Chapter Sixteen: The Clash with Tong Xinhe
A taxi pulled up beneath the Mei Garden Building, and Wang Yaotang swung the door open and jumped out.
“Brother Yao.”
“Brother Yao.”
Several younger men were either sitting or standing by the roadside, all summoned for tonight’s showdown. Seeing Wang Yaotang, they all greeted him enthusiastically.
Wang Yaotang nodded, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tossed them over. “Have a smoke.”
“Thanks, Brother Yao.”
Pushing open the door, the noise inside was quite loud. The room wasn’t large, and with about ten people crammed inside, it felt very cramped.
“Brother Yao.”
“Brother Yao.”
Wang Yaotang waved to greet everyone. Zhu Bizhong squeezed through the crowd.
“Brother Yao’s here.”
“Hmm, where’s the boss?” Wang Yaotang glanced around.
“At the restaurant, celebrating with a banquet waiting for you.”
“Haha, is everyone here?”
“Yes. When do we set off?”
“Right now.” Saying that, Wang Yaotang pulled out a thick stack of bills from under his arm and shouted, “Pay up! Starting bonus, one thousand each.”
“Oh, awesome!”
“Thanks, Brother Yao!”
“Brother Yao’s the best!”
Cheers erupted chaotically.
Inside and outside, lined up to receive their pay, the morale visibly ignited.
“Thank you, Brother Yao.”
“Brother Yao’s the best!” Zhu Bizhong pocketed his thousand yuan.
“Thanks.” Wang Yaotang smiled and patted Zhu Bizhong on the arm.
“Where are A Ji and the others?”
“Outside. Let’s go.”
With a call, more than twenty-six men followed Wang Yaotang, heading toward Baole Lane and the Fali Building.
The distance between the two points wasn’t far—after turning from Kimberly Road onto Granville Road and heading south, it was barely over five hundred meters.
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Hearing the commotion outside, Guan Zaisen finally squinted and watched the departing crowd, sneering, “Youngsters are still too young.”
About to eliminate a major threat and inherit a fortune, Guan Zaisen was in high spirits. “Watch the trend closely, see who the big boss really supports. If you only care about the common folk, you’ll surely fall into a trap. Promotion depends entirely on orders from above. If the higher-ups like you, you’ll rise step by step...”
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At Baole Lane, just before 10 p.m., Tong Xinhe and Da Tou Sheng called their men over. Though they cursed Guan Zaisen for being blind, they didn’t underestimate him. More than thirty of their men hung around the Fali Building in small groups. Tong Xinhe himself waited nearby in an ice room, intending to give Guan Zaisen a hard time once he arrived.
By past eleven, the streets were nearly deserted. Those still lingering were mostly thugs.
Da Tou Sheng had people monitoring Granville Road. Seeing dozens of men approaching aggressively, they immediately turned and fled. “They’re from He Shengyi! They’re from He Shengyi!”
The men on both sides standing by the road suddenly stood up and quickly gathered. Some rushed into the ice room to notify Da Tou Sheng.
Tong Xinhe’s men finished assembling. At the street corner, a group armed with machetes, steel pipes, and baseball bats also appeared. The two groups exchanged stares across a hundred meters.
The atmosphere on the street instantly grew tense.
Pedestrians, already few, scattered to the sides; some ducked into nearby open shops. Few left—most were ready to watch the spectacle.
Whether it was showing off or fighting, it was a grand event, future bragging rights.
Of course, some had already started calling the police.
Wang Yaotang walked in the center, flanked by A Ji and A Jie on either side, with Zhu Bizhong, Niu Tou, and A Hao nearby. Behind them, over twenty younger men followed, all advancing with fierce momentum.
Opposite them, Da Tou Sheng’s group was larger, shouting and cursing as they pressed forward.
The two sides confronted each other on the street.
Da Tou Sheng swept his gaze over the crowd, finally focusing on Wang Yaotang, who looked more like a student than a gangster in his shirt and jeans, with a buzz cut. “Who the hell are you? Where’s Guan Zaisen?”
“Are you blind? This is my big brother, Yaotang.” A Jie raised his machete and cursed.
“Da Tou Sheng, you’re not even worthy for our boss to step in. I, Wang Yaotang, am enough.” Wang Yaotang waved and stepped forward.
“Char Siu, who do you think you are?”
“Da Tou Sheng, selling my goods without a word—if you don’t explain today, I’ll ruin your whole family.”
“I’ll f*** your mother, you punk. Believe it or not, I’ll smash your head open and shove s*** down your throat.”
“Heh.” Wang Yaotang flicked his hand.
A Jie and A Ji lunged forward fiercely. Da Tou Sheng, in disbelief, tried to retreat but couldn’t escape in time, only managing to raise his arm to block. He felt a cold sting on his left forearm and kicked at A Ji.
A Ji held firm, then slashed down again. Nearby, A Jie delivered another blow, chilling Da Tou Sheng’s right arm and left shoulder.
Da Tou Sheng took three blows in a row before his men finally rushed to his aid, giving him a moment to breathe.
As the two clashed, Wang Yaotang’s men charged in, shouting loudly, rallying others.
Zhu Bizhong, Niu Tou, and A Hao saw the scene and charged forward as well.
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Ignoring an incoming slash, A Jie swung his machete wildly, hacking fiercely.
A Ji was more methodical, knocking down opponents with two consecutive strikes. He swung his blade hard to push back three men charging forward, then singled out one and launched several fierce slashes.
(November 2021, real footage, Tsim Sha Tsui, Observatory Road, Xin Ji vs. Sheng He)
Both sides were experienced street fighters. When they clashed, the shouting was loud, but unlike A Ji and A Jie, few fought recklessly with abandon.
Compared to that, the eight men behind Wang Yaotang fought fiercely, riding on the momentum created by the two front fighters, quickly pushing back the numerically superior Tong Xinhe’s men.
In just two or three minutes, seven or eight were knocked down.
(Real footage, right in the Nosford Terrace area…)
He didn’t even know how many times he’d been slashed; his black T-shirt was soaked with blood, his face and neck stained crimson.
From above, it was clear the He Shengyi men were evenly matched, gradually gaining the upper hand.
After A Ji and A Ji charged in, Wang Yaotang began walking toward the roadside. Once the fight broke out, no one paid him any attention. He strolled along the sidewalk to the corner, glanced back at the chaotic crowd, shook his head, slipped his hands into his pockets, and turned onto Granville Road.
The night was quiet, and even several dozen meters away, the shouts and clashes could still be heard. The street was empty. He pulled out a cigarette, struck a match with a snap, and stood smoking alone by the roadside.
He didn’t know what trap Guan Zaisen had laid, but it was definitely aimed at him. As long as he removed himself from it, he was sure he could handle whatever came next.
A Wei drove a van past Wang Yaotang and waved before stopping at the corner.
Finishing his cigarette, Wang Yaotang flicked the butt away and crushed it underfoot. Sirens faintly sounded nearby.
Tong Xinhe had started concentrating a large number of men on the street since 10 p.m. The obvious tension had drawn the attention of the Yau Ma Tei Police District’s Anti-Triad Unit. After receiving reports, they dispatched officers immediately.
Wang Yaotang pulled out a flashlight and shone it toward the street corner, swaying it back and forth. Alerted, A Wei quickly opened the van door and stepped out.
A Wei lit a string of firecrackers and tossed them into a nearby metal barrel. “Bang bang bang bang…”
Done. He jumped back in, floored the accelerator, and charged straight into the still-fighting crowd.
The firecrackers startled A Jie and A Ji. They looked around, gritted their teeth, slashed a few times, and began retreating toward the roadside while rallying their men.
“Beep—”
A siren blared as A Wei drove recklessly into the crowd. No time to dodge? Too bad. The speed wasn’t high, and a van was unlikely to kill anyone.
The brakes screeched to a halt beside A Jie and A Ji. They flung open the doors and jumped in.
“Quick, quick, the cops are coming!” A Wei shouted loudly.
Those who heard quickly hopped in. Those who didn’t—well, too bad.
The sirens grew louder and clearer. The two floored the accelerator, breaking through the crowd and speeding away.