Zhao Asi was in his 30’s, nearly ten years older than Anan. At this moment, he was looking at him like he was looking at his little brother, his gaze lingering on his handsome face aglow with a youthful flush. Suddenly, a flash of recognition crossed Zhao Asi’s features, prompting a smile as he recalled: “Anan, you’re turning twenty this year, aren’t you?” 

With a nod, Chen Jianan confirmed, “I’ll be reaching twenty in the middle of the year.”

With a mischievous grin, Zhao Asi quipped, “Then how come I have seen no girls around you yet?” 

Feeling a twinge of guilt, Chen Jianan cast a quick glance towards Qiao Wen before explaining, “I haven’t met anyone who fits my eyes yet?”

Zhao Asi snorted: “Is it possible that you still want to find a heavenly fairy?” He glanced at Qiao Wen, and said jokingly, “But you spend all day with a pretty boy like your brother, it’s not surprising that you have high expectations.”

In his defense, Chen Jianan countered, “Fourth brother, why pick on my brother?” As he picked at his plate of beef offal, his gaze drifted around the group of people next to him, and he couldn’t help but notice Xiao Qiao’s striking features, but he hadn’t had any inappropriate thoughts towards him because of his good looks before. He wasn’t after him because of his good look acknowledging this his pride grew more and a radiant smile graced his lips.

Unaware of Chen Jianan’s inner thoughts, Qiao Wen simply chuckled and shook his head, unfazed by the banter flying around him. 

As they were enjoying their meal and engaging in a lively conversation, their peaceful moment was abruptly interrupted by the intrusive arrogant voice slicing through the air: “Are you guys together?”

Qiao Wen subconsciously turned his head and saw four men standing at a nearby table. There was a clear air of dominance as the main speaker kicked the table leg and voiced his displeasure at the strangers, “You look out of place. Are you newcomers here? Don’t you know the rules? The restaurant is full of people waiting for the table, and your party of five is occupying two tables. Hurry up and squeeze out a table to make room.”

Qiao Wen was not too unfamiliar with these people. They were the notorious Chaoshan people who had been quite popular in the Walled City recently. Arriving clandestinely and settling themselves in the community two years ago, this little group of people had quickly gained notoriety for their involvement in vicious criminal activities such as robbery and kidnapping. Despite this, they were quite honest in the Walled City because there weren’t many of them and they weren’t yet a force to be reckoned with. After all, this was the territory of the Hexing Society.

The reason he was so arrogant at the moment was probably because he saw that these diners who were eating beef offal looked unfamiliar.

Chen Jianan pulled Qiao Wen over just now, and because there were so many people around, he didn’t pay much attention. Only now did he realize that these strangers were the ones he saw on New Year’s Day.

Zhao Asi leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper as he shared the unsettling news: “Just yesterday, a brazen robbery took place at the gold shop in Central. Rumor has it that those Chaoshan individuals were behind it. The worst part is? They didn’t just take the money; they also killed two security guards. The audacity of robbing and killing – I don’t know what a heavenly punishment waits for them.”

Chen Jianan brows frowned as he glanced at the Chaoshan’s while saying, “Anyway, as long as they don’t run wild on our heads, it will be okay, we can’t control the others.” As he spoke, he also noticed the strangers sitting there, and asked casually, “Fourth brother, I don’t seem to have seen these people before, are they new? Any idea who they are and what they’re up to?”

Shaking his head in confusion, Zhao Asi admitted, “I’m just as clueless as you are. I haven’t seen them either.”

Qiao Wen said: “Don’t worry about it, just eat quickly, so that you can give someone an empty seat and let Long’s wife earn a few more yuan.”

With that said, Chen Jianan and Zhao Asi did not care about that side anymore, returning their attention to their meal. However, Qiao Wen kept a watchful eye on the unfolding scene.

Only to see the man seated adjacent to him, interrupted from his meal, lifted his gaze unhurriedly from his bowl, fixing a cold and penetrating stare upon the instigator.

It was an expressionless face, very cold and stern, and his eyes were as sharp as those of a falcon.

Qiao Wen found it strangely familiar, as if he had encountered that demeanor before. Yes, it was the expression of the Vietnamese assassin, who Zhao Shanhai hired to kill Lin Zhaoming. 

‘Could it be that these people were also recruited soldiers from the Vietnam battlefield?’

But their appearance didn’t look alike them, at least three of them have standard Chinese looks, while the rest look like Southeast Asians.

Seeing the other party’s attitude, the Chaoshan boy pushed his head provocatively and taunted, “What? You are unwilling to give up your seat when I asked you to?”

The man frowned and reached for his waist only to be restrained by a man in his forties next to him who diffused the confrontation with a disarming smile: “We’re new here, we don’t understand the rules, so we will give up our seats.” 

He spoke in not so standard Cantonese. From his accent he should be a from non-Cantonese speaking areas, probably Chinese, or a Sino-Chinese.

Qiao Wen still had the impression of this man, he was the one that Chen Jianan rubbed up against that day when he danced the lion dance, and got red envelope from him, and was even touched by him on the lion’s head.

Judging from the current situation, he should be the leader of this group.

After he finished speaking, he patted his companion, who had a cold expression, and the two of them, holding their bowls, squeezed to the next table.

In just two minutes, they finished their meal and paid the bill and left.

Qiao Wen remained fixed his gaze on them, observing quietly as they moved a short distance away. Suddenly, a menacing man from the group sharply turned back and aimed a finger towards the Chaoshan boy who was engrossed in his beef offal, mimicking a shooting gesture with precision in the air.

Witnessing this subtle yet chilling action, Qiao Wen couldn’t help but shudder inwardly.

Just as he was discreetly about to avert his eyes, the faint sight of a keychain dangling on the leader’s waist inadvertently captured his attention —a distinct blue sky and white sun badge.

Startled, he directed his gaze to the bowl and vaguely guessed the identity of these people.

The next morning, as soon as Qiao Wen stepped out, he heard explosive news.

Those Chaoshan guys were all found dead in the rental house. It was said that they were killed brutally in the middle of the night, without noise, leaving no one alive. The landlord, sensing something amiss, cautiously pushed open the door to be greeted by a chilling scene – their lifeless bodies lay strewn across the floor, their expressions frozen in agony, while dark crimson pools of congealed blood bore witness to the brutality of the massacre that had unfolded within the place.