Chapter 396: Chapter 375 Zhang Teng’s Hatred
Pain! As the nerve endings spread throughout his body, Zhang Teng realized that the man in front of him was a lunatic. He clenched his fists, enduring the beating. He didn’t see the need to fight back, but he also thought retaliating wasn’t wise at the moment. So he summoned all his patience to endure the violence, while his eyes remained fixed on the old man watching on the side, serving as a silent audience to the violence before him. He’d settle this score with him one day.
"Damn it!"
Another punch landed on Zhang Teng. His face was now a mess, smeared with his own blood.
"The whole of Yanjing has their damn eyes on you, yet you dare to come back." The lunatic taunted him with his rural accent, delivering a few more punches to Zhang Teng.
On TV, in newspaper, in magazines, online—cries and pleas from a vulnerable family replay every day, affecting everyone standing up for justice. The voice of condemnation grew louder each day, and the heinous criminal was etched into the hearts of many.
"I warned you, don’t touch that girl. You damn pig-eared idiot!" Another kick sent Zhang Teng flying, crashing to the ground. "She belongs to Fei Feng Gang. Do you know what kind of protection Fei Feng Gang offers? You must have a death wish to mess with their people!"
"Poison Dragon, that’s enough!" The old man sitting on the side halted the man’s craziness: "Just because he isn’t fighting back doesn’t mean he can’t."
After Poison Dragon delivered one last kick, he sat to the side smoking. The old man walked over to Zhang Teng with steady strides and helped him up. "In Jiangling, the Zhang Family has always been a significant figure, and they’ve worked well with the Chen Family," the old man paused, his eyes darting about: "Though both families have recently been taken down, I believe our enemies remain the same."
Zhang Teng brushed off the old man’s hand, climbing up on his own, a fierce look in his eyes.
"That’s just Poison Dragon’s nature, don’t take it to heart. This situation would make anyone anxious. We’re all in dangerous times now, a small disturbance could be fatal for us, right?" The old man tried to smooth things over but lacked sincerity. He glanced at Poison Dragon, signaling him to say something.
"Old Zhang, don’t blame me for being harsh. I did warn you." Poison Dragon rested one foot on the stool, smoke in the air, looking at the old man rather than Zhang Teng. "The assassins hired earlier all died at that kid’s hands. And now you’ve stirred up this mess, figuring just killing me wouldn’t matter, but you’ve got a whole slew behind you. Who’s going to fill this hole you’ve dug?"
Zhang Teng washed his face with clean water, ignoring Poison Dragon’s bitter words, and coldly replied, "What’s the story with what you did?"
Hehe! Poison Wolf sneered twice, causing the old man to furrow his brows: "Those idiotic cops will never figure out who did it in this lifetime."
"Really?" Zhang Teng twitched a smile, wincing: "Don’t underestimate that kid with the surname Xiao. It’s a fact our Zhang Family along with the Chen Family were wiped out overnight—he’s much deeper than you think."
"That’s because you’re incompetent."
"Oh, oh, oh! Dare I ask where Poison Dragon Gang stands now?"
The two went back and forth, neither willing to concede. "Enough!" The old man’s forehead throbbed with a cold grunt, silencing Poison Wolf, who still held something back for the old man.
"I’ll arrange for you to leave Yanjing in three days. Prepare yourself, this matter will be handled from the back." The old man thought for a moment before deciding: "As for you, hold your ground for now, don’t cause any more trouble."
"Where to?" Zhang Teng was hesitant about the old man’s decision; he didn’t want to leave Yanjing.
"Go to Singapore first, then get a local passport to enter the United States." Seeing his hesitation, the old man sneered: "Now the whole police force is after you. Staying here isn’t just your problem; it’s a problem for the boss too."
Zhang Teng glanced at the old man, then said nothing more.
"Wait for my notice in three days. Stay here; essentials will be provided."
"Poison Dragon, come with me." Concerned about another clash, the old man took Poison Dragon away.
Zhang Teng leaned against the window, watching as the two figures receded into the distance. He attempted to open the door. "Master Zhang!"—sure enough, someone guarded the entrance, evidently to prevent his escape.
"Do you have any healing medicine?"
"The third drawer of the cabinet, you can check there."
Leaving through the front door was impossible. He had to get out of here within three days, otherwise, death was the only road ahead. Once he left international waters, he shouldn’t expect to make it back alive.
The third drawer held various medicines for wounds. He picked a few at random, applied them to his injuries, and bandaged up. He was on the fifth floor of a private residence. He opened the curtains; opposite him was another residence of the same height, and his room was in the middle of the building. Escaping from the outer wall was also not feasible, which left Zhang Teng deep in thought.
Three days wouldn’t be enough to break through the thick walls and escape from the side, and such noise would surely alert others. Directly killing the two outside had a chance of success, but he didn’t know how many more people the old man had positioned in the building. He didn’t dare to risk it lightly; a single miscalculation and his life wouldn’t last even until three days later; stepping out would mean his end.
Collapsing onto the bed in despair, Zhang Teng gritted his teeth in frustration. An unprecedented sense of regret swallowed him — it was only a moment of reckless ambition that led to his agreement to cooperate with Poison Dragon, never anticipating such a result.
The original agreement was to kill Xiao Lin, team up with the Wang Family, and reinstate the Zhang Family into politics. Damn it, as soon as the Poison Dragon Gang fell, the Wang Family cleanly washed their hands of the connection, not responding to Poison Dragon at all. Poison Dragon’s desire for revenge far exceeded his expectations.
Initially, he thought by using the underground network, he could easily eliminate Xiao Lin, but instead, he fell into his hands. Now, with just one excuse of political unrest and the advice to stay calm, they washed their hands of all issues, trapping them in a dilemma, while those still in positions at the Zhang Family shut him out as if he were a pest.
"Hmph, not reporting him was already gracious enough; damn it, bullshit!"
Zhang Teng spat on the ground, realizing relying on Poison Dragon and that old man was a dead end. Only by directly reaching the Wang Family could he play a good hand, so he contemplated and waited for the opportunity.
Every day, someone would routinely bring in food. Zhang Teng assessed the quantity of meals delivered, estimating the number of people outside, pretty much as he expected. The old man didn’t leave just two at the door; surely, each corridor was manned. Such a scale wouldn’t arouse police suspicion; every resident in the old town was a tough character — with so many people around, at least one or two would stir up some trouble.
The verification of this thought occurred faster than Zhang Teng had imagined. As soon as he lay back on the bed, commotion erupted outside. It wasn’t the usual neighborhood quarrel but rather a few patrolling policemen responding to a 110 call, claiming that illegal individuals gathered here, so they came to take a look.
Upon the police’s arrival, the usually timid elderly suddenly found courage, each opening their doors to complain about these individuals’ illegal activities, causing a buzzing noise throughout the building. Zhang Teng approached the door; the police hadn’t reached the fifth floor yet, so the two at the door remained.
It wouldn’t take long for someone to arrive. Poison Dragon definitely couldn’t show up; neither could that old man be underestimated. Thus, he opened the door, aimed a hand chop at one guard outside, knocking him to the ground. The other saw this and attacked, only for Zhang Teng to dodge and counter by twisting his neck, snapping his entire spine with precision and swiftness. The one on the ground wasn’t spared either; the sound of his neck snapping vanished amid the clamor.
Unable to avoid the police, Zhang Teng simply appeared before them. As the old man said, the entire city was looking for him; his face was easily recognizable everywhere. A young officer felt a secret joy at being able to apprehend a wanted fugitive. "What’s your name?" Out of formality, he blocked Zhang Teng’s path.
"Zhang Teng!" Not planning to hide, he spoke the truth.
"Come with us for a while."
Zhang Teng sneered inwardly — it was more dramatic than a Hong Kong film. He gave the officer a shove, pushing him aside, and made a dash for it as the men stationed downstairs were led to the police cars.
The young officer reacted swiftly, using his radio to notify the officers below to capture Zhang Teng. The alerted personnel set up a human wall at the exit; once Zhang Teng appeared there, escape would be impossible.
However, they waited a long time without seeing him. Just as they exchanged puzzled glances, gunshots erupted behind them. A police car started up, and a policeman was kicked out of it, shot in the head and chest, dying on the spot.
"Damn it, it’s not my first time killing a cop, I’m not afraid to bear another crime." Stuffing the gun into his waistband, he floored the gas pedal and tore out of the alley, a cacophony of sirens blaring in pursuit behind him.
Smooth notes flowed from high-end speakers, the beautiful singing instantly captivating the heart. In the vast space, there were only some cushions and rows of bookshelves stacked high. The music filled the emptiness, saturating it. A refined antique phone resting on an English-style coffee table now emitted a completely contrasting ringing.
"Hello!" The music halted as its owner picked up the receiver, displeasure transmitted through the earpiece.
"Kill!"
After hearing the other’s explanation, the owner issued a simple command and hung up the phone.
The beautiful notes once again enveloped the empty room, as if what happened was just a dream, and nothing transpired. He remained nestled on the sofa, a book in hand. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote recommendation and monthly tickets on Qidian (), your support is my biggest motivation.)