Chapter Eighty-Four: The Eighteen Arhats of the Green Gang

The autumn wind rises, and the crabs grow restless; golden autumn is the perfect time to savor crab roe.

Three crab restaurants are renowned in Tianhai: Linglong Pavilion, Grandma’s House, and The Famous. Grandma’s House focuses on nostalgia, with its signature dish being authentic Bazhou hairy crab. The Famous, true to its name, mainly caters to the white-collar crowd. Although it offers a crab banquet as its specialty, much of its attention goes to the decor and ambiance.

Linglong Pavilion, however, walks a different path. Its environment is elegant and steeped in ancient charm, with blue brick corridors reflecting Ming and Qing artistry. It specializes in dishes made with crab roe, as well as exquisite delicacies like bird’s nest, abalone, and shark fin, all meticulously sourced. There is no main dining hall; guests are ushered into refined private rooms to experience crab in myriad forms. Though dining here is costly, the value is undeniable.

Long Fei had visited Linglong Pavilion before, but that time he came by car. This time he took a taxi, only to find the driver didn’t even know the place, which left Long Fei rather astonished.

As Long Fei approached, Yang Danni, who had been waiting at the entrance, greeted him nervously.

“Where’s your brother?” Long Fei asked, surprised, and smiled.

“He’s already waiting inside,” Yang Danni replied, glancing at Long Fei with anxiety and hesitating to say more.

Long Fei smiled, “Are you nervous?”

She nodded, then shook her head, and laughed softly. “Actually, I’m not worried at all now. I’ve decided to follow you for the rest of my life. Even if the Yang family abandons me, I’ll stay with you!”

“No worries, if they don’t want you, I do!” Long Fei chuckled, leading Yang Danni into Linglong Pavilion.

Linglong Pavilion was on the second floor. As they ascended the spacious staircase, Long Fei, though not a stranger to the place, couldn’t help but admire the owner’s business acumen.

The decor, dominated by red and black, won Long Fei’s appreciation. The blue brick passageways recalled the artistry of Ming and Qing architecture. The blend of ancient and modern styles was ingenious, weaving traditional intricacies with airy, bold contemporary elements. The ivory-and-bamboo guarded God of Wealth and the smiling Buddha head on the altar offered an artistic delight before the meal even began. Guests could enjoy the strains of classical folk music during their meal.

There was no main dining hall, only twenty-six private rooms of varying sizes. Yang Danni led Long Fei into one, while behind them came the chatter of several customers entering the lobby.

“Hey, miss, was that just now the host Yang Danni from Tianhai News Channel?” asked a man in his twenties with bleached golden hair at the reception desk, followed by three or four similarly dressed youths.

This man was Qiu Long, nicknamed Snakehead, a leader among the younger generation of the Green Gang. In fact, the entire Green Gang, aside from the boss, had eighteen captains beneath him, corresponding to Tianhai’s seventeen districts plus Chongming County. Outsiders called these eighteen captains the Eighteen Arhats.

The Eighteen Arhats of Tianhai were quite well-known, at least throughout the Yangtze River Delta, where they were not to be trifled with. Qiu Long, though the lowest-ranked among them, was the boss of Changning District. Naturally, wherever he dined, he brought a few lackeys, and as a gang leader, his choice of restaurant could never seem stingy.

Coincidentally, the receptionist was new. She smiled politely, “I’m sorry, sir. We are not authorized to disclose the identities of our guests. Please understand!”

Her answer was correct and sincere; she could have claimed not to know Yang Danni, but instead followed the owner’s training. Her only mistake was knowing Yang Danni but not recognizing the Snakehead before her, who was a near-untouchable figure in Changning. Before she could speak again, one of Qiu Long’s men slapped her sharply across the face.

“Not authorized? You little fool, you’re new, aren’t you? How dare you talk to me like that? Isn’t the customer supposed to come first? I bet this place won’t last much longer!” The lackey stepped forward, scowling, his molars grinding, his fist raised threateningly before the receptionist.

She immediately covered her face, on the verge of tears but too afraid to cry aloud, shrinking back in distress. Fortunately, Linglong Pavilion’s owner had just stepped out from Yang Danni’s private room and, seeing this scene, hurried over with a smile.

He recognized Qiu Long.

“Oh my, Brother Long, it’s you! What brings you here today? Has one of my staff been disrespectful? Don’t worry, I’ll give them a proper lesson later. She’s new, probably doesn’t know you, Brother Long. Please don’t hold it against her. Today’s meal is on the house, how about that? Let me host you and make amends!”

The owner’s surname was Liang. He had taken over the restaurant from his father less than a year ago, but as a young man, he was adept at handling such incidents, straddling both the legal and the underworld. Truth be told, to keep his father’s business afloat, he’d spent considerable sums, paying off various departments and handing over protection fees to the Green Gang—amounting to over a million a year. But he didn’t mind, knowing that survival in Tianhai meant spending this money, and it wasn’t wasted; it ensured Linglong Pavilion’s safety and made its business thrive.

Qiu Long lit a cigarette, and his lackey quickly helped him with the lighter. He exhaled smoke in the face of the young woman opposite him, staring for a full minute, with Owner Liang smiling beside him for the same span, while the girl trembled throughout.

When she finally broke down and cried—quietly, not daring to sob aloud—Qiu Long nodded, tapping his cigarette-wielding fingers in front of her. “Alright, for the boss’s sake, I won’t hold it against you today. Brothers, let’s eat! Everyone, enjoy yourselves; Owner Liang said he’s treating us. Don’t let him down, haha! Owner Liang, right?”

A mere meal mattered little to Owner Liang, who breathed a sigh of relief, glaring at the sniffling receptionist before quickly forcing a smile. “Brother Long’s presence in my restaurant is an honor; it’s only right, haha!”

Qiu Long and his men strolled into the private room next to Long Fei’s, while Owner Liang turned to the receptionist. “Why are you still crying? You got slapped, I paid for it, and you’re still crying? Enough. Take the rest of the evening off—go home and rest, and be early tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” the receptionist replied timidly.

Owner Liang waved her off, his brow furrowed. He was reasonable enough; after all, he’d trained her in how to respond to customers, so he couldn’t blame her now. What was done was done.

Long Fei had just stepped into his private room when a massive fist swung at him from the side.