Chapter 121: Red Boy

After finishing up with Han Ning’s affairs, Yang Jiekai stretched his body thoroughly, preparing to wash up and get some sleep; it had been an exhausting day.

He had originally intended to call Long Xiaoman to check on her—after all, those so-called "heavenly soldiers and generals" at the Dragon Palace Bar were from the Dragon Hall—but his calls went unanswered. Assuming the girl had already turned in for the night, Yang Jiekai didn’t give it much thought, pulling the covers over his head and sleeping soundly until the following noon.

Lazily picking up his phone, he dialed Long Xiaoman again, but this time, her phone was powered off.

Yang Jiekai sat bolt upright in bed. An ominous premonition surged in his chest, and he quickly called one of her subordinates.

"Where is your boss? Why isn't she answering her phone?"

The voice on the other end was frantic. "Brother Yang, it’s bad! Sister Long is gone!"

"Gone?" Yang Jiekai furrowed his brows. "Since when?"

"Since last night!" the subordinate replied, his voice trembling. "She’s been missing since last night, and her phone won't go through. The brothers are out looking everywhere!"

Damn it!

Yang Jiekai cursed under his breath. "Hold on, I’m coming over right now!"

Upon arriving at the eastern suburbs, Yang Jiekai had the subordinate recount the details, but the information gathered was minimal; all they knew was that Long Xiaoman had inexplicably lost contact.

Yang Jiekai lit a cigarette, waiting for his emotions to settle before carefully piecing the situation together. People living the life of a gangster, like Long Xiaoman, usually kept their phones on twenty-four hours a day. Even if they had to turn them off under special circumstances, they would leave clues for their subordinates. For a living person to simply vanish without a trace was highly suspicious.

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Long Xiaoman had made plenty of enemies in the underworld; if she had been intercepted, it would be a major problem.

Just as he felt at a loss, his phone rang. It was an unknown number.

Yang Jiekai frowned and answered, "Who is this?"

A cold, sinister voice came from the other side: "Long Xiaoman is in my hands."

Yang Jiekai paused. "Are you Red Boy?"

A cold laugh echoed through the phone. "You’re sharp. If you want to see Long Xiaoman again, come to the Xinxin Billiards Hall in the southern suburbs at two o'clock. Remember, you must come alone. If I don't see you by two, you will never see her again."

The connection was cut.

"Shit!"

Yang Jiekai cursed, checked the time—it was already past one—and without a word, he called Qin Feng, telling him and the others to keep a close eye on the house. He didn't explain why, just drove alone toward the southern suburbs.

He had guessed it was Red Boy because he had previously been targeted by an assassination attempt from him. He was certain that whoever kidnapped Long Xiaoman was one of Red Boy's men.

Southern Suburbs.

Inside the Xinxin Billiards Hall, a young man with fire-red hair leaned back in a rosewood chair, his eyes narrowed. He looked ordinary, but a vertical scar on his forehead was particularly striking. It looked as though it had been carved by a sharp blade; at first glance, it appeared as if he had a third eye standing vertically on his brow. Because of this scar, his former nickname had been "Erlang Shen."

Back then, the southern suburbs were fractured, with two opposing gangs fighting almost every day. The scar on his forehead was a souvenir from that era. After finally defeating his rival, he had doused the man in gasoline and burned him alive. From that day on, his moniker became "Red Boy."

At this moment, Long Xiaoman was tied up in a corner, her mouth gagged, her body soaked in gasoline. Red Boy sat facing her, eyes narrowed, playing with an exquisite lighter.

It wasn't just Long Xiaoman who felt a chill; the dozen or so subordinates around Red Boy were also trembling. They had witnessed their boss burn a man to death, a scene they would never forget. If Yuan Datou of the northern suburbs was considered a ruthless man, then Red Boy was the most ruthless among them—otherwise, he wouldn't have been capable of burning a living person to death.

Beyond his cruelty, Red Boy was the most sophisticated of the four suburban gang leaders. The others were like frogs in a well, content to guard their own small patches of land. Red Boy, however, had grand ambitions and maintained ties with the true gangs in the city center, where he even owned two venues of his own.

Ruthlessness, combined with high emotional and intellectual intelligence—that was Red Boy.

Regarding the recent shifts in power in the eastern suburbs, others only knew the Dragon Hall was behind it, but they couldn't fool Red Boy. He knew that beyond the Dragon Hall, there was Yang Jiekai, who posed as a mere underling but was the true master behind the scenes.

"Long Xiaoman, only ten minutes left. If I don't see your friend..." Red Boy toyed with his lighter, a mocking smile on his face. "I've had roasted lamb and roasted beef, but I've never tasted human flesh—especially the flesh of a beauty."

He spoke softly, but his words made the dozen subordinates behind him shudder. They had followed him for years and knew that if he said it, he would do it.

With one minute remaining, Red Boy yawned, stood up from his chair, and slowly approached Long Xiaoman with the lighter. The corners of his mouth curled into an icy arc, and his eyes revealed a perverted craving, as if he were eagerly anticipating what was about to happen.

Just then, a subordinate rushed in and whispered something into Red Boy’s ear. Red Boy squinted, returned to his chair, and said calmly, "Let him in."

As soon as Yang Jiekai entered the billiards hall and saw Long Xiaoman curled up in the corner, soaked and shivering, his fury erupted. He kicked over the man blocking his path and rushed toward her.

"If you don't want your friend to turn into a roast, you’d better watch your step!" Red Boy clicked the lighter open.

Yang Jiekai stopped dead in his tracks. He caught the thick stench of gasoline in the air and looked at Long Xiaoman’s soaked body. Realizing the stakes, a chill ran down his spine. Seeing Yang Jiekai, Long Xiaoman struggled violently, but with the rag in her mouth, she could only emit muffled whimpers.

Yang Jiekai swallowed hard, forcing himself to remain calm. He looked coldly at Red Boy. "What exactly do you want?"

Red Boy stretched, examined Yang Jiekai with interest, and sneered, "I know you can fight. I know that if we all attacked you together, we wouldn't be your match. That’s why I resorted to this—otherwise, I could never have gotten a high-level expert like you to show his face."

Yang Jiekai said in a low voice, "You are lucky. If anything happens to my friend, I will make sure you never even have the chance to regret it."

Red Boy laughed loudly. "Interesting! This is truly interesting!"

He stood up abruptly, clicked the lighter again, and pointed it menacingly at Yang Jiekai. "Do you believe me? With one simple flick of my hand, your friend will become a roast pig!"

"What do you want!" Veins bulged on Yang Jiekai's forehead, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists.

"It's simple!" Red Boy stretched his neck. "I want to make a bet with you."

"What kind of bet?"

Red Boy signaled a subordinate, who quickly produced a revolver. With a flick of his wrist, Red Boy spun the cylinder, placed the gun on the billiards table, and said, "There is only one bullet in the chamber. We take turns shooting ourselves. If you lose, both you and your friend die. If I lose, I pay with my life, and you leave with your friend."

Saying this, Red Boy picked up the revolver, spun the chamber with a sharp click, and pulled the trigger against his own temple.

*Click.*

The gun did not fire.

Red Boy pushed the gun toward Yang Jiekai. "Of course, you have a second choice. You can refuse to bet, but from now on, you and the Dragon Hall will follow my orders."

Yang Jiekai paused, then suddenly laughed. "This game is exciting enough, but I want to raise the stakes."

"Oh?" Red Boy asked with interest. "How so?"

Yang Jiekai toyed with the revolver. "This cylinder has eight chambers, and there is only one bullet. You already fired once, which means I have a six-in-seven chance of survival."

He glanced at Long Xiaoman and continued, "How about this: I will pull the trigger five times in a row against my own head. If I survive, not only do I take my friend, but the entire southern suburb will answer to the Dragon Hall from now on!"

Red Boy was stunned, then burst into a roar of laughter. "Good! I love it! This is truly thrilling!"

Long Xiaoman struggled in the corner, signaling for him not to do it. Yang Jiekai looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry. From today on, the southern suburbs are our territory!"

He raised his hand, pressed the muzzle against his temple, and pulled the trigger five times in rapid succession.

*Click, click, click, click, click.*

The revolver emitted five soft sounds. It all happened in a flash; Yang Jiekai hadn't hesitated for a second. When the final click echoed, the entire billiards hall fell into a deathly silence.

A flicker of shock passed through Red Boy’s eyes.

After finishing, Yang Jiekai looked as if nothing had happened. He looked at Red Boy and said calmly, "I won."

Red Boy bit his lip, saying nothing. He was a ruthless man, but today, he had finally encountered someone more ruthless and insane than himself.

Yang Jiekai looked at him. "Now there is only a fifty-fifty chance left. I know you aren't convinced yet. Let's bet again. You can choose: you go first, or I go first."

He laughed, aiming the muzzle once more at his own temple. "I think I'll go first!"