Courtyard House: First, kill the hypocrites, leave none alive.

Borneo, rubber plantation.

The afternoon sun was so intense it seemed to be baking the entire earth; the leaves of the rubber trees drooped and withered, and the distant hills were twisted and deformed in the heatwave.

The air was thick with the sour smell of latex and the pungent odor of earth, making one's chest feel tight.

The living room on the second floor of the small villa.

The curtains were drawn, letting in no light.

The ceiling fan creaked and whirred overhead, stirring up the stuffy air, but it couldn't dispel the heat.

Ruan Xiong sat on the sofa, shirtless, the knife scar on his chest glowing a dark red in the dim light. He held a glass of wine in his hand, but didn't drink it; it was a message from Xie Wanying from Hong Kong.

—The Northman agreed and let us inspect the goods at his dock.

Ruan Bao sat opposite him, wearing an open floral shirt that revealed his muscular chest.

He resembled Ruan Xiong somewhat, but was younger, without the scar on his face, and his eyes were more lively, darting around like a leopard ready to pounce at any moment.

He also had a glass of wine in his hand, which he downed in one gulp, then wiped his mouth.

Ruan Bao suddenly stood up, took a few steps around the room, and clenched his fists so tightly they cracked.

"Brother, I'll go. I'll take some men. I refuse to believe we can't wipe him out!"

Ruan Xiong looked at him without saying a word.

Ruan Bao walked back, propped his hands on the coffee table, and stared at Ruan Xiong.

"Brother, Sanli Tong and the others cannot have died in vain. A Bian cannot have died in vain. Brother Biao cannot have died in vain. We must avenge this."

Ruan Xiong put down his wine glass and leaned back on the sofa.

"Leopard, don't be impulsive. That's the Yankees' territory."

Ruan Bao's face turned red.

"Then what do we do? Just let it go?"

Ruan Xiong smiled.

The smile was brief, fleeting in the dim light.

He sat up straight, picked up the wine bottle on the coffee table, poured himself a glass, and slowly took a sip.

"Hey Leopard, tell me. What's Mad Bull been up to lately?"

Ruan Bao was taken aback.

"Mad Bull? What can he do? Buying goods everywhere. I heard he's been negotiating with Nami recently, trying to buy a batch of weapons. They haven't agreed on a price yet, they're still haggling."

Ruan Xiong nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

"Is Mad Bull buying goods?"

Ruan Bao looked at him, his eyes slowly brightening. "Big brother, you mean—"

Ruan Xiong put down his wine glass, stood up, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains.

Sunlight streamed in, making Ruan Bao squint.

Ruan Xiong had his back to him, looking out the window at the endless rubber plantation.

"Sell the goods and let others do it."

Ruan Bao jumped up from the sofa.

"Brother, brilliant!"

Ruan Xiong turned around and looked at him.

"Isn't Mad Bull going to buy goods? Let's sell to him. Let him go to the North African docks to inspect the goods and collect them."

Ruan Bao slammed his fist into his palm.

"Brother, this is too ruthless. That hothead Mad Bull will definitely be eyeing the goods. And the Northerners aren't easy to mess with either. Let them fight like dogs—"

Ruan Xiong raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Don't get too excited. You go and negotiate with Mad Bull."

Ruan Bao nodded.

"Don't worry, brother. I can calm that brute Mad Bull down with just a few words."

Ruan Xiong walked back to the sofa, sat down again, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.

"Let him inspect the goods and ship them away immediately. Don't let them linger on Hong Kong Island."

Ruan Bao chuckled.

"Brother, you can rest assured about my work. Mad Bull is so smart, if you tell him to go east, he wouldn't dare go west."

Ruan Xiong looked at him, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"Remember, don't let him know the goods are ours. Just say it's your business, that you got them from Europe and want to resell them for a profit."

Ruan Bao paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Understood. Don't let Mad Bull know."

Ruan Xiong leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

You just wait, you Northbearer.

Once the goods arrive at your dock, if that hothead Mad Bull causes a scene, you're in trouble.

He picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong Island.

In the third-floor office of Princess Golden, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.

The skinny monkey stood in front of him.

"Brother Dagang, Zhou Yongling is here again. He said the buyer has agreed and will come to the dock to inspect the goods in three days."

Chen Feng: "Come on then. Tell Tie Tou to get ready and clean the warehouse."

The skinny monkey nodded.

"Understood. I'll have Tie Tou take a few men and keep watch at the dock."

Chen Feng looked up at him.

"Let the gap-toothed guy go too."

The skinny monkey was stunned for a moment.

"Gap-toothed?"

Chen Feng leaned back in his chair.

"If something really happens, he can handle it."

The skinny monkey nodded.

"Understood. I'll send the gap-toothed guy too."

He turned and walked out quickly.

The door closed behind me.

Chen Feng stood up and walked to the window, looking at the street outside.

Hong Kong Island, Tsim Sha Tsui.

A high-end hotel, suite on the eighth floor.

The curtains were drawn, leaving only a crack through which a sliver of light shone.

Xie Wanying sat on the sofa, wearing a plain cheongsam, holding a cup of tea in her hand, but not drinking it.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Gacha walked in.

"Sister Ying, Xiong Ge has sent a message."

Xie Wanying looked at him. "Speak."

Gacha said, "Brother Xiong said to send Mad Bull to inspect the goods."

Xie Wanying's eyes twitched slightly.

"Mad cow?"

Ga Xia nodded. "Yes. Mad Bull. The guy next door has been buying goods everywhere lately. Xiong Ge said to sell the goods to him and have him go to the North Lao's dock to inspect and receive them."

Xie Wanying was silent for a few seconds, put down her teacup, stood up and walked to the window, with her back to Gacha, looking at the gray sky outside the window.

"What else did Xiong Ge say?"

Ga Cha said, "Brother Xiong said to have Mad Bull inspect the goods and ship them away immediately, so they don't stay in Hong Kong Island any longer."

Xie Wanying turned to look at him. "Who's going to negotiate with Mad Bull?"

Gacha: "Brother Leopard will go to negotiate. Brother Xiong said to let Brother Leopard go in person."

Xie Wanying walked back to the sofa and sat down. She picked up her teacup and took a sip. The tea had gone cold and was astringent and bitter. She slowly swallowed it.

Mad Bull. She'd heard of him; he had hundreds of men under his command, and he was ruthless and fearless.

Let him go to the North Laos' docks to inspect the goods—if these two bulls collide, no matter who dies or gets injured, it will be a good thing for Nguyen Hung.

She stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the sea.

Northwesterner, you'd better take this.

Borneo, rubber plantation.

The living room on the second floor of the small villa.

Ruan Xiong sat on the sofa, holding a glass of wine in his hand.

The door was pushed open, and Ruan Bao strode in with a smile on his face.

"Big brother, it's all done."

Ruan Xiong looked at him.

"What did Mad Bull say?"

Ruan Bao plopped down across from him, picked up a wine bottle from the coffee table, poured himself a glass, downed it in one gulp, and wiped his mouth.

"That hothead Mad Bull's eyes lit up the moment he heard there was cargo. 1.9 million, not a penny less. He even said he'd ship it away immediately after inspecting it."

Ruan Xiong's lips curled into a smile. "Did he ask about the source of the goods?"

Ruan Bao chuckled. "He asked. I told him I got it from Europe and wanted to resell it for a profit. He believed me. He even said he wanted to cooperate with me long-term."

Ruan Xiong picked up his glass and took a sip. "Alright. Let him go. After inspecting the goods, ship them away immediately. Don't let them linger in Hong Kong. Tell Kuang Niu that things aren't safe in Hong Kong, and tell him to go and come back quickly."

Ruan Bao nodded. "Understood. I'll arrange it right away."

He stood up and strode out. The door closed behind him. Ruan Xiong leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. "Northerner, you're in trouble."

Hong Kong Island, Tsim Sha Tsui. Hotel suite.

Xie Wanying sat on the sofa, holding a cup of tea. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Ga Cha walked in. "Sister Ying, we have news from Brother Xiong. Mad Bull's men have already set off and will arrive in Hong Kong Island in three days."

Xie Wanying nodded. "Understood."

Gacha turned and walked out.

The door closed behind me.

Xie Wanying leaned back on the sofa, looking at the ceiling.

The raging bull is coming, and the Northwesterners are waiting.

The two cows are about to collide.

She stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the sea.

You Northerner, let's see how you handle this.