Chapter 21

Zhang Xianyang shrugged and sighed. "Brain AI said it'll help me prepare nutrient solution soaks. It won't harm my body."

Since he had already passed the most basic stage of Genetic Evolution, his body could adapt to this intensity of training. At least, that was what Brain AI had said.

Zhang Muyang looked Zhang Xianyang over, taking in his skinny arms and legs, and still felt uneasy. "Don't rush it. Take things slowly. Even if you can't fight as well as we can, there are still plenty of brothers to protect you."

Zhang Xianyang gave a bitter smile. The ultimate reason Brain AI was forcing him to strengthen his body was to extract bioenergy from it. A crowd of bodyguards surrounding him could never replace that.

Zhang Muyang had clearly thought of that as well. He patted Zhang Xianyang's shoulder sympathetically and encouraged him, "In that case, Yangyang, train with Big Brother from now on!"

The two smiled at each other. Zhang Muyang then accompanied Zhang Xianyang through some pre-run warm-up exercises before they jogged out of the villa side by side.

The early morning air was fresh and dry, carrying a faint chill and dampness that struck their faces and woke them right up. As they ran, they encountered quite a few gang elders and brothers who had made morning exercise a habit. Seeing Zhang Xianyang, who was usually lazier than a pig, running beside Zhang Muyang, everyone came over to tease him. "Did the sun rise in the west? What's gotten into you today? Yangyang's out for morning exercise too?"

"Early to bed, early to rise keeps you healthy. Besides, I've put on a little weight these past few days. My clothes don't look as good on me as before. I need to work out six-pack abs."

Most people in the gang knew about Zhang Xianyang's habit of being even more vain than a woman. Hearing that answer, no one found anything strange about it. Instead, they laughed and advised him, "Yangyang is already very pretty. Once you grow up a little more in a couple of years, you'll be even prettier."

"Not pretty. Cool." Zhang Xianyang could not help correcting them. But looking at the delicate little boy with slender bones and refined features, no one could connect him with the word "cool."

The physical condition of his Brain AI-modified body was excellent, but mindful of how others might see him, Zhang Xianyang pretended to be out of breath and stopped after running for a while. Zhang Muyang found it amusing and slowed down with him. The brothers continuing their morning exercise smiled and encouraged him. "Take it slow. In just a month, you'll be able to run the whole way."

Some even offered careful reminders. "Move your joints around. You've only just started exercising, so be careful not to get hurt."

"Take deep breaths, deep breaths. Coordinate your breathing with your steps..."

Amid the nagging of a whole bunch of grown men, Zhang Xianyang finished his morning workout. On the way home, he ran into Wang Zhaoyi, who was dressed in a suit and ready to head out. Remembering the photos Gu Anming had shown him the night before, Zhang Xianyang curled his lip in disgust.

Wang Zhaoyi mistook it for Zhang Xianyang still being angry about what he had said at yesterday's banquet. He immediately came over with a grin. "Don't be so petty. It was nothing, and it's over now. Are you really going to keep dragging it out? When you messed with me, I didn't say anything, did I?"

As he spoke, he pointed at his bruised and swollen face and laughed. "My father-in-law beat me into this state, and it was all thanks to you."

Zhang Xianyang froze slightly. Looking at Wang Zhaoyi's seemingly carefree face, his heart suddenly ached. Strictly speaking, Wang Zhaoyi was a pretty miserable kid too. He had been born from an affair between his biological father and his sister-in-law, so his adoptive father had never treated him well from the day he was born. Being beaten and cursed was commonplace. Long-Legs Wang had feared Wang Qi's influence and thus dared not pursue his wife's infidelity, but he vented his anger on Wang Zhaoyi, who had still been just a child.

That continued until Long-Legs Wang was incited into attempting to assassinate Zhang Linmo, only to be captured by Second Uncle and taken to Righteousness Hall, where he was executed by a thousand cuts. But even after Wang Qi acknowledged Wang Zhaoyi and brought him home, Wang Zhaoyi did not immediately leap from hell into heaven. He was merely the product of a moment's impulse, an illegitimate son with no official standing. With Wang Qi already having a legitimate heir, he was sincerely not valued. It was not until Wang Zhaoyi was twelve, when he fought desperately in a gang battle and killed the opposing boss, that Wang Qi noticed he had a son with a ruthless nature, one suited to life in the underworld and worth cultivating.

Yet out of consideration for his wife and eldest son, Wang Qi did not dare bring the illegitimate Wang Zhaoyi into the gang. He could only send him to the gang of his good brother, Feng Daoxin. Unexpectedly, after fighting for several years, Wang Zhaoyi was fortunate enough to win the affection of Feng Daoxin's only daughter, Feng Mianmian. So at only seventeen, Wang Zhaoyi married Feng Mianmian and set off down the bright road of living off his wife. Wait, why did that sound so awkward? And now he had gotten tangled up in the mess of trading with the Japanese...

Thinking of how this young man, who had spent most of his life suffering, would face harsh punishment for violating underworld rules, Zhang Xianyang sighed softly.

Seeing Zhang Xianyang looking at him with pity, Wang Zhaoyi grew suspicious. Narrowing his eyes, he probed, "What scheme are you plotting now?"

Author's Note: The truth behind the "treason" charge will be revealed in the next chapter~ (≧▽≦)/~ Lalala!

Looks like everyone has already guessed it. I really laid the groundwork too obviously. No sense of accomplishment at all, t-t.

Chapter 21

Wang Zhaoyi quickly understood what Zhang Xianyang had been sighing over with such pity.

Because the Old District was packed with gangs and steeped in old traditions, the veteran gangs of the district held a Tang Association in Righteousness Hall at the Zhang Family residence on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month. If there was business, they discussed it. If there was not, everyone caught up, reminisced about the old days, and maintained their relationships. It counted as keeping an old bond alive. It also let the younger brothers imagine how brave and heroic their bosses had been back then, strengthening their sense of belonging to their own gangs.

Wang Zhaoyi had always felt this crap was like a department store promotion offering discounts—it was just for show. But when this formality, which had existed for nearly a century, turned its guns on him, everything became different.

To put it more poetically, it happened on a bright morning beneath a clear blue sky. As usual, Wang Zhaoyi followed Feng Daoxin into Righteousness Hall, walked behind Feng Daoxin's chair, and took his place standing guard. Before he could even decide which pose to use while spacing out for the morning, Sun Yanhe, the elder of the Punishment Hall, asked in a deep voice, "There are rumors in the underworld that Elder Wang Qi and his nephew Wang Zhaoyi violated our rules by smuggling cultural relics to Japan. Now the people and goods have both been caught. Elder Wang, please give us brothers an explanation."

The moment those words were spoken, an uproar broke out below the hall. All the brothers qualified to attend as observers pointed at Wang Qi and Wang Zhaoyi and whispered among themselves. Some hot-tempered ones even cursed out loud. They were the backbone of the major gangs. While they were not yet qualified to enter Righteousness Hall and voice their opinions, the future of the gangs belonged to them, and the future of the Old District would eventually be handed over to them as well. Standing among the crowd, Zhang Xianyang silently observed the situation in the hall, unsure what it would ultimately become. Beside him, his second brother Zhang Xiyang leaned over and whispered, "Wang Zhaoyi usually has quite the temper, but he's managing to hold himself together right now."

Zhang Xianyang looked at Wang Zhaoyi, who was still standing silently behind Feng Daoxin with controlled composure, and nodded to himself. It was fortunate that Wang Zhaoyi had kept his temper instead of throwing a fit. If he had dared jump up and curse like before, the Punishment Hall elder would definitely have given him dozens of strokes first, to make an example of him.

What Zhang Xianyang did not know was that Wang Zhaoyi was not keeping his temper under control at all. He was simply too shocked to say a word, which made him appear so calm and composed. He was probably also trying to guess what attitude the big shots in the hall would take toward this matter.

Compared with other underworld businesses, smuggling cultural relics had always involved a wide range of people but narrow channels. Therefore, although the Wang Family had spent years forging cultural relics and scamming people with them, it was fairly easy to hide it from ordinary people and outsiders. It was impossible, however, to hide it from the major gangs all making a living in the Old District. Whether others deliberately investigated or not, the gangs had lived alongside one another for years, with spies planted everywhere and countless informants. Someone might even have witnessed the Wang Family smuggling cultural relics while goods were being unloaded at the docks.

So the fact that this had remained hidden until today was less because the Old Wang Family had been cautious than because the upper echelon of the Old District had silently agreed not to pursue it. And precisely because of that attitude, Wang Zhaoyi's courage had grown greater and greater, as had the scale of his operations. He had thought that although these old men refused to "go along with it" because of underworld rules, they still found it satisfying to watch the Japanese idiots throw money around and scramble to buy fake goods.

But in an instant, those old men had actually joined forces to attack him, leaving Wang Zhaoyi somewhat dazed. He could not understand where things had gone wrong.

Fortunately, Zhang Linmo was the sort of big shot who believed, "Even if I want you dead, I'll let you die knowing why." He did not leave Wang Zhaoyi guessing for long and said directly, "People from Yanjing have come. They contacted Little Third first. They already know about the Old Wang Family's cultural relic smuggling."

Wang Zhaoyi saw that none of the big shots present looked surprised. Everyone must have coordinated before the meeting, so they naturally were not surprised now. But what about Wang Qi?

Wang Zhaoyi secretly studied the man who was nominally his uncle but actually his father. Seeing no surprise on Wang Qi's face either, his heart sank.

What was this supposed to be? Everyone lined up to share the profits when it was time to make money, but when trouble came, they threw him out to take the blame?

For a moment, Wang Zhaoyi felt aggrieved and furious. Fortunately, he was no longer the impulsive fifteen- or sixteen-year-old who acted without thinking. He was twenty-six now. He had a wife, a son, and the position of second-in-command in the Feng Family Gang. He was not someone with nothing to lose. If Wang Qi wanted to throw him away to save himself, that old bastard would have to see whether Wang Zhaoyi was willing.

Before Wang Zhaoyi could finish making ruthless vows to himself, Wang Qi, who had always been sharp and imposing, spoke slowly. "After the war of invasion, the underworld of the Old District established an iron rule: never trade with the Japanese. For all these years, the Old District has never done business with the Japanese, and not a single Japanese company has existed here. I know everyone still remembers the hatred we bear toward the Japanese. But what use is remembering it? They've long forgotten you. They develop their economy when they should develop their economy, develop their military when they should develop their military, and strut around outside more eagerly than anyone. What have we in the Old District ever done to them?"

The elders in the hall remained silent. Even the brothers from the major gangs observing outside said nothing.

Wang Qi continued, "I came up with the idea of selling fake cultural relics to the Japanese to fleece them for money. Zhaoyi was only helping out. If you want to hold someone accountable, hold me accountable. It has nothing to do with my son."

Zhang Linmo waved a hand and said casually, "Rules are rules. Since the underworld rules were violated, we have to investigate regardless of who you are. But right now, we only want to know how you came up with the idea of selling fake cultural relics to the Japanese, and how you carried it out."

In truth, the leaders of the various gangs already had a rough idea of what had happened. The reason they wanted Wang Qi to say it aloud in the hall was simply so the brothers outside could hear it.

Wang Qi understood Zhang Linmo's good intentions as well and immediately went along with him. "It all started three years ago..."

Three years earlier, with Feng Daoxin's promotion, Wang Zhaoyi had smoothly taken over the position of second-in-command of the Feng Family Gang. That night, he took his brothers to Nightfall and partied hard until dawn. Naturally, when he woke the next day, he was in the bed of a strange woman he had no memory of whatsoever. Wang Zhaoyi had long been accustomed to that sort of life and was not surprised. He merely followed the usual practice and left a generous sum for the night on the bedside table. He thought it had been nothing more than an ordinary encounter with a prostitute. He never expected the woman's true identity to be not a nightclub hostess at all, but an undercover operative carefully planted in the Old District by the Japanese mafia.

Under that woman's careful arrangement, that not-quite-accidental one-night stand eventually became a mutually understood kept-woman arrangement. Over the course of their repeated encounters, the Japanese beauty, believing she had won Wang Zhaoyi's favor, gradually revealed her purpose—she hoped Wang Zhaoyi would cooperate with the Japanese mafia she belonged to, and that cooperation involved smuggling cultural relics.