Jiang Chenghua was waiting at the entrance of the banquet hall to greet Lu Chen.
The private hall he had reserved at Yunding Hotel was called 'Crane Hall'. Covering more than a hundred square meters, it was well-known among Hong Kong's underworld circles. Its name originally came from the verse,
'"Though the thousand-year crane returns, regrets remain; when one departs for a year, how can there be no longing?"'
Over time, however, people began pronouncing it as 'he gui', "harmony is precious."
Because of that, Crane Hall had become the preferred venue whenever influential figures in Hong Kong's underworld met to negotiate peace.
Jiang Chenghua was a man of status. Even if he was offering an apology, he wasn't going to lower himself by waiting outside the hotel. But if he had remained seated at the banquet table after hearing Lu Chen had arrived, it would have shown a complete lack of sincerity.
Standing beside him was an elderly man with snow-white hair and a healthy, rosy complexion.
As Lu Chen and the others followed a waiter to the entrance, their eyes met.
It was Lu Chen's first time seeing Jiang Chenghua in person.
He looked to be around thirty, with sharp, masculine features. His thick brows gave him a somewhat fierce appearance, while his bright, piercing eyes were especially memorable.
Jiang Chenghua stepped forward with a smile and offered his hand. "You must be Young Master Lu. I'm Jiang Chenghua. I've long admired your reputation. It's an honor that you could spare the time to come."
Anyone who didn't know better would think he was one of Lu Chen's fans.
Lu Chen calmly shook his hand. "You're too kind, Mr. Jiang."
That was how these social occasions worked. Even if both sides wanted nothing more than to draw knives and kill each other, they still smiled and exchanged pleasantries like old friends. Without mastering that kind of etiquette, no one could survive in these circles.
The underworld wasn't what it used to be.
Jiang Chenghua found himself unexpectedly impressed. He had seen Lu Chen's file before, but photographs were nothing compared to meeting him in person.
Lu Chen was even younger than he had imagined. Tall and handsome, he had the charisma of a superstar, yet he carried himself with the composure of an underworld veteran.
He was neither arrogant nor timid, never rushed or flustered, as though everything was under his control. Confidence and maturity seemed to radiate from him.
Jiang Chenghua had met very few young people like that.
For a brief moment, he wondered whether things would have turned out differently if he had known Lu Chen earlier. Would he still have let others talk him into making an enemy out of him?
The thought passed quickly.
Recovering himself, Jiang Chenghua introduced the elderly man beside him. "This is Elder Liu Zhenghao, Fifth Master Liu, a senior whom I deeply respect."
Lu Chen immediately cupped his hands in greeting. "Junior Lu Chen greets Fifth Master."
Zhou Yi had already filled him in on the old man.
Fifth Master Liu was something of a legend in Hong Kong's underworld. Once a senior figure in the Hongmen, he had countless disciples and connections that stretched across every walk of life.
The interesting part was that before the Hong Kong government launched its major crackdown on triad organizations, Liu Zhenghao had washed his hands of the underworld. Since he had no serious criminal record, he escaped the purge unscathed.
He had since retired to an old residence in Mid-Levels. Though long removed from the underworld, his reputation and influence remained immense, and even now his words carried considerable weight.
In recent years, however, age had caught up with him. He rarely left home or involved himself in other people's affairs. For Jiang Chenghua to persuade him to appear today must have cost a great deal.
Dressed in a traditional silk changshan and black cloth shoes, with flowing white hair and a white beard, Liu Zhenghao had the air of an immortal sage.
He returned Lu Chen's salute with a smile. "Seeing you in person truly lives up to your reputation. Young Master Lu is every bit the outstanding young man people say he is. Since you've come to Hong Kong, you've made all of our local youth look second-rate."
Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed considerably.
Lu Chen smiled. "You're flattering me, Fifth Master."
Liu Zhenghao waved a hand. "Let's go inside and talk."
The group entered the hall and took their seats according to custom, with Liu Zhenghao naturally occupying the seat of honor.
After everyone sat down, Liu Zhenghao looked curiously at Lu Chen's companions. "Young Master Lu, who are these gentlemen?"
Lu Chen introduced them one by one. "This is my assistant, Zhang Xiaofang. And this is my aide, Wan Yong."
Liu Zhenghao merely nodded politely at Zhang Xiaofang. But when he heard Wan Yong's name, his eyes sharpened and his expression turned serious.
"So you're the leader of the Lu Security Team that's become famous across Hong Kong. A true man."
During Honghua's blockade of the film set, Wan Yong had led the security team in defending the entrance, refusing to let anyone cross the line.
After Lu Chen returned, Wan Yong personally charged into the fight, knocking several of Honghua's thugs to the ground. His performance had been even more eye-catching than Lu Chen's.
The paparazzi had captured the entire confrontation, and the footage quickly spread online.
As a result, Lu Chen's security team had unexpectedly become famous. Crew members leaked details about their backgrounds, and Wan Yong himself had gained a surprising number of fans online.
His broad, muscular build, exceptional fighting ability, and stern, intimidating face reminded many people of the infamous Big Circle Gang from years past. Despite the gang's terrible reputation, plenty of young people in Hong Kong still secretly admired and feared them.
So it wasn't surprising that Liu Zhenghao recognized him.
Wan Yong wasn't good at socializing. Faced with the praise, he forced out a small smile. "Thank you."
Liu Zhenghao didn't mind. He had met many men like Wan Yong over the years and knew he simply wasn't talkative.
Jiang Chenghua gave Wan Yong another look. He now knew that Wan Yong was a retired soldier, and that everyone in Lu Chen's security team shared the same background.
Had he known that from the beginning, he would have acted far more cautiously. At the very least, he wouldn't have casually sent his men to cause trouble without taking Lu Chen seriously. Instead, he had ended up hosting an apology banquet and humiliating himself.
Finally, Lu Chen introduced the last person. "This is my good friend, Li Mubai."
Li Mubai grinned and copied Lu Chen's gesture, cupping his hands with a smile. "Greetings to you both."
Liu Zhenghao frowned slightly, feeling the young man lacked proper manners.
Jiang Chenghua, however, reacted very differently.
The moment he heard the name, his expression changed, and the look in his eyes became unusually complex.
'Li.'
The trouble that had crippled two of the Jiang family's factories on the Mainland was supposedly connected to someone with the surname Li.
Even his father had been unable to uncover the full story. All he knew was that the person involved was a powerful figure at the highest levels on the Mainland.
Now here stood another man named Li. A close friend of Lu Chen. Someone who had accompanied him to this apology banquet.
Li Mubai's identity suddenly seemed all too obvious.
Jiang Chenghua felt a dull ache in his stomach. He had always considered himself a clever man, yet he had recklessly provoked an opponent without even understanding who he was dealing with.
This defeat was entirely his own fault. He had brought disgrace upon himself.
Since he had lost, he would accept it. But there was no way he intended to shoulder all the blame alone.
Compared to Lu Chen... there was someone else he hated even more.
(End Of This Chapter)
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