I vaguely remember the class leader asking the shop owner, who she was well acquainted with, to help get me on a taxi. Then she called my home and notified my father to come downstairs to pick me up. It was good that she was able to remember my home phone number from the class directory.
During the course of events, it seems the shop owner made a joke and it made Shu Sha blush. My dad also ridiculed me a bit since I was the one who came home drunk for the first time ever, but I don’t really remember what he said.
I was still thinking about getting revenge for brother Gang.
Although the five tiger punishment squad does not have high battle power, they do know a lot of people. I was planning on asking them to help me scout some information.
When I was looking for Xing Xing’s contact information, I saw the AmEx black card in my wallet along with commissioner Wang’s phone number.
I suddenly had a bright idea and gave a call to commissioner Wang.
After I confirmed that I could still receive their service, I asked him what kinds of requests can customers make.
“Mister Ye, we can help you with anything as long as it’s not illegal and you can pay for the costs.”
Thus I told commissioner Wang to go check out brother Gang’s injuries. I also told him to give brother Gang the best medical treatments possible, but I said don’t mention my name, just mention it’s insurance for previous 28 Middle students.
“Please leave it to me. We’ll use a genuine employee from the insurance company to prevent suspicions.” I could feel commissioner Wang’s confidence and smiling expression even through the phone, “As for the results of his treatment, I will give you a report after I get a general idea.”
Even though we can’t see each other, I still lowered my head by habit and put down the phone.
I felt extremely frustrated after being dependent on the card that Ai Mi lent me. I wanted to use my own abilities to help brother Gang.
In addition to the money I used to buy back the PS photos, I have used this ‘activity funds card’ for a lot of matters that have nothing to do with Ai Mi.
Although I wanted to pay the money back with my own abilities, where can a 14 year old with no abilities earn this much money?
Sigh, it’s pointless to worry. First, let’s take care of brother Gang’s situation, there might be a fierce battle ahead of us!
I called Xing Xing’s cellphone. When I told him I had something for him to do, his excited voice almost burst my eardrums.
“This time… This time, are your bringing us to hack someone up!”
I let him calm down first before I told him this task was extremely important. He was only allowed to make discreet inquires, and if he accidentally alerted the enemy, he should give me a heads up.
Xing Xing agreed after he heard my seriousness. He dispatched all his connections to help me find information on Tie Xian.
In the next two days, I couldn’t sit comfortably regardless if I was at school or at home. I didn’t even feel like dealing with the listening device that Xiao Qin hid in my home. When I was feeling bad, I would place the thermos that had the listening device hidden inside next to the TV. Then, I would switch to a channel that has a lot of commercials and turn the volume to max. It would give Xiao Qin a good taste of static noise.
I’m not sure if it was the static that messed up her cycle, but Xiao Qin soon took three days off for her dysmenorrhea. I was still worried about brother Gang and I felt like she deserved it, thus I, who was her boyfriend by name, neither called her nor visited.
I was waiting for someone to call me.
After two days and two nights, I was finally able to obtain some information from Xing Xing.
I’m not sure if I should be happy or disappointed, but Xing Xing told me: Tie Xian was not able to evade the police. He was caught and sent back to DongShan city, and now he’s in jail.
I was disappointed and frustrated that I could not avenge brother Gang with my own hands. I was also frustrated by the feeling of defeat after the police, who the class leader always believes in, captured Tie Xian.
In addition, I also heard the whole story of brother Gang’s tendons being cut. Every time I heard a new sentence, I would want to rush into the police station, grab Tie Xian out from behind the metal bars, and break his backbone.
As I expected, brother Gang was the same even after he entered high school. He always brought his left and right-hand men to go around and act chivalrous. A week ago, brother Gang found a female classmate from a neighboring class being harassed by a couple of hoodlums. Although he was alone at the time, he fought with the three hoodlums without the slightest bit of hesitation. He was able to knock down two of them, and the last one ran away.
It was the one who ran away that caused trouble.
Tie Xian was the regional boss, and he thought brother Gang was an annoyance long ago. Thus, he brought at least ten or more men to deal with him. They blocked brother Gang on his way home and he was heavily outnumbered. Finally, he was held down on the ground where they cut the tendons on his right hand.
Apparently, Tie Xian stood by and watched without lifting a finger. He even ordered the youngest member to go and cut his tendons, which meant: “It was to train his guts.”
Xing Xing also seemed to feel bad after guessing of my relationship with brother Gang.
“Brother Ye, you’re our boss, that means brother Gang is the boss of our boss… Sigh, what a pity! It wouldn’t be bad if it was to save his girlfriend, but I heard he didn’t even speak much with the girl he saved. Why bother?”
Although I also had the same thoughts, I did not want anyone else to badmouth brother Gang.
“Xing Xing, you have the guts to criticize the boss of your boss? Do you want to die? How can you comprehend brother Gang?”
To be honest, I can’t even comprehend him. If I said it in a good way, brother Gang would be a hero who stands up for what is right while disregarding his own body. If I said it in a bad way, he would be an idiot.
Damn, why I am losing sleep for an idiot? Why do I wish I was also fighting next to this idiot, even if I would have gotten my tendons cut?
Then, the phone rang without warning. I originally thought it was commissioner Wang reporting on brother Gang’s injuries. I never thought it was brother Gang who personally called me, and it made me panic a bit.
“Xiao Ye Zi, I’m leaving the underworld. (Jianghu)”
There was no resentment or unwillingness in his tone of voice. At most, there was some fond reminiscence of past memories.
“Brother Gang, you…” I could not organize my thoughts, and I didn’t know what to say in response.
Brother Gang realized something was amiss with my tone and he started to comfort me instead.
“Xiao Ye Zi, I heard you sent Li Lao’Er and Zhao GuangTou to the hospital. I also heard you sent people to investigate Tie Xian because you wanted to help me get revenge?”
I complained about how Xing Xing was not able to handle it in secret while denying his claim: “No! I only…”
“Don’t worry, I know everything.” Brother Gang’s deep voice had a special ability to calm someone’s heart, “Tie Xian was already caught. He committed some serious crimes, so of course, the police will take care of him, you don’t have to do anything.”
Brother Gang used to call the police as the po-po, is he really planning on leaving? Did he receive a big psychological shock after his tendons were cut?
Brother Gang even thoughtlessly pretended to be happy, “Hahaha, Xiao Ye Zi, you won’t expect this! The accidental injury insurance we got from 28 Middle is still effective! Some workers came in and moved me to a top-class patient room. The chief doctor even wrote up a treatment plan, and I took a lot of imported medicine and supplements! Aren’t they crazy? I already threw the insurance policy receipt a long time ago!”
That should have been because of commissioner Wang, right? As expected, commissioner Wang is different, he can actually keep it confidential unlike Xing Xing.
But, would it help? Tendons need to be immediately reconnected to be saved. If you pass the optimal time for surgery, the results won’t be good regardless of medical skill or how much money you spend.
“Haha, Xiao Ye Zi, lemme tell you a secret, don’t tell anyone else!” Brother Gang’s tone still showed that he was in a good mood which made me feel a bit strange.
“Actually, my tendons were never cut!”
“What?” I was shocked.
“It’s actually a bit embarrassing. Tie Xian surrounded me with his men, held me down, and told a brat to come and cut my tendons. You should know I’m pretty thick-skinned and conniving. It was that brat’s first time using a knife and he looked more scared than me. As a result, I started twitching and screaming as soon as the tip of the blade went in, so that trash was afraid of going any deeper…”
I still felt like brother Gang was intentionally trying to comfort me.
“If your tendons weren’t cut, why did Tie Xian tell everyone it was? Also, why are you leaving the underworld?”
I could almost see brother Gang scratching his head on the other end of the phone, “Well, it felt like it was cut. Anyway, the doctor told me after it was connected that it would be restored to 80% of its original state, and I won’t be crippled.”
I was slowly submerged by more sadness, “Brother Gang, you lied. It was clearly cut, but it was reconnected. Why did you tell me it was never cut? Also, I heard it was because you helped a complete stranger, was it worth it? She wasn’t even your girlfriend!”
I felt a bit of regret after asking that question. Brother Gang was already hurt, why did I have to throw salt in his wounds? I couldn’t help it and punched myself on the leg.
But, not only was brother Gang not angry, he became coy:
“Um, Xiao Ye Zi, she indeed was not my girlfriend at the time, I didn’t even know her name. But…. Now…”
Eh? What? What do you mean? Don’t leave out important words! Are you saying the girl was touched because you sacrificed your hand for a stranger, so she became your girlfriend?
I stood there holding the phone for quite a while. I was not sure if I should say congratulations or hope you give birth to a son soon.
“That’s why, if we meet in the future, you should call her sis.” After his reveal, he became shameless again, “As for why I’m leaving, it actually has nothing to do with my cut tendons. I’m a rough person, so even if I regained 120% of the original state in my fingers, I still wouldn’t be able to play the piano. But if its 80%, I can still punch just as hard as I did before! As for why I have to leave, it’s because your sis doesn’t want to see me fight anymore…”
So, you were pressured by a girl? Why do you sound helpless but also in bliss! Is it fine if no one calls you boss after you get a girlfriend?
I could not help but feel like I wasted my efforts.
Next, we chatted about a whole array of subjects. For the first time ever, we even talked about life and ideals, but it was probably force fed to him by his girlfriend. I feel deep regret about a manly man degenerating into a henpecked male.
Finally, brother Gang told me he has a date with his girlfriend on the weekend, so he can’t chat for too long. He also urged me to fight less, he thought he was an idiot for fighting a lot back then.
So, you know you’re an idiot! You left me a lot of fighting equipment like a fool! You even told me to inherit an embarrassing position called ’28 Middle Campus Boss’! Now that you’ve reached enlightenment and got a girlfriend, can you even face the brothers that have been worried for you all this time?
Damn it, you better be happy! After turning into a henpecked male, you don’t have the rights to continue your legacy. You might as well resign quietly and enjoy the shameless two person world with sis!
I stood still for a while after hanging up. I never thought brother Gang would be able to free himself from the carnage of the underworld and feel gratified.
Does the class leader feel the same way, hoping I could steer myself back onto the right path?
Suddenly, I realized that brother Gang saving sis from hoodlums was similar to me protecting the class leader a few days ago. And sis wants brother Gang to leave the underworld, while the class leader urged me to apply for the police academy.
But I’m probably overthinking it. The class leader only wants to fulfill her duties as a leader. She does not want anyone to drop from her own group, and she has no reason to like me.
Even if she does like me, I can’t be with her.
I think she would be the same as brother Gang’s girlfriend. She would persist until she turns her boyfriend into a henpecked male.
I can never accept that as a man no matter what.