Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Zhang Jie placed his gleaming pistol on the table, the metallic clang of the metal unusually jarring in the quiet room. A smile still lingered on his lips, but his eyes were devoid of warmth, as if frozen. "You know we're like rats in the street," he said. "People are everywhere in the city looking for us. We don't have many men we can rely on. We have to be careful. If someone sneaks in with a lookout or a weapon, we won't even know how we died. We have to be on guard."

Jiang Hu was speechless, and after a long pause, he finally pulled out a chair and sat down, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a harsh sound: "I don't know what you called me here for today. Let me tell you, don't make me do any more of those despicable things."

Zhang Jie didn't respond to his question, and Jiang Hu didn't beat around the bush either, recounting in detail his meeting with He Feng yesterday and the other party's agreement to keep the appointment. At the end, he emphasized, "I arranged with him to meet at 3 PM today in the 'Pine Crane Hall' private room on the second floor of the Peace Hotel. When and how you want to make your move is none of my business. I'm only responsible for leading the people there. After it's done, we'll call it even."

Zhang Jie nodded, tapping his fingers lightly on the gun, making a "tap-tap" sound, as if he were pondering something: "I understand." After saying that, he stood up, tucked the holster into his waistband, as if he was about to leave.

"Wait!" Jiang Hu suddenly called out to him, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion.

Zhang Jie stopped and turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow with a hint of impatience: "What else is there? You know I have a ton of things to deal with, and the brothers are waiting for my orders. I don't have time to waste with you."

Jiang Hu took a deep breath, his chest heaving, his eyes flashing with a ruthless determination. He said, word by word, "I've done everything you asked me to do, without the slightest deviation. I'm telling you this now: from this day forward, you're not allowed to lay a finger on my family. Neither my wife nor my children can touch a single hair on your head. Otherwise, I'll kill you even if it costs me my life, understand?"

Zhang Jie stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed, the laughter sounding somewhat eerie in the dim room: "Don't worry, as long as this matter is settled, I'll get what I want, and immediately take the brothers and leave, to go far away and make a name for ourselves in the south. Then you can live your peaceful life, and I'll go my own way. We'll have no further connection, and neither of us will get in the way of the other."

Jiang Hu finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his heart. His back was soaked with cold sweat. Unbeknownst to him, the smile vanished the moment Zhang Jie turned away, replaced by a chilling killing intent in his eyes—Jiang Hu's name was already at the top of his death list. He was only spared for now because He Feng was still alive and Jiang Hu still had value. Once He Feng was dealt with, this pawn who knew too many secrets and dared to challenge him would naturally be eliminated to prevent future trouble.

In the dimly lit room, only the wind from outside the window swirled in dust, silently settling it all over the table and covering the pistol with a fine layer of ash, as if laying a cold and cruel prelude to the impending bloodshed.

Jiang Hu nodded, then glanced around warily. Seeing the street corner empty except for scraps of paper swirling in the wind, he quickly shrank back and left. He knew perfectly well that Zhang Jie, a desperate criminal, never acted without a care in the world. If he were exposed here, Jiang Hu would inevitably be dragged down with him. After all, Zhang Jie would eventually pack up and run away, regardless of success or failure, but Jiang Hu still needed to establish himself in this area. He had to keep running into his neighbors and had to secure a way out for himself; he couldn't let himself be completely ruined by this mess.

As Zhang Jie watched Jiang Hu's figure disappear around the street corner, the forced smile on his face vanished instantly, as if frozen by frost. He turned to his hunched-over underlings behind him and said in a tone as cold as ice, "Bring out the map."

A skinny, monkey-like henchman quickly pulled a crumpled parchment map from his pocket and spread it out on the dusty ground. Several men immediately gathered around, poking and prodding at the "Peace Hotel" mark with their fingers, whispering amongst themselves. Zhang Jie squatted on the ground, staring intently at the hotel's layout on the map—a small door in the kitchen led to a back alley, the front hall faced the bustling street, and there were three private rooms on the second floor. The window of the innermost room faced a cluster of low-rise buildings, behind which was a narrow alley, facilitating a quick escape after the raid. He pondered for a while, then suddenly slapped his thigh, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "This is it! The Peace Hotel is crowded and noisy, perfect for hiding our strength—the best place to strike!"

He glanced at his henchmen, his eyes blazing with malice: "When the time comes, you guys sneak into the kitchen and tell the boss you're new helpers, pretending to be dishwashers and vegetable cutters, and do as I say. As soon as He Feng enters the innermost private room on the second floor, we'll attack from both sides—you guys go around from the kitchen to the back door of the private room, and I'll rush in from the front and make your move. Don't give that old fox a chance to react!"

A henchman with a scar on his face hesitated before speaking, his voice trembling: "Boss, there's Jiang Hu inside... he did help us by luring He Feng here... wouldn't it be a bad idea to take him down with us? If word gets out, people in the underworld will say we're being unscrupulous..."

Zhang Jie scoffed, his eyes full of disdain, looking at him as if he were a fool: "What time is it now? Why bother with these formalities?" He clenched his fists, his knuckles white, veins throbbing. "Have you forgotten? My mother, my wife, and my one-year-old baby are still in the hands of those in power! If this matter is messed up, none of them will survive! I only have this one path to take now, I have no other choice, so don't blame me for being ruthless if anyone gets in my way!"

He paused, his tone growing colder, like a poisoned icicle: "As for Jiang Hu, it was all a mutual exploitation. He helped me to protect himself, afraid I'd expose his involvement in smuggling; I used him to lure He Feng into a trap. When the time comes, whoever is in that house and gets in my way, kill them all, show no mercy!"

The underlings exchanged glances, and no one dared to ask any more questions—they relied on Zhang Jie for their livelihood and always obeyed orders. They did whatever their boss said, and nothing else mattered to them. Asking too many questions might only bring trouble upon themselves.