Xiong Da

"Why don't you just fly up to the sky...?"

The young boss looked at Bai Yang without expression, as if he were staring at an idiot.

Bai Yang fell silent for a moment, then took another drag on his cigarette and put on an expression like he was about to reveal the truth. "All right, I'll be honest with you. I'm actually planning to build an army, conquer another world, storm the ninth heaven, and trample all the gods beneath my feet...!"

"Want me to call the psychiatric hospital for you?"

Why was it that whenever he told the truth, nobody believed him? What was wrong with the world? Where had all the trust between people gone?

"Enough of that nonsense. Just tell me if you know anyone who can do it," Bai Yang said, looking like he was leaving it up to the other man.

Did they really think Bai Yang had nothing better to do than come here and shoot the breeze? Making metal armor didn't require especially advanced workmanship. He could probably find any metalworking shop and get them to cobble together something crude. The reason he was asking for an introduction was simply to get his foot in the door.

Once you'd met someone, meeting them again was easier. Later on, he'd probably need this guy to get his hands on anything truly good.

The two stared at each other for over a minute before the young boss finally realized Bai Yang wasn't joking. He really did want to have some sort of metal armor made.

The young boss rummaged around with a speechless expression, then finally found a business card tucked in a corner and handed it to Bai Yang. "Call the number on there and say Old Wolf sent you. You can work out the rest yourselves."

Bai Yang took the card with a grin. Instead of looking at the details right away, he gave the young boss an amused look. "Tsk, Old Wolf. Not bad, man. You've got a real gangster vibe going."

"If you're done, get out," the young boss, who called himself Old Wolf, said, pointing to the door.

Bai Yang didn't take offense. The guy had a permanent zombie face and had never once shown him a friendly expression. As he got up and headed for the door, he turned around and called back, "Remember to tell him to give you a commission later!"

Old Wolf didn't even look up. Commission? For that so-called metal armor, the best Bai Yang could hope for was a few dozen pounds of sheet iron plus some machining fees. How much could that possibly cost?

"You'll be the one crying later," Bai Yang said, then walked outside.

Leaning against his motorcycle, he finally took a closer look at the business card in his hand.

At the top, it said "Giant Bear Metal Processing Plant." The name in the middle was "Xiong Da," with a phone number below it, followed by a description of the business: "All kinds of metal parts manufactured."

"Xiong Da? What kind of name is that? Is he going to turn this into an episode of Boonie Bears?"

Still grumbling to himself, Bai Yang pulled out his phone and called the number. He hadn't expected the call to be answered after just two rings.

"Hello, Giant Bear Metal Processing Plant," came a deep, muffled voice from the phone.

Was it his imagination, or did the big guy sound like he was trying to lower his voice while speaking with a hint of anticipation?

"I'd like to have something made..."

"No problem at all! Our Giant Bear Metal Processing Plant is fully equipped and can meet all your requirements. Just come visit the factory and you'll feel completely confident entrusting us with your business!"

Holding the phone, Bai Yang turned to look at the military surplus shop beside him. He seriously suspected that Old Wolf had set him up. The other guy sounded so eager that he could easily have been trying to scam him...

"I've got your address. We'll talk in person." With that, Bai Yang climbed onto his motorcycle, searched for the route on his phone, and rode off with the engine roaring.

Giant Bear Metal Processing Plant was out in the suburbs. But the closer Bai Yang got, the more he felt like turning around and leaving. The area grew increasingly desolate, and the road became so pitted it looked like it had seen a war. Just as his patience was about to run out, he finally reached his destination.

"Well, would you look at that. You can't judge a book by its cover, and the sea can't be measured with a gourd ladle. This place is pretty big," Bai Yang said, raising his eyebrows in surprise when he saw the so-called Giant Bear Metal Processing Plant.

The factory grounds, enclosed by a wall, covered at least ten acres. The buildings didn't look very old, but the place was dead quiet, without a single soul in sight. What had happened to the roar of the machines—had something swallowed it?

From a distance, Bai Yang spotted a burly man who looked like a bear pacing back and forth by the factory gate, glancing up now and then at the road. The moment he saw Bai Yang, he came rushing over in a flurry.

Bai Yang had seen plenty of hulking giants, but even he felt like running when he saw the man charging toward him. The guy had to be nearly two meters tall. His black tank top and baggy shorts looked ready to burst under the pressure of his muscles. Worst of all, there was something about him that put Bai Yang on edge, like a Tyrannosaurus ready to fly into a rage at any moment.

Could this guy really be Xiong Da? If you dropped him over there, you wouldn't be able to tell him apart from the wild men. Could creatures this terrifying really exist on Earth?

Bai Yang muttered to himself, keeping his motorcycle running and ready to bolt at any moment.

The burly man had the good sense to stop five meters away from Bai Yang. His face was fierce, but he was trying to smile, which made for an incredibly awkward sight.

"May I ask if you're Boss Bai? I'm Xiong Da, the owner of Giant Bear Metal Processing Plant."

So he really was Xiong Da, Bai Yang thought. He was used to seeing big guys, so he quickly calmed down and asked the question he'd been holding in. Otherwise, it would have eaten him alive.

"So, Boss Xiong, do you happen to have a younger brother named Xiong Er?"

"I don't have a younger brother named Xiong Er. I'm an only child. I was a big kid from the time I was little, so they called me Xiong Da."

Well, if he'd been small, would they have called him Xiong Xiao?

"Boss Xiong, it's... pretty quiet around here," Bai Yang said, surveying the surroundings.

Xiong Da scratched his head sheepishly. "That's because we haven't started work yet. But don't doubt our processing capabilities, Boss Bai. If you provide the raw materials, I can make parts for planes and rockets!"

He wasn't worried about his tongue getting caught in that big mouth of his? Bai Yang asked, "Where's everyone else at the factory?"

"Uh... Right now, I'm the only one here... But don't doubt our processing capabilities, Boss Bai! We're fully equipped. We've got laser cutters, shears, press brakes, CNC lathes, waterjet cutters, punching machines, and all kinds of other equipment. Whatever parts you want, I can make them for you. Once the money's in place, I can gather workers and get started anytime. Why don't you take a look around the factory first, Boss Bai..."

"Stop, stop, stop... Hold on a second. I just want to ask you this: can you make a metal suit of armor for someone your size, one that won't get in the way of moving around?" Bai Yang quickly interrupted his nonstop spiel. The guy seemed wildly unreliable, but Old Wolf had introduced him, so Bai Yang still held on to a sliver of hope.

"Boss Bai, are you joking?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Xiong Da fell silent, his expression conflicted. Then he clenched his teeth, stamped his foot, and said, "All right, I can do it. You want it made for someone my size, right? Do you want chain mail or plate armor? Chain mail would be a little more troublesome. Making the armor scales is easy enough; I can cut them out one by one with a cutting machine. Connecting them is the hard part. Plate armor would be simpler. I could make a mold and stamp the whole thing into shape with a press..."

Bai Yang had no doubt that someone who could run such a large metalworking plant could make cold weapons and armor. Looking baffled, he interrupted Xiong Da again. "Uh, Boss Xiong, could I ask you something? Does your factory not have any customers?"

Xiong Da took a critical hit. Clearly, he wasn't good at lying either; his dark face actually flushed as he nodded.

"Can I ask why you don't have any customers? With such a big factory and so much equipment, it doesn't make sense," Bai Yang pressed, twisting the knife.

"Customers see what I look like and get scared off. You're the only one who hasn't run away. Uh, the factory's been open for eight months, and I haven't gotten a single job. All the equipment is brand new..." Xiong Da answered with astonishing honesty.

Bai Yang thought, You idiot. You're clearly not cut out for handling sales. You've already opened a factory this big; would it kill you to hire a few salespeople?

Squinting, Bai Yang rubbed his chin as his thoughts began to stir. Under Xiong Da's hopeful gaze, he suddenly asked, "Do you know Old Wolf?"

The moment he said it, a dangerous aura suddenly rose from Xiong Da. He didn't say a word; he just watched Bai Yang.

Got it. The two of them were close, and neither was likely to be any sort of saint!

No wonder. One ran a military surplus shop and couldn't be bothered with his customers; the other ran a factory and couldn't land a single job. Neither of them was cut out to be a businessman. They must have been birds of a feather!

"Boss Xiong, could I ask how much it cost you to get this factory up and running?"

"What do you mean?"

Bai Yang had changed the subject so abruptly that Xiong Da hadn't quite caught up...