Madman!

Chapter 58: Cut from the Same Cloth

Chen Wujun suppressed the fury smoldering in his chest and turned to Ah Fei. "Ask him what those people looked like, then send someone to keep watch near the alley by the Jifa gambling den. There's a loan shark in that alley — he's connected to them."

Ah Fei led Ah Chao out for questioning while Chen Wujun sat alone in the room, thinking.

This matter had to be dealt with.

That Master Bing had already sent people to cause him trouble. If this attempt failed, there was no telling what he'd try next.

He absolutely could not be left alive.

Moments later, Ah Fei returned. "Bro Jun, I've got people on it."

"They actually dared to target you, Bro Jun — and at a time like this... Maybe they're connected to Lidong. Should we notify Sister Shark Jiu?"

"What do you know about Master Bing?" Chen Wujun asked.

"I've heard of him. He operates outside the Walled City — runs a massive loan sharking business."

"How strong is he?""That I'm not sure about, but he's definitely no match for Sister Shark Jiu! She could kill him with a single strike!" Ah Fei declared without hesitation.

Chen Wujun only half-believed Ah Fei's words. The man's vision clearly didn't extend beyond the Walled City walls — he had little understanding of the power players outside.

He'd have to ask Shark Jiu.

"That Ah Chao from earlier..." Chen Wujun suddenly realized that these gamblers and street rats had their uses. At the very least, they were well-informed, and you never knew when that might come in handy.

Since the man had done him a service, he deserved to be rewarded.

"Draw ten thousand from the books for me."

"Bro Jun, isn't that a bit much?" Ah Fei felt those degenerate gamblers didn't deserve nearly that amount.

Two or three thousand would be more than enough to send him on his way.

"I once read a story about a king who paid a fortune for dead horse bones!" Chen Wujun reclined in his chair.

"The whole point is to be generous. And in a few days, make sure word gets out that he received ten thousand from me. That way, when others have useful information, they'll come to me first!"

Shortly after, Ah Fei returned with ten thousand dollars.

Then he brought Ah Chao back in.

"Ah Chao, right? You did good work. I'm pleased. This is your reward!" Chen Wujun tossed a thick stack of bills onto the side table.

"Feel free to come by the den whenever you like. And if you ever get yourself into trouble down the road — I'll bail you out once."

"Thank you, Bro Jun." Ah Chao was overjoyed, gratitude written all over his face.

That stack was ten thousand — more than enough to make him giddy.

This was money he could earn without losing his life, and actually live to spend.

And Chen Wujun's promise on top of that was essentially a guarantee on his life.

Plus, having a connection to Chen Wujun and being able to stroll into the gambling den whenever he pleased — that carried weight.

"I'll arrange a place for you. Stay there for a few days — I may still need you. Keep your head down during this time. Don't wander around outside."

"I understand. I definitely won't go out," Ah Chao hastily agreed. He was afraid those people would come looking for him too.

He'd find somewhere to lie low until the whole thing blew over.

After having Ah Fei escort Ah Chao away and arrange his lodging, Chen Wujun pulled out his phone and called Shark Jiu, then headed out toward the rooftop terrace above Jindi Finance. Shark Jiu had set up a table there, along with some roasted meats and cold cuts.

Chen Wujun found a rainwater collection bucket, flipped it over, and sat on it like a stool.

"Senior sister, you really love it up here... You're not short on money. Why not buy a villa somewhere outside?"

He'd noticed Shark Jiu enjoyed gazing out at the world beyond. He himself dreamed of buying a luxury apartment in the city center, and figured she felt the same.

"The outside world isn't really our territory," Shark Jiu replied, tossing him a can of beer.

Chen Wujun fished a cigarette from Shark Jiu's pack, lit it, and then asked, "Senior sister, what kind of person is Master Bing?"

"He's a professional loan shark. Moves seven or eight million through his books every month — not a small operation. Well-connected too. Has over a hundred people under him dedicated to lending and collecting."

"How strong is he?" Chen Wujun pressed.

"He doesn't get his hands dirty much. I'd estimate he's about on par with Wen Long. He also has a New Arts expert under him — probably around the same level." Shark Jiu cast a sidelong glance at Chen Wujun.

"Why? Did you cross him?"

Then something clicked in her mind. "A while back, several of his people in the Walled City were killed and their money stolen. Was that you?"

The killings and robbery of Master Bing's men had caused quite a stir — she'd heard the rumors.

Now, seeing Chen Wujun digging for information about Master Bing, the pieces fell into place immediately.

She knew that everyone trained by their lineage was bold to the point of recklessness. Zhou Qing wouldn't bother teaching anyone who lacked that kind of nerve.

This was exactly the sort of thing Chen Wujun would do.

"That wasn't me. But this Master Bing sent people to set a trap for my family! Right now, while I'm preparing for the gambling war, he targets my family — that's not just picking a fight with me. That's picking a fight with you, senior sister. That's picking a fight with Hetu!" Chen Wujun's expression remained completely composed.

They had no evidence anyway. On what basis could anyone say he did it?

He certainly wasn't going to admit to anything.

"Oh?" Shark Jiu's interest was instantly piqued.

"Tell me everything."

Chen Wujun recounted the whole affair.

Then immediately followed up: "Do you think he's been colluding with Lidong?"

After listening, Shark Jiu didn't rush to respond. She sat there, mulling it over.

A moment later, Shark Jiu's lips peeled back to reveal a row of razor-sharp teeth. Her grin carried something wicked — something that reeked of blood.

"He's definitely been colluding with those Lidong bastards!"

Shark Jiu decided Chen Wujun was truly a lucky charm.

She'd been looking for an excuse to stir up trouble, and here he was, delivering leverage right into her hands.

Master Bing was a fat sheep — loaded with wealth.

Unfortunately, behind Master Bing stood an even bigger cash pipeline — a man called Uncle Wu, a well-known tycoon.

That man's influence was far too vast to touch.

If she moved against him, it would provoke universal outrage — drawing the ire of a whole host of wealthy businessmen, many of whom had ties to various gangs and even served as major financial backers for some of them.

This could only go as far as Master Bing.

Otherwise, Shark Jiu would have loved nothing more than to follow Master Bing's trail straight to Uncle Wu and kidnap him too.

At that same moment, Chen Wujun felt a pang of regret as well. Master Bing was a fat sheep, and his coffers were surely overflowing.

Too bad his own strength wasn't enough — he could only rely on his senior sister to handle this problem.

Otherwise, he'd have skinned the man alive himself.

He'd even left IOUs with the loan sharks, thinking business should be sustainable and long-term. That particular venture, it seemed, was finished.

The two of them sat on the rooftop terrace and, almost simultaneously, let out wistful sighs of regret.

Then they exchanged a glance.

"Senior sister, how should we handle this?"

"First, we grab his people. Then we confront him face to face. Everything must be done with just cause — that way, no one can say a word against us. If his explanation doesn't satisfy me, I'll beat him to death!" Shark Jiu's eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"I'll go make the arrangements!" Chen Wujun rose to his feet.

"Jun..." Shark Jiu called after him from behind, her voice slow and unhurried.

"This kind of thing doesn't bring in much money, and it gives people something to hold over you. Don't do it again."

Chen Wujun didn't respond. He was never going to admit it anyway.

As he walked back, his mind churned: 'Learn from your mistakes. This kind of small-time hustle really isn't worth repeating — just pocket change that leads people straight to your door. Next time, go big or don't bother.'

'Besides, senior sister is right. Everything must have a just cause. That's how you act with legitimacy, and it keeps others from interfering.'

'And if you can't find a just cause — then create one.'

'Also... when the opportunity comes, I need to figure out exactly how they tracked me down. That's the only way to learn from this.'

Once downstairs, Chen Wujun called Ah Fei and instructed him to have people maintain surveillance, map out the targets' movements, and report back.

With that taken care of, Chen Wujun headed home for dinner.

The moment he walked through the door, he spotted Shu Fen sitting on a stool. She looked better than before, though still somewhat uneasy.

"Oh, Shu Fen's here too!"

"Your mother noticed she was all alone at the martial arts school and thought she must be lonely... so she invited her over for dinner. The more the merrier — it's just one extra bowl and pair of chopsticks," Chen Hanliang explained.

During the meal, Chen Hanliang remarked, "A patient came in today to get his teeth looked at — seemed like a martial artist. Got into a fight with someone and lost nearly half his teeth. Couldn't even do fillings — had to go straight to dentures."

"Let that be a lesson to you. Practice martial arts all you want, but never get into fights."

"I don't get into fights," Chen Wujun replied, his expression perfectly natural.

...

Two days later, Ah Fei's call came.

"Bro Jun, we found them!"

"Keep eyes on them. I'm on my way!" The moment Chen Wujun heard the news, he threw on his clothes and left the Warehouse.

Minutes later, he found Ah Fei on Longjin Street, with seven or eight men standing not far away.

"Bro Jun, they've been looking for someone the past two days. Right now they're in a gambling den inside the alley!"

"Whose den is it?"

"Private... one of those tiny joints where a couple hundred bucks gets you through the night," Ah Fei answered.

"Let's go. Follow me — we're taking them in." Chen Wujun spun on his heel and strode into the alley.