The First Volume: The Hollow Spirit Chapter 2: A Life of Confusion

  What gang is the largest in Shanghai, Qingbang! If someone offends a certain powerful person in Qingbang, this person will be in danger even when eating, sleeping, or drinking a glass of water. Three years ago, the three big shots of Qingbang made great efforts to assist Chiang Kai-shek in seizing power and suppressing ***, which established Qingbang's special status in Shanghai.

  Since it's a gang, most of the things they do are also shady businesses, brothels, casinos, opium dens, smuggling, and even the small thieves on the streets have the shadow of the Green Gang. As Wang Yaowu, he inevitably had to deal with people from the Green Gang, and was very clear about who in the gang could be befriended, who couldn't be provoked, and who could be taught a lesson.

  Wang Ya Zu gambled, not to win a lot of money, he never thought that gambling could make him rich, he came to gamble just to find excitement, in the boring days to find some stimulation, killing people for Wang Ya Zu was just a routine.

  It's already past midnight, many shops have closed and many families are asleep, but the brothels and casinos have just started to get lively. Those who spend money and those who make money come in and out of the doors.

  The casino was just ahead, but Wang Yaowu had only walked to within five paces of the entrance when someone suddenly flew out from inside. On such a cold day, the person who flew out wasn't wearing a single piece of clothing on their upper body. Just as they were trying to get up, four thugs burst out of the casino and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks at the person on the ground.

  "You've got guts, no money but still dare to gamble, the debt you owe won't be reduced by a single cent, next time we meet, I'll throw you into the Huangpu River!" The leader of the thugs said while beating someone up, he was the most ruthless among the four, as soon as he finished speaking, he kicked again, and the person being beaten spat out blood, which just happened to splatter onto Wang Yaowu's pants.

  "Bastards, do you guys hit people like this? Blood splattered all over my pants! Can't you watch where you're hitting? Where are your eyes?! Wang Yaowu immediately got angry. Several others who were also splattered with blood and wanted to enter the casino backed away. The thugs didn't expect someone to dare complain, so their leader quickly turned around with a ferocious expression, but soon they recognized Wang Yaowu."

  "It was actually Brother Yaizu, I didn't see it coming, I'm blind. Where did the blood splatter? Let me help you wipe it off." The leader of the thugs hurriedly bent down to help Wang Yaizu wipe away the bloodstains on his body. In this era, there's no such thing as the toughest, only those who are even more ruthless. Even the Green Gang's thugs wouldn't dare provoke someone like Wang Yaizu.

  "Never mind, the door is open, good luck, next time be more careful." Wang Ya Zu pushed the thug aside and let him make way for him to go in and gamble a few rounds. The thugs who were just fierce and menacing earlier all smiled and sent Wang Ya Zu on his way.

  Inside the casino, it's very lively, no one will care about someone who loses money, someone who owes a lot of debt and doesn't pay back might get beaten to death, encountering such people is unlucky, it will affect oneself and can't win money.

  After entering, Wang Ya Zu changed into chips and took the hot towel handed over by the casino's servant girl, wiped his face and began to look for familiar faces in the casino. He didn't come to the casino just to win money, but also to find excitement and make some friends, as having more friends means having more opportunities.

  Wang Yaoyu really found an old acquaintance, Yan Fuquan, the deputy officer of the Shanghai Garrison Command. This Yan Fuquan was in charge of contacting people from the Investigation Department within the Garrison Command. Generally, when people from the Investigation Department needed to mobilize soldiers, they would look for him.

  When gambling all night, people will be more irritable due to fatigue and lack of spirit. In this state, it's easy to lose calmness when betting. A wrong decision can lead the casino to win a sum, which is also an important reason why casinos must operate 24/7.

  It was obvious that Vice Officer Yan's luck wasn't good, sweating profusely and nervously staring at the Tianjiu card in his hand, hesitating about how much to bet, with only a dozen or so dollars left on the table in front of him.

  A maid nearby brought a hot towel, and as she handed it over, Wang Ya-zu casually patted the maid's buttocks, feeling quite pleased with himself. He gave her a small tip of one silver dollar, and the maid thanked him repeatedly.

  Wang Yaoyu turned around, patted Yan Fuquan's shoulder and said: "What's wrong, Vice Officer Yan? You can't sleep tonight either. That old stone, he likes to wake people up in the middle of the night and make others suffer with him. How's the card game going? Let me take a look."

  Yan Deputy Officer wasn't wearing his uniform today, but a suit instead. Normally, disturbing him at this time would put him in a bad mood. However, upon hearing the voice, Yan Deputy Officer immediately recognized it as Wang Ya Zu's. Their relationship was indeed unique - they gambled, drank, and visited brothels together; how could their relationship be anything but good?

  "My luck is rotten, I've already lost sixty or seventy bucks. If I keep losing, this month's military pay will be all gone." Yan Fu Guan said as he asked Wang Yao Zu to help him look at the cards. As soon as they heard that Yan Song was a deputy officer, several gamblers next to Yan Fu Guan quietly stepped aside.

  A mediocre hand, no wonder Yan Song was hesitant at first, he was considering whether to go all-in and turn the tables.

  "Not bad, but it's a bit risky if you lose. But who is Vice Yan? A deputy officer in the Garrison Command, really has no money. Bring some soldiers from the command to go out and have fun, or come to our investigation bureau to go out with us, three days will be enough, and a month's military salary will arrive immediately. All-in! Play big, I'll lend you another 50 yuan to bet!"

  Yan Fuquan was not a regular at this casino, Yan Fuquan didn't like to wear his uniform when he came out to gamble, once took out a large sum of money to gamble, after losing, he wouldn't appear for a while, or went to play in other casinos, Shanghai had many casinos and brothels. As a result, people like him were always treated as prey wherever they went to gamble.

  What Wang Yaowu just said is not nonsense, it's what the banker needs to hear. The bankers in the casino are all masters of cheating. If they lose too much money, according to the rules, their palms will be chopped off.

  "We won, we finally won big, Wang Ya Zu you really have skills. Continue, continue!" Of course, Vice Officer Yan would win this round, otherwise Wang Ya Zu wouldn't be talking so much nonsense. However, the casino also has its own rules, if a high-ranking person comes to a Qing Bang casino and wins a large sum of money easily, then it's not a real Qing Bang casino.

  One evening, Wang Yaowu lost fifty yuan, and Yan Fuquan calculated that he had neither won nor lost, with a difference of only two or three yuan. However, Yan Fuquan was clearly having a great time, and he walked out together with Wang Yaowu, who was leaning on his shoulder, while the four doormen all nodded and bowed to see them off.

  "It's really refreshing, how about going for a drink? I know the home-made daughter red is exceptionally pure." After finishing the gamble, it was already early morning and they were going to drink again. Wang Yaizu heard this and furrowed his brow.

  "Never mind, I still have to work in the morning. That old stone is not easy to serve, I really envy you as a deputy officer who can take a holiday. We are tired to death every day and worry about when we will be laid off. I'm going to have breakfast now, and then I'll go to work."

  The two of them parted ways like this. Wang Ya-zu patted the money in his pocket, took out two silver dollars, and threw them at a mother and son who were begging on the street so early without even looking, then quickly walked away. Many beggars who came to Shanghai were refugees from other places because many people thought that not only would they not starve to death in Shanghai, but also have opportunities to climb up.

  Behind him, there were voices of gratitude and pleas for God to bless Wang Yaowu, this "good-hearted person". Wang Yaowu didn't want to listen, he felt bored, even very confused, and he didn't know what to do to make life less boring. Women, gambling, killing, everything had become so uninteresting, as for opium, Wang Yaowu would absolutely not touch it, he didn't want to become a waste like his father.

  Spirit, Wang Yaowu seems to know what he needs is a spirit. In these years, Wang Yaowu has only been living for himself. That thing, he doesn't want to touch it because he wants to live a comfortable life and doesn't want to be chased by people every day. As for the Three Principles of the People, Wang Yaowu had long memorized them. When he couldn't sleep at night, he would take another look, and after a few pages, he could fall asleep. He didn't want to become someone like Old Stone.

  Bored, uninteresting, and confused, but life must go on. Wang Ya-zu certainly didn't want to die and wanted to live on. Then he could spend more comfortable days and enjoy a better life. He believed that one day he would find the kind of spirit he was looking for, but it seemed not to be now.

  "Boss, the usual." Wang Ya-zu came to his regular breakfast place again. A ordinary street stall run by a couple. They only sell two kinds of food here, vegetable buns and white rice porridge with coarse grains. The price is very reasonable.

  Upon seeing Wang Ya Zu's arrival, the landlady hastily came over to greet him: "Mr. Wang has arrived, have a cup of tea and rinse your mouth." While Wang Ya Zu was drinking tea and rinsing his mouth, the landlord hurriedly made preparations according to what Wang Ya Zu usually liked to eat. For this couple, Wang Ya Zu was their benefactor.

  The couple did not know what Wang Ya-zu's identity was, but because Wang Ya-zu often came to their place for breakfast and sometimes also had dinner, they no longer suffered from harassment by hoodlums and police. The couple's daily life became better and better, and more and more people came to their stall to eat.

  For Wang Ya Zu, coming to a place like this for breakfast is actually a very normal thing. But Wang Ya Zu's habit is to eat what he likes. No matter how expensive it is, if it doesn't taste good, it's not good; no matter how cheap it is, if it tastes good, it's good. The Smokeless First Volume Chapter 2: Empty Spirit, A Life of Confusion