Epiphanies of Rebirth (重生之豁然)

Chapter 6

However, in his impression, these gangs were small fries, satisfied with collecting protection fees and owning a disco or games room. Things continued like that until an outside force appeared in 1998—only then did Liyun Town learn the real underworld. Compared with them, the local "mafia" was like a flock of herbivores and was swallowed clean in less than a week. Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang's gang disappeared just like that.

He pondered as they walked when something suddenly attracted his attention, and he looked back. The red-haired man in a leather jacket walking some distance behind them was caught unaware and didn't manage to look away in time.

The man kept close to the wall, trying to be un.o.btrusive. Realizing he had been noticed, he pretended to act—poorly—as if nothing was wrong, and hid in the crowd. He had "I'm not a respectable person" written all over him—he seemed to be a low-ranked gang member.

Deng Mai's warning flashed through his mind: Jiang Run said he's gonna ask his 'big brothers' to teach you a lesson.

A plan hatching in his mind, Lin Jingzhe calmly kicked away a stone under foot.

The easternmost stall of the night market was a large food stall; the fragrance of its fried noodles spread through the whole street. They hadn't reached it yet when they heard a loud, excited voice calling them: "Jingzhe! Gao Sheng! Here! This way!"

Lin Jingzhe looked up, and the expression in his eyes became deep upon seeing his old friend. On the street not far from the food stall, there stood two round, plastic tables packed with people. The long-not-seen, still childish-looking Zhou Haitang stood among them, jumping and waving.

Lin Jingzhe's hands clenched in his pockets, moist with sweat. He kept recalling the prematurely aged Zhou Haitang he visited in prison in his previous life and wanted to bash this youthful, cheery face in.

You f.u.c.king idiot, of all stupid things, you just had to get involved with the f.u.c.king underworld!

He took a few deep breaths to repress the violent impulse.

Gao Sheng had already run over. However, apparently in awe of the "big boss," he abruptly slowed down before crossing the food stall's gate, and his steps became cautious.

Zhou Haitang took upon himself to break the ice: "Let me introduce you. This is Big Brother Xu Liang, the number one man in Eastern Earthquake Gang! Brother Xu, these are my good friends, Gao Sheng and Lin Jingzhe—I mentioned them to you, please take care of them from now on."

Xu Liang was tall and fat, looking about 220 pounds; the plastic chair almost collapsed under him. He had a high, shiny forehead, afflicted with seborrheic dermat.i.tis, and a brutish face. Though it was a cold spring evening, he only wore a low-cut jacket under a big, undone coat, revealing the tiger's head tattoo in the middle of his chest. A single glance was enough to see he was not an upright citizen.

For a former "reformed-through-labor" prisoner, he really could bluff.

When Gao Sheng saw the tiger's head, he immediately greeted him respectfully: "Brother Xu."

What power and prestige! He eyed the people sitting at the two tables, who were obviously Brother Xu's men, and was filled with reverence. Red and yellow-haired men, wearing leather and denim jackets... These people were obviously from a different world than him. Eastern Earthquake Gang—with such a domineering name, they must be an existence that calls the wind and summons the rain in Liyun Town. If he could become a member of such an organization, would anyone dare to bully Hu Yu again?!

Xu Liang let out a deep hum and raised his eyelids to glance at Gao Sheng, then his gaze swept over Lin Jingzhe, who followed behind.

Lin Jingzhe looked him up and down with an ambiguous expression. The corners of his mouth twitched. "Brother Xu," he said.