Chapter 3: The River Lake, destined to make us helpless

  At 7 o'clock, the old Wu barbecue shop at the entrance of Taipingmen Street was booming with business. Ye Haodong and Da Lizi were sitting together with another young man in his early twenties, who looked fierce and had a sturdy build, enjoying the store's specialty dish, roasted beef. According to Da Lizi, this Mongolian youth was named Bao Ligang, whose father had died early, leaving behind only his mother and an older sister in high school.

  After a few cups of wine, Da Lizi, who seemed to have a lot to say, appeared to be slightly drunk: "Dongzi, brother is asking for a big favor, calling himself brother, you don't mind, do you?"

  "No, doesn't matter."

  Ye Haodong smiled and saw that this big Li was using wine to cover his face and get close to himself. He wanted to see what cards this guy had in his hand.

  Big Li Zi: "Brother, have you heard of the Mountain Dragon Army?"

  Ye Haodong nodded: "It was the second brother of Shan Longhui, whom I beat up last month. There is also a number one Jianghu celebrity on the road in Xinguang District."

  Da Li Zi did not expect that Ye Hao Dong actually knew the background of Shan Long Hui. Thinking of how bold Ye Hao Dong was that day, Da Li Zi couldn't help but wonder if his purpose this time would be successful. He secretly pondered: Could it be that this kid also has a background?

  Taking a glance at Da Lizi's rich expression, Ye Haodong smiled: "I also found out after beating him up, I heard his two brothers aren't on the run?"

  When he said that, Dali Zi secretly let out a breath of relief, thinking: his trump card still had use, so he wasn't afraid that this kid wouldn't agree.

  Da Lizi: "A well-informed friend of mine told me that the two brothers heard about what you did to his younger brother outside and sneaked back in secretly."

  Ye Haodong remained unmoved, nodding slightly: "Looks like I'm in trouble. Li Ge, you didn't just find me to tell me this, did you? Spit it out - what conditions do you want from me, and what can you do for me?"

  Ye Haodong's tone, which exuded a sense of ease and confidence, made Da Lizi feel very passive. This was far from the conversation scenario he had planned earlier. Ye Haodong's astuteness and his nonchalant reaction to the news of Shan Longjun's return to Gang City were beyond Da Lizi's expectations, making him once again doubt his own trump card.

  Da Lizi: "You've heard of the Shanlong Army, so you should also know about those things they did?"

  Ye Haodong: "I've heard some rumors, but they're not very reliable. Things in society are always exaggerated when passed around, you know? I just left school a few days ago and my social circle is still quite small, so I don't know much about what's going on. I did hear some stuff from friends who like to brag, but most of it is probably untrue."

  Da Li Zi: "Well, I'll tell you about the Shan Long Army then."

  Ye Haodong waved his hand: "No need! Your purpose in telling me about him is nothing more than to let me know what kind of person I've offended, to let me know that with my current abilities I won't be able to resolve this matter, and then tell me you can help me smooth things over, so I'll agree to your conditions, right? Alright Li Ge, just say directly what you want from me, and also tell me how you plan to help me solve this trouble."

  The cup in front of Da Lizi was empty. He glanced at Ye Haodong, then looked at the half-drunk bottle of San Gou Da Qu, but didn't say anything.

  Ye Haodong smiled, picked up the wine bottle and filled it for him, then raised his own cup: "Brother Li, before I came to the bathhouse, you were always the best craftsman here. When I first arrived, I didn't learn a few things from you, just for this, I'll drink a toast to you." After finishing speaking, he raised his cup and drank it in one gulp.

  Da Lizi also drank it all in one go, while Bao Ligang on the side was a non-drinker. From the moment he sat down, except for introducing himself to Ye Haodong with stiff Mandarin at the beginning, he spent the rest of the time fighting with the several plates of beef on the table.

  "Li Weidong, I've got it. Ye brother is a sensible person, just say what you want to say, it's too tiring to listen to you two talking like this!" Ba Lijiang, who had been quiet for a while, chimed in with a silly expression, and then took a big piece of roasted half-cooked beef, dipped it in some sauce and stuffed it into his mouth.

  "Hey, if you didn't call me that, I'd almost forget my own name is Li Weidong. In these few years, only you still remember this name. Alright, I'll be straightforward - when you leave the bathhouse, take me with you. No matter what you do in the future, don't forget to bring me and this brother of mine along. As long as you agree to this condition, whenever the Mountain Dragon Gang comes looking for you, I'll take care of it!"

  Ye Haodong: "Why? Why follow me?"

  "East son, let's be real, I'll say what I have to say. You were right earlier, before you came, I was indeed the best among these bath workers in terms of craftsmanship. But I've been doing this job for almost two years now and haven't saved up enough money to go back home, build a house, and get married. However, you've only been here for four months and have already figured out a way to surpass me in terms of craftsmanship, and even came up with a medicinal bath formula that can rival Li Tengyu's. I heard from my brother earlier about your cooperation, and it seems like you've made quite a name for yourself. This means that in just four short months, you've already surpassed me in both skill and income. It shows that you're much more talented than I am.

  And then there was the time you stood up to Shan Longhui - everyone on Taiping Street knows what a troublemaker he is, but nobody dared to confront him except for you. This shows that you have guts. To be honest, at the time, I didn't think you'd dare to stand up for Xiao Zheng like that. And it's not like Xiao Zheng was particularly nice to you when you first arrived - in fact, he made things difficult for you on purpose. But despite all that, you still chose to help him out, which shows that you're a truly loyal and righteous person.

  Brother, I've been in society for seven or eight years now, and as you can see, I haven't exactly achieved great things. But I'm confident in my judgment of people, and I think you have great potential - you're talented, brave, and loyal. I'm willing to bet that you'll go far in life. So, I was thinking of bringing my only brother over to join forces with you. What do you say? Will it work out or not?"

  Ye Haodong was somewhat surprised, and quickly pondered the meaning behind Li Weidong's words. After a moment of contemplation, he said: "Firstly, thank you for looking out for me, Li Ge. Alright, I'll give you credit for having good judgment - I do have confidence that I can make something of myself in the future. However, if I agree to your proposal, how do you plan on helping me resolve the issue with those two from the Mountain Dragon Army?"

  Li Weidong understood that Ye Haodong was testing his skills. He didn't speak at first, but nodded slightly towards Bao Lijun.

  "I'm not a skilled fighter, but I've managed to get by for several years with my cunning. I still have a few friends, and when necessary, I can find some influential people to help mediate and smooth things over. Besides bringing Zhangsun here today because he's always been like a brother to me and I couldn't just abandon him wherever I go, I also wanted to let him show off his skills in front of you, so you know that even if we were to fight, my brothers and I wouldn't be afraid of Shan Longjun."

  Ye Haodong followed his gaze and turned to look at Bao Ligang. Bao Ligang, who was nearly 1.9 meters tall, had a very athletic build. After getting a nod from Li Weidong, he stretched out his huge hand, grabbed the empty Sanjiu wine bottle that had just been knocked over, pressed it against the table with one hand, and with the other hand, suddenly chopped down, cutting off half of the bottleneck in one swift motion.

  Ye Haodong finally couldn't hold it in and revealed a surprised expression. Li Weidong saw this from the side and finally felt a little comforted, at least there was something that could shock Ye Haodong.

  "Wow, Brother Gang Zhi, this is the real deal! Where did you learn it?" Ye Haodong exclaimed sincerely, while punching Ba Lijian's arm with his fist.

  Baoli Gang's Chinese was not good, so he rarely spoke. When Ye Haodong praised him, he just smiled foolishly. At this time, Li Weidong became his spokesperson: "Gangzi came to Steel City before and was a member of the Bao City Sports School's Sanda team. He won the national championship in the big category and is a second-level athlete in the country. Three years ago, his father was transferred to Steel City, and they all followed him over. Originally, he could have continued to stay there for training, but three years ago, his father had an accident. He missed his mother and sister and was afraid that without a man by their side, they would be bullied. That's why he came here, also thanks to the fate of our brothers. When he didn't come, I was still mixing around. By chance, I met the Four Monks at the train station bullying his sister. I couldn't bear it and helped him out. We called him to hurry up, and together we beat those Four Monks. From then on, we became sworn brothers."

  Ye Hao stood up, raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp: "Good job! Seeing injustice on the road and drawing swords to help each other. I didn't understand Brother Li before, but from this matter, I can see that you are a reliable person. Gangzi is also good, for the sake of his mother and sister, he gave up his future! It's rare for you two to look up to me, from today on, you two and Ye Haodong are brothers! In these times, opportunities are plentiful, in the future, we'll conquer the world together!"

  Li Weidong also drank a clean cup, and although Baoli Gang was a Mongolian Han, he was a master who got drunk as soon as he touched wine. He picked up a bowl of tea and drank it all in one gulp.

  Li Weidong: "Dongzi, I can see that you have brains and courage, your skills are also top-notch, you don't put the Shanlong Army in your eyes, but today we brothers hit it off so well, from now on I've made up my mind to follow you, there's something I want to say that you might not like to hear."

  Ye Haodong burst out laughing: "Brother Li, I didn't want to hear you talk about the Mountain Dragon Army earlier because I couldn't figure out your relationship with them. It's not necessary for us to be too familiar since we're just acquaintances. But now that we've opened up and become brothers, feel free to say whatever you want, and I'll also get to know more about this famous figure in the Taiping Gate."

  Li Weidong did not expect Ye Haodong's youthful arrogance, but he was not someone who wouldn't listen to advice. Since he had already offended the Shanlong Army brothers, he now wanted to know his enemies and himself.

  "Shan Longjun and Shan Longhu are twins, 25 years old this year. Although they are twins, they don't look alike at all. Shan Longjun is only about 1.7 meters tall, while Shan Longhu has a physique similar to that of Zhangzi. I once saw them fighting alongside Er Xinzi in the scorching sun on Liedeshan and against Wan Laofu from the old temple. Shan Longhu has incredible strength and likes to use his rod when fighting, with a particularly ruthless and fierce hand. Although Shan Longjun's physique is ordinary, his status in Er Xinzi's gang is much higher than that of Shan Longhu, because he not only has a ruthless hand but also loves to think strategically. In Er Xinzi's hands, he plays the role of both a top fighter and a military strategist. If you want to be their enemy, you must beware of Shan Longjun secretly plotting against you. I heard that Ding Laosi, the number one old-timer on Taiping Street, was crippled by him and never recovered."

  Li Weidong's words also had a bit of a legendary tone, but Ye Haodong would rather believe they were true. Although he was not very old, he had read extensively since childhood and was good at grasping the underlying principles. Many great figures had been defeated by humble-looking characters due to their arrogance, let alone compared to the Shanlong Army brothers, Ye Haodong was even more of an unremarkable character now. He deeply understood that looking down on one's opponent strategically was fine, but not taking them seriously tactically would only lead to trouble.

  "The Shan Longjun brothers took such a big risk to sneak back and find me for revenge, I reckon they're planning to give me a harsh lesson, so that they can intimidate the other thugs on this street and let them run away with ease. By killing me, this 'chicken', they'll scare off the monkeys on the streets, and then they won't have to worry about their brother being taken care of. However, they're guilty and won't dare show their faces publicly. I reckon they'll first try to figure out my daily routine, and then look for an opportunity to strike. Originally, as long as I stay at home, they won't get a chance, and the police will catch up with them soon enough. But recently, I really can't just hide like this. Firstly, in a few days, the bathhouse will open up a space for me to set up some experimental baths using my medicinal formulas. Secondly, I promised Li Tengyu that I'd train those girls he brought back from the south. After these two things are done, it'll probably be after New Year's. By then, the brothers will have to think of something else. In short, this matter can't be avoided by hiding. Moreover, even if you hide on the first day of the year, you can't hide on the fifteenth; a boil will eventually come to a head. So I plan to lure them out and take care of them once and for all. Specifically, how to do it, I have an idea, but this matter still needs your two cooperation."

  Li Weidong: "What did you say?"

  Bao Li Gang said: "Good!" After speaking, he lowered his head and ran towards the fifth plate of beef again.

  "There's an old saying that two fists can't beat four hands, and the Shan Long Army brothers have been mixed up in this for so long, they must have some loyal followers. If we want to take care of them, just the three of us would be too thin. There's another saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Because these two brothers have been mixed up for a long time and have a bad reputation, I'm sure there are many people who want to take care of them. You're familiar with this kind of thing, Li Ge, can you help me find out who has a deep grudge against them? We need someone who won't back down. Introduce me to one or two people, and we'll make our move. This time, we have to go all the way. The fewer people who know about this, the better. Don't bother with those big brother-level friends you mentioned earlier. I think Shan Long Army wants to give me a hard time, so he won't let too many people know. Once he makes his move, there won't be many people involved. Besides his two brothers, there might be one or two loyal followers at most. You and Gangzi can bring some men to block the others, and I'll take care of Shan Long Army personally. Since I'm younger and they're wanted criminals, as long as we have some leeway in the situation, we won't get sentenced too heavily. After it's all over, I'll take responsibility for any big trouble that comes our way."

  Ye Haodong continued, "Brother Li, there's a saying that goes 'adversity reveals true friendship', and another one that says 'to send charcoal in snowy weather'. Today, you two brothers are willing to befriend me, Ye Haodong, because you look up to me. At the critical moment, we'll face difficulties together, this bond is more important than anything else. I, Ye Haodong, will remember this. If the Shan Longjun matter succeeds, I estimate that I won't be able to avoid a prison sentence. But if things go well, it shouldn't be too severe. Before that, I'll speed up the matter at the bathhouse and try to get the money as soon as possible, so we can plan our future path before Shan Longjun makes his move. You two brothers are not young anymore, and you're both the only sons in your families, so just listen to my arrangement on this matter. On that day, you'll be outside, guarding our interests, and when I come out, we'll make a lot of money together and let our families live a good life."

  Li Weidong, after all, has been mixed for many years and understands the depth of Ye Haodong's words. Bao Ligang, on the other hand, feels that he is lacking in brains and absolutely trusts Li Weidong, which also makes him trust Ye Haodong, whom he has just met for two hours. He doesn't have any objections to Ye Haodong's arrangements either.

  The three of them established a brotherly relationship, and Ye Haodong also made it clear what they were going to do next, so they didn't continue discussing these topics. As they ate and chatted about each other's past, the wine was sufficient and the meal was full, and looking at the time, they reluctantly dispersed.