The dog fight was extremely rare, with different breeds competing against each other. Wei Duan Gong spent a lot of money to buy a North Caucasian Shepherd from Du Laoban in Kaifeng, Henan, which came from the former Soviet Union's Red Star Osman purebred bloodline. Du Laoban only agreed to sell it because of their good relationship. This Russian North Caucasian Shepherd was so strong that it could carry a grown man on its back. Wei Duan Gong simply led the dog to the outside of the iron cage, then sat back in his chair. The spirited dog entered the cage by itself, pacing around the corner and letting out low growls, as if it had a majestic aura.

  That young man from Shanghai also put away his disdain, tightly grasping the rope around Tosa's neck. His beloved dog had already begun to go mad. This beast, obtained through special channels in Japan, was born to slaughter its own kind. The youth, who was almost unable to stand after being dragged along, took a deep breath and released the large Tosa like an arrow from a bowstring, immediately retreating into his cage. If he were bitten and crippled during the fight, it would be so pitiful that no one would even bother to sympathize with him.

  This is the real top-level fighting dog, with abundant power, swift speed, and sharp angles. Every charge of Tosa has a clear target area, either the neck or lower jaw of the Caucasian Ovcharka. Each movement is filled with extreme pragmatism, and after gaining the upper hand, it does not entangle with the physically superior Caucasian Ovcharka, just like a strategic killer. The audience on the platform can't help but gasp in amazement. The Caucasian Ovcharka, which had been jumping and roaring furiously, tried to overwhelm its opponent with brute force and biting, but unfortunately, Tosa didn't give it that chance. As the battle progressed bit by bit, Tosa's accumulated advantage gradually became apparent, mouthful by mouthful. The iron cage was filled with the long hair and blood of the Caucasian Ovcharka, and the audience felt especially shocked by Tosa's sharp teeth.

  18 minutes later, the situation was settled, and Wei Zhi De, who had stopped watching the game, simply closed his eyes to rest. Before closing his eyes, he glanced at Yu Hanliang on the spectator stand, who deliberately looked stunned. The old man let out a cold hum, crossed his fingers and placed them on his knees, looking drowsy.

  A young man, attracting attention with just his face, leaned against the iron cage smoking, skillfully playing with a beautiful Zippo lighter, creating dazzling patterns. Paired with a fierce Tosa dog biting its own neck in the arena, he exuded an aura that was very attractive to women.

  Several tall and sturdy young men also walked down from the stands, chatting and laughing beside him, quite eye-catching.

  "The master of that Tosa should be called Shang Jia Wu, originally a nobody, but in recent years somehow became sworn brothers with Shanghai's top socialite Fang Yi Ming. You can't say he's just pretending to be something he's not, there are rumors that he's the favorite of the beautiful Zhang Ye Qing, don't know if it's true or not. But being able to become Zhang Ye Qing's underling isn't easy either. Xiong Zi is someone who nobody in Shanghai can get along with, yet she has a love-hate relationship with him." Tan Xin spoke with an odd tone, mentioning "Zhang Ye Qing" seemed to make her a bit uncomfortable, and the coarse words like "little white face" that she normally wouldn't say out loud came out naturally.

  Butchers and dogs often have a deep affection for each other, while scholars spare no effort in mutually scolding and abusing one another. This has been the case since ancient times. The jealousy of beauties is just like the condescension of scholars; it is an eternal truth that has remained unchanged throughout history.

  "Who is Zhuyeqing?" Dounai muttered, asking a question that Xubei Zhen was also curious about.

  "She's not a simple woman, a beautiful woman, a powerful and wealthy beautiful woman, also a wealthy and powerful beautiful woman who has conquered many legendary figures in Shanghai."

  Wu Huang burst out laughing, not stingy with his praise, adding a long string of embellishments. It's rare for someone to have the guts to tease Miss Tan, and Wu Huang wasn't about to waste the opportunity. With a mysterious tone, he said: "Those who love her see her as Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Mercy, while those who hate her curse her as the poisonous Bamboo Leaf Green or the Black Widow who devours men. This kind of femme fatale is most likely to take the life of an old man like Xu Bei Chan. In your eyes, Miss Tan, you naturally look down on the so-called Jianghu's squabbles, but we can't be too demanding. After all, it's not the era of Du Yuesheng, and there isn't that kind of soil to cultivate a Bamboo Leaf Green. It's not easy to achieve that level. In short, as a certain old man said, she is a flower, half white lotus, half black poppy."

  Tan Xin said disapprovingly: "What a trite and annoying metaphor."

  "Has she ever killed anyone?" asked Du Ying with wide eyes.

  Rumors have it that there are many corpses at the bottom of Huangpu River who died at her hands. I'm not a veteran in this circle, so I don't have the right to comment on this. But in fact, many men would be more than happy to die by her hand, of course, with the premise of dying under the peony flowers and becoming a romantic ghost. Wu Huang smiled and said.

  "This woman is really awesome, I admire her." Du Ying immediately "abandoned the dark and turned to the light" without any backbone.

  "Can Zhuyeqing seduce me into surrendering to her charms? I don't know, but what I do know is that those guys around Shang Jiaxiu are the same bunch of scoundrels from the Beijing-Tianjin clique we've talked about before. As soon as they arrived in Nanjing, they made contact with this young man. I reckon eight out of ten chances say this kid's family has government connections - not necessarily at the provincial or ministerial level, but at least at the deputy ministerial level. That's a sweet deal no matter where you go, except Beijing. I'm really envious of these young whippersnappers who still have plenty of time to run amok and cause trouble." Xu Beichen sighed.

  Actually, Xu Beichen was quite lucky - his grandfather and great-uncle were at least big shots with real power before they retired, not just officials or scholars in some insignificant government department in the capital.

  "Xu Bei Chan, you're not even 30 years old yet, and you don't even have a wife to settle down with. Stop pretending to be so profound and mature in front of me, you're not much older than those rascals." Tan Xin said bluntly.

  "I've always thought that in your eyes, I'm a mature and seasoned old man with a lot of vicissitudes." Xu Beichen laughed at himself.

  Dong Liang gave him a dirty look and raised his middle finger. Tan Xin glared at the little girl, who quickly withdrew.

  "Nowadays, it's getting less and less exciting. In the past decade or so when I was reading books, it wasn't about Beijing being a heavenly place with armed police facing off against the military, but rather some vice president's son or some big shot's kid getting into a fight with someone, or some leader yelling at people during a meeting, or which beautiful woman in the Chang'an Club became someone's forbidden love. Yesterday, some young master smashed his car, today some rich kid threw a chair to fix someone, and the next day their elders would sit together in a row, forcing out smiles, and it was all just a bunch of nonsense. I'm just a small fry who loves watching the excitement, but now the younger generation is getting more and more reserved, and even the older generation has lost their passion. It's really not fun anymore. Even the phrase '******' has become an outdated term. When those young devils from the Beijing-Tianjin circle go to other provinces and cities and hear people say '******', they get anxious. Sigh, I'm really out of touch with the times."

  Xu Bei Zhen leaned comfortably in his chair, tossing a tangerine in his hand, full of emotion. From this angle, looking at that not-so-handsome but somewhat charming face, Duan Yao felt that this guy shouldn't lack women around him. Was he really waiting for someone to talk to?

  Dong Yixing suddenly had an idea and asked, "Since Shang Jiamu came to Nanjing, Uncle Xu, Sister Tanxin, do you think Zhu Yeqing will also come to the dog fighting arena? If she comes, I must get her autograph, it's rare to have a chance to worship her."

  "It's hard to say, but I hope this little crow's mouth of yours will hit the mark again." Xun Bei Chan rubbed his chin, also with a look of anticipation.

  ————————————

  Chen Qingzhi drove his Audi A6 and overtook three BMW 7s that were not far apart in one breath. When overtaking them, Chen Qingzhi couldn't help but glance at the middle BMW twice. In the back seat was a woman with her head down browsing through documents. Although it was just a fleeting glance and he didn't even see her face clearly, it left a deep impression on Chen Qingzhi that wasn't superficial. She almost simultaneously possessed the elegance of Fang Jie's noblewoman, the refinement of Chen Yuanshu's nobility, and the charm of Zhou Jingru's beauty. Of course, all this was based on her being in the middle of three BMWs and sitting alone in the back seat. Her slender figure also made her stand out. Women at the top of the wealth pyramid can generally easily attract men's attention, especially if they are beautiful.

  In the BMW 7 series in front and back, there were three people sitting in each car. In the middle one, except for the woman, there was only a driver. She put down the folder in her hand, rubbed her eyes and said: "If Jia Wu dares to lose, I will ask Lao Ye for a favor, this can't be considered as taking advantage of him. A Tosa Inu plus 12 million bets, adding up to buy 30 square meters in Tongchen Yipin, he still wants to run to rural Zhejiang to do illegal multi-level marketing, and it will take until the year of the cow to buy a few square meters in Tongchen Yipin."

  "That turtle son of a Ji Wu is more cunning than anyone, I reckon you won't be able to get your hands on this favor." The driver was a robust and sturdy man with a shaved head, but surprisingly had a large red lotus flower tattooed on his scalp, which looked garish and eerie. His soft and mellow tone of voice matched his physique, making him look even more sinister.

  "It is." The woman smiled lightly, her tightly pursed lips a bright red, as if she had applied a high-quality lip rouge, a color more enchanting than the red lotus flower on a man's head.

  She glanced at the file folder, closed her eyes, stretched out her right hand with a red cord, and rubbed the agarwood Buddhist beads on her left wrist one by one. "I had some dealings with Wei Duan Gong in my early years, he's an interesting person who doesn't make you feel disgusted despite his obvious corruption. It's really a pity that he died in Qingdao like this. What do you think of this guy named Yu Hanliang, is he worth getting to know?"

  The bald-headed man shook his head and said, "It's hard to say, people's hearts are separated by their bellies. Otherwise, why do they all say that you can't know a person's heart no matter how well you know their face? I think I'm far inferior to you, so I won't pretend to be good in front of you. I'm afraid of misleading you, and one day if something happens, you'll skin me alive."

  The woman smiled slightly and looked out of the window, murmuring: "It's only been a year."

  Yu Hanliang, 31 years old, has been in the business for 13 years. After being expelled from a wild school in '94, he joined forces with a group of friends around his age to become a local tyrant in Nanjing's Qixia district. In '96, during a business trip to Taoci Village, Wei Duan Gong had a run-in with Yu Hanliang, the local snakehead. The encounter was far from cordial, and it's said that Yu even tried to ambush Wei Gong. Although the process was complicated, the outcome was clear: Yu Hanliang became deeply indebted to Wei Gong for 11 years, serving as his loyal servant and taking the fall for him on several occasions.

  During his time in prison, Yu Hanliang was subjected to brutal treatment, including being forced to eat excrement and being beaten by a group of thugs. After his release, he became one of the most ruthless henchmen under Wei Gong's command, earning the nickname "Dog King." His reputation for cruelty was well-deserved, as those who crossed him often ended up dead or maimed.

  Yu Hanliang's partnership with Guo Ge, another of Wei Gong's top lieutenants, was a formidable one. Although they privately despised each other, when Wei Gong gave them an assignment, they always succeeded in carrying it out. However, after Wei Gong and Guo Ge disappeared, Yu Hanliang saw his chance to rise through the ranks.

  The dog-fighting arena became his cash cow, and he grew to resent "Chen Fusheng," who had inserted himself into their operation. As someone destined to be trampled underfoot, Yu Hanliang didn't waste his breath or energy on Chen. He wasn't one to curry favor with those in power or engage in deceitful tactics. Throughout his life, Yu Hanliang only believed in the power of his fists and the things he could grasp in his hands – namely, money and guns.

  When the young man named Shang Jia Wu found him, Yu Hanliang knew it was a great opportunity for mutual benefit. Before that, he had deliberately made a move in front of Fang Jie and Qian Lao Yezi, making Chen Yuanxu's dog lose. The reason why Chen Yuanxu's dog lost was because he had applied a drug to the opponent's dog, which was not toxic but could weaken the opponent's dog's nerves. This kind of medicine was foolproof and difficult to detect. Before the match, washing the fighting dogs clean was in the hands of the arena staff, which was also due to their trust in Wei Gonggong. Therefore, it was not difficult for Yu Hanliang to take action. He just wanted to give the young man a warning, letting him know who was in charge of this dog-fighting arena.

  Yu Hanliang gazed at the North Caucasian corpse being dragged away, his heart bursting with laughter. Although he had been outmaneuvered by that seemingly smooth-talking but actually cunning Shanghai youth from 19 to 37, Yu Hanliang could still manipulate the betting chips to his advantage. So in his eyes, whether it was 19 or 37, the outcome was all the same - taking advantage of clever people had always been Yu Hanliang's pride. With the North Caucasian dog dead, no one dared to bring out their own fighting dog to challenge him. Just as Yu Hanliang was about to go to the private room to splurge his winnings, he saw Chen Ergou leading a strange-looking local dog onto the scene. This made Yu Hanliang want to burst into laughter, but when he saw Old Master Yuchi Gongde's eyes fixed intently on that unremarkable black dog, Yu Hanliang realized something was off. Unfortunately, this time there wasn't enough time to apply medicine to Tosa's body. Although Yu Hanliang felt apprehensive in his heart, he really didn't think much of that unimpressive local dog.

  "Hasn't he lost all his money and gone crazy?" Dou Ying sneered at Chen Ergou.

  "If I had spare money in my pocket and could still place a bet, I would definitely bet on him winning." Xu Beichen seemed to enjoy going against Du Ying's views.

  "When something unexpected happens, there must be a reason." This sentence resonates with Xu Beichen, Wu Huang and Tan Xin. Firstly, they have been in contact with more human affairs than the young girl Duan Xiangru for nearly a year. Secondly, their generation is different from Duan Xiangru who grew up in a greenhouse. The burden on their shoulders is much heavier than that of the carefree little Duan Xiangru, so it's not allowed to be simple when looking at people and things.

  How to raise a dog with spiritual qualities, how to take the dog into the mountains for hunting, were all passed down by the old man who had raised the previous generation of mountain guard dogs. Chen Er Gou's White Bear and Black Leopard had bitten countless mountain hares to death, chased away Northeastern wild boars and black bears, and even fought with the king of the Changbai Mountains, the Northeastern tiger. If a person has an extraordinary aura that sets them apart from others, then a mountain guard dog imbued with the aura of the king of the Changbai Mountains is destined to be exceptional. When Black Leopard silently slipped into the iron cage, the originally arrogant Tosa suddenly became like a castrated dog, retreating and whimpering in the corner. Outsiders found this unbelievable, but Chen Er Gou thought it was nothing out of the ordinary. In the past, someone had picked up a two-month-old tiger cub in the village and brought it back to Zhangjiashan, where all the hunting dogs except for Xiongzi and Black Leopard were afraid to approach, only daring to stand far away and howl softly. Chen Er Gou didn't put on an air of mystery like that young man from Shanghai standing next to the iron cage, but instead squatted beside Old Man Wei Lai Gong De, handing him a Zhongnanhai cigarette. Recently, he had also started smoking this brand. After taking the cigarette, Old Man Wei spoke in a hoarse voice: "Fú Shēng, someone has been making moves behind the scenes, have you noticed?"

  Chen Ergou nodded.

  Wei Gong didn't say another word, even when interacting with Wei Duan Gong, the old man would occasionally mention something, but wouldn't waste words. If Wei Duan Gong hadn't been afraid that someone would take drastic measures to destroy the Wei family and had left Yuchi's old man behind, he wouldn't have been easily harmed by others. The old man felt some guilt about this, which was one of the main reasons why he looked at Chen Er Gou with special favor as the new spokesperson for the Wei family. The old master thought that he should do something to clear his conscience, otherwise he wouldn't have exceptionally accepted Wang Jiefang, who wasn't particularly talented, as a closed-door disciple, and also had Chen Er Gou follow him every day to practice Xingyiquan.

  The black jackal slowly came to the center of the iron cage, and it stood quietly like a wolf queen in the middle of the field, raised its neck and howled incessantly.

  The guardian dog of the mountain, which had been silent for a long time in the big city, seemed to be wailing, mourning the white bear that died under the paws of the king of Changbai Mountain to save the lives of the rich and noble.

  Tosa tucked his tail and fled from the cage in disarray. Defeated without a fight.

  Wei Gongde's eyes narrowed as he looked at the young man squatting beside him, suddenly wanting to live a few more years, not to feed that pool of carp, but to see how far this Chen child could go, whether he could also make his opponents retreat without a fight like Hei Bao, a height that even Wei Duan Gong had never reached. In the vast and rich Yangtze River Delta, only one person, Jiangzhe Old Buddha Dan Tai Fu Ping, had achieved this in nearly twenty years.