Chapter 63 Another Memorial Service Held

Cai Xudong did not hate Cao Yang; in fact, he felt somewhat grateful to him. Had it not been for the chaos Cao Yang caused, he would never have seized the position of gang leader.

Gratitude aside, however, he still had to get rid of him.

Only by eliminating Cao Yang could the faction loyal to Liu Zhenhu be permanently silenced.

Killing him would also serve as a powerful display of authority to cement his own ascendancy.

The only problem was that Cao Yang’s whereabouts remained unknown, requiring a patient and thorough search.

For now, his most urgent priority was handling Liu Zhenhu’s funeral arrangements. Despite their past friction, the deceased deserved utmost respect; Liu was, after all, the former gang leader, and as his successor, Cai Xudong was obligated to oversee the final rites.

He had a church rented and scheduled the memorial service for Liu Zhenhu three days later.

A large crowd gathered that day. Aside from members of the Henan Gang, many fellow provincials with business ties to them were in attendance.

Several Henan expatriates engaged in legitimate local businesses also showed up. Although their trades were entirely lawful, maintaining good relations with the Henan Gang was always a prudent move, for legitimate enterprises invariably crossed paths with illegitimate characters, and those were precisely the moments such connections proved useful.

Beyond them, the supreme bosses of various other gangs had also come.

Though they were rivals, they were also peers in the same underworld. Since Liu Zhenhu had been the leader of the Henan Gang, coming to see him off and pay their respects was only fitting.

A group of crime lords gathered together, chatting idly while waiting for the banquet to begin.

"Who would have thought? Only a few days ago, old Liu was hosting a memorial for his brother, and today someone is hosting one for him."

The boss of the Jiangxi Gang sighed with emotion, prompting the other bosses to nod in agreement, lamenting how fickle and unpredictable the winds of fate truly could be.

"Ain't that the truth? Who could have imagined that a wet-behind-the-ears nobody would not only be so damn hard to kill, but would actually turn the tables and take him out!"

The boss of the Anhui Gang shook his head, and the others nodded along. Cao Yang had certainly made a notorious name for himself within their circles.

Liu Changling, the boss of the Sichuan Gang, looked over at She Zhishan and smiled. "Old She, that kid has a score to settle with you, too. You'd better watch your back."

His warning sounded well-intentioned, but was mostly laced with mockery and schadenfreude.

She Zhishan glared at him in irritation. "Afraid of him? Ha! If he dares to show his face, I'll chop him into mincemeat."

She Zhishan was merely putting on a tough front; deep down, a seed of genuine fear had already been planted. Ever since he heard that Liu Zhenhu and a group of ten had been wiped out by Cao Yang, he had quietly upgraded his personal security and hadn't stepped outside for days.

"Old She, it pays to be cautious. The police haven't managed to track the kid down yet, so you'd better watch out for a desperate, cornered animal launching a final, fatal counterattack."

The boss of the Guangxi Gang chimed in with a similarly teasing warning, deeply annoying She Zhishan. Just as She opened his mouth to spit out a harsh retort, a procession of vehicles rolling past the church doors instantly captured everyone's attention.

The motorcade consisted of eight vehicles, all uniformly black Mercedes-Benz S600s, each valued well over a million.

"Whose ride is this? Talk about showing off!"

"No idea. Probably folks from the Henan Gang over in Shenzhen or the provincial capital."

All the gang bosses stared at the motorcade, curious to see who was arrogant enough to put on a display grander than their own.

The vehicles came to a halt, the doors swung open, and over a dozen men in crisp black suits emerged, falling neatly into a single, disciplined line.

The door of the lead car opened, and Tang Shaojie stepped out in a sharp suit. He glanced around the surroundings and strode purposefully toward the mourning hall, followed closely by a throng of subordinates.

"Tang Shaojie? What is he doing here?"

The local gang bosses were utterly surprised. Many of them had extended invitations to Tang Shaojie in the past, but he had consistently given them the cold shoulder, keeping a deliberate distance from the underworld. None of them expected him to show up at Liu Zhenhu's funeral.

"Could it be that old Liu had personal ties with him?"

"Or perhaps the new boss, Cai Xudong, invited him?"

They murmured among themselves, shifting their gazes back and forth between Tang Shaojie and Cai Xudong.

Cai Xudong was equally bewildered. He certainly hadn't invited Tang Shaojie, and as far as he knew, Tang and Liu Zhenhu had no prior connection. Why would he show up?

Still, hospitality demanded that a guest be welcomed; he would have to treat him with utmost respect and avoid causing any offense.

Tang Shaojie walked up to the funerary tablet, looked up at Liu Zhenhu’s black-and-white portrait, lit a stick of incense, and bowed deeply.

Given his status in the underworld, such a gesture might have seemed beneath him, but with the deceased taking precedence, bowing was simply a matter of basic courtesy.

After inserting the incense into the burner, he turned and shook hands with Liu Zhenhu’s strikingly attractive young widow.

"My condolences."

"Thank you."

Seeing that the formalities were concluded, Cai Xudong hurried forward. "President Tang, I never expected the honor of your presence. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner. Please, this way."

Cai Xudong was exceedingly warm. Tang Shaojie's standing as the undisputed number one figure in Humen was beyond question. Leave aside local gangs; even Bai Mao of Dongtai and Ah Hui of Prince Hotel would have to address him respectfully as Brother Jie upon seeing him.

He escorted Tang Shaojie to the table reserved for the leaders of the local gangs, who all promptly stood up to greet him and shake his hand.

Those older than him addressed him as President Tang, while the younger ones called him Brother Jie, each displaying extreme politeness and deference.

"President Tang, I've been meaning to pay you a visit for a long time. I never expected we'd run into each other today. Let's share a few drinks later."

Tang Shaojie smiled and waved a hand. "I have matters to attend to shortly, so let's save the drinking for another day."

"My main reason for coming today is to see President Liu off on his final journey, and by the way, to invite you all to a banquet tomorrow."

As Tang Shaojie spoke, one of his subordinates handed over a stack of envelopes. Upon opening them, the bewildered bosses discovered they were formal invitations.

Tang Shaojie distributed the invitations to the gang leaders one by one. "Tomorrow at noon, at Fulin Grand Restaurant. I look forward to the honor of your presence."

When he reached Cai Xudong and She Zhishan, he paused briefly. "President She, President Cai, the two of you must make sure to attend tomorrow!"

"Definitely!"

"Certainly!"

Having handed out all the invitations, Tang Shaojie waved farewell to the gathering, climbed back into his car, and drove away, leaving the various crime lords exchanging bewildered glances.

"What is he playing at?" The boss of the Guangxi Gang flipped open his invitation card. It merely specified a time and a location; it gave no hint whatsoever as to the nature of the celebration.

"Is it his birthday, his mother's birthday, his child's full-month celebration, or is he taking a concubine?"

"How am I supposed to know when it doesn't say? Just go and find out tomorrow."

"We'd better be careful. This Tang Shaojie has always kept his distance from our crowd and acts like he owns the place. A sudden, unprompted invitation like this spells trouble."

"By the way, President She, why did he specifically demand that you must attend without extending that requirement to the rest of us? Sounds like your relationship with him is a lot closer than ours?"

She Zhishan was equally lost. He wasn't close to Tang Shaojie at all, and as for why Tang had singled him out with such a forceful demand, he hadn't the faintest idea.

"This Tang Shaojie is too arrogant. He looks like he's here to see old Liu off, but in reality, he's just slapping the Henan Gang across the face!"

Liu Changling, the boss of the Sichuan Gang, held his invitation and remarked with snide sarcasm, "Hosting a funeral while he runs around handing out party invitations—how is that any different from dancing on someone's grave?"

Everyone chuckled, save for Cai Xudong, whose expression turned grim.

Liu Changling had a point; Tang Shaojie's behavior was undeniably rude. Was it because he lacked basic manners? Obviously not. It was simply because he didn't care. He only did what he pleased, and how it made others feel was entirely outside his sphere of concern.

Cai Xudong cast a cold glare at Liu Changling. Was this bastard trying to stir up trouble? Everyone could see Tang Shaojie's actions were impolite, so why did this motherfucker have to voice it out loud just to show off?