Manager Ma’s efficiency was extremely satisfying. Two days later, Qin Hao appeared outside Boss Xia’s office. Xia Liu Yi was inside lecturing several junior leaders, and as the lecture went on, his hands began itching for a stick so he could beat them. In an era of rapid change and surging business opportunities, ambitious young people were all working hard to get ahead; only the uneducated, lazy good-for-nothings came to be gangsters. Apart from eating, chasing women, and fighting, they knew nothing—and they could not even fight well enough to make anything of themselves. Xia Liu Yi could barely pick one decent leaf out of this pile of rotten vegetables, and the sight of their useless faces made his temper flare.
“You can’t even handle the smallest damn thing, yet you come back and ask me what to do?! If I have to handle everything myself, why the hell am I supporting useless men like you?! The sun isn’t even out, yet every one of you is wearing sunglasses and putting on airs! Think you look handsome? Handsome my ass! The church’s flyer for some ‘Mutual Aid Association for the Disabled’ has been pasted right onto our company door!” Boss Xia slapped the charity flyer across one junior leader’s face. “Why don’t you form a blind men’s choir while you’re at it?! Go sing ‘Hallelujah’ at the church! Get outside and sing it!”
The junior leader covered the flyer on his face and exchanged bewildered looks with the others, unable to tell whether the Boss was merely venting or actually giving them an order.
“Get out—!” Boss Xia roared. Everyone covered their heads and fled.
…
Outside the door, Qin Hao had just raised a hand to knock. With the roar from inside, the door suddenly flew open and a group of rough-looking men rushed out, clutching their heads. Without even looking at Qin Hao, they stood dejectedly in a row along the corridor, put their hands behind their backs, and began singing slowly and unevenly. “Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…”
“That sounds fucking terrible! Go farther away!” another roar came from inside. The men took off at astonishing speed and scattered in every direction.
Qin Hao watched the spectacle without expression, then turned and entered the president’s office.
“You still have the fucking nerve to come in?!” Xia Liu Yi had not yet calmed down and was about to start cursing again when he recognized the visitor. He froze. For one bewildered moment, he thought the young Azure Dragon he had first met more than ten years ago had walked through the door.
But Azure Dragon had been scholarly and gentle, and he had never looked at Xia Liu Yi with such cold distance. Xia Liu Yi lowered his head and took two deep breaths. When he looked up again, he appeared perfectly normal and calmly told Qin Hao, “Sit.”
“I won’t sit,” Qin Hao said. “I came to talk to you.”
“About what?” Xia Liu Yi did not want to look at him and impatiently flipped through the stack of documents on his desk. More conditions? Damn it, haven’t I offered him enough already?
“One of your men is surnamed Ma. Yesterday, he brought people to the hospital and kidnapped my sister.”
Xia Liu Yi looked up in confusion. “What did you say?”
“I found his home last night and fought him and a ladyboy who lives there.”
“…” Xia Liu Yi stared at him.
“The ladyboy said I looked like someone she once knew, so she stopped fighting me. The man surnamed Ma took me to a private hospital. My sister is staying in a VIP room and has already been placed on this week’s surgery schedule.”
“…” Xia Liu Yi continued staring.
“I appreciate your care for my sister, but is this how you win people over? By forcing things on them?”
“…” Xia Liu Yi had received too much information at once.
While he and the Sister-in-law had shut themselves inside the night before and affectionately performed their “routine cigarette,” just how many ridiculous things had happened over at Xiao Ma’s place…?
Xia Liu Yi rubbed his temples with a headache, seriously worried that he might lose control and beat Xiao Ma to death later. He wearily scrubbed both hands over his face, felt around, and discovered that he had finished all his lollipops. Frowning, he asked Qin Hao, “Got any cigarettes?”
Qin Hao silently took out half a pack, stepped forward, and pushed it across the desk.
Xia Liu Yi pulled out one cigarette, thought about it, took a second, thought again, and put the second one back. He tossed the pack to Qin Hao, rummaged around again, and asked, “Lighter?”
Qin Hao pushed one toward him.
Xia Liu Yi tilted his head to light the cigarette and spoke through his nose. “Sit down.”
Qin Hao remained standing ramrod straight without moving.
“Sit down!” Xia Liu Yi exhaled a mouthful of smoke impatiently. “Why did you come all the way here just to give me that cold face? You followed me for a month in prison. Did I ever force you to do anything? I’ve spent the whole morning cursing people and haven’t even had a sip of tea, and now I have to crane my neck to talk to you too? You miserable brats—can you let me rest for one damn minute?”
“…” Qin Hao finally sat on the nearby sofa.
With the cigarette between his lips, Xia Liu Yi touched the cold teacup beside him, called his secretary, and ordered a fresh cup of hot tea. He slowly finished the cigarette while rubbing his temples, then spoke to Qin Hao in a much kinder tone. “You saved me. Whatever else happens, I’ll pay your sister’s medical and rehabilitation expenses. It isn’t charity. It’s repayment. I’m short of capable men right now, and I sincerely want you to help me. Whatever conditions or concerns you have, tell me.”
Qin Hao remained expressionless and silent for a while before finally speaking. “My sister is only fourteen and still attends secondary school. The court decided I had no stable occupation and no stable life, so it awarded her guardianship to a social-services organization. They already disapproved of me because I went to prison. If I become a gangster again, the social workers may apply for an order barring me from seeing her.”
“If you get beaten to death in Master Qiao’s ring, will you be able to see your sister then?” Xia Liu Yi asked. “You entered the underworld while alive, and you’ll still belong to it when you die. This is the only road open to you. You offended Fat Monk. His Dong Yang Society rules Tuen Mun and has more than a hundred men. If he finds out you have a half sister and starts troubling her, can you protect her alone no matter how well you fight? Master Qiao only sees you as a money-making machine. Is he going to stand up for you? Apart from me, Xia Liu Yi, who else can protect both you and your sister?”
Qin Hao lowered his eyes and fell into a long silence.
The secretary entered in high heels, her long pale legs on display as she brought in a cup of hot tea. Xia Liu Yi first blew across it, held a mouthful in his mouth, and carefully rinsed away the taste of cigarettes. Then he lifted his collar and sniffed it, picked up a stack of documents, and fanned himself. Deciding that no smell remained, he finally settled back and showed Qin Hao some leisurely concern. “Go home and think it over. There’s no hurry.”
Xia Liu Yi put away his terrifying scowl and carefully coaxed the wayward young man. Watching Qin Hao leave in silence, he felt certain of victory. He knew exactly what leverage to use: the kid looked cold and solitary, but was actually loyal and deeply affectionate. Having lost too much, he treasured the little warmth left to him. Though young, he was intelligent, calm, ungreedy, and perceptive. If only he didn’t have that particular face, the Boss would like him so much more!
Having finished reflecting, the Boss pulled a small mirror and a bottle of styling mousse from his drawer. Humming a tune, he fixed himself up and fashioned an extremely stylish side-parted M-shaped hairstyle. He considered the two ties hanging from the coat rack, then rejected both. Looking into the mirror, he opened three buttons of his shirt, thought about it, and fastened one again. He took a tissue and bent down to polish shoes that were already gleaming. Finally, he arranged his face into a solemn, dignified expression, left the president’s office under the escort of his bodyguards, and went off to his movie date with the Sister-in-law with his heart brimming with springtime excitement.
The Sister-in-law waited inside the dark cinema holding popcorn and curry fish balls. Xia Liu Yi hurried over and looked around by the light of the screen. Few people attended that showing, and the audience was scattered throughout. He Chu San had chosen two seats in the farthest corner of the final row.
“Damn it, why’d you choose a corner like this?” Xia Liu Yi asked in confusion as he approached.
He Chu San pulled him down and kissed him. His fur instantly smoothed, the Boss sat down contentedly, speared a fish ball, and praised him. “Good boy. You chose well.”
The film on the screen was The Peerless Twins, starring a popular actor and actress. The actress played Hua Wu Que in male disguise and looked incomparably handsome and beautiful. Xia Liu Yi normally admired her, but no matter how striking she was, he had no interest in appreciating her today. His thoughts wandered as he watched, and inside the popcorn bucket, his hand found He Chu San’s.
Best Actor He lifted one corner of his mouth and kept pretending. “What is it, Brother Liu Yi? We’re watching the movie.”
Watch the movie, my ass. Still putting on an act for me? Xia Liu Yi seized his hand and squeezed hard. He Chu San sucked in a sharp breath from the pain and smiled bitterly. “Be gentler, Brother Liu Yi. If you break my hand, how am I supposed to help you ‘smoke’ later?”
Xia Liu Yi glanced at the other spectators sitting several distant rows ahead, seized He Chu San by the collar, pulled him close, and laughed softly against his lips. “If it breaks, use your mouth.”
They shared a lingering kiss in their unnoticed corner. Boss Xia grew more and more excited and gradually sat up, almost pressing He Chu San beneath him. He Chu San stroked the back of his head while still sparing a wary glance toward the audience. Brother Liu Yi had become increasingly active lately, like a man who had gone without meat for ages and suddenly had the floodgates opened—ravenous, restless, and sexually insatiable. Ah, what a sense of accomplishment. It’s like finally taming a wild cat!
Time to empty the little blue bottle and celebrate one magnificent Children’s Day! He Chu San began planning distractedly. Xia Liu Yi noticed that his mind had wandered and bit his tongue hard. He Chu San let out a low groan and obediently slipped his hand inside the Boss’s trousers to find his “cigarette.”
…
One week later, Qin Hao formally joined Xiao Qi Hall. Because he had saved the Dragon Head, he skipped the usual ranks and was accepted as the Boss’s personal disciple. His seniority was equal to Xiao Ma’s, making him Xiao Ma’s junior disciple brother. Xiao Qi Hall was not descended from an ancient, prestigious lineage like the He clan, so its initiation ceremony was neither grand nor complicated. Moreover, the elders of Xiao Qi Hall had lost most of their authority over the past several years. Whatever resentment they might have felt, they had accepted enormous red envelopes and retired comfortably, and could no longer be bothered attending occasions like this. Apart from the Boss, only a dozen senior and junior leaders of Xiao Qi Hall attended. They held a simple routine ceremony, and that was that.
Quite a few of the leaders present had seen Azure Dragon in person. When they unexpectedly saw Qin Hao’s face, they felt a chill. After hearing that Qin Hao had “bravely saved the Boss” in prison, they collectively concluded that this new brother might be Azure Dragon reincarnated or returned from the dead, surrounded by the dazzling afterglow of their former leader. Best not provoke him.
After Qin Hao joined, however, Xia Liu Yi did not immediately entrust him with an important position. First, he did not want to break the rules. Second, he did not believe the young and completely inexperienced Qin Hao could command a large number of men. Instead, he handed Qin Hao over to Xiao Ma and told him to “handle it,” arranging whatever work he thought appropriate.
The responsibility burned Xiao Ma’s hands like a hot potato, so he immediately tossed Qin Hao into the disco with the most complicated location, fiercest competition, worst business, and greatest number of troublemakers. The fighters assigned to Qin Hao were all yellow-haired boys newly led astray after watching too many popular gangster films. Every one of them was stupid and clumsy, with innocent ignorance written all over his face.
Leading those simple-minded young men, Qin Hao accepted every challenge from the groups that came to provoke them. After several fights, every opponent went home beaten and humiliated. He then organized several major customer-appreciation events and sent a few subordinates who were skilled at chasing women to attract a group of beautiful girls, spending money every day to treat them to drinks and dancing. Plenty of other women came simply for a glimpse of the newly arrived “handsome Manager Hao.” The place came alive, beautiful women filled the club, and customers began arriving in an endless stream.
One afternoon, before the disco opened, Qin Hao arrived early and sat alone at the bar checking the accounts. Suddenly, he looked up in warning. More than a dozen large men appeared from every direction and closed in around him with dark expressions.
His thoughts flashed. He recognized the bald leader as one of Fat Monk’s powerful subordinates in the Dong Yang Society, a man called Bald Ji.
Bald Ji spoke darkly. “Qin Hao, I wondered where the hell you disappeared to after prison. Turns out you cleaned yourself up and came here to play ‘manager.’ If someone hadn’t told me yesterday they saw you here, I would’ve thought you’d died in some gutter.”
Qin Hao rarely spoke and had no interest in trading insults. He reached directly behind the bar and pulled out a watermelon knife. Since people came to attack the establishment every day, essential tools were always kept ready. The dozen men raised their gleaming weapons as well, baring their teeth and gradually tightening the circle.
Just as the group attack was about to begin, a loud, casual voice suddenly called from the entrance, “Hey! Bald Ji!”
Everyone turned and saw Brother Xiao Ma strolling inside in a leopard-print vest with a thick gold chain around his neck. “Long time no see!”
“Ma Ru Long?” Bald Ji asked suspiciously.
“That’s me!” Xiao Ma saluted with both hands. His gold watch on the left and gold ring on the right reflected each other, immediately filling the air with the rich scent of money. “We met at our Boss’s discharge party! I’m honored Brother Ji still remembers me. Hahaha!”
“What are you doing here?” Bald Ji continued suspiciously.
“This is my place. Why wouldn’t I come? Move aside, move aside.” As he spoke, Xiao Ma casually pushed aside the large cleavers blocking his path, squeezed into the circle, and stood beside Qin Hao. “I wonder what my brother did to upset Brother Ji?”
“He’s your brother?”
“Tsk, completely genuine.” Xiao Ma draped an arm over Qin Hao’s shoulders. “He’s so handsome. One look tells you he has to be my brother.”
“Fine, Ma Ru Long. Since he’s your brother, I’ll settle the debt with you. Your brother stabbed one of my brothers in Tuen Mun. How are you going to handle it?”
“Easy!” Xiao Ma pulled out a checkbook and rapidly wrote down several numbers. “I’ll compensate your brother fifty thousand dollars on behalf of mine. How does that sound, Brother Ji?”
Bald Ji’s face darkened. Before he could answer, one of his men shouted for him. “You think fifty thousand fucking dollars is enough to dismiss us?!” He swung his cleaver at the corner of a table and chopped half of it away with a clang.
Xiao Ma looked astonished. Holding the checkbook, he walked toward the man despite the gleaming cleaver. “Fifty thousand still isn’t enough?”
The man opened his mouth to keep shouting. Xiao Ma suddenly drove a fist into his stomach, seized his arm, and smashed his knee upward. The cleaver fell from the man’s hand with a clang. Xiao Ma then grabbed his head and slammed it against the broken corner of the table. The man screamed miserably as blood sprayed everywhere.
The surrounding men began to move. Xiao Ma kicked the fallen cleaver into the air, caught it, and immediately placed it against the man’s neck.
Everyone hesitated, no longer daring to move recklessly. Xiao Ma held the blade down with his right hand, pressed the checkbook against the nearby table with his left, and wrote several more crooked numbers. He tore off the check and showed it to the man whose face was covered in blood. “Since it isn’t enough, I’ll add another five hundred for injuring you. Fifty thousand five hundred. Enough now?”
“Ma Ru Long, you’re going too far!” Bald Ji roared. Ignoring his subordinate’s life, he raised his knife and charged. Xiao Ma threw aside the checkbook, drew a gun from inside his clothing, and pressed it against the approaching bald head.
Bald Ji froze completely and no longer dared move an inch.
“Bald Ji, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Listen carefully. Qin Hao belongs to Xiao Qi Hall, and this place belongs to Xiao Qi Hall. Go ask your Monk Boss whether Dong Yang Society can afford to smash up a Xiao Qi Hall establishment.”
After speaking proudly, Xiao Ma’s expression abruptly transformed. His fierce face closely resembled the Boss’s as he roared, “Get out—!”
Bald Ji fled with his followers, predictably leaving behind a final threat. “Ma Ru Long, just you wait!”
“I’ll wait until flowers bloom out of that bald head!” Xiao Ma had never lost a verbal battle and shouted after him. Then he continued muttering curses to himself. “Damn it, daring to run wild over my head. Did he think Ma Ru Long was Ma Ru Worm?”
He turned and saw Qin Hao, who had remained silent throughout and was now staring at him. Xiao Ma asked irritably, “What are you looking at?”
“They came because of a private grievance. By doing that, you caused a conflict between Xiao Qi Hall and Dong Yang Society. It wasn’t worth it.”
“Bullshit! Dong Yang Society is just a bunch of damn country bumpkins. They’ve got few men and no money. Their Boss still depends on Xiao Qi Hall for supplies and can barely flatter our Boss fast enough. Would he turn against Xiao Qi Hall over something this small? I deliberately dealt with Bald Ji that way so he’d go back and complain to his Boss. Hah! Just wait for his Boss to beat his ass.”
Seeing Qin Hao fall silent again, Xiao Ma became even more pleased. “Stunned, aren’t you? Didn’t know that, did you? Thought you were smart? You’re still too damn green!”
He had expected Qin Hao to rise to the provocation by arguing or giving him a cold look. Instead, Qin Hao considered it in silence, then spoke sincerely. “I understand. I’ve only just arrived and don’t understand many things. Please advise me in the future, Brother Xiao Ma. Thank you for today. I misunderstood you because of my sister and caused trouble at your home. I apologize.”
Xiao Ma was easy to appease. He immediately smiled, forgot the grievance, and waved generously. “It’s nothing! No need to thank me. I was wrong about your sister too, because I didn’t tell you first. Damn it, we searched everywhere that day and couldn’t find you, and your sister looked like she was in bad shape, so I had her transferred first. Let’s make this clear today: we’re brothers from now on. Your Brother Xiao Ma won’t forget you when there are benefits to share. If something bothers you, come talk to Brother Xiao Ma first. Don’t go straight to the Boss and snitch on me. That’s disloyal, understand?”
Qin Hao nodded slightly and agreed.
Xiao Ma then had Qin Hao bring out the account books. After listening to his report on recent conditions, he offered several evaluations and instructions before leaving in satisfaction. He had assigned Qin Hao to that establishment partly to train him and partly to test the new brother’s ability. From everything he had observed openly and secretly, Xiao Ma concluded that Qin Hao was not particularly irritating after all. Though he looked cold and reserved, he was obedient and sensible; with proper guidance, he had great potential. Their Boss truly had an excellent eye for talent and was no shallow man who cared only about faces—except when choosing the Sister-in-law.
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