544: Chapter 544 Family Feuds, Orphanage

Fang Cheng sat in his chair, listening to the explanation expressionlessly.

He neither expressed understanding nor continued to question him.

He simply crossed his arms over his chest, quietly watching A-Le with a scrutinizing gaze.

Only when the other party couldn't help but look away first did he speak in a deep voice:

[Remember this site's domain name. Read Taiwan novels on Taiwan Novel Network, ẗẅḳäṅ.ċöṁ. Super convenient!]

"After you escaped, you didn't contact anyone else from the Dongcheng Association or reveal your whereabouts?"

"No."

A-Le leaned against the wall and shook his head with difficulty:

"Although the Chairman told me to break through and deliver the news at the time, I thought about it carefully—there must be a mole in the syndicate."

"The trip to the secret base this time was top secret. Aside from the dozen or so brothers who accompanied us, only a few higher-ups in the gang knew about it."

"Now, those brothers are all dead, and the Chairman has been captured. It couldn't possibly be me who leaked the news, right?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, pulling into an expression that looked worse than crying:

"So, the one who betrayed our whereabouts must be someone closest to and most trusted by the Chairman, a high-ranking member of the syndicate with real power."

"Right now, this traitor has probably long been plotting how to eliminate rivals and usurp power."

"As the Chairman's confidant, if I dare to return to the gang now, wouldn't I be walking right into a trap?"

Having said this, a trace of suppressed anger burst from A-Le's bloodshot eyes.

"What's more, against monsters with special abilities, sending those gang lackeys who only know how to slash with knives would just be sending them to their deaths, no matter how many go."

"This isn't a gang turf war where you can win by sheer numbers. If we take people there with great fanfare, not only will we fail to rescue the Chairman, but we might end up getting him killed instead."

"Unless those monsters are willing to set up a stage and have a Face-to-Face duel with the Dongcheng Association, letting us fill the gap with hundreds of lives..."

A-Le hung his head and stopped speaking.

Such an absurd thing was impossible even to think about.

Fang Cheng nodded slightly.

This A-Le was indeed worthy of being Shen Wei's ace bodyguard; he was clear-headed and cautious enough in his actions.

He didn't dare return to the gang, nor did he dare go to the club.

He even actively cut off contact with all his acquaintances to prevent the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group from tracing his whereabouts through those clues.

This seemingly extreme "physical isolation," when the enemy and ally are unclear, was precisely the most correct Law of survival.

Meanwhile, he himself, an "outsider" with no connection to the Dongcheng Association but with sufficient strength, had instead become the only variable and hope.

"Phew—"

A-Le let out a long breath, his chest heaving violently.

Clearly, that confession just now had drained a lot of his energy.

After recovering slightly, he looked up at Fang Cheng, his tone carrying a hint of earnestness:

"I've thought it through. To save the Chairman, we can only find an expert among the Aberrants who also possesses special abilities."

"Since they didn't kill him on the spot, it means they must have some other plot."

"As long as we can find a powerful expert who can hold the fort to negotiate, then whether they want money or something else, everything can be discussed."

Fang Cheng remained silent for a moment, then suddenly questioned him:

"Since Chairman Shen was kidnapped by Aberrants, why didn't you ask the backer behind the syndicate to mediate?"

As he spoke, his sharp gaze pierced straight into A-Le's eyes.

"Don't tell me you don't have anyone behind you. The backer couldn't have sold you out too, right?"

This was almost common knowledge in the underworld.

To gain a foothold in a place like Dongdu, where dragons and tigers lie hidden, and stand tall for decades.

If the Dongcheng Association didn't have a major Family or official background backing them, Fang Cheng wouldn't believe it for a second.

Reporting to the police was a taboo, but looking to a backer was only natural.

Now that this had happened, instead of seeking reinforcements, he came to ask for his help. This was unreasonable.

"You might not believe it if I say it..."

A helpless expression appeared on A-Le's Face:

"Behind our Dongcheng Association, there really is no backer."

Fang Cheng frowned slightly, still keeping his arms crossed over his chest, clearly very dissatisfied with this answer.

Without a backer, how could they become one of the three major syndicates in Dongdu? And even stand on equal footing with the Red Tiger Gang, which is backed by Noah?

Who was he kidding?

Seemingly sensing Fang Cheng's suspicion, A-Le quickly explained:

"If I had to name one, it would perhaps be the Shen Family."

"The Shen Family?"

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered, quite surprised.

"Yes, the top wealthy Family in Dongdu, the Shen Family."

A-Le nodded, caught his breath, and explained in detail:

"The Chairman's surname is Shen, and he indeed comes from the Shen Family. Perhaps because of this title, other factions and even the Metropolitan Police Department have to give him some Face and harbor some wariness."

"But having followed the Chairman for so many years, I know very well in my heart that, in fact, the Chairman fell out with the Shen Family decades ago. He was removed from the genealogy, and the two sides have become like strangers."

"The so-called influential Family background is nothing more than the Chairman using their name to intimidate others."

Speaking of this, A-Le's eyes dimmed a bit:

"As for the reason for the fallout, that is the Chairman's Family matter, and I have no right to ask."

"To be honest, after escaping last night, I immediately ran to the Shen Family mansion, thinking that for the sake of blood relations, I would beg them to rescue the Chairman."

"The result..."

A-Le shook his head, his tone full of bitterness:

"I didn't even make it past the main gate before the butler there set the dogs on me and chased me out."

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow and didn't dwell on the issue further.

The deep waters of wealthy families are vast; this kind of drama of severed Family ties and never speaking to each other again was not uncommon in that circle.

It was also reasonable that a colossus like the Shen Family would look down on a collateral relative like Shen Wei, who was involved in the underworld.

The room fell silent once more.

Having spoken so much, A-Le's Face grew increasingly pale, and he leaned weakly against the wall to rest with his eyes closed.

The wind seemed to have picked up outside, causing the curtains to sway slightly and casting mottled shadows of the light onto the floor.

Watching the swaying shadows, Fang Cheng pondered for a moment before asking the most crucial question:

"How on earth did you provoke the people from 'Blood Thorn'?"

If he didn't get to the bottom of this question, it would be difficult for Fang Cheng to judge how deep this muddy water actually was.

Logically speaking, although the underworld and the Aberrant circle occasionally intersected, there was no fundamental conflict of interest.

After all, they belonged to two completely different worlds.

If the other party was just after money, an old hand in the Jianghu like Shen Wei would definitely have obediently paid up to avoid disaster when faced with an irresistible force.

How could it have escalated to the point of tearing all ties, direct kidnapping, and the slaughter of bodyguards?

Unless... it was a deadly grudge.

Thoughts spun rapidly in Fang Cheng's mind as he stared intently at A-Le's Face.

Hearing this question, A-Le's eyes clearly flickered, and his lips moved, appearing somewhat hesitant.

"If it's not convenient to say, the door is right there. I won't see you out."

Seeing this, Fang Cheng directly raised his hand and pointed at the door, issuing a cold and firm order to leave.

"Don't! You've misunderstood!"

A-Le hurriedly waved his hands, wanting to explain.

But because his movement was too large, it suddenly pulled at the wound on his abdomen, causing his entire Face to scrunch up in pain.

But he forced himself not to groan and quickly said:

"It's not that I don't want to say, it's just that I really don't know what their ultimate goal is."

"If..."

A-Le paused, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"I mean if, according to my previous guess, it is highly likely related to the secret base we went to this time."

"The Dongcheng Association's secret base?"

"Yes."

A-Le nodded, his tone becoming exceptionally grave:

"That place is actually an orphanage, and a group of very special children lives there."

"Like the Blood Thorn Mercenary Group, they are all Aberrants who have just awakened special abilities."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint gleam of light flashing through them:

"A mob boss running an orphanage? And specifically an orphanage that takes in Aberrants?"

"What on earth is Shen Wei trying to do? Training death soldiers from a young age to serve him?"

A-Le gave a bitter smile, as if he had already anticipated Fang Cheng's reaction:

"The Chairman... is not the kind of pure mob boss you imagine.

"When he was young, he also suffered a lot and saw too many children being marginalized and harmed because of their status as Aberrants."

"Lacking Family protection, isolated and helpless, and with nowhere to go, they eventually turned into antisocial monsters, causing too many tragedies."

Speaking up to this point, A-Le paused, his voice dropping a bit:

"These are words the Chairman told me himself. This orphanage is more like an obsession of his, an ideal."

"He wanted to give those children a shelter, a place where they wouldn't be discriminated against or hunted down because of their differences."

"As for Blood Thorn..."

A-Le shifted the topic, his originally dim eyes becoming firm, as if he had gradually cleared up his thoughts.

"I suspect their target was never the Chairman at all, but those children. The Chairman was just caught in the crossfire."

"Otherwise, they wouldn't have precisely chosen this time to secretly tail the convoy, and only captured the Chairman without harming him."

"Is there anything special about those children?"

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow and pressed further, keenly capturing the key information.

"I don't know."

A-Le shook his head, his brow still carrying a hint of puzzled confusion:

"The Chairman has always been highly secretive about the orphanage. Usually, he only let the brothers in the gang handle the delivery of supplies on the periphery, forbidding us from getting close to those children."

"I only know that place is very important, more important than any of the Dongcheng Association's businesses."

He looked at Fang Cheng, his eyes filled with pleading:

"Mr. Fang, I know this sounds unbelievable, but right now, those children and the Chairman are in grave danger."

"I beg you, please help us."

Fang Cheng didn't respond immediately, slowly lowering his crossed arms.

"Even though you've said all this, what makes you think I can stand against those monsters?"

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes burning as he stared into A-Le's eyes:

"Speaking of which, I seem to have only shown a bit of my fighting ability at the club."

"People with my kind of skill are a dime a dozen in Dongdu. How did you discover my secret?"

A-Le didn't dare meet his gaze, answering with his head lowered:

"I've watched the recording of you and Xu Hao sparring in the club's ring."

"Although you only fought one match, I could tell that you didn't use your full strength at all. You were completely at ease throughout the whole process, as if you were playing with Xu Hao."

He licked his dry lips:

"You should know, Xu Hao is the newly promoted Double Flower Red Pole of the Red Tiger Gang. He once single-handedly beat down dozens of knife-wielding thugs who surrounded him. It's said he's also associated with some Aberrant organization, and his physical fitness exceeds the limits of an ordinary Martial Artist."

"Since you could easily deal with that aggressive guy, it means your strength is definitely far above his."

"And..."

A-Le looked up at Fang Cheng, seemingly throwing caution to the wind, hiding nothing:

"Last year, a murder case that shocked the Dongdu underworld occurred at the Red Tiger Gang's warehouse in the Linggang District. The entire branch, with over a hundred gang members, was completely slaughtered overnight."

"The Chairman and I analyzed the various clues from the scene and ultimately judged that you are highly likely to be that mysterious killer."

He swallowed hard, his voice dropping even lower:

"Especially the night before the incident, you practiced shooting all night at the Xishan Shooting Range, and even purchased combat suits and bullets."

"That special combat suit almost perfectly matches the image of the killer rumored in the Jianghu."

There was no change in the expression on Fang Cheng's Face, but his gaze was as sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through a person's heart.

The surrounding temperature also dropped along with it.

A-Le's Adam's apple bobbed, and his muscles tensed involuntarily.

It felt as if he were being watched by a primordial Vicious Beast, and all the hairs on his body stood on end.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples, soaking the hair at his sideburns, and even his breathing became stagnant.

Just as A-Le felt he was about to suffocate, that trembling Aura suddenly dissipated.

Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze, returning to a peaceful state, as if that heart-palpitation-inducing moment just now was merely an illusion.

A-Le, however, felt as if all his strength had been drained. He leaned his back against the wall, clutching his chest and panting heavily.

His heart thudded against his chest, and it took quite a while before it resumed a steady beat.

"Have you mentioned this matter to anyone else?"

Fang Cheng's cold voice sounded again.

"No!"

A-Le shook his head in a hurry, guaranteeing solemnly:

"Only the Chairman and I know about this. Even the gang's second-in-command has been kept completely in the dark."

"The Chairman... he thinks very highly of you, believing that you have the talent and potential to become a top-tier expert. He has strictly ordered me multiple times to keep the secret."

"Moreover, he had even drawn up plans to secretly sponsor you and help you resolve some of your worries, but he just never found a suitable opportunity."

At the mention of Shen Wei, A-Le's emotions couldn't help but become agitated again, his eyes turning slightly red:

"The Chairman also mentioned to me that you are unfathomable, yet someone worth befriending. Now, in the entirety of Dongdu, you are the only one I trust to save the Chairman."

"Mr. Fang, please help us!"

As A-Le spoke, he supported himself against the wall with both hands, trying to stand up straight.

His abdominal wound was pulled, causing him to grimace in pain, but he still gritted his teeth and struggled to kneel down before Fang Cheng.

"As long as you can rescue the Chairman, my life will be yours from now on! Whether going up a mountain of knives or into a sea of fire, I will never utter a single word of complaint!"

Fang Cheng did not speak, only quietly watching this tough guy who was enduring intense pain.

The room fell into silence once more.

A few seconds later, Fang Cheng stood up, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.

Gazing at the neon lights flashing along the distant city skyline, his thoughts also ebbed and flowed. (End of Chapter)