Futile Devices Scans

Manager Ma’s efficiency was nothing short of impressive. Two days later, Qin Hao appeared outside the office of Boss Xia.

Inside, Xia Liu Yi was in the middle of berating several minor underlings. The more he scolded, the itchier his hands grew—he practically wanted to grab a stick and thrash them on the spot.

In these turbulent times, where opportunity surged like a rising tide, any ambitious youth had already gone out to make something of themselves. The ones left to become street punks were the uneducated, lazy sort—good for nothing but eating, chasing women, and getting into fights. And even their fighting amounted to nothing worth mentioning.

Trying to pick a halfway decent talent from this heap of rotten leaves was harder than reaching the heavens. The more Xia Liu Yi looked at their useless faces, the more his temper flared.

“You can’t even handle shit this small and you come back asking me what to do?! If I have to handle everything myself, why the hell am I keeping a bunch of trash like you?!”

“And what’s with the sunglasses?! The sun’s not even out! Think you look handsome?! Handsome my ass! Even the church flyers for some ‘Disabled Mutual Aid Society’ have been pasted onto our front door!”

With a slap, he smacked a charity flyer straight onto one of their faces.

“Why don’t you all just go start a blind choir? Get your asses to church and sing Hallelujah! Get the hell outside and sing it for me!”

The underlings clutched their faces, exchanging confused glances, unsure whether this was rage or an actual command.

“OUT—!” Xia Liu Yi roared.

They fled in panic.

Outside, Qin Hao raised his hand to knock.

The door suddenly burst open. A group of burly men rushed out clutching their heads, not even sparing him a glance. They lined up in the corridor, hands behind their backs, and began dragging out an uneven chorus:

“Hallelujah… Hallelujah… Hallelujah…”

“Sounds like shit! Get farther away!” came another furious shout from inside.

They scattered instantly like startled birds.

Qin Hao watched the entire scene without expression, then turned and entered the office.

“You still dare come in?!” Xia Liu Yi snapped, still seething—only to freeze when he saw who it was.

For a fleeting moment, it felt as though that young Azure Dragon from over a decade ago had walked in.

But that man had been gentle and refined—never cold, never distant like this.

Xia Liu Yi lowered his head, took a slow breath, then looked up again, expression composed.

“Sit.”

“I won’t sit,” Qin Hao replied. “I came to talk.”

“About what?” Xia Liu Yi flipped through a stack of papers irritably. What now? More conditions? I’ve already offered enough, damn it.

“One of your men—surname Ma. Yesterday, he took people and abducted my sister from the hospital.”

Xia Liu Yi looked up sharply. “What did you say?”

“I went to his house last night. Fought him—and a ladyboy living with him.”

“……”

“The ladyboy said I resemble someone from the past and refused to fight. Your man took me to a private hospital. My sister’s in a VIP ward now, already scheduled for surgery this week.”

“……”

“I appreciate what you’ve done for her. But is this how you win people over? Forced deals?”

“……”

Xia Liu Yi pressed his temple.

While he had been locked away with his beloved last night, indulging in their “routine smoking”… just how much chaos had Xiao Ma stirred up?

He suddenly felt a headache coming on—and a strong urge to beat Xiao Ma to death.

After rubbing his face, he searched around. No more lollipops.

“Got cigarettes?” he asked.

Qin Hao silently placed half a pack on the desk.

Xia Liu Yi took one. Then another. Then paused… and put the second one back.

“Lighter?”

Qin Hao handed one over.

Lighting the cigarette, Xia Liu Yi exhaled through his nose. “Sit.”

Qin Hao remained standing.

“Sit!” Xia Liu Yi snapped. “You come here throwing me attitude? Back in prison you followed me for a month—did I ever force you into anything? I’ve been yelling all morning without even a sip of tea, and now I have to crane my neck just to talk to you? Can you brats give me a damn break?!”

“…Fine.”

Qin Hao finally sat.

After finishing the cigarette and sipping hot tea, Xia Liu Yi spoke more calmly:

“You saved my life. No matter what, I’ll cover your sister’s treatment and recovery—not charity, repayment. I need capable hands right now. I want you to work for me. If you have conditions or concerns, speak.”

After a long silence, Qin Hao said:

“My sister is fourteen. Still in school. The court gave custody to a social organization because I have no stable job. If I return to this life, they may forbid me from seeing her.”

“If you get beaten to death in Master Qiao’s ring, you’ll get to see her then?” Xia Liu Yi scoffed.

“You were born into this world, and you’ll die in it. That’s your path. You offended ‘Fat Monk.’ His Dong Yang Society rules Tuen Mun—over a hundred men. If he targets your sister, can you protect her alone? Master Qiao sees you as a money machine. Will he protect you? Besides me, who can?”

Qin Hao lowered his eyes, silent.

After Qin Hao left, Xia Liu Yi was confident.

This one… he values loyalty. Lost too much. Clings to what little warmth remains. Smart. Calm. Not greedy.

If only he didn’t have that face…

Later that evening, Xia Liu Yi dressed himself up meticulously, then went to meet He Chu San at the cinema.

He Chu San had picked seats in the farthest corner.

“What the hell, picking such a corner?” Xia Liu Yi muttered.

He Chu San pulled him down and kissed him.

“Good choice,” Xia Liu Yi praised, immediately appeased.

As the movie played, Xia Liu Yi grew restless. His hand found He Chu San’s beneath the popcorn bucket.

“What’s wrong, Brother Liu Yi? Watching a movie,” He Chu San teased.

“Watching my ass.”

He gripped his hand hard.

“Ow—gentler! Break my hand and how am I supposed to ‘smoke’ later?”

Xia Liu Yi leaned close, smirking.

“Then use your mouth.”

They kissed in the shadows.

Xia Liu Yi grew increasingly bold, pressing closer. He Chu San, half-distracted, thought with amusement—

Raising a wild cat… and finally taming it.

Xia Liu Yi bit his tongue sharply for losing focus.

He Chu San let out a low sound—and obediently slid his hand into Xia Liu Yi’s trousers to “light a cigarette.”

A week later, Qin Hao was formally inducted into Xiao Qi Hall. For the merit of saving the Dragon Head Boss, he was exceptionally taken in as the Boss’s direct disciple, elevating him across ranks. In terms of seniority, he now stood on equal footing with Xiao Ma—effectively becoming his junior brother.

Unlike ancient clan lineages such as the He Family Gang, with centuries of heritage, Xiao Qi Hall was no venerable aristocratic sect. The initiation ceremony for entering under the Boss’s banner was neither grand nor elaborate. Moreover, in recent years the elders had long since lost their authority; whether they harbored resentment or not, they were content to retire with thick red envelopes in hand, unwilling even to attend such occasions.

Thus, aside from the boss himself, only a dozen or so of the hall’s lieutenants and minor heads were present. A simple, routine ceremony was conducted—and that was that.

Among those present, quite a few had once seen the true face of Azure Dragon in years past. Catching sight of Qin Hao’s face so suddenly sent a chill through their hearts. Coupled with the tale of how he had “bravely saved the Boss” in prison, they unanimously came to believe that this man might well be Azure Dragon reborn—or returned from the dead—still radiating the lingering brilliance of the former Dragon Head. Best not to provoke him.

Yet after his induction, Xia Liu Yi did not immediately entrust Qin Hao with heavy responsibilities. One reason was to avoid breaking established rules; another was that he did not believe a young man with no experience could command a large force. Instead, he handed Qin Hao over to Xiao Ma, telling him to “handle it as he saw fit” and assign duties accordingly.

Xiao Ma, holding this “hot potato,” found his hands practically burning. Without hesitation, he tossed Qin Hao into the most complicated, fiercely competitive, worst-performing nightclub under their control—a disco notorious for constant troublemaking. The men assigned under Qin Hao were a bunch of newly delinquent, yellow-haired punks—kids who had watched too many triad films, foolish and naïve, their inexperience written plainly across their faces.

Leading this pack of simple-minded youths, Qin Hao accepted every challenge that came his way. After several clashes with various troublemakers, he beat each of them so thoroughly that they fled in utter disgrace. Then he organized several lavish promotional events, sending out a few smooth-talking subordinates skilled at picking up girls to bring in crowds of beauties. Day after day, he spent money treating them to drinks and dancing. Before long, many came just to catch a glimpse of the newly arrived “handsome manager, A’Hao.”

The venue came alive. With more beauties came more customers, and soon the place was thriving with a steady stream of patrons.

One afternoon, before opening hours, Qin Hao arrived early and sat alone at the bar, reviewing the accounts. Suddenly, he looked up sharply—alert.

More than a dozen burly men had appeared from all directions, closing in on him with grim expressions.

In a flash, Qin Hao recognized the bald man leading them—Guang Tou Ji, a top enforcer under “Fat Monk” of the Dong Yang Society.

Guang Tou Ji spoke coldly, “Qin Hao, where the hell did you crawl off to after getting out of prison? Turns out you’ve dressed yourself up and come here to play ‘manager.’ If someone hadn’t spotted you here yesterday, I’d have thought you died in some gutter.”

Qin Hao was never one for words. Too lazy to trade insults, he simply reached behind the bar and pulled out a machete—standard equipment for a place constantly under attack.

The dozen men raised their own gleaming weapons, snarling as they tightened the encirclement.

Just as the clash was about to erupt, a loud, carefree voice rang out from the entrance—

“Hey! Guang Tou Ji!”

Everyone turned.

Xiao Ma strolled in leisurely, clad in a leopard-print vest, a thick gold chain around his neck, swaggering as he called out, “Long time no see!”

“Ma Ru Long?” Guang Tou Ji frowned.

“The very one!” Xiao Ma clasped his fists in greeting, his gold watch and ring gleaming. The air itself seemed to smell of money. “We met at our boss’s discharge party last time! Didn’t think you’d still remember me, haha!”

“What are you doing here?” Guang Tou Ji asked.

“This is my turf—why wouldn’t I be here? Move, move—make some space,” Xiao Ma said, casually pushing aside the blades blocking his way and squeezing into the circle to stand beside Qin Hao. “What did my brother here do to upset you, Brother Ji?”

“He’s your brother?”

“Tsk, genuine as they come,” Xiao Ma slung an arm over Qin Hao’s shoulder. “With a face this handsome, how could he not be my brother?”

“Fine. Since he’s your brother, Ma Ru Long, let’s settle this. Your brother stabbed one of mine in Tuen Mun. How are we settling that?”

“Easy to settle!” Xiao Ma pulled out a checkbook and scribbled swiftly. “I’ll compensate on his behalf—fifty thousand. How about it, Brother Ji?”

Guang Tou Ji’s face darkened. Before he could speak, one of his men roared, “Fifty thousand and you think you can brush us off?!”

With a swing of his machete, the thug cleaved a table in half with a loud crack.

Xiao Ma widened his eyes in mock surprise, walking up to him with the checkbook in hand. Facing the blade, he asked, “Not enough?”

The thug opened his mouth to shout again—

But Xiao Ma suddenly drove a fist into his stomach!

Grabbing his arm, he yanked him forward and slammed a knee into him. The machete clattered to the ground. Seizing the man by the head, Xiao Ma smashed him against the broken table edge—blood splattered instantly as a shrill scream tore out.

The others started to move—but Xiao Ma kicked the fallen blade up into his hand and pressed it against the man’s throat.

No one dared act.

With his right hand holding the blade, Xiao Ma pressed the checkbook onto the table with his left, scribbling a few more crooked digits before tearing it off and showing it to the bloodied thug.

“Since it’s not enough, I’ll add another five hundred—for your medical fees. Fifty thousand five hundred now. Enough?”

“Ma Ru Long, you’ve gone too far!” Guang Tou Ji roared, charging forward with his weapon, heedless of his subordinate’s life.

Xiao Ma tossed the checkbook aside and pulled out a gun, pressing it against Guang Tou Ji’s bald head.

Guang Tou Ji froze instantly.

“Know your place,” Xiao Ma said coldly. “Qin Hao belongs to Xiao Qi Hall. This is our turf. Go back and ask your ‘Monk Boss’ whether Xiao Qi Hall’s grounds are something your Dong Yang Society can smash.”

His tone turned savage in an instant, ferocity inherited straight from his boss.

“Get—lost!”

Guang Tou Ji fled with his men. As expected, he left behind a threat: “Ma Ru Long, just you wait!”

“I’ll be waiting for your bald head to bloom!” Xiao Ma shot back without missing a beat. Muttering to himself, he added, “Damn fool, trying to stir trouble on my turf—does he think Ma Ru Long is Ma Ru Chong?!”

Elio’s notes: long 龙 means ‘dragon’ while chong 虫 means ‘insect/worm.’

Turning back, he saw Qin Hao watching him silently.

“What are you staring at?” Xiao Ma snapped.

“They came for me over a personal grudge. By stepping in like this, you’ve made Xiao Qi Hall enemies of Dong Yang Society. Not worth it.”

“Bullshit!” Xiao Ma scoffed. “They’re a bunch of country bumpkins—few men, no money. Their Boss still relies on us for supply—he’s busy sucking up to our Boss. You think he’d fall out with us over this? I beat him on purpose, just to make him run back and complain. Heh! Wait till his Boss whips his ass!”

Qin Hao fell silent again.

Xiao Ma smirked proudly. “Stumped, huh? Thought you were smart? You’re still green, kid!”

He had expected Qin Hao to snap back or glare coldly.

Instead, after a moment’s thought, Qin Hao spoke sincerely:

“I understand now. I’m new here—I don’t know much yet. I’ll need your guidance, Brother Xiao Ma. Thank you for today. About before… I misunderstood you over my sister and went to your place causing trouble. I apologize.”

Xiao Ma was easy to appease. He laughed it off with a wave.

“Forget it! No need to thank me! I was at fault too—should’ve told you first. Damn it, I couldn’t find you that day, and your sister’s condition was bad, so I had her transferred first! Let’s be clear from now on—brothers in the same house. If there’s profit, your Brother Xiao Ma won’t leave you out. If you’ve got an issue, talk to me first—don’t go whining to the Boss behind my back. That’s not brotherly loyalty, got it?”

Qin Hao nodded.

Xiao Ma then had Qin Hao bring out the account books, reviewed them, and listened to his report on recent operations. After offering some guidance and evaluation, he left, satisfied.

Placing Qin Hao here had been deliberate—to temper him, and to test his capability.

After observing him both openly and in secret, Xiao Ma concluded that this new brother wasn’t so disagreeable after all. Though cold and reserved on the surface, he was obedient and sensible. With proper training, he could become a valuable asset.

As expected—his Boss truly had an eye for talent.

Not someone shallow who judged by looks alone—

Except when it came to choosing a woman.

Previous

Main

Next