"I'll give you one chance to explain yourselves. What exactly is going on here?"
Lin Yao held a cigar between his fingers, looking down at the two women in front of him from a commanding height.
"This big brother, it's not like we were trying to pull some kind of suicide stunt…"
Bozi clutched her chest, gasping for breath for quite a while before she could finally speak. Her voice still trembled with lingering fear.
"It was that perverted bastard Guan Zaisen! He tricked one of my sisters into going onstage. Afterward, he refused to pay, and even beat people up!"
"We went to him to demand the money, but he turned around and framed us instead. That's why we chased him!"
Lin Yao didn't respond. His cold gaze swept across the entire alley.
Where was Guan Zaisen now?
That old lecher and druggie had taken advantage of the chaos and slipped away long ago, clutching his bleeding back.
"Now that everything's been explained, can you let us go…?"
Little Lucky forced herself to speak, even managing to throw in a threat.
"What about you punching us earlier—we can let that slide. Otherwise, we'll report this to our boss, and you won't have it easy!"
"And who exactly is your boss?" Lin Yao raised an eyebrow and asked.
He quickly ran through the relevant information in his head.
He only knew that Bozi's lover, "First Brother," was someone from Hongyi.
Hongyi was a mid-tier Hong Kong gang, on the same level as Zhongxin Yi and Hongle—far weaker than giants like Hung Hing or Sun Yee On.
But which society Bozi and her sisters belonged to wasn't mentioned in the movies.
Whether Bozi and First Brother were actually lovers, or whether he'd ever gone to prison for her—Lin Yao had no idea.
One thing, however, he could be certain of.
They were definitely not from Hongyi.
"We're from the Numbers Gang, Ping Character Pile! Our boss is Piglet Fat! Scared now?"
Bozi lifted her chin, announcing the name with an arrogant expression.
"Ping Character Pile?" Lin Yao shook his head.
"Never heard of it."
"Looking at you lot, you don't seem very 'peaceful' either."
He let out a light chuckle.
As for the Numbers Gang, the piles Lin Yao could recall included Loyalty, Filial, Benevolence, Love, Trust, and Righteousness.
Among them, the Filial pile was territory belonging to the gang's useless crown prince, Ge Xiong—so weak it barely ranked internally.
The ones with real strength were Loyalty, Plum, Perseverance, Virtue, and Trust.
The bosses of those five piles were collectively known as the "Five Tigers."
As for the Piglet Fat Bozi mentioned, it was a name Lin Yao had never even heard of.
Bozi and Little Lucky both heard the implication in his words and nearly cursed out loud.
Normally, relying on their gang background, they were used to strutting around without fear.
But recalling the kick Lin Yao had just delivered—one that left their chests in agony, ribs feeling like they were about to snap—the insults died on their lips.
Seeing that there was nothing more to say, Lin Yao's gaze slowly swept over the two of them again.
The moment they met his X-ray–like stare, both women instinctively raised their hands to cover their chests.
In terms of figure, both women were well-endowed—easily D to C cups—top-tier by any standard.
Lin Yao wasn't the type to make childish choices.
But after a careful comparison, he found himself more drawn to Little Lucky, who resembled Maggie Mak.
The movie never mentioned her full name. Could it be that, in reality, she really was called Maggie Mak?
"Big brother, we're just small-time nobodies from the Numbers Gang. We've never offended you before. Please, show some mercy and let us go…"
Bozi stiffened her scalp and pleaded, her tone now carrying a hint of begging.
"Letting you go isn't impossible."
Lin Yao held the cigar, his gaze circling over the two of them as he continued:
"But how exactly do you plan to repay me?"
As soon as he said that, both Bozi and Little Lucky instantly fell silent, their faces flushing red.
The younger brothers nearby couldn't help but snicker.
Brother Yao's gaze was vicious—these two Numbers Gang girls were absolute top quality.
So what?
Was the boss planning to play some Three Kingdoms–style politics?
"Big brother… what exactly do you want us to do before you'll let us go?"
Little Lucky tugged nervously at the corner of her clothes, summoning her courage to ask.
"You came onto my turf and beat up people from Sun Yee On."
Lin Yao lit his cigar, exhaling smoke slowly.
"By underworld rules, that's crossing the line."
"So tell me—how should this be handled?"
The moment she heard the words "crossing the line," Little Lucky completely lost her voice.
Bozi bit her lip, as if finally making up her mind.
"Do you have a phone here? Let me call my boss. I'll have him come talk numbers with you. Whatever the price is, I'll accept it."
She knew the rules well—she knew exactly what crossing the line meant.
"Sure. Go ahead."
Lin Yao raised a hand and pointed toward the fixed landline phone sitting in the corner.
Once the call connected, Bozi hurriedly explained the situation.
But the more she spoke, the paler her face became.
From her tense tone, it was clear her boss didn't take her seriously at all—he couldn't even be bothered to listen properly.
"You can try calling that 'First Brother' of yours again."
Lin Yao's voice cut in at just the right moment.
Bozi shuddered violently, eyes filled with shock.
How did he know about her relationship with First Brother?
She didn't dare ask. Grabbing the phone, she dialed a number she knew by heart.
After saying only a few hurried sentences, she pulled the receiver away and said to Lin Yao:
"Since you know First Brother, he wants to talk to you."
Lin Yao walked over and picked up the phone.
A deep male voice immediately came through, low and heavy with unquestionable authority.
"Hello. I'm Hongyi's First Brother. Which hall of Sun Yee On are you from?"
"Cut the crap," the man continued harshly. "Release them immediately. I'll say this once—release them now!"
Lin Yao couldn't help laughing.
"You've already said two sentences."
"You bastard—are you not giving me face?!" First Brother exploded, fury pouring through the line.
"And you're from Kowloon Walled City, right? Fat Wah's little brother, yeah? Just you wait!"
Before Lin Yao could respond, the call was abruptly slammed shut.
Lin Yao looked at the dead line and chuckled, not taking it seriously at all.
According to the system rules, if someone came looking for trouble and he defeated them, he would quickly gain various system points.
This was practically a gift delivered right to his doorstep.
Why refuse?
He turned to the younger brothers beside him and ordered:
"Ah Fai, Ah Bo—keep an eye on these two. Don't let them run."
"Yes, boss!"
With that settled, Lin Yao turned and stepped outside, planning to get some fresh air.
He had barely left when Ah Bu pushed the door open and walked in, his face fierce and wolfish.
He held a stack of Hong Kong dollars in his hand.
"Boss, the protection fees are in. One hundred twenty-eight thousand. That's twenty thousand more than last month."
Ah Bu was someone Lin Yao had met half a year ago in a narrow alley inside the Walled City.
At the time, Ah Bu was being hunted down. He'd been shot in the chest and was lying on the ground, barely breathing.
If Lin Yao hadn't stepped in and saved him, he would've been dead already.
In Kowloon Walled City, an illegal immigrant who died was just dead—no one cared.
Ah Bu's full name was Bu Tonglin.
He used to be a mercenary. Now, he was one of Lin Yao's most trusted subordinates.
According to Ah Bu, that job had been a hit—
—taking out the boss of the Numbers Gang's Perseverance Pile, Ao Yongyong.
But Ao Yongyong had a private armed squad.
Just as Ah Bu was about to succeed, he was discovered by Ao Yongyong's
bodyguards.
The two sides fought all the way from Tsim Sha Tsui—
—straight into Kowloon Walled City.