Chapter 82

"Go find Song. We pay him so much every year, let him help us find out about this Li Tianyuan inside."

After his explosive anger, Yuan Bingqi gradually calmed down. He knew that no matter what he did now, he couldn't change the fact that his cousin was dead. Only by finding the murderer could he alleviate his hatred.

"Master Yuan, I have already looked into it..."

The five people in the room had been following Yuan Bingqi for many years and were not unfamiliar with his outbursts. After hearing Yuan Bingqi's words, Man Hu said, "Director Song said that there are countless people named Li Tianyuan in the country. Even the public security system can't find him!"

"Then... did my brother die in vain?" Yuan Bingqi's eyes flared with a murderous look. He looked up and saw a head poking out from a room on the second floor, and he shouted angrily, "Who told you to come out? Get back in!"

"Master... Master Yuan, I... I didn't mean to." Xiao Ming, the actress, was frightened to the point of losing her composure. She slammed the door shut.

"Ao Hu, send her away." Yuan Bingqi waved his hand. He had already lost his composure today. In the past, after being with these actresses, he would always kick them out immediately.

However, the interruption by the actress had extinguished Yuan Bingqi's anger. He sighed and said, "Only Yuan Dong and I are left in the Yuan family. Now that Yuan Dong is gone, if I can't avenge him, what kind of person am I?"

Yuan Bingqi knew very well that in a fight, those who dared to stab at vital points could be divided into two types. One type was ruthless and fearless, not afraid of taking a life. The other type was young thugs who didn't understand the consequences of murder, like the teenagers often involved in street fights that result in fatalities.

Yuan Bingqi also knew that whether it was one of these types who killed Yuan Dong, the person had likely already fled. It would be almost impossible to find the murderer.

Thinking about this, Yuan Bingqi felt a sense of helplessness and sorrow. This was the underworld, this was the world of gangs. From the moment they stepped into this world, many people were destined for this outcome. Perhaps even he couldn't escape it.

"Master Yuan, now we can only keep an eye on Wenbaozhai."

After the actress was sent away, Man Long pondered and said, "I think if the person who killed Dongzi doesn't give up, they will definitely transfer Wenbaozhai. After all, it's worth a lot of money. Master Yuan, don't worry. I've already spoken to the management. If anyone comes to negotiate, they will notify us immediately..."

"Wait..." Man Hu suddenly interrupted Man Long, saying, "Master Yuan, a brother mentioned something about a 'Leader Feng.' Could it be Chang Xiangfeng from the west side of the city?"

As a municipality with the same status as a province, Tianjin was undoubtedly large. Even Yuan Bingqi could only control the eastern part of the city. In the entire Tianjin, there were still three or four people with power equal to his.

The Chang Xiangfeng that Man Hu mentioned was in his fifties. On the surface, he ran a restaurant, but in reality, he started by running a casino and lending money at high interest rates.

Chang Xiangfeng gambled on everything. Besides introducing various gambling methods from abroad, he also operated the largest cockfighting and dogfighting arenas in the north, attracting wealthy businessmen from the capital and all over the country.

Additionally, Chang Xiangfeng organized a group of people to go to Macau for gambling every month. It was rumored that he had deep connections with some young masters in the capital and even with the gambling king of Macau.

If there was anyone Yuan Bingqi least wanted to provoke in Tianjin, it would be Chang Xiangfeng. Because running a casino required manpower, the thugs Chang Xiangfeng kept were as strong as, if not stronger than, Yuan Bingqi's.

"It's unlikely to be Chang Lao Si..."

Yuan Bingqi thought for a moment and said with a grim face, "For something as trivial as the antique street, if he wanted to step in, he could just give me a call. There's no need to play dirty. Besides, he knows what Dongzi means to me!"

Although he didn't like to admit it, Yuan Bingqi knew that Chang Xiangfeng's roots in Tianjin were much deeper than his. If Chang Xiangfeng wanted Wenbaozhai, he would just need to make a phone call, and Yuan Bingqi would not refuse. There was no need to create such a deep enmity.

Man Hu glanced at Man Long and the others and said, "Master Yuan, it might not be that simple."

"Ao Long, you and Ao Xiong go to the site. I won't feel at ease if no one is watching it."

As if he had thought of something, Yuan Bingqi's expression turned grim. He said, "What Man Hu said is possible. If anyone causes trouble at the site in the next few days, report it to the police immediately. Don't engage in conflict with them..."

"Master Yuan, if it really is Chang Lao Si, I'll take care of him!" Man Long's eyes glinted with a murderous look. He and Yuan Dong had similar temperaments and were very close. After Yuan Dong's death, Man Long was the most eager to avenge him, besides Yuan Bingqi.

"Think before you act. If you kill Chang Lao Si, we'll all have to run. Alright, get out of here with Ao Xiong!"

Yuan Bingqi kicked Man Long. He and Chang Lao Si were not on the same level, but Yuan Bingqi was also working hard in the capital. If he could connect with a big figure from Tianjin, he would have the strength to challenge Chang Lao Si.

"Ao Long is still too impulsive!"

After sending Man Long and Man Xiong away, Yuan Bingqi lit a cigarette and handed one to Man Hu, saying, "Ao Hu, what did you mean earlier?"

Having known Man Hu for almost twenty years, Yuan Bingqi naturally understood that Man Hu's words had a deeper meaning, and his intention to send Man Long and the others away was clear.

"Shouldn't Brother Bao understand what I mean? Haven't you heard any news?"

Man Hu did not directly answer Yuan Bingqi's question but looked at Man Bao, who had been sitting in the corner of the living room like a transparent person, not uttering a word during the discussion.

"What?"

Before Man Bao could respond, Yuan Bingqi's expression changed, and he emitted a fierce aura. His face turned ashen as he said, "Man Hu, you... you mean this has something to do with our 'medicine'?"

The "medicine" Yuan Bingqi referred to was a euphemism for drugs.

On the surface, Yuan Bingqi controlled the logistics and cargo station business in Tianjin, which seemed to bring in a lot of money. However, his expenses were very high, and the profits from these businesses only accounted for a small part of his annual black income.

What truly made Yuan Bingqi rich was drugs. Since the early 1990s, when disco clubs and nightclubs began to flourish in Tianjin, Yuan Bingqi had been involved in the drug trade.

After seven or eight years of development, Yuan Bingqi had become the largest drug distributor in northern China. From north of the Yangtze River to the Northeast Three Provinces, almost all the distributors were his subordinates.

A drug distributor, in essence, received whole packages of drugs from the supplier or foreign drug lords, then broke them down or diluted them and sold them to the next level of distributors.

If drugs were described as a product, Yuan Bingqi was the general agent for this product in northern China, while the local drug dealers were the sub-agents. They further diluted the drugs and sold them to drug users.

Man Bao was the head of Yuan Bingqi's entire drug business. He controlled the supply channels and selected the local distributors. In essence, he was the second-in-command of the Yuan Bingqi group.

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