What kind of person do you friends think deserves to be called a boss?
After Tumor came to see me, I thought about this question, too.
Running in the jianghu, mixing in society, operating in the gangland—isn't the ultimate goal to become a boss?
It took me over ten years to find the answer to this question. By then, I was a boss in my own right.
A boss far bigger than Tumor ever was.
Arson, murder, looting, robbing homes? That's not a boss; that's a ruthless bandit.
Hacking people up at the drop of a hat, taking an arm today and a leg tomorrow? That's not a boss either; that's a psycho.
One man fighting ten, charging through enemy lines, invincible? That's definitely not a boss; that's a hero from a wuxia novel.
The bosses I write about might be very different from the ones you friends have heard of.
They aren't majestic. They don't go out surrounded by hordes of underlings. They can't just throw money around like dirt or decide life and death on a whim.
The real jianghu, the real society, the real gangland—it is far crueler than everyone imagines.
I do not glorify the gangland, nor do I think society bosses or gangland bosses are anything special.
On the contrary, now that I've left it all behind, I see them—and myself—as pitiful wretches.
Let me warn you all again: do not ruin your own lives.
Back to the topic at hand. People who can become bosses can endure what ordinary people cannot. Their gaze can see things others cannot see.
They share many common traits: intelligence, cruelty, ruthlessness... and foresight.
Moreover, they never do useless work. Everything they do is for their own benefit.
Tumor and Chen Qiang were the first two bosses I came into contact with, and they were two completely different men.
Chen Qiang was a tiger—violent temper, shaved head, looking fierce and not to be trifled with.
Tumor was a snake—gloomy, deeply calculating, keeping his cards close to his chest.
Liuxiang Town is a small place, but it has nearly twenty thousand people. To be a boss there, neither of them could be a fool.
In my fourth month inside, Chen Qiang came to visit me again. This visit proved he was a qualified boss with long-term vision.
Xu Rang came with him.
After that brawl with Tumor's men, Xu Rang had been released early.
When Xu Rang saw me, he came up and hugged me intimately, shouting, "Brother, how have you been? Been suffering inside? Getting enough smokes?"
The string of greetings warmed my heart. This man, not much older than me, showed me a different kind of care.
"I'm good, I'm good. I'm doing just fine. Even met quite a few people in here."
Chen Qiang smoked a cigarette, watching Xu Rang and me with a smile brimming on his face.
After Xu Rang and I finished our greetings, I walked up to Chen Qiang and respectfully called out, "Boss." Only then did he nod and start speaking.
"Number Two, Xu Rang told me everything. You're solid. You really are solid. I didn't misjudge you; you've got skills."
Chen Qiang spoke with a heavy local accent, clearly very satisfied that I had handled Tumor's men inside the cell.
I scratched my head and smiled somewhat bashfully. "It's all thanks to your careful planning, Boss, sending Brother Xu Rang in ahead of time. Otherwise, two fists can't beat four hands."
Chen Qiang gave me a meaningful smile. After a moment, he said, "Number Two, is there something you need to tell me?"
I paused, unsure why he asked that. I thought about it carefully before realizing.
"Actually, there is, Boss. Tumor came to see me. He told me to chop off two fingers and follow him."
Chen Qiang's smile widened as he nodded. "And how did you answer him?"
I grinned. "I told him to get lost. I've already sworn to follow you, Boss. How could I follow him?"
Chen Qiang's eyes flickered. He waved his hand to dismiss Xu Rang. Once Xu Rang had left the room, Chen Qiang asked me with a straight face:
"Number Two, if Tumor didn't ask for your fingers and just wanted you to follow him, would you have gone?"
I was caught off guard, not knowing why he would ask such a thing.
Looking at Chen Qiang's calm face, I suddenly made a decision. "How could I? Boss, I, Chu Shanhe, might be young, but I know nobody likes a turncoat. I wouldn't follow him."
"Rest assured, Boss. As long as you treat me as your younger brother, you will be my Boss."
I wanted to say that I didn't want to follow Tumor or him, that I didn't want to mix in society and worry my mother. But seeing Chen Qiang's calm expression, I swallowed those words and changed my tune.
After hearing my answer, Chen Qiang's face remained expressionless, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
Time passed slowly in the breathing of the two of us.
Suddenly, Chen Qiang laughed again. He walked over to me and draped his arm around my shoulder.
"Number Two, you're solid. Like I said, you're really solid. Those words just now made me very happy."
"You can rest easy, too. As long as you call me Boss, I will treat you as a brother."
I could only laugh along foolishly. "Haha, good. You will always be my Boss."
I swear to God, when I said the sentence You will always be my Boss at that moment, I didn't fake a single bit of it.
Even if I were kneeling before all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens, I would still dare to say that I, Chu Shanhe, truly considered Chen Qiang my boss for life.
If there was half a word of insincerity, may the Lord strike me dead with a thunderbolt.
But I only understood later.
"Forever"—these word, when spoken from people's mouths, only describe the heat of the heart in that precise moment.
"Forever" is just an emotional adverb; it doesn't have a damn thing to do with the length of time.
Chen Qiang tightened his grip on my shoulder, pulling me closer. "Enough with this 'underling' talk. From now on, just call me Brother Qiang. You are my brother, not my lackey."
My heart warmed, and I immediately tossed Tumor's words to the back of my mind.
I was about to speak when I saw Chen Qiang grunt, beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
Looking down, I realized there was a patch of blood on his shirt around his stomach.
"Boss, what's wrong? How did you get hurt?"
Chen Qiang's face was pale. He smiled and waved his hand, going back to sit on the chair.
"Tumor, that son of a whore... A few days ago, while I was fishing in the countryside, he brought men to try and take me out. Brother, if I hadn't run fast, you probably wouldn't be seeing me today."
I understood immediately. Chen Qiang had stuck his neck out for me, preventing Tumor from dealing with me directly, which caused Tumor to lose face.
Now Tumor wanted to hit Chen Qiang to reclaim the face he had lost.
Chen Qiang was wounded because of me.
My cheeks burned hot, and I stammered, not knowing what to say.
Guilt filled my youthful heart.
Chen Qiang patted my shoulder. "I haven't come to see you for so long because I've been pulling strings for you. You should be able to get out soon."
"It's just that Tumor, that animal, keeps biting at my heels. It's giving me some trouble."
Looking at Chen Qiang's bleeding wound, I gritted my teeth and said, "Brother Qiang, don't worry. When I get out, I'll handle Tumor for you. I'll make him pay blood for blood."
Chen Qiang was amused by my words. "Heh, Number Two, you handle Tumor? He's the boss of Liuxiang Town. Do you know how many people have wanted to handle him over the years? Even I, your Brother Qiang, have thought about it."
"None of us have been able to take him down, and you think you can?"
I said with hatred in my voice, "Brother Qiang, he's a boss, not a god. If you stick a knife in his heart, he'll die just like anyone else."
The smile on Chen Qiang's face froze. His look changed noticeably as he stared fixedly at me.
After a short while, he patted my shoulder again. "No rush. Let's get you out first. I'll wait for you on the outside."
I nodded heavily, my heart filled with rage toward Tumor.
At the same time, in my heart, I fully accepted Chen Qiang as my boss.