Chapter 193: Life-And-Death Pact
Chapter 193: Life-And-Death Pact
The gang members watching the scene through the cameras gasped in shock.
This display of power, this entrance, this aura... The Cloudy Sky Gang is clearly not to be underestimated.
They were far from the ragtag group of slum-dwelling refugees many had assumed. Instead, they resembled a well-trained military unit.
"They\'re here."
Guan Shanyue of the Flying Cloud Sword Gang, Zhen Santong of Iron Palm Ltd., and the Fan brothers, Fan Jun, Fan Bing, and Fan Tong, of the Daxing Gang all felt their hearts tighten.
In the past, they would not have flinched even in the face of such a display. After all, they each commanded hundreds, if not thousands, of men. But after the annihilation of the Dragon Claw Gang, they were filled with fear.
Fortunately, the presence of Ye Changlin, the elder of the Ye family, brought them a measure of security. The young man sitting beside Ye Changlin, with a face as handsome as jade, gave them even greater confidence.
He was Ye Liushuang, the Little Martial God. A brilliant university student and a core talent painstakingly cultivated by the Ye family. As long as he was present, they felt assured that dealing with Li Xiaofei would be no problem.
Ding.
The sound of the elevator arriving echoed. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Li Xiaofei strode confidently onto the rooftop terrace at the head of the Cloudy Sky Gang. The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
"Heh, President Li is here, so young and promising," remarked Ning Wuwo, the current chairman of the Gang Alliance, as he stroked his long white beard with a smile. "Please, take a seat."
There was a raised stage with seven chairs in the central area of the rooftop terrace. Five chairs were arranged on the left, while one was on the right and one in the center. These seats were reserved for the leaders of the participating gangs.
On the left were Guan Shanyue from the Flying Cloud Sword Gang, Zhen Santong from Iron Palm Ltd., and the three Fan brothers from the Daxing Gang. On the right sat Li Xiaofei. The chair in the middle was occupied by Ning Wuwo, the current chairman. Li Xiaofei had looked into Ning Wuwo\'s background before he had arrived.
Ning Wuwo was a third-generation elder in Liuhe Base City\'s gang community, known as a benevolent figure who was said to only save lives and never take them. Ning Wuwo had become the head of the medical gang Xuanku Gang at the age of sixteen, and now, at ninety-six, he was regarded as a living legend within the gang.
He had witnessed countless gang storms and upheavals in eighty years. The fact that he had lived this long was a miracle in itself. Such a person might not have much power, but his reputation carried weight. The gang community treated him like a mascot. As the chairman, he wielded no real authority, but having someone like him in the position was ideal. Everyone who saw him would respectfully address him as Old Ning.
"Everyone, today\'s gang negotiation has been convened due to a conflict between the Dragon Claw Gang, Iron Palm Ltd., the Flying Cloud Sword Gang, the Daxing Gang, and the Cloudy Sky Gang," Ning Wuwo stood up with a genial smile as he began. "As I\'ve lived a few more years and currently serve as the chairman of the alliance, I\'ve been invited to preside over this negotiation."
He continued, "There are thirty-six organizations within the base city, all here to bear witness. Additionally, we have the esteemed presence of Ye family elder Ye Changlin and Mr. Ye Liushuang as honored guests."
After completing the formalities, Ning Wuwo proceeded to recount the background of the dispute between the parties involved.
It was a well-known story within the gang community. The four major gangs, Dragon Claw Gang, Iron Palm Ltd., Flying Cloud Sword Gang, and Daxing Gang, were envious of the Cloudy Sky Gang\'s gains after consolidating control over the slums. Backed by the Ye family, they sought to forcibly claim a share of the benefits, creating friction that led to today\'s gang negotiation.
By any reasonable measure, the four major gangs had overstepped their bounds. But in the world of gangs, it was always the strongest who made the rules, not reason or fairness.
So Ning Wuwo wasted no time. After his introduction, he turned to Guan Shanyue and the others and asked, "Master Guan, Chief Zhen, and the Fan brothers, do you still insist that the Cloudy Sky Gang surrender half of the slum territory?"
Guan Shanyue replied coolly, "No, we now demand that the Cloudy Sky Gang hand over all of the slum territory."
The crowd erupted in astonishment. This was clearly a provocation that left no room for negotiation.
Zhen Santong shouted, "The Cloudy Sky Gang is despicable and shameless! They launched a surprise attack on the Dragon Claw Gang before the gang negotiation, leading to the unfortunate death of Long Xiaotian, the gang leader, who was caught off guard. We believe this is a blatant act of disrespect towards the Gang Alliance and a provocation against all gangs... They must make amends."
Fan Jun sneered coldly, "That\'s right. Hand over all the slum territories and pay compensation of 5 million star coins."
The three gang leaders were making outrageous demands. The other gang leaders in attendance began to ponder the situation. It was clear that Guan Shanyue and his allies had no intention of negotiating fairly. They were simply here for a fight.
When they glanced at the Ye family members sitting to the side, many of the old foxes among them began to piece together what was really happening. Their gazes turned to Li Xiaofei with a trace of pity.
He’s a talented young man, but unfortunately, he is a lone tree trying to withstand a storm and is likely to be crushed.
The members of the Cloudy Sky Gang were seething with anger below the raised platform.
These despicable scoundrels are shamelessly twisting the truth.
"Heh, let\'s still aim for peace," Ning Wuwo said with a smile as his eyes twinkled. "President Li, what do you think?"
"Spineless wild dogs dare to come to my slum and beg for scraps?" Li Xiaofei sneered. "No need for more words. Let’s settle this with a fight."
"Fine, a fight it is. Do you think we\'re afraid?"
"Force is the only way to make these savages from the slum kneel."
"Prepare the ring."
The three Fan brothers sneered in unison, unwilling to back down.
Guan Shanyue smirked coldly, "Since President Li insists on fighting, let’s first sign a life-and-death pact. In the ring, we’ll determine not just the victor, but also life and death... Heh, this isn’t some high school league game. If you die here, you die for real."
"That\'s right, sign the life-and-death pact," Zhen Santong chimed in loudly. "Anyone who doesn\'t dare to sign should kneel and surrender right now. Don’t waste everyone’s time."
A life-and-death pact?
The surrounding gang leaders couldn’t help but pale at the suggestion. The purpose of a gang negotiation was to avoid outright gang warfare and minimize bloodshed.
Typically, these negotiations involved debates, the exchange of benefits, and attempts to reach a mutual agreement. If negotiations failed, a fight could be used to decide the outcome. But in 99 percent of these fights, combatants would stop short of lethal force.
But Guan Shanyue and the others were pushing for a deathmatch right from the start. The seasoned gang leaders who were present were all shrewd and cunning. They immediately sensed an underlying plot.
Li Xiaofei laughed heartily, then scoffed, "You demand that I sign a life-and-death pact, and I must comply? Why should I follow your every whim?"
"What’s the matter? Are you scared?" Zhen Santong sneered. "If you’re afraid, then crawl back home and give up your territory without a fuss."