He Chu San deliberately put on a face mask and clattered downstairs.
A regular patient waiting for his father to pull a tooth was sitting in the shop, a wad of cheap cotton stuffed in his mouth. He mumbled, “A’San? Not going to school today?”
“He’s got a cold—resting at home, haha!” the dentist quickly chimed in, playing along with the mask. He’d been scared shitless today, and with a “living Buddha” hidden upstairs, he hadn’t even wanted to open shop. But He Chu San insisted that suddenly closing would raise suspicion. So father and son cleaned up the bloodstains early in the morning and opened for business as usual.
After greeting the man hoarsely, He Chu San hurried out, turned into the neighboring snack stall, and bought a large bowl of curry beef offal. Steam billowed as he carried it back.
“Eating offal with a cold?” the customer mumbled.
“Why not?! Beef offal nourishes qi and blood—it’s top-grade meat!” the dentist said hurriedly.
Since when is offal meat…? He Chu San shot his father a speechless look. The man was so nervous he was bound to slip up sooner or later.
The dentist really was on edge—so tense he practically wanted to run into the street banging a gong and shouting, “There is absolutely no one hiding on my second floor!”
He watched his son carry the food upstairs, feeling like his lungs were about to burst from holding it all in.
He Chu San helped Xia Liu Yi sit up to eat.
Xia Liu Yi’s back was covered in knife wounds. Leaning crookedly against the wall, supporting himself with his uninjured arm, he ate expressionlessly.
Meanwhile, He Chu San squatted back down and continued studying.
Xia Liu Yi inhaled the food in no time, finishing the entire bowl. As if finally recovering a bit, he let out a long breath, leaned back against the wall in a daze, then suddenly said:
“Water.”
He Chu San poured him a large cup and helped him drink it.
Then, like some goddamn lord, he added:
“Cigarettes.”
This time, He Chu San shook his head. “No cigarettes. You’re injured—you can’t smoke.”
“Fuck!” Xia Liu Yi snapped. “Cigarettes!”
He watched as this damn “Indian Ah’San” stiffened his neck stubbornly and went right back to reading, completely ignoring him.
Xia Liu Yi glared for a while, got bored, and leaned back again.
The two of them stayed silent—
And somehow spent the entire morning like that, in uneasy peace.
By noon, He Chu San closed his book, stretched, and asked, “Want anything to eat?”
“Beef offal.”
He Chu San dug out the “manuscript fee” Xia Liu Yi had once given him from a small tin box, went downstairs, and came back with three full bowls.
The snack stall owner was starting to suspect someone had dumped a bag of drugs into her pot—how else could it be this addictive?
While eating, Xia Liu Yi observed the room.
It was less than ten square meters. Aside from the bed, there was only a large stool and a smaller one used as a table, plus a bookshelf in the corner. The washed-out white curtains were drawn, hiding whatever lay outside.
Books were piled everywhere—on the shelf, by the bed, even on the floor. Most were old and yellowed, likely scavenged from secondhand stalls. A few thick volumes looked new and well-kept.
He Chu San carefully put those borrowed from the school library into his shabby backpack, then set a bowl on the stool—rice, two thin slices of char siu, and a fried egg.
“Hey,” Xia Liu Yi said, gesturing at the remaining bowl of offal. “Don’t want it anymore.”
He Chu San walked over, dumped it into his own bowl, stirred the broth, and started slurping it down.
After finishing this long-missed hearty meal, he went downstairs, scooped half a ladle of water from the large vat, and meticulously washed the dishes before returning upstairs.
Xia Liu Yi still looked like a lifeless corpse.
Unable to hold back, He Chu San asked, “Are you being hunted? What did you do?”
Without even looking at him, Xia Liu Yi replied curtly:
“None of your fucking business.”
Same old gangster attitude.
He Chu San wisely shut up, packed his bag, and went out to attend class.
For three whole days, Xia Liu Yi lay there like a dead man.
Other than “beef offal,” “fish balls,” “cheong fun,” “chicken feet,” “crab roe buns,” and “fuck your mother! Cigarettes!”—he didn’t say a single extra word.
On the third night, the dentist came upstairs after closing to change his dressings. Seeing the pile of food bags, skewers, and leftovers, he exploded:
“You’ve been eating nothing but offal these days?! What’s this—curry fish balls? And spicy food?! Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! Did you drink the medicinal broth I made yesterday?”
“He didn’t. Said it was bitter—told me to dump it,” He Chu San answered honestly.
The dentist, possessed by a healer’s righteous fury, jabbed his son in the forehead. “All you do is study! He says something and you obey? That hoodlum’s uneducated—are you too?! You brought him home! If he dies, where are you going to dump the body? Let it rot here?!”
Xia Liu Yi, half-dozing, cursed irritably and tried to block his ears.
Only to have the dentist suddenly grab his chin!
His eyes widened.
With practiced precision, the man pried his mouth open and stuck his fingers in, pinching and pulling out his tongue.
“Look!” he said to He Chu San. “See that? Thick coating—white and greasy with yellow. Liver fire’s too strong, qi and blood deficient, malnourished. And these teeth—tsk tsk! Filthy! Covered in plaque!”
“He hasn’t rinsed his mouth these past few days,” He Chusan reported.
“Days?! This isn’t from just days! He must have been usually eating and going straight to sleep without brushing! Look at these molars—almost rotted to the root!”
Shaking his head, the dentist dragged his worn tool pouch to the front. “Hold him down. I can’t stand this—let me fix his teeth.”
“Mmm—mm—mm!” Xia Liu Yi struggled violently, but with his tongue pinned, he couldn’t pull free.
Just as he tried to push himself up—
That “damn Indian Ah’San” leapt forward decisively, following his father’s orders. In one swift move, he wrapped Xia Liu Yi up in a blanket like a French baguette, flipped him over, and sat squarely on his waist.
“MMPH! MMPH—!!!”
An hour later, the dentist went downstairs holding several blackened rotten teeth, sighing in satisfaction.
Xia Liu Yi lay on the bed, mouth stuffed with cheap cotton, drool dripping all over his neck—utterly miserable.
He couldn’t believe he’d suffered such humiliation.
He slammed the bed once in fury.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw He Chu San, back turned, pretending to study—his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Xia Liu Yi tried to curse—
Only for a flood of saliva to pour out.
Go on, laugh, he thought viciously. You little bastard. Playing dumb, snitching behind my back—just waiting to laugh at me. When I can move again, I’ll deal with you properly.
He Chu San was laughing so hard tears came out. He wiped them discreetly, stood up, and said seriously:
“I’m going to make soup. Dad said from now on you can only have soup and porridge.”
Xia Liu Yi punched the bed again.
Tiger fallen to the plains, eaten by dogs.
After being “treated” by the father and son, Xia Liu Yi seemed to regain some life from sheer rage. He shed that corpse-like gloom, turning cynical and brimming with killing intent.
But he was badly injured.
Forget holding a knife—he couldn’t even lift chopsticks. Cotton stuffed in both cheeks, newly treated teeth aching like cacti, he couldn’t even curse properly.
His combat power had dropped to absolute trash.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qi Hall’s men were searching every alley of Gaau Lung Walled City. Sometimes their shouts could even be heard faintly outside the window.
Unable to go out and slaughter his enemies—
He vented all his hatred on He Chu San.
By glaring at him a thousand times a day.
He Chu San, tempered through hardship, had grown mentally tougher. He completely ignored the kind of murderous glare that would’ve scared an ordinary person into pissing themselves.
Not only that—
While tending to Xia Liu Yi’s daily needs, cleaning him and changing dressings, he had somehow learned to boss him around.
“Brother Liu Yi, raise your arm.”
“Brother Liu Yi, turn over.”
“Brother Liu Yi, spread your legs a bit—I can’t reach your ass crack. Want me to clean the front too?”
“Brother Liu Yi, get up and pee. I’m heading out to class—if you don’t go now, you’ll have to wait till tonight.”
“….”
Xia Liu Yi scratched the bed daily until it was full of holes.
The small street was inhabited mostly by honest craftsmen. Aside from a few unlicensed clinics, snack shops, and butcher stalls, it was silent after 10 PM.
No lights. No sound.
In the darkness, Xia Liu Yi struggled to turn on the iron bed. Propping himself up on his elbow, he stretched his leg and kicked the sleeping He Chu San on the floor.
He Chu San sat up groggily. “Brother Liu Yi?”
“Is there a platform on the roof?” Xia Liu Yi asked. The cotton had been removed from his mouth—aside from slight discomfort, he could speak normally again.
He Chu San helped him up.
The two crept out quietly, inching along the greasy walls of the narrow stairwell, climbing step by step to the rooftop.
The past few days had been overcast.
On the cramped rooftop—
Only a single tattered blanket fluttered alone in the wind.
“There’s a metal spike here—watch your step,” He Chu San warned, helping Xia Liuyi over the sheet before guiding him to sit along the rooftop edge.
This old tenement was only four or five stories high, hemmed in by taller buildings on all sides—like a frog trapped at the bottom of a well. Through the narrow gaps between buildings, one could barely glimpse the distant bustle of Tsim Sha Tsui. Looking up, there was only a pale moon and a scattering of stars.
Xia Liu Yi leaned against the stone railing, instinctively reaching for his pocket—only to remember he hadn’t smoked in two weeks.
That damn brat refused to buy cigarettes for him no matter how hard he glared, even going so far as to argue, “My dad and I never smoke—it’ll look suspicious.”
He leaned back and took a deep breath, about to exhale slowly—
When he heard a scratch beside him.
He Chu San lit a candle, placed his shabby backpack on the ground as a cushion, and actually sat cross-legged, flipping open a book.
“….”
“Hey. I brought you up here to keep me company,” Xia Liu Yi snapped, veins bulging on his forehead.
“Brother Liu Yi, you sit. I won’t disturb you,” He Chu San replied respectfully. His final exams were tomorrow—every second counted.
“….”
Xia Liu Yi really wanted to smack him upside the head.
This damn little fox. Bookworm!
Heaven must’ve taken pity on Boss Xia for once.
Not long after, the candle was blown out by the wind.
He Chu San relit it. It went out again.
He tried once more—
No matches left.
Xia Liu Yi smirked faintly.
With no other choice, He Chu San put away his book and sat obediently beside him.
“Are you being hunted? What did you do?” He Chu San brought up the question from two weeks ago.
This time, Xia Liu Yi didn’t brush him off.
He tilted his head, silent for a moment.
“My sister and Eldest… were killed.”
He said it calmly.
In front of Xia Xiao Man and Azure Dragon’s corpses, he hadn’t shed a single tear. During those days of being hunted like a stray dog, he hadn’t had time to feel anything.
And then—
He spent two full weeks lying silently in that cold, cramped room…
Accepting it.
He Chu San was stunned. “Your sister… died?”
“Yeah.”
After a pause, he said softly, “She was a good person.”
“I know,” Xia Liu Yi said, staring up at the sky.
After a moment of silence, he continued quietly:
“I used to live in Ji Tou Alley—not far from here.”
“Huh?” He Chu San blinked.
“Huh your ass. I’m only three years older than you—we might’ve crossed paths as kids.”
“Did you rob me?” He Chu San asked seriously, trying to recall if this infamous gangster had been among the people who bullied him back then.
“The hell are you thinking?” Xia Liu Yi scoffed. “I didn’t rob people as a kid. I was just trying to survive. My old man was a junkie—drugs, gambling, booze. My mom ran off after giving birth to me.”
“Xia Xiao Man was three years older than me. When other kids were still learning to talk, she was already cooking paste to feed me, carrying me outside for sunlight. Our father beat us every day, forcing us to steal. If we came back empty-handed, he’d beat us half to death. Xia Xiao Man always shielded me—so badly beaten she couldn’t even get out of bed.”
He rubbed his forehead tiredly.
“I was ten when my father tried to sell her off as a prostitute. I ran with her. He caught us in an alley—nearly beat us to death. People passed by… no one helped.”
“Then Azure Dragon showed up.”
“He came with a bunch of men—imposing as hell. One look from him, and my father dropped to his knees, kowtowing. He picked me up and had Xia Xiao Man hold onto him. That was the first time anyone protected us.”
“That day was June 1st. He said it was Children’s Day in the mainland—our holiday. He bought us cake.”
“My first cake in my life.”
“I decided that day was my real birthday. I changed my name to Xia Liu Yi. I called him Eldest. I told him I’d follow him for life—because with him, I’d always have cake.”
In the dim light, He Chu San could see the faint smile at the corner of his lips.
“He let us live in his house. We had a housekeeper, went to school. Neither of us liked studying—we dropped out soon enough. Xia Xiao Man loved singing, so he sent her to learn music. I liked knives and sticks—he found someone to train me.”
“At fourteen, I thought I’d grown up. I begged him to take me in properly—burned incense, kowtowed, acknowledged him as my boss.”
“For the first few years, he wouldn’t let me do anything. Said I was too young—just stay by his side.”
“When I was eighteen, he got ambushed. Only a few men with him—trapped in a dead-end alley.”
Xia Liu Yi gave a faint smile.
“I went fucking crazy. Charged in with two machetes. Don’t even remember how many people I cut down. I got him out—”
“And he slapped me.”
“The first time he ever hit me. The only time in my life.”
“I was sent to the hospital. Xia Xiao Man cried holding me. I didn’t tell her—after he hit me… there were tears in his eyes too.”
“That scared the hell out of me… and made me happier than anything.”
“Because besides Xia Xiao Man… there was finally someone else in this world who cared about me.”
He Chu San unconsciously hugged his arms.
The night wind was cold.
Sharp as he was, he could already sense something unsettling beneath these words.
The bond between Azure Dragon and Xia Liu Yi had long surpassed that of boss and subordinate.
Only now did he understand why Xia Liu Yi had reacted so violently to his script before—why he’d smashed him with a stool.
That ruthless gangster had been shaken.
Because a buried, forbidden feeling—
Had been exposed.
“Xia Xiao Man grew more beautiful. A lot of bosses wanted her. Azure Dragon tried to matchmake for her—she refused every one.”
“One night, she told me secretly—she liked Azure Dragon. She wanted to be his woman.”
“Whatever she wanted—I gave her.”
“Not long after, it was my twentieth birthday. Azure Dragon asked what I wanted.”
“I said… I wanted Xia Xiao Man to be my sister-in-law.”
He stopped.
After a long pause, he continued quietly:
“He looked at me for a long time. Then said—‘Whatever you want, Eldest will give you.’”
He didn’t say the rest aloud—
Anything you want… except this.
This is the only thing I want.
Do you even know what you’re saying?
She’s my sister. She loves you.
What about you?
I… I’m your man. Your disciple. I’ll follow you for life.
“He married Xia Xiao Man.”
“He also had a pair of Azure Dragon Blades forged for me, took me to meet the elders, told them I was his most valued disciple—the youngest Red Pole. He started handing me parts of his business.”
“From then on, I was the subordinate. He was the boss. Xia Xiao Man was the boss’s wife.”
“I thought… that would last a lifetime.”
“Last year, Xia Xiao Man developed depression.”
“She said Azure Dragon didn’t love her. He treated her well—even better than before—but didn’t love her.”
“She suspected he had someone else. Asked me if it was true. I said no. She said I was lying.”
“I begged Azure Dragon to treat her better. He agreed.”
“I begged him to love her.”
“He said… he couldn’t.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head away as if the memory was unbearable.
His head throbbed violently, as if splitting apart—
Images surged like black waves—
You have someone else! Who is it?! Who the hell is it?! Who’s in your heart?!
Stop talking nonsense!
You can’t say it? You think I don’t know? I was such a fool… I finally understand… You pervert! Shameless! The one you really like is—
Smack!
“He slapped Xia Xiao Man. She stabbed him. Then she jumped off the roof…”
“He was taken to the hospital. I chose to see Xia Xiao Man first.”
“By the time I got to the hospital… he’d already been killed.”
“With my knife.”
“With the Azure Dragon Blade… he gave me…”
A hoarse, broken sound tore from Xia Liu Yi’s throat.
He Chu San looked up in shock.
Xia Liu Yi had his head lowered, gripping his knees so tightly his shoulders trembled.
Hesitating, He Chu San gently placed a hand over his, trying to stop him from hurting himself.
After a while, Xia Liu Yi slowly lifted his head.
His face was dotted with tears.
He brushed He Chu San’s hand away lightly and continued flatly:
“The killer was the Deputy Hall Master. He tampered with Xia Xiao Man’s antidepressants, worsened her condition, drove her to death. Then he killed Azure Dragon, framed me, and sent people to hunt me down. The men searching the alleys during the day—they’re all his.”
“What are you going to do now?” He Chu San asked softly.
Xia Liu Yi stared at the upright metal spike on the rooftop.
“Kill him. Avenge Azure Dragon and Xia Xiao Man.”
The bloody answer didn’t repel He Chu San.
He was still caught in the raw grief Xia Liu Yi had just revealed.
“…And then?” he asked quietly.
Xia Liu Yi closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.
“Take care of Azure Dragon’s men. Build Xiao Qi Hall into the biggest gang in Hong Kong.”
When Azure Dragon was alive, he had failed him.
Now that he was gone—
This was the only thing he could still do.
He Chu San fell silent.
Deep down, he sighed.
The underworld is still the underworld.
Endless killing, one wave after another.
Power struggles, gang wars—
And in the end, it was always ordinary people who suffered.
Having grown up in this filthy, lawless place, he couldn’t help but feel disgust toward it.
Xia Liu Yi wiped his face mechanically.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not pouring my heart out to you. I just needed something to talk to. There’s not even a cat here.”
“I didn’t misunderstand,” He Chu San said quickly.
After last time, he’d learned his lesson—no more reading too much into things.
“…I’m just curious,” he hesitated, then asked:
“Why didn’t you tell Azure Dragon you loved him too? Why force him to marry your sister? Why did he agree? You know forcing things doesn’t work, right?”
If they had faced it together—
Maybe that deputy leader would never have had the chance to create such a tragedy.
Despite the bluntness, Xia Liu Yi didn’t lash out this time.
He was quiet for a moment.
Then, calmly, he reached out and ruffled He Chu San’s hair like petting a dog.
“Kid… you don’t understand.”
“There were too many things we couldn’t control.”
He Chu San lowered his eyes, letting him mess up his hair.
At twenty-one, his emotional life was a blank slate. He didn’t understand what “helplessness” meant.
But he could hear it—
In Xia Liu Yi’s voice.
A deep, quiet loneliness.
“I’m going to sleep,” Xia Liu Yi said, stretching his legs, resting his arms behind his head. “Talking too much is tiring.”
“You’ll catch a cold sleeping here,” He Chu San reminded him immediately.
“Shut up, kid. Go to sleep.”
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment