Chapter 24: The Spokesperson of the Hall

Camphor Avenue, Xinyi Restaurant.

This restaurant served as the Lianhong Society’s headquarters on the sixth street of Rainbow Village. The man in charge was called Shan Wei; he had over two hundred underlings, and kept a close eye on the business along these six streets.

Chen Lan’s man had lost his money at a gambling den in Rainbow Village. He was lured into gambling by one of Lianhong Society’s thugs who watched over the den. It started with small bets, nothing serious at first, just a bit of their savings. But once a taste for gambling is awakened, there’s no stopping. Chen Lan’s man gambled more and more recklessly, eventually losing everything they owned before sneaking away in secret.

Tonight, the Xinyi Restaurant blazed with light, but not a single customer could be seen. In the very center of the main hall, a table was set with food and wine.

Shan Wei and Lu Feng sat opposite each other across the table. Behind Shan Wei stood more than a dozen underlings, each one exuding an air of menace.

Lu Feng pulled over a chair for Chen Lan, inviting her to sit, but she refused, insisting on holding her daughter and standing behind him.

Shan Wei was a man in his thirties, not yet forty, with a gold chain as thick as a pinky finger hanging from his neck. It looked gaudy, but it clearly marked his status.

Leaning back in his chair, Shan Wei swept a hand to indicate the restaurant and said, “How do you like my place?”

“The decor’s not bad, but you chose a poor name,” replied Lu Feng.

“Xinyi Restaurant—not good enough for you?”

“A den of vice like this shouldn’t sully the name ‘Xinyi,’ don’t you think?” Lu Feng sneered.

“You’ve got some nerve!” Shan Wei wasn’t angry; instead, he grinned and pointed at Lu Feng. “I hear there’s a hotshot young fighter in town. My boys have been taught a lesson by you one after another. So I invited you over to talk things through and give my men an explanation.”

“Those who need a beating deserve a beating,” Lu Feng replied calmly.

“I, Shan Wei, believe in rules. Disciplining my men is my business. You laid hands on them—now I have to stand up for my brothers. Whatever injuries they suffered, you’ll pay back double,” Shan Wei declared.

“Rules? A bunch of lowlifes committing all sorts of misdeeds, talking about rules?” Lu Feng scoffed. He knew nothing of gangland codes, but his actions were guided by his conscience—good was good, evil was evil.

“So, our guest wants to talk reason? Fine! Lost face after a beating, huh? All of you, get over here!” Shan Wei gestured to the men behind him.

Four men emerged from the group—three standing, one in a wheelchair.

The three standing were Shrimphead, Tattooed Leopard, and Dawei, while the one in the wheelchair was Longhair, who’d recently had his legs broken by Lu Feng.

“These are my boys—recognize them?” Shan Wei asked.

Lu Feng nodded. “I do.”

Their faces still bore the marks of their beatings—bruised and swollen, limping unsteadily.

“Very well. This one’s called Shrimphead,” Shan Wei said, pointing to the first underling Lu Feng had beaten. “He was out making money on the street when you thrashed him. His wounds haven’t even healed yet. Since you’re so keen on talking about rules, what explanation do you suggest?”

“Making money?” Lu Feng laughed coldly. “Call it what it is—snatching purses. Why bother hiding it?”

Shan Wei’s face darkened. In their world, snatching purses was nothing unusual; no one in the underworld made a fuss about it.

“If he snatched a purse, he should have called the cops. You beating up my brother is still wrong!”

“Unlucky for you, he tried to rob my girl. Not only did he steal from her, he put his hands on her. Since you want an explanation, you’ll have to cut off the hand that touched her,” Lu Feng said, locking eyes with Shan Wei, sparks flying.

Shan Wei slammed his palm on the table and cursed, “You messing with me? Every woman you meet is suddenly your girl?”

“Want me to say her name? But think carefully—if I do, this man dies.” Lu Feng pointed at Shrimphead.

Shrimphead shuddered in fear, his legs nearly giving out beneath him.

Shan Wei’s expression shifted, not because he feared Lu Feng, but because he wanted to show strength for his men. Jumping him outright wouldn’t carry the right message.

“Fine, let’s talk about something else.” Shan Wei turned to Tattooed Leopard.

Before he could speak, Lu Feng cut in, “No need. That day, I was shopping at the mall and bumped into Shrimphead, who called a bunch of guys to ambush me. The ringleader was this man—Tattooed Leopard, right? Shrimphead was in the wrong from the start. He brought people to block me, and I wasn’t supposed to fight back?”

Shan Wei shot Tattooed Leopard a vicious glare. Clearly, he hadn’t heard the full story; his men had only told him about getting beaten, not about provoking Lu Feng.

Dawei was Shan Wei’s own brother, responsible for the brothel business along Rainbow Village’s six streets. In plainer terms, he ran the girls.

But the money was slow, a hundred or so per trick. Sometimes, Dawei set up honeytraps to extort cash, especially from out-of-towners, never showing mercy.

Seeing Lu Feng’s cool demeanor, Dawei was infuriated. He stepped forward and cursed, “You messed with my place and tried to take my girls—how do you account for that?”

“You tried to scam me and got kicked for your trouble—how is that my fault?” Lu Feng shrugged, looking innocent.

Shan Wei silenced Dawei with a glare, then glanced at Chen Lan behind Lu Feng. “Let’s not discuss the rest, but this woman is one of my girls. Taking her away breaks the rules!”

Lu Feng turned to look at Chen Lan.

She shook her head hastily. “I never agreed... to do... that kind of work,” her voice trailing off.

Pimps had many ways to coerce women into prostitution, most of them involving force, but they always tried to make it look like the women consented. The usual tactic was to take them shopping—bags, cosmetics, luxury goods. Few women could resist such temptations.

Once hooked, the pimp would persuade them to borrow more money to buy things. The debt would pile up beyond their ability to pay, and then they’d be forced to sell themselves.

With debts they couldn’t deny, these women had no choice: either work as prostitutes, or face relentless debt collectors, a home life in ruins, family members’ scorn, eventually running away and, unable to find proper work, forced into the flesh trade.

“She doesn’t want to do it, and you call it following the rules, forcing her?” Lu Feng mocked Shan Wei.

Smack!

Suddenly, Shan Wei overturned the table with a slap, sending dishes crashing to the floor.

“Chen Lan! Your man owes me money. I’m helping you earn to pay it back quickly. You’ve already dragged out three months of interest—be glad I haven’t had my men dump you in the sea!”

His underlings, seeing the outburst, quickly cleaned up and set a fresh table.

“So, she owes you money?” Lu Feng asked.

“What, you want to take on her debt?” Shan Wei replied.

Lu Feng stretched his hand back to Chen Lan. “Give me the card.”

Chen Lan hesitated, but quickly placed the bank card Lu Feng had given her into his hand.

Lu Feng tossed it onto the table. “How much does she owe? Tell me!”

Shan Wei picked up the card, grinned, and said, “She owes half a million. You think you can pay with just one credit card?”

The thugs all burst out laughing. Everyone knew credit cards were empty—just lines of credit from the bank. Lu Feng, it seemed, didn’t know that.

“There’s two hundred thousand on the card. That’s the first installment. I’ll pay the rest within three days,” Lu Feng said evenly.

Shan Wei laughed again, tossing the card back. “Kid, do you even know what a credit card is? Trying to pay me with that—are you stupid?”

Lu Feng picked up the card. “Just swipe it and see if the money’s there. Or is a credit card not good enough for repayment?”

Seeing Lu Feng’s unwavering confidence, Shan Wei frowned and handed the card to a subordinate. “Go and try to draw two hundred thousand.”

Then he turned back to Lu Feng. “Since you’re taking on this debt, if the money isn’t there—you’ll pay with a hand.”