Chapter 20: with translation of title

Li Xin just put down the phone when it rang again.

"Boss, it's me."

This is his gunner team captain, Chen Chao.

Speaking of which, it's also a coincidence; this guy brought a bunch of Vietnam War veterans to Gangdao to make a living, hoping to earn the title of a ten-thousand-yuan household for his family.

Only after arriving in Gangdao did he realize it wasn't paradise either—bending over to pick up gold yielded nothing, and even if willing to work hard, he couldn't get paid.

In the end, they all drifted to Xi Gong!

What kind of place is Xi Gong?

It's not even as good as the New Territories! At least people born there have inheritance rights, and when they grow up they can have a house to live in.

Here there's nothing—just some broken fish and rotten shrimp that can't fetch a price; after Li Xin set up a seafood market, things improved a bit.

Just because of this small matter, the indigenous people of Xi Gong feel grateful to him, so even before election time, when the time comes, Li Xin will definitely be the undisputed choice for Xi Gong councilor.

Here there are no clans; they are villages formed spontaneously by former fishermen, so cohesion isn't that strong.

After Li Xin arrived: one, he didn't collect protection fees from them; two, when Xi Gong fishermen were bullied outside, Li Xin stood up for them; three, he built a department store in Xi Gong, allowing locals to be self-sufficient without going to the urban area.

Ah, Line: Qiuti this foolish woman once sold flowers in Xi Gong!

Who would buy them?

As mentioned before, Li Xin never bullies the poor; squeezing out a few bucks would only ruin his reputation.

Only the wealthy tycoons are the surefire path to riches.

Li Xin has only a superficial understanding of Mao's Selected Works; in his previous life as a company custodian, he had plenty of free time, this book was his favorite, and he never missed an episode of Professor Ai's lectures on the Selected Works, even watching some several times over.

He, Li Xin, has a little red heart.

Seek common ground while reserving differences, coexist peacefully, and thunderously sweep out the dens.

No matter who, if they pose a threat to him, either don't act, or if they act, they must be completely eliminated.

In Xi Gong, when there's nothing else to do, it's just these few things.

It's precisely because of these few things that in Xi Gong he can be called a local emperor, his status comparable to those village heads in the New Territories.

Old Huang has said before that the Xi Gong police station doesn't want to deal with him.

Is it that they're unwilling to deal with him?

No.

The Xi Gong police station can't afford to provoke Li Xin; by day they come to question him, and by night the station could go up in flames.

Fishermen aren't afraid of hardship or fatigue; they just fear not being able to earn money to support their families.

With Li Xin around, no fish merchant dares to bully them by deliberately pressing down prices, and no restaurant dares to order their catch then groundlessly claim the fish isn't fresh.

Besides taking out that. 38 to patrol the streets, what else can the police station do?

Nothing at all!

Actually, that's not right either—they can still cower and flee, getting beaten by AKs to the point their own mothers wouldn't recognize them!

Hell, they're still not as good as a dwarf mule!

Second Route Marshal—sounds impressive, but isn't he just a bigger dwarf mule?

These dozen or so people rashly charged into Xi Gong, and they can't even afford meal money!

Battle-hardened elite troops! How precious are they?

Domestically, just the discharged veterans number over a million!

If John Bull had that many treasures, the Falklands War wouldn't have ended up such a mess!

Xi Gong isn't the urban area; having a dozen or so strangers come in is too obvious.

When Li Xin heard those, with the big-chunk speech mixed with some sea-snail accent, his eyes welled up with hot tears—kinsfolk!

Heading south, past Shanhaiguan, when asked, they all say they're from the Northeast; the three Northeastern provinces never forget Mengdong—these are blood brothers.

He cheerfully settled the meal bill, leading his kinfolk to bathe, drink, hit the nightclub—it felt like finding home, especially the bragging after getting drunk.

Tears welling up!

Folks, who understands? It's exactly this flavor!

You guys blow, blow hard, love to hear it, like it, blow some more.

Hmm, this bunch is fierce when they brag, and even fiercer when they get into action.

After several moves, the Royal Hong Kong Police couldn't find a single hair.

Hah tui, trash!

"Chao, what's up?"

Li Xin leaned back in the boss's chair, legs on the desk, and asked casually.

"Boss, I have a dozen or so comrades who've come to Gangdao; I also met them today when I went to the urban area and followed Tianhong to look for someone."

"They currently have no steady income—could you give them a job?" Chen Chao asked somewhat nervously.

Boss Li Xin truly treats them well—he arranges for their families to be picked up, gives them housing, provides enough gold bullion, and as for work, needless to say, they just repair vehicles at the motor pool.

They have work to go out and do, plus bonuses.

But there's nothing we can do!

They're brothers who crawled out of the same trench—I've blocked bullets for you, you've taken knife blows for me; this bond is closer than some actual brothers.

He dares to watch his back with them, and vice versa.

"Just this? You arrange for them to be at the motor pool and that's it?"

On the other end of the phone, Chen Chao paused before speaking: "Boss, my comrade's mother is ill; back home they can't treat it, and they have no money for treatment.

That's why he brought his mother and some brothers to Gangdao, needing over a million in surgery fees; he wants to make a quick buck."

What he didn't say out loud was that he met those brothers near the gold shop; what they intend to do goes without saying.

Chen Chao also had no choice; his dozen or so comrades scraped together a few hundred thousand, but they were still short by nearly half, so he finally turned to Li Xin for help.

Li Xin didn't even pause: "First send the patient to Clear Mind Hospital; I'll cover the surgery fees, have their hospital handle the tissue match—anything else?"

What illness requires millions in medical expenses? It can only be a replacement part!

Chen Chao said with a choked voice: "Gone."

After hanging up, Li Xin didn't think much of it.

The money we give them may not be much, but it's steady enough to guarantee a family's food and clothing needs.

Among the people around Li Xin, none can get rich, but they can all ensure a comfortable life for their families—more comfortable than white‑collar workers—though we pay them only in cash.

Qiuti stood behind the chair, pressing her hands on Li Xin's temples, and asked, "Do you want to find a lawyer? If the film industry leaked the copies, could we sue them?"

"No need—have you forgotten what I do? In the office I can be Boss Li, but outside, what do they call me?"

If Li Xin today hires a lawyer to sue the film industry, tomorrow the twelve leaders of Prosperity could eat him alive!

Except for Tianhong, it's Jiang Tian Sheng who dares to move against his Big Brother—he'd even kill the Dragon Head.

People of the Gangdao underworld could laugh about this with Prosperity for half a year; half a year as a baseline, and if no bigger oddity shows up, this will be their chat material.

This isn't a legal issue; it's a matter of face.

A strange voice appeared at the doorway: "What do you call yourself? Prosperity's Second Route Marshal, Immortal Trust?"

Following the voice outward, Chen Yaoxing blocked the doorway, refusing to budge; the voice's owner was Inspector Li Xian of the Wan Chai Anti‑Triad Unit.

"Ah Xing, open the door, bring Officer Li in, and have someone pour a cup of tea," he said, without getting up, his right hand making a gesture to sit.

Li Xin's nonchalant attitude angered the young hothead behind Li Xian; a society member seeing the police inspector didn't even get up.

He came up to the desk full of vigor, holding up his credentials, and said, "Wan Chai Police Station Anti‑Triad Unit, Zhang Hao—stand up for questioning."

Li Xin didn't move a muscle, and the officer named Zhang Hao was completely thrown off.

Pointing at Li Xin, he shouted, "Stand up, stand up—I'm telling you to stand up!"