Seventh day of the third lunar month, 1996.
Auspicious for: Sacrifices, praying for blessings, consecration, praying for heirs, ritual fasting, betrothal, engagement, seeking medical treatment...
Inauspicious for: Opening business, breaking ground, digging wells, opening ponds.
Clash: Rooster day clashes with (Ji Mao) Rabbit, evil spirit in the East.
I got up very early this day. The tea tower's business was already running again, with Li Zuo looking after it.
I washed my face and walked out of the tea tower. Three cars were already waiting, and Wang Han opened the door for me.
Today was the day Xu Biao would cross the border and meet with the friends from the interior in Lincang.
Jiang Qingbo's friends from the interior had arrived last night. Wang Han and I picked them up and arranged for them to stay on the second floor of Wentong Tea Tower.
Jiang Qingbo was still in the hospital. He was worried about Xu Biao, so once we picked Xu Biao up, he would leave the hospital and wait with us at Wentong Tea Tower before we headed across the border to split the money.
The sun was shining brightly overhead. Diannan is a good place; except for being too close to Myanmar, everything else fits the standard of a tourist paradise.
At least compared to Guizhou, where there are "no three sunny days in a row, and no three li of flat land," it was much better.
Wang Han drove, and I sat in the passenger seat, feeling anxious. I didn't know if Xu Biao would come with me.
Given Xu Biao's cautious nature, seeing me—a green kid who suddenly inserted himself into the picture—instead of Liang Chuang picking him up would definitely arouse his suspicion.
I cleared my throat and said to Wang Han beside me, "If Xu Biao doesn't come with us later, tell the brothers to tie him up directly."
Wang Han hesitated. "Second Brother, isn't that... a bit improper?"
I didn't speak, just turned my head and swept a glance at him. Wang Han didn't dare object further and said, "Understood, Second Brother. The brothers are all packing heat; that old boy can't stir up much of a storm."
I nodded in satisfaction, leaned back in the seat, and yawned. "Wang Han, do you have any lives on your hands?"
Wang Han gave an awkward laugh. "Second Brother, I'm not a ruthless man like you. When we handled Liang Chuang across the border a few days ago, I didn't even dare to do it myself."
I asked again, "What about Cheng Shanglin and Li Zuo? Do they have lives on their hands?"
Wang Han seemed to sense something was off, but seeing my calm eyes, he didn't dare ask anything and answered honestly.
"Second Brother, I'll tell you the truth. We just hang around Wentong Tea Tower. Occasionally, we'd go across the border with Liang Chuang to pick up money for Big Brother. We're just ordinary society hooligans. We don't know what business Big Brother does, and we never dared to ask."
My rise to power was built on stepping over Liang Chuang's corpse.
Wang Han misunderstood my meaning, probably thinking Jiang Qingbo sent me to intimidate him, fearing Liang Chuang had told him something before dying.
I considered this possibility but didn't say anything to comfort him.
"Alright, just focus on driving!"
Wang Han breathed a sigh of relief and sped up toward the border.
We waited at the border line for over half an hour before Xu Biao entered from the other side with three men.
Two of them were locals from the Myanmar side, and the remaining one was the young man with a scar under his eyelid.
Seeing it was me, Xu Biao's face turned extremely ugly. "Why is it you? Where's Liang Chuang?"
I took a drag of my cigarette and didn't answer the question. I said directly to Wang Han:
"Pin them down for me. Last time Big Brother and you guys got fucked by the Vietnamese across the border, it was these guys who leaked the info."
Wang Han's pupils contracted, and he waved for the men behind us to move forward.
Xu Biao wanted to run, but it was too late.
Wang Han grabbed him by the hair and smashed the butt of his gun right into Xu Biao's face, knocking him onto his back.
The remaining three were also subdued one by one, hands twisted behind their backs, kneeling on the ground.
I dropped my cigarette butt and walked slowly up to Xu Biao.
He had sensed something was wrong. Head tilted back, he glared at me viciously. "What exactly do you want? Where is Jiang Qingbo? I want to see Jiang Qingbo."
I sneered, squatted down, and patted his face. "No rush. You'll see him in a bit. For now, come with me."
Xu Biao wanted to say more, but I pulled out my gun and smashed the butt into his nose, knocking him out cold.
(Friends, never learn from TV dramas. Hitting someone on the back of the head to knock them out is risky; too much force can cause shock or death directly.)
I confiscated the guns from Xu Biao and his men. Watching them being stuffed into the car like dead dogs, I sighed in my heart.
Across the border, he was a drug trafficker with numerous lackeys, wielding guns and cannons. Seeing his face required killing a constable as a pledge of loyalty.
He counted as a figure. I thought his downfall would involve armed constables moving out, roadblocks, and gunfights.
I never expected he'd be handled by a little hooligan like me in the end.
Wang Han came to my side and whispered, "Second Brother, if we handle it like this, will Big Brother be unhappy?"
"This Xu Biao seems to be Big Brother's partner across the border, and unlike me, he's a very ruthless man."
I still didn't answer the question but asked instead, "Wang Han, did the brothers all bring guns?"
Wang Han paused. "No, just me and four others. Why? Second Brother, you're acting strange today."
I smiled. "Call those four brothers over. I want to get to know them. After all, anyone who dares to handle business with a gun isn't an ordinary character."
Wang Han looked at me suspiciously. He also sensed that I was very off today.
But he still didn't disobey me and brought the four men over.
I handed out cigarettes to each of them. "Brothers, you've worked hard. Come, have a smoke and rest a bit."
They lit their cigarettes. I pulled my gun from my chest pocket and laughed. "Guns are good things. They can give a coward extra guts."
"Let me see your guns. Let me see your guts."
Wang Han's face changed drastically, his lips trembling. The other four didn't react much; smoking their cigarettes, they handed their guns to me.
"Second Brother really has a way with words. Guns really do give cowards extra guts."
"Second Brother, take a look at mine..."
I took the guns from the others, my gaze burning as I stared at Wang Han.
Wang Han's face was pale. He seemed to realize something, his hand trembling as he reached into his jacket.
I pretended to speak casually, "Wang Han, ever since I got hacked thirteen times, I've developed a habit. The gun I carry is always loaded and chambered. I'd rather have an accidental discharge and shoot myself than be handled by someone else."
Wang Han shuddered, but in the end, he obediently handed his gun to me.
Holding a pile of pistols, I stepped back a few paces to put distance between us.
Now, not just Wang Han, but the others also realized something was wrong.
With a flick of my hand, I threw the guns far away. Then, raising both hands high, I slowly knelt on the ground.
"Don't move! Whatever you do, don't move!"
As soon as I finished speaking, a large group of armed constables in camouflage, holding Type 81 automatic rifles, rushed out from around the border line and pinned all of us to the ground.
My raised hands were handcuffed behind my back, and my feet were bound with zip ties. I was lifted and carried away like a piglet by the armed constables.
Wang Han's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at me in disbelief.
The Second Brother, whom he saw as righteous and loyal, had personally ratted them out.