Chapter 22: How Can One Manage a Syndicate Alongside These Vermin!

The victory celebration lasted over an hour, ending well past two in the morning.

After seeing off Fatty Bo, Ma Fu-rong, and Guan Zai-sen, Wang Yaotang stood at the restaurant entrance for a long while to steady himself. He was already dizzy and lightheaded from the alcohol, and the cool night breeze nearly sent him sprawling.

He reached up to rub his throbbing temples. The dinner table had been filled with elders and those who had lent him a hand; although he was the guest of honor, he had to toast everyone, and in turn, they kept pouring drinks for him. He had downed every glass, and by now, he had no idea how much he had consumed.

"Are you alright, Brother Yao?" Four-Eyes asked with concern.

In the triad, hierarchy was everything. Ah Ji and Ah Jie were too junior to step in and block drinks for him, so they could only watch helplessly. As for Four-Eyes… he wasn't even a "Blue Lantern" initiate. Out of consideration for his friend, Wang Yaotang hadn't let him join the triad. Whether he had official status or not, they were brothers-in-law all the same.

"Get to the car, we're going to the police station," Wang Yaotang waved a hand, climbed into the vehicle, and closed his eyes in silence.

He forced himself to stay conscious and opened the Prestige Shop. Being this hungover was miserable, and the shop surely had something to solve the problem. He was flush with cash, so why not spend it?

Special Category:
Energy Potion, Stamina Potion, Hemostatic Powder (Small), Sun Water (Small), Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill, Kidney-Strengthening Pill, Gentian Liver-Cleansing Pill, Fairy Sorceress's Wild Growth Scroll, Purification Scroll (Basic)...

He browsed for a while. The potions were cheap—Energy and Stamina were 20 points each, while the Hemostatic Powder and Sun Water were 50—but he wasn't sure if they would work on a drunken state. The [Purification Scroll], however, stated that the basic version could cleanse temporary negative status effects for 100 points.

Drunkenness wasn't fatal… it wasn't worth it; definitely not worth it.

His gaze settled on the Energy Potion, and he clicked to purchase.
[Spent 20 Prestige points]
[Current Prestige: 355/675 (Emerging Talent)]

With a flick of his hand, a small bottle appeared. He looked down—it was pale blue… or so he thought. Shaking his head vigorously, he unscrewed the cap and downed it in one gulp.

A refreshing sensation exploded in his mouth, followed by a wave of clarity washing over his mind. The dizziness vanished completely, and when he opened his eyes, the blurriness was gone. However, his body still felt limp and lacked strength.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the Yau Ma Tei Police Station.

The six major police districts were a post-1997 development. Right now, the Kowloon Walled City was still an extraterritorial lawless zone, and Hong Kong only had four major districts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon City, Sham Shui Po, and Yau Ma Tei.

"Yo, Tong-ge, what are you doing here?" As soon as he stepped out of the car, Wang Yaotang saw Pig-Nose Tong scurrying by.

The shout startled Pig-Nose Tong, who spun around. Seeing it was Wang Yaotang, a look of panic flashed across his face. "Ah, is… is that you, Brother Yao?"

"What? Did your boss send you to pay the bail?" Wang Yaotang teased.

"Ah, no… I, I was just worried, so I came to check and see about getting our people out."

Wang Yaotang raised an eyebrow. If there wasn't something fishy going on, he’d eat his hat. "What’s the matter, Tong-ge? Don't you trust me? Do you think I’d mistreat my brothers?"

"No, no! I just thought since you were drunk, I’d come in your stead. Since you're here, I’ll head back first," Pig-Nose Tong stammered, waving his hands.

"Thanks. Let's talk later, I'm going in," Wang Yaotang said with a smile, waving him off.

Watching Wang Yaotang walk into the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, Pig-Nose Tong stomped his foot in frustration. *Damn it, damn it all! What do I do? Should I run?* Damn it, he hoped Daoist Ming would stay sharp and not spill his guts about everything.

"Lawyer Sang, is everything settled?" Wang Yaotang asked with a smile.

"One person is still held up," Sang Yunkai whispered. "He Ming, nicknamed 'Daoist Ming.' He identified you as the ringleader and also accused Cai Yijie and Ren Hongji of causing grievous bodily harm to several people."

Wang Yaotang’s eyes sharpened. "Damn their mothers!"

"Wang Yaotang, here to surrender?" A voice came from behind.

"I warn you, don't talk nonsense! I’ll sue you for slander, you hear me? I’ll sue you!" Wang Yaotang spun around to see Huang Bingyao. "Oh, Inspector Huang, you scared me."

Huang Bingyao: "..."

"Inspector Huang," Sang Yunkai stepped forward. "According to the law, the credibility of a suspect’s testimony must be verified before it can be used as a basis for conviction. A single testimony cannot stand alone as evidence."

Huang Bingyao turned his gaze to Wang Yaotang, asking with a mocking smile, "Why did you stop talking? You ambushed Tong Xin the moment we left. Playing military tactics in a triad gang war? Brother Yao, you’ve got guts!"

"I’ve always said, once Inspector Huang arrives, Yau Tsim Mong will be peaceful. With Inspector Huang here, the clear skies have returned to Yau Tsim Mong!" Wang Yaotang gestured grandly.

Huang Bingyao rolled his eyes, forcing his mouth shut to stop himself from laughing. "I’m warning you, get Cai Yijie and Ren Hongji to surrender quickly. Don't wait for us to come and arrest them." He sighed, "I’ve spent another night pulling an all-nighter for you lot! Get everyone out of here, especially that deadbeat Daoist Ming. Damn it, he’s having a fit in the station!"

"Yes, Sir!" Wang Yaotang gave a sharp salute. "Mission accomplished!"

"Clown," Huang Bingyao glared at him before leading his team away.

Watching them leave, Wang Yaotang suddenly asked, "Is Daoist Ming’s accusation effective?"

"That depends on what the police want to do," Sang Yunkai pondered. "But they would still need the murder weapon as physical evidence. If you were injured, that could also serve as a link in the chain of evidence. If there’s a third-party eyewitness, then it comes down to which lawyer you hire."

Wang Yaotang narrowed his eyes slightly. "Fine. Let’s get our people out first."

*Damn it, there are snakes in the organization! How can a triad succeed when working with such vermin?*

Standing at the entrance, Wang Yaotang greeted everyone as they signed out. Soon, a group of a dozen men had gathered. They chatted and laughed, expressing their regret at not seeing Wang Yaotang’s "counter-ambush" and his one-on-one duel with Big Head Sheng.

After handing out money, the men followed Ah Wei. Wang Yaotang had booked two tables at Hongfu Restaurant for a late-night snack, and he still had arrangements to make. Of course, this didn't include Daoist Ming; his withdrawal symptoms had kicked in, and he was twitching as if he were dying, so he had been tied up and tossed into the car.

"Brother Yao, where to?" Four-Eyes asked.

"Take me home—no, wait, my mother is there. Damn, where are Ah Jie and Ah Ji?"

"They're at the sauna, relaxing."

"Screw it, take me there. Let's relax. The three of us will find a hotel for the night and deal with everything tomorrow. Tell two of the guys to keep an eye on Daoist Ming." Wang Yaotang slumped into the seat and closed his eyes.

"Understood, Brother Yao."

When he woke up the next day, it was already noon. After washing up, he called Ah Jie and Ah Ji for lunch.

"We don't even have an office. We can't keep meeting at tea houses," Wang Yaotang muttered while eating.

"We don't even have a car," Ah Wei added. "Brother Yao, we own two massage parlors, a lingerie shop, four stalls, and have forty men under us, yet we don't have a single car. We have to rent one. Wow."

"And that miserable little shack I'm living in—I've had enough of it," Wang Yaotang gritted his teeth.

"Brother Yao, the warehouse is empty, we need to order stock," Four-Eyes said. "We're out of money. The money we spent yesterday was the payment we owed Old Li for the goods."

Wang Yaotang slammed his chopsticks onto the table. "Four-Eyes! We're eating! Can you not talk about such terrifying things?"

"Pfft, hahaha."
"Hahahahaha."

Laughter filled the room.