"I don't want you following me. I just need you to stay in the Henan Gang."
Bozai frowned. "Then what do you want me to do?"
Cao Yang's cold eyes scanned him. "You killed Liu Yu. Nobody knows about it except me. Everything else between us—only Xiao Ling knows. If we keep quiet, you're safe. No need to go back home."
Bozai's mind raced. He wasn't stupid—there was a catch.
"You've got one week," Cao Yang said, voice sharp. "Find Liu Zhenhu's address for me."
Bozai gulped. "After I kill him, this'll be over."
Cao Yang's smile was cold. "Don't even think about lying to me. Don't hope I'll protect you. If I fail to kill him, or a week passes without any intel, the video goes straight to the Henan Gang. And you… will die a gruesome death."
Bozai's face fell. He had known Cao Yang wasn't a nice guy.
Cao Yang patted his chubby cheek. "No choice now. Just pray I succeed in killing Liu Zhenhu. Go home. Xiao Ling's waiting for you to untie her."
Bozai left, every few steps glancing back, half-expecting a bullet to pierce his back.
At home, he freed Xiao Ling and sat down alone, smoking.
"Did he hit you?" Xiao Ling asked cautiously, noticing the blood stains. She feared Bozai might vent his anger on her. After all, it was her idea to bring Cao Yang home.
Bozai wasn't in the mood to hit her. His mind was elsewhere—if he told Liu Zhenhu everything, including killing Liu Yu, would he even survive?
He imagined the scenario. Death seemed inevitable, after all, he brought Cao Yang in, and personally killed Liu Yu.
But if he followed Cao Yang's plan, found Liu Zhenhu's location, and Cao Yang succeeded… would he still be safe? Would Cao Yang kill him to tie up loose ends?
Bozai estimated fifty-fifty. Half the chance Cao Yang would spare him, half the chance he wouldn't.
He had no choice. Cao Yang was right. He had to gamble on Cao Yang's conscience.
"Don't tell anyone about last night. Don't go to White Night today either," he instructed Xiao Ling.
After a quick shower and a change into clean clothes, he stared into the mirror, steadying himself.
Soon, he'd get the news about Liu Yu's death. He had to show up and act the part—grief, shock—every detail had to be convincing.
Sure enough, his phone rang. Friends reported Liu Yu was dead and told him to hurry.
When he arrived at Liu Yu's apartment, the place was swarming with Henan Gang members. So many, he couldn't even squeeze inside.
"Bozai, don't push," a brother warned. "Wait for the big guys to leave, then we go in."
Inside, Liu Zhenhu glared at Liu Yu's body. Rage boiled in his chest. His loyal subordinate… dead. And like this—so gruesome!
Killing someone is one thing—but stabbing over a dozen times?
"Cao Yang! I won't stop until I kill you!" he roared.
"Everyone, spread out. Whoever kills Cao Yang gets a million. Whoever captures him alive, two million!"
"Spread this news to other gangs. Same rewards apply!"
A bounty—Cao Yang had officially been marked.
Subordinates nodded, sending word to their own men.
Suddenly, Liu Zhenhu's phone vibrated. He picked it up. The caller ID… Liu Yu.
He glanced at Liu Yu's corpse, then at the phone. Slowly, he pressed 'answer.'
Silence. Neither spoke.
After a tense minute, Liu Zhenhu finally spoke, controlling his anger.
"Cao Yang?"
"Liu Zhenhu?"
It was their first conversation after days of mutual slaughter.
"Cao ni ma! Wait till I find you. I won't spare you! Even if you hide at the edge of the world, I'll tear you to pieces!"
Liu Zhenhu's words were teeth-clenching fury.
Cao Yang laughed coldly. "You worry about letting me go? Ha! That's not the question. I won't spare you!"
"Don't let me find you. Hide like a coward turtle. The day I do… is your death day!"
Liu Zhenhu was furious. It had been years since anyone dared speak to him like this, let alone curse him in the face.
—
Cao Yang hung up, pulled out his SIM card, and tossed it away.He found a bridge overpass with multiple exits—perfect for hiding and sleeping.
The city was full of outsiders, vagrants everywhere.Sleeping here, he was inconspicuous.
He slept until night, dusted himself off, then ate at a local Hunan restaurant.
Afterwards, he wandered into a street bathed in neon, the city's infamous red-light district.
Every night, the street was alive—glowing salons, colorful lights, music, and temptation everywhere.
"Hey… handsome, come play," a scantily-clad girl purred, winking and shaking her body at him.
Cao Yang bent, picked up a brick, and swung at the woman.
She jumped back in fright. Wait, he's not here to play… but why a brick?
Crash! The brick didn't hit her—it smashed the salon's glass door into shards.
"Are you crazy?!" Several women shouted, running out.
"Sisters, don't let him escape! Make him pay—at least three to five thousand!"
Cao Yang had no personal grudge against these women, but their bosses did.
The street was under Hunan Gang protection. Even if they didn't run the salons directly, they still collected protection money. Cao Yang was here to make trouble.
He smashed his way down the street. Glass doors shattered, alarms blared.
Several gang members tried to stop him, but they were beaten senseless, lying on the ground.
Some recognized Cao Yang and dared not approach—his reputation had grown in the past few days.
By the time the main force arrived, Cao Yang had vanished without a trace.
He sped to the Mingzhu Nightclub, planning to wreck it too.
But it was pointless—Tiexiong's death had shut down the club; it hadn't reopened yet.
Cao Yang turned, wandering aimlessly, until he reached the small inn he once rented with Li Yan.
Old Xu was taking out the trash. Cao Yang greeted him, handed him a cigarette, and they began chatting.