Chapter 198: Ascension

A business van drove near Zhengyang Street.

Zhang Zhengfang sat in the car, glancing at the tightly closed gates of the Marine Police Squadron training compound, then at the dark mass of Longkou District's forces and convoy in the distance. With tightly furrowed brows, he called to the driver: "Drive the car to the alley behind Zhiyong Pancake Shop."

"Good," the driver nodded, turning toward the famous Zhiyong Pancake Shop in the port.

In the car, Zhang Zhengfang took out his phone and dialed Baocheng's number: "Come to the back of Zhiyong Pancake Shop, don't bring anyone."

"Old Zhang, what's really going on?" Baocheng responded both confused and anxiously. "Xu Hu called me and keeps urging me."

"Young punk, how long have you known me? Would I set you up or what? If I'm looking for you it must be important - come quickly," Zhang Zhengfang commanded unequivocally.

"Good, I'm coming right away." Baocheng hung up the phone and muttered with furrowed brows: "What does this old man want to discuss, needing to do it behind people's backs?"

With doubt in his heart, Baocheng got in his car, ordered the lower-ranking leaders to organize people, and took only three brothers to Zhiyong Pancake Shop.

Given Baocheng's seniority and connections with the Dock Workers Association upper levels, normally he wouldn't even qualify to be hall master. He had only risen because Old Zhang had put in a word for him, so he still had some trust in Old Zhang in his heart.

......

The business van stopped in the alley as Zhang Zhengfang lit a cigarette and said softly: "You all just wait outside, I'll talk with him privately."

"Good."

The four burly men following Zhang Zhengfang responded and got out of the car.

Zhang Zhengfang smoked while waiting quietly. Actually, he didn't want to talk at Baocheng's place because there were too many mixed people around the latter. Old Zhang's personality had always been to prefer operating in the shadows, not liking to stand out or show his face. If Wei Xiangzuo's side hadn't urgently needed his help, he probably wouldn't have come to find Baocheng himself.

......

Inside the port, after the fighting started, several hundred people from both sides brawled in the street, the scene extremely chaotic at times.

This level of fighting was, simply put, just gangsters having a group fight - completely without technique or order, just attacking anyone not on your side. If you found you couldn't win or the other side had more people, you'd find a place to hide and try to avoid getting blood on yourself.

This situation happened on both sides - with many people the scene was big but definitely uncontrollable.

On the way to the hall, Wei Xiangzuo took only thirty core brothers, leaving several road workers and team leaders to command, then charged toward Xu Hu's position.

These thirty men were Wei Xiangzuo's die-hards, daring to fight and extremely fierce. They stuck together in a group, avoiding the enemy's main force while continuously scattering several waves of Xu Hu's lackeys, and had already fought their way to outside the hall.

Inside the building.

Xu Hu stood in the conference room, glaring and shouting: "Where's Baocheng? Where is he, where did he go?!"

Xu Hu's mental state was exploding - from the evening meeting until now, Xue Ping'an, Li Hongze, including the council of elders people and Baocheng, had all left and none had returned.

This made Xu Hu, who had originally felt very confident, start to feel uncertain inside. If the Dock Workers Association vice chairman hadn't clearly expressed support for him, he probably would have run away by now.

"I called Baocheng, he said he's coming right away."

"Damn it, how many 'right aways' has it been?!" Xu Hu shouted with bulging eyes. "Did people go to Zhengyang Street? Have they seen Baocheng's people?"

"Yes, many people have gathered there."

"...!" Xu Hu immediately waved and shouted: "Call again, call him again. Quickly!"

Just as he finished speaking, a young man ran in shouting: "Wei Xiangzuo is charging over directly with several dozen people!"

Xu Hu gritted his teeth and directly pulled out a handgun from under the table: "Get him!"

Hearing this, everyone followed Xu Hu charging out of the room, fiercely meeting Wei Xiangzuo.

Actually, Xu Hu didn't want to go himself, but if he didn't show his face now, the people outside would definitely scatter.

Outside the courtyard, after consecutively chasing away two or three people with his blade, Wei Xiangzuo had stepped into the courtyard and called out: "Xu Hu, if you're a man, let's fight one-on-one - whoever kills who is fair!"

......

In the alley.

Zhang Zhengfang looked down at his watch and took out his phone to call Baocheng again.

"Thud!"

Just then, a figure climbed down from the wall on the left side of the alley, landing right behind the business van.

Zhang Zhengfang heard the sound and instinctively looked back to see the figure wearing a baseball cap walking directly toward the car door.

At the alley entrance, the four burly men smoking cigarettes heard the sound and came to their senses, immediately seeing that person.

"What are you doing?" the lead burly man walked over.

Dragon City's temperature was very hot, but that man was dressed extremely thickly, his upper body wrapped in a jacket that looked dirty.

The man glanced at the four people at the alley entrance and directly pulled out a knife.

Seeing something was wrong, the four immediately started running over.

"Don't come closer, come closer and I'll kill you!" The man in the jacket was severely hunchbacked and had a contracted neck, looking like he had polio.

The four paused before immediately also drawing weapons.

"Swoosh!" The man directly pulled open the car door and said to Zhang Zhengfang inside: "I've come to take your life."

After reacting, Zhang Zhengfang immediately reached for the gun hidden in the car.

At the same time, the other four burly men ran over, surrounding the man beside the car and starting to fight.

......

A little while later, in the SUV.

Baocheng held his phone shouting: "Tell him I'm coming right away, stop fucking rushing!"

With that, Baocheng hung up the phone and looked up shouting: "Drive faster!"

"We're here, we're here."

The driver hurriedly replied and pointed with his chin toward the alley saying: "That looks like Old Zhang's car."

"You all wait a bit," Baocheng replied irritably, and after the car stopped, pushed open the door and walked out.

The alley was dim, with Old Zhang's car still having its headlights on. Baocheng walked quickly forward and was about to call out when he suddenly felt something was wrong. He saw two people lying covered in blood beside the business van.

Baocheng was stunned for a moment before suddenly looking up into the car to see Old Zhang sitting in the middle row of seats, head tilted back, chest covered in blood.

Looking up further, he had a military dagger stuck in his neck, blood flowing from his nose and mouth, eyes bulging, already motionless.

"Mother fucker! What's going on?!" Baocheng exclaimed in shock. "You... how am I supposed to explain this?!"

Zhang Zhengfang had originally wanted to persuade Baocheng not to get involved in Zha'nan's matters, and from Baocheng's attitude and reaction toward him, the latter would very likely have been convinced.

But at this moment, Old Zhang had ascended to heaven.

At the same time, Su Tianyu's car also arrived at the outskirts of Tianhong Port.