Chapter 27

Leopard was a seasoned veteran, having served time in prison and sold pornographic DVDs. He had seen all kinds of people in society and could tell that none of what Liu Handong said was a lie.

The gun battle on Iron Slag Street had been mentioned to him by a friend at the police station. It was said that an old police officer, Ma Guoqing, and a young man living in a rental house had fought against eight assassins, armed with both long and short guns, firing dozens of shots, leaving the ground littered with bullet casings. Six people were killed on the spot, mostly with a single shot to the head.

At the time, Leopard had wanted to get to know this fierce dragon from across the river, thinking he might be useful someday. However, the man didn't return home and was directly sent to the detention center. There were also rumors that the World Peak Group's Gu Changjun brothers had been killed, and the group's office building had been smashed, along with a dead Doberman. These were all real events, and no one dared to take the blame, as provoking the World Peak Group meant certain death.

The young man in front of him seemed skilled. Leopard's bodyguard and driver, Gangzi, was a former school散打 athlete, but he couldn't stand up after being kneed by this guy. This was very telling.

Then there was this dog meat restaurant owner, who was as strong as a cannon, just as his name suggested. Leopard, who had started as a small-time thug, knew who could be bullied and who couldn't. A simple-minded brute like a cannon, when pushed to the limit, would definitely dare to use a knife to kill.

Most importantly, there was no conflict of interest between him and these two men. To fight over his unambitious brother-in-law and end up dead, that would be foolish. Leopard, a veteran of many years, wasn't that stupid.

These thoughts flashed through Leopard's mind in an instant, and he made his decision.

"You're taking it seriously, ha ha, I was just joking with you. This is Zhao Yufeng's fault, and I'll apologize on his behalf." Leopard picked up the cigarette box and handed two cigarettes over.

Liu Handong knew when to stop, took the cigarettes, and lit them with Leopard's lighter. "So how do we settle this?"

Leopard said, "I'll have Zhao Yufeng compensate you for the damaged furniture. If he dares to cause trouble again, call me, and I'll personally break his legs."

Then he walked over to scold his brother-in-law, "You damn fool, always causing trouble for me."

Zhao Yufeng knew better and immediately apologized, "Big brother, I was wrong, I'm sorry."

Leopard said, "Just saying sorry isn't enough. You have to compensate for the damage you caused."

Zhao Yufeng said, "I will."

Suddenly, both Cannon and Zhao Yufeng's phones rang. They both took out their phones and answered.

"The store caught fire, and the arsonist has been caught," Cannon said, though he had been prepared, the store was still burned down.

Zhao Yufeng held his phone, looking at Leopard for help, "Xiaoliang has been arrested by the police."

Leopard, a seasoned veteran, immediately guessed what had happened. His brother-in-law had set the dog meat restaurant on fire, and this kid had only made things worse, a real disaster!

"Damn you!" Leopard kicked him and picked up his handbag, "Let's go to the scene."

Liu Handong and Cannon exchanged glances. The valuable items in the store had been moved, and the gas cylinders had been moved outside, so the loss wouldn't be too great. They both remained silent, following Leopard downstairs and getting into the car, heading straight for Iron Slag Street.

Upon arrival, the fire had been extinguished, and fire trucks and police cars were on the scene. Sun Jikai and Sun Jiatao were holding fire extinguishers and brooms, looking proud. A large crowd of onlookers was pointing and whispering.

A BMW 5 was parked by the roadside. Leopard got out of the car and first approached the leading police officer. The officer in charge today was Deputy Chief Hu Tiejun from Huohuo Police Station, an old acquaintance of Leopard's.

"What's going on, Chief Hu?" Leopard offered a cigarette first.

"The public reported that an arsonist was caught. Is this one of your people?" Hu Tiejun didn't take the cigarette, as it wouldn't look good in public.

Leopard glanced over and saw that the man sitting in the car, with a bruised nose and face, was one of Zhao Yufeng's men, caught in the act.

"Isn't this the second son of the Wang family? He can't possibly be an arsonist, there must be a mistake," Leopard said.

Hu Tiejun remained expressionless, "Let's take him to the station first."

Leopard knew the drill, as he had dealt with the police station many times before. He took a quick look; the dog meat restaurant's losses were minimal, just some damaged furniture and a fallen sign, totaling no more than 10,000 yuan. As long as he was willing to pay, the matter could be settled, turning a big issue into a small one, and a small one into nothing.

Leopard took out 10,000 yuan in cash from his bag and handed it to Cannon, "Brother, I'm sorry. This is my fault for not managing my people well. I'll take full responsibility for all the losses. This is to ease your mind, and I'll handle the renovation of the store."

Cannon didn't hesitate and took the 10,000 yuan.

Leopard said, "Those two kids are your brothers, right? Can you help me out?" He whispered a few words in Cannon's ear, and Cannon nodded, "Sure."

"Thanks, brother." Leopard then shook hands with Liu Handong, "It's late today, I'll arrange something for you tomorrow."

Liu Handong nodded, saying nothing.

Cannon went over and whispered a few words to the two brothers-in-law, who looked unhappy. Cannon scolded them, and they finally nodded.

The fire trucks left the scene first, followed by the police cars, taking Sun Jikai and his brother away.

Leopard and the others left, and before getting into the car, Leopard kicked Zhao Yufeng again.

Iron Slag Street gradually returned to peace, and the onlookers dispersed.

"What did Leopard say to you just now?" Liu Handong asked.

"He said to tell our brothers-in-law not to tell the police the truth. The arsonist is only twenty and doesn't want to go to jail."

"You agreed?"

"Of course, I agreed." Cannon suddenly became excited, waving the 10,000 yuan, "Let's go eat some barbecue!"

It was already 11 PM, and the barbecue stalls were doing brisk business. Cannon went to the ice cabinet and ordered a pile of meat, lamb balls, lamb kidneys, and two large glasses of draft beer. They sat down at a small table, drinking and eating, enjoying themselves.

His wife, Xiaoyue, called, and Cannon quickly dismissed her, saying, "Today's matter is all thanks to you, big brother. If you need anything in the future, just say the word, and I'll be there, even if it means climbing a mountain of knives or jumping into a sea of fire!"

Liu Handong raised his glass, "No need to say more, let's drink!"

Relaxed, the alcohol flowed quickly, and the draft beer went down like cold water. Cigarettes and alcohol went hand in hand, and Cannon took out another pack of Su cigarettes. They smoked and drank, and soon the draft beer was finished. Cannon asked the boss to bring a bottle of white wine, saying that beer wasn't satisfying enough and he wanted something stronger.

Before long, the bottle of white wine was also finished. Cannon glanced at the red lights in the distance and said, "Big brother, you let my wife stay at your place. Let's find a place to stay for the night."

Liu Handong said, "Sure, you arrange it. Any bathhouse will do, just a place to lie down for the night."

Cannon laughed, "Big brother, you're teasing me. You've done so much for me, how can I let you sleep in a bathhouse? Let's go get a massage first."

Liu Handong hesitated, "That's not good."

Cannon smiled, "It's fine, you'll see. It's a regular massage."

They settled the bill and walked down the night street of Iron Slag Street. Most shops were closed, with only the signs of "Couple Health" and "Ten Yuan Leisure" glowing in the dim red light.

Cannon pushed open the door of a Ten Yuan Leisure parlor. Two women in tight black mini-skirts were watching "Empresses in the Palace" and quickly got up to greet them, "Big brother, come in and sit down."

"Where's Mei?" Cannon asked.

"Coming, coming." A woman came from the back, seductively saying, "Oh, isn't this Mr. Tu? It's been a week since you last came. Have you found a new favorite?"

Cannon said, "Don't talk nonsense. I'm a decent person. I have nowhere to stay tonight, so I need to borrow your place for the night."

Mei took a Su cigarette from Cannon's pocket and put it in her mouth, "Did your wife kick you out? Just borrowing a place, or something else?"

The other two women flirted with Liu Handong, making suggestive gestures.

Cannon said, "Come here, I need to talk to you." He pulled Mei aside and whispered for a while.

Mei said, "Okay, you can stay for the night. Do you need extra bedding?"

Cannon said, "No, just take care of my big brother first."

Mei went to the back and returned a minute later, beckoning Liu Handong, "Handsome, come this way."

Liu Handong looked at Cannon. He had been in similar situations before, often sneaking out of the barracks at night, but this place looked far from clean.

Cannon said, "Let's just stay here for the night. We have nowhere else to go."

Mei dragged Liu Handong to the back, which was a self-built rental house. The front was a storefront, and the back was the bedrooms of the girls. Mei pushed Liu Handong into a room.

The room was simply furnished, with only a bed, a table, and chairs, and it was very clean. A poster of Jay Chou was on the wall, and a girl of about seventeen or eighteen stood timidly by the bed, head down, not daring to look at Liu Handong.

Liu Handong felt awkward. He knew what was happening; Cannon was thanking him by arranging a bed companion.

"Big brother, wash up. I've already washed," the girl said, pointing to a basin of water on a stool next to her, which had a disinfectant smell, used for washing before the act.

"The water is clean; I haven't used this basin," the girl added when Liu Handong didn't move.

Liu Handong looked at her. She was very thin, with no figure to speak of, and her head was down, showing long, trembling eyelashes.

"What's your name?" Liu Handong asked.

"Huanxi," the girl's voice was low and hoarse.

"How do you spell it?" Liu Handong asked.

"Huanxi, like in 'Huanxi Sha.'"

"Huh?"

"It's a ci poem title."

"What's your last name?" Liu Handong was puzzled; a parlor girl knew about 'Huanxi Sha.'

"Blue, like the color blue."

"Blue Huanxi, a beautiful name. Can you recite a 'Huanxi Sha' poem?" Liu Handong moved a chair and sat down.

"The most famous ones are by Yan Shu and Su Shi. Which one do you want to hear?" The girl's voice seemed calmer.

"I prefer Xin Qiji. Do you know it?"

"Huanxi Sha. On the road to Changshan, I often step on the high fields to water the