Da Ge

SIUdiwDhzsFwjkoTable of Contents

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
Wei Qian once fantasized that one day, a journalist would discover him and his younger siblings living like dogs in such an old tube building. Then, the journalist would snap a few photos, pen a headline that reads, “Ambitious youth works to support siblings, tender shoulders bearing the weight of a family,” stirring tears with such a nauseating title, leading to government agencies providing financial assistance and various wealthy donors contributing to their cause. All he’d need to do is appear on TV, holding a giant check for a photo op.YYvCapJQyywgRsGYnBssJftntNKTvG

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However, TV still broadcasts stories about “impoverished college students,” “impoverished middle school students,” “impoverished elementary students,” yet none of these stories ever featured Wei Qian and his family.bFAduFRTUkyPPGAngIqpiPrhUyrRRf

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Perhaps in those days, the poor were too numerous, and appearing on TV required a queue system, much like the later system for car purchasing.ncegFwSjRTATxqLjzOUblowVVoojfa

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With the end of the term approaching, the weather turned increasingly cold. Leaving home in the dark of the early morning, Wei Qian rode his second-hand bicycle, braving the starry sky.WYTeHGDsMeuwuTcjiiQdjyGvLsIqUr

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Lacking gloves, his hands were nearly numb from the cold by the time he arrived at school, forcing him to lower his head and rub his hands briskly as he hurried upstairs.yBiPtxysRdbxbXYZwrnbpzSjTZYOli

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That day, as he was going up, he happened to meet his class teacher, a middle-aged woman named Ms. Li, who was exceptionally kind to him. For a student like Wei Qian, who was serious about his studies, performed well, and maintained a low profile without causing trouble, especially if he happened to be somewhat spirited-looking and the teacher was female, it was almost a given that he would be especially favored at school.FEFwmuTyiYlMbyJUkexGzNjFGgGkfY

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Ms. Li called out to him, “Hey, perfect timing, young man, come over and help me carry some things!”necIfBcSSCaAUrmwsfMrBpvzxmYYhp

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Wei Qian helped her collect the school’s newly distributed twenty kilograms of rice and two cans of oil, carrying them all the way to her office. Ms. Li, with a beaming smile, asked him, “Have you had breakfast?”oDOQUQkzHeuphitpXlYGGvoALQfhkF

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Wei Qian paused for a moment, then shook his head.jtkkOSnDzPZexBnLcRFoMKssrnYBEG

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Ms. Li pulled out a piece of bread and a sausage from under her desk and handed them to him, “Slept in this morning, huh? Take these and eat.”bJjarqVXmTgKnljKbhdQIcziacAYhw

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Wei Qian smiled awkwardly, accepted them, and expressed his thanks.VhzsaFdQDsuNYgHiofoqNpeSoixMwW

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Ms. Li was unaware of his family situation. At that time, high school kids all wore uniforms, and aside from a few who took particular care with their cleanliness, the boys were generally unkempt and disheveled, unable to tell the difference between a branded bag and one bought from a street stall, both stuffed to the brim, losing their original shapes. They would ask for an empty potato chip can from the girls, rinse it, poke it onto the table, and it became a pen holder.eIxmJVRrtTPpBVDGFFupicaFQlWmhW

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Back then, there was an unexpected level of equality among people; a quick glance wouldn’t reveal which one was the mayor’s son and which was the orphan struggling to get by on odd jobs.cxrlrvmVxGVEiefPTMdAWwJJBZnYAw

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At the start of the school year, there was a family situation survey form that included a section for parents’ places of employment. Wei Qian stared at that blank space for a long time before eventually making up something and writing “self-employed”…xUfRuoPVsUpgjVYdVCMFhsgcYkwcFa

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After all, no one asked him whether it was a living or non-living entity.vpfBvqDSHkDJolCYkKjHmqMaSvSUiw

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Ms. Li tiptoed to pat his shoulder, instructing, “Go on now, it’s Monday today, you’ve prepared for the flag-raising speech, right? Go back and review it a couple more times, don’t forget your lines later.”AtLmqxYbEjZIZibTAMfOCwwieAnRzO

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The tradition of students from each class taking turns to speak at the flag-raising ceremony was an old one at the school. Before stepping onto the podium, Wei Qian instinctively straightened his back—not out of nervousness, but because he had been hit with a stick during a scuffle the night before. When he got up in the morning, he found a large bruise on his back that was quite painful.PIZroAIiAvaMoTEVWmSzFyBXtLzjNG

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Wei Qian delivered his speech off-script, smoothly articulating his dreams and the main theme, and as usual, was met with perfunctory applause from his classmates, who were barely stifling yawns.rgouqlHhjMRNKMDCIGGDdDjkOdDnoy

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Wei Qian smiled lightly, then took two steps back, handing the microphone over to the host.tuzcdMDMTrYxnrbgNxrJrDeZDwseeK

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As he was about to leave the stage, Wei Qian stood for one last moment on the high podium, taking in a panoramic view of the campus—fKYmKLggZffEUYvMowfzMpAfoDWGHn

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A row of ginkgo trees, their yellow leaves nearly all fallen, the four-hundred-meter standard track field, the red-brick teaching buildings, those naive students in uniforms… and the several large cherry blossom trees in front of the teaching building. It’s said they were a hybrid of southern cherry trees and local species, which in spring, would shower down petals thick enough to bury one’s feet. Sadly, having enrolled in autumn, Wei Qian had yet to witness this.EtPAGtZtUSplyeIpSnYSeDRHaRhrfC

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It was as if Wei Qian wanted to etch every detail into his memory, then he turned around and, without looking back, descended the stone steps from the podium.svLSxAsVDVgZtUyPRRqmdYrAypTGIk

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Before everyone dispersed, he returned to his classroom, quickly gathered his belongings, picked up the dropout application he had written in advance, and headed towards the administrative office.JntCWtFnDhESRTItRaADdlPlQFQAPO

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The director of studies, unaware of the students’ individual circumstances, asked routinely for the reason. Wei Qian didn’t want to portray himself as a poverty-stricken child unable to afford education—speaking out wouldn’t change anything. The school, out of sympathy, might struggle to provide him with a scholarship, but his main issue wasn’t the scholarship. He needed more money or more time to earn money to support his family.YXsLUrxXKXPrwEGKXgBiJAHZJESdkW

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Why expose his fragile self-esteem to public scrutiny if it wouldn’t solve the problem?tNLyWuOIiqlvIveZLyiXAMtSiVWhGb

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Thus, Wei Qian, afflicted with a teenage bout of melodrama, simply explained in a downplayed manner that his family was moving away, and he could no longer continue his studies here.LfhEUQdmVrcNAywkeeGvdIFXjYsJDy

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Leaving the administrative office, he passed by the basketball court where the sports-specialty students were training. A ball flew towards him, and he deftly caught it, whistled, and threw it back. A boy on the field waved at him from a distance, shouting, “Thanks, bro!”UrFITNNinjfVNoKiRAunQRlNJTxKyk

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Wei Qian smiled back, but his smile quickly turned dry, and he didn’t linger any longer, swiftly walking away with his head down.FQtQgKQmJoZfdljnxWSYOmpnfnaBbr

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Wei Qian took his heavy backpack to a nearby scrap collector, emptied out all the books and papers from his bag, and sold them for one yuan and twenty cents. Adding eighty cents from his own pocket, he bought a carnation with the two yuan. While Ms. Li was teaching, he sneaked into her office, placed the flower on her desk, and then left the school with his now empty backpack.NattJbfaSlxYcbeXddTschweOFoxdS

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Riding his bicycle home, the breakfast vendor, Ma Zi, and her child were still not done for the day. Seeing Wei Qian, Ma Zi asked in surprise, “Qi—Ye—Wei Qian, you, you why come back? Forget, for-for-forget something…”RzHzwOseMvktOtBfxIsBHMuhcPkVSK

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Wei Qian dismounted from his bicycle, slinging his empty backpack over his shoulder, and calmly interrupted, “No, Ma Zi, I’m not studying anymore.”yYKvLfWWWpHveTkxBISIxValAnZmzV

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Ma Zi seemed unable to grasp what he meant at first, repeating dumbfoundedly, “Not… not studying anymore?”jckpcinYfQxnWGLDtgVHsriRUrJaBP

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Wei Qian confirmed, “Yeah, I’ve dropped out.”NfvKoitcBBTMibpjzSaYazeDKWxHwi

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Ma Zi’s reactions were always slow, possibly due to some mental challenges. Wei Qian sometimes wondered if slapping him would result in a delayed reaction to the pain.TCKFimiRtrtomCcaABidOvjGwukRVS

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Standing there bewildered, Ma Zi’s face, a collection of big and small lumps, turned as red as a piece of glowing charcoal, his chest heaving violently. After a moment, his eyes filled with tears.UShObqTKmuaBqkBLRYvLmSZjgIUiRn

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Then, Ma Zi lunged at him, pushing forcefully against Wei Qian’s chest, causing Wei Qian to stagger and the bicycle to fall and its wheels to spin slowly.csiXtAvXVtkWRqUDLbOoMMHfYBZUeo

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Ma Zi opened his mouth, crying out incoherently, the more he tried to speak, the more choked up he became, his face turning red and his neck bulging until, unable to contain himself any longer, he burst into loud, piercing cries. Though his speech was unclear, he possessed a remarkably strong ability to wail.PYkaChACEmeBqKXSqaOxUDmQepXcGf

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Wei Qian felt a tightness in his chest, as if it were about to explode.kYaPcTActzFGpkTkHNIsmplnhnvDPy

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Perhaps in the grand scheme of his life, dropping out of school might not seem like a big deal, but for a young man who had diligently pursued his studies, hoping it would change his fate, dropping out felt like the crumbling of a precarious support that had been holding up his sky.NxcsmFQYDHeJCJhpfEcLXNDyhyxBgR

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Yet, even as his world seemed to collapse, Wei Qian had no desire to stand in the middle of the road with Ma Zi, weeping and creating a spectacle.oYBFAnNwaBPmfwevXpgEsgDqervqzV

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So, Wei Qian simply bent down, using the act of picking up his bicycle as a cover for the fleeting expression of distress on his face. Then, he looked up at Ma Zi and forced a dismissive, even scornful smile, “Why the hell are you crying? Idiot, I’m not dead. So what if I dropped out? You guys didn’t go to school either, right? What’s the big deal? Is it worth all this fuss?”VPTqdEfjrdATCuuXxvphdMGQmheoCr

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Ma Zi’s crying intensified, his voice raw with emotion, beyond consolation.EWsFueKvPFfZMwvIkkNDMBqdirErvi

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Finding himself at a loss for words, Wei Qian stood a few steps away from Ma Zi, his old canvas backpack slung over his shoulder, watching his foolish brother wipe away tears with his hand.IOPVpOuPmsjqNYFWtnEGtQVZwXhUyJ

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The harsh, dry wind of winter mixed with the salt of tears opened the cracked wounds on Ma Zi’s hands, revealing the young, bloody flesh underneath.jLrBBjJIBjTyrxSIGpUoZyigfgVLPz

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This long winter began with the bear-like sobbing of a fried-dough seller’s little brother.IpTelvfiINtiuJgVZeLhYFNOqQIkVU

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Wei Qian embarked on his career as a professional thug, becoming an obscure enforcer under Le Ge.YpEIVCHvGmfqcnuadZGznbmEIvDPYM

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At fourteen or fifteen, he was just starting to grow tall, his flesh yet to fill out his bones, his face still bearing traces of youth. He watched over Le Ge’s territory in silence every day, having nothing in common with the men who couldn’t speak three sentences without mentioning women, yet in fights, he was always fiercer than the rest, harboring an inexplicable anger inside him.bDgizDuJhzbjOCcyqXHCiBHfFihbQk

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Le Ge was initially very disappointed with this, as he had high hopes for Wei Qian. He had planned to send Wei Qian to college to study law or finance, thinking ahead that his own shady dealings couldn’t always remain hidden. To succeed and gain respectability, he needed someone clever who could navigate legal loopholes and cook the books, someone completely trustworthy, and Wei Qian fit the bill perfectly.FuEiDbQwmAmBtyVSDjKkExgZinufeF

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Le Ge had already mapped out a grand plan in his mind, assigning roles to everyone, but he never expected that Wei Qian, on whom he had placed so much hope, would turn out to be such a disappointment, dropping out of high school and abandoning his studies.PtPnjemXhDNGOPKBEkdUKcKIeiieoO

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For a while, Le Ge stopped paying attention to Wei Qian, considering him useless.ntOgZeASdKVaGmUBMqsJxnAuKcGrCe

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However, to his surprise, after a year of silence, the kid made a name for himself.LdhqRanuyYoMQmRevqDuKoWLKwMXjY

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Wei Qian, still a teenager, couldn’t physically match a full-grown adult, so he didn’t have an advantage in the “physical labor” of being an enforcer. Le Ge didn’t value him much and usually only had him on duty during the day. Le Ge’s entertainment venue, essentially a nightclub, was just an ordinary restaurant during the day and only revealed its main attractions at night.NfFMrujkJdIfIFXYrNASjKdytvhjQb

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Trouble usually happened at night, which is a common understanding in the industry.DDqnzOgrKfFrNzVTMKJzYbZmTWZHaZ

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Unexpectedly, in the rogue trade, there are incompetents and those who disregard professional ethics—some individuals from another entertainment city in the same town, backed by a wealthy and bold boss who wanted to challenge Le Ge’s territory. Unable to act locally, the boss sent his minions to do the job.BDMvVZRDxFGRcKsBlkgYoSPXZebhrS

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One of these minions was a remarkable character, embodying cowardice, short-sightedness, and shamelessness, useless to a rare degree.FyxOlhSAhQxlXIgcQNXqhYRfNwMOUI

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After some thought, this person decided that a nighttime confrontation might be unsuccessful, fearing entry without the ability to leave, yet not daring to disobey the boss’s orders. So, he innovatively decided to cause trouble at the nightclub in broad daylight.OARPjhZsFEbZbOIkrsNIkVhQtxplbr

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The group consisted of over a dozen burly men, strong in appearance but weak in reality, who arrogantly arrived at the sparsely staffed nightclub to cause a scene.utBdBbFOIiVPURqzLUxYetdqsdKoVS

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During the day, those watching over the place were either officially hired security guards or young individuals like Wei Qian, kept by Le Ge more for show than effectiveness. They could look the part, but their ability to act was questionable.UYvsjpFZeOJMMnLscholKFUatoocux

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Seeing the imposing demeanor of the intruders, nobody dared to stop them as they barged in.DMuphQkdtQmYxkkbHbhcMIIJgBQPwU

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The leader, with an air of troublemaking, sat down in the hall, loudly using obscene language and harassing the waitresses. Broken bottles littered the floor, scaring away the few dining customers.poovfmudgQQpDDQMWrVqavxSpMSNHb

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The lobby manager frowned, quietly instructed his subordinates to call Le Ge.zRlPvohNbdbyMfMejETyxiDMfOlZOq

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Before the subordinate could act, Wei Qian, dressed in the nightclub’s uniform, approached with an expressionless face. One of the troublemakers, mistaking him for a small-time security guard attempting to stop them, grabbed his collar, not taking him seriously at all: “Call your boss here, smart kid don’t be a cannon…”jWiOZlqWmjprMcNaNucLTWCdXlpdAj

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He couldn’t finish saying “fodder” before his tone abruptly changed, letting out a sharp scream, hastily releasing Wei Qian and stumbling back several steps, his face showing terror.KTvqauCMNmkMrRBFmEyfNNcfyJVIVg

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A large gash appeared on his chest, from which blood spurted like a fountain. Only then did people notice the large butcher knife in Wei Qian’s hand, typically used for chopping bones in the kitchen.NOKaNSmujrBdVdRvaDRiKDLcoVHIcx

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Wei Qian, merciless in his attack, didn’t even bother to wipe his face after slashing. Holding the knife in one hand and picking up a broken wine bottle with the other, he charged like avenging a father’s death, engaging in close combat without warning or words.RqcqDtSXTUHtJvBDxOXAIFCqBxvKQF

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There’s a saying, “The reckless fear the bold, and the bold fear those who are fearless.” These individuals chose a quiet daytime to cause trouble, indicating they were not inherently bold.iJFCbEqDHPUQTmfzsEHXPhApVNGqVB

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Thus, a dozen men were taken down by a single fearless individual, his astounding actions turning into legend.zunfvXtVMXGYfbgqrzVnwoSkrqWmVd

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By the time Le Ge hurried over with his people, hearing of the incident, the confrontation had ended, leaving only blood and spilled drinks on the floor.XwRnrwzlgFKkZlhTsVtNCkTPkHCsXu

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The blood-drenched teenager, now only in a white tank top, sat on a sofa, extending his arm for San Pang, who arrived upon hearing the news, to shakily remove glass shards from his arm. His hand hung unnaturally, indicating a possible dislocation or fracture.wyqtooJyrgjWigWbtMBhFrswtEyxSQ

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Yet, he seemed oblivious to the pain, silent, not even sparing a glance, focused solely on smoking a cigarette with his head bowed.emHBWUbrTzTIUoiXkPmRoDREiSKIbS

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