Chapter 93: Attending the Gathering

The box was light, cold to the touch, made of some kind of metal, its surface carved with strange patterns. Qin Feng curiously opened the box, and inside lay a black card, silent and still. On the card, in golden script, was written an address and a time: “Tomorrow night at eight o’clock, abandoned factory on the city outskirts. Be there or be square.” The reverse side of the card depicted a lifelike scorpion, its tail tipped with a drop of bright red blood.

Qin Feng looked at the card, a cold smile curling at his lips. He’d heard of such things—an old-fashioned challenge among the older generation. If you went, regardless of the outcome, the past would be written off. If you didn’t, all that awaited you was relentless vengeance.

“Zhao Taishan, you’re playing with fire,” Qin Feng murmured.

Early the next morning, Qin Feng arrived at Old Li’s shop. Old Li had just opened, barely begun to tidy up, when Qin Feng walked in, smiling.

“Boss Qin, you’re here so early?” Old Li asked in surprise.

“Uncle Li, there’s a good show tonight. Want to come with me?” Qin Feng tossed the black card to Old Li as he spoke.

Old Li took the card, examined it carefully, and his face changed abruptly.

“This… this is… Zhao Taishan…”

“That’s right, it’s him,” Qin Feng replied with a faint smile. “So, Uncle Li, dare to go meet him with me?”

A struggle showed on Old Li’s face—Zhao Taishan’s fierce reputation on one hand, Qin Feng’s calm composure on the other. For a moment, he couldn’t decide.

“Uncle Li, are you scared?” Qin Feng looked at him, half-smiling, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Stung by Qin Feng’s gaze, Old Li’s face flushed, and he straightened his neck, declaring, “Who’s scared? Let’s go! I’m not afraid of him!”

Qin Feng shook his head. “You’d better not go. Your family’s waiting for you to eat dinner every night. If anything happens to you, I won’t be able to explain it to Auntie.”

In truth, Qin Feng had come to see whether Old Li was trustworthy. If he wished, just a phone call to Yang Tianchen would solve everything. But he didn’t, because Qin Feng understood that some things aren’t always reliable—like his friendship with Yang Tianchen. It seemed solid now, but once family interests were at stake, even if Yang Tianchen wanted to help, his family would intervene. Besides, he couldn’t always rely on others; that would only make people look down on Qin Feng.

...

Night fell. The abandoned factory on the city’s outskirts was shrouded in silence, broken only by the occasional caw of a crow echoing through the darkness, making the atmosphere eerie and terrifying.

Qin Feng arrived at the factory gate, following the address from the card. The doors stood wide open, the interior pitch-black, impossible to see what lay inside.

“Let’s go, see what’s in there,” Qin Feng said, stepping in first.

The factory was empty, filled with discarded machines and debris, the air thick with a pungent, musty odor. Qin Feng and Zhang Hu pressed forward cautiously, when suddenly, a cold, sinister laugh sounded from behind.

“Heh, you finally came.”

Qin Feng and Old Li spun around. A white-haired elder dressed in traditional Chinese garb stood watching them, not far away, a chilling smile on his face. Behind him were more than a dozen burly men, each fierce and menacing, wielding gleaming machetes, encircling Qin Feng and Zhang Hu.

“Zhao Taishan!”

Qin Feng took a keen interest in Zhao Taishan—the legendary figure who straddled both sides of the law—finally revealing his true face.

“Young man, you have guts, daring to investigate me?”

Zhao Taishan stared at Qin Feng, his eyes full of venom.

“Investigate you? Zhao Taishan, those dirty deeds you’ve done on Antique Street, you think no one knows?” Qin Feng retorted, casting a sidelong glance at Zhao Taishan. “What, play the whore and still want a monument?”

“You bastard, begging for death!” One of Zhao Taishan’s henchmen roared, swinging his machete at Qin Feng.

Zhang Hu lunged forward, kicking the thug away.

“Damn it, touch our Brother Feng and you’re tired of living!” Zhang Hu shouted, loosening his muscles, ready for a fight.

“Go! Cut them down!” Zhao Taishan barked. At his command, the henchmen surged forward, machetes raised, surrounding Qin Feng and Zhang Hu.

“Huzi, warm up a bit,” Qin Feng said, lips curled in a playful smile.

“Got it!” Zhang Hu shouted excitedly, charging into the fray like a wild tiger.

Steel flashed and screams echoed; the factory was a scene of chaos. Zhang Hu fought mercilessly, his opponents no match for him, knocked down in short order, groaning on the ground.

“Useless! All of you are useless!” Zhao Taishan raged, watching his men fall one after another.

He couldn’t believe it—the refined young man before him was not only trained, but formidable.

“So you have some skill. No wonder you dare to act arrogant in front of me,” Zhao Taishan said, his face darkening as he pulled a finely crafted pistol from his coat, pointing the black barrel at Qin Feng. “But do you think this means you’ve won? Tonight, I’ll show you what real power is!”

“Zhao Taishan, you think a lousy gun can scare me?” Qin Feng remained calm, unconcerned. “I didn’t come tonight to fight you.”

“Oh? Then why are you here?” Zhao Taishan narrowed his eyes.

“I came to discuss a deal.”

“A deal? What business could I possibly have with you?” Zhao Taishan sneered, finger resting on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.

Unhurried, Qin Feng lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a cloud of smoke before speaking slowly. “I heard, Boss Zhao, that you recently acquired a treasure—something that could elevate you to new heights.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Zhao Taishan’s brows furrowed, a hint of panic flickering in his eyes, quickly masked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Qin Feng’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Boss Zhao, let’s not play games. That treasure in your hands is worth a fortune. Don’t you want to turn it into real money and enjoy yourself?”

Zhao Taishan fell silent, fixing Qin Feng with a stare, searching his face for answers.