Chapter 44: The Lion (4)

Thanks to his extraordinary background, Tan Zhao had traveled to most parts of the world and seen countless people of all kinds; he was certainly not a man of narrow experience.

Yet an underworld realm like Pubang was somewhere he would never have set foot in had it not been for Wen Mingwei.

That night, they spent a long time handling their firearms before finally going to sleep.

Wen Mingwei rarely showed special affection for anything, but he held a deep fondness for guns. The weapon he gave Tan Zhao was a large-caliber pistol loaded with custom bullets, powerful enough to kill large animals from a distance, with a recoil just as fierce that ordinary people struggled to manage.

Wen Mingwei taught Tan Zhao how to test the gun, aiming at the palm tree outside the window. Without even attaching the silencer, he pulled the trigger—*bang*, a deafening roar!

With windows open on both the upper and lower floors, angry shouts immediately rang out: "Who the hell is disturbing the peace in the middle of the night!" Followed by a few curses in incomprehensible languages, the origins of their speakers unknown.

Tan Zhao's thumb and forefinger tingled from the recoil, and Wen Mingwei's voice came from behind him: "Try again."

—In a place like Pubang, the sound of gunfire was as common as the honking of cars.

Even more common were casinos and arcades of all sizes scattered everywhere.

The arcades also doubled as gambling dens, designing their video games like sophisticated slot machines and utilizing wins and losses for wagering. ATM machines stood right alongside them, making it convenient for those who lost all their money to withdraw cash on the spot and gamble away even more of their family fortunes.

It was worth noting that offshore banks were neither legal nor stable, typically operated by the kingpins of various factions. Depositing money in their banks carried the nature of paying protection fees; holding a particular bank's card meant falling under that faction's protection, while also preparing oneself mentally for the possibility of being unable to withdraw funds.

Some banks were even run by casino bosses, so the money gamblers had just lost flowed straight into the bank, only to find its way back into their own hands via the ATM, still warm to the touch.

Consequently, most gamblers used only cash, or swiped Alliance citizen cards—cardholders being mostly illegal immigrants—which carried the risk of being seized by Alliance authorities.

Speaking of these things, Wen Mingwei rattled them off as if recounting family treasures. Not just Pubang, but all the major offshore cities followed a similar set of operating rules; their cores were alike, with little difference.

Having listened to it all, Tan Zhao asked, "Do you have dealings with them?"

He was referring to those faction leaders.

Wen Mingwei replied indifferently, "No."

They had no direct dealings now, but strictly speaking, indirect dealings did exist.

Some of those people were buyers of Wen Mingwei's arms business. It was just that an underground black market separated them, and after the goods were transferred several times—whether in parts or as a whole—the identities of both buyers and sellers were completely obscured.

Occasionally, Wen Mingwei would also import goods from overseas, acquiring low-priced minerals and rare resources.

He made no secret of it, telling Tan Zhao whatever came to mind: "The first time I ever came to Pubang was to sell guns."

"Guns you made yourself?"

"Yes, the Wen family has a military-industrial base capable of producing a wide array of weapons."

Wen Mingwei said, "Back then, I didn't understand the overseas territories all that well. Fresh off the boat, I was given a harsh wake-up call, turned away at the door, and publicly humiliated."

"And then?"

"Hah," Wen Mingwei let out a soft laugh, "I scattered that organization, killed the leader, and took my business elsewhere."

"..."

With just a casual sentence, he brushed past a storm of violence: "The overseas territories are a jungle where the weak are prey to the strong. If your gun isn't hard enough, nobody will listen to reason."

What Wen Mingwei didn't mention was that he hadn't brought many subordinates with him at the time, yet he defeated Pubang's most formidable top boss with a vastly inferior force. That single battle established the Wen family's reputation along the southeastern border, making people tremble at the mention of the name "Wen" and dare not treat them lightly.

Later on, the organization he once traded with had also ceased to exist.

—There were many capable individuals in the overseas territories, but scattered like loose sand and locked in constant conflict, very few factions could endure and flourish under such turbulence.

The next morning, they took a brief stroll through the urban area, and in the afternoon, disguised themselves before heading straight for their destination: a massive casino named the "Pubang Entertainment City."

Situated in the most conspicuous location in the city center, the casino was a dazzling, brightly colored building of exotic architecture.

As the largest casino in the area, it welcomed streams of visitors day and night, a melting pot of all sorts of characters, and the central hub of Pubang in every sense of the word.

Judging from the intelligence Wen Mingwei had gathered, Wen Mingzhe would make an appearance here today. His business partner was none other than the current "Mayor" of Pubang—a super-rich tycoon who made his fortune in the gaming and entertainment industry, and the man behind the scenes at the Pubang Entertainment City.

Over the years, Wen Mingzhe had lived in anonymity, operating under a false identity and calling himself "Wang Ming" to the outside world.

A name so ordinary it would vanish into a crowd had shielded him for nine years, while also burying the glory that should have been his.

Knowing him as he did, Wen Mingwei was certain his brother must be filled with resentment and burning ambition. And indeed, that was the case. Initially, he managed to barely restrain himself, keeping his arrogant demeanor in check, but once he gained momentum, his old habits relapsed. He could not tolerate the slightest defiance and frequently clashed with various factions, earning himself a rather poor reputation.

"He used to be even more arrogant."

Walking through the casino gates, Wen Mingwei remarked, "If not for the surname Wen, he would have been beaten to death on the streets long ago. What he's doing now counts as keeping a low profile."

The Pubang Entertainment City was a multi-story structure; the top floors housed a hotel and shopping mall, while the lower two floors formed the main casino.

The gaming hall occupied an entire floor, divided into inner and outer zones. The outer zone was packed with rows of slot machines designed to lure in small-stakes casual gamblers. The inner zone was constructed like a magnificent maze, dominated by various gaming tables catering to all types of play, with chip values starting at a baseline of one thousand Alliance dollars and no upper limit.

Wen Mingwei kept a low profile today, dressed in a black casual suit with his long hair neatly tied back and a face mask covering his features.

Complementing his attire, Tan Zhao dressed even more casually, with his collar unbuttoned and a pair of sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He wore a stern expression, playing the role of a mafia boss, though he didn't pull it off very convincingly—looking more like a movie star putting on a pretentious act.

Wen Mingwei smiled without exposing him, letting himself be pulled forward by Tan Zhao's arm. They casually exchanged chips, played a few small hands, and then wandered around like ordinary gamblers toward the central area.

As they passed a Baccarat table, they suddenly overheard someone nearby say: "A big boss is coming over later, did you know?"

Wen Mingwei stopped in his tracks, fished two chips out of Tan Zhao's pocket, and placed them on the table.

The dealer, paying no attention to any of the players, mechanically drew and dealt the cards, revealing the outcome.

The person who had just spoken stood right beside the gaming table, appearing to be a casino bouncer dressed in a black uniform, discussing openly with his companion:

"Word is his surname is Wang, but his background isn't simple. Some people guess his surname might not even be Wang at all."

"Then what is it?"

"Guess. Think big!"

"Damn it, making a mystery out of it. What kind of badass surnames are there these days? Surely it can't be Wen—what the hell, it actually is?"

"Not sure, I just heard it too."

His companion dismissed it casually: "I've seen plenty of guys like that. Eight out of ten are just borrowing the Wen family's reputation to stroke their own egos."

"I doubt it too."

"Right? But what good does it do you, who are you trying to scare? Do you think this is ten years ago? Anyone with the surname Wen died off a long time ago—"

The man spoke in quite a booming voice, drawing quite a few gazes.

He shook his head, thoroughly immersed in the self-satisfied thrill of pontificating, failing to notice someone walking up and tapping him on the shoulder.

When he turned his head, before he could even see who it was, a foot came flying out and kicked him hard, sending him crashing down the opposite staircase with a miserable scream!

An uproar erupted around the gaming table. Wen Mingwei scooped up his chips and, blending into the crowd, took advantage of the chaos to head upstairs.

The first and second-floor halls featured an open atrium design. A row of VIP private rooms lined the second floor; they entered one of them and looked down through the one-way glass to find the floor below already thrown into complete disarray.

The one who had thrown the kick was a heavily built man in a suit. He hoisted the victim up like a frail chick, slammed him onto the floor, and delivered another vicious kick. Simple as the movements looked, the man who had been kicked was left on the brink of death, unable to even utter a cry.

Emerging from behind the suit-clad man, surrounded by a throng of bouncers, came another man.

This man wore a white shirt, a diamond watch, and slicked-back hair. Several deep, horrifying scars marred his exposed neck.

He possessed a handsome, standard-looking face with traces of plastic surgery, yet his eyes were piercing and sinister, exuding an aggressive aura. Beneath his affected gentleness lay a streak of ruthlessness.

—It was none other than Wen Mingzhe, who had somehow managed to survive.

Seeing Wen Mingzhe wave a hand, the suit-clad man delivered another stamp to the face, and the man on the ground closed his eyes, appearing to have been kicked straight to death.

"Who did you say died off? Hm?"

Wen Mingzhe walked right up to the body and stamped viciously on the face: "Are you a piece of trash fit to discuss me? Dog."

The onlookers fell silent as death. Wen Mingzhe turned around with a grin: "Pardon the unsightly spectacle, everyone."

He loosened a collar that wasn't even tight to begin with, put on an affected swagger as he walked over to the gaming table, tapped the playing cards on the felt, and asked, "Where is Boss Dan?"

"Boss Dan's" full name was Dan Wei, the owner of this casino and the very man Wen Mingzhe was here to partner with.

To come here for business negotiations yet cause a ruckus on the host's turf, ruthlessly beating a man to death without giving the owner an ounce of face.

The floor manager's expression had already turned unsightly. Not daring to speak too loudly, he replied, "Please wait a moment, Boss Dan is on his way."

Just as his voice trailed off, the casino owner arrived.

A native-born resident of Pubang, he had dark brown skin, rugged features, and an aura of banditry. Accompanied by two or three trusted aides and seven or eight bouncers, he walked over while someone murmured a low-voiced report about the earlier clash into his ear.

—Even a dog should be beaten only with regard to its owner, and Wen Mingzhe hadn't hit a dog; he had slapped the casino owner right across the face.

Yet viewed from the second-floor balcony, Dan Wei didn't seem to mind at all. He greeted Wen Mingzhe warmly, then turned with a dark expression to snap at his subordinates: "If anyone runs their mouth without thinking again in the future, you won't need President Wang to do it—can't you handle it yourselves!"

His subordinates repeatedly acknowledged the order, pulled out the chairs by the gaming table, and respectfully invited the two men to be seated.

Clearly, Dan Wei held great apprehension toward Wen Mingzhe.

The man who had been beaten to death earlier hadn't been entirely wrong: the Wen family was no longer what it used to be, and nobody was going to look at him twice just because his surname was Wen. The fact that Wen Mingzhe could act so arrogantly was proof of the backing he possessed.

Yet even when given courtesy, he refused to show restraint. Sitting down aggressively, he seized the initiative: "Boss Dan, I think this casino of yours is a bit too small."

"Small?"

"Small. At best, it's only enough to be number one in Pubang. If we want to dominate the overseas territories, we need to expand it at least tenfold!"

"..."

Dan Wei smiled and flattered him: "President Wang has quite the grand ambition."

In full view of everyone, Wen Mingzhe made a hand gesture. His subordinate stepped forward on command, activated a device, and projected a display onto the gaming table.

It was a holographic 3D map. Though details were hard to make out from the second-floor vantage point, it could be vaguely identified as a territory distribution map marked by him.

The markers came in blue and red; blue seemingly represented safe zones, red denoted hostile territory, and a section of yellow regions included Pubang, where Dan Wei was located, signifying neutrality.

Wen Mingywei was surprised, though not entirely shocked: "So this is the business he came to negotiate. Quite an ambitious appetite."

Tan Zhao understood as well: "He's going to join forces with Dan Wei?"

The overseas territories had no shortage of ambition, and overreaching was always better than showing weakness. But given Wen Mingzhe's erratic and perverse nature, wanting to become the ultimate overlord uniting the entire picture would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.