Are You Crazy? He’s only an Intern Lawyer?
Chapter 653 - 645: The Crazy Duanmu Heizu, The True Mastermind

Chapter 653: Chapter 645: The Crazy Duanmu Heizu, The True Mastermind

"No, I, Zhang Tianlong, will never lose!"

Zhang Tianlong’s eyes gradually became fierce.

He could not accept it!

He couldn’t accept that he had lost to a nobody.

Zhang Wei, nothing more than a low-born, an orphan—how could someone of such origins defeat him?

He couldn’t accept it!

"Zhang Tianlong, you’ve lost!"

But just then, another discordant voice sounded amidst the crack of a whip.

Duanmu Heizu, who had already been disqualified, now stood up with a smile.

Although things hadn’t gone according to Duanmu Heizu’s plan.

He had originally thought he’d be the one to defeat Zhang Tianlong, but it turned out to be Zhang Wei.

But that didn’t matter, as long as he saw Zhang Tianlong losing, he was happy.

Even if the one defeating his opponent was the Zhang Wei he disliked, so what?

He had no need to concern himself with a "dead man walking"!

"Zhang Tianlong, who would’ve thought you’d have such a pathetic moment!"

Duanmu Heizu, accompanied by Hu Yaode and Li Meijia, strutted forward with arrogance.

"Mr. Duanmu, you’ve already lost your qualification to compete, you cannot enter now!"

Several security guards stepped forward to stop him, but Duanmu Heizu, fearless, pulled out a pitch-black handgun from his pocket and fired at the first security guard who rushed towards him!

Bang!

The guard fell straight back, smoke rising from his chest.

With just that, the entire scene descended into chaos.

No one had expected Duanmu Heizu to be armed with a gun!

"Ah—"

"There’s a gun!"

"Run for it!"

Someone shouted, and then screams shattered the peace, throwing the entire place into disarray.

At that moment, gunshots erupted from various entrances of the gambling den.

"Hahaha, here they come, they’re all here!"

On hearing the gunshots, Duanmu Heizu burst into uproarious laughter.

"What does ’here they come’ mean?"

At that moment, neither Zhang Wei nor Zhang Tianlong had any desire to continue the bet, instead turning their gaze to Duanmu Heizu.

Duanmu Heizu, pointing around with an insane grin, said, "Listen, the sound of gunfire marks the coming of death for someone!"

Gunshots kept ringing out around them, signifying a death toll rising.

The gunfire lasted a long time before finally falling silent.

It was then that Zhang Wei frantically gestured to Xia Qianyue in a corner.

You take Xiao Xiao and the others and get out of here first!

And you?

Xia Qianyue was slightly worried, her eyes intense.

I’ll be fine, at least Duanmu Heizu can’t kill me!

In any case, you retreat first and take Xiao Xiao and the others to a safe place!

Under Zhang Wei’s frantic signaling, Xia Qianyue pulled Zhao Xiaoxiao to her feet and, along with Mo Yuzhu and Jessica, quietly moved to a corner, waiting for the right moment to act.

Although the gunfire outside had ceased, the entire venue was still in utter chaos.

There were screaming women, men rushing to escape, and security guards and waiters sprawled everywhere.

"Hahaha, this is the upper echelon of Dongfang Capital, each one of you is like a lamb to the slaughter!"

With an even more arrogant laugh, a fierce-looking man with a mutton-chop beard strode into the scene.

Most crucially, he wore a sailor’s outfit, and in his hand was a real piece.

"Captain Bashalo, you’ve finally arrived!"

Seeing the burly man, Duanmu Heizu’s smile grew even wider.

"Oh, my respected guest, are you alright?"

"Of course, not only am I fine, but I also got to watch a good show!"

Duanmu Heizu walked over to Bashalo’s side and pointed at Zhang Tianlong and Zhang Wei, with a face full of smiles.

"Mr. Duanmu!"

"Captain Bashalo, how many brothers have you brought with you?"

"Enough to take control of the entire Dongfang Star!"

Bashalo said, and then he blew a whistle.

Instantly, a subordinate rushed to his side.

"Has the message been sent out?"

"Boss, the message has been sent out, and the brothers on the other side have replied to us as well. They’ll be here in 10 minutes. Once our hundreds of brothers come aboard, no one on this ship will be able to escape!!"

Hearing this, a hint of ferocity flashed in Bashalo’s eyes.

"Very good, in that case, all the top bigwigs of Dongfang Capital will be my hostages!"

"Are you not afraid of Dragon Country’s sanctions by doing this?"

It was at this moment that a man suddenly stood up and scolded Bashalo angrily.

"Who are you?"

"I’m one of the heads of the Dongfang Capital Martial Association Headquarters, Vice President Jianxx!"

"Oh, a crusader for justice!"

Seeing this person stand up, Bashalo laughed.

He raised his hand to pick up a gun, and shot the former.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out, and the man was dead!

The man had never expected that, after announcing his identity, the other party would shoot without any hesitation.

After gunning down the man, Bashalo walked into the center of the room and glared around.

"Any! One! Else!"

As soon as these words were spoken, no one dared to respond.

"Very good!"

Seeing everyone quiet down, Bashalo nodded at a subordinate beside him.

The latter took a list out of his pocket and then announced publicly, "Next, the people whose names I call, stand up for me!"

"Wangxx, Lixx, Luxx..."

The subordinate called out several names in a row, and those who were called trembled as they stood up.

Upon seeing this, Bashalo nodded to his subordinates.

Bang bang bang!

Gunshots sounded, and people died!

"Good, the rest of you can rest easy, you won’t die for now!"

Having dealt with a group of people, Bashalo spoke again, "These people were in the maritime shipping business, and they had grudges with me, so today I am settling scores and taking revenge!"

Having said that, he looked towards Duanmu Heizu.

"Captain Bashalo is right, today we are settling scores and taking revenge!"

Duanmu Heizu’s face was equally animated, for the person holding the gun was him, and he was the one who held the absolute advantage in the situation.

"Zhang Tianlong, bet you didn’t see this coming, this time the advantage is mine!"

Looking at Zhang Tianlong, who was half kneeling on the ground in front of him, Duanmu Heizu laughed wildly.

"The era of the Five Great Families is about to end, from today onwards, I, Duanmu Heizu, call the shots in Dongfang Capital, it’s the Duanmu family that calls the shots!"

"So, you’ve colluded with outsiders for this?"

"What else? Without outside support, playing against you in Dongfang Capital, wouldn’t that be seeking death?"

Duanmu Heizu felt no guilt for seeking external assistance.

"I was able to contact Captain Bashalo because the foreign shipping lanes that you’ve been using have always been causing friction with Captain Bashalo’s team. He’s held a grudge against you for a long time!"

"So, when I proposed this plan, he didn’t think twice before agreeing to it. He and I share a common enemy, that’s you, Zhang Tianlong, that’s the Five Great Families behind you!"

Duanmu Heizu said, looking towards the people who had just been shot dead.

"They are the ones who did the dirty work for your Five Great Families, running the maritime shipping to expand the trade routes. In plain terms, they were the dogs of the Five Great Families, and they deserved to die!"

"But now that the dogs are dead, today their master will die too!"

Duanmu Heizu said this while also turning his gaze towards Lin Xiangtian, Hua Chaofan, and others.

"And you, people of the Five Great Families, today you all will die!"

At this moment, he had descended into complete madness, clearly having chosen to abandon his dignity as a human to join forces with the devil by collaborating with Bashalo.

However, the effects of such a choice were immediate and pronounced, as the devil possessed considerable military power, which was more than sufficient to help him eliminate all his enemies.

Bashalo, seeing this, waved his hand and ordered, "Take all the unrelated people out!"

Half of the subordinates escorted everyone except for Lin Xiangtian and the other representatives of the Five Great Families out of the casino.

"Um, I’m not from one of the Five Great Families either, so... should I also..."

Zhang Wei cautiously extended his hand, asking Bashalo and Duanmu Heizu.

"No, you can’t leave, you despicable person!"

But Zhang Wei had clearly forgotten that even if Duanmu Heizu did not wish to kill him at the moment, there was someone by his side who loathed him to the bone.

Li Meijia, or rather, Jia Meili after her plastic surgery.

This woman hated Zhang Wei with a passion, wishing nothing more than to kill him as swiftly as possible.

"Since Miss Li says so, you can’t leave!"

Bashalo waved his hand, and two subordinates immediately aimed their guns at Zhang Wei.

"And his women, they can’t be spared... Eh, where did they go?"

Li Meijia then pointed towards a corner but soon noticed that the spot where Xia Qianyue and the others had been seated was now eerily empty.

Xia Qianyue and the other women seemed to have left the scene.

"Where are those contemptible women, especially that vile woman Xia Qianyue?"

Li Meijia glared at Zhang Wei, her eyes filled with fury.

"With all the chaos just now, they might have taken the chance to escape, after all, with guns involved, people will do anything when they’re terrified."

At this moment, Zhang Wei was surprisingly calm and collected, coolly responding to Li Meijia’s icy interrogation.

"Since they’ve escaped, then you must die. Quick, kill him for me!"

Li Meijia immediately ordered the two subordinates to shoot Zhang Wei dead.

But the two men did not move.

Furthermore, Bashalo made no move either.

"Can you just calm down a bit!" It was then that Duanmu Heizu spoke up.

"Lawyer Zhang is still considered a guest of this event, and we naturally want to deal with him last. As it happens, we share a common enemy, and although we’ve had our disagreements, overall, he has caused quite a bit of trouble for the Five Great Families."

Duanmu Heizu said this, giving Zhang Wei a cold smile, but then his gaze locked on Zhang Tianlong.

"Zhang Tianlong, today you’re going to die, and the people from the Five Great Families will be joining you in your burial. We’ll take control of the whole ship, and everyone on board will have no choice but to cooperate with me!"

"But I also have to thank you, the Five Great Families, for bringing together all the influential figures of Dongfang Capital. Once I’ve killed you, negotiating cooperation with them will indeed be twice as easy."

While saying this, Duanmu Heizu approached Zhang Tianlong and picked up a handgun.

"Esteemed guest, shall we begin?"

"Of course, I have waited too long to kill Zhang Tianlong, I..."

Bang!

Before Duanmu Heizu could finish speaking, a gunshot rang out.

Duanmu Heizu looked down at the blood emerging from his chest, his face a picture of disbelief.

"Sorry, respected guest, for startling you!"

At that moment, Bashalo suddenly stepped past Duanmu Heizu and stood in front of Zhang Tianlong, his face apologetic.

"It’s fine—the plan was all within my expectations anyway."

At this point, Zhang Tianlong, far from looking cowardly as before, revealed a sly smile at the corner of his mouth.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiangtian, Hua Chaofan, Lin Yufeng, and the others, who had been subdued and kneeling, stood up.

Their gazes towards Duanmu Heizu were full of scorn and disdain, as if they were looking at a mere jester.

"How could this be, Captain Bashalo, you..."

At this moment, Duanmu Heizu, clutching his chest and enduring the piercing pain, looked at Bashalo.

"Mr. Duanmu, don’t look at me like that, I took your money, so the one who fired the gun isn’t me!"

Bashalo spread his hands innocently, suggesting he had no guilt.

Duanmu Heizu quickly turned around, only to see Li Meijia holding a gun, its muzzle still emitting wisps of smoke.

The shooter turned out to be Li Meijia!

"You, why would you..."

Although Li Meijia initially retained a look of shock after firing, she soon seemed to come back to her senses, her expression cold and vicious.

"Mr. Duanmu, do not ask me why. Although you are a big ship, that is all you are—just a ship. Mr. Zhang represents an entire ocean; he is the will of the entire Dongfang Capital. Under his command, I am sure to find better opportunities and a much broader stage!"

"Hu Yaode, you..."

"Mr. Duanmu, I’ve been under your care for these years. However, at Blackfoot Law Firm, the best I could ever be was a senior partner. You are the boss of the firm, meaning I would always be just a partner. But I want to be a boss, to take charge of a law firm, and for that, this was the only way."

"But you could have... started your own practice..."

"Mr. Duanmu, don’t you think I wanted that? But I saw firsthand how you dealt with those who went out on their own. Your most hated ones are the traitors. If I betrayed you, I wouldn’t get any benefits. So it’s better to go all in rather than half-heartedly. I joined forces with Li Meijia and together, we sought shelter with a bigger backer!"

As Hu Yaode spoke, he and Li Meijia turned their gaze towards Zhang Tianlong, obviously their new backer.

Duanmu Heizu’s mouth twitched, and then he turned to look at Bashalo.

"Captain Bashalo, why would you..."

"I’ll answer that question!"

Zhang Tianlong gestured for Bashalo to stay silent and, instead, walked up to Duanmu Heizu with a cold laugh.

"Are you curious why Bashalo, despite our conflicting interests, would still help me?"

"I’ll tell you why. It’s all about interests!"

Zhang Tianlong pointed at those who were killed earlier, "They helped me open shipping routes, handled foreign trade for me, and acted like loyal dogs to our Five Great Families."

"But dogs will always be dogs, whereas people might not always act like human beings. They never kept their hands clean. A shipping route could make 1 billion a month, and they would pocket half of it. And do you know what excuse they used to deceive me?"

Zhang Tianlong said, as he walked over to Bashalo and patted his shoulder, "They actually used Captain Bashalo as an excuse, claiming that out of ten shipments, six would be hijacked by Captain Bashalo. They made me believe that the maritime route was indeed risky."

"It was only later that I discovered they’d been pocketing the bounty themselves, swallowing all the goods that were supposedly hijacked. Tell me, what’s the point of keeping them around? Better to get rid of them!"

Having said that, Zhang Tianlong patted Duanmu Heizu’s shoulder with a sneer, "So, I simply decided to work with Captain Bashalo. My goods are all transported by their crew, and I share 20-30% of the profits with them."

"This way, not only do we earn more, but the shipping route becomes much safer. Bashalo’s men follow rules; they don’t touch our cargo. They even warn other pirates not to mess with our shipments. What would you say Captain Bashalo and I are to each other now? We’re the best of partners!"

"That’s true. Mr. Zhang is very generous and straightforward when it comes to payment. I, Bashalo, appreciate friends who can fork out the money!"

Bashalo said, grinning broadly.

"But... but I’ve also paid..."

Duanmu Heizu gasped for air, his tone weak in protest.

But Bashalo simply grinned, "Yes, you’ve paid. The deal this time was for 1 billion, but that was a one-off. Once it’s done, I’d have to run and plan a whole bunch of stuff afterwards. How could I give up my current business?"

"The difference between you and Mr. Zhang is that he’s incredibly generous. Working with him assures six shipping routes run smoothly each month, each bringing me a profit of 2-3 billion. It’s what you Dragon Country people call ’money for nothing.’ So tell me, who holds more weight between you two? I don’t need to say more, do I?"

"Duanmu Heizu, I still have all these brothers to take care of. If I work on just one deal with you, they all lose their jobs. But with Mr. Zhang, they all get to eat their fill. So tell me, who should we partner with?"

It was not until this moment that Duanmu Heizu finally realized that he was just a clown.

He had been played by Zhang Tianlong from the very beginning, even the cooperation with Pirate Bashalo was calculated by the other party.

"Zhang Tianlong!" Duanmu Heizu used his last bit of strength in an attempt to fight back.

But in Zhang Tianlong’s hand, a gun had suddenly appeared.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three gunshots rang out, and three bloody holes appeared in Duanmu Heizu’s chest in an instant.

When the gun fires, a man dies!

Duanmu Heizu’s eyes widened, and with an expression of immense unwillingness, he stared fixedly at Zhang Tianlong, even as he fell.

He died with his eyes wide open!

After killing Duanmu Heizu, Zhang Tianlong took out a handkerchief and wiped the gun barrel.

"Oh yes, almost forgot about one!"

Then, as if remembering something, his gaze suddenly shifted to Zhang Wei, who had been watching the drama unfold from the beginning.

"Lawyer Zhang, it’s your turn now!"

Zhang Wei felt a jolt in his heart.

His mind raced, calculating the possibility of survival today.

Although the scene was now half empty, there were still more than 30 armed pirates, each one armed.

Moreover, after Zhang Tianlong had shot Duanmu Heizu, he certainly wouldn’t let go of himself, a witness!

So, it was a given that these people wanted to kill him.

The only person he could count on now seemed to be just one person.

Xia Qianyue!

With her combat abilities surpassing those of ordinary people, she should be able to save him.

But the problem was, when would Xia Qianyue come back?

That was a crucial question!

He had to buy time, to hold out until then!

Hold out until the Simple-minded person came to save him!