Chapter 19

Liu Handong walked over and sat down next to Meng Zhiqiu, still maintaining his vigilance. He did have a few friends in the provincial capital, but they were all ordinary veterans with no connections to the underworld. Meng Zhiqiu treating him with respect must have had some ulterior motive.

Meng Zhiqiu said, "Liu Handong, when did you get to know Old Pi?"

"I don't know Old Pi," Liu Handong replied.

Meng Zhiqiu frowned, picked up his phone, and then put it down. "Old Pi rarely asks me for favors. Today he called and asked me to protect you, but you don't know him. That's strange."

Liu Handong was also puzzled. Who could have asked for his protection? He decided to worry about it later and focus on getting out.

Meng Zhiqiu continued, "Your accent isn't local, right?"

"I'm from Jiangbei," Liu Handong said.

Meng Zhiqiu patted his shoulder. "Oh, a fellow townsman! Where in Jiangbei are you from?"

"From the city center."

"Mixing it up in the city center, huh? Do you know Brother Zhuo?"

Liu Handong shook his head.

Meng Zhiqiu laughed. "Looks like you're not from the underworld. Alright, no matter where you're from, you're my brother now that you're here."

Liu Handong finally felt at ease. The other party was a friend, not an enemy, so he could sleep soundly tonight.

The concrete platform was hard and cold, but Meng Zhiqiu was well-respected and had the younger inmates give Liu Handong a blanket to use as a mattress. They managed to get through the night. The next morning at 5:30, the inmates groggily got up, tidied up, brushed their teeth, washed their faces, and used the toilet. Of course, Meng Zhiqiu and his group went first, taking their time on the toilet while reading the newspaper before letting others go.

At 10:00 AM, the police brought in six new inmates, some for fighting and others for drunk driving. Meng Zhiqiu sat on his platform, eyeing the new arrivals. Apart from a middle-aged man with glasses, the other five had a rough and tough look, clearly not good guys.

The police left, and the cell fell into a deathly silence. The sound of footsteps gradually faded away, and the tension in the air grew thicker. Some of the more timid inmates quietly retreated to the corners.

Meng Zhiqiu suddenly laughed. "Did Mr. Wang send you?"

The leader of the five men said, "Meng Zhiqiu, why is it so hard for you to do what Mr. Wang asks? Do you think knowing Brother Zhuo from Jiangbei gives you the right to act recklessly in Jinjiang? Don't forget, this is the provincial capital!"

Meng Zhiqiu sneered. "Is the provincial capital run by the Wang family? I don't give a damn about them."

Another man said, "Meng Heizi, don't be so arrogant! We'll take care of you today too!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Handong pounced like a hungry tiger, leaping from the platform and knocking the man to the ground. He followed up with a punch to the temple, and the man's eyes rolled back as he lay still.

Meng Zhiqiu flicked his cigarette butt and shouted, "Attack!"

A fierce fight broke out. The five men were all over 1.8 meters tall, muscular and experienced in fighting, with strong endurance. On Meng Zhiqiu's side, there were more followers than fighters, but Liu Handong's combat skills were formidable. He didn't use flashy moves, targeting vital areas like the throat, armpits, and abdomen. His punches were fast and powerful, and he took down three of them. The other two were taken down by Meng Zhiqiu.

The five men lay on the ground, groaning and convulsing. The man with glasses was trembling in fear, hugging his head and not daring to speak.

The entire fight lasted less than three minutes. Meng Zhiqiu was somewhat surprised. He returned to his platform and tossed a cigarette to Liu Handong. "You fight well, where did you learn?"

"In the army, we often had group fights, and sometimes with civilians," Liu Handong said.

Meng Zhiqiu nodded and pointed to the men on the ground. "These guys were sent by Mr. Wang from Shifeng Group to take care of you. He originally asked me to do it, but Old Pi called and asked me to protect you, so I ignored Mr. Wang. Today, he sent these guys in."

"Thanks, Brother Meng," Liu Handong said.

"Don't thank me. I'm getting out tomorrow, so you're on your own from now on," Meng Zhiqiu said.

The iron door opened, and the police came in. They looked at the men on the ground and coldly asked, "Who did this?"

"Report to the authorities, they fought among themselves, and we couldn't stop them," Meng Zhiqiu said.

The police glared at him, then scanned the inmates. The inmates blinked innocently and nodded vigorously, agreeing with Meng Zhiqiu's statement.

"Who exactly did the fighting?" the police asked, looking at the man with glasses.

"Y-yes, they fought among themselves," the man with glasses said, glancing at Meng Zhiqiu and Liu Handong, then pointing to the five men on the ground.

The police slammed the door and left.

Meng Zhiqiu grinned. "Not bad, intellectual. You even know how to use idioms. 'Fighting among themselves,' that's a good one."

The man with glasses was sweating. "I-I don't dare, I don't dare."

The five men were intimidated and cowered in the corner, no longer causing trouble. Meng Zhiqiu and Liu Handong continued to chat and laugh, completely ignoring the hateful glares.

In the afternoon, the police transferred the five men to other cells.

Meng Zhiqiu said, "Mr. Wang won't give up. He might send more people in. The detention center isn't a prison; it's easy to get in for drunk driving or fighting."

Liu Handong said, "One comes, one gets beaten. I don't fear them!"

Meng Zhiqiu laughed and patted Liu Handong's shoulder. "After I leave, you'll be in charge here."

The next day, Meng Zhiqiu's detention period ended, and he left. The inmates, with tears in their eyes, saw him off. After the door closed, they immediately rallied around Liu Handong, listening to his instructions.

Liu Handong sat cross-legged on the concrete platform and cleared his throat. "From now on, the rules will change. I don't want any gifts or foot washing. Everyone will take turns using the toilet, and everyone will get enough time. We're all from different places and backgrounds, and being here is a kind of fate. To get along well, we need to be united. Do you agree?"

"Yes!" everyone replied in unison. Liu Handong was strong and kind, and his humane management style from the army worked well in the detention center. The inmates genuinely supported him.

The man with glasses, Chen Yadu, was a white-collar worker who had never been in trouble before. Fear and anxiety had turned his hair white overnight, but the bullying and abuse he had imagined never happened. Liu Handong protected him, which deeply moved him.

Liu Handong remained vigilant, but Shifeng Group didn't send anyone else in. Ten days later, Chen Yadu's detention period ended, and he left, leaving his phone number with Liu Handong and shaking his hand. "Class leader, let's stay in touch."

Five days later, Liu Handong's detention period also ended. He signed the release form and walked out of the detention center. The sun was high, and the sky was clear. The detention center entrance was empty, but a scooter was parked under a tree in the distance, with a woman wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses sitting on it.

Ma Ling had come to pick him up.

Liu Handong ran over and tried to climb onto the back of the scooter, but Ma Ling jumped off. "What are you doing, trying to be a pervert?"

"Aren't you here to pick me up?" Liu Handong asked innocently.

"Who ever heard of a woman driving a man? You drive, and I'll sit in the back."

Liu Handong got on the scooter, and Ma Ling sat behind him. They rode toward the city center.

"What happened to your off-road scooter?" Liu Handong asked loudly.

"It's gone!" Ma Ling replied. The scooter was parked in Shifeng Group's underground garage, and it would be a miracle if it were found.

"Is Dad better?"

"What did you say?"

"Dad..."

Liu Handong got a tap on the head.

"It's my dad, not our dad. Say it again," Ma Ling corrected.

"Is your dad better?"

"Almost. He's still on a liquid diet, but he'll be out in a few days."

"I need to visit him," Liu Handong said.

"No, wait until you find a job. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing," Ma Ling said.

Liu Handong slowed down and looked back, puzzled. "I fought alongside your dad. Do I need to find a job first? What are you thinking?"

Ma Ling's face turned red, and she hit Liu Handong. "No, you can't go. Just no."

Under her authority, Liu Handong had to comply.

Forty minutes later, the scooter stopped in front of No. 108 Iron Slag Street. Liu Handong invited her, "Come up for a visit?"

Ma Ling nodded. "Sure, let's see your den."

Liu Handong pushed the scooter into the courtyard, but Ma Ling stopped him. "No need, I'll just take a look and go. I have to go to work."

"It's messy here, and bikes often get stolen," Liu Handong explained.

Ma Ling pouted. "I'm not afraid. This is my dad's jurisdiction."

Liu Handong said, "Thieves don't know your dad," and still pushed the scooter into the courtyard and locked it. Under the watchful eyes of four elderly women playing mahjong, he took Ma Ling up to the fourth floor.

His home was sparsely furnished, with just a bed, a table, and two chairs.

Ma Ling looked around and whistled. "It's really clean."

Liu Handong scratched his head, unsure if it was a compliment or a criticism. He had only lived there for a day, and Xiao Fan had cleaned it. However, after spending half a month in the detention center, a layer of dust had settled.

Suddenly, he remembered something. "By the way, do you know someone named Pi?"

Ma Ling said, "I don't know Boss Pi, but I know his wife. No one bullied you in the detention center, right?"

Liu Handong said, "Thanks. Boss Pi's word seems to carry weight. Shifeng Group sent a group of people, but I took them down, and they didn't send anyone else."

Ma Ling said, "That wasn't because of Boss Pi. The police summoned Wang Shihuang, Mr. Wang's brother and lackey. They naturally didn't dare to act anymore. But how are you going to thank me? Talking is cheap."

Liu Handong said, "How do you want me to thank you? Marry you?"

Ma Ling pretended to kick him. "Pervert, who wants you? Take me out for a bowl of rice noodles with beef."

They went to a rice noodle stall on Iron Slag Street, ordered two bowls of noodles with extra beef, and as they ate, Ma Ling suddenly asked, "What about the little girl who was with you?"

Liu Handong was puzzled. "I don't know. Maybe she went home."