Chapter 22

"Ah Nam, remember how I told you last time I'd find something for you to do?" Big B sat with Chan Ho-nam in a booth at the bar.

When Chan Ho-nam and GS had their Initiation Ceremony, Big B had given Gu Sheng only the unprofitable Long Ping Estate, while giving Chan Ho-nam an extremely lucrative street. That had certainly stirred up plenty of gossip.

Especially since, during the war with Tung Sing, GS had taken out three of Thunderclap Tiger's favorites in succession, two of them Red Poles. His performance had far outshone Chan Ho-nam's. They weren't even in the same league.

Everyone said Chan Ho-nam had a good daddy.

Of course, that remark had come from GS himself. He made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

So although Chan Ho-nam had seemed to be riding high lately, he had been bottling up plenty of resentment.

Hearing Big B speak now, Chan Ho-nam immediately said, "Boss, whatever it is, I'll make sure it's done right."

"Of course I trust you to get things done. You're my right-hand man!" Big B smiled and patted Chan Ho-nam on the back.

"This time, take some men to Yau Ma Tei and kill Ba Bi."

"Okay!" Chan Ho-nam agreed without even asking why.

Big B took out a document envelope and put it on the table. Chiang Tin-sang had given it to him.

"This lists the places Ba Bi frequents. Futian Bathhouse is one of his establishments. Every Wednesday night, after the night races, Ba Bi goes there for a massage..."

"Got it." Chan Ho-nam resolved to make a perfect job of this.

To shut all those people up.

After leaving the shop, Gu Sheng used all four ten-pulls.

Beginner Japanese, beginner guitar, beginner judo, and beginner cooking.

Apart from beginner judo, none of them were worth a damn.

Still, beginner Japanese might come in handy. Property prices in Japan had been soaring lately, and they would keep rising for at least another few years.

Perhaps he would have a chance to take a look around.

Japan's service and entertainment industries particularly interested Gu Sheng.

Besides those four beginner skills, he got eleven experience books, a suit, and a whole heap of junk.

Most importantly, the Wheel's second tier had unlocked.

A hundred thousand per pull, a million for a ten-pull, with a guaranteed three-star reward in every ten-pull. A hundred pulls would unlock the Wheel's third tier.

That was more or less what Gu Sheng had expected. The only problem was... the original first-tier Wheel, which cost ten thousand per pull, had actually disappeared!

"Does this count as upgrading my spending?" Gu Sheng's expression turned a little peculiar.

"Forget it. If it's gone, it's gone. I wonder what I can get from the second-tier Wheel..." Gu Sheng let it go and considered where he could get some more money.

At least a million, enough for a ten-pull.

"That bastard Ba Bi?" Gu Sheng was tempted, but after thinking it over, he abandoned the idea.

If he made a move, there was no way he could leave Ba Bi alive.

He was still counting on Chan Ho-nam killing Ba Bi, then Teem-Kwan and Big B becoming bitter enemies. How could he rise through the ranks unless the waters were muddied?

Gu Sheng knew perfectly well that he lacked seniority. Under normal circumstances, he would have to put in at least a few more years before becoming a branch leader.

That made the fallout between Teem-Kwan and Big B, followed by Teem-Kwan setting Chan Ho-nam up and the Macau job going wrong, his best chance to rise.

His next-best chance would be during Teem-Kwan's stint as Hongxing's leader.

So he couldn't touch Ba Bi yet.

After thinking for a while, he still had no ideas, short of robbing jewelry shops or armored cash vans.

Gu Sheng simply opened his panel and learned the skills first.

He put three experience books into Shooting, raising it to LV3, and eight into Muay Thai, raising it to LV5.

Countless fine points and techniques for shooting and Muay Thai immediately flooded his mind.

Then he saw that the panel now read Muay Thai (proficient) LV5.

"Huh?"

Gu Sheng hadn't expected a change like that.

"The level hasn't changed. It's still LV5, just with an extra label. Does that mean proficiency?"

"Then when do I reach master level? LV7? LV9? Or LV10?"

Besides the detailed shooting and Muay Thai techniques that had appeared in his mind, the calluses on his fists, elbows, knees, and shins had also grown thicker.

One look was enough to tell he had trained hard in Muay Thai for years.

His physique had increased by another 0.5, and the definition of his muscles had become a little more pronounced.

The panel now read:

Physique: 7.5

Muay Thai (proficient) LV5 (1600/3000)

Filipino Stick Fighting LV3 (400/800)

Shooting LV3 (400/800)

Boxing LV2 (100/400)

Judo LV1 (0/100)

English LV1 (0/100)

Japanese LV1 (0/100)

Piano, guitar, and cooking were all LV1.

Gu Sheng was extremely pleased with the changes in his body. He felt he was even more badass than Ip Man now.

Ip Man was over eighty by now, wasn't he?

Gu Sheng reckoned he could take on ten Ip Mans.

"I'm this badass and it's only proficiency? What would master level look like?"

Two days later, in the middle of the night, Gu Sheng was disturbed by the phone ringing over and over.

"What bastard calls at this hour? Have they got no fucking consideration?" GS climbed out of bed, cursing, his face bristling with irritation.

No one would be happy about getting a call while charging into battle.

Especially when the phone kept ringing again and again, making it impossible to ignore.

"Who the fuck is this?" There was murder in Gu Sheng's eyes as he picked up.

"Handsome Sheng, what game are you lot playing?" Teem-Kwan's sinister voice came from the other end.

"What do you mean?" Gu Sheng turned it over in his head and immediately guessed what had happened.

"What do I mean? You'd just borrowed money from my sworn brother Ba Bi, and then Chan Ho-nam went and killed him. And you're asking what I mean?" Teem-Kwan was seething. He genuinely suspected Handsome Sheng had been in cahoots with Chan Ho-nam and the others.

They had clearly borrowed the money, then killed the lender right afterward so they wouldn't have to repay it.

"That fucking bastard Chan Ho-nam! Ba Bi still owed me seven million! Now he's dead, who am I supposed to get my money from?" Gu Sheng immediately erupted into curses, sounding even angrier than Teem-Kwan.

On the other end, even Teem-Kwan was bewildered.

"What do you mean?" Teem-Kwan calmed down a little.

"When you introduced me to Ba Bi, he lent me three million first. If I could demonstrate sufficient ability to repay it, I could borrow another seven million from him. I'm still waiting for that money to expand my business! You tell me whether I'm pissed off that he's dead!" Gu Sheng's face was full of irritation.

As for Ba Bi owing Teem-Kwan money, and him owing Ba Bi money... if Teem-Kwan brought that up, he could have Ba Bi come and tell him personally.

If Ba Bi didn't say anything, why should he give Teem-Kwan the money?

But Teem-Kwan clearly wasn't that unreasonable. He didn't mention it again, only asking, "You didn't know Big B sent Chan Ho-nam to kill Ba Bi?"

"Chan Ho-nam is Big B's own son! Why would Big B tell me something like that? Didn't Big B give me some lousy patch with hardly any money in it?

"That bastard Chan Ho-nam didn't do a damn thing, and he takes home several times what I do every month!"

Listening to GS cursing on the other end, Teem-Kwan had nowhere to vent his anger. He grabbed the sultry woman beside him to work off his frustration, drew a breath, and continued:

"In that case, why not come work for me? I'd definitely be more generous than Big B."

"Whatever else, Big B was the one who gave me my Initiation Ceremony. If I went to work for you now, I'm afraid everyone in the underworld would curse me out!

"But if you need anything in the future, Brother Kwan, I'll definitely back you!"

After exchanging a few more words, Gu Sheng hung up. Then he felt a body press against his back and arms wrap around him.

"Don't be angry. Things are already pretty good now," Kong Sang said, resting her chin on Gu Sheng's shoulder.

"What am I angry about?" Gu Sheng looked completely relaxed, without the slightest trace of anger.