186: Chapter 185 Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road

The jadeite public auction was to be held the day after tomorrow. Cao Xiao planned to stay in Hong Kong for a day today. He had never been to Hong Kong before and wanted to see the place he once dreamed of. Anyway, Myanmar wasn't far—just a few hours away. He could book a hotel there today and still make it if he left tomorrow afternoon.

Since he was in Hong Kong, he naturally had to inform Chen Huaiming. Unsurprisingly, Chen Huaiming had been waiting outside the airport for a long time. As soon as Cao Xiao and his group stepped out of the airport, they saw Chen Huaiming standing near a row of luxury cars.

"Haha! Xiao Xiao, isn't your big brother impressive?" Chen Huaiming slapped one hand on the hood of the Rolls-Royce Phantom beside him and pointed to the five luxury cars behind it, laughing triumphantly at Cao Xiao.

"Heh! I came in my own private plane," Cao Xiao said reservedly.

"I know! Rolls-Royce Phantom, Bentley Azure, Maybach 57..." Chen Huaiming was puzzled for a moment and didn't notice Cao Xiao's tone, continuing to show off the cars to him.

"Your cars are all borrowed, but I came in my own private plane!" Cao Xiao repeated seriously.

"Ah! Uh! Fine, you're richer than me, and you have a good wife. You're so serious even when joking. I offer you my heart and you give me a donkey's liver. Has your brain gone bad?" Chen Huaiming's reaction was a bit complex; realization, shock, annoyance, and disdain all flashed across his face within three seconds.

Only then did Cao Xiao switch to a smiling face, glancing at Fourth Sister-in-law who had just stepped out of the car, and shouted to Chen Huaiming, "Haha, Fourth Brother, just a joke. I don't quite understand your reaction. If you're not satisfied, you can discuss it with Fourth Sister-in-law and marry a rich woman as a second wife! Right, Fourth Sister-in-law? Or should we settle this matter right here?"

"A second wife? Cao Xiao, is your skin itching for a beating? Chen Huaiming! What did you mean by that just now? Hmm? Disdainful that my family doesn't have money? With your looks, only I can tolerate you. If you've got the guts, go find an old rich woman who'll buy you a private plane!"

Fourth Sister-in-law's gentle appearance was quite at odds with her fierce personality. Not only Chen Huaiming, but even Cao Xiao shuddered in fear, quickly dodging to the side to mourn for Chen Huaiming.

"Cao Xiao, are you satisfied now?" Chen Huaiming said to Cao Xiao, his teeth bared in pain as his wife yanked on one of his ears.

Cao Xiao folded his arms gleefully and said, "Haha! Not bad. Fourth Sister-in-law, keep going!"

"Alright, honey, stop acting." Seeing Cao Xiao's punchable face, Chen Huaiming felt annoyed. He pulled his wife's hand down and said to him, "My wife and I have discussed the issue of a second wife many times. We both agree that three people living together is unbearable, so I'm sorry to disappoint you, haha!"

"Your lives are truly full of fun. Hong Kong really is the movie capital of Asia; there's a performance everywhere. Boring!" Cao Xiao said dully.

"Alright, let's go! I've booked rooms for you at The Peninsula Hotel. I can't afford a big villa, so I can only host you guys outside," Chen Huaiming greeted Cao Xiao as he opened the door of the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Chen Huaiming's net worth was in the billions, but that was all in stock value. A listed company sounded grand, but it depended on the company's profitability and how many times it could pay dividends a year. As a major shareholder, it was already impressive for Chen Huaiming to have ten million in cash available in his bank account at any time. His house was a small villa of less than four hundred square meters in Kowloon, bought by cashing out stocks when the company went public eight years ago. Cao Xiao's group of fifteen naturally couldn't stay there.

The Peninsula Hotel is located on Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It is the oldest existing hotel in Hong Kong and one of the most luxurious and famous hotels in Hong Kong and the world. The Peninsula Hotel has been voted one of the top ten most famous hotels in the world, having hosted celebrities and tycoons such as former US presidents, world superstars, the world's richest men, and the Queen of England.

"Eh? Why do those people look so familiar? But I've never met them. Fourth Brother, do you know them?" Upon arriving at the hotel and entering the lobby, Cao Xiao saw several faces that seemed familiar, but he had no specific impression of them and couldn't even name them. Feeling strange, he asked Chen Huaiming.

"Uh, don't you usually watch TV or read news online?" Chen Huaiming asked, looking at Cao Xiao strangely.

"Not really. Why?" Cao Xiao asked back, feeling it was bizarre.

"Fine, just treat them as having common faces then," Chen Huaiming said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Boss, those are domestic entertainment stars, though they aren't very famous." At this moment, the new private assistant Zhou Qingxuan began to perform her duties, adding an extra explanation at the end to save Cao Xiao's face.

"Oh! No wonder I don't have much of an impression." Only then did Cao Xiao feel his question was a bit idiotic, but he used Zhou Qingxuan's excuse to save face, giving her an appreciative look and completely ignoring the disdainful glares from the others.

"Young Master Dong, are you saying that guy over there is the one who screwed you over in the mainland last time? What's his background?"

"Yes, that's the Cao Xiao I was talking about. He doesn't have any background to speak of. He's just a reckless fool with a bit of money who doesn't follow the rules. I didn't expect to run into him here today. Just watch how I deal with him."

"On our turf, there's no need for Young Master Dong to take action personally. Just say the word, and we guarantee he won't leave Hong Kong on his own two feet. Wait here, we'll go vent some frustration for you."

Chen Huaiming went to the service desk to handle the check-in while Cao Xiao sat on a lobby sofa waiting. Just then, a loud shout came from nearby. Hearing someone mention his name, Cao Xiao turned to see several punk-looking youths aggressively approaching him.

Seeing the unfriendly faces, Cao Xiao also stood up on guard. In fact, he didn't need to do anything; his bodyguards were right beside him. These few pampered sons, who clearly had their bodies hollowed out by wine and women, weren't even enough for one bodyguard to handle. However, this was a bit bizarre. He didn't know any of these people. This was his first time in Hong Kong, so he couldn't have made enemies here. Being in an unfamiliar place, he didn't want to cause trouble and wanted to find out what was going on first, so he covertly signaled his bodyguards not to interfere.

"You're Cao Xiao, right? You really do look a bit stupid, haha!"

"Kid, you're in big trouble. I really don't know where you got the nerve to come to Hong Kong after offending Young Master Dong so badly. You really are stupid!"

"Guys, let's not waste words with him. He's a blockhead and won't understand. Daiyu, the four of us will drag him out to deal with him. You call someone to come and take him away."

"Fine, I'll call Uncle Iron Hand to bring some people over. You guys be careful; this idiot looks like he has some strength. A cornered dog will bite."

Cao Xiao was furious upon hearing this. He indeed didn't know these people, but he had only offended one person named Dong. The 'Young Master Dong' they mentioned could only be Dong Xunli, the young master of Yunkai Group. He hadn't seen Dong Xunli before, but the one standing not far away with his arms crossed, looking at him gloomily, must be him. These guys completely disregarded him and even called him a blockhead. Last time Dong Xunli plotted against Tianxing Garden, it had made him very frustrated. He didn't expect this man to appear before him now, blaming him for the exposure of his crimes. As soon as they met, he was relentlessly trying to teach him a lesson. Judging by their tone, they intended to at least cripple him. They really had some nerve! They truly treated Hong Kong as their own backyard.

Enemies meet on a narrow path; old grudges and new hatred combined. Since Dong Xunli was so eager to seek death, he would oblige him. However, Cao Xiao didn't strike first, nor did he show any signs of an outburst. He pretended to be oblivious and watched blankly as the punk-looking youths approached him.

"Haha! This guy is scared witless! Hurry up and get him out of here, otherwise, if he gets scared shitless, the hotel will give us trouble."

"Cover his mouth first, don't alert the security."

Cao Xiao calmly watched them approach, slightly signaling his bodyguards with his eyes not to come close. When one of them stepped forward and grabbed his right shoulder, he made his move. His right hand suddenly went up over the man's arm while simultaneously breaking free from the grip. His elbow curved back, trapping the man's arm and locking his wrist under his armpit. At the same time, he slammed his front elbow upward. A crack was followed by the man's piercing scream. After dislocating the arm, Cao Xiao didn't stop. He raised his leg and delivered a powerful side kick to the knee joint of the person in front of him, followed by another crisp snap. Immediately after, Cao Xiao spun his body, his left hand striking another man's face in a backhand blow. After his kicking foot landed, he stood with his legs together and leaned his body sideways, using an Iron Mountain Lean to strike the chest of the last man. He sent the body, which likely weighed less than a hundred pounds, flying. Within a few short seconds, not one of the four men who had surrounded him was still standing. The man with the dislocated arm slumped to the ground, wailing.

"Bring those two over here," Cao Xiao ordered, pointing at Dong Xunli, who was stunned in place, and the other punk-looking youth who was making a phone call.

*Crash! Smash!*

As soon as Cao Xiao finished speaking, the sound of porcelain shattering and a scream rang in his ears. Turning his head, his eyes nearly popped out. He saw Zhou Qingxuan standing next to the youth who had been on the phone, while the youth was groaning in pain, clutching his bleeding head. He hadn't expected Zhou Qingxuan, who looked so delicate, to have such a fierce side and even use a sneak attack. Thinking about such a large vase smashing onto a head made even Cao Xiao feel the pain for the man. But on second thought, he felt relieved; she used to be a police officer after all. Even if she was in a clerical position, she had practiced Sanda and combat in the police academy. An ordinary person would be no match for her. Perhaps it was her first time taking action, and she hadn't thought about the consequences, as she seemed a bit dazed seeing the bloody scene she had caused.

"Xiao Zhang! You'd better be good to Xiao Zhou in the future, or that guy's miserable state will be your fate," Cao Xiao told Zhang Qiling with a sympathetic look and a serious warning.

Dong Xunli was being dragged over by Niu Zhen like a caught chicken, screaming in terror, "Let go of me! Security! Security, come out! Someone is causing trouble! Call the police!"

"Brother Duan, go negotiate with the hotel. We'll pay for the damages at cost. You can show them your ID and get a copy of the surveillance footage," Cao Xiao said to Duan Hong beside him, glancing at Dong Xunli with a cold sneer.

Chen Huaiming had already seen the situation and hurried over, asking indignantly, "Xiao Xiao, what's going on? Where did these punks come from? They're truly blind to cause trouble here! They've really crossed the line!"

Cao Xiao gave a mocking laugh and replied, "Heh, enemies on a narrow path. This idiot didn't understand the situation and sent people to retaliate against me, wanting to kidnap me. They're just spoiled children whose families probably have some influence in Hong Kong. Fourth Brother, don't worry about this; it's more convenient for me to handle it myself."

Just then, the hotel lobby manager led a team of security guards hurriedly over to Cao Xiao and the others, rebuking them righteously, "Everyone, our hotel is a landmark of Hong Kong. To this day, no one has dared to cause trouble at The Peninsula Hotel! We don't care why you fought, nor do we care about your identities, but today you must give us a satisfactory explanation!"

"We didn't start this. You can check the surveillance footage. And let me remind you, even if you're the lobby manager here, don't speak to me in that tone. I have a bad temper and don't want to cause more trouble. We will handle this as quickly as possible." Cao Xiao frowned at the greasy-faced lobby manager. Duan Hong's negotiation had failed; the other party didn't even give the slightest face to a Major and was aggressively demanding an explanation without distinguishing right from wrong. Cao Xiao naturally had no good feelings toward this kind of 'bullying customers' behavior and spoke bluntly. He then turned and ordered the bodyguards, "A few of you go get the surveillance footage and clear all obstacles. The others, take these people outside. Xiao Zhou, contact the commander of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison in my private name and have them send people over. Tell them someone attacked me."

Cao Xiao had told Zhou Qingxuan and Zhang Qiling today that 'private name' was a code, actually referring to his status as a member of the Supervision Department. Otherwise, the garrison wouldn't pay him any mind. The consequences of attacking a member of the Supervision Department were far more serious than attacking an active-duty officer. In cases where an officer was attacked without causing death or injury, the sentence would be ten years at most. There was no fixed sentencing standard for attacking a member of the Supervision Department, but their privileges at certain critical moments were staggering. Because they represented a defensive line that could not afford even the slightest breach, they could directly make anyone they deemed a serious threat disappear. Once confirmed, it would mean life imprisonment or even execution without trial. Those whose threat level couldn't be determined wouldn't fare much better; as long as they couldn't prove they weren't a threat, they would be imprisoned indefinitely. It wasn't that he was abusing his privileges again, but if he didn't do this, more trouble would come. Although these people looked like thugs, their clothes showed they were rich young masters. Those who could hang out with Dong Xunli naturally had wealth and power at home and held some influence in Hong Kong. Combined with Dong Xunli, the young master of a multinational corporation, it was doubtful whether the local police could handle it impartially. Hong Kong wasn't the mainland; here, the influence of money was paramount. Although Chen Huaiming was also wealthy, he couldn't hold them down. Forced into a corner, he could only use his trump card—both to retaliate against Dong Xunli and for self-preservation.