Chapter Thirteen: Old Ma, the Sixth

N County wasn't particularly large. First, he took the bus to the terminus of Route Eleven, then walked another mile or so before he saw, at the end of the road, a towering, imposing four-story villa that exuded an air of dominance.

Beside the building stood a row of tall plane trees.

Surveying the lay of the land, Shen Ye didn't act rashly. Before dealing with Ma Lao Liu, Ma Guosheng, he had to observe both him and his underlings to assess the magnitude of their crimes.

Shen Ye still remembered what Master Hong Qigong once said: "That's right. In my life, I, the old beggar, have killed two hundred and thirty-one people, each one an evildoer. If not corrupt officials or local tyrants, then monstrous villains or treacherous ingrates. I may be greedy for food and drink, but I have never killed a good person. Qiu Qianren, you are the two hundred and thirty-second!"

Taking a life was no trivial matter. Now that he possessed the Eye of Justice, this formidable tool, he was determined not to kill the wrong person.

After careful observation, Shen Ye concluded that the best way to watch Ma Lao Liu and his men was from the plane trees beside the villa, using binoculars as cover.

He quickly returned to the night market, bought a decent pair of binoculars, then went back to the villa. With agile movements, he climbed seven or eight meters up one of the plane trees.

Raising the binoculars to his eyes, he activated the Eye of Justice and peered through the windows.

The French-style villa featured large floor-to-ceiling windows, and with the curtains left open, the view inside was clear.

"Du Wenfeng, Ma Guosheng's right-hand man. In his youth, he raped and murdered a woman, then committed further murders and assisted Ma Guosheng in killing. Crime score: twenty."

"Du Wensheng, Ma Guosheng's right-hand man. Deliberately killed someone with a car, assisted Ma Guosheng in murder. Crime score: sixteen."

"Zhang Ning, female, Ma Guosheng's strategist. Assisted Ma Guosheng in numerous misdeeds. Crime score: nine."

"Fat Pig. Has killed, and assisted Ma Guosheng in murder. Crime score: ten."

"Thin Tiger, Ma Lao Liu’s trusted subordinate. Has killed, kidnapped, and committed many other crimes. Crime score: thirteen."

"Ma Guosheng, leader of this criminal syndicate, personally killed many and drove others to their deaths. Crime score: thirty-two."

Upon seeing this through his binoculars, Shen Ye couldn't help but gasp. The crime scores of this group far exceeded those of the pyramid scheme operators he'd seen before. These people were nothing short of human scum—a malignant criminal organization that had to be eradicated before it could poison society any further.

...

At this moment, inside the grand French villa.

On the first floor, there was a reception hall with enormous floor-to-ceiling windows.

The room was lavishly decorated in a modern style. The floor was paved with high-end vitrified tiles, and a genuine leather sofa set worth tens of thousands sat in the center. The only oddity, marking a departure from conventional decor, was a box placed on the northern wall. Inside it stood a bronze statue of Guan Yu, about two feet tall.

Ma Guosheng, male, forty-one years old. As the sixth child in his family, he was also known as Ma Lao Liu.

He had grown heavier with age, no longer as lean as in his youth. Yet his eyes remained piercingly sharp, intimidating to behold. When he smiled, however, he resembled the laughing Buddha.

"Wenfeng, how's it going? What's the situation with the residents being relocated at Shuimen Lane?" Ma Guosheng asked, a cigar between his fingers.

He used to favor Zhonghua cigarettes, but in recent years, he'd decided that one must nurture one's health and adapt to one's environment. Taking a page from a certain high-profile figure, he'd begun smoking cigars instead.

"Shuimen Lane has sixty-three households in total. Most have weaknesses. Sixty are ready to sign. In a couple of days, we can bring the contracts straight to their doors. But there are three families who won’t budge—neither threats nor persuasion work," Du Wenfeng replied. He was Ma Guosheng’s chief enforcer, a man who, in a larger gang, would be renowned as a top henchman. At twenty-nine, he was heavily muscled, wore a short crew cut, and his gaze was cold and sharp.

"Three families still refusing?" Ma Guosheng laughed. "These three must have a death wish. Even my name doesn't scare them? Fine. Wenfeng, teach them a lesson within three days. Let them see what my name means. But don’t kill anyone. Break a few legs if you must, but keep things peaceful. We're all here to make money. If they still won’t move, we’ll deal with them later." He chuckled.

Twenty years ago, Ma Guosheng would have killed without hesitation. Back then, he had to be ruthless to survive, and he’d even encased people in cement and dumped them at sea.

But now, with wealth, status, and women at his disposal, and in a more harmonious society, deaths were rare. Still, leaving someone permanently disabled was hardly worth mentioning.

The main thing was that Ma Lao Liu's infamy spoke for itself—most people were scared into submission.

"Understood," Du Wenfeng nodded. As Ma Guosheng’s chief enforcer, he understood the boss’s evolution.

Sitting next to Ma Guosheng was Zhang Ning, a woman of exquisite beauty, with an oval face, voluptuous figure, and clad in a figure-hugging cheongsam. She was the syndicate’s strategist. In a melodious voice, she asked, "Guosheng, someone’s been in touch lately. There’s a shipment coming in. Shall we take it?"

Zhang Ning was indeed a stunning woman, and as she spoke, her every movement was alluring. Even Ma Guosheng’s men couldn’t help but swallow nervously, though none dared to stare—she belonged to the boss.

Suddenly, Ma Guosheng slapped Zhang Ning across the face.

Zhang Ning was stunned. Though Ma Guosheng’s moods were unpredictable, he usually gave her some measure of respect.

"Idiot! Take the shipment? What for? It’s far too risky. We’re about to demolish Shuimen Lane and develop real estate in this area. These days, profits from property outstrip those from trafficking by far. Only a fool like you would covet such gains," he sneered. Outwardly, Zhang Ning was touted as the group's strategist, but in truth, she was merely a decoy—the real decisions were always made by Ma Guosheng himself.

Zhang Ning fell silent, not daring to utter another word.

Ma Guosheng took a drag of his cigar. "Right now, our focus is on this project. Also, I’ll be accompanying Mr. Wang out of town soon. You’d all better keep your heads down in my absence."

Mr. Wang was a highly influential local figure.

Establishing a connection with Mr. Wang promised a future even more prosperous.