Several elite enforcers from the Eaststar Triad dragged Oxhead and followed Damian Shen down the stairs, heading outside the bar. The burly men wielding weapons were originally trusted henchmen of Standard Chartered, and they were furious at Shawn Young for crippling Standard Chartered. So their guns remained pointed at Shawn Young and his companions, signaling them to go downstairs. Shawn Young frowned and muttered, "I hate it when people point guns at me!"
With that, he summoned a surge of true energy. In a flash, his figure flickered like a ghost, weaving through the burly men in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, a cold gleam sliced through the air, and the corridor rang with the clatter of metal. The men felt a shock in their hands, then a sharp pain in their throats. Looking down, they saw that the automatic submachine guns they were holding had been neatly sliced off—a pile of scrap metal now. When they touched their necks, their fingers came away bloody. Instantly, they were scared out of their wits, frozen in terror, knowing they'd just danced on the edge of death! Staring at Shawn Young's scholarly face, none of them could have imagined he was such a terrifying demon!
Shawn Young let out a breath and flashed an excited grin at May Gu and Zhen Yaorao. "Let's go! I can't wait to see what this so-called Eaststar Triple Kill Gauntlet looks like."
As he spoke, Shawn Young boldly wrapped his arms around the slender waists of May Gu and Zhen Yaorao. Under the watchful eyes of the Eaststar thugs, he smirked and strode downstairs. The Eaststar men felt chills run down their spines, unable to even envy Shawn Young. Zhen Yaorao snuggled up to Shawn Young like a little bird, burrowing into his embrace, while May Gu pretended to struggle for a moment before letting Shawn Young have his way.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Poison Bar, the fierce gang battle had already decided its winner. The Thirteen Enforcers were severely outnumbered by the Eaststar Triad. Except for a few tough fighters still holding out, most of the Thirteen Enforcers who came to help had been hacked bloody and lay sprawled on the ground, beaten down by the ruthless Eaststar boys.
Damian Shen stepped out to the entrance of Poison Bar and shouted to the still-spirited Eaststar Triad thugs, "Alright, everyone, fall back—"
The Eaststar Triad thugs immediately dispersed like a receding tide, vanishing in an instant as if they'd never been there. Shawn Young, following them downstairs, was left stunned, secretly impressed: "Damian Shen really is worthy of being the boss of the century-old Eaststar Triad—he's got some serious skills!"
Just then, three black BMWs sped up and stopped at the bar entrance. In one, the Eaststar thugs tossed the securely bound Oxhead inside. Another driver got out, respectfully opened the door for Damian Shen, who turned and said to Shawn Young and his companions, "You three, please get in the car behind us!"
Shawn Young nodded, still holding May Gu and Zhen Yaorao as they all got into the last BMW. The Eaststar Triad driver silently climbed in and shut the door. Then all three BMWs pulled away from Lan Kwai Fong, disappearing into the night.
Soon, the cell phone signals in the area returned to normal. The police, who had been purposely slow to respond after receiving complaints from residents, showed up and pretended to patrol. They checked IDs at the bars that had just reopened, then packed up and left. This was the long-standing 'game rule' between the police and the triads! Unless something truly major or extremely bad happened, the police and the underworld maintained a delicate balance. If anyone broke that balance, it would unleash a bloody storm across Hong Kong, wrecking the city's relative peace and prosperity—and that's the last thing the Special Administrative Region government wants to see.
Shortly after the police left, Miracle Water and Fire Bull from the Hung Brotherhood arrived with a big crew to 'protect' Shawn Young. But Shawn Young and his group had already left with Damian Shen, and no one knew where they'd gone. Miracle Water and Fire Bull were left helpless, so they ordered their men to search the streets for news. They knew Damian Shen, the Eaststar boss, was always ruthless and prepared. The Hung Brotherhood and Eaststar Triad had been rivals in Hong Kong for years, with a complicated relationship—neither side could truly defeat the other.
Shawn Young and his two companions sat in their BMW, following Damian Shen's car all the way to an abandoned shipyard in Tsing Yi, New Territories. The shipyard was not far from the docks, and outside the gate were piles of old, giant shipping containers. The group got out and followed Damian Shen toward the shipyard.
Inside the dilapidated shipyard, the group stopped beside a massive iron gate. Damian Shen gestured, and a nearby henchman quickly worked the controls on either side of the gate. The huge iron barrier slowly opened, revealing a large freight elevator. Everyone followed Damian Shen inside, the gate closed, and the elevator began its slow descent—at least dozens of meters down.
When the elevator stopped, darkness surrounded them. Suddenly, a loud "click" sounded, and blinding white lights lit up the entire area, illuminating the space around the elevator. Shawn Young and his companions were startled—this place was a massive underground stadium, more accurately, an underground fighting arena. In the center was a huge, rope-free ring, built higher and wider than a standard ring, with dark red stains—old blood—still visible on its surface. The air was tinged with a faint smell of blood, making the scene both jarring and tense. Around the ring were rows of audience seats, and on the second floor, at the best viewing spot, there was even a glass-enclosed "VIP room."
Shawn Young and Zhen Yaorao had never seen a place like this, so they curiously looked around. May Gu, however, frowned and glanced about as if remembering something. Damian Shen noticed her reaction and sneered, "Elder Gu, you're an old hand in the underworld. Don't be surprised if this feels familiar. This is none other than the famous Death Zone—Hong Kong's largest underground black market fighting arena, run by our Eaststar Triad. The Hung Brotherhood has their own underground ring, the Death Tower, but it's not as big as mine! My place is the biggest in all Hong Kong, and it's pretty famous across Asia and Southeast Asia too. Even a lot of mainland officials come here to place bets!"
May Gu's pupils contracted as she exclaimed, "So—this is the legendary Death Zone! I never thought it was here! They say the survival rate for fighters in these underground matches is extremely low, and brutal killings are part of the spectacle!"