Hei Xiong had managed to rise to power in Tengchong and stand firm despite numerous powerful enemies, all thanks to a mysterious expert.
Behind the small farmhouse lay a green mountain, a flowing river, creating a serene and tranquil landscape.
On the hillside stood a man dressed in a black Martial Arts uniform, his back to the viewer, gazing into the distance.
From the back, he appeared tall and burly, standing there like a pillar supporting the heavens, invoking a sense of insurmountable awe.
"Mr. Hong."
Hei Xiong, accompanied by Black Panther, stood behind the man, immediately bending over with cupped hands, respectfully calling out.
Black Panther felt an indescribable nervousness standing beside him, his skin prickling as if a mouse had seen a cat.
The man turned his head, revealing a square face with a beard, seemingly in his early forties. His temples bulged, and though he stood casually, he exuded an overwhelming pressure.
Black Panther, who had also learned some Martial Arts from masters, realized the middle-aged man's casual standing posture was a stance without any visible weakness, and he could launch a powerful strike at any moment.
"What's wrong, didn't I say not to disturb me unless it's important?" Mr. Hong frowned slightly, speaking indifferently.
Hei Xiong glanced at Black Panther and relayed the incident at the restaurant.
Mr. Hong's lips curled into a faint smile, "Oh, you mean the Martial Artist who hurt you with a chopstick?"
"Yes, Mr. Hong. Moreover, that person is young but possesses formidable Martial Arts skills," Black Panther replied respectfully, bowing his head.
Mr. Hong chuckled coldly, then stretched out his right fist, opened his hand, and several leaves trembled violently, flying into his palm before he abruptly shot them out. They pierced into the trunk of an old tree, embedding deeply.
"This?"
Both Black Panther and Hei Xiong were stunned. Knowing that leaves are soft, yet they shot from Mr. Hong's hand into the tree trunk like bullets, it was almost godlike.
Compared to Lin Mo's use of chopsticks, Mr. Hong's use of leaves was clearly several levels superior.
"Mr. Hong, your Divine Skills are unparalleled!" Hei Xiong bowed even lower, his demeanor even more respectful.
Mr. Hong, his hands behind his back, continued to gaze into the distance, "Hei Xiong, I've always said, if you can't handle this matter, just go in hard. Why bother with such troublesome tactics like organizing a Gambling Stone competition?"
Hei Xiong responded, "Mr. Hong, if I used forceful measures, even if I could make the Liao Family hand over the mine, it would cause discontent among many families and syndicates in Tengchong. If I could win over the Liao Family in a gambling stone contest, everything would proceed smoothly, and I could better control Tengchong."
"However, I've heard that the old master of the Liao Family has recovered, my Blood Gu was countered, hence the Liao Family must have sought out an expert," Mr. Hong squinted slightly, his eyes gleaming sharply.
Hei Xiong replied, "I already know about this matter, but even though the old master of the Liao Family has woken up, he has just recovered from a serious illness. It's not so easy to defeat me."
"Hei Xiong, if you can't handle this matter well, I will take action myself. Anyone who blocks my path must die," Mr. Hong suddenly said coldly, like a chilling Siberian gale of force twelve.
"If we make a big deal out of this, I'm afraid other families might develop a sense of resistance!" Hei Xiong hesitated, feeling somewhat worried.
Taking down the Liao Family would definitely make the other families in Tengchong nervous and may even lead them to join forces in rebellion.
"Hmph, are you afraid the others will gang up on you?" Mr. Hong scoffed disdainfully and suddenly his voice became loud, "Remember, you can't insult Hongmen!"
Hearing Mr. Hong's words, Black Panther was stunned. He opened his mouth but in the end, didn't say a thing.
Following Hei Xiong back to the rural school campus, Black Panther couldn't wait to ask, "Bro, was that Mr. Hong a member of Hongmen?"
Hei Xiong solemnly nodded. Without his help, do you think we could have become the underground dragon heads of Tengchong in such a short time?
"Hongmen, that's a super big organization. Bro, if we could become members of Hongmen, not just the small Tengchong, but even the entire Yun Province, we might have a chance to rule."
Black Panther's face showed excitement. Hei Xiong snorted, "It's not that simple. Although Hongmen is big, after the war, they shifted their focus overseas. Huaxia didn't retain much power. Mr. Hong has been active in Tengchong for these years, I don't know why. If it's just for a mine, with Hongmen's power, Mr. Hong wouldn't care for it."
Hongmen was established at the end of the Ming and beginning of the Qing dynasty, it was the biggest power in the country back then. Later, for some unknown reason, they reduced their domestic power and focused on overseas. Even on an international level, that's a super big power, and with many branches of Hongmen, even some small countries don't dare to provoke them.
But with Hongmen's power and financial resources, they wouldn't be interested in a small mine. Mr. Hong personally coming to Tengchong must have been for something related to the mine, hiding some secret that even Hei Xiong didn't know.
"Bro, let's not worry about the other stuff. With Mr. Hong as our support, we'll definitely be in a favorable position in the future. And that guy who hurt me, I will definitely make him pay," Black Panther said coldly, the color of resentment in his demeanor.
Hei Xiong nodded, "Keep low for the next few days, let's talk about it after the gambling stone event."
"Got it, bro," Black Panther nodded.
Time swiftly passed, and Lin Mo didn't go out, waiting for the gambling stone event to begin. Today, the day of the gambling stone event finally arrived!
Tengchong isn't the biggest jade producing area in Asia, but it is the largest jade production and trading market domestically.
In recent days, many jade businessmen from all over the country came here, along with some people specifically here to participate in the gambling stone event, converging in Tengchong, creating a bustling scene.
However, the most attractive part of this grand event was the gambling stone.
Gambling stones come in many forms, with various items being gambled.
On the street, vendors displayed several stones, some as small as a fist, large ones weighing even hundreds of pounds. This type is generally small gambling, but with good luck, treasures can still be found.
But these small street vendors have many scams and 'fake stones'. Mostly tourists from other places or people with less money play here. Those in the gambling stone industry with capital prefer choosing larger gambling stone venues, which not only guarantee credibility but also security.
These large gambling stone venues are operated by Tengchong's major families, chambers of commerce, and powers. Normally, there are no 'scams' here, and even if superb jade is discovered, the venue, for the sake of credibility, won't 'forcefully' keep it.
The gambling stone conference is held in a village called 'Sha Town', and the three biggest gambling venues are hosted by the Liao Family, the Shan Family, and Hei Xiong.
The Liao Family's venue is named "Fengming Pavilion," symbolizing the arrival of the phoenix and an auspicious omen.
Nearly everyone in Tengchong knew about the betting dispute between the Liao Family and Hei Xiong. Therefore, today 'Fengming Pavilion' was crowded with people, all gathering from the upper echelons of Tengchong society.