Yang Jian thought for a moment and said, "If you really want to learn, you can, but we'll have to wait until today's events have completely settled down and no one is threatening our safety."
Ma Yuan nodded enthusiastically, "Okay, as long as you agree, Brother Yang. You're so powerful, why not join the Xichuan Gang? It's so much more comfortable to eat and drink well with them than driving and delivering goods every day."
"Little Ma, if you have that kind of idea, then don't learn martial arts from me. Do you think being in the underworld is that easy? There's always someone better, and even the most powerful people make mistakes. Now that the legal system is gradually improving, dark forces will eventually be eradicated. Isn't it better to honestly do proper things and abide by the law?"
"Brother Yang, I'm sorry, I just feel like your martial arts skills are being wasted."
"Wasted? I've practiced martial arts since childhood to strengthen my body, not to fight. When I was in school, if I ever got into a fight, I'd get a good beating from my father when I got home. So I never provoked anyone. Today, I just couldn't stand it anymore. They were trying to kill me, so I had to fight back.
Actually, last time, your father and I encountered an attack. That one was probably aimed at your father. I injured several of them and thought they would back down, but these people were determined to fight me to the death. They even tried to cause a car accident to kill me. If I hadn't crippled their leader, they would have continued to pester me endlessly."
"Alas, it's all my fault. If I hadn't impulsively chopped the convenience store owner, so many things wouldn't have happened. Fortunately, I have you, otherwise, my dad would have fallen victim to their wicked hands."
Ma Yuan finally felt a sense of fear, realizing that his momentary impulsiveness had almost led to his father's death.
Yang Jian patted his shoulder, "It's good that you understand. By the way, quickly call and ask your dad if he's encountered any danger."
Ma Yuan then remembered that his father was planning to collect scrap metal today and wondered if he might be targeted by the Yuzhen Gang for retaliation. He quickly made a call.
"Brother Yang, my dad is fine, but he said something big happened in Liuqiao Village and told us to go home early after work."
"What big thing?"
"He didn't say, just told us to go home early. I guess Yuan Hai and them are fighting for territory."
"Alright, let's go back early."
After dinner, the two rode their motorcycles back to their rented apartment. Old Ma and Old Xie were at home drinking, with braised dishes like chicken and duck as snacks, quite a feast.
Old Ma prepared wine cups for both of them and insisted they sit down for a drink.
"Dad, what happened in Liuqiao Village?"
Since there was nothing else to do, Ma Yuan sat next to his father, while Yang Jian prepared clothes to take a bath.
"The Xichuan Gang has returned. From now on, we won't be bullied by the Yuzhen Gang anymore."
Old Xie chimed in, seemingly in a good mood.
Yang Jian and Ma Yuan exchanged glances. Their guess was correct; Yuan Hai and his crew had attacked Cheng Guang's territory while he was injured.
"Uncle Xie, tell us the specifics," Ma Yuan said, enjoying hearing such exciting news.
"Just after lunch today, four of the Yuzhen Gang's card rooms, two betting points, and six massage parlors in Liuqiao Village were successively attacked by a large number of masked individuals. Over a dozen of the Yuzhen Gang's thugs were injured, and two are estimated to be in critical condition. The Yuzhen Gang has completely withdrawn from Liuqiao Village."
"That's great! Those bastards have been bullying us Xichuan people for so long. We've finally gotten some revenge."
Yang Jian asked from the side, "Are these card rooms and massage parlors all Yuzhen Gang properties? If they're driven out, will the Xichuan Gang take over these businesses?"
Old Xie smiled, "Of course. The card rooms are essentially casinos, and the massage parlors are for prostitution. They are all high-profit industries. There are also betting agents who not only sell numbers but also gamble on sports.
Aren't they fighting for territory just to snatch these businesses?
The people living in this village are migrant workers and small business owners. Many of them send most of their hard-earned money into these places."
"Then even if the Xichuan Gang takes over this territory, it won't benefit you Xichuan people. They won't hesitate to exploit you just because you're from Xichuan. These people are no different from the Yuzhen Gang."
"You're right. For us working-class people, it doesn't matter who controls this territory."
Yang Jian understood that Old Xie and the others were simply harboring a sense of kinship, believing that the Xichuan Gang was closer to them. In reality, whether it was the Xichuan Gang or the Yuzhen Gang, they were all thugs making ill-gotten gains, and they wouldn't hesitate to betray anyone when it came to making money.
Dongjiang City Orthopedic Hospital.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Buddha brought a large group of people to Cheng Guang and A Liang's ward. Seeing that both their legs were in casts, his usually smiling, plump face instantly turned a dark shade of purple.
"A Guang, you and A Liang were beaten up like this together? What exactly happened? I also heard that Liuqiao Village was attacked, and our people have retreated?"
Buddha suppressed his anger. He had accompanied his boss, Bai Zheng, to the provincial capital today and only learned of the major incident upon his return.
Cheng Guang dared not conceal anything and recounted in detail the incident of Old Sun being chopped at the convenience store, his planning of two attacks on Old Ma, and what happened at noon today.
After listening, Buddha walked to A Liang's bedside and slapped him across the face, "Didn't I warn you not to mess with that Yang Wu? He's just a migrant worker, and he has no conflict of interest with us. He won't block our financial interests. You completely ignored my words and even tried to kill him.
Now look what happened? Not only have you disgraced the Yuzhen people, but you've also lost the territory in Liuqiao Village."
"Buddha, I'm sorry, I was wrong."
A Liang dared not defend himself.
In front of his subordinates, Buddha couldn't scold A Liang too much. "How are your injuries?"
"The doctor said it's unlikely our legs will fully recover. We'll definitely be left with disabilities."
A Liang looked dejected. From today onwards, his life's trajectory had been rewritten. He might be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. His injuries were even more severe than Cheng Guang's; his hands were also broken.
With his two capable assistants crippled, Buddha was furious. "Have you found out who attacked you? Are you sure it wasn't that Yang Wu?"
A Liang shook his head, "I know Yang Wu. He's only in his early twenties. But the person who attacked us is at least over thirty, with a full beard and a different hairstyle. Considering the attack in Liuqiao Village, I think this was done by the Xichuan Gang, and it probably has nothing to do with Yang Wu."
Cheng Guang agreed, "When we attacked Old Ma last time, I also saw Yang Wu. He's a very handsome young man. The person who attacked us today is definitely not him, and he couldn't have reacted so quickly. We were cornering him this morning, and by noon, we found him at the Wanke Lai restaurant to retaliate against us. If that was Yang Wu, it would be too terrifying."
A Chao, who had been taking care of them in the ward, suddenly spoke up, "Buddha, although the person who attacked us at noon doesn't seem like Yang Wu, they have two common characteristics."
Buddha looked at A Chao, "Tell me."
"I've seen Yang Wu. His build is similar to the person who attacked us today. Also, both of them used two extendable batons. Based on my observation, their movements are also somewhat similar. I suspect that the person who attacked us today is Yang Wu in disguise."
A Chao had specifically avoided the attacker because he saw them using extendable batons. The lingering shadow of being killed by Yang Jian last time still haunted him, and he felt it was the same person.