Chapter 1303: Don't do anything with a guilty conscience

"Still empty—"

"If you can't catch anything, don't force it—"

On a weekend morning, Li Xuewu took his daughter and son to the big lake for a stroll and met Old Zhang again.

Li Shu had long been familiar with Grandpa Zhang and shouted 'Grandpa' in a milky voice, then went to rummage through his fish basket.

Look if you want, but at least give the person some face.

Li Shu was still small and didn't understand, blurting out the truth.

Old Zhang wasn't angry that the child was small and didn't understand; it was that the child's father didn't understand either. What do you mean 'if you can't catch anything, don't force it'!

I've already baited the spot with more than a bag of rice bran, and now you tell me not to force it?

Then what is my rice bran for?

Feeding the fish!

Old Zhang saw the bad kid's team expand, one baby becoming two, and his eyes almost rolled out to the white clouds in the sky.

"Is that how you plan to teach your daughter and son to speak?"

He was very patient with Li Shu and Li Ning; the two children squatted by the pool watching him, and he liked them.

He liked the children, but didn't like the children's father; Old Zhang had a problem.

"I can't teach them to lie when they are so young, right?"

Li Xuewu was also in a devil-may-care manner, squatting behind his son and daughter.

Big undershirt, big shorts, sandals; he looked even more unrestrained than Old Zhang; those who didn't know would think he was the grandfather.

"Hey, Master Zhang, let me ask you a question," he tilted his head, letting the sunlight sprinkle on his hair, dazzling in colorful black, "Does our Haiyuncang have this tradition, or has it encountered something?"

Li Xuewu looked back at the residential area behind him and asked, "Why don't the households move around and contact each other?"

"Contact who? Who contacts?"

Old Zhang wasn't surprised by his question, shook his head slightly, and said, "I say I know quite a few residents and often meet them; do you believe me?"

"Then I believe it; who on this street is as idle as you—"

"Tsk—" Old Zhang hadn't finished his sentence when Li Xuewu poked his lung, almost choking him to death, "Idle and idle have differences."

He glanced at Li Xuewu and said, "I am enjoying the remaining life, so time passes slowly, and I am kind to others."

"And you? Hehe—"

"Me? What about me?"

Li Xuewu looked at him curiously and said, "I admit I'm busy with work, but the time I spend at home isn't short."

"I go home almost every day after work, but I haven't seen any neighbors gathering to chat or taking the initiative to greet me."

"Then don't you think it's very strange?"

Old Zhang turned around, looked at him seriously, and asked, "I can know them, talk to them, and deal with them; why can't you?"

"Then I'll have to wash my ears and listen—"

Li Xuewu circled his son who wanted to play with water, gave the old man's fishing rod to Li Shu to play with, and sat on the small stool beside the old man.

Seeing him in this posture for a long talk, Old Zhang sighed helplessly and said, "I'm not talking nonsense behind their backs, instigating you to fight or have conflicts; it's only because you asked me today that I'm telling you."

"Why are you so long-winded, so slow—" Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "I only asked you one question—"

"Good, good," Old Zhang was used to being poked by him and didn't treat him as a person, so he recited not to be angry, "These neighbors all say you and your wife—are arrogant and hard to get along with."

"Are you sure this is talking about our family?"

Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth, looked at Old Zhang, and asked, "You wouldn't be teasing me, would you? Retaliating for my poisonous tongue?"

"Hey! So you know you have a poisonous tongue—"

Old Zhang sat up straight, looked Li Xuewu over carefully, and seeing him roll his eyes, said seriously, "I'm not talking nonsense."

"Think about it yourself, kid."

He turned around, took the fishing rod handed over by Li Shu, and said, "The people who originally lived in your house weren't good people."

"What kind of people originally lived in this house has what to do with our family?"

Li Xuewu curled his lip and said, "Whose house in this capital was built by themselves? Who dares to say that the people who lived at the original site were all saints."

"Is that what I meant?"

Old Zhang looked back at him and said, "This courtyard is so small, yet it was obtained by you; doesn't that prove you are even more ruthless than the original person."

"First impression, just listening to rumors, I know you aren't a good person," he nodded and said, "Then second impression, look."

"Don't talk about them; even if I saw you for the first time, if you weren't carrying your daughter, I would have thought you were going to rob me of my wealth."

"Don't attack me with appearance—" Li Xuewu reminded him, "I don't want to be like this either; you know how handsome I was before."

"I can see it; I have eyes!"

Old Zhang scoffed twice and continued, "But you can't expect everyone to have a pair of wise eyes that don't judge by appearance, right?"

"So from the sensory aspect of looking, you scared people away with the second impression; who dares to get near you."

"Third impression, you bought this house and tidied it up, but you haven't lived in it, which also explains some problems."

Old Zhang nodded and said, "The hardest thing to clarify in this world is the human heart; the human heart is unpredictable—"

"Finally, you two are indeed hard to get along with."

"Sigh—the world is going downhill, the human heart is not ancient—" Li Xuewu shook his head helplessly and said, "Who knows that we are both great kind people."

"I've written three books, and the royalties were all donated. I've also saved children who fell into the water and fought against criminals."

"Hehe, I really didn't see that you wrote books." Old Zhang looked Li Xuewu over and said with a laugh, "I estimate others didn't see it either."

"Besides playing with children in the morning, do you have any time to stroll on the street?"

"I'm not a street loafer—"

Li Xuewu understood Old Zhang's words; it wasn't that the neighbors were hard to get along with, but that he didn't give the neighbors time to get along with him.

He couldn't even see them in daily life, and even if he did, he saw them in the car; how could they get along?

"I think your wife is a good person," Old Zhang nodded and said, "It's just that her personality is a bit indifferent, too cold."

"Yo! You even know the word 'cold'?"

Li Xuewu looked at Old Zhang in surprise, tilted his head, and said, "The environment my wife grew up in was like that; she likes reading and has a rich inner world, she just doesn't like to show off."

"I think it's quite good—" Old Zhang nodded and agreed, "Finding a wife with this personality is always better than finding one who is wild and clawing."

"Why? Is your family unhappy?"

Li Xuewu could really pull things; his own affairs were clarified, but he turned around and poked Old Zhang.

Old Zhang was anxious, stared, and wanted to scold, but was wary of the children, only pointing at him, telling him to be a good person.

"I want to be a good person—"

This was the last sentence Zhang Jianguo left for Yan Shengli. After saying this, he fell into his brother's arms.

People of the underworld, old in the underworld, no one in the underworld can run away.

In the end, Zhang Jianguo, who refused to leave the underworld, still embarked on this path of no return; maybe this was the destination of the 'Wanzhu' (hooligans).

When Li Xuewu suddenly heard this news, his eyes widened, but then he nodded clearly, no longer surprised.

It was time to end, an era.

Zhang Jianguo could be considered a microcosm of an era, representing a type of person, and also doing things that were relatively influential.

Even if his affairs only circulated in the circles of Wanzhu and old soldiers, this also proved that he didn't harm one side and was a normal person.

Who doesn't want to be a good person? Who is willing to end their young life in this flowery age?

But the early-ripening flowers were destined to wither early; this news came calmly, not even causing too many ripples in the underworld.

Of course, he had a group of good brothers.

This morning, Yan Shengli released words in the underworld that he would avenge Zhang Jianguo.

The result was that this afternoon, the old soldiers rode their bicycles in a mighty force into the Xicheng territory where the Wanzhu were concentrated.

They vowed to execute the 'remnant bandits'.

Who are the remnant bandits? Who are the bandits?

The old soldiers' team went north from Xidan, passed Ping'anli, and then split into several hutongs on the west side of Xinjiekou South Street.

They had planned it well: the motorcade had to be imposing, to deter the petty, to raise their eyebrows and exhale, to welcome victory.

The routes of several hutongs had to pass through the reserved areas of the Wanzhu, and only after exiting Zhaodengyu Road would they converge again.

The Wanzhu were panicked for a while.

At this time, someone was urgently needed to stand out, just like Zhou Changli did back then, just Li Kezhang Jianguo who had just died.

But the result was not satisfactory; Yan Shengli, who was pinned with high hopes by the Wanzhu, was brave but had no strategy and really couldn't be brought out.

You say there is bravery in his eyes, but in their base of Xinjiekou, both sides really bumped into each other.

But what could happen if they bumped into each other?

More than ten Antelope cars of the Dongcheng Branch were parked on the side of the road, and the security maintenance personnel transferred from the Wei Third Regiment stood there fully armed, staring at them.

Unlike other departments, the Wei Third Regiment appeared a bit maverick, especially the security maintenance personnel, all in black training uniforms.

The steel shields and rubber sticks in their hands didn't look easy to carry; with their small frames, it was estimated they could only withstand 3 sticks.

Don't look down on these three sticks; they only dared to guarantee that they wouldn't scream in pain when the first stick hit their body, which was already the limit.

Lu Xun once said, three sticks break brotherhood, the transcript is all brothers' names.

In fact, many people wanted to confess at the first stick, but were in too much pain to speak, and stubbornly took two more sticks.

As for safety armament, they didn't dare to provoke them at all.

Therefore, the Wanzhu and the old soldiers met, separated by a street, both sides confronted each other, distinct, and neither wanted to make a move.

Ji Yuxiu wore a uniform, tied a military belt around her waist, carried a small pistol, and even wore a bulletproof vest, looking like she was coming for real.

She stood in the opposing position of both sides, her expression serious and earnest, just waiting for whichever side dared to say a fart, and she would arrest them immediately.

They were cowardly; the people on both sides were cowardly.

Don't say the Wanzhu were trash, and don't say the old soldiers were cowardly as mice; whoever came to this scene had to play dumb.

From the moment she decided to eradicate this unstable factor, Ji Yuxiu lived in the branch and stared at this case.

Why was it Yan Shengli who stayed by Zhang Jianguo's side? Because quite a few other Wanzhu had already entered the 'Paoju' (prison).

Only Yan Shengli had been following Zhang Jianguo's side, and Ji Yuxiu had deliberately let him go.

Only he was the one with the least danger by Zhang Jianguo's side; if there had been a dog-headed military advisor left by Zhang Jianguo, nothing would have been accomplished.

It could be said that when this group of Wanzhu of Zhang Jianguo was caught by the Dongcheng Branch, his information had already been exposed.

Ji Yuxiu's case-handling team fully grasped his action trajectory and action information, forcing him to take the initiative to solve the contradictions between the two sides.

Now the abscess had been picked, and it was time to clear the poison and consolidate the foundation; Ji Yuxiu led the team to the street herself.

Not only did she borrow people from the Wei Third Regiment with Li Xuewu's relationship, but she also received certain support from the Branch and the Municipal Bureau.

It was really because the Wanzhu and old soldiers had been making too much noise in the past two years; it wasn't that they affected the lives of ordinary people, but they were just too noisy.

These young people had no scruples, did everything, and without a certain order and rules, the above wouldn't allow such a 'cow-b' existence.

Therefore, the Wanzhu had to be handled, and the old soldiers also had to be handled.

Ji Yuxiu caught a batch of Wanzhu, pushing Zhang Jianguo's group to burn their bridges and have a showdown with the old soldiers.

Regarding the Branch's actions, the old soldiers with eyes and connections naturally understood the relevant situation.

With the Branch taking action to remove Zhang Jianguo and others' wings, shouldn't they show their skills?

Ji Yuxiu just stood there watching, watching both sides fight because of fighting fiercely, so she had a reason to catch these unstable factors in one net.

As a result, under her nose, both sides actually restrained themselves and didn't have any conflict.

However, in places the Branch couldn't pay attention to, some first-line Wanzhu still launched retaliatory actions against the old soldiers in several other locations.

Afterward, Ji Yuxiu received a report that there were several situations in Gulou, but they were also within the controllable range.

Now, not only did the old soldiers know that the Branch was going to take action against them, but even the Wanzhu felt the breath of danger.

Therefore, Ji Yuxiu disappointedly released the Wanzhu she had caught before.

This pool of water was already clear; the slightly muddy bottom didn't affect the overall situation, and her task was completed.

Who said that stabilizing public security must send some people to the West Target Range to practice shooting?

The purpose of the Branch launching this action was to stabilize the public security environment; being able to achieve the goal with the smallest influence and cost, it could be said that Ji Yuxiu had completed the task very well.

Some people would say the poison hadn't been removed, so how could she dare to say the goal had been achieved?

Ji Yuxiu wasn't handling the case alone; behind her was Li Xuewu's support and reliable news sources like Zhao Lao Si.

She was sure these people wouldn't have harmfulness, and catching this entire ecological environment in one net didn't mean problems wouldn't appear again in the future.

Releasing these people whose information they had fully grasped, on the contrary, could suppress the occurrence of bad problems.

The underworld isn't dust that can be swept away; it's there, invisible, untouchable, but indeed exists.

Rather than letting some newcomers who don't know the rules take the top, it's better to let these old cannons who have already 'confessed' maintain the scene.

They had already suffered, and they knew the measure.

Ji Yuxiu had talked to them; she liked obedient good comrades.

Not obedient? Hehe—

Zhang Jianguo left very suddenly, so suddenly that no one was prepared, but including his family, they all seemed prepared.

They had long been prepared to face all this; Zhang Jianguo even felt that his days were numbered a few days ago and arranged his funeral.

Very strangely, when a person is about to die, their words are good.

He sent words to his family and also brought money; although he didn't say it clearly, he just felt he was going to be finished.

He could have left, he could have gone to the Branch to surrender, but he was just that piece that had to die in this game of chess.

As long as he was willing to show his cards, he could completely take another path.

Of course, he also doubted whether he could walk another path; Xie Qianjin's death was all counted on him.

Therefore, he knew he had no life; his brothers were taken away one by one, and he was about to become a lonely man.

Once the power was weakened, what awaited him wasn't arrest, but assassination; neither the Branch nor the old soldiers would let him go.

A fish dying and the net breaking was his only choice.

The result? The fish died, the net was still that net, just more hidden, covering the killing trap over their heads.

His family were just ordinary people, but they understood what Zhang Jianguo had done before and what risks he had.

To prevent incidents, his parents planned to cremate him secretly.

On the afternoon of the third day of the incident, Zhang Jianguo's parents arranged for relatives to pull the body away overnight to the remote East Suburb Crematorium, and at the same time, entrusted his good brothers Yan Shengli and Li Kuiyong to represent the parents to go to the police station to cancel the household registration and receive the cremation certificate.

You see, Zhang Jianguo made his name in Xinjiekou, but his home was actually in Beixinqiao, which was the station where Duan Youting originally belonged.

When the station saw someone coming to cancel Zhang Jianguo's household registration, the household registration police called Duan Youting to notify them to come and confirm.

After Duan Youting arrived, he glanced at the two people who came to handle the matter and instructed the household registration police to write the four words 'hooligan fighting' in the cause of death column.

It was precisely because he saw these four words that Yan Shengli became anxious.

He first questioned the household registration police about the reason for writing it this way, then had a dispute, and finally slapped the table and scolded.

Duan Youting actually didn't want to bother with them, but seeing them making such a fuss, he stood out to explain.

He was also very angry and depressed; Ji Yuxiu's approach and work thinking were things he couldn't understand.

According to his opinion, he wanted to catch these tumors in one net and send them all to prison to be punished.

Regarding the truths Ji Yuxiu spoke, although he understood them, he still felt it shouldn't be like this.

He was an upright person, otherwise he wouldn't have fallen to where he was today; he wanted this matter to have a clear result.

It's just that this kid Yan Jie is like mud that can't be plastered onto a wall; even when he bumped into them, he didn't dare to make a move, and he let this plan go down the drain.

Better to be sliced to pieces than to let the emperor fall off the horse.

Without this momentum, how could they nail those old soldiers.

In the office, Duan Youting grabbed Yan Shengli by the collar and said fiercely:

"If you don't write it this way, kid, how do you say it should be written?"

"Death by illness? What illness did he have?"

"Are you stupid, kid? Hooligan fighting, this defines the people who killed him as hooligans too!"

"They are all princes and grandsons; change to another place, who dares to say they are also hooligans?"

"On our turf, I dare!"

"Die one, bring along a whole bunch, no one can stay clean. Is it worth it?"

Yan Shengli was speechless.

Indeed, Yan Shengli couldn't understand the twists and turns here, and even less could he understand Duan Youting's anxiety.

He had never thought that Zhang Jianguo's death could still be utilized and had a certain retaliatory value.

Holding that thin cremation certificate and walking out of the police station gate, he and Li Kuiyong looked at each other and felt it was very absurd.

Zhang Jianguo wanted to pull those old soldiers into the water before he died but couldn't; he didn't expect that after he died, he would still take a large area with him.

He wanted to say something, but couldn't say a word; should he say Zhang Jianguo died in his place, died worth it?

The Wanzhu were actually quite loyal, and even held a small-scale funeral for Zhang Jianguo, which was very dramatic.

The big Wanzhu of the capital all came to see him off; the debt was cleared with death, no one missed killing him anymore, and no one missed his good or bad.

Zhou Changli was in the capital, so naturally he couldn't hide and not come; he brought Zhao Lao Si to attend this funeral as a friend during his lifetime.

Zhao Lao Si actually didn't want to come, but many young people working in Steel City and other places were actually Wanzhu descendants.

They represented the new Wanzhu to a certain extent, representing the Wanzhu breaking through the shackles of the hutongs and fighting for a new life.

"Seeing Da Qiangzi's younger brother joined the army and left," Zhao Lao Si smoked and told Zhou Changli: "Li Ge explained that Hu Haiyang and Zhang Dayong will follow you back to Steel City this time to help under Brother Biao."

Hu Haiyang was Brother Da Chun's younger brother, and Zhang Dayong was Zhang Wanhe's eldest son; this could be considered the mountain people faction, except they couldn't develop in Jicheng, they could be used anywhere else.

"Li Ge didn't tell me these," Zhou Changli glanced at him and said quite concernedly: "Did he let you manage the personnel here?"

"Who knows—" Zhao Lao Si sighed gloomily: "To tell the truth, I'm really a bit afraid of him; his thoughts are bottomless, like an abyss."

"In front of him, I'm like a marionette; after doing some things, I realize that this is all his instructions and hints."

"You have this feeling too?"

Zhou Changli's eyes went blank, looking at the sunlight in the early morning, his whole body felt cold, and he couldn't help but shiver.

On the morning of Zhang Jianguo's cremation, more than twenty first-line Wanzhu and close friends selected through screening gathered at the Xidan intersection, took seven or eight motorized tricycles, and lined up to rush to the East Suburb.

The motorized tricycles they took were actually the 'Red Bull' cargo tricycles made by the Red Star Factory employees' children.

Why say the Wanzhu were very particular? The night before, they helped Zhang Jianguo wash his body in the small ditch at the door.

Everyone felt dead people were unlucky, but for Zhang Jianguo, they still respected him very much, including the current lineup.

In fact, what was buried wasn't just an era, a character, but also their youth that was about to pass away.

No matter how much the Wanzhu could play, they all had a day of getting old; Zhang Jianguo's death also made them sober up—the era had changed.

Two years ago was their era; now even the old soldiers were looking at money; if they hadn't been forced too hard, they wouldn't have bitten like rabbits.

In the crematorium morgue, Zhang Jianguo's parents saw these people come and quietly dispersed, leaving Zhang Jianguo to his friends.

Zhou Changli wasn't afraid of this and took the initiative to step forward to look at his juniors, which could be considered his successor in the Wanzhu influence in Xinjiekou.

At this time, Zhang Jianguo wore a new blue uniform; because of excessive blood loss, the whole person looked shriveled and thin.

That uniform was also big, wrinkled.

Li Heping pulled a brand-new school officer's military belt from the bag he brought and tied it around his waist, and pulled out a yellow hat and put it on his head; only then did he look like he had some shadows of the past.

While waiting for cremation, the Wanzhu nature, Li Kuiyong, Zhao Lao Si, and others couldn't stay idle and strolled around the various morgues to watch the excitement.

Zhao Lao Si discovered a young girl.

It is said that the girl hanged herself because she was angry with her family.

These kids were really bold, daring to get close to watch the excitement.

They discovered the girl wore a flowery cotton-padded jacket and cotton trousers, her face painted with thick rouge, looking like she had a joyful air.

After whispering for a while, they determined that Zhao Lao Si, this extremely flirtatious and glib Zhao Fourth Master, would go and talk to the girl's family.

How he talked, no one knew, but not long after, good news came, saying it was negotiated.

Several people immediately ran over excitedly, surrounded and pushed the beautiful girl out, and placed her side-by-side with Zhang Jianguo in the hall.

At this time, the farewell ceremony officially began; everyone took turns saying goodbye to Zhang Jianguo, bowed to Zhang Jianguo, and also bowed to the girl.

The scene was both full of absurd jokes and thick sadness, quite romantic.

Standing in front of Zhang Jianguo, looking at his twisted appearance, and then looking at the girl beside him, Zhou Changli had an extremely strong impression: in fact, this person was just an ordinary person, and even, had a few points of vulgarity.

Coming out of the farewell hall, some went to the observation room to watch the cremation furnace, waiting for the result inside.

Zhou Changli walked out of the door hall with Zhao Lao Si and stood among the green pines and cypresses to smoke.

He raised his eyes to look at the chimney of the cremation workshop, where thick smoke was surging—it was the gray shadows of lives.

"Old Four, I have a feeling of fate."

Zhou Changli looked up, even forgetting to smoke the cigarette in his hand, and said blankly: "If it weren't for the slap Li Ge gave me back then, it's possible that Zhang Jianguo's fate would be my life."

Zhao Lao Si also raised his head, looking at the gray sky, and remained silent for a long time.

Zhou Changli naturally couldn't be Zhang Jianguo; he was now successful and a famous successful person in the Wanzhu circle.

Every time he returned to the capital to recruit workers, he would take away those who couldn't survive at home and longed for a new life.

Either they went to the fleet, or they went to the recycling station; anyway, they wouldn't starve, and if they mixed well, everyone would bring glory to their ancestors.

What is bringing glory to one's ancestors? Truly bringing money home and letting family members look at themselves squarely for the first time—this is bringing glory to one's ancestors.

Zhou Changli always took away some Wanzhu descendants with culture; these people were the main force of employment and the core of cultivation.

Attending Zhang Jianguo's funeral also meant expanding his reputation in the Wanzhu circle.

Why bring Zhao Lao Si? It's very likely that Zhao Fourth Master's reputation would surpass his 'Little Hooligan' in the future.

This was Li Ge's arrangement; he didn't understand why Li Ge arranged it this way before, and he didn't understand now, but he had to resolutely execute it.

Seeing Zhang Jianguo's present, he didn't want this to be his future.

"Actually, Zhang Jianguo's reputation was growing, and he had long since stopped directly leading the 'Buddhas' (thieves)."

Returning to the club, they happened to meet Li Xuewu and Ji Yuxiu drinking tea in the flower hall, and the two were called in to sit for a while.

Chatting, they talked about today's affairs, and also talked about Zhang Jianguo.

Zhao Lao Si sat on the side and told many things about the underworld.

"His daily expenses were provided by lower-level Wanzhu providing 'shares' irregularly."

He poured tea for Li Xuewu and poured another cup for Zhou Changli.

"Yan Shengli is no good; he doesn't have that prestige; just from the matter of taking money, one can see that he relied entirely on Zhang Jianguo for support."

Zhao Lao Si drank a mouthful of tea and said: "Yan Shengli was far from having Zhang Jianguo's 'portion'; besides the pocket money Zhang Jianguo gave him when they parted every day, the main source of money was still 'washing the Buddhas'."

"Just when the sky was about to darken, standing on the side of the road outside the Xinjiekou Cinema Square, Buddhas walking or sitting in cars could see them."

"Those with money on them, or those with things to ask for, would automatically gather around, or affectionately or respectfully or sneakily stuff a handful into your pocket; whether it was more or less wasn't counted, they weighed it themselves."

"A few times, Zhang Jianguo also stood on the street a few times to 'poke the pole' (support as a backer) for Yan Shengli."

"Whenever this happened, his harvest was far better than on weekdays, which shows how illustrious Zhang Jianguo's name was."

Zhao Lao Si shook his head slightly and said: "In the Wanzhu circle, the most despised behavior is 'coding silver', which means getting money and not spending it on subordinates, hiding it on the house beams at home."

"After saving enough money, then announcing 'not playing anymore' to wash one's hands of the business."

"Washing hands of the business—" Ji Yuxiu picked up her teacup and looked at Zhou Changli, who had been sitting on the side without speaking, and asked: "When you washed your hands of the business, did anyone come to find you and say you were coding silver?"

"Where would I have silver to code? Old Four and the

Zhou Changli laughed nonchalantly and said, "Actually, the kind of 'washing one's hands of the underworld' that Old Four is talking about is useless even if you do it; the underworld doesn't recognize it."

"If you say you've saved enough money and aren't playing anymore, and you shed your identity as a 'Wan Zhu' (tough guy), it's useless to say it. A few Wan Zhu will join forces, and they won't stop until they've cleaned out every cent you've stashed away."

He nodded and said, "By then, if you try to wash your hands again, no one will pay any attention to you."

"Actually, not all Wan Zhu are bastards," Zhao Lao Si took over the conversation and said, "I remember a pickpocket in Xinjiekou named Xiao Bai."

Zhou Changli knew what he was going to say, nodded, and picked up his teacup to drink.

What are the two of them doing sitting here?

They are actually offering a pledge of allegiance; since Ji Yuxiu wants to understand the Wan Zhu circle, the two of them are spilling everything about this circle.

After all, Li Xuewu is sitting right here; what could they possibly hold back?

Even if they didn't say it, wouldn't Li Xuewu know?

To say they are big shots in the Wan Zhu circle would be a huge joke in front of Li Xuewu.

When Li Xuewu was mixing in this circle, they were still running around with their butts bare in split-crotch pants.

"Xiao Bai from Xinjiekou found Zhang Jianguo to help; it was considered a protection agreement between the pickpockets and the Wan Zhu."

Zhao Lao Si recounted, "That day, Xiao Bai walked up to Zhang Jianguo and Yan Shengli, shoved a few bills into each of their pockets, but didn't leave for a long time; he just stood there."

"Actually, it was a coincidence that day. Zhang Jianguo and Yan Shengli were just messing around for fun. The two of them agreed to stand on the road, both with their eyes closed, to see whose pocket had more money from the pickpockets' tribute by the end."

"Xiao Bai wouldn't leave, and the two of them were getting anxious."

"But just when the two were about to start cursing, Xiao Bai started sobbing."

Zhao Lao Si sighed softly and explained, "Xiao Bai had an older sister who was studying at a university in Jin Ling. After the university activities, she came home, but she was raped by a guy from the alley who had returned from labor reform, a guy called 'Skinny Monkey'."

"That day, Xiao Bai's sister was washing clothes at home. In broad daylight, Skinny Monkey entered the courtyard, took the clothes that were hanging out to dry, and ran toward his own house holding them."

"Xiao Bai's sister chased after him, and once inside the room, she was pinned down and raped."

"The fact itself is secondary; the simplicity, brutality, and unscrupulousness of the process were intolerable!"

"Zhang Jianguo immediately dragged Yan Shengli to find that Skinny Monkey. It wasn't because of the money Xiao Bai contributed—he didn't lack that—but he wouldn't allow such a bastard to appear on his turf."

"The two of them waited at the entrance of the alley for a whole day and caught the kid."

"Skinny Monkey was just like his name: thin, dark, and had a villainous look."

"At the time, Zhang Jianguo and Yan Shengli didn't even make a move; they just watched from the side. It was other people who beat him."

"The beating was miserable. One of the participants later said it was like a birdcage being stepped on and crushed."

"After Skinny Monkey's injuries healed, he was basically crippled. His back was hunched severely, and he would pant after walking just a few steps."

"But it was this crippled monkey who started relentlessly and endlessly hunting down Zhang Jianguo."

"Zhang Jianguo encountered danger several times."

"Yan Shengli later beat Skinny Monkey severely several more times, but he could never divert his hatred and attention away from Zhang Jianguo."

"Skinny Monkey carried a knife and a bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid on him all day, and he would strike whenever he got the chance."

"One night, Zhang Jianguo, Yan Shengli, and more than a dozen others boarded a trolley bus from the back gate of Beihai. No one noticed that Skinny Monkey was also on the bus."

"Skinny Monkey quickly got off, hunched his back, trotted to the other side of the bus, took out the sulfuric acid bottle, and threw it inside through the half-open window."

"At that time, Zhang Jianguo was sitting in the seat by the window. He ducked his neck and dodged it, but the bus was filled with screams."

"Zhang Jianguo later said that through the window glass, he saw that Skinny Monkey's eyes were blood-red."

"The bus drove away, and Skinny Monkey kept chasing behind, coughing and panting, for a long distance."

Zhao Lao Si finished telling the story of Xiao Bai, gently picked up his teacup, looked at Ji Yuxiu, and said, "What is a Wan Zhu? They are 'players'."

"What can you do to deal with a 'hooligan' like Skinny Monkey?"

"Unless you completely wipe him out, kill him," Zhao Lao Si shook his head slightly and said, "Killing—no Wan Zhu has the determination and courage for that when it comes down to it. A Wan Zhu is not a fierce demon, nor are they a bandit tyrant."

"No matter how much people in this circle mess around, they still harbor hope for this society and retain a longing for their own future."

He took a sip of hot tea, put down the cup, and didn't speak again.

Li Xuewu looked out the window; the stories and unspoken rules Zhao Lao Si spoke of were carvings deep in his memory.

Ji Yuxiu was quite curious about the rules of the Wan Zhu and continued to ask.

"Actually, what Skinny Monkey grasped was exactly this point," Zhou Changli explained, "If a Wan Zhu doesn't dare to kill, then a Wan Zhu is nothing at all, not even worth as much as a lone wolf."

"You treat Zhang Jianguo as a big shot, but in the final stage of his life, he spent almost every day in 'evasion'."

He nodded and said, "He had to avoid your pursuit, avoid the revenge of the old soldiers, and avoid the entanglement of hooligans like Skinny Monkey who would fight with their lives."

"Sigh—he shouldn't have died."

Zhao Lao Si didn't know how many times he had sighed today; he said regretfully, "When the incident happened at Erligou, he had originally agreed to meet someone to transfer at the zoo and go to Xiangshan to hide for a day."

"As it turned out, he was betrayed. At the agreed time and place, what he waited for wasn't a friend."

Zhou Changli sighed as well and said faintly, "An era has come to an end; it will be hard to find any more heroes among the Wan Zhu."

"You two seem quite regretful."

Ji Yuxiu looked the two over and asked, "Have you ever thought about returning to the underworld, regrouping, and making a comeback?"

"I believe that with your current status in the underworld, integrating the mess Zhang Jianguo left behind would be as easy as turning over your hand."

Her gaze shifted, and she said with what seemed to be a deeper meaning, "Perhaps the underworld needs heroes like you to help the distressed and act on behalf of heaven."

Zhou Changli's expression changed several times. He carefully examined the deeper meaning on Ji Yuxiu's face, then looked at Li Xuewu's indifferent boredom, before bowing slightly and saying, "Since I have already washed my hands of the underworld and come ashore, how could I betray Li Ge's kindness? There has long been no such person as me in the underworld."

"As for the heroes you speak of, I think we should just let nature take its course. Times create heroes; if the situation doesn't allow it, where would heroes come from?"

Zhao Lao Si nodded and followed Zhou Changli's lead, saying, "Someone like me can't mix in the underworld anymore; my bones have grown rusty."

"Besides, if I have a good life, why would I insist on wading into that muddy water? How big of a head would I need to dare to do such a thing?"

He looked at Ji Yuxiu meaningfully and said, "I've disappointed you. I'm just a gatekeeper; I don't want to get involved in any underworld business anymore."

"Nothing to regret; it's a good thing."

Ji Yuxiu picked up her teacup to signal the two, smiled, and said, "I, for one, am very willing to see more underworld people climb out of the quagmire and walk toward the sunshine."

"With the two of you as guides, we will have much less trouble. It's all for the peace and harmony of the East City, after all."

Zhao Lao Si and Zhou Changli looked at each other, raised their teacups in unison, took a small sip, then stood up to excuse themselves and left.

Li Xuewu only then turned his head back, looked at Ji Yuxiu, and said helplessly, "You scared them half to death."

"If you don't do anything wrong, you don't fear ghosts knocking at the door."

Ji Yuxiu laughed, looked toward the direction of the security office outside the window, and said, "I can consider this as taking precautions against future trouble."

"Now that this matter is over, the leadership intends to have me take charge of the bureau's public security work," she picked up her teacup and gestured toward the window, saying, "I'll mainly be responsible for their kind—the Wan Zhu and the old soldiers."

"I'm not worried about the old soldiers; they are a bunch of profit-seekers. It's these guys who talk about loyalty and dare to use knives that I need to be wary of."

"Whatever you like to do is fine," Li Xuewu looked at his sister-in-law and asked, "I heard people say you're pretty good at swinging a police baton?"

(End of chapter)