RLTT CH 24

Chapter 24: The Grand Wooden Chair at No. 9, Xiaoyang Road, Unit 502

No. 9, Xiaoyang Road, Unit 502—this place was no stranger to Wei Jiaxi.

By the time he dropped Yun Shaofeng off at the safe house and made his way over, the six elders of Hong Sheng had already gathered, seated around the redwood table in a circle.

Wei Jiaxi had once lived in this very house for a short period. Back then, after his father died and Wei Junlin moved to the hillside, he had stayed here for nearly half a year before eventually sneaking out to rent a place of his own. The place was dimly lit and far from comfortable. During those months, he had witnessed all sorts of people coming and going—hulking men bowing respectfully to the white-haired elders, the mingling smoke of hookahs^[1] and cigars filling the air, his biological father embracing other women—and it was also here that he first met Yun Shaofeng.

He hadn’t returned in six years.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Wei Jiaxi pushed open the door. As expected, everyone who needed to be here had already arrived. In addition to the six elders, a few hall leaders from the lower ranks were also present. Mo Chao, however, was absent. Instead, a young woman with green-dyed hair was quietly pouring tea for the attendees.

The moment Wei Jiaxi stepped in, the hushed murmurs in the room instantly ceased.

“…Elders,” he greeted softly, his gaze landing on the grand wooden chair at the head of the long table.

That chair had once been occupied by Wei Junlin and later by Wei Jiayi. Aside from them, no one else had ever dared to pull it out.

Wei Jiaxi lifted his gaze, sweeping his eyes over the gathered men. The people here fell into two distinct groups—either seasoned old-timers with graying hair and expressionless faces or tattooed, muscular men in tank tops who looked as if they had never touched a book in their lives. He couldn’t help but feel out of place in his hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. But there was no helping it—when duty called, who had the time to worry about what they were wearing?

He rested a hand on the back of the grand wooden chair and let his eyes drift across the room. “It’s been a while. How’s everyone been?” His tone was calm—so indifferent that it barely sounded like a greeting, let alone a question.

Whether they picked up on the underlying disdain in his words or simply found his remark absurd, the men exchanged glances and let out amused chuckles, muttering among themselves.

Wei Jiaxi chuckled as well, then pulled the chair back slightly, resigned to take his seat. Just as he was about to sit down, the elder to his right lifted his hand from his cane and tapped the table lightly.

“Ah-Xi, since you walked in, you still haven’t paid your respects to your granduncle’s memorial tablet.”

Wei Jiaxi turned his head slightly to face the man directly. “…You’re right. Thank you for the reminder, Second Uncle.”

Stepping away from the chair, he slowly walked toward the shrine near the kitchen. Aside from the statue of Lord Guan, there were two ancestral tablets—one belonging to his biological father, Wei Junlin, and the other to Wei Junlin’s father.

Wei Ershu was Wei Junlin’s younger brother—not by blood, of course. It was said that back in the pre-liberation days, when Wei Junlin fled to the Special Administrative Region, he had brought along only one sworn brother, and that was him. Wei Ershu never interfered in gang affairs—he neither made money for Hong Sheng nor asked for any—but he was still entitled to sit at every meeting in the seat closest to the head position, free from threats or manipulation. He cast his own vote however he pleased. The reason was simple: because he bore the surname Wei, a name given to him by Wei Junlin’s father.

No one even knew his actual name. It didn’t matter. All they needed to know was that he was Wei Ershu.

His very existence was a constant reminder to everyone in Hong Sheng—their loyalty, their power, and everything they controlled would always belong to the Wei family. The name you bore and the blood that ran in your veins mattered more than anything else.

Although Wei Jiaxi could sit in the large round chair, Wei Ershu couldn’t stop him, but he understood that the reminder was essentially a hint. Without clearing things up, he shouldn’t act too hastily.

After offering his incense, Wei Jiaxi returned to the long table. This time, he leaned forward, placed both hands on the table, and surveyed everyone seriously before speaking formally.

“I know what you’re all thinking. Yes, six years ago, I made the decision to give up the position. But at the time, I didn’t foresee that Wei Jiayi would turn Hong Sheng into what it is now.”

“What’s wrong with how it is now? Isn’t it doing fine?” an old man with white hair immediately rebutted. “The organization’s income has increased by twenty percent compared to last year.”

“The twenty percent came at the expense of Xin Qing,” Wei Jiaxi said bluntly, “If Wei Jiayi truly had the ability to control things, we wouldn’t have had the recent problems.”

“Greed is a snake swallowing an elephant. His short-sightedness brings no good to the organization in the long run. Even in the short term, it has caused too much trouble.”

“Even if Jiayi can’t handle things, that doesn’t mean you can,” another uncle spoke up.

“I understand, given my identity, there will be doubts and distrust,” Wei Jiaxi lowered his eyes slightly. “Frankly speaking, if I were in your shoes, I probably wouldn’t believe myself either…”

“I’m not asking for the whole organization right now. To show my sincerity, I’ve already spoken to Mr. Xi Ye. As long as I take responsibility for everything, Xin Qing is willing to give up thirty percent of the profits and let us continue the business we’ve taken over.”

“Moreover, I have a plan. Within a year, I will help the organization gradually transfer all underground capital to legitimate companies to ensure the business becomes legal.”

“I’m different from Wei Jiayi. I have no interest in grandstanding or showing off. As it stands, industries like gambling, real estate, emerging online media, and entertainment, which lack tangible proof of assets, will be my targets,” Wei Jiaxi narrowed his eyes, smoothly unfolding his plans as if he had rehearsed them a hundred times. His delivery was unexpectedly fluent and clear, even surprising to himself.

“Gray industries^[2] going legitimate is the trend. If we don’t seize the opportunity now, we will be left behind. I won’t be stupid like Wei Jiayi. I’ll avoid all mainland capital flows and leave no evidence behind. I guarantee that everyone will remain secure, and… it will all be clean money.”

Naturally, the elderly men at the table couldn’t fully grasp the intricacies of this speech, but they understood the last sentence. Who could resist the temptation of steady, worry-free income?

“…Pour Jiayi a cup of tea,” Wei Ershu lightly tapped his cane on the floor.

Standing in the corner, Yoyo hesitated for a moment before silently approaching to pour a cup of tea and place it on the table in front of the large round chair.

Wei Ershu’s message was clear: It was time for Wei Jiaxi to sit down.

Wei Jiaxi glanced at Yoyo, then furrowed his brows as he stared at her. The girl’s face seemed very familiar. Wei Jiaxi even suspected that he had mistaken her for someone else. “…Who are you with?”

Yoyo was startled but didn’t react too much. She slowly retreated into the corner. “I’m with… Chao Ge.”

Wei Jiaxi kept staring at her. After a moment, he realized who she resembled, but didn’t reveal his surprise.

The room fell silent for a while until Wei Ershu looked up at Wei Jiaxi. “Aren’t you going to sit down?”

Wei Jiaxi curled his lips into a smile and looked at the others. “How could I sit when none of you uncles are raising your hands to vote?”

At these words, the whispers at the table grew louder again. One of the old men seated at the center shook his head, disgruntled, “Jiaxi, for the past six years, you’ve not been doing anything else, but you’ve been working as a cop. I think this is too much—”

Just then, Mo Chao strode into the room, cutting off the old man’s speech. He still looked the same as always, wearing sunglasses and his hands in his pockets, ignoring everyone. He walked straight up to Wei Jiaxi and simply said three words: “It’s done.”

Wei Jiaxi laughed out loud. This time, it wasn’t a cold or bitter laugh, but one that genuinely expressed relief, as if hearing good news. However, there was a hint of sarcasm in it.

Without hesitation, he pulled out the chair and sat down. With a loud thud, he slammed his arms onto the table in an unceremonious gesture, clearly nonchalant and even a little provocative.

Before the uncles could react with surprise or scolding, Wei Jiaxi spoke cheerfully, “Alright, the latest news: Wei Jiayi has been arrested by the police and is now sipping the worst instant coffee at the station^[3]. So, how about you all raise your hands and cast your votes?”

“But before you decide, think carefully. How many business dealings do you have with Wei Jiayi? How many of those can be traced? How many years could you get sentenced for? Besides me, who else can save you?”

After everything was settled, Wei Jiaxi returned to his apartment, and by then, night had already fallen.

The fridge in the apartment was empty. Of course, over the past week, he had been cooking with Shao Feng at the safe house, and all the fruit and snacks he had bought were there. Dust had settled on the floor, and the bedsheets were a bit damp. Though his bachelor apartment had always been a bit messy, at this moment, it felt devoid of warmth.

Wei Jiaxi didn’t even want to turn on the lights. He collapsed onto the sofa, letting his body sink into the fabric and cotton. He didn’t want to move at all, feeling utterly drained, as if he’d just run a marathon or suffered from three days of insomnia. Everything that had happened today had drained him of all his energy. It wasn’t that he hadn’t anticipated facing these things eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to come so quickly, so urgently, so… difficultly.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket. Although he had been busy earlier, he had kept a slight awareness on his phone, just in case someone tried to reach him. He had expected to see missed calls or texts from Shao Feng, but was instead disappointed to see only a message from Cheng Jiesen, notifying him that he had located Wei Jiayi’s hiding place using the photos Wei Jiaxi had sent, and had managed to arrest him before he could escape. Cheng had also asked how he had obtained that address.

Wei Jiaxi couldn’t be bothered to reply. He wasn’t sure how to explain to Cheng Jiesen about Mo Chao, a person he hadn’t fully figured out yet. Why had Mo Chao suddenly turned against them? How did he know Wei Jiayi’s hideout? Of course, that was an important issue that he would need to address soon—but for now, he was simply too tired, too drained to think about it. And he was also… so hungry. Famished. But all he had at home was probably instant noodles.

With a groan, Wei Jiaxi pulled himself up from the sofa. Just as he was about to head to the kitchen to dig out the last cup of noodles, the doorbell rang.

He shuffled towards the door, only to be surprised by the sight of two familiar figures—Yun Shaofeng and Zhong Zai.

Yun Shaofeng looked a little tired, but still wore a gentle smile, exuding warmth and positivity. Zhong Zai waved his hand. “Hey, I don’t know anything about this. You, or CIB Officer Cheng and all that mess, is beyond my scope of duties. So I’m just here to deliver. Of course, we’re standing by downstairs, so hurry up, eat, and hand over the person.”

Wei Jiaxi clapped Zhong Zai’s shoulder in thanks, then allowed Yun Shaofeng to come inside. Only then did he notice that Yun Shaofeng was carrying several plastic bags, seemingly filled with late-night snacks.

“Congee, rice rolls,” Yun Shaofeng raised his right hand first, then his left, displaying the items to Wei Jiaxi, “Stir-fried clams, Japanese beer.”

Wei Jiaxi reached out and pulled Yun Shaofeng into his arms, shoving him against the wall before kissing him fiercely, like a lion eager for affection.

Yun Shaofeng carefully raised his hands, enduring Wei Jiaxi’s nearly frantic kiss, all while trying not to spill the late-night snacks he was holding.

“Shaofeng, you’re too good to me, you really are,” Wei Jiaxi buried his head in Yun Shaofeng’s neck, rubbing it like a kitten. “Because right now I really… am so hungry.”

To be continued…