...And...you don't even need to go to the toilet!
Just after that man downed seven or eight ounces of liquor, Qiao Qiao nonchalantly raised her second glass... The guy immediately became dizzy, his face filled with a resolute expression, as if he were going to the execution ground, he gritted his teeth and picked up the glass. He tilted his head back and downed another full mug of liquor.
But this time, Qiaoqiao didn't drink. She only touched the cup to her lips before putting it down. Then, with a sweet smile, she looked at her friend, who was already a little dizzy, and downed another seven or eight ounces in one gulp...
When he put down his glass, his eyes were completely glazed over, and he slurred, reeking of alcohol, "You...you haven't...you haven't drunk anything..."
Qiao Qiao sighed softly, looking sincere, and gently patted the guy on the shoulder. Then, with utmost sincerity, she said, "Dude, okay, I give up! You win! Is that alright?"
With this guy already unconscious and being carried away, hardly anyone dared to come up and challenge Qiaoqiao to a drinking contest.
For a long time afterward, Miss Qiao's fierce image was deeply ingrained in the minds of these brothers!
After the celebratory banquet ended, Eighth Master simply said to me, "Rest for a while. I have something to tell you to do once you've recovered." Then he left.
Qiaoqiao personally helped me back to my room.
At Eighth Master's instruction, I moved to a separate room. Xiluo followed and helped me move my things over.
I knew these guys were looking at me with a hint of something, but Qiaoqiao didn't care at all. After everyone left, she casually closed the door. Then she came over to me and said, "Take off your clothes, let me take a look at your wound."
"No need, you don't need to change the dressing today. The doctor said it only needs to be changed once a day." I smiled wryly.
"Oh." Qiao Qiao didn't say anything, but glanced at the closet on the wall, opened it, threw her own suitcase on the bed, opened it, and then threw the clothes inside into the closet one by one.
"Qiaoqiao, what's wrong with you? You just said... you and Li Wenjing's family..."
"Oh, we've fallen out." Qiaoqiao replied nonchalantly, "That old man, I've disliked him for a long time... Why should I marry his son just because he says so? I hate people like that the most. They think they're so high and mighty, that they can decide other people's fates with a single word, but they never consider other people's feelings. If it weren't for the fact that he's my father's friend and my elder, I would have slammed the plate in his face long ago!"
"What... happened?"
Qiaoqiao sighed and put down the clothes in her hands: "I went to see that sissy's family. Originally, we agreed that it was just an act, to fool these old guys, and to lie to them that we didn't want to get married for the time being, that we wanted to think about it in two or three years, and that we could date first... But this time when I met his parents, they insisted that we get married as soon as possible... They even said they wanted to have a grandson as soon as possible... Damn it! If they want a grandson, they can find another woman to have one! Why should they have a grandson... Damn it, just because of their simple words, other people have to give up their lives and sacrifice their lives to cater to them!"
"And then...?" I swallowed.
"And then?" Qiaoqiao said proudly, "I said NO to my effeminate parents right then and there. They nagged me a lot, and the most infuriating thing was that my effeminate father said that his elders had already made their decision, and we had to do it according to their decision... Damn it! I told them directly and asked them, 'Who do you think you are? What right do you have to arrange my life? How I live is none of your business!' That old guy was so angry that he almost had a heart attack. Then I just turned around and left, and then... I packed my bags and came to you."
A sense of unease crept into my heart: "You mean... seek refuge?"
“Of course!” Qiaoqiao said matter-of-factly. “Please, this will definitely reach my old man’s ears, and he’ll be furious… If I go back to China now, wouldn’t that be suicide? I’ll lay low for a while. After thinking it over, since you’re in Canada anyway, I might as well come and stay with you for a while. My old man doesn’t know you’re here. The only one who knows you’re here is that sissy… But that sissy won’t tell anyone, because he doesn’t want to marry me either. If I disappear and can’t find me, it’ll be perfect for him!”
I almost fainted: "You...you said you're going to live here?"
"Yes," Miss Qiao replied with an innocent and naive expression.
"But...do you know where this place is? It's..."
“It’s Fang Baye’s place.” Qiao Qiao answered me quickly: “Fang Baye is the leader of the Vancouver Big Circle Gang. This auto repair shop is your headquarters. I know!”
"You know...you know you still want to live here? Is that even possible?"
“Why is it impossible?” Qiao Qiao said quickly, “Don’t gangsters have homes? Don’t have relatives and friends? Don’t think I don’t know, the people in this auto repair shop aren’t actually part of the real Big Circle! Eighth Master just gathers these people here, gives you legal status, like a reserve force! They’ll only pull you out when it’s time to fight! At least… I’ve heard that Vancouver was in chaos for a while, and the Big Circle was fighting with other gangs, but Eighth Master didn’t touch a single soldier here!!”
I frowned: "You know all this?"
Qiao Qiao glared at me: "That sissy told me. Li Wenjing is a bit annoying, but he knows a lot of things... If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have found this place."
But then Qiao Qiao smiled and said, "It's okay, even if that sissy doesn't help me, I have my own ways... At worst, I'll go find our beautiful princess... She knows where you are, right?"
We chatted and laughed for a while, then Qiaoqiao stopped laughing and looked at me seriously, saying, "There's something I think I have to tell you properly."
"What?"
"Have you ever thought about this? This Master Fang has so many people working in the auto repair shop every day, like a reserve force... But when the fighting was so fierce recently, none of the people here were even involved... Why is that?"
Part 1: In the Jianghu, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter 155: Paratrooper Mode
"Have you ever heard of the 'airborne troops theory'?" Qiaoqiao asked slowly, seeing that I hadn't spoken.
"Um?"
“That sissy told me some things about your big circle.” Qiao Qiao’s tone was more serious than ever before: “After hearing what he said, I was very worried about you.”
I smiled and asked, "Li Wenjing, what did he say?"
Qiaoqiao pondered for a moment, then said something to me.
Basically, the so-called airborne theory is Li Wenjing's original words.
The Big Circle is a very strange organization. It operates within the criminal underworld, but it differs from all traditional Chinese organized crime groups… To date, the Big Circle has only existed for a little over twenty years. Other large Chinese criminal organizations, on the other hand, have histories spanning hundreds of years!
The most famous of all is, of course, the Hongmen! It can be said that most of the major Chinese organized crime groups that have gained significant influence in the world today have some connection with the Hongmen.
For example, the term "Double Flower Red Stick" clearly carries the characteristics of the Hongmen (Triads). They emphasize hierarchy, have a strict internal hierarchy, and a very detailed division of labor and organizational system... all of which evolved from the ancient rules of the underworld...
However, the Big Circle is a completely different organization. There are no chairmen, no second-in-commands, no elders, no "white paper fans" (that is, strategists or advisors), and no concept of red sticks or double-flower red sticks.
In general, the organizational structure of the Big Circle is very simple... even loose!
But strangely, Big Circle gets things done with an unusual efficiency! Big Circle places great emphasis on obedience and discipline within the organization! Actions are unified and highly disciplined.
Well... these things are very similar to... the military!
Perhaps this is related to the fact that many of the first generation of Big Circle members had military service and discharge backgrounds. Big Circle operates with a clear plan of advance and retreat, and has a very strict organizational discipline, but the organizational structure is not complicated... More importantly, Big Circle always seems to descend from the sky like divine soldiers whenever it launches a large-scale operation!
In the 1980s, the Big Circle gang swept through Hong Kong and was known as the "Hong Kong and Guangdong Special Forces." They often arrived suddenly from other places like an airborne force, committed a few big crimes, and then left quickly!
They are not like ordinary local gangs or underworld organizations that slowly develop by relying on local forces; instead, they are completely invasive and predatory!
Generally speaking, gangs in various places have some connection with the police—after all, black and white are relative and coexist in this world. But the Big Circle is different... Unlike local gangs, they generally have no base and operate entirely like guerrillas, moving from place to place after a single hit.
This situation has shrouded the Big Circle in mystery, but at the same time, it has also cast a shadow over the future development of this emerging organization!
Lacking a solid foundation, the Big Circle quickly faced decline after its first generation of elite troops aged... and in this situation, the airborne troops model began to mature!
Generally, local gangs and local police have a very familiar relationship, knowing each other inside and out. The police understand that they can't eliminate organized crime from the world, so they mostly employ "control" tactics, keeping gang activities within a permissible range. This strategy is used in most parts of the world. Therefore, in such cases, almost all dangerous members of the local gang are registered and recorded by the police. The gangs are under "semi-surveillance" by the police. At the slightest sign of trouble, the police can quickly obtain firsthand information, whether from police records, informants, or undercover agents… They can quickly find information and solve the case…
However, all of this is based on long-term familiarity, long-term contact, and long-term penetration!
The Big Circle organization's "parachute deployment" strategy rendered the police's old methods largely ineffective when dealing with them!
The current activities of the Big Circle include North America, Central America, Australia, and Southeast Asia, especially Hong Kong and Macau.
However, there is a very interesting phenomenon: the local big circle never does big cases locally!
In other words, generally speaking, basic, small-scale gang activities that don't attract strong police crackdowns are handled by the local big gangs. However, when it comes to big cases, the local big gangs usually don't get involved!
So what do you do when you encounter a major case?
It's very simple! Just like the situation before when the Vancouver Big Circle was at war with the Vietnamese and the Chinatown Chinese community!
Eighth Master didn't use any of the local bigwigs, that is, anyone from his auto repair shop! Almost everyone was brought in from overseas!
Therefore, the so-called "airborne troops model" can be simply explained as follows: "When there's a big case in North America, we mobilize our large network in Australia to carry it out! When there's a big case in Australia, we mobilize our large network in Southeast Asia to carry it out! When there's a big case in Southeast Asia, we mobilize our large network in North America to carry it out!!"
We absolutely will not use locals to handle major cases locally! This is our most basic principle!!
This approach will give the local police a real headache!
Because the criminals all come from abroad, they arrive and leave suddenly, like the wind! The police can only monitor local gangs, but they have very little information on overseas criminal organizations... Even if they manage to gather information through international connections, there is still far too little time to react!
It can be said that the airborne troops model is exactly the target of the police's consistent strategy of "control as the main approach and suppression as a secondary approach"!
They're all parachuted in from abroad, and you don't know anything about them! How are you going to control them? You have no information, no records, no informants, no undercover agents... what are you going to do?
Of course, the airborne model also has significant drawbacks, mainly its loose organizational structure and the extremely difficult process of preparation and mobilization before an operation. This is why the Big Circle rarely conducts large-scale operations in peacetime, but when it does, they always create a huge and spectacular spectacle!
"Why is Li Wenjing telling you all this?" I frowned, my mind racing.
“He just told me this, and then probably wanted me to tell you.” Jojo simply lay down on the bed, then kicked me, gesturing for me to move over a little.
I tossed her a pillow, and then we sat side by side, half-leaning against the headboard.
“Li Wenjing… I’ve always had a strange feeling about him… He’s someone I can’t figure out.” I sighed. “Perhaps I’m being a bit sensitive, but instinctively, I feel that this person is… dangerous!”
"I just think he's annoying." Qiaoqiao rummaged in my shirt pocket for a while, then pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took out two, lit them at the same time, and then handed one of them to me.
“He said that while Big Circle’s development model is very effective at dealing with the police, this parachuted-in approach makes it difficult for Big Circle to establish a stable foundation for development… Without a base, this is Big Circle’s fatal flaw. No matter how much noise they make, it’s only a short-lived spectacle. Moreover, it will also provoke antagonism from other local underworld forces… This is why underworld forces everywhere have tense relations with Big Circle.” Qiao Qiao smiled and then explained, “These are also the sissy’s exact words.”
I took a drag of my cigarette and sighed, "That makes sense... Hmph, after every big case, the police are on high alert for a while and crack down on organized crime... Of course, this makes other organized crime groups very unhappy... The case was committed by Big Circle, but the police's crackdown on organized crime activities has caused them to suffer losses as well."
"The conclusion is that Big Circle has no future. Don't be fooled by their current success. Any underworld organization needs a solid foundation to grow. But Big Circle relies on a predatory growth model. Without a solid foundation, such an organization won't last long. I think Big Circle will decline in at most ten years."
After hearing those words, I didn't say anything immediately, but just muttered to myself:
That's not necessarily true!
There are also far-sighted people in the Big Circle, such as Eighth Master! He had already seen the path of development. This time, giving up his share of the drug business in exchange for cooperation with Hell's Angels is his attempt to transform the Big Circle!
That night, we lay together against the headboard, both of us smoking cigarettes before falling asleep. At dawn, I was awakened by the pain from my wound.
Because I was sleeping on my side, I accidentally pressed on my wound in my sleep. When I woke up, I found that Qiaoqiao, who was lying next to me, was gone.
Looking out the window, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the room was a bit chilly, but I was covered with a blanket, which Qiaoqiao must have put on me while I was asleep.
Then I heard the sound of running water coming from the toilet, so I guessed Qiaoqiao was taking a shower.
Apart from the sound of running water, there was no other sound in the room. The room wasn't small, but it seemed cramped in the dark.
I accidentally glanced at a chair near the restroom and saw a few small pieces of fabric on it... I froze for a moment, then realized... Damn it!
Those are women's underwear...
I tried my best to avoid looking at the tiny, semi-transparent panties that were barely the size of my palm, but a flesh-colored, half-cup bra next to them still caught my eye...
Part 1: In the Jianghu, Not in Control of One's Own Fate, Chapter 156: Qiao Qiao Teases Me...
I suddenly realized something:
I'll be living in the same house as Qiaoqiao for a while!
Somewhat strangely, it seems I'm only just realizing the seriousness of this problem!
She is a woman, and I am a man! Furthermore, we are not a couple!
When a young, healthy woman and a young, healthy man live together in the same room, things get a little complicated!
Before this, it seems I had never considered Qiao Qiao as a woman... I dare not say this to Miss Qiao, otherwise, she might turn me into Ikkyu-san if she lost her temper...
But that's the truth... After being with Qiaoqiao for so many years, because of her sexual orientation, we've basically gotten used to joking around when we're together, so we don't treat her gender as a problem anymore.