Chapter 93: Hei Zi

Half an hour later, Ada Jing arrived at a business club, where a man named "Hei Zi" personally greeted him at the entrance.

True to his name, Hei Zi had skin as dark as ink, appearing to be in his thirties, dressed flamboyantly like a big-time gangster. Despite his unremarkable appearance, he was not someone to be underestimated. Hei Zi had made quite a name for himself in Jiangcheng's underworld, involved in all sorts of dirty dealings, known for his ruthless and vicious nature. He commanded over a hundred lackeys, a motley crew of social scum, including ex-convicts and the like.

"Old Ai!" "Brother! Long time no see!"

The two exchanged a warm embrace. Hei Zi looked disoriented, almost dazed, with a strange excitement in his demeanor, clearly not in a normal state. Ada Jing was unfazed, smiling as he asked, "You've been partying hard again?"

Hei Zi nodded vigorously, "Life is short, live it up! Hahaha…"

After laughing for a while, he turned and shouted at the group of his men behind him, "Where are your manners? This is my dear brother! Greet him properly! Call him Big Brother!"

In unison, about ten young men bowed deeply, putting on quite a display. Ada Jing quickly waved his hands, "Cut it out, I can't accept this."

Hei Zi laughed heartily, draping an arm around Ada Jing's shoulder. "Come on, let's head up! I've got a 'Eight-Nation Alliance' lined up for you. You'll have a blast!"

The group noisily made their way into the club, and wherever they passed, the staff would respectfully greet Hei Zi, "Second Brother Hei!" Upon entering the private room, Hei Zi eagerly called for the hostess to bring in some girls, but Ada Jing quickly stopped him, "No, no, let's talk business first. We can order later!"

Hei Zi initially didn't want to listen, but noticing that Ada Jing's face seemed a bit asymmetrical, he rubbed his eyes and took a closer look, exclaiming in shock, "What the hell! You got beaten up? How did your face swell up like that?!"

Ada Jing sighed, glancing around at Hei Zi's men, hesitating to speak.

Hei Zi immediately caught on, waving his hand, "You all get out! Don't come in unless I call for you!"

Once the lackeys had left, Ada Jing finally spoke, "To be honest, brother, I got into some trouble tonight. I might not be able to stay in the country anymore."

"What?" Hei Zi couldn't believe his ears, "You? Impossible! You're one of the top figures in the Beijing circle. You can't just be pushed out like that! Brother, don't mess with me!"

"Why would I lie to you?" Ada Jing said with a bitter smile, "Some dirt on me got exposed. This time... I think I'm finished. On the way here, I already called my secretary, told them to start laundering the money. Once everything's clean, I'll head to the U.S."

Hei Zi was stunned for a moment, then cursed, "Who's messing with you? Brother, just tell me. In Jiangcheng, there's no one I wouldn't dare to touch!"

Ada Jing opened his mouth as if struggling with something, then poured two glasses of liquor, handing one to Hei Zi. "Forget it, brother, I just came to say goodbye. We probably won't see each other much after this."

"What do you mean by that?" Hei Zi asked unhappily, "You don't consider me a brother?"

Ada Jing furrowed his brows, "How could I not... But listen to me, brother, you should stay out of this. We can't afford to provoke them."

"Got it... So you're looking down on me?" Hei Zi said angrily, "Spit it out, who is it? Don't make me lose my temper!"

Ada Jing sighed, "It's the young master from the Chu family."

As soon as Hei Zi heard "Chu family," his face froze. He stood still for a long while before asking, "The young master? Chu Haoran?"

Ada Jing shook his head, "Chu Yuxuan."

"Chu Yuxuan?" Hei Zi pondered for a moment, then seemed to recall, "Him? The illegitimate son of the third branch of the Chu family! You scared me; I thought it was Chu Haoran! ... Tell me, Old Ai, how did you get involved with that b*st*rd?"

"Ah, it's embarrassing to say…" Ada Jing lamented, "I added his wife on WeChat a while ago, probably p*ss*d him off, and now he's done this to me… That b*st*rd completely ruined me this time! You don't know, he even slapped me in the face with a shoe on a TV show! If we were in Beijing, I guarantee he wouldn't live through the night!"

Hei Zi could tell that last sentence was meant for him. After a moment of consideration, he clicked his tongue and said, "Old Ai, you've fallen for the most beautiful woman in Jiangcheng, haven't you?"

"Ah... A gentleman pursues a fair lady. Who would've thought it would cause such a big mess!"

"Hahaha... That's why they say lust is a blade!" Hei Zi laughed for a while, then paused and said, "Old Ai, let's not even mention the time we played music together ten years ago, or how you took care of my sister in Beijing. Just for the time you helped my mom with her surgery in Beijing, pulling strings and covering the medical bills, I can't let you take this beating for nothing!"

Ada Jing tried to dissuade him, "Forget it, forget it. That's the Chu family, the top family in Jiangcheng. Let's not provoke them. I'll just take the loss."

Hei Zi sneered, "Top family in Jiangcheng? Old Ai, don't you know? The real top families never show off. The Chu family might be the number one on the surface in Jiangcheng, but in the eyes of the real powerhouses, they're nothing!"

Ada Jing was taken aback, "Hei Zi, could it be that your backers are stronger than the Chu family?"

Hei Zi admitted frankly, "I don't have any backers. My backer is myself."

Ada Jing: …

Then why are you talking all this nonsense?

"I can't take on the Chu family directly, but," Hei Zi's tone shifted, "messing with that Chu Yuxuan behind the scenes is not out of the question. He's not like Chu Haoran, who's just a playboy with no real skills. Taking him down won't be too difficult."

This was exactly the outcome Ada Jing had been hoping for.

Although Hei Zi was just a gangster, his background couldn't compare to the Chu family. But these desperadoes don't necessarily fear the big families. They may not confront them directly, but they have plenty of dirty tricks up their sleeves!

Ada Jing pretended to refuse, "Let's drop it. I don't want to drag you into trouble, brother. Come on, let's drink. Consider this matter closed."

Hei Zi shook his head lightly, "This matter can't just be closed! Old Ai, this time you have to listen to me. Let me repay some of the favors I owe you. I've taken too much from you."

Ada Jing: "There's no need to talk about favors between us, we're brothers..."

Hei Zi interrupted, "Stay here in Jiangcheng for now, don't rush off abroad. I'll arrange for someone to investigate him right away! Old Ai, you probably don't know, but I've got plenty of people under me now, haha. As soon as we find an opportunity, I'll strike. You just say the word, and I'll have that b*st*rd either dead or crippled!"

Ada Jing knew that if he kept refusing, it would seem too distant, so he reluctantly nodded, "Alright then! Brother, I'll trouble you with this. Honestly, I really want to get even with that scumbag! If Chu Yuxuan doesn't die, I won't be at peace!"

Hei Zi grinned wickedly, "Just dealing with him isn't enough. We should also bring that so-called number one beauty in Jiangcheng into the mix! To be honest, I've also had my eye on her, but because she's tied to the Chu family, I didn't want to stir up trouble. But now, after what she's done to you, we have to teach her a lesson. Hmph... I'll come up with a thorough plan to kidnap her for you, and I guarantee no one will be able to trace it back to us!"

The two exchanged a look, their lecherous smiles in perfect sync.