The ropes binding Jiang Qingbo and the others were untied, and they quickly moved behind me. I handed the shotgun to Jiang Qingbo and the pistol to another man.
Jiang Qingbo's eyes were filled with disbelief.
People in the underworld all have the awareness that they might get handled one day.
He never expected that just when he thought his life was ending here, a man who had followed him for less than a month would dare to strap himself with explosives to come rescue him.
"Number Two, I won't say any other bullshit. As long as we make it back to Lincang alive today, whatever I have, you'll have. Whatever I don't have but you want, I'll find a way to get it for you."
Jiang Qingbo had taken quite a beating. His body was covered in wounds, and two fingers on his left hand had the skin and flesh completely rotted away, exposing the bone.
I didn't answer Jiang Qingbo. Instead, holding the detonator high, I slowly backed away, speaking as I retreated.
"Nobody move. I have twenty kilos (actually thirteen) of explosives on me. If my hand slips and sets it off, not even a chicken within fifty meters will survive."
The square-faced man stared at me darkly but still signaled his men not to move.
Just like that, leading Jiang Qingbo and the others, I retreated into the dense forest. Then I dismantled the explosives from my body, keeping only a small piece in my pocket.
The detonator in my hand was instantaneous; I couldn't throw it to detonate, so I had to discard it all.
These Vietnamese definitely wouldn't let this go. The five of us, carrying two guns, could only run for our lives.
After running for some distance, Jiang Qingbo grabbed me. "We can't run toward the border line. We're all injured; we can't outrun those Vietnamese."
I thought the same. I had trekked through the mountains for half a day, and Jiang Qingbo and the other three had been tortured half to death.
"Then what do we do?"
Jiang Qingbo's eyes darted around, and then he picked a direction away from the border line, leading us away.
Once those Vietnamese discovered I had discarded the explosives, they would definitely head straight for the border.
Lincang was Jiang Qingbo's base camp. A normal person, immediately after escaping danger, would definitely think of returning to the place they considered safest.
Jiang Qingbo deliberately did the opposite, leading us away from the border line.
But running like this wasn't a solution either.
Because people walking through the jungle definitely leave traces. Those Vietnamese, having lived in the jungle for a long time, would naturally discover them.
When they reached the border and didn't find us, they would get suspicious, come back to check, and then they'd be on our tail again.
The most fatal part was that we might be spotted by them just by changing direction, without even needing to reach the border.
Jiang Qingbo and the others were still injured. It wasn't like we could fight a guerrilla war with them in the jungle.
For the next two days, I lived in constant fear, not sleeping for a moment.
Of the people who went out with Jiang Qingbo on business, besides Liang Chuang, only three survived.
Their names were Wang Han, Cheng Shanglin, and Li Zuo.
Ever since I saved them, they had been calling me Second Brother. Jiang Qingbo pretended not to hear, as if silently approving this title.
Human nature is ugly. When everyone is exquisitely selfish, they always hope for someone righteous and selfless to appear by their side.
Such a person is worth opening your heart to; everyone wants a friend or brother like that.
Of course, the premise is that such a person won't harm your interests.
And when they faced a life-or-death crisis, I happened to appear in such a capacity.
Two and a half days later, the five of us looked like savages. Jiang Qingbo surveyed the surroundings. Although he didn't speak, I could clearly feel him heave a sigh of relief.
"Alright, no need to be afraid anymore. Those Vietnamese won't dare chase us here."
I looked around in confusion. To my eyes, this place was no different from the deep forest we were in before.
Jiang Qingbo hesitated for a moment, then said to Wang Han and the others, "You guys go take a piss over there. Running for these past few days, you must be tired."
Wang Han and the others understood; Jiang Qingbo wanted to tell me something they couldn't hear.
After they walked far away, Jiang Qingbo said, "This is Xu Biao's territory. Those Vietnamese won't dare chase us here."
I secretly rejoiced. Motherfucker, this elusive Xu Biao—had I finally caught his tail again?
But my face showed a look of displeasure. "Big Brother, don't screw me over. That son of a bitch Xu Biao has a temper bigger than a Bodhisattva. Just looking at his face requires killing a constable. I don't want to see him."
Jiang Qingbo laughed heartily, stood up, and pulled me to sit beside him. "Number Two, don't worry. If you don't want the blood of a yamen constable on your hands, your older brother won't let you get it on them."
This time he said "older brother," not "Big Brother."
Jiang Qingbo's face was full of emotion. "Number Two, I'll tell you the truth. Liang Chuang was my top lieutenant, and he left me and ran at the critical moment. Wang Han and those three had no choice; if they could have run, they would have run long ago."
"Times are different. Now everyone hustles for the word 'Money.' When I'm around, I can give them money, so they still recognize me as Big Brother. The minute I'm about to die, they won't recognize me as shit."
I nodded gently and said casually, "I don't care what others think. I treat you as my Big Brother."
Jiang Qingbo was very agitated. "Number Two, I know, I know. From now on, let's drop the Big Brother stuff. Your older brother owes you a life. Like I said, whatever I have, you have. Whatever I don't have but you want, I'll find a way to get it for you."
Jiang Qingbo paused, his expression becoming complicated. He sighed and said, "Little brother, you're still too young. Actually, you shouldn't have come."
Jiang Qingbo's words made me uneasy. Saying this proved that this society Big Brother was about to open his heart to me.
But from beginning to end, I had only thought about using this society Big Brother to contact that drug trafficker and present a pledge of loyalty to my protective umbrella, Sir Niu.
"Number Two, remember this from now on: loyalty and brotherhood in the underworld are all fake. You hustle for fame, and then use that fame to make money."
I nodded absentmindedly. "I know. But you're my Big Brother; I couldn't just leave you."
I saw a trace of emotion on this society Big Brother's face, and that emotion cut into my heart like a knife.
"Silly kid. In a bit, I'll let you know what business your brother does. I've thought it over. I'll do this for another five years. Once I have enough money, I'll take you abroad. We'll find a villa in Thailand and live like retired emperors."
"Number Two, hustling in society is a dead end. Who knows if you'll lose your head one day? Your brother doesn't want that for you. You're my Big Brother's only little brother, and you saved my life this time."
"Another five years. When the money is enough, I'll go back to Liu Xiang Town with you, handle that son of a bitch Chen Qiang to death, pick up our mom, and we'll go abroad together."
I sat beside him, my body stiff as a wooden figure.
Jiang Qingbo was a good Big Brother, but a good Big Brother isn't the kind of heidao boss who makes it to the top.
I believed everything he said. I believed he was sincere about taking me and my mother abroad to live a good life.
But he was already targeted by Sir Niu. Even if the drug trafficker wasn't caught in the end, the law would handle him.
And I, the person beside him, the one he dreamed of going abroad with, the one who just traded my life for his, the one he treated as a little brother...
Was thinking about how to scheme against him every single moment.
Hustling in society and walking the heidao path is a dirty game. And the fact that I could thrive in it and eventually rise to the top only proves one thing: I am an even dirtier player.