why I say you don't understand women, Brother Six. Women are like martial arts; every school has its own style, and women are all different. Guess why I arranged for Fengyun to leave last? It's because I know that parting is always the hardest thing. If it were Wanqing, she would probably do what you said and throw herself into my arms and cry her heart out. I'm not heartless; I would probably cry with her. If everyone is sad then, what's the point?"
Huang Liu listened intently, forgetting to pay attention to Song Tianyao's laughter at the sky. "Miss Meng would act like that, but Widow Yun wouldn't, which proves that Miss Meng is still better to you, Boss."
"That's not how it works. Fengyun comes from a martial arts background and is used to life and death. She knows that crying and making a fuss at a time like this is useless and will only distract me. If we're going to run away, we should do it cleanly and decisively. We'll save all the words for when we meet again. That's just Fengyun's character."
"Is that so? What if the boss takes the opportunity to dump her?"
"Are you kidding? She lives with my Dad. Do you think I'd abandon my whole family to dump her? It's not dangerous for her to go and take care of my in-laws now, but in the future, it'll be like going to Macau to protect them in a crisis. No matter who I marry in the future, she has to have a place in the family, otherwise I'll be unfaithful and unfilial. Abandon her? Dream on!"
Huang Liu scratched the back of his head. "Women are such a hassle."
So you're destined to be a monk!
The two looked at each other and burst into laughter. Seeing the bloodshot in each other's eyes, they both knew the other had been working hard. This banter served both to lighten their mood and as proof of their friendship. It was more satisfying than any expression of gratitude or reward.
Huang Liu looked around and snorted, "You got into the Shanghai people's car last night and admitted to being a traitor, making you a public enemy in Hong Kong. Everyone in both the underworld and the legitimate world wants to kill you. I thought there would be a fierce battle at the dock today, but there's not a soul in sight. You always talk about being loyal and righteous brothers in the underworld, but when it comes to using your men, you're nowhere to be seen. Cowardly thugs! Bah! I was hoping to use them to loosen up my muscles, but now that's not the chance."
"Calling them cowardly thugs is true, but they could easily gather a hundred or so men from the docks. The reason they haven't acted isn't out of fear, but because they haven't received orders. Young Master Shun gave the order yesterday; as long as no one else is willing to pay for my head, these gangsters aren't worth the trouble. It's all the same—killing people and getting things done. It's more worthwhile to wait until there's money to be made before taking action."
Huang Liu nodded. "I see. It seems there are advantages to being handsome. Even the locals don't dare to make a move against you now that Yu Shiting has chosen you as his son-in-law."
Song Tianyao tossed away his cigarette butt and strode out, Huang Liu following closely behind. As he walked, Song Tianyao said, "Boss Yu is indeed imposing, but to say he can suppress the locals is a pipe dream. He's got some skill, but everyone else is equally capable; it's not a matter of who's dominating whom. Those Big Brother haven't spoken up yet simply because it's not the right time. Even foreign boxers need rest; after the rest comes the real storm. There will be plenty of opportunities to loosen up."
Huang Liu reached out and opened the car door for Song Tianyao: "Alright, I'm not afraid of fighting at all. The more exciting the better, let me see what heroes this place has. If necessary, I can bring my brothers from Macau over and have them test their skills against the local gangsters."
"This won't be a simple clash of characters; it'll be an all-out war. The fighting will inevitably involve force, but what truly determines victory is never fists, but money."
"Can Hong Kong really be this united? Will they really put their money on the line and fight the boss? A man Headless n't move without a leader. Those old guys don't respect anyone else; how could they possibly elect a leader to coordinate them? They're a disorganized bunch, nothing to worry about."
Song Tianyao sat in the back seat, leaned his head back against the car seat, squinted his eyes, and said, "A leader of a martial arts alliance doesn't necessarily have to be highly respected. If a group of people feel that something is difficult to do but they can't avoid doing it, they'll find an unlucky guy to be the leader, and then throw him out to take the blame when things get out of hand."
Huang Liu started the car and asked without turning his head, "Aren't a bunch of old foxes afraid of getting themselves killed? Creating a jinx they can't handle?"
"This is Hong Kong, Brother Six! One step to heaven, one step to death. It's the same for everyone. Even those senior figures who are rich, powerful, famous, and influential now still have to abide by the rules of the game. No one is an exception."
"So, who does the boss think will be the leader of this alliance?"
"Who knows? Maybe the least likely person has the best chance."
Huang Liu then turned to look at Song Tianyao: "Boss, you seem to be in a good mood. I have something I'm willing to tell you. I hope you won't be too upset after hearing it..."
On the ship.
Lou Fengyun sat in her seat with her eyes closed and didn't say a word. Not far from her were two bodyguards, a man and a woman, whom Song Tianyao had arranged for her. The man was around thirty years old, strong and muscular, with a shiny bald head. The woman wore sunglasses and was dressed like a female thug, with a cigarette dangling from her mouth, puffing out smoke.
After all, more than twenty gang leaders had just been sent to jail last night. Even if they were going to Macau, they had to be wary of any gang leader having loyal but dim-witted brothers who would seek revenge. Besides, the waterways were not peaceful. Even if the ship was safe enough, they still had to be prepared for any eventuality. Therefore, Song Tianyao specially found two skilled men from the Chiu Chow Gang to protect them.
This bald man, nicknamed "Baldhead Cai," was highly skilled in Choy Li Fut Boxing. His baldness was due to a childhood illness and had nothing to do with his kung fu. However, Baldhead Cai deliberately kept this a secret, and people who were unfamiliar with him would be wary of his "Iron Head Skill" when fighting him, resulting in them suffering losses in fist and foot techniques.
The woman dressed as a wild girl was nicknamed "Hard-Luck Phoenix." She was Mo Family Chuojiao's traitorous lineage. In her youth, she had a bad relationship with a man, which led to the death of her father. She was also cheated out of money and her virtue, which made her somewhat self-destructive. When fighting, she was fearless and willing to die with her opponent. When it came to fighting, no man could beat her. Therefore, no one dared to pursue her or provoke her.
Lou Fengyun knew that now was the time when Song Tianyao needed capable men. No matter how high Huang Liu's martial arts skills were, he couldn't fight alone. These two strong men should have been kept by his side as guards, but they were assigned to her as bodyguards. The sentiment behind this was self-evident. She wondered how many lifetimes of cultivation she had taken to meet such a good match. Now she only worried that her cultivation was not enough so that her beloved could not always be by her side.