Director Wang and Captain Xu didn't stay inside for long—barely half an hour—before they came out, accompanied by Chen Qiang.
The expressions on their faces were no longer stiff like before, and their jacket pockets were bulging. It looked like they had stuffed quite a few bills in there.
Chen Qiang escorted the two of them all the way to the gate. Just before they left, he engaged in some push-and-pull with the two younger constables, eventually stuffing a stack of newly minted red Chairman Maos into their pockets.
Only after the figures of these four men disappeared did Chen Qiang turn around and spit heavily on the ground. "Ptu!"
While Chen Qiang and Director Wang were inside discussing god knows what, I had been pestering that young constable outside.
Not only did I find out his surname was Niu, but I also learned that their purpose for coming this time was to rattle Chen Qiang's cage.
Liuzi didn't die by Chen Qiang's hand directly, because the person who killed Liuzi fired two shots at the police car before fleeing.
But unless one was a fool, everyone knew Chen Qiang had ordered it.
It just depended on whether the Yamen wanted to process Chen Qiang or not.
Under the current circumstances, the Yamen definitely didn't want to process Chen Qiang.
Because without Chen Qiang, who knows how many people in Liuxiang Town would dream of becoming the Big Brother? Today this one wants to handle that one, tomorrow that one wants to handle this one.
Who knows how many criminal cases would pop up from dawn to dusk? It was better to have Chen Qiang here to suppress things; at least it would be stable.
Chen Qiang flopped onto the seat of honor at the head table and cursed in a low voice, "Truly a bunch of insatiable vampires. What's the difference between them and leeches in a paddy field?"
After saying that, he looked at me with a gaze full of hidden meaning.
"Number Two, you seemed to be chatting quite well with that constable just now!"
I didn't understand what his look meant. I did chat a lot with Sir Niu, but I had no intention of curry favoring with him.
I simply didn't like him. I didn't like how he stood high above, occupying the moral high ground to suppress me.
Or to put it another way, I envied him. I envied how clean he was, that he didn't have to do those shady things like I did.
"Not at all, Big Brother. That little cop was just too annoying. If you don't believe me, ask the brothers. His mouth really stank."
The others in the courtyard chimed in, talking about how prickly the young cop's tone was.
Chen Qiang waved his hand impatiently, interrupting everyone. He said to me with deadly seriousness, "Number Two, if it were any other little cop, and you didn't like the look of him, provoking him wouldn't matter. But this little cop surnamed Niu—don't provoke him."
I paused, not knowing why Chen Qiang was lecturing me so seriously about this. I hadn't even thought about provoking Sir Niu.
I wished I could stay as far away from these cops as possible.
Chen Qiang pointed his finger at the sky and said mysteriously, "This little cop surnamed Niu, his father is the most powerful figure in the entire Qianchuan Province, aside from the Number One."
I was so scared I almost sat on the ground. The Number One is the Provincial Party Secretary. Who is the most powerful figure besides the Number One? The Governor?
Chen Qiang was extremely serious. "To us, a figure like that is a god (shenxian). He could blow a breath and blow us away until not even a hair remains. Number Two, don't mess around."
I wanted to slap myself a few times. Who knew this little cop had such a terrifying background?
Seeing that I was badly frightened, Chen Qiang walked over, patted my shoulder, and comforted me, "Don't worry too much. He'll be transferred to the provincial capital sooner or later. Coming to our Liuxiang Town is just to gild his resume at the grassroots level. If there's any conflict in the future, just avoid him."
I thought back carefully. Luckily, I hadn't said anything too excessive to Sir Niu just now, otherwise, I guess I could have gone straight to pick out a coffin.
While I was feeling unsettled, Mustache Yang arrived with Xu Rang.
Not just Xu Rang, but two other men I didn't know.
They carried a distinct aura about them, very different from the ordinary gangsters in the courtyard. These two walked with a swagger, as if carrying the wind.
There were seven guns in total that day. We had four on our side, and the other three must have been held by these two and the man who shot Liuzi.
These were Chen Qiang's true confidants. Fittingly, in the center of the courtyard, the table where Chen Qiang and I sat had exactly seven seats.
The man who shot Liuzi had definitely gone on the run to another region. The remaining six chairs were just enough.
Chen Qiang took the main seat. Then, circling from left to right, it was Mustache Yang, Xu Rang, me, and those two men I didn't know.
Chen Qiang beckoned the four of them to sit. The pork and mutton in the big cauldron were cooked, and basin after basin was brought to the table.
Chen Qiang picked up a large chunk of meat and took a ferocious bite in front of all of us.
"Are you hungry?"
No one answered. Chen Qiang asked again, "Are you hungry?"
But this time, Chen Qiang didn't intend for us to answer. After asking, he answered himself.
"I am very hungry. I'm starving! There used to be a guy named Liuzi who snatched rice from my bowl. He snatched for almost ten years, but he had bad luck and got beaten to death outside of town."
Chen Qiang gave a savage grin and took another vicious bite of the meat in his hand.
"So now, finally, no one is snatching my rice anymore. I can eat my fill."
"You are my brothers. If I, Chen Qiang, can eat my fill, you won't go hungry!"
Chen Qiang threw the meat he had bitten twice onto the table and casually wiped his hands on his clothes.
I can eat my fill, and you absolutely won't go hungry.
Chen Qiang's words lifted everyone's hearts, mine included.
"Xu Rang, from now on, the slot machine parlors in town belong to you. Hand over thirty percent of the monthly revenue to me; the rest is yours."
Xu Rang was still injured, and his face should have been pale, but right now it turned very rosy.
"Okay, thank you, Big Brother."
Why did we come out to hustle? Don't talk about bullshit brotherhood and loyalty. Anyone mixing in society does it for money.
Wealth moves people's hearts.
Now that we had made it and it was time to split the money, who wouldn't be happy?
After thanking Chen Qiang, Xu Rang poured a bowl of liquor and downed it in one go.
Chen Qiang lifted his wine bowl and took a small sip.
Then his gaze landed on me. "Number Two, as I said before, Liuzi's fish farm in the countryside is yours. Tomorrow I'll tell Xu Dawei to help you get the fish farm organized. From now on, you hand over forty percent of the fish farm's revenue to me every month; the rest is yours."
The revenue from the fish farm was much higher than the slot machine parlors. I had no objections to Chen Qiang taking forty percent.
As for Xu Dawei, he was one of the two men I hadn't met before.
Xu Dawei looked very strange; his eyebrows were connected together (unibrow), making him look hard to mess with.
Xu Dawei stood up and clinked cups with me. He looked fierce, but he spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
"Little Brother Shanhe, I'm Xu Dawei. Let's look out for each other in the future."
I had drunk a large bowl earlier, but at this moment, I still wanted to drink more.
I lifted my wine bowl, clinked it with Xu Dawei, and then raised it in a toast to Chen Qiang in the air.
"Thank you, Big Brother. In the future, if you have any business, just say the word, and I'll handle it for you!"
Chen Qiang laughed heartily and clinked his cup with me in the air. "Good, good! Number Two, you are truly good. You and I are brothers, brothers for a lifetime."
"Come, come, come, everyone raise your cups. Everyone raise your cups; you won't be left out either."
"We are brothers, brothers for a lifetime!"
"Brothers for a lifetime!"
"Brothers for a lifetime!"
...
This was the last moment of warmth between me and the Chen Qiang group. Until the "99 Liuxiang Town Gun Case" occurred, and I completely broke with Chen Qiang.
During those three years, Chen Qiang and I plotted against each other—harmonious on the surface but discordant in our hearts.
In the twelfth lunar month of 1995, drinking liquor and eating meat in Chen Qiang's courtyard was the closest I ever got to the Jianghu I had imagined.
And riding the rush of alcohol, I truly treated everyone present as my brothers.