Chapter 49

（Thanks for the support, everyone! I'm still hoping for more votes!）

“Ah Cheng, wait a moment!”

Wu Cheng was about to take Zhong Chuhong to a corner to sit down when Hong Jinbao, along with a few others, approached him. Among them were Deng Guanrong and Xiang Huaqiang. Wu Cheng didn't have much of an impression of the others, guessing they were probably behind-the-scenes people in the industry.

Wu Cheng knew Deng Guanrong and Xiang Huaqiang. He had met Deng Guanrong before at the premiere of "Five Lucky Stars," where Qin Xianglin had introduced him to Wu Cheng. Both Deng Guanrong and Qin Xianglin were members of the Silver Rat group, and they all had good relationships within the industry.

However, Wu Cheng knew Deng Guanrong more from the rumor that he had made Black Sunglasses Wang shoot a film, which ended up with Black Sunglasses Wang being hospitalized in anger. Later, he heard that this guy had some connections with underground organizations and was already very famous in the 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was even called a big brother in the film and television industry. There were even rumors that he was one of the two big brothers who had harmed Lam Ching-ying.

Additionally, at the memorial service for Sister Fatty in the future, this guy publicly scolded Autumn Official and asked him to apologize to Sister Fatty and their daughter on stage, which made Wu Cheng's impression of him even worse.

Therefore, Wu Cheng didn't really want to deal with this person, but he had to give Hong Jinbao some face, as Hong Jinbao was still one of his own.

As for Xiang Huaqiang, this was their first meeting.

Of course, Wu Cheng wasn't really unfamiliar with Xiang Huaqiang, even though it was their first meeting. Anyone who had seen "God of Gamblers" would be familiar with the character Long Wu.

In his younger days, Wu Cheng thought this guy was just an actor, but later he learned that this guy was actually a real big brother in the underground organizations. In Hong Kong, he was a true power player.

Wu Cheng had also heard that in the 1980s and 1990s, many actors were harassed and even coerced by these organizations... Because of these things, Wu Cheng's impression of this guy wasn't particularly good. Moreover, at the beginning of the year, his younger brother had coerced Zhao Yachi, Deng Lijun, and Lin Qingxia, which made Wu Cheng's impression of him even worse.

What Wu Cheng didn't quite understand was why Hong Jinbao was getting involved with these two guys. Wu Cheng and Zhong Chuhong paused slightly, then turned around.

"Mr. Deng, hello. Thank you for coming to support us. Who is this?" Wu Cheng looked at Hong Jinbao and Deng Guanrong, nodded to both, and then directly looked at Xiang Huaqiang.

Hong Jinbao came to Wu Cheng's side, pulled him aside, and whispered, "Ah Cheng, Mr. Deng and Mr. Xiang know each other. Mr. Xiang seems to have something to talk to you about. He asked Mr. Deng to act as a mediator and come to me, asking about you, whether you practice martial arts and how good you are. Ah Cheng, do you know what Mr. Xiang wants? I feel something isn't quite right. Should I call some people over?"

Wu Cheng shook his head and said, "No need to make a big fuss, it's nothing serious!"

"Really nothing serious? Mr. Xiang is the crown prince of the New World. Do you know the New World?"

Wu Cheng nodded and patted Hong Jinbao's shoulder, saying, "I know a bit. I understand. It's really nothing serious, don't worry. You go and take care of the other guests! I'll talk to him."

"Be careful then. If anything happens, call me. We have many brothers, so we don't really need to fear them." Hong Jinbao whispered, "I hope he's not here to cause trouble!"

Wu Cheng smiled slightly. He believed that Hong Jinbao wasn't afraid of ordinary thugs, but he didn't believe that Hong Jinbao wasn't afraid of a big organization like the New World. However, this showed that Hong Jinbao truly considered him as one of his own, willing to offend the New World to protect him. Given Hong Jinbao's chivalrous and generous personality, Wu Cheng believed he was sincere.

However, Wu Cheng didn't want to involve Hong Jinbao, so he patted his arm and said with a smile, "Do you still doubt my skills?"

Hong Jinbao, thinking of Wu Cheng's mysterious martial arts skills, nodded. He then turned around and said to Xiang Huaqiang, "You guys chat for a bit! I'll go take care of the other guests!" As he left, he whispered to Wu Cheng, "Ah Cheng, don't be impulsive!"

Wu Cheng smiled, looked at them, and then walked back to Zhong Chuhong, saying, "Go chat with your Sister Zhi. I have something to do now. I'll come back to find you later."

Zhong Chuhong glanced at Xiang Huaqiang and the others, nodded, and obediently went to find Zhao Yachi.

In this aspect, Zhong Chuhong was quite clear-headed and wouldn't act rashly. A woman who knows how to act cute at the right time is truly irresistible.

Seeing Wu Cheng look at him, Deng Guanrong smiled and said, "Ah Cheng, you chat. I'll go talk to my friends. Mr. Xiang, I'll leave you to it."

"Ah Rong, thank you! I'll find you for tea later!" Xiang Huaqiang watched Deng Guanrong leave, then looked at Wu Cheng, his lips curling into a somewhat forced smile, and said, "Mr. Wu, is there a quieter place where we can talk? I have something I want to discuss with you face-to-face!"

Wu Cheng smiled and said, "Follow me!"

The two found an empty lounge, closed the door, and Wu Cheng sat down on the sofa, saying, "Mr. Xiang, you can speak freely now. Outside, we all need to save face, but here, there are no outsiders. What do you want to say?"

Xiang Huaqiang's expression changed slightly, then he forced a smile and said, "Mr. Wu, you misunderstood. I'm not here to cause trouble. I came specifically to apologize to you. My thirteenth brother told me what he did, and I gave him a severe scolding. So, I hope Mr. Wu can be magnanimous and let my thirteenth brother off. I'm here to apologize on his behalf!"

As he spoke, he took out three bank cards from his pocket and placed them on the table, continuing, "Each card has one million dollars, as a small compensation for the three ladies. I apologize for the shock they experienced, and I hope Mr. Wu doesn't think it's too little."

Seeing a future big brother in the underworld bowing and apologizing to him, Wu Cheng felt a bit elated. However, he was also clear that this result was due to his previous display of martial arts prowess. If he hadn't suddenly become a martial arts expert, the outcome would have been hard to predict.

Perhaps he wasn't afraid of the New World, but if they really pursued the matter, a conflict between the newly established Hong Xing and the New World would be inevitable. Moreover, his entertainment empire plan would likely be delayed.

Thinking about this, Wu Cheng stood up and said seriously, "I accept your apology, and I won't pursue this matter further (though he hadn't planned to pursue it anyway, as pushing the other side too far would be bad for everyone, given their extensive underworld connections). However, I have a few words for you. I've given you a chance, and I hope this doesn't happen again. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what extreme actions I might take."

He paused and continued, "Additionally, if your New World wants to enter the entertainment industry, I have no objections, but I hope you follow the rules. If the rules are broken, no one can play the game, which is no different from cutting off someone's livelihood, killing their parents, or desecrating their ancestors. So, tell your brother that if he wants to play, I have no objections, but he must follow the rules. If he doesn't, I'll have to abandon the rules as well. If it comes to that, don't blame me for not warning you!"

After saying this, Wu Cheng didn't stay any longer. He felt there was nothing more to say to this person, as they were not on the same wavelength.

Of course, when he left, Wu Cheng didn't forget the three bank cards on the table. It wasn't that he was greedy, but if he didn't take them, Xiang Huaqiang might start overthinking and even cause more trouble. This was just to put his mind at ease.

Xiang Huaqiang watched Wu Cheng leave, his expression changing repeatedly. From a young age, he had never been threatened like this. Yes, it was a threat! However, this was all within his expectations. When he came to see Wu Cheng today, he was already prepared to be humiliated.

Fortunately, this didn't exceed his limits. In other words, Wu Cheng didn't want to completely break ties with them. After all, they all had to make a living in Hong Kong.

However, Xiang Huaqiang was also relieved that such a person was willing to follow the rules, which was a fortunate thing amidst the misfortune. Xiang Huaqiang thought, if he had such power, would he still be willing to follow the rules and play by the same rules as everyone else?

He thought the possibility was low. A person capable of breaking the rules wouldn't willingly be bound by them, as that would be foolish.

But this young man in front of him was different. Why?

Xiang Huaqiang couldn't figure it out, but he was glad to see it. A person willing to follow the rules wasn't scary; what was scary was someone with the power to break the rules but chose to ignore them.

Therefore, he had no intention of being the one to break the rules. A restrained monster was far less dangerous than an unleashed one, and the cost could be their lives. He wouldn't do that.

After a moment of internal struggle, the burning sensation on his face gradually subsided. Xiang Huaqiang put aside the feeling of being humiliated and walked out of the lounge. He then found Deng Guanrong and Hong Jinbao, apologized to them, and hurriedly left.

...

"Ah Cheng, who was that guy? Ah Hong said he doesn't seem like a good person?"

The question came from Zhao Yachi, with Zhong Chuhong beside her, sticking out her tongue in a cute manner.

Wu Cheng glared at Zhong Chuhong and said, "He is Xiang Huasheng, the tenth brother of Xiang Huasheng, who came to apologize on behalf of his brother." He paused, then added awkwardly, "I didn't pursue the matter further. You won't blame me for letting them off so easily, right?"

Zhao Yachi rolled her eyes and said, "Are we the kind of people who would blame you? We should stay as far away from these people as possible, with no ties to them. Since we didn't suffer any real loss, not pursuing it is fine, to avoid getting deeper involved."

"Who says we didn't suffer a loss? Shock is also a form of mental damage!" Wu Cheng laughed.

Zhong Chuhong, curious, asked, "Sister Zhi, what are you talking about?"

"Let's go to that corner to talk!" Zhao Yachi took Zhong Chuhong's hand and said, "Since you know Ah Cheng, it's good for you to know about some people, so you don't get deceived!"

"..."

Wu Cheng looked at them speechlessly, wondering about the promised dance.

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