Chapter 139: Brutal Slaughter

Lei Jia was quite clever, Xiao Tianci observed secretly, as it was obvious that he had already noticed something was amiss. There was a hint of panic in his eyes, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He looked at the two of them, completely at a loss for what to do.

Yet, at the very least, he was not foolish enough to demand to leave or to loudly question and reprimand the Fatty for his actions. Although this was not the absolute best course of action, it was relatively safe. It seemed the Fatty had chosen a decent person; otherwise, recruiting a mere good-for-nothing or a pampered young master would have been completely pointless—at best, it would mean acquiring another puppet who would have to be eliminated shortly afterward.

Winning him over meant gaining an assistant, which was the most important thing. Soon, the motorcade arrived at the street where Xiao Tianci and his men had previously slaughtered the Sakura Group's gunmen.

The Fatty said, "Kid, right here. The reason they reacted that way the other day was definitely because they thought you guys were sent by me to muscle in on their turf. In those two buildings over there, inside that hotel, those are all their people."

"Oh, staying in a hotel? They really are quite bold!"

The Fatty said angrily, "Damn it, it's because they think they're invincible. Their firepower is much heavier than ours, and they're fully prepared. Basically, every small stronghold around here has one or two physical combat experts. Those are hired guns. Their own elite fighters are stationed in two main strongholds: one is the former headquarters of the Eagle Gang, and the other is the largest local brothel."

Taking over this place was a mere flick of the wrist, and the primary purpose was to establish dominance. Everyone put on a set of communication devices provided by the Fatty, which were now all placed under Xiao Tianci's command.

"Fatty, take half of your men and sweep the outside to draw them all down." From his previous conversation with the Fatty, Xiao Tianci learned that ever since the Sakura Group launched their offensive, they had been suppressing the Fatty's faction, beating them to the point where they only had the strength to parry, with no power to counterattack. Moreover, seeing how arrogant they were, Xiao Tianci believed they would definitely charge down. This street was wide enough to give everyone room to maneuver.

Five men got out of the vehicles. Each of them held a submachine gun, walked to a spot not far from the building, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder. With neat, synchronized movements, they raised their guns and unleashed a barrage of gunfire.

Sitting in the transport vehicle, even though he was the one who gave the order, Xiao Tianci couldn't help but sigh inwardly when he saw their posture: Damn it, isn't this a bit too arrogant?

Sure enough, as soon as one magazine was emptied, the man immediately reloaded and retreated backward. At that moment, the enemy had already charged downstairs, and both sides immediately exchanged gunfire. Once the enemy was drawn out, Xiao Tianci promptly ordered his men to scatter.

The enemy forces clearly noticed where Xiao Tianci and the others had parked their cars and charged forward, shouting wildly. Because they were unfamiliar with the Fatty's subordinates, Xiao Tianci, in order to maximize the psychological impact, ordered: "Vajra, Fire Phoenix, Tang Bing, Cheng Gong, the four of you head down and wipe these people out. By the way, let me remind you, quite a few of these people are little Japs, or else Americans who sold out to the little Japs. In our Chinese terms, they are traitors. The fastest speed, the most aesthetically pleasing effect—begin."

This time, Vajra and the others were not in the same car as Xiao Tianci. The moment the order was given, they had already vanished. The enemy was already firing at Xiao Tianci's vehicles, but these cars were bulletproof.

Watching clearly from the inside while the action unfolded outside, Xiao Tianci deliberately pulled Lei Jia closer and said, "Come here, sit here. This spot offers a great view. If you want to watch a good show, you need a good vantage point."

Lei Jia didn't understand what he meant, but after taking a seat and hearing Xiao Tianci give the command, within seconds, he witnessed a scene that would leave an unforgettable mark on him for the rest of his life.

Fire Phoenix danced, flames igniting out of thin air. Propelled by the momentum of her dance, the fire instantly engulfed two people. This kind of flashy move was impractical against top-tier experts, but against these thugs, the visual impact was staggering.

Vajra was in his initial transformation state. He understood his boss's command, and upon hearing that they were going to kill little Japs, he became even more excited. Originally, punching people one by one was his most direct style, but this time he went up, grabbed two guys, spun them around twice, and tossed them out like little chicks—both hurled straight up into the air. Lei Jia watched as those men flew and flew... turning into tiny, indistinct black dots that melted into the night sky, only to watch him throw two more just as the first ones were falling back down. The visual effect was simply overwhelming.

Looking at Tang Bing, he moved like a phantom. A pitch-black shadow, wrapped in a specially made bulletproof cloak that allowed his entire body to tuck completely inside, flashed past. The dark shadow would grab one person, take flight, and slam into another with eerie strangeness.

Cheng Gong was probably the calmest and most expressionless of them all. However, having not fought for many years, the scent of gunpowder had already begun to excite the trigger points in his mind. Especially Xiao Tianci's parting words about killing little Japs transformed him into another being—the War God whom Vajra knew so well.

Even more brutally than Vajra, Cheng Gong's punches would often pierce directly through a body, or else send an opponent's head flying off like a kicked soccer ball. There was also a physical combat expert among the enemy ranks who happened to cross paths with Cheng Gong, but he met the exact same fate as the others, getting punched straight through the chest.

Through the earpiece, Xiao Tianci heard Tang Bing roar, "Damn it, you freaks! I'm not playing next time. Somehow, I ended up with the fewest kills before I could even get my fix!"

Fire Phoenix added with even greater displeasure, "Hmph, I'm sitting out next time too. No fun at all just watching them perform."

Because Vajra and Cheng Gong moved far too swiftly, the battle was already over before the two of them could even do much against the dozens of enemies. The four individuals, fully grasping their boss's intent, quickly returned to the vehicle within a few dozen seconds. Of course, Lei Jia couldn't even see how they managed to get back inside. Listening to the chatter as they settled into the car, Vajra and Cheng Gong remained as silent as ever, while Fire Phoenix and Tang Bing continued to lecture them incessantly.

"You two bosses need to pay attention next time! This won't do. Since we're all together, you've at least got to leave some for us, or else we lose face, don't we?!"

"Hmph, I don't care. Anyway, I'm not joining in next time. There's zero fun just watching you guys put on a show."

Lei Jia felt as though his body was losing the ability to move. It wasn't as if his family lacked formidable fighters, and they too could wipe out such a group relatively quickly. However, the speed, cruelty, and sheer strength displayed by those four individuals—even the two most powerful elders in his family probably operated at that level at best.

Besides, the elders were solely assigned to protect the family head, and one of them had even been injured recently. This couldn't be—it was impossible for these to be Tong Cong's men. If the Tang Gang possessed such forces, they would have unified the underworld long ago; there was no need to wait until now.

Damn it, how terrifyingly strong! Vajra, Cheng Gong, Tang Bing, Fire Phoenix—they truly were legendary masters, and every single one of them was tempered by the battlefield. Even the strongest fighters in his own gang, including himself, probably fell somewhat short compared to Tang Bing and Fire Phoenix, let alone Vajra and Cheng Gong. Now, it was clear that this was mere child's play to them; they hadn't even unleashed their full power.

Furthermore, the Fatty, who had roamed the underworld for so many years, knew that the most crucial factor wasn't just their martial prowess. One or two martial artists were not enough to take down an entire gang, unless they were absolute freaks, though such people rarely appeared. Even if his own subordinates possessed the level of skill those few had displayed just now, they probably couldn't replicate that kind of terrifying effect—that was something that could only be honed on real battlefields.

Observing the expressions on Lei Jia's and the Fatty's faces, Xiao Tianci was extremely satisfied with the outcome. He gently tapped Lei Jia on the shoulder.

"Ah..." Lei Jia gave a start, unable to help letting out a soft gasp, though he quickly managed to suppress it.

Looking at Xiao Tianci, he had no idea what to call him, so he awkwardly forced a smile and nodded, "Heh... heh..."

Xiao Tianci said calmly, "Lei Jia, what did you think of that just now? Those are my subordinates. Their strength isn't all that impressive, but I suppose they'll do. What do you say?"

Lei Jia hurriedly nodded and said, "Impressive, impressive... No, no, extremely powerful! It's my first time seeing anyone like them..."

He didn't even know how to describe it, because that feeling was a mix of ruthlessness, cruelty, and something else he couldn't put into words. Xiao Tianci laughed, "Ha... ha... Lei Jia, I don't like beating around the bush. Let's speak directly. My brother here," he gestured toward the Fatty, "has ambitions to make a move in the underworld. But as you can see, everyone is currently disunited, and your family is still caught in internal strife. How can things go on like this? It's gotten to the point where a little Jap Sakura Group can run amok. Therefore, if we want to deal with the Sakura Group and ensure future development for everyone moving forward, joining forces is an absolute necessity. Of course, when combining forces, someone has to call the shots; it won't do for everyone to be in charge, or things will descend into chaos. I think my brother here is quite capable. What do you think?"

Lei Jia instantly understood what was going on. Relying on his quickest reflexes and a shrewd decision, he looked at Xiao Tianci, knowing that this person must have an extraordinary background, even though he didn't even know his name. Thus, he had no choice but to turn his gaze back to the Fatty. His facial expression shifted a few times before he finally declared, "Gang Leader Tong, from now on, I, Lei Jia, am a man of the Tang Gang! As long as the Gang Leader gives the word, I... I..."

"Ha... ha..." The Fatty grabbed Lei Jia's hand and laughed heartily, "Good brother, rest assured. With our cooperation, you won't be shortchanged in the future."

Xiao Tianci added from the side, "Mm, you truly are a clever person. Rest assured, since you are now one of us, we will certainly help you secure the position of family head. Your future development and profits will far exceed what they are now. This is just like doing business—if the market is fixed, even if you capture the entire thing, it remains fixed. What you need to do is expand the pie. Once the pie is larger, even if everyone only gets a single slice, it will still be much greater than monopolizing the whole thing previously."

No matter where these words were applied, they were entirely fitting, and Lei Jia grasped their meaning. Although this man had given the command earlier indicating those people were his subordinates, Lei Jia sensed that he definitely wasn't an underworld figure; he felt much more like a businessman—a shrewd businessman, especially given those words.

Seeing Lei Jia's expression, and noticing the Fatty looking over at him, Xiao Tianci knew this was also a process of winning him over, making him more loyal and demonstrating sincerity in their cooperation. In particular, revealing his true identity would undoubtedly yield massive results. Seeing Xiao Tianci nod in agreement, the Fatty then spoke, "Lei Jia, do you know who he is?"

Lei Jia shook his head, thinking to himself: *How the hell would I know? I was dragged here today, never given a chance to speak, and neither of you said a word—how am I supposed to know?!*

The Fatty said with immense pride, "Let me tell you, he is my best friend, the most badass figure, and the richest man in the world right now! Now you know who he is, right?!"

"Ah..." For the second time that day, Lei Jia couldn't help letting out a gasp, staring at Xiao Tianci in sheer disbelief. It really was him—Xiao Tianci?!

Xiao Tianci smiled and said, "Fatty and I are childhood best friends. We hadn't been in touch much for a while, but recently we reconnected. So, you just focus on helping Fatty well. Of course, I will give you my full support."

*He is Xiao Tianci? No wonder his subordinates are so terrifying! He's going to give his full support... Heavens! Why would anyone even bother being in the mafia then?!* However, he didn't dare voice these thoughts aloud; it was only much later, when his relationship with the Fatty had grown even closer, that he finally confessed this thought, to which the Fatty replied without a second thought: "Damn it, this is our profession!"

The world's richest man throwing his full support behind a mafia boss—Lei Jia couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of impact that would have. Nevertheless, he realized that the decision he had made today was brilliant. Recalling Xiao Tianci's calm orders from earlier and the subsequent slaughter, not a single trace of hesitation or alternative motive remained in his heart.

The Fatty chimed in, "Lei Jia, from now on we are truly family. In order to deal with the Sakura Group as quickly as possible, you must seize the position of family head."

Hearing this, Lei Jia nodded and said, "I want to as well, but you know those bastards; unless they're dead, there's no way they'll ever give it up." At this point, the ruthless side of Lei Jia's nature surfaced, and he stated, "If they were all dead, I'd like to see who else would dare to cross me."

Xiao Tianci remarked from the side, "Is it really that simple?"

One had to understand that for an organization, especially a mature one, eliminating one or two individuals wouldn't change anything fundamentally.

Lei Jia said with absolute confidence, "As long as those few die, no one else will compete with me. The rest of those people will only have choice left: to pledge allegiance to me, because they certainly don't have the guts to strike out on their own. However, they are all extremely cautious right now and have even hired quite a few experts. Combined with the experts already within the family, it's going to be very..."

Using brute force and sending Vajra and the others to wipe them out would be far too conspicuous and cumbersome. Xiao Tianci pondered for a moment and said, "Here's what we'll do, Lei Jia. You immediately fabricate a pretext—say there's a newly discovered will from your father or an adjusted asset distribution plan. Anyway, just find a way to gather all of those people together in one place. As for the rest, you don't need to worry about it."