Jun Jun showed no mercy. He grabbed Meng Meiyun's hand and shoved her to the ground, then helped Yang Jian push the Buddha into the car.
Before Meng Meiyun could get up, Afeng sped away.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Buddha was kidnapped on his own turf. The onlookers were all excited. This was major news in Dongjiang, and they were all witnesses.
"Brother, Xiao Yang took the Buddha. Should we also withdraw?"
Fang Hai, who had been hiding in the crowd, alerted Fang Zhicheng via walkie-talkie.
Fang Zhicheng was overjoyed. "Good, notify everyone to withdraw from Fenghuang Street immediately."
Within five minutes, over a hundred members of the Xichuan Gang, their arms wrapped in white towels, had all disappeared from Fenghuang Street.
Seeing the disorganized Yanan Gang, Meng Meiyun was helpless and could only call her godfather.
"Meiyun, why are you calling so late? Is something wrong?"
A deep voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Godfather, Chen Kai has been kidnapped."
The Buddha's full name was Chen Kai. Meng Meiyun dared not call him the Buddha in front of her godfather.
"What did you say? When did this happen?"
"Just two minutes ago."
"What happened? Tell me in detail."
Meng Meiyun recounted the events that had just transpired.
"Meiyun, has Xiao Chen had any conflicts with anyone recently?"
"Just before the kidnapping, Chen Kai told me that he had been clashing with a migrant worker named Yang Wu. Around eight-thirty tonight, he even sent people to assassinate Yang Wu, but Yang Wu fought back and killed them. We lost more than a dozen brothers."
"So Chen Kai was kidnapped by Yang Wu. The revenge is quite swift. This person probably isn't a migrant worker; his methods are very experienced."
"I think this matter is inseparable from the Xichuan Gang. They had over a hundred people providing backup outside and injured dozens of our brothers. Our Yanan Gang has suffered a heavy blow this time. I'm worried Zheng Jingfa will try to seize control of Fenghuang Street.
Godfather, can you come back earlier? Without Chen Kai, the Yanan Gang is in disarray."
"Alright, I was planning to come back on Friday, but I'll move it up a day. I'll be back by the day after tomorrow at the latest. Don't worry, I'll find someone to talk to Zheng Jingfa. He won't dare to do anything to Xiao Chen; he just wants some benefits."
"Do we need to call the police?"
"No, let the matters of the underworld be handled within the underworld. Otherwise, the conflict will never be resolved. We'll discuss it when I get back."
With her godfather's assurance, Meng Meiyun finally calmed down. She first organized personnel to send the injured brothers to the hospital for treatment, then instructed the nightclub manager to pacify the frightened guests and continue operations.
After arranging everything, Meng Meiyun sat alone in her office, recalling the man who had kidnapped the Buddha. His voice sounded so similar to Yang Jian's.
Moreover, the way he looked at her was a bit strange. Especially when his companion was about to hit her, he had spoken out to stop him.
Could it be Yang Jian? Apart from the thick beard on his face, his physique and voice were too similar to Yang Jian's.
The moment this thought crossed her mind, Meng Meiyun couldn't sit still and immediately called Dai Mengmeng.
"Mengmeng, are you asleep yet?"
"Meiyun, I've been asleep for a while. It's already half-past ten."
"I can't sleep. Can you get up and accompany me for a late-night snack?"
"But I'm already in bed. I have to work tomorrow."
"I'm feeling particularly upset right now. Get up and keep me company for a bit."
"Alright, I'll get up right away. Come pick me up. It's not safe in Liuqiao Village at night. I heard there was a fight around eight o'clock."
"Okay, I'll come pick you up. By the way, call Yang Jian too. Let him accompany me for drinks."
"Alright, I'll ask him and see if he can come out."
"You must get him out. I'm coming over now."
Meng Meiyun hung up the phone and got up to go downstairs. She had to confirm whether Yang Jian was the one who kidnapped the Buddha.
After leaving Fenghuang Street, Yang Jian and the others didn't go far. They stopped by a construction site. This place was relatively secluded, and no one was around at this hour.
After more than ten minutes, Fang Zhicheng's car arrived.
Yang Jian got out of the car alone and got into Fang Zhicheng's car.
"Xiao Yang, I'm completely impressed with you now. You managed to kidnap the Buddha without a scratch. Tonight's plan was very successful and unexpected."
Fang Zhicheng gave him a thumbs-up as soon as they met.
"Brother Cheng, were you guys injured?"
"I'm not injured, but a few brothers took a couple of knives. It's not serious. They are much more injured than us. We won this battle completely. The Buddha is truly crippled, and he's fallen into our hands."
"What do you plan to do with him?"
"We'll keep him locked up for a couple of days first. This matter has to be handled by the higher-ups. I don't dare to make a decision, but we'll definitely get our benefits. Xiao Yang, you've made a great contribution this time. The higher-ups will definitely give you more profitable businesses."
"That's not necessary. Kidnapping the Buddha was a spur-of-the-moment decision. On one hand, I have a personal grudge against him, and on the other hand, I wanted to help you. I can't just take that chess and card room for free."
"The decision to kidnap the Buddha was excellent. He's our bargaining chip. The higher-ups will definitely want to negotiate a solution."
Before Fang Zhicheng could finish speaking, Yang Jian's phone rang. It was Dai Mengmeng calling.
It was a bit unexpected for her to call at this time. Yang Jian got out of the car to answer.
"Dai Mengmeng, why aren't you asleep yet? Is there something you need at this late hour?"
"Yang Jian, where are you? Are you asleep?"
"I'm out. I just dropped the boss home and am preparing to return to my rental. What's up?"
Yang Jian couldn't say he was home because the sound of cars on the road could be heard from here.
"That's perfect. Meiyun invited us out for a late-night snack. She might have encountered something unhappy and is feeling down, and she wants you to accompany her for a few drinks. No refusing."
"Alright, I'm a bit hungry too. Where should we meet?"
Yang Jian knew that Meng Meiyun suspected him. While appearances could be altered with makeup, voices were difficult to change. The events happened too unexpectedly, and he didn't have a chance to adjust his plan at the time.
"At the chess and card room you were at before in Liuqiao Village. Meiyun will pick me up here shortly."
"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes."
Yang Jian hung up the phone and opened the car door again. "Brother Cheng, I'll leave the Buddha with you then. Don't hit him tonight; I need to ask him something tomorrow."
"Don't worry, the Buddha is a significant figure in Dongjiang. Until the higher-ups give the word, we have to treat him well. He's a money tree, so why would we hit him?"
"Then have two people escort him over. I have something to do now and will be in touch tomorrow."
Before clarifying the relationship between the Buddha and Meng Meiyun, Yang Jian had no intention of harming him. If he had intended to harm him, he wouldn't have sought the opinion of the higher-ups. He wasn't anyone's subordinate; he was merely giving Fang Zhicheng face at the moment.