Even when coerced, Brother Xiong's presence was more imposing than Xiao Wu's. With his vital interests at stake, he had no intention of yielding.
Asking Brother Xiong to give up his territory was indeed unrealistic. Xiao Wu considered for a moment and said, "How about this, then? We'll use the patrol road as the boundary. The land east of the Seventh Brigade will be mine, and the land west of Xiong Family Terrace will be yours."
"Alright, it's settled. But I hope you can hold onto your territory."
Brother Xiong chose to compromise because all his trusted subordinates had been injured, and it would take time to recover. He felt he would have plenty of opportunities to reclaim the lost territory later.
"Thank you, Brother Xiong. Xiao Yang, let's go."
Xiao Wu knew when to stop. His current strength was too limited to excessively provoke Brother Xiong.
However, Yang Jian dared not be careless, fearing Brother Xiong might have more men outside. He twisted Brother Xiong's right hand behind his back and escorted him out of the clubhouse.
Only after seeing Xiao Wu start his small car did he release Brother Xiong, then quickly got into the car and sped away.
"Brother Wu, where are you going?"
After getting into the car, Yang Jian noticed Xiao Wu was driving towards the city and had run two red lights consecutively.
"Xiao Yang, be quiet. You're injured, I'm taking you to the hospital."
"I'm fine. I just got hit with a stick. I'm healthy and will be better in a couple of days."
"No, you're spitting blood. You need to go to the hospital for a check-up."
"Alright then. But I saw a hospital at the intersection just now, why didn't we go in?"
Xiao Wu glanced at Yang Jian, who still had bloodstains on his lips, in the rearview mirror. "I'm taking you to the Provincial People's Hospital. The hospitals around here aren't safe."
"Not safe? You mean Brother Xiong will send people for revenge?"
"Yes. Brother Xiong is ruthless and vindictive. After suffering such a significant loss today, he won't let it go. Knowing you're injured, he'll definitely send people to the hospital to finish you off. That's very common in the underworld."
"If I recover, will he continue to hunt me?"
"Not openly. He's witnessed how terrifying your martial prowess is and knows you're not easy to deal with. At least, he won't make a move against you in the short term. Most people in this society bully the weak and fear the strong. The tougher you are, the more they fear you.
After today's fight, Brother Xiong and his men have developed a psychological shadow concerning you. They can't assess the cost of dealing with you, so they won't act rashly without absolute certainty."
Hearing Xiao Wu's words, Yang Jian felt relieved. If Brother Xiong continued to target him, he wouldn't be able to stay in Xunsi River. It wasn't that he was reluctant to leave the place, but he had just paid thousands for driving lessons and it would be a waste to give up now.
"Xiao Yang, don't worry. I've just severely beaten all eight of Brother Xiong's top lieutenants, breaking their limbs. It will take at least half a year for them to recover. These men are Brother Xiong's trusted elites. Without their support, Brother Xiong can't be so arrogant."
Xiao Wu was a bit worried that Yang Jian might leave out of fear of Brother Xiong's retaliation.
"Oh, that's good. Brother Wu, was your negotiation with Brother Xiong just now serious? With just a promise, the territory east of the Seventh Brigade belongs to you, and Brother Xiong won't interfere anymore?"
Yang Jian felt the matter was a bit too casual.
"Of course, it's serious. The rules of the underworld are that a spoken word is as good as a bond. Brother Xiong won't cross the line and interfere with matters in the Seventh Brigade in the short term. However, he won't be content. Once his men recover, he'll make a move against me. So, we only have about half a year to develop and grow stronger, otherwise, we'll still be devoured by him."
"You mean, there won't be any major conflicts between you and Brother Xiong within half a year?"
"Yes. Brother Xiong knows me well and knows I'm not afraid of death. I have some influence in the Seventh Brigade, and with a master like you, he won't trouble us for a while. However, there are other forces in Xunsi River besides him. To fully control the territory east of the Seventh Brigade, we still face significant pressure."
Hearing this, Yang Jian fell silent. He didn't want to follow Xiao Wu into the underworld. It was more dangerous than being in a casino, and he might end up dead on the streets or spend his remaining years in prison.
It seemed he needed to get his driver's license as soon as possible and then make some money to leave this place of trouble.
Upon arriving at the Provincial People's Hospital, they used the emergency channel. After X-rays, the doctor concluded that his lungs were damaged and there were hairline fractures in his spine, requiring rest and no strenuous activity.
Xiao Wu immediately handled his hospitalization procedures.
"Xiao Yang, you saved my life today, and you're injured yourself. From today onwards, you are my sworn brother, Xiao Wu. What I have, you will have. Together, brothers, Xunsi River will eventually be under our control."
After settling into the ward, Xiao Wu tried to win Yang Jian over again, doing his best to keep him.
"Brother Wu, you should go back and rest. I'm fine."
Yang Jian checked the time; it was almost one in the morning. He was indifferent to Xiao Wu's promises and had no intention of following him down this path.
"Alright, I'll call a couple of brothers to protect you later."
"No, no, no. If you call people over, it will only draw more attention. If I'm alone here, it will be harder for Brother Xiong to find me. Besides, this is the Provincial Hospital, with surveillance everywhere. He wouldn't dare make a move here."
"Then let me hire a caregiver for you."
"That's not necessary either. My injuries aren't too serious, and I can move freely and take care of myself. Besides, this place is very close to my sister's school. If anything happens, I can ask her to come."
Yang Jian suddenly remembered that his sister attended the Finance and Economics College directly opposite the Provincial People's Hospital. He hadn't contacted his family since the New Year, and he could go see her in a few days.
Seeing that Yang Jian insisted on not having a caregiver, Xiao Wu gave him all the fifteen hundred yuan cash he had on him and left after giving some instructions.
The news of Xiao Wu and Brother Xiong dividing the territory spread throughout Xunsi River Street the next day. No one knew the specific details, but the fact that eight of Brother Xiong's men were hospitalized could not be hidden. Everyone speculated that they had engaged in a fierce battle, and Xiao Wu had won decisively. Otherwise, given Brother Xiong's character, he wouldn't have compromised and given up the territory that was about to be demolished.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the second day that Song Jianhao heard from one of Xiao Wu's brothers that Yang Jian was injured and hospitalized. He immediately sent Song Jianmin to visit Yang Jian in the hospital, while he himself sought out Xiao Wu to understand the details.
Upon seeing that Yang Jian had no external injuries and seemed in good spirits, Song Jianmin finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yang Jian, aren't you a bit foolish? Why did you get involved in the affairs between Xiao Wu and Brother Xiong? You could have died, you know. I asked you to come here to make money, not to be a thug and risk your life for someone else."
"Damn it, what are you saying? I didn't want to get involved in this either. Even Xiao Wu didn't expect Brother Xiong to make a move. In that situation, if I didn't resist, it would have been a dead end. I might have been lying in the morgue by now."
Yang Jian recounted the detailed events of the previous night to him.