RLTT CH 9

hapter 9: Black and White – He Has a Gun

“Ah, Jiaxi, how long has it been since we last saw each other?” Uncle Xi walked into the study, but instead of looking for tea leaves, he sat leisurely behind the desk, gazing at Wei Jiaxi. “Six years, right?”

Wei Jiaxi sat across from him, unfazed. “No, just five years.”

Uncle Xi murmured thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “Feels like you haven’t changed much.”

“Really?” Wei Jiaxi blinked exaggeratedly. “Haven’t I become more dashing?”

Uncle Xi burst into hearty laughter. “You’ve certainly become better at cracking jokes.”

Wei Jiaxi chuckled along briefly before saying, “Uncle Xi, you should know why I’m here tonight.”

“Of course I know,” Uncle Xi replied nonchalantly.

“Then the answer,” Wei Jiaxi looked at him directly, “what is it?”

Before answering, Uncle Xi leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk. “Before I answer your question, I have one for you. What do you think will happen if I do nothing and let your brother swallow up Xin Qing?”

Wei Jiaxi thought for a moment before replying, “Hongsheng would become the largest triad organization in the Special Administrative Region, rapidly expanding its financial and territorial influence. It would make conducting illegal activities even easier.”

“And then?” Uncle Xi propped his chin on his hands.

Wei Jiaxi looked puzzled. “And then?”

Uncle Xi simply nodded, signaling him to continue.

Realizing what Uncle Xi meant, Wei Jiaxi gradually elaborated, “And then… the police in the Special Administrative Region would become aware of this issue. They’d rally all their resources, targeting Hongsheng for an intensive crackdown, striving to uproot it.”

Uncle Xi nodded approvingly. “And then?”

“Then Hongsheng would face a major setback. It might not be entirely eradicated, but it would certainly become more restrained, conceding significantly,” Wei Jiaxi leaned back in his chair. “Eventually, other organizations would seize the opportunity to encroach on Hongsheng’s territory. It could be existing groups or newly emerging ones, continuing to clash with the police until a new equilibrium is established^[1].”

“Smart lad,” Uncle Xi nodded in satisfaction.

“Uncle Xi, I understand your point,” Wei Jiaxi continued, “I know that no matter what my mindset is as a police officer, it’s impossible to eradicate triads from this world—at least not in my lifetime. But if you’re trying to persuade me to give up or turn a blind eye, that’s not going to happen.”

“I’m also part of the triads. Are you planning to eliminate me now?” Uncle Xi was still smiling.

“Uncle Xi, you’re in the dr*g trade,” Wei Jiaxi fixed his gaze on him. “Dr*gs k!ll people.”

“Then arrest me and take me back to the station,” Uncle Xi shrugged.

Wei Jiaxi rolled his eyes dramatically. He understood Uncle Xi’s point perfectly. Even though he knew this old man had been a dr*g dealer for decades, without evidence, he couldn’t arrest him. What’s more, at this moment, Wei Jiaxi didn’t hate Uncle Xi as much as he once did—not enough to recklessly arrest him right here and now.

Where there are people, there are gangs. Where there is law and order, there are gangs. Wei Jiaxi knew this all too well.

“The one you most want to catch is Wei Jiayi,” Uncle Xi said slowly, fixing his eyes on him. “You want to take him down, destroy Hongsheng. That’s why you became a cop. But tell me, which would hurt him more: you personally throwing Wei Jiayi into prison or yanking him down from his position as the boss?”

“I made my decision six years ago, and it’s still the same now,” Wei Jiaxi replied with a cold smile.

“That’s why I said you haven’t changed.”

Wei Jiaxi let out a long sigh. “Uncle Xi, let’s just get to the point. Are you going to act in this situation or not? Can we stop beating around the bush?”

“Jiaxi, the difference between black and white is simply one being in the light while the other isn’t,” Uncle Xi said, shaking his head. “You and I both understand this. This society needs both police and gangsters. It can’t function without either. Once the balance is broken, everything falls apart. But maintaining that balance requires someone who truly understands it all. No one is more suited for that role than you.”

Wei Jiaxi slapped his thigh, straightened up, and prepared to leave. “If you’re not going to say anything useful, then I’m leaving.”

“If I tell you, will you at least consider my suggestion?”

Wei Jiaxi almost blurted out “No,” but he stopped himself, remembering the reason he had come tonight. “…I’ll think about it…”

Uncle Xi chuckled. “Alright. Then I’ll tell you. I will act. Since there’s still no one qualified enough to sit in that position, Xin Qing won’t stand idly by and let the police wipe out the entire underworld.”

“Got it.” Wei Jiaxi nodded firmly. “Thanks for the advice, Uncle Xi. I’ll take my leave now.”

“This position absolutely cannot go to Wei Jiayi,” Uncle Xi continued. “Jiaxi, I know you hate him more than I do, which makes you the most suitable person to deal with him.”

That sly old fox, using Wei Jiayi to provoke me again. Wei Jiaxi cursed silently in his heart. But dammit, it’s working…

“If you know that dr*gs k!ll people, do you realize how many people your brother has harmed in the past six months?” Uncle Xi pressed on. “Xin Qing has rules—no targeting students, and we stop once we’ve earned enough. But ever since Hongsheng got involved, business has surged by 60% even in game arcades. Your father, before he passed, specifically forbade certain things—no exploiting the elderly or children, no taking food from their mouths. But your brother? He’s doing all of it now.”

“I will,” Wei Jiaxi interrupted, enunciating each word, “I will catch him.”

“I know you will. I’ve never doubted that,” Uncle Xi said with a nod. “But the question is: will catching him solve anything?”

The two stepped out of the study to find Yun Shaofeng sitting alone by the tea table, slowly pouring tea from a Yixing clay teapot.^[2] The room was filled with a faint, refreshing aroma.

“I found some tea leaves under the table and decided to give it a try,” Yun Shaofeng said, glancing up at the two men with a polite smile.

Uncle Xi walked over, sat down, and took a sip. His eyes lit up. “Not bad! Didn’t expect a young man like you to have such skill.”

“When I was in Canada, I worked as a cashier. My boss was a Teochew man ^[3]who loved tea, so I picked up a thing or two,” Yun Shaofeng replied, pouring another cup and gently sliding it toward Wei Jiaxi.

Wei Jiaxi raised his gaze, meeting Yun Shaofeng’s. Neither spoke, but both smiled faintly.

“These days, young people are all about coffee or soda. I rarely see someone like you,” Uncle Xi muttered, still rambling.

“It’s getting late, Uncle Xi. We’ll take our leave now,” Wei Jiaxi said, standing without drinking the tea. Yun Shaofeng rose as well.

“So soon? Not staying for tea?” Uncle Xi pretended to persuade them, but he also got up and slowly headed to the door to see them out.

Just then, loud, chaotic footsteps echoed from the stairwell outside. The three of them froze.

The door suddenly burst open as Liu Yi darted in, quickly slamming it shut and pressing his back against it. “Cops! They’ve suddenly surrounded the building and are coming upstairs!”

Wei Jiaxi and Uncle Xi exchanged a glance, their expressions instantly turning serious.

“They can’t know you’re here. Get out—quick!” Uncle Xi hurriedly moved toward the kitchen.

Wei Jiaxi grabbed Yun Shaofeng and followed. Above the stove was a small window. Uncle Xi forcefully shoved it open and stepped aside. Wei Jiaxi climbed onto the counter, peered outside, and saw an iron scaffold around the water pipes leading straight to the ground.

The footsteps outside grew louder, accompanied by shouts demanding someone to open the door. Wei Jiaxi looked at Yun Shaofeng, about to speak, but Yun Shaofeng beat him to it. “No need to say it. You go first, I’ll follow.”

Wei Jiaxi nodded and climbed out of the window. Gripping the iron frame with both hands, he began to carefully descend.

Yun Shaofeng followed closely. As soon as he exited, Xi Ye swiftly closed the window and pulled the curtains shut. Wei Jiaxi and Yun Shaofeng clung tightly to the water pipe like climbers, inching their way down cautiously.

Luckily, the old Tong Lau building wasn’t particularly tall. The two of them used both hands and feet, and soon, they were close to the ground.

Wei Jiaxi leapt down onto the concrete, immediately looking up and calling out nervously, “Shaofeng!”

Yun Shaofeng was still half a floor above the ground. He glanced down at Wei Jiaxi but suddenly shouted, “Watch your back!”

Wei Jiaxi was startled. He spun around just in time to see a gray blur swinging down at him. Instinctively, he dodged, allowing the iron pipe to only graze his shoulder.

Wei Jiaxi raised his leg and kicked the attacker away. However, seven or eight figures emerged from the shadows of the alley and charged at him without hesitation.

These people weren’t police?! Wei Jiaxi barely had time to react as he grabbed a discarded plastic crate from the ground to defend himself. Through the gaps in the crate, he observed his attackers, seizing an opening to slam the crate into one of them, pinning the man against the wall. He snatched the iron pipe from his opponent’s hands and started fighting back.

But Shaofeng… Shaofeng! Wei Jiaxi thought anxiously, trying to turn around, but suddenly felt a familiar presence against his back. Yun Shaofeng had already jumped down, positioning himself back-to-back with Wei Jiaxi to protect each other’s blind spots.

“Shaofeng?” Wei Jiaxi called softly. Yun Shaofeng didn’t respond. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and intercepted a pipe swung at him. In one swift motion, he disarmed his attacker. After a series of cracking sounds, several more people were lying on the ground.

What the hell??? Wei Jiaxi, though unable to see directly, sensed what was happening and froze momentarily in shock.

Yun Shaofeng glanced at him out of the corner of his eye without saying a word. He gripped the end of the pipe he had just taken, wielding it like a blade, and took down another opponent.

Finally snapping out of his daze, Wei Jiaxi looked toward the alleyway’s entrance. There, he saw an old acquaintance blocking most of the passage. The man stood against the light, holding a silenced pistol. It was Mo Chao.

This lunatic! Still wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night?! “Shaofeng, watch out! He’s got a gun!” Wei Jiaxi yelled. He crouched low and lunged at Mo Chao, wrapping his arms around his waist and slamming him to the ground. He raised the pipe high and smashed it onto Mo Chao’s arm.

Mo Chao cried out, and the gun fell to the ground. Wei Jiaxi grabbed it and hurled it behind him with all his strength.

The gun slid across the ground before stopping under someone’s shoe.

Yun Shaofeng slowly crouched down and picked up the gun. He stared at it in his hands, his expression unreadable.

“Shaofeng?” Wei Jiaxi pressed his arm against Mo Chao’s throat. The latter appeared to have fainted and lay motionless on the ground.

“Ahhh!” A loud scream erupted behind them. Yun Shaofeng turned his head to see one last attacker charging at him with an iron pipe raised high.

“Shaofeng, watch out!” Wei Jiaxi shouted, struggling to turn and look at Yun Shaofeng. All he could see was Yun Shaofeng’s back.

Expressionless, Yun Shaofeng raised the gun. The muzzle trembled slightly as he aimed it at the man’s chest. After a moment’s hesitation, he adjusted the aim slightly downward.

With a soft “pop,” the bullet struck the man’s leg. The attacker screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground.

Still lying on top of Mo Chao, Wei Jiaxi gaped at the scene in utter disbelief.

Yun Shaofeng lowered his hands, using the hem of his shirt to wipe the gun clean of fingerprints. Then, he dropped it onto the ground, stood up, and turned to face Wei Jiaxi.

Right on cue, the sound of police sirens filled the air, growing louder and closer.

Wei Jiaxi got up and walked toward Yun Shaofeng. Seeing the confusion etched all over Yun Shaofeng’s face, he said nothing further. Instead, he grabbed Yun Shaofeng’s hand and, with both of them stumbling, they fled the scene together.

To be continued…