Chapter 2: The Three Brothers Who Meet Again

Su Pingnan felt the explosive strength of his youth, grinning happily as he tossed and turned, and after a long time he finally fell into a deep sleep.

At dawn, Su Pingnan opened his eyes. The rain had stopped sometime during the night.

Su Pingnan tossed on a blue-and-yellow loader’s uniform and pushed the door open. The fresh, slightly cold air invigorated him.

He had searched his room last night but couldn’t find stationery to write with. He ran to the department store in front of the station, bought a few notebooks and a pen, and rushed back to his shabby room like a man in flight.

He locked the door well behind him. Su Pingnan looked almost manic. His greatest asset now was decades of foresight, and to avoid forgetting, he felt it necessary to record everything immediately.

All morning, with reddened eyes, Su Pingnan was as excited as a gambler at the table. He filled two notebooks with everything he thought useful, unwilling to miss any chance to make money.

The door was knocked three times that morning. Each time, Su Pingnan barked at the visitor in a rough tone and sent them away.

Those who knocked on his door had already passed away early in Su Pingnan’s later life. Hearing their voices now stirred his emotions, but he decided to finish his most secret and important task first.

Satisfied, Su Pingnan lit a cigarette, solemnly tucked the notebooks into the deepest recess of his bed, inspected them again for a long while, and finally nodded in satisfaction.

When he pushed the door open, the sun had climbed to the middle of the sky, recklessly radiating its warmth, driving away the chill left by the night rain.

Seeing him come out, the three burly men waiting at the door hurriedly stood up.

Su Wenwen, Guo Guangyao, Yang Qianli.

Looking at the three familiar yet strange men before him, even though Su Pingnan had been tempered like iron over two lifetimes, he still felt an uncontrollable rush of emotion.

At this time, Su Pingnan’s methods were brutal, but he could also be generous and bold, so he had a number of friends.

Birds of a feather flock together; his friends at this stage were mostly bold and boisterous men. These three in front of him were his most loyal brothers, even ones who had once risked their lives for him.

Su Pingnan’s expression was calm, his sharp gaze scanned each of them in turn.

Su Wenwen, like Su Pingnan, was from the same village. He had a delicate face but was ruthless in action. He worked with steadiness and order. His father was a bum who, when Su Wenwen was in his teens, abandoned his ailing wife and young son and disappeared without a trace. He basically grew up in Su Pingnan’s home and was Su Pingnan’s closest companion. He would die two years after in a gang fight caused by Su Pingnan’s conflict with the city of Beicheng’s Gate God Jiang.

Yang Qianli, with a simple, honest face, was from Changyang County. His stepfather was a drunk. When his stepfather beat his mother again, Yang Qianli broke his stepfather’s left hand with a pair of iron tongs and never went home afterwards. He was beaten into submission by Su Pingnan when Su Pingnan went to Changyang County. He became sullen and spoke very little. He would later be sentenced to fifteen years for causing grevious hurt and die in prison from illness.

Guo Guangyao, the most handsome of the three, was a local of Wucheng. He was lively in manner and action, and was won over by Su Pingnan’s ruthlessness. The man was utterly devoted to him. He later took a knife for Su Pingnan and became disabled, and would eventually die from a hemothorax brought on by heavy drinking.

When the three saw their big brother who had shut himself up all morning come out, they hurriedly crowded around him. Su Pingnan suppressed his inner turmoil and shook his left index finger, signaling the three to keep quiet.

He patted each of them heavily on the shoulder and said, “Don’t ask—I’ve been thinking about some things this morning.”

Su Pingnan’s daily routine had a big-brotherly air. Now, loading at the yard earned him less than a hundred bucks a day (roughly US$12-18), yet he still provided daily food and lodging for these few homeless brothers under him.

In an era when an ordinary worker’s monthly income barely exceeded a hundred, his earnings were enough to be admired by most — yet because of his ways, even after more than half a year in Wucheng, he had saved very little.

The restaurant they frequented was a small place east of Wucheng South Station serving northeastern cuisine. The food was so-so, but the portions were generous, making it their top choice.

The four of them took seats, and Su Pingnan naturally occupied the head seat. He sipped the bland tea and slowly asked, “How’s the yard been these days?” Su Pingnan’s memory of this time was a bit distant, and he’d forgotten many details. Su Wenwen glanced oddly at his elder brother, thinking to himself: he was only gone one morning.

Monkey Ren, whose real name was Ren Weiguo, was small and thin, so they called him ‘Monkey.’

What Su Wenwen didn’t notice was that when he heard the name, Su Pingnan’s face had already darkened and a flash of violent intent crossed his eyes.

Su Pingnan remembered clearly that it was this very Monkey Ren who had begun secretly skimming money behind his back, using Su Pingnan’s name to arrange shipments out of turn, and later using the profits and connections from the yard to build his own capital.

In his later, fallen life, Su Pingnan would run into Monkey Ren again when he was already putting on airs. The contempt and indifference in Ren’s tone then had deeply insulted Su Pingnan.

“Call him here,” Su Pingnan said in a flat tone.

“Yes, Brother Nan.” Yang Qianli was always the first to respond, and he immediately went out.

Watching Yang Qianli hurry off, Su Pingnan tilted his head and added, “Bring everyone who loaded the goods with him.”

Yang Qianli paused for a moment and said, “Okay.”

The dishes arrived quickly—home-style fare—and soon the table was piled full.

After a while, five or six men came in, talking and laughing. They politely greeted Su Pingnan and then casually sat down to start serving themselves.

Dong dong! Su Pingnan tapped the table lightly expressionlessly with his finger, and the lively room immediately quieted as everyone stared at him.

Su Pingnan felt a pang of emotion. He hadn’t been shown such respect in many years.

Putting away his feelings, Su Pingnan’s gaze slid toward Monkey Ren seated in a prim and proper manner to the side.

Monkey Ren still looked green and inexperienced now, far from the arrogance of throwing money on Su Pingnan that he would display later in life.

“Good. I like how everyone is willing to listen to me, that’s a good attitude to have,” Su Pingnan said from the center seat, the chill in his tone unmistakable.

The men exchanged glances. Though they hadn’t worked under Su Pingnan for long, his reputation was indeed fearsome, and for a moment, no one dared speak.