Two young men blocked the door with machetes, while four others surrounded Xiao Wu and Yang Jian with pickaxe handles.
Two more young men stood on either side of Brother Xiong.
"Brother Xiong, what do you mean by this?"
Xiao Wu seemed a little flustered. The other side didn't seem to intend to play by the rules.
Brother Xiong laughed heartily, "What do I mean? Xiao Wu, I already gave you a chance. If you had readily agreed to my terms, you wouldn't have had any trouble. Unfortunately, you refused."
"I didn't say I wouldn't agree."
"But you didn't say you would, Xiao Wu. I know your personality very well. If you leave here safely today, you'll play dirty tricks on me later. I like to nip danger in the bud. Sorry about this, brother."
"What do you want? I'm telling you, if I don't leave this house within half an hour, my brothers outside will call the police."
Xiao Wu knew that his situation was dire and regretted coming to this secluded place for negotiations.
"Xiao Wu, don't worry, I won't kill you. This is a society governed by law, and murder is against the law. I'll just break your legs, and you'll spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair. Don't worry, I'll give you living expenses every month. After all, we've been brothers for many years."
"Aren't you afraid I'll come back for revenge if you don't kill me?"
"Haha, Xiao Wu, you're just a small-time hoodlum who hasn't made it yet. You have no money and no connections. If you're crippled, who will risk their life for you? Wake up. A healthy Xiao Wu might have some influence in the Seventh Brigade, but if you're crippled, even a dog won't pay attention to you."
"Brother Xiong, I admit defeat today. This young brother has nothing to do with this. Please let him go."
Xiao Wu was desperate. Brother Xiong's methods were ruthless, and he wouldn't let him go today. If it were him, he would do the same. To become the boss of the Sishui River Street, he would eventually kill Brother Xiong. But Yang Jian was innocent; it was his first day on the job.
"I'm sorry, anyone who walks into this room with you can only leave on a stretcher. Besides, he heard all our conversations. I don't want the cops coming after me."
Before Brother Xiong could finish speaking, Yang Jian leaped onto the sofa where Xiao Wu had been sitting. He then used the sofa's elasticity to propel himself into the air, kicking Brother Xiong's head with his right foot. Simultaneously, he swung his extendable baton at the bodyguard to Brother Xiong's right.
A scream was heard as the bodyguard on the right was hit in the neck and collapsed on the spot, incapacitated.
Brother Xiong, kicked with such force that he and the sofa flipped backward.
Yang Jian, having exerted too much force, couldn't regain his balance and also fell to the ground. Before he could get up, the other bodyguard's pickaxe handle struck his back.
A mouthful of blood gushed out. Yang Jian knew he was injured, but fortunately, his resilience was strong, and this blow wouldn't kill him. With a "lazy donkey roll," he dodged the bodyguard's second strike and rolled towards Brother Xiong.
This series of actions was too fast. Except for the bodyguard who reacted quickly and counterattacked, everyone else was stunned.
Even Xiao Wu was bewildered. In this situation, he never imagined Yang Jian would make a move, let alone attack Brother Xiong directly.
As a seasoned veteran, Xiao Wu's reaction was also quick. Seeing that the bodyguard's second blow missed Yang Jian, he grabbed the ashtray on the coffee table and smashed it onto the bodyguard's head. The bodyguard immediately fell to the ground, bleeding from his head, and passed out.
"Stop! Come any closer and I'll kill him."
As the others reacted and prepared to surround them, Yang Jian had already hooked Brother Xiong's neck with his left arm, with his extendable baton pressed against Brother Xiong's head. He leaned against the wall, a position that prevented attacks from behind.
With their leader subdued, the others naturally dared not advance.
Yang Jian's arm strength was immense, constricting Brother Xiong and making it difficult for him to breathe. Brother Xiong's hands flailed at Yang Jian's arm.
At this moment, Xiao Wu was overjoyed. The crisis had reversed so quickly, and the initiative was now in his hands. It was time to have a good talk with Brother Xiong.
"Drop your weapons and stand over there in the corner. Quickly."
Xiao Wu grabbed a wooden stick and pointed it at the still restless young men.
"Let go, drop them. Listen to Xiao Wu."
Brother Xiong felt Yang Jian's grip loosen slightly and quickly ordered his subordinates to drop their weapons. He sensed Yang Jian's killing intent. That arm felt like it was made of iron, capable of twisting his neck at any moment, and the tip of the baton pressed painfully against his temple.
With their boss's command, the henchmen had no choice but to obey. One by one, they dropped their clubs and machetes and stood in the corner.
Seeing their compliance, Xiao Wu immediately walked over, threw the weapons out the window, locked the door, and then brandished the large stick, shouting at the group, "Turn around and kneel down."
The six young men were somewhat defiant but dared not resist. They slowly turned around but were unwilling to kneel.
"Damn it, you want to cripple me? I'll cripple all of you."
As he spoke, Xiao Wu swung the large stick and began to beat them indiscriminately. The private room was filled with screams and the sound of blows, with blood flowing.
By the time all six young men were lying on the ground, Xiao Wu was also panting from exhaustion.
"Xiao Yang, let Brother Xiong go. I want to have a good talk with him."
Xiao Wu sat back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked mockingly at Brother Xiong, whose face was red from being choked.
Yang Jian loosened his grip on Brother Xiong, but the extendable baton remained pressed against his head. This man was also a lunatic, and he couldn't let his guard down.
Brother Xiong twisted his neck, glanced sideways at Yang Jian, and then said, "Xiao Wu, you won today. Tell me, what are your terms?"
"What terms? I remember you wanted to cripple me and have me spend my life in a wheelchair?"
"What, you want to lay hands on me? Don't forget, I'm not like you. Unless you kill me now, even if you cripple me, you'll face my endless revenge because I have money and can hire assassins at a high price to deal with you. But you're different; if you're crippled, no one will associate with you."
Brother Xiong's words were arrogant but not without reason. Xiao Wu really didn't dare to touch him, at least not yet.
Yang Jian had some admiration for Brother Xiong and Xiao Wu. Both were tough individuals who didn't beg for mercy even in a perilous situation.
Especially Xiao Wu, who, knowing he couldn't escape, didn't beg Brother Xiong to spare him. Instead, he pleaded for Yang Jian, which earned him Yang Jian's respect.
"Brother Xiong, since we've fallen out, I won't waste any more words. From now on, we'll use the Sishui River as the boundary. We'll mind our own business. The territory to the south belongs to me, and I won't interfere with matters to the north."
Xiao Wu weighed the current situation and proposed his terms.
"Impossible. Don't forget, I was also born in the south, and that's my base of operations. How can it all be yours?"
Brother Xiong flatly refused his demand, his attitude quite firm.