Chapter 775: with translation of chapter title

Zhao Xiaoguo was acting as our guide; we sometimes went into the sewers, sometimes took small lanes,

Sometimes we passed through residential neighborhoods.

Finally, as dawn approached, we reached Yangquan Hutong.

After arriving, I discovered that countless bars around Yangquan Hutong were still open.

Many young rich second generations, with beautiful girls in their arms, came out of the bars,

They were all drunk to the point of stupor.

Then they looked for a hotel to rest.

This is their life.

The area around Yangquan Hutong has now become a famous bar street; no matter winter or summer, countless people leisurely spend time here.

So comparing people makes people angry enough to die.

Some people struggle to make a living, while others live like emperors.

Zhao Xiaoguo somehow got hold of some grilled meat skewers, he grabbed a big handful and handed them to me,

"Brother, have some. In Sijiucheng you won't starve. People here are too rich, too wasteful.

"Look at these skewers—nobody even takes a bite before throwing them in the trash."

It turned out Zhao Xiaoguo had picked them from the trash.

I was also starving, having been busy all night,

I didn't bother with anything else, picked up the skewers and started eating.

"Brother, want something to drink?" Zhao Xiaoguo asked.

I shook my head,

"I won't drink; if I drink I easily get sleepy, and I can't sleep right now."

"Brother, I was saying, big or small, when it comes up it's settled.

"Sigh, everyone has their own fate; if Brother Shi Yong's fate is strong, he'll be fine, but if his fate is weak, we can't save him either.

"Besides, you're only thinking about saving him now; it's easy to make a mistake—maybe Wen Han is already preparing to use Shi Yong as bait to lure you in.

"My suggestion is that we put this matter aside for now.

"I'll go get some alcohol, we'll drink it, and I'll take you somewhere to sleep.

"After we've rested.

"Then we'll gather more information." Zhao Xiaoguo advised me.

"Xiaoguo, what you say makes sense. But here you have no one watching over you." I asked Zhao Xiaoguo.

"I'm never short of people. Brother, rest assured—I'll call a few guys over shortly.

"Besides, if we're not careful, our identities will be exposed."

"All right, you arrange the people—I'm exhausted and really want to sleep." I said, yawning.

Zhao Xiaoguo then crouched low and quickly went to a bar's doorstep, picking up several bottles of Heineken that hadn't been finished.

The bars here all like to drink Heineken, and it's the small bottles.

They sell for a very high price.

I said Zhao Xiaoguo is willing to live here—truly no worries about food or drink.

I took the beer, tipped my head back and drank it, then ate the skewers in big bites.

Zhao Xiaoguo said: "Brother, living here is damn comfortable.

"You know, here it's easy to get money—especially at night, when you only see a man and a woman come out,

"If you step up to them and reach out, they're all face-conscious people, deliberately showing off in front of the woman,

"A single gesture nets several hundred yuan." Zhao Xiaoguo finished saying that and downed half a bottle of beer.

"When will the people you called arrive?" I asked.

"Soon, because they can't get up early.

"Right now is their sleeping time. I told them I'd pay overtime, so they came out to work." Zhao Xiaoguo said proudly.

"How many people do you have under you?"

"Before there were over ten people; now there are over sixty individuals.

"I take a cut from each person's earnings; the money they demand must give me 50%, which I then turn over; otherwise they wouldn't want to stay here. Actually they only end up with half." Zhao Xiaoguo said.

It seems exploitation exists everywhere, even among beggars.

"So you must have quite a bit of money, right?" I asked.

"I have several hundred thousand, brother, but this money I can't move for now,

"It's in the boss's hands; when I go back to my hometown and never come back to Sijiucheng to do this line of work, he'll give it to me." Zhao Xiaoguo said while eating the skewers.

I was about to ask something else when two disheveled people suddenly appeared beside Zhao Xiaoguo,

One of them obviously limped when walking.

Zhao Xiaoguo looked at the two people,

"Xiao Yan, Xiao Wu, I've told you many times—don't operate on other people's turf. This time I've assigned you the task of monitoring that entertainment hall here."

Zhao Xiaoguo pointed with his hand at the entertainment hall in Yangquan Hutong.

When Zhao Xiaoguo said the name Xiao Yan,

I suddenly recalled that there was a Xiao Yan who used to be with Wen Han; could it be him?

At that time he was seriously injured while protecting Xiao Fang and Shen Honghong.

He had been hiding in the hospital for treatment; I had even gone to the hospital to see him.

How did he end up doing this line of work?

Is it that much of a coincidence,

I hurriedly examined the lame man called Xiao Yan.

His face was covered in dirt, and his hair was a tangled bird's nest.

He wore a red down jacket picked up from somewhere unknown.

But when he looked at me, he actually avoided my gaze.

Since it wasn't fully light yet, I couldn't clearly confirm whether it was Xiao Yan.

I grabbed this person called Xiao Yan,

Then I brought him under the streetlight,

I carefully examined his face,

Although his face was dirty, I could still make out his features,

Indeed it was Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan then also recognized me, and said somewhat embarrassedly,

"Mr. Zhao, I never expected to meet you again here."

"Xiao Yan, is it really you? Back then, during your hospitalization, did you plan to return home to recuperate?" I asked.

Xiao Yan lowered his head and said: "Mr. Zhao, it's a long story; my body has suffered severe injury, turning me into a cripple. Although my life was saved, I cannot live on my own,

I asked Wen Han to let me return home to live, wanting several hundred thousand as settlement funds, but he only gave me ten thousand yuan.

Then he drove me away.

"Mr. Zhao, I worked my life for him, yet in the end he only gave me ten thousand yuan to let me go home and live."

What can ten thousand yuan do?

I have a disability.

Alas, even if I go back, there's no way to make a living.

I wanted to ask Wen Han for more money, but I never expected he would send people to beat me to death.

I was so scared I dared not ask him for money again.

Then I drifted into Sijiucheng, and I quickly spent the ten thousand yuan.

I had no choice but to wait for death on the streets.

Fortunately I met Zhaodage; he saw my physical condition was just right for this line of work, so he let me follow him.

"In Sijiucheng I make a living by begging on the streets." After saying this, Xiao Yan burst into tears.

Watching Xiao Yan's tears flow, I believed everything he said was true.

I never expected Wen Han to be so ruthless,

For Xiao Yan, who had followed him, exerted effort, and risked his life,

He should be well taken care of. After all, Xiao Yan is very loyal to him.

But Xiao Yan's body is severely damaged, and to Wen Han he is already useless.

How could he support a cripple, no matter how much effort that person had previously put in for him?

He certainly does not lack subordinates.

In the end he gave Xiao Yan ten thousand yuan.

Ten thousand yuan is truly not enough for Wen Han's expenses for a single night.

Alas, in the eyes of the rich,

someone like Xiao Yan is simply worthless.

"Xiao Yan brother, I never expected your ending to be like this."

"Wen Han is inhuman; he actually treated you like this."

"If I had known earlier, I really should have brought you back to Zaocheng; I could have just taken care of you." I said sympathetically while looking at Xiao Yan.

"Mr. Zhao, I can't go with you; Wen Han simply won't trust you, you take me with you. He would immediately turn against us. Forget it, that's all in the past."

"Mr. Zhao, how come you're here?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.