Li Xiaofei pushed open the door and stepped inside.
"Help! Help me...!" A weak, pitiful voice called out.
Li Xiaofei was startled and immediately looked up. Huang Dinggou was sprawled on the floor. His face was filled with despair as if he had lost all hope in life. Meanwhile, a small black dog had its mouth firmly clamped on Huang Dinggou’s backside. The black dog was growling softly, refusing to let go.
"Brother Chen! Save me!" shouted Huang Dinggou. When he saw Li Xiaofei, Huang Dinggou let out a tearful wail, the kind of relief a bullied child would feel upon finally spotting their parents.
Li Xiaofei sighed in relief and couldn’t help but laugh.
This is the so-called ‘something big’?!
The absurdity of the scene was almost too much.
"What happened here?" asked Li Xiaofei. Then, he walked over and patted the little black dog on the head. "Let go."
"It’s useless! I’ve tried everything, threats, bribes, even pleading!" said Huang Dinggou, wailing miserably. "This little beast is unbelievably stubborn! It just won’t let g—!"
But before he could finish his sentence, the small black dog suddenly released its grip. It let out an excited whimper, stuck out its tiny pink tongue, and eagerly started licking Li Xiaofei’s palm. It even rubbed its little head affectionately against his hand.
Huang Dinggou was stunned. Clutching his bitten backside, he muttered in disbelief, "This doesn’t make sense... Why does it like you so much? You’re not even a dog! I spent a fortune in celestial jade to rescue it from the beast-fighting arena!"
Li Xiaofei shrugged and replied, "Maybe fat people just seem more approachable?"
Huang Dinggou found this explanation hard to accept. He hesitantly reached out to pet the little black dog.
"Ahh! It’s biting me again! Let go! My butt!"
It was as if the two were destined to be mortal enemies. Li Xiaofei patted the small black dog gently and said, "Alright, that’s enough. He’s my friend, which means he’s your friend too."
It was only then that the little black dog let go. Its gaze toward Huang Dinggou softened instantly, as it filled with goodwill.
"Can I pet it now?" asked Huang Dinggoum. He was eager to try again.
"Why don’t you find out for yourself?" smirked Li Xiaofei.
"I’m afraid ‘finding out’ will be the death of me," said Huang Dinggou.
Despite his words, Huang Dinggou carefully extended his hand once more. This time, the little black dog didn’t bite him. Instead, it allowed Huang Dinggou to pet it freely.
"I did it! I finally touched it!" exclaimed Huang Dinggou. His excitement was so exaggerated; it was as if he had finally held the hand of his dream goddess after ten thousand years of longing.
The little black dog was thinner than before but its strength had increased. Li Xiaofei could sense the potent energy hidden within its small body. It was far more refined and powerful than before.
"Go buy some good meat and make sure it eats well. Keep it well-fed," LI Xiaofei instructed Huang Dinggou.
Huang Dinggou patted his chest confidently and replied, "Don’t worry! I’ve got thousands of celestial jades on me. Raising a little puppy is nothing!"
Li Xiaofei merely chuckled without saying anything. Together, they led the little black dog to the bathroom and gave it a thorough bath.
"Huh? This black fur is actually pretty sleek! It looks quite impressive now," Huang Dinggou exclaimed in admiration as he looked at the now clean and shiny dog. He was genuinely starting to like it.
"From now on, you’ll be called... Black Emperor!" Huang Dinggou thought for a moment and declared, "Hahaha! The emperor of all black dogs! One day, countless female dogs will be yours to ride at will..."
Li Xiaofei shot him a surprised look. He had also planned to name the dog Black Emperor.
Is this a case of shared intuition? Or simply different paths leading to the same conclusion?
"Woof! Woof!" The little black dog barked in satisfaction.
Li Xiaofei received a summons from the boss in the afternoon. He made his way to the headquarters of the Exploding Star Gang. Along the way, every gang member who saw him gave him a look that was a mix of envy, sympathy, and pity. It was not a reassuring combination.
Li Xiaofei knocked on the office door and stepped inside.
"Sit," said Wei Xiaotian, the gang's strikingly handsome leader. He casually turned off his projection screen before looking at him with an unreadable expression.
"Tell me, what kind of grudge do you have against the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild?"
"Huh, my ass! If you didn’t have a grudge, why the hell did you publicly execute Nan Renyi?"
"Boss, what kind of person do you think I am?"
"You? A pervert, a madman, a fatass, an ugly bastard who still thinks he can pull off an act... That about sums it up. I can't think of any other insults that suit you right now."
"Damn, if only I could beat you up... Boss, do I really have no redeeming qualities in your eyes?"
"Maybe. You did avenge Yiyun without fear of death. That at least shows you have some sense of loyalty."
"Boss, you have an excellent eye for people. I am, indeed, a chivalrous and righteous man. A man brimming with heroic spirit!"
"Pah! The way you shamelessly flatter yourself reminds me of my younger days. But tell me, what does any of that have to do with you killing Nan Renyi?"
"You see, I’m a man of honor and integrity. I can’t stand seeing people being forced into prostitution, the strong preying on the weak, or the rich and powerful abusing their status. So when I saw that rotten scumbag Nan Renyi, who's basically a walking, festering sore, I couldn’t help myself. I had to uphold justice right then and there."
"Boss, why do you keep replying to me with ‘ha’?"
"Do I look like a damn idiot to you?"
"Well, if we analyze this from multiple perspectives—"
"Not at all. Not even a little."
"You’re the only bastard in the entire Exploding Star Gang who dares to talk to me ."
"I heard someone say you killed Nan Renyi just to steal his fiancée."
"That’s a blatant lie! Who told you that, Boss? I’ll go take care of them right now."
"I swear, if you keep running your mouth, I’ll take care of you first."
"Calm down, Boss. Impulsiveness is the devil’s playground."
"Cut the crap. How do you plan to clean up this mess?"
"One step at a time."
"Do you even realize that the president of the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild, Nan Wushuang, has already contacted me? He said he doesn’t care what it costs, he’s going to have you killed. He wants your head as an offering for his son’s seven-day memorial."
"Then let him come. We’ll see who gets rid of who first."
"The Azure Swallow Merchant Guild isn’t weak. They’re a top-tier financial powerhouse in Chongque City. Nan Wushuang is also one of the twelve Chancellors of the Council; he has both power and influence. Killing you would be as easy as crushing an ant."
"Then why hasn’t he made a move yet?"
"That’s right. It’s because I’ve been shielding your sorry ass. Otherwise, do you think you’d still have time to flirt with women?"
"Boss, your loyalty is unparalleled! It reminds me of the saying, ‘only a true big brother stands up for his little brothers when trouble comes knocking!’"
"I... I don’t have time for your nonsense. I called you here to tell you this. Four days from now, you’re going to the Jiuyang Tower’s top-floor arena for a deathmatch. If you win, this matter is settled. If you lose... I’ll try to get you a nice grave."
"Settling grudges in a life-and-death arena match? Sounds fair."
"Don’t be too optimistic. I know you’re strong and can fight above your realm, but the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild has money, and lots of it at that. They can hire top-tier warriors to fight in their place. Your chances of winning are slim."
"Here. This is the master key to the gang’s top-floor armory. Take it and pick out a weapon, armor, and any technique you want. You can keep the techniques, but return the equipment once you’re done. Now get the hell out."
"Boss, you’re a good man."
Li Xiaofei turned and left. Wei Xiaotian stared at the closed door, the smirk on his face slowly fading into a sigh.
What a walking disaster.
And yet... he couldn’t help but like the kid. This was a colossal mess, and there was only so much he could do even as the gang leader. Whether Li Xiaofei could walk out of that deathmatch alive would be up to fate.