In the clubhouse's general manager's office, Pei Zheng sat in a leather executive chair, looking distinguished in a casual suit. He held a glass of red wine in his left hand and a cigar in his right. After taking a deep drag, he slowly opened his mouth, letting the nutty smoke drift out as he savored the pleasure on his tongue.
Just then, Tang Fei knocked on the door and walked straight in without waiting for Pei Zheng to answer. Without the slightest ceremony, he took an empty glass from the desk, poured himself half a glass of wine, and drained it before dropping onto the sofa.
"A-Fei, what brings you here today?"
Pei Zheng asked with a genial smile, not at all annoyed by Tang Fei barging in. Their mothers were sisters, and they lived in the same city. They were not only relatives but childhood playmates as well. Pei Zheng had invited Tang Fei to work for him more than once, but Tang Fei had always refused.
Precisely because Tang Fei did not work under Pei Zheng, there was no superior-subordinate relationship between them, allowing their friendship to endure all these years.
"I was passing by, so I dropped in to see you," Tang Fei replied.
Shrewd as he was, Pei Zheng noticed Tang Fei's frustration at a glance. "Why the long face? Who upset you? We've recently brought in a new batch of girls, and they're quite something. Want to have a little fun?"
Normally, Tang Fei might well have been in the mood for some pleasure, but not today. He asked, "Zheng, let me ask you something. You've trained in martial arts with my uncle since you were little. Can you grab a bullet?"
Pei Zheng chuckled. Tang Fei had trained alongside him as a child, but the boy could not endure the hardship. After half a year, he had refused to continue, no matter what anyone said. Why was he suddenly interested today?
"What, did someone beat you up because your martial arts weren't good enough? Could they catch bullets barehanded?" Pei Zheng did not take it seriously. He could catch bullets barehanded himself; it was hardly some earth-shattering feat.
"Not catch a bullet." Tang Fei pulled his pistol from inside his clothes. "Grab a bullet!"
Tang Fei walked over to Pei Zheng with the gun and raised it to his forehead. Despite his considerable martial prowess, Pei Zheng could not help feeling nervous at such close range, afraid the fool might accidentally fire.
"Don't worry, the safety's on." Seeing Pei Zheng's nervousness, Tang Fei already had some idea of the answer. "Someone fired a gun at my forehead from exactly this distance!"
Tang Fei put the pistol away and bent down to show Pei Zheng the blackened mark on his forehead. "Look, Zheng. Just a little closer, and you'd never have seen me again."
Pei Zheng was shaken to the core!
At such a short distance, the bullet would not yet have been slowed by air resistance after leaving the barrel. Unlike catching a bullet barehanded by anticipating its trajectory, moving after the shot and still intercepting it required extraordinary speed and precision. Pei Zheng knew he might not manage it even after several more years of training.
Had some formidable fighter appeared in White Cloud City? With that kind of strength, he could establish a new force to rival Black Tiger Hall in no time. Was he a friend or an enemy? If he set himself against Black Tiger Hall, Pei Zheng's days ahead would be difficult indeed.
"What was this person like? And how did you run into him?" Pei Zheng asked.
"He was a young man. He stood up for the shopkeepers on my block and crippled my men's legs. He only looked about twenty-five or twenty-six," Tang Fei said.
Another storm surged through Pei Zheng's heart. If someone in his twenties possessed such strength, an even more powerful martial lineage might be backing him.
"Come with me to see my father!" Pei Zheng made the decision at once and led Tang Fei outside.
Pei Zheng drove the latest model of the Anti-Gravity Car. In less than fifteen minutes, they reached Qixia Mountain on the city's outskirts.
Part of Qixia Mountain was open to the public free of charge, while its most scenic side had been commercially developed into a villa estate.
Every building in the estate had its own architectural style, combining luxury with privacy. It was the first choice for White Cloud City's most powerful elite.
Pei Zheng's father, Pei Hu, lived here.
Pei Hu was the true founder of Black Tiger Hall and had now become its revered symbol and source of faith, for no reason other than his formidable martial prowess.
Pei Hu had competed in the World Martial Arts Tournament twenty years earlier and won the championship, becoming White Cloud City's undisputed foremost martial artist!
That was also why Black Tiger Hall dominated White Cloud City. Pei Hu stood at the very pinnacle of power in the city.
Pei Zheng might still have to cultivate connections with the powerful and curry favor with Federation officials, but that was only for financial gain. After all, intimidation alone was not enough to run a profitable business. If Pei Hu truly flew into a rage, all of White Cloud City would prostrate itself at his feet and tremble.
As the saying went, Federation officials came and went, but Black Tiger Hall stood firm.
Pei Hu had three children. His eldest, Pei Fang, had entered politics and now served at the World Federation's Federal Headquarters in Central City, within its inner circle of power.
His second son, Pei Zheng, had taken up his mantle and managed Black Tiger Hall's daily operations. Since Pei Hu handed it over to him, Black Tiger Hall had been raking in money. Young people had flexible minds, and their ideas for making money were far better than those of old fellows like him.
His youngest daughter, Pei Yuan, had just come of age and was attending university in West City. She was at a rebellious age and often gave Pei Hu headaches.
Despite all the years that had passed, Pei Hu had never neglected his martial training. He maintained a regular daily routine, and his physical condition remained at its peak.
Pei Hu had been about to go to bed when the butler reported that his second son had arrived with his nephew. Suspecting something was wrong, he came downstairs in loose loungewear without taking the time to change into anything more formal.
Pei Hu had a stern face and a powerful, commanding stride. Years of wielding authority gave him an imposing presence even when he was not angry. At the sight of him, Tang Fei involuntarily shrank back.
"Uncle!" Tang Fei stood to greet Pei Hu.
Pei Hu lowered his hand to signal for Tang Fei to sit. Seeing how drawn he looked, he could not resist lecturing him. "A-Fei, you've been neglecting your training, haven't you? Don't spend all your days indulging in drink and women. Those things do the most harm to a man!"
Tang Fei ducked his head. "You're right, Uncle. I'll train hard when I get back."
Knowing Tang Fei did not mean it, Pei Hu could do nothing but point at him in exasperation. "You, honestly. You've been lazy since you were little. Tell me, what brings you here so late?"
Tang Fei recounted what had happened that day. After hearing him out, Pei Hu first said in pained disappointment, "A-Fei, what am I supposed to say to you? Even working for your Brother Zheng would be better than going door to door collecting protection money from shopkeepers. You can only become rich by finding ways to make money from rich people. There's nothing to squeeze out of ordinary folk!"
Then Pei Hu added, "From what you've told me, that young man is probably not much weaker than I am. Only a powerful dragon would dare cross into another's territory!"
"What!" Pei Zheng exclaimed. "How is that possible? A young man in his twenties couldn't reach your level even if he'd started training in the womb, Father!"
Pei Hu sighed ruefully. "There's always someone better, always a higher peak! A young man in his twenties... I'm afraid he might be..."
"Be what?" Pei Zheng asked.
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