Chapter 25

Liu Handong was known in the military for his brawling, fighting with other units, the armed police, local Tibetans, and local thugs. Because of his fighting, he served for eight years but only reached the rank of sergeant. As the political instructor put it, with his abilities, if he had been honest and worked hard, he would have been sent to the military academy and earned a lieutenant's rank long ago.

These seven or eight thugs were far inferior to the henchmen sent by the World Peak Group to the detention center to deal with Liu Handong. Liu Handong could take care of them with his eyes closed. He grabbed a machete and a steel pipe, charging like a tiger descending from the mountain, unstoppable. The dog meat restaurant owner, seeing this, also got excited and joined the fight with two apprentices, armed with rolling pins and dog slaughtering knives.

The thugs fled in disarray, but before leaving, one of them shouted, "Alright, you wait!"

Liu Handong retorted, "If you have the guts, don't run."

The crowd burst into laughter.

Among the onlookers were the landlord's son and daughter. The young man was thrilled, and the spunky girl looked at Liu Handong with newfound respect.

"Bro, he's really tough," the girl said, her eyes almost sparkling.

"You're wet, aren't you?" her brother teased maliciously.

"Looking for a fight!" the girl reached out and pinched her brother hard. Their family was known for its bold and unrestrained nature; the parents never held back their coarse language in front of their children, so the siblings were immune to such crude jokes.

The crowd gradually dispersed. Two workers and a slender woman were tidying up the tables and dishes. Liu Handong recognized the woman; she was the owner's wife, quite beautiful and a stark contrast to her husband.

The dog meat restaurant owner patted his body, pulled out a half-pack of wrinkled Hongmei cigarettes, and offered one to Liu Handong. Liu Handong took it and put it in his mouth, letting the other man light it for him.

"Brother, my name is Tu Hongbin, you can call me Shanpao. Thanks a lot. From now on, come eat here for free," the burly man said generously.

Liu Handong looked at him, "I didn't help you to stand up for you; I just couldn't stand seeing the strong bullying the weak."

Shanpao nodded and bowed, "You're a man of principle and righteousness. What's your name, brother?"

Liu Handong said, "I'm Liu Handong. I have to go." He walked straight to the opposite side of the road to a noodle stand and called out, "Boss, a large bowl of noodles."

Shanpao, hearing this, became angry and grabbed Liu Handong, "Brother, are you cursing me? I run a restaurant. If you have any dietary restrictions, I'll treat you to a meal."

Liu Handong said, "I don't have any restrictions, but your place is in such a mess, what's left to eat?"

Shanpao patted his chest, "It's easy to prepare a few cold dishes. Xiao Yue, bring a case of chilled Huaijiang beer, cucumber salad, a handful of peanuts and soybeans, and some fried cicadas. Bring them all in, and I'll have a drink with the brother."

Xiao Yue, the slender woman, responded with a soft voice.

In the backyard of Tu's Dog Meat Restaurant, a simple square table was set up. Various cold dishes were laid out, and a box of chilled beer was opened. A large plate of turtle soup dog meat, seasoned with Sichuan pepper and sesame oil, was placed in the center, emitting a mouth-watering aroma.

Shanpao filled a large bowl of beer for Liu Handong and did the same for himself, raising it solemnly, "Brother, thank you again. I'll drink up first."

He tilted his head back and gulped down the beer, wiped his mouth, and showed the empty bowl.

When it came to drinking, Liu Handong, with his military background, was a pro. He also drank it all in one go and refilled his own bowl.

Suddenly, someone came in, wearing a police uniform with a peaked cap, a stun gun, and a radio on his belt. The police had finally arrived.

"Who called the police?" the officer scanned the group.

"It's all a misunderstanding, nothing to worry about," Shanpao quickly explained, offering a cigarette.

The officer refused the cigarette and said, "Good, be more careful next time."

"Yes, yes, yes," Shanpao nodded and bowed, "I'll be more careful next time."

As the officer left, Shanpao called out, "Officer Zhang, come for a drink when you have time."

After the officer left, Liu Handong looked at Shanpao with disdain, "Shanpao, why didn't you tell the truth when you called the police?"

Shanpao said, "I didn't call the police; a neighbor did. The police station is just across the bridge, but it took them so long to get here. What use are they?"

Liu Handong asked, "Who were the people who came to smash your place, and why did you provoke them?"

Shanpao took a few deep puffs of his cigarette and said, "They are hooligans from Huahu Township. The leader is called Zhao Yufeng. He came to my restaurant for lunch and groped my wife. I hit him, and in the afternoon, he brought three carloads of people to smash my place."

Liu Handong said, "With your skills, you could have taken them on. You had two helpers. You were so fierce this morning with the knives, why did you back down now?"

Shanpao said, "Brother, I won't hide it from you. I'm an outsider, doing business in their territory. I have to be low-key. My two brothers-in-law are only sixteen or seventeen. They can scare people with knives, but they're not ready to fight to the death. If anything happens, I can't afford it..."

He finished speaking, raised his bowl, and drank it down, as if swallowing his frustration in one gulp.

Liu Handong said, "If I hadn't stepped in, how did you plan to resolve it?"

Shanpao said, "Let them smash it; once they vent their anger, it'll be over..."

Liu Handong pushed the table and stood up, "I understand. You're afraid of the Zhao family, and I look down on you. You're a coward. They groped your wife and smashed your place, and you can just let it go? Are you even a man?"

The wine bottle fell to the ground and shattered. Shanpao's breathing quickened, his fists clenched, and his two brothers-in-law peeked in from behind the curtain.

"Get out!" Shanpao roared, and the two teenagers quickly fled.

Liu Handong was about to leave.

"Brother, wait," Shanpao seemed hesitant, "I won't hide it from you. I have a criminal record in my hometown. I stabbed someone years ago and am still wanted. I can't afford to get into trouble. I'm thirty, far from home, and I can't even go back for the New Year. If I get caught again, what will happen to my wife and my unborn child?"

Shanpao took a few deep puffs of his cigarette.

Liu Handong sat down, poured a bowl of wine, and said, "I understand you. You have no choice but to endure this. I read a line in a book: dying for a cause without hesitation is not true bravery; living with humiliation is the true mark of a man."

Shanpao looked up, "Well said. When I was young, I could draw a knife over a few words. Now, I can't afford to take risks. I have to live for my wife and my parents. I can't risk my life easily."

Liu Handong said, "This isn't over. Zhao Yufeng will come back. What do you plan to do?"

Shanpao said, "Zhao Yufeng is just a small-time thug. He relies on his brother-in-law, Huabao. Huabao has over a dozen dump trucks and controls all the construction sites in the area. He's from Huahu Village, so no one on the street dared to speak up when Zhao Yufeng smashed my place. I estimate they'll come to burn it down tonight. That's their usual tactic."

Liu Handong said, "Since you've figured it out, you must have a plan."

Shanpao smiled bitterly, "I'm just a dog meat seller. What can I do against a gang? After dinner, I'll send my wife and brothers-in-law to hide. I'll stay and talk to them. It's not about anything else; the shop is rented, and they can smash my things, but burning the landlord's house is not right."

Liu Handong said, "You're a man of principle, but I suggest taking the initiative!"

Shanpao was startled, "Brother, is that possible?"

Liu Handong said, "Don't provoke them, but don't be afraid when they come. Passive defense and compromising will only make them more aggressive. Trust me, the best defense is offense. In this jungle, only the strong and the rich are respected. We don't have much money, so we have to rely on our fists!"

Shanpao thought for a moment and slammed his fist on the table, "Let's do it! I'll take a knife tonight and puncture the tires of their dump trucks."

Liu Handong said, "You don't know the basics. Heavy truck tires are high-pressure. One puncture will explode and kill you. If you want to burn them, use gasoline to set the trucks on fire. The police won't be able to trace it."

Shanpao said, "Brother, you have experience."

Liu Handong said, "This is for real action, but it's not necessary now. Zhao Yufeng came to smash your place, but there's no fundamental conflict. You don't need to risk your life. Gangsters are like gum; once they stick, they won't let go. You can't afford to fight them. It's better to talk to Zhao Yufeng's backer, Huabao. I'll arrange for your wife to hide at my place, and I'll go with you to sort it out."

Shanpao called out, "You two, come in!"

Two young workers came in, with downy hair on their lips, standing about 1.7 meters tall, and looking around sixteen or seventeen years old.

"These are my two brothers-in-law. The older one is Sun Jikai, and the younger one is Sun Jiatao. Pour a bowl of wine for Brother Liu," Shanpao ordered.

The two young men took turns pouring a bowl of wine for Liu Handong, who drank it and said, "Tonight, you two stay awake and guard the back of the shop. If someone comes to cause trouble, take them down if there are few, and call the police if there are many. Can your phones take videos?"

Sun Jikai said, "Yes."

"Good. Record the evidence. Remember, don't fight recklessly. You're young and lack experience."

Shanpao said, "You two, remember that?"

"Remember," they replied in unison.

Xiao Yue brought a bowl of dog meat soup and two hard, iron-like steamed buns.

Shanpao glared, "You're bringing food before we're done drinking. No sense of timing."

Liu Handong looked under the table and saw six empty bottles, "We've had enough. More drinking will just cause trouble. Let's eat."

Shanpao said, "Good, let's eat. We'll be ready for the fight after we're full."

Xiao Yue was scared, "Hongbin, don't fight."

Shanpao said, "Women, what do you know? This is men's business."

Liu Handong frowned but didn't say anything.

After eating and drinking, Liu Handong asked the Sun brothers to take Xiao Yue to his rented house to hide and then asked Shanpao, "Do you have any weapons?"

"Nothing else, but plenty of weapons," Shanpao opened the kitchen door. The room was filled with a strong smell of blood, and the walls were lined with various knives and axes for chopping bones, deboning, skinning, and slicing meat. A large, cold kitchen knife was embedded in a thick wooden cutting board, reminding Liu Handong of the legendary knife in "Chinese 007" with the inscription by Comrade Xiaoping.

"I'll take this one," Liu Handong pulled out the kitchen knife, and the kitchen was filled with a sense of impending violence.