Madman!

Chapter 89: Blame Yourself

Night fell, and the wind swept across the rooftop, ruffling Shark Jiu's short hair.

"Senior Sister, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back," Chen Wujun said by way of farewell. Seeing that Shark Jiu had no further instructions, he turned to leave.

Shark Jiu turned her head to watch Chen Wujun walk away. A moment later, her gaze shifted to the distance, her eyes unfocused yet piercingly cold.

"Ji Xiang... don't blame me! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself."

Chen Wujun was unaware that Shark Jiu was already giving him free rein to deal with Ji Xiang.

Shark Jiu had long been dissatisfied with Master Xin.

Furthermore, Ji Xiang had been privately in contact with Fat Nan, one of Master Xin's subordinates, for a long time.

Shark Jiu didn't know what they discussed, nor did she care.

Ji Xiang was a core figure under her command, but his mind was wandering too much. A person like that becomes a ticking time bomb at critical moments.

...'Ji Xiang can actually endure even this? Is he somehow related to a turtle, hiding in his shell?'

'If he dates to make a move, I'll have a reason to beat him to death, and no one else will be able to say a word... That way, it's good for everyone.'

Chen Wujun walked with his hands in his pockets, pondering as he went.

After all, he still had to consider Shark Jiu's reputation.

If he beat Ji Xiang to death without a valid reason, what would the others think?

So, Chen Wujun restrained himself from acting.

It would be best if Ji Xiang actively sought his own death.

'When will that guy learn to be sensible and give me an excuse to kill him?'

While he was thinking about dealing with Ji Xiang, someone else was thinking about dealing with him.

As soon as Ji Xiang returned home, he kicked over a nearby stool, his eyes filled with rage.

Don't be fooled by his endurance today; who in the gang life actually had a good temper?

Those with good tempers were all working regular jobs.

"Chen Wujun..."

"Shark Jiu keeps shielding him... If she wasn't backing him up, I would have slapped him to death long ago! How could it be that brat's turn to strut around in front of me?"

"I should just take the kid out... He has so many enemies anyway, I'll just frame Wen Long!"

Ji Xiang picked up his phone and dialed a number, but his thumb hovered over the call button for a long time without pressing it.

The fact that Chen Wujun could beat Yu Wei to death proved he wasn't easy to kill. The contact he had in mind might not be able to pull it off.

If the news leaked, he would be in trouble.

Hiring someone to take out one of their own—if people found out, not even Master Xin would tolerate him.

"Those Luoyue people have fought several times with Tall Guy recently... it's not a good time to contact them either..."

Ji Xiang hesitated for a long time and ultimately didn't make the call.

After pondering for a moment, he dialed Fat Nan instead. Shortly after, he got up and left the house.

Half an hour later, Ji Xiang arrived at a bar in Xiangbutou with two trusted aides. Scanning the room upon entry, he saw a man whose physique was robust to the point of obesity dancing with a woman on the dance floor.

He waited on the side for a while. Seeing the woman returning to a booth with Fat Nan still pestering her, he finally walked over. "Brother Nan!"

"Ji Xiang, you're here." Seeing Ji Xiang, Fat Nan adjusted his suit and sat down with him in a corner booth.

"Why the long face?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to drink with you." Ji Xiang directly ordered the waiter to bring a bottle of whiskey.

"What, someone gave you a hard time?" Fat Nan asked with a beaming smile.

"Don't mention it!" Ji Xiang said, mixing truth with falsehood as he drank. "That Ah Jun is simply arrogant now. He slapped my face in front of everyone."

"You know how it is. He and Sister Shark Jiu are from the same sect. If Shark Jiu protects him, what can I do?"

"That's not just taking abuse; that's being driven into a corner. Shark Jiu has made it clear she wants to raise the newcomer to power. How many more days can you last?" Fat Nan's eyes flickered with meaning.

"Why don't ask Master Xin to put in a good word? I just happen to be missing someone to manage the finances."

Although he wasn't one of the Four Heavenly Kings, he managed businesses for Master Xin, so even the Four Heavenly Kings had to give him some face.

Ji Xiang was a good hand at managing loan sharking, his combat strength wasn't bad, and he had a group of lackeys under him...

He held a large number of clients in his hands. If he were poached, those clients would come with him.

Ji Xiang hesitated. "Forget it. Sister Shark Jiu was the one who gave me my chance back then... I'm just feeling a bit stifled."

"A tree dies if you move it, but a man lives by moving on. We're all in the same sect. Helping Master Xin is hardly working for an outsider... Shark Jiu can't say anything about it." Fat Nan smiled broadly. He knew, of course, that Ji Xiang was looking for an exit strategy.

If he really didn't have other thoughts, he wouldn't have come looking for him.

He was waiting for Fat Nan to offer a price, or at least Master Xin's approval.

Poaching from Shark Jiu wouldn't sound good if word got out. If it were a subordinate of any other Hall Master, Master Xin might not agree.

But Shark Jiu was different.

Shark Jiu was becoming increasingly disobedient. Although she appeared respectful on the surface, she had too many private ambitions.

Not only did Fat Nan know this, but Master Xin was also well aware.

Ji Xiang was a core figure under Shark Jiu. If such a person jumped ship, it would prove that Shark Jiu couldn't control or protect her subordinates, losing even her core team.

It would not only suppress Shark Jiu but also likely bring whatever leverage Ji Xiang held against her.

It was killing two birds with one stone.

...

After returning home, Chen Wujun put the matter aside for the time being.

In the days that followed, he continued to go to the warehouse daily to walk the stakes.

After half a month, Chen Wujun could walk the stakes and hit the sandbags without falling off, even when the wooden poles were covered in grease.

He looked almost the same as before, only occasionally swaying slightly.

At the same time, his Tiger Roaring Golden Bell Cover was also making steady progress.

In the evenings, he went to Ah Qi's place for tutoring. When he was in school before, he never imagined he would have to go back and learn these things after entering society.

If he had known earlier, he would have put more effort into his studies back then.

"Brother Jun, the gaming parlor opens tomorrow morning at nine-thirty. Don't forget to come over," Ah Fei said over the phone.

"Got it." Chen Wujun was in a good mood upon hearing the news.

After all, this was his first real property. It was his own, not the hall's.

Once it made money, he would just give Shark Jiu a red envelope.

Thinking about it, the two gaming parlors combined only required an investment of over 500,000. There was no need to specifically inform Shark Jiu.

Early the next morning, Chen Wujun said to Ah Yue, "My gaming parlor opens today. Come with me in a bit."

"Okay!" Ah Yue instantly beamed with joy, but then suddenly realized, "Then I can't cook."

"Your dad just lost a hand; it's not like he can't move at all. Will he starve to death? If it comes to it, just buy something and have a lackey deliver it." Chen Wujun stood in front of the mirror, combing his short hair.

Then he took out the shirt and suit he had bought a few days ago from the wardrobe and put them on.

A black shirt underneath, a red suit jacket on the outside, and black trousers below.

"How does it look?" Chen Wujun spun around after dressing, feeling good about himself.

"So handsome!" Ah Yue smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.

Once Ah Yue had changed into a light-colored dress, the two went downstairs to head to the gaming parlor.

"My new shoes... they were expensive!" Chen Wujun frowned as he picked his way through the alley, careful not to step on anything or let filth splash onto his trousers.

The Walled City was eternally filthy, with sewage flowing forever, and the ground permanently coated in a layer of unexplained black substance.

"Careful not to step in dog shit!" Chen Wujun pulled Ah Yue aside.

"That would be 'dog shit luck'! Your business would surely be on fire," Ah Yue immediately quipped with a smile.

Just past nine o'clock, the two arrived at the parlor on Longjin Street. Ah Fei and Curry were already waiting there with their men.

"Brother Jun, Sister Ah Yue!"

"You're dressed so sharply today; if I didn't know better, I'd think you were going to get your marriage license!"

"It's a joyous occasion, so we have to look spirited. How about this red I'm wearing?" Chen Wujun showed off his red suit.

"Of course it's sharp. This outfit looks best on Brother Jun," Ah Fei and the lackeys giggled.

"At least you guys have good taste," Chen Wujun laughed.

At 9:38, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, Chen Wujun took the scissors and cut the red cloth at the entrance. Then, a string of firecrackers was set off, and the gaming parlor was officially open.

At noon, he called everyone to have a meal together and had a lackey take a group photo with a camera.

That evening, Chen Wujun changed his clothes and went home for dinner.

"I saw someone today whose back looked just like yours, wearing a red suit... there was a woman beside him, dressed very beautifully. When are you going to find a girlfriend?" Huang Meizhen suddenly remembered something at the dinner table.

"There will be opportunities. I'm at the martial arts school every day now; where would I find a girlfriend?" Chen Wujun's expression was natural, showing no sign of guilt.

"Practicing martial arts is fine as a hobby, but you still need to work to eat. A girlfriend is also a major matter," Huang Meizhen nagged incessantly.

At that moment, the news played on the television: "The Governor-General's administration has issued an executive order lowering the poverty line standard."

"The spokesperson stated that, based on expert evaluation, a daily food expenditure of 10 Federal Coins is now sufficient to meet a person's normal living needs. Therefore, the poverty line will be lowered to below 300 Federal Coins per person per month."

"According to the new poverty line standard, the proportion of people in poverty in East District 9 will decrease by 46%, and the impoverished population will drop to 26 million..."

Chen Hanliang watched the news, pointing his chopsticks at the television in anger. "Everything is going up except income. If they can't raise income, they just lower the poverty line standard. Gangsters have more conscience than they do!"

"Dad, you're absolutely right." Chen Wujun gave a thumbs up, agreeing deeply with this statement.

Looking at it this way, he was engaged in a righteous career.

After dinner, Chen Wujun cracked melon seeds at home for a while before getting up to leave. He went to Ah Yue's place to eat again, and then went to study.

"342 years ago, a nuclear war broke out between nations... What followed was fifty years of chaos, known as the Era of Chaos..."

"291 years ago, the Federation was established, and the world began to develop anew. At the time of the Federation's founding, the population was less than 2% of the pre-war level, and technology and culture had suffered a complete break..." Ah Qi sat on a stool, lecturing with a history textbook in hand.

Chen Wujun lay horizontally on the sofa, listening as various thoughts swirled in his mind.

When he studied this back in school, he hadn't thought much of it, but now he felt this history was full of peculiarities.

Especially the period from the outbreak of nuclear war to the establishment of the Federation—a full 51 years... After the great powers were destroyed, survivors formed small states constantly fighting for resources. The war almost never stopped... Were they not afraid of dying?

And the process of the Federation's establishment... it was said that the high-level officials of various countries reached a consensus...

He didn't believe a word of it.