Leaving Prison, Planning

The next day, Wang Yan got up and had breakfast.

He went to the prison guards to collect his personal belongings; there wasn't much, mainly his ID card and a few thousand Hong Kong dollars.

Afterward, amidst a collective send-off from a group of Guhuozi in the prison who prided themselves on their loyalty, he walked out of the prison gates.

Just as expected, the moment Wang Yan stepped out, he saw a row of his subordinates standing outside.

There were about twenty-something of them, not quite thirty. Upon closer inspection, the number hadn't decreased; if anything, a few more had joined.

When the group outside saw Wang Yan emerge, they hurriedly lit the firecrackers they had prepared to celebrate their boss's release.

Wang Yan walked up to them, only to see them standing there looking all serious as they shouted in unison, "Welcome back, Boss!"

The volume of their shouting made Wang Yan's scalp tingle, and he felt it was a bit too flashy. Still, he couldn't say much, as they had good intentions.

Then, Wang Yan's top henchman, Li Yun, stepped forward and said, "Brother Yan, let's get in the car. The brothers have everything ready to host a welcome banquet for you."

Li Yun was in his twenties, much younger than Wang Yan. According to the system's memories, he had joined Wang Yan when he was taking over a street and had been with him for two years. Seeing that Li Yun was obedient, reckless, and dared to fight, Wang Yan had promoted him to his top lieutenant.

Patting Li Yun on the shoulder, Wang Yan said, "You've got heart, A Yun."

He then got into the lead beat-up van, and the twenty-plus men followed suit, boarding their vehicles to set off.

On the way, Li Yun briefed Wang Yan on the current situation of his subordinates.

Just as Wang Yan had guessed, within a month of his arrest, his men had scattered. Surrounding gangs had swarmed in to carve up Wang Yan's street, leaving only Li Yun and a few others to struggle to hold on. Just as they were about to lose the entire street, Wang Yan's reputation began to soar, and other forces dared not act rashly. As Wang Yan's name grew louder, those small organizations, which weren't even worth a single hand of Wang Yan's, realized they couldn't afford to offend him and withdrew from his territory, offering apologies.

Some of the subordinates who had left earlier, hearing that their former boss was so fierce, had come back to repent, and Li Yun had agreed to let them return.

Wang Yan didn't want to dwell on these things; when a tree falls, the monkeys scatter—it was human nature, and he could understand it.

Wang Yan listened quietly as Li Yun finished his report: "Alright, I have a pretty good understanding of the situation now."

"We'll talk about other matters tomorrow. Damn it, I've been locked up for a year, today I'm going to have a good time."

Before long, the car arrived at a restaurant. A boss who doesn't know how to brainwash isn't a good boss; during the meal, Wang Yan used all sorts of tactics to brainwash his subordinates, getting them fired up and boiling with excitement.

Everyone drank happily, and they didn't run into any trouble. Afterward, they headed straight to a nightclub, where Wang Yan waved his hand and arranged one girl for each man. He took the two prettiest ones for himself; the place was quite professional and safe. Wang Yan's body was becoming stronger, and naturally, he was full of vigor. Having been pent up for a year, he couldn't hold back any longer, and after a fierce battle, the two beauties were forced to retreat and beg for mercy.

The next day, Wang Yan arrived at his stronghold in Tuen Mun.

It was a small shop that the previous owner had used as collateral for a high-interest loan he couldn't repay, which Wang Yan had seized to settle the debt. Later, Wang Yan tidied it up and used it as a storefront. In the underworld, face is considered more important than anything else.

Wang Yan sat in a boss chair he had scavenged from somewhere and listened to Li Yun report the details, mainly so he could know exactly how much money he had.

Although the street under Wang Yan's control was in the remote Tuen Mun area, Hong Kong was small and densely populated. Compared to bustling places like Central or Causeway Bay, his area lacked consumer power. With over a hundred shops of various sizes on his street, the money he could collect was far less than in the center of Hong Kong.

Li Yun talked for a long time and then handed the ledger to Wang Yan.

After looking at the ledger and listening to Li Yun's explanation, Wang Yan had a grasp of the current situation.

His street brought in about 80,000 a month, and after distributing shares to his subordinates, there wasn't much left for him. Over the past year, Li Yun and the others had saved about 100,000 for him. Including the money from his prison business, he had about 400,000 Hong Kong dollars at his disposal.

Wang Yan had spent freely to grease the wheels in prison, spending nearly 200,000. Otherwise, how could he have lived so comfortably in prison that even the guards called him "Brother Yan"? To be a boss, you have to spend money.

Waving for Li Yun to step back, Wang Yan slumped in the boss chair and closed his eyes to think.

In prison, Wang Yan had already thought things through. If he wanted a super start and rapid development, he could only turn to gambling, drugs, or outright robbery. But for various reasons, he couldn't do that; he had to rely on his status to trade on favors. Although Wang Yan's current influence might not even compare to the underlings of a major boss, his name was loud, and he could likely get a bit of respect from the various big shots.

After thinking it over, Wang Yan made a few calls to find out Ni Yongxiao's contact information and dialed the number.

"Hello, this is Ni Yongxiao, who is this?" The call connected, and Ni Yongxiao's voice came through.

"Brother Xiao, it's me, Wang Yan. Do you have time to come out for a drink?" Wang Yan said.

Ni Yongxiao paused, clearly not expecting Wang Yan to reach out, then laughed, "Hahaha, the famous Yan Wang is inviting me; even if I don't have time, I'll make time."

The business in prison was so lucrative that it was like printing money, and as a prominent boss in Hong Kong and Kowloon, Ni Yongxiao had a stake in it. Even though he didn't know why Wang Yan was inviting him, he gave him some face.

They agreed on a time and place, and both sides hung up politely.

Wang Yan had nothing else to do, and he didn't want to cause trouble in the short term; only by keeping a low profile could he make a fortune. So, wearing big shorts, a tank top, and flip-flops, he wandered out to inspect his territory, his domain, his empire.

What he saw was shocking; in broad daylight, under the clear sky, he saw theft, fighting, extortion, and harassment of women on the street. He saw more than one incident along the way; everything was a mess.

His relaxed mood was completely ruined. He returned to his stronghold and summoned his subordinates.

"Brothers, I went out for a look just now. To be honest, I am very disappointed in you."

"A bunch of punks are blatantly causing trouble on our turf. This is a slap in my face, and even more so, a slap in yours."

"Causing trouble on our turf affects the business on this street. If business is bad, we collect less."

"If we collect less, do we have any damn money to spend?"

"Brothers, they are smashing our rice bowls."

"Brothers, answer me, what should we do about this behavior that keeps us from eating?"

Li Yun was reckless, but not stupid; on the contrary, he was very savvy. He raised his arms and shouted, "Kill them!"

The rest of the subordinates were stirred up and followed suit, shouting, "Kill them! Kill them!"

Wang Yan gave Li Yun a look of satisfaction. Li Yun was delighted; he had moved a step closer in his boss's heart.

"Good, brothers, I'm setting a rule."

"From now on, anyone who causes trouble on our turf, beat them to death."

"Brothers, don't harass the shop owners. They pay their dues and let us eat, so we should help them out whenever we can."

"I want to see a clean street. Don't let me down. Do you all understand?"

The response was a loud shout from his underlings: "Understood!"

"Very good. Now, split into groups of three and go out there to beat the hell out of those sons of bitches." Wang Yan took the lead and walked out.

The underlings scattered. Whenever they saw troublemakers, they didn't say a word before launching into a beating. They left the punks crying for their mothers before tossing them onto the adjacent streets.

By the end of the day, the business owners were satisfied, and the pedestrians were happy too. This display showed everyone on the street the extent of Wang Yan's influence, ensuring peace for quite some time.

As long as he could maintain this, the business on his street would undoubtedly be booming.

The time for the meeting with Ni Yongxiao soon arrived. After giving some instructions, Wang Yan headed to the agreed-upon location.

Wang Yan had chosen a well-known restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui. Tuen Mun was not exactly close to Tsim Sha Tsui, but when asking for a favor, regardless of whether it would succeed, one had to show respect. This was only because Wang Yan's current fame did not match his actual power; otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to go in person—a single phone call would have sufficed.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, it wasn't long before Ni Yongxiao appeared with a few bodyguards. By this time, Ni Yongxiao had already neutralized the four major drug lords under his command and was in high spirits.

Wang Yan put on a show of respect, reaching out his hand and taking two steps forward: "Brother Xiao, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Ni Yongxiao shook hands with Wang Yan and said with a smile: "It is my pleasure to meet you, Brother Yan. Many people want to see you but can't, haha. We must have a few drinks later."

Wang Yan glanced at Luo Ji behind Ni Yongxiao and then laughed: "Brother Xiao, you exaggerate. Haha, that's too much, really. Come, please, inside." As he spoke, he gestured for Ni Yongxiao to enter.

Ni Yongxiao didn't stand on ceremony. He left his bodyguards at the door and, accompanied by Luo Ji, followed Wang Yan into a private room.

Soon, the food and wine were served. The two exchanged pleasantries, eating and drinking. Ni Yongxiao had a decent tolerance for alcohol, but Wang Yan could drink him under the table eight times over. With Ni Yongxiao being well-educated and Wang Yan possessing a vast memory, the two found themselves hitting it off.

After a while, Wang Yan asked the waiter to bring a pot of tea and gave Ni Yongxiao a look that said, I don't need to say it, you know what I mean.

Ni Yongxiao realized it was time to talk business. He told Luo Ji to go out and buy two packs of cigarettes, effectively sending him away.

His father, Ni Kun, was not yet cold in his grave. Even though Luo Ji had worked for his family for five or six years, he dared not trust him easily.

Watching Luo Ji close the door and leave, Wang Yan said: "Brother Xiao, you know I just got out, so my strength is lacking. You coming here is a great honor for a brother like me."

"We've hit it off quite well. I won't beat around the bush."

"I've asked to see you today, Brother Xiao, because I have a favor to ask."

"I know you specialize in the drug trade and have plenty of liquid capital. I'm a bit strapped for cash and wanted to borrow some from you."

"I'll pay you thirty-five percent interest on the principal in six months. I wonder if Brother Xiao would agree?"

Wang Yan wanted to borrow the money to make his money grow. His head was full of stock market information; if he struck at the right moment, he could take a huge bite out of the market. Ni Yongxiao was the wealthiest person Wang Yan could think of. While others had money, most of it was tied up in real estate. For cash, one had to look to a major kingpin like Ni Yongxiao.

Ni Yongxiao pondered for a long time. Wang Yan drank his tea quietly, not disturbing him.

After a long while, Ni Yongxiao looked directly at Wang Yan: "If Brother Yan is asking, of course, there's no problem. May I ask how much you need?"

Wang Yan didn't even hesitate: "The more, the better."

Quietly watching Wang Yan, Ni Yongxiao mused for a moment: "Alright, Brother Yan. I have about ten million USD in cash that I won't be needing in the short term. I'll lend it all to you."

Ni Yongxiao was also thinking about building a good relationship and doing a favor. After all, Wang Yan was now recognized as the strongest man in Hong Kong and Kowloon, and he didn't want to offend him.

Furthermore, Wang Yan had pulled off something massive in prison. How many people had spent decades in Hong Kong prisons? Why hadn't others succeeded, but Wang Yan had? He didn't know what Wang Yan wanted the money for, but looking at how successful the gambling dens in prison had been, he felt an inexplicable trust in him.

Besides, 3.5 million USD in interest over six months was a very good return; he certainly couldn't make that much through his own investments.

The market was only so big, and no matter how much product he pushed, it had to be sold bit by bit. Since he couldn't make the money grow faster, keeping it idle was just a headache.

Seeing Ni Yongxiao so straightforward, even though he knew his words were just hot air, Wang Yan still offered a piece of advice: "Brother Xiao, Hong Kong is too small. You should look outward. The world is vast, and there is much to be achieved."

"If I may be so bold, why only sell in Hong Kong?"

"Look at the great United States. What a free country that is. Its people need you. I can almost smell the ink on the US dollars; what a charming scent that is."

Southeast Asia might be manageable, but for Ni Yongxiao, the United States was truly out of reach. He had considered this before, but the gap in power was too great, and he lacked the channels. He didn't discuss this with Wang Yan and subtly changed the subject.

Wang Yan thanked Ni Yongxiao, and after chatting about various other things, they parted ways.

Walking down the street, watching the neon lights flicker, he sketched out a blueprint for the future in his mind. To use Han Chen's words: "I, Wang, have grand ambitions. I will never give you people a chance to wipe me out."

Ignoring everything else, he hailed a taxi and returned to his small, dilapidated room. This was a gift from the system, earned after more than a decade of struggle.

Back on his side, Ni Yongxiao contacted a general he worked with in the Golden Triangle to discuss the matter. After receiving an affirmative answer, he hung up the phone, satisfied. Sitting in his hundred-million-dollar villa on a chair worth over a hundred thousand, he thought about his father's affairs.

As for Luo Ji, after dropping Ni Yongxiao off at home, he immediately contacted his direct superior, Sir Lu, and reported on the meeting between Wang Yan and Ni Yongxiao.

Upon receiving the news, Sir Lu was restless and immediately contacted Huang Zhicheng to discuss it together.

Ever since Wang Yan turned a prison into a casino, he had been on the police force's radar, topping their internal watch list. There was no helping it; Wang Yan was too dangerous. He was far worse than any "King of Thieves" or common criminal. Most people only harmed the rich or the public, but Wang Yan was digging at the very roots of the police force. Plus, his combat ability was off the charts, and perhaps because many of them hadn't been able to profit from him, Wang Yan was quite popular within the force.

It was no wonder they were nervous; a powerhouse and a drug lord meeting could only mean trouble.

Huang Zhicheng and Sir Lu analyzed the situation for a long time but couldn't make heads or tails of it. They had no choice but to give up and report the situation to their superiors. Eventually, the news reached the police station in Tuen Mun.

The Tuen Mun Police Station had already sent people to monitor Wang Yan the moment they learned he had returned to Tuen Mun. They were also terrified; after all, if Wang Yan committed a major case they couldn't solve, they would be fired. Everyone had a family to feed, and they were afraid of losing their jobs. Moreover, Wang Yan was the most dangerous Guhuozi in Hong Kong; who knew if he would go crazy and start killing police? They were scared.

When Wang Yan got out of prison today and started cleaning up the streets, they didn't say anything, as maintaining regional stability was a good thing. But after receiving this news, they were on pins and needles. This time, he was truly going to cause trouble. They had no immediate solution and could only send more people to monitor Wang Yan.

Wang Yan knew nothing of this, nor was he interested.

He knew Luo Ji would definitely leak the news of his meeting with Ni Yongxiao, but so what? He wasn't doing anything else, and even if he were, they would need evidence.