I chuckled and said, "Hey! In this world, besides those rich kids, who's born rich?"
A new look appeared in the little girl's eyes, something she hadn't shown before. She reached out and vigorously touched the bathtub and the high-end multi-functional toilet, then plopped down on the floor and sighed deeply, "Sigh, am I dreaming?"
She looked at me, yet seemed not to look at me at all, her eyes unfocused: "Sir, do you know? The place I live in is a dilapidated house. The adults live in the big room, and we children live in the small room. The adults' room is warmer than ours... but we children are weaker... Do you know what they say? They say that because we earn less money than them, many of us children are still supported by them, so their food, drink, and lodging must be prioritized. Only when we are older and can earn more money will we be able to enjoy living in a big house like them."
She rubbed her eyes, but the tears wouldn't stop. "That place was just a toilet, pitch black, with only a latrine. A broken light bulb, long gone, barely lit, and it was right next to our sleeping quarters. When it got hot, the room was filled with a stench, and when the wind blew, the toilet door would rattle and wouldn't close properly. Showering was even worse… Ugh, this place was like a crystal palace to me. In the summer, I'd just turn on the tap in the toilet, but there was a broken tap with no hot water. In the winter, I'd bring in a kettle of hot water. But the door wouldn't even close properly… Damn it, I know some of those bastards would peek when my sisters and I showered… Humph, don't think I don't know. I think when I'm older, they'll probably be peeking through that hole in the wall when I shower… Those blind idiots!"
I was a little surprised to hear this: "Huh? From what you're saying, it seems like you and your accomplices don't have a good relationship. Why are you coming to me for help?"
"Sigh!" The little girl sighed... but for someone her age to speak in such a deep, sighing tone was rather inappropriate.
"What else can I do but try to save them?" she said softly. "I'm just a little girl, with no special skills. All I've ever done is pickpocket people. But if I did this alone, without a group of accomplices, I would have had my fingers chopped off and been left in an alley long ago. Although many of those guys aren't good people, they're still part of my group. With everyone together, we're a united front. That's how I survive. Without them, I probably wouldn't last three days in Kunming. You saw it today; if I were alone and dared to steal money to get by, I would immediately be bullied by the other gangs. So I have to find a way to save them, and..." And we have to be quick… because if they come out late, our territory will be taken over by someone else… That scoundrel is not someone we can afford to offend. If he swallows our territory, do you think he'll give it back? Then, without a place to stay, we'll really starve to death. And that fat pig we met today, you saw him? Let me tell you, that guy doesn't actually have many pickpockets; he's more of a pimp… If a little girl like me falls into his hands, he won't let me be his pickpocket. In his eyes, the money a girl like me could earn as a pickpocket is far less than… doing other things! If I had to live that kind of life, I'd rather be dead.”
So that's how it is. Looking at the maturity and worry on this little girl's face that seemed completely out of place for her age, I couldn't help but sigh.
I asked the hotel staff to buy me a clean set of clothes, then left the little girl to rest alone and went back to my room.
Yan Di was still fast asleep. I quietly entered the room and saw her sleeping like a baby. I walked to her side, gently kissed her to wake her, and then said softly, "Baby, are you awake? Have something to eat."
Yan Di squinted at me, blinked, and then reached out to wrap her arms around my neck. This movement caused the sheet to slip down from her shoulders, revealing her snow-white arms and her delicate body beneath the sheet… I was instantly aroused, but reason told me I couldn't touch Yan Di again today. I just kissed her, helped her up, and ate something with her.
"Oh, by the way, I brought home a little girl today," I said casually with a smile.
"Oh?" Yan Di was taken aback.
I smiled and then explained the whole story. After listening, Yan Di thought quietly for a while, then sighed, "Sigh, she's a pitiful girl. What do you plan to do with her? Are you really going to take her on as your apprentice?"
I smiled and said, "That's hard to say. I haven't planned to take on any disciples yet... Besides, I'm not a traditional martial artist, so I don't have time to teach disciples. I just think this little girl is pleasing to the eye and want to help her out."
Yan Di thought for a moment, then got up and put on a bathrobe. She came up to me and gently took my arm, saying softly, "Brother Xiao Wu, will you take me to see her?"
Of course I wouldn't refuse my own little darling's request. I followed Yan Di out the door to the little girl's room.
As I walked outside, a hotel staff member brought me a clean set of clothes. I took it, indicating that I would take it inside, and told the staff member to go back. Yan Di took the clothes and smiled.
After ringing the doorbell for a while, the door finally opened, revealing a wet little head, while the sound of a television could be heard through the crack in the door.
The little girl cheered when she saw me and opened the door. I went inside and saw that the television in the outer room was turned up very loud, and pop music was playing on the huge LCD screen. The floor next to her was covered with food, mostly potato chips and cola.
It turns out that this little girl took all the snacks out of the refrigerator in her room and ate them.
The little girl looked like she'd taken a bath; her hair was still wet, and she was wearing a robe… but the bathrobes provided in this apartment were all adult-sized. She was only twelve or thirteen years old, and the way she, so thin and small, looked in the oversized robe was rather comical. However, after washing her previously dirty face, she was still a pretty little girl, only her hair was cut too short, making her look a bit like a tomboy. If she grew her hair long in the future, she could definitely be considered a little beauty.
Seeing her bare feet shuffling around on the carpet, I laughed and asked, "What's wrong? Are you hungry after eating so much?"
The little girl still had a lot of potato chips in her mouth. Upon hearing this, she quickly swallowed them in a few bites and said somewhat embarrassedly, "No, I know you must have spent a lot of money to let me stay in this hotel! When I saw so much food here, I thought since it's all free, I might as well eat it! Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste of your money?"
Looking at her big, blinking eyes, I smiled.
Although I knew the food in the hotel refrigerator was chargeable, not free, I didn't point it out. Looking at the girl's eyes sparkling with joy… well, today was probably the happiest day of her twelve years of life.
Children her age, if they came from ordinary families, would probably still be going to school with their backpacks, watching cartoons, and eating McDonald's.
However, this girl was very clever. When she saw Yan Di, she immediately recognized her as the girl who had stood next to me when she stole my wallet during the day. She looked Yan Di up and down a few times and couldn't help but sigh: "Sir, is this your wife? Ah, she is really beautiful."
Yan Di smiled, walked over and gently patted her head, saying with a smile, "Little sister, you're very pretty too."
After saying that, she picked up the clothes in her hand, looked at them, and held them up against the little girl. She frowned slightly and said, "Sigh, the people in this hotel really don't know how to buy clothes. But let's just make do for now, we'll buy her new ones when we have time."
I know that Yan Di, a soft-hearted girl, is probably overflowing with sympathy right now.
Ignoring the conversation between the two girls, one big and one small, my phone rang. It was Zhou with buck teeth calling: "Fifth Master, aren't you in your room?"
"Yes, I'm with the little girl." I asked, "What's up?"
"Hehe, looks like we've really messed with the local bullies." Buck-toothed Zhou said casually, "I kept an eye out and sent Hammer out to check. They found two or three shady thugs loitering around outside the hotel. They're probably the guy we beat up who's here to get revenge."
"Oh." I didn't comment, I didn't care about such a small matter: "You've taken care of it."
“I was worried that Hammer would cause trouble, so I called him back,” Bucktooth Zhou laughed. “Now we’re VIPs here, so naturally we get to enjoy VIP treatment. I called the police, and a police car arrived right away. All those guys downstairs were taken away.”
"Oh? That's it?" I said casually. "It's good that everything's alright."
“Not really.” Buck-toothed Zhou’s tone was casual: “I just spent a little time on it. When I called the police station, I talked to the deputy chief I had lunch with today, and got some information out of him about this so-called Master Ma. We beat up his nephew, and we also managed to mobilize the police to arrest those guys who were tailing us. Next, we’ll probably have to make direct contact with this Master Ma. Sigh, we’re bored anyway, so if this guy is annoying, we might as well just get rid of him.”
He spoke of it casually, but it's no wonder. Back in Vancouver, any powerful underworld boss who dared to oppose me was quickly wiped out! Compared to those gangsters who had a bunch of gunmen at their disposal, the gang leaders in this kind of place in China are really not up to par.
“Well, but I heard that Lord Ma isn’t a fool. If he’s smart, he’ll be able to tell from the slightest clues that we’re not ordinary people and won’t bother us.” Bucktooth seemed to think for a moment, hesitated, and said, “Of course, if he’s an even smarter person… I think he might try to make contact with us instead.”
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
"It's simple. I did a little research... Don't be surprised, I'm paid by you now, and I'm a competent employee." The buck-toothed man grinned slyly, then his teasing tone vanished. He said solemnly, "I've heard this 'Master Ma' is no ordinary person. The development of the underworld in China is relatively slow; most are small-scale operations, and very few can grow into a large-scale operation. But this 'Master Ma' controls an area this big. He must be someone extraordinary. So I guess there's a 30% chance he'll try to contact you. If things go well, you can be friends. You're clearly a powerful newcomer, but he's a local strongman. If things don't go well, it's not too late to turn on him."
I was getting impatient: "I'm just here to do some business. I'll be going back once it's over. There's no need to argue with this local bully."
“But you’ll have to go back to China sooner or later.” The buck-toothed man’s words revealed my deepest desire: “Yunnan is a good place, and it’s close to the border. We also have a large circle of Asian influence in the Golden Triangle. It might be a good option. As for this Ma Wangye… pshaw. He’s just a local bully. He can’t be any more difficult to deal with than Big Ruan or Little Ruan, can he?”
I didn't say anything and hung up the phone.
It seems the buck-toothed man's guess was true. I left Yan Di with the little girl; it's much easier for the two girls to talk than for me. I had just returned to my room when I received a call from the hotel lobby, informing me that someone had come to visit—a Mr. Ma. They asked if I would like to invite him up.
When I received this call, I was taken aback for a moment.
His surname is Ma? Could he be that Prince Ma?
Several thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant. My first reaction was that he might not have come with malicious intent. Because someone like him, a local strongman, wouldn't be unable to find my room; he could simply come directly to my door.
Although this is a five-star hotel, and I'm a VIP guest staying in a deluxe suite, hotels generally keep such guests' information absolutely confidential. Without the guest's permission, the hotel will not disclose the guest's room number or allow them to come up. This Mr. Ma's use of such a courteous method to visit was meant to demonstrate that his visit was not malicious.
At the very least, it was a case of trying to appease them before resorting to force.
The guy with the buck teeth seems to have a good point. This Master Ma is no simpleton. At least he's not some clueless thug.
Without hesitation, I simply asked the hotel to invite the guest up.
I thought about it for a moment, then sent Bucktooth Zhou to my room, and then sent Hammer, Lei Xiaohu, and Xiluo to the little girl's room to protect them. After all, it's always good to be cautious. I'm not afraid of anything, but this time, Yan Di is my biggest weakness and Achilles' heel.
Bucktooth arrived quickly. He already knew what had happened, and he smiled at me as soon as he came in.
I flung open the door and sat down on the sofa in the living room with Bucktooth.
A moment later, despite the door being wide open, the person knocked lightly twice.
"Please come in," I said calmly.
Then, a man walked in from outside. As he entered, he turned back and whispered to those behind him, "You wait outside." He was probably speaking to his men.
This man looked to be under forty years old, presumably the local tyrant, "Master Ma." However, to my surprise, he wasn't the burly, menacing type I had imagined. Instead, he was short, dressed in a sharp suit, clearly someone who paid great attention to his appearance. His hair was also meticulously combed, and he wore glasses.
He had a very handsome appearance, even giving off a somewhat scholarly air. What puzzled me even more was that he seemed to lack the gangster-like demeanor or thuggishness I was familiar with... On the contrary, I could see a faint scholarly air about him... It was a strange feeling; this kind of temperament made him look nothing like a gang leader, but more like... a teacher or scholar from a school.
His eyes quickly fell on me, and a smile appeared on his face: "This must be Mr. Chen. My apologies, my name is Ma Yu."
I looked at him, nodded, and returned his smile: "Oh, you must be the famous Ma Wangye of this area."
"I wouldn't dare." His answer confirmed my guess. Sure enough, he was the so-called Three-Eyed Horse King: "This crude title is just a kind gesture from my friends. I dare not let it fall into the ears of the general public. In front of truly accomplished people, I'm afraid it would only make me a laughing stock."
Seeing that I had no intention of standing up, Ma Yu showed no embarrassment whatsoever, but instead sat down gracefully on the sofa in front of us.
It's not that I'm deliberately putting on airs... it's purely out of habit. After all, I'm practically a local tyrant in Canada now, and I always treat those mob bosses who are several levels above me this Ma Yu this way. And if I wanted to, those mob bosses would be kneeling down and licking my shoes!
This is what is meant by living a life of luxury and cultivating an air of extravagance.
"This is my friend, Attorney Zhou," I introduced casually. Ma Yu, however, seemed quite familiar with him: "I've heard so much about you, Attorney Zhou. You've been moving between various government agencies lately, and you're known for your generosity. I've been wanting to get to know you for a long time."
Zhou, who had buck teeth, was very approachable; he simply shook hands with him out of professional courtesy as a lawyer.
I sat down. I said casually, "Mr. Ma, what brings you here today?"
Ma Yu smiled, a smile that was quite deceptive. He appeared calm and even somewhat scholarly: "My nephew had a minor, unintentional altercation with Mr. Chen's men today. Alas, after I found out, I already reprimanded him. Mr. Chen is such a distinguished guest. I would normally never be able to befriend him even if I wanted to. And that fool offended such a distinguished guest. As the host, it is only natural that I have to come and apologize."
What he said was extremely pleasing to the ear. However, I had heard this kind of hypocritical politeness countless times before, so I didn't react much, simply saying "You're too kind" and then shut my mouth.
Zhou with buck teeth smiled and said, "It's a huge favor to have Mr. Ma come to visit in person. As for those unintentional misunderstandings, I think we don't need to talk about them anymore; let's just let them go."
Ma Yu nodded, then suddenly glanced at me: "To be honest, I still have some influence here. I heard that Mr. Chen came here to invest. But I don't know what kind of business Mr. Chen is planning to do? If there is an opportunity, we might as well cooperate."
The buck-toothed Zhou chuckled, vaguely deflecting the question. He'd used this kind of ambiguous language countless times lately to deal with those officials trying to attract investment; it was practically second nature to him. However, Ma Yu didn't seem to be asking casually. After listening, she frowned slightly, her tone becoming a bit more serious as she looked at Zhou and said, "This… Mr. Zhou is being rather impolite. I came here with sincere intentions, yet you treat me with these kinds of empty words meant for officials. Isn't that a bit too unwelcoming?"
He chuckled coldly at this point, saying, "I still have some influence here. If you two are interested in investing here, since there's a business opportunity, cooperating with a local power broker is surely beneficial, as everyone understands. It's not unreasonable for everyone to make money together. I enjoy making friends and doing business; you two might want to consider it." He paused deliberately, glancing at us.
If those words were merely a hint, his next words revealed his true colors.
"To be frank, even though you two are powerful figures from out of town, you are still strangers here. Whatever you do, I'm afraid that some people in the local area won't recognize you, which may cause some trouble. If that happens, it will damage the harmony, and that wouldn't be good."
Hearing this, I laughed.
This guy, it turns out, came to extort money from us.
His extortion methods were different from those of ordinary gangsters. He didn't just come to our door demanding a certain amount of money... Clearly, he mistook us for ordinary foreign businessmen, thinking we were his cash cows. Although we had offended him, he probably knew through some channels that we were currently maintaining good relations with the authorities, so he didn't want to rashly break ties with us. That's why he came up with this plan: to visit us and try to extort money from us... he just wanted a slice of our investment.
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 123: The Secret of Buck Teeth Zhou
Ma Yu didn't try to hide anything. After the initial pleasantries, he bluntly stated his purpose. The threat implied in his words was not unexpected.
But... sigh, why are gangsters these days all trying to act like intellectuals? Is it a trend?
Buck-toothed Zhou seemed about to refuse, but I glanced at the time, then stared at Ma Yu for a moment before suddenly saying, "Ma Yu, let me ask you a question. Is it really that lucrative to be involved in organized crime in China these days?"
“…Huh?” Ma Yu was taken aback.
I hate beating around the bush... If it were politicians, beating around the bush for hours and dodging the issue would be normal... But come on, we're the underworld! If even gangsters have to use this evasive way of speaking, isn't that annoying?
"What I mean is, Ma Yu, how much leverage do you think you have? Are you qualified to talk to me?" I said calmly, throwing out this question directly.
Ma Yu's expression changed slightly, and then he glanced at me with a hint of disdain: "Mr. Chen, I guess you're not very familiar with the rules of the domestic market, are you?"
He revealed a hint of arrogance: "Over the years, many large foreign companies have come here to do business, but there are rules here! Not everything goes the way you think. For example, last year, a foreign transportation company set up a branch here! It was because, well, they didn't handle some things well, thinking that just because they were rich and powerful and had good relations with the authorities, they looked down on us street vendors... Do you know what happened?"
"I don't know." I shrugged.
"As a result, in a month, he couldn't even hire a single local driver! Their warehouse here can't even hire a single porter!!" Ma Yu couldn't hide his arrogance: "So what if they have official connections? So what if they're a big company? I still have ways to make them obey."
I didn't say anything.
I have no doubt that he has this ability... Any local gang leader could do this... However...
This method might be effective against legitimate outsiders without local connections, but using it against someone like me, who is also involved in organized crime and whose power far surpasses his... is just too naive.
I saw a hint of a smile in Zhou's eyes.
"Ma Yu." I called him by his name directly, not even bothering to address him as "Mr. Ma Yu." I remained calm, showing no anger whatsoever at his provocation and threats. This is normal…would a lion get angry when facing an ant baring its teeth at it?
“…Ma Yu.” I said calmly, “Actually, I think you’re quite good. I can tell you have some brains. But contrary to your expectations, it’s not that I’m unaware of the situation in China… In fact, I’ve only been abroad for a few years. I have no doubt about what you just said. I believe you can do it.”