We walked for a long time before we finally managed to flag down a taxi. We then took the taxi all the way to a highway entrance.
Hong Dae was indeed very knowledgeable about Vietnam. He told me with a smile that there was only one expressway in the entire North Vietnam, and it was poorly constructed. I took a quick look, and he was right. If this kind of road were in China, it would probably only be considered a first-class national highway.
We waited by the roadside for a while, then waved to every passing bus. Finally, we managed to flag one down.
Luckily, it was just a bus heading to Haiphong. I glanced at the sign on the bus; I can't read Vietnamese, but English is fine. It belonged to a long-distance bus company in Ha Long Bay. After boarding, we sat in the last row.
At night, there weren't many people on the bus, and the bus itself looked quite dilapidated.
"Brother, when we get to Hanoi, I'll take you to have some fun!" Hong Da laughed at me. "I can be considered a local in Vietnam, and the Vietnamese women are very passionate!"
I pursed my lips and said with a wry smile, "A beautiful woman?"
In fact, in my impression, women in Southeast Asian countries, especially places like Vietnam, tend to look like monkeys—thin, small, short, and withered. It's really hard to call them "beautiful."
“You don’t understand Vietnam.” Hong Da said with a sigh, then smiled and said, “You won’t see any pretty girls on the street. But at night, I’ll take you to some upscale places, and you’ll find that almost all the beautiful women in Vietnam are concentrated in those places.”
I pretended to be very interested in the clothes and listened as Hong Da continued, "Vietnam is a very difficult country, almost built on the ruins of war. In recent years, Vietnam experienced difficulties and began to try to develop its tourism industry, but the foundation here is too poor, Vietnam doesn't have any good tourism resources... In this respect, neighboring Thailand is much ahead. So, some public channels in Vietnam even say that the government has put forward a slogan..."
"What?"
Hong Da smiled and then said, "Sacrifice a generation of young girls to boost Vietnam's economy."
Holy crap!
I was stunned!
A government slogan? That's awesome!!
Hong Da looked at me with a smug expression and laughed, "Brother, don't you know? Just a couple of years ago, in some parts of Vietnam, you could buy a young virgin as your wife just by spending money! And such a transaction would be considered legal! You would be considered the girl's owner! The price... I think it was around 10,000 RMB."
I glanced at Ciro beside me. Clearly, having grown up in Canada, Ciro couldn't help but show an expression of disbelief at this!
I sighed, patted Hong Da on the shoulder, and said with a wry smile, "Brother, we're on the run in a sense right now! Let's talk about this after we've survived."
Just then, the car suddenly slowed down...
Part 1: A Man in the Jianghu, Helpless by His Own Circumstances, Chapter 167: Vietnam Is Not Paradise (Part 1)
As the car slowed down, it exited the highway and entered a regular road. I knew we were almost at Haiphong.
It was already past 8 p.m., and the sky was completely dark. The bus arrived at a passenger station.
To be honest, this bus station is really dilapidated. I took a look and the facilities and overall environment here are not much different from a county town in China in the 1980s.
As the four of us men walked out of the bus station, Hong Da and I walked in front, with Xi Luo and Hong Da's bodyguard following behind. I could clearly sense a complex, perhaps even hostile, expression on the bodyguard's face when he faced us. I understood; it was because I had easily subdued him on the yacht, and he was probably still quite resentful.
"Shouldn't we try to keep a low profile?" I sighed. "That yacht is still moored by the sea... What if someone notices it..."
Hong laughed: "That was in Xialong Bay. Besides, we've already thrown the poisoned crew member's body into the sea. When I called to rent the yacht, it was arranged through my friend in Vietnam... Don't worry, they can't find us now... As for the police... Let me tell you, the worst police force in all of Vietnam is their police! Their police are utterly worthless!"
I smiled. After all, Hong Da knew more about Vietnam than I did, so I didn't argue.
Stepping out of the bus station, I was immediately struck by the excellent security in Haiphong!
As soon as we stepped out of the gate, countless drivers swarmed around us, eager to solicit our business. Some spoke broken Chinese, some Vietnamese, and others simply offered to pick us up. These were all taxi drivers who specifically sought out passengers at the station.
A dozen or so people surrounded us, and at the same time, I felt some children who looked like beggars squeeze in... I felt someone trying to pick my pockets! I immediately yelled and forcefully shoved aside the guy who was pushing his way to the front! Then I grabbed the hand that was reaching into my pocket.
I forcefully pushed aside the people on either side, glaring angrily at the person whose hand I had grabbed... It was a child, no more than eleven or twelve years old, very thin, and with a dirty face. His eyes looked at me with some fear.
The anger on my face gradually disappeared, and then I slowly released him, coldly saying in English, "Get away!"
Hong Da and his group were getting fed up with the drivers' harassment. Xi Luo and his bodyguard escorted Hong Da out, but the drivers, like leeches, kept tugging at their clothes. They were nothing but thugs! Xi Luo was getting angry. Young people always have such short tempers!
He grabbed the man closest to him, then, with a flick of his shoulder, tossed him away! Then, Xiluo tripped another person nearby, shoved him aside, and pulled Hongda outside.
This was a disaster! A whole bunch of people suddenly swarmed around them! Even some of the other drivers who had been standing on the sides as onlookers rushed over!
Looking at the dozens of people on the other side, Xiluo's face was full of anger. He protected Hong Da and retreated, while he stood at the front and glared at them.
I quickly grabbed Xiluo and pulled her back, and then Hongda immediately shouted! He spoke in Vietnamese, yelling a few words at the group of thugs. I didn't know what he said, but after hearing Hongda's words, the men clearly hesitated.
Hong Dae spoke with them for a few more minutes, then took out several Vietnamese dong banknotes from his pocket, bent down, placed them on the ground, spread his hands, and took two steps back. He then spoke loudly for a couple more minutes…
The atmosphere eased a little, and the group of thugs stopped pressing us. We continued backing away, and I saw someone come up and pick up the banknotes on the ground. After glancing at them, he waved and shouted something to the thugs behind him, and everyone dispersed.
When Hong Da turned around, I saw some sweat on his forehead, clearly he had been a little nervous.
I frowned, and before I could speak, Xiluo was already somewhat displeased, coldly asking, "Why did you give them money just now?"
Hong Da quickly pulled us away from the station and walked rapidly into the street, his tone mocking as he glanced at Xi Luo: "Kid! You think you're so tough? Aren't you afraid of those guys?"
Xiluo said proudly, "We don't even consider these people a threat!" Then he patted his waist and said, "These are just a bunch of thugs and drivers at the station."
“Yes, they are indeed the bullies at the station.” Hong Da said very seriously, “Generally speaking, these guys target foreign tourists and rarely target Vietnamese people. He heard you speaking Chinese just now, which is why so many of you came over… You know, in North Vietnam, the locals are not so friendly to Chinese people! I think I don’t need to explain why.”
He pointed to the departing station behind him and said slowly, "These guys make a living in the station, and they're very united! They can gather hundreds of people with a single shout! No matter how good you are at fighting, how many can you take on? Ten? Twenty? Hmph... Don't count on the police. Let me tell you, here, especially in northern Vietnam, in Haiphong, the police are the most useless... They won't stand up for you in this kind of situation."
“But we have guns,” Ciro said, somewhat unconvinced.
"Guns?" Hong Da laughed loudly, then patted Xi Luo hard on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Kid, what do you think this place is? This is Vietnam! Vietnam!!"
As he walked, he said with a mocking tone, "In the last century, Vietnam almost entirely lived through war! First, they fought the French, then South Vietnam fought North Vietnam, then the Americans, and finally the Chinese… The Vietnamese people have lived through war! Guns? Let me tell you, the number of guns privately owned in Vietnam is absolutely among the highest in the world! Believe it or not, many of those thugs at the station just now probably had guns hidden in their cars!! Did you know? In the wars of the last century, Vietnam was practically a nation of soldiers! Even now, if you randomly grab an old lady in the countryside and give her a submachine gun, she can use it skillfully!" He glanced at Xiluo with a mocking look: "Do you understand what I mean?"
Siro was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and nodded: "OK."
I patted Xiluo on the shoulder and smiled at him. This young man, after all, lacks experience and hasn't been through much hardship. It's normal for young people to have a fiery temper. Besides, I really like this brother of mine, so I wanted to comfort him a little.
We walked half a block before we could hail a taxi. This was basically a legitimate taxi; the ones at the station were all unlicensed.
Hong Dae was indeed very familiar with Vietnam. As soon as he got on the bus, he immediately named a hotel, which was the best hotel in Haiphong, supposedly a four-star hotel.
As for whether it's truly a four-star rating, only God knows.
As the car entered the city center of Haiphong, I noticed that the streets and roadsides were slightly more lively, but they still felt dilapidated, clearly indicating that the economy here was not developed. Most of the houses along the streets were low and narrow, mostly residential buildings; anything seven or eight stories was considered a high-rise. The shops on both sides… were more like night market stalls than shops.
Everything here really feels like a small Chinese city from the 1980s. My first impression of the streets was: dirty and old.
I also noticed a very strange phenomenon: on the street, I see many middle-aged men and elderly people, and often some of them are disabled, some missing an arm, some missing a leg...
“These are all remnants of the war.” Hong sighed. “Vietnam has only been at war for thirty years since the end of its last war. Vietnam was almost constantly at war in the last century, and the national population ratio was very unbalanced, with fewer men and more women. And many of the men who survived were disabled.”
Our car finally stopped in front of a hotel. Thank goodness, the hotel looked decent; at least from the outside, the building was fairly clean. A doorman even came over to open the car door for us.
Just then, I suddenly heard a series of urgent police sirens coming from the street behind me!
The sharp, piercing sound came rushing in, followed by four or five police cars speeding past on the street!
Then I saw a military truck, and behind it were soldiers in uniform, carrying guns, fully armed!
The military vehicle followed closely behind the police car!
Then another military vehicle passed by... also fully loaded with soldiers...
I frowned and glanced at Hong Da: "What's wrong? Has something happened here? Or is there a coup?"
Hong Da raised an eyebrow and casually asked the doorman a question. After the doorman answered a few times, Hong Da told me calmly, "It's nothing, it's normal... It seems there was a minor security issue or conflict in the square in front. These kinds of security incidents happen frequently here."
I'm speechless...
A minor public security issue? Does it really require deploying so many police officers and so many troops?
Hong Da saw my doubt and laughed, "Brother, you really don't understand Vietnam. This is how it is here. I told you the police are useless here because the people are tough, many have guns at home, and the police can't control the situation. We can only rely on the army. Don't worry, everything is normal. Let's go into the hotel and get some rest... Sigh, I really want a drink now!"
I glanced at Xiluo and found that Xiluo was looking at me too.
I suddenly realized that if Hong Da hadn't intervened in time, and we had gotten into a fight with those thuggish drivers at the station... it would probably have been just a "minor security issue."
Part 1: A Man in the Jianghu, Forced by His Own Will - Chapter 168: Vietnam Is Not Paradise (Part 2)
"Cheers!" Hongda and I raised our glasses together and downed our beers in one gulp. Xiluo and Hongda's bodyguard were sitting next to us, but the two of them still seemed to be at odds. They glanced at each other and then silently drank their beers.
We were sitting on the top floor of this hotel. It was a bar... well, let's just call it a bar for now.
The decor is decent, barely reaching the level of a four-star restaurant, but it's a combination of a Western restaurant and a bar.
What's even more frustrating is that this place, which claims to be a bar, doesn't sell any alcoholic beverages. Especially beer; the entire hotel only offers one type: Tiger.
To be honest, drinking beer in Vietnam is still quite enjoyable.
Because a bottle of beer here costs 40,000 Vietnamese dong (about 20 RMB), we bought 25 bottles in one go... that's 1 million Vietnamese dong...
Haha, drinking a million dollars worth of beer... If we don't consider the monetary value, just saying it out loud... is pretty cool.
I calmly put down my beer glass, then glanced at Hong Da, who seemed somewhat relieved. The shadow of what happened at sea today was gradually fading. In fact, for someone of his status, life was always a precarious existence, and the threat of death was commonplace.
I cautiously asked him, "Dude, what are you planning to do next?"
“Keep heading south,” Hong Da said calmly. “I haven’t contacted my friends in Vietnam anymore. I don’t trust them anymore. They don’t know where I am now… Hmph, the only person I trust is someone after I get to Saigon… Now… my little brother. Only you know I’m here. Otherwise, I’ve vanished from the rest of Vietnam! Haha…”
I deliberately glanced at him and said, "Aren't you afraid I'll betray you? Maybe I'm in cahoots with those who want to kill you."
Hong laughed heartily: "I'm good at judging people. You must be someone with status and background. You're not an ordinary person... but you're not one of those who want to kill me. Otherwise, you would have had plenty of opportunities to kill me back at sea."
I didn't say anything.
In fact, just now, while I was in the restroom, I called Tiger and told him that we had arrived in Haiphong.
Twenty-five bottles of beer. They drank one million Vietnamese dong, but everyone knew this wasn't the time for heavy drinking; a little was enough.
As I left the bar and entered the elevator, I suddenly glanced at Hong Da and said, "Tonight, I'll share a room with you, and let my brother share a room with your bodyguard."
Hong Da gave me a deep look, but he only hesitated for a moment before saying, "Okay."
His bodyguard seemed to want to say something, but ultimately remained silent. Ciro, on the other hand, frowned as he looked at me. However, he listened to me very well; he wouldn't object to anything I said.
After entering the room, Hong Da immediately pulled me to sit down in a chair with a very serious expression: "Brother. Now that it's just the two of us in this room... I think we should have an honest talk."
I smiled and sat down: "Okay."
"Who exactly are you?" Hong Da's eyes held a chill.
I sighed: "Why do you ask that?"
Hong Da grinned, "We're not kids anymore. Brother, we're all seasoned veterans of the underworld. I don't believe in such coincidences! I'm in trouble, and you just happen to be there for me... If I were that lucky, I'd have bought a lottery ticket already!"
After saying that, he suddenly took a thin checkbook out of his pocket and slowly placed it on the table. Then he stared at me: "What are you asking for? Money? I can give you money! But I don't think you are."
I laughed: "Aren't you afraid I'm here to kill you?"