Who Was the Boss?

Tong Haojing had successfully completed the task assigned by the station chief and felt a sense of accomplishment. Xiao Yanni's household registration had been resolved, making her a well-known figure in Hongqiao Community. People often brought Tong Haojing all sorts of sharp, cutting complaints. He listened carefully and recorded them in detail, but handling them was difficult, especially the widely circulated rumors about drug use and fights at Hongdu Entertainment City, sensitive public-security hot spots. He half believed and half doubted them. Although there were plenty of problems inside, every time Old Jiang took him there for a routine inspection, everything was calm and peaceful, filled with a festive air.

The image of Cuntoucao mentioning that drug use was connected to Hongdu Entertainment City kept resurfacing in Tong Haojing's mind. He could not understand why Officer Lan and Lu Tong had been unable to get Cuntoucao to talk about the thug's fight, something that should have been easy to uncover.

He had been at West City Police Station for quite some time now, yet West City was still a bustling demolition zone. Construction trucks carrying debris passed through the streets in twos and threes, kicking dust high into the air. The hazy sky blocked Tong Haojing's view. He walked alone down the street, like a defeated fighter who had lost his soul and his direction beneath the dim sky.

A roaring dust-control water truck brushed past him, spraying mist everywhere and soaking Tong Haojing's head as if he had taken a cold shower. He suddenly looked up and saw Qiu Family Lamb Restaurant at the entrance to Hongdu Street. Its rich, inviting aroma made him forget his worries.

Night had fallen. Hongqiao Community was dark and shadowy, and the streetlights along its crisscrossing roads were dim. Only the flickering neon signs of Hongdu Entertainment City and West City Hotel lit up the West City night sky. Taxis stopped and started along the road outside, passengers constantly getting in and out.

The lamb soup at Qiu Family Lamb Restaurant on Hongdu Street steamed in the night air, its fragrance stirring Tong Haojing's appetite. This was another century-old establishment, its lamb aroma said to carry for ten miles. It was the food his mother had described so vividly that it had made his mouth water. The place was packed. Tong Haojing ordered a bowl in a coarse, mud-colored bowl and found a seat by the second-floor window. He leisurely watched the street below when Cuntoucao and several others entered the restaurant, chatting and laughing. Besides Cuntoucao, one of them looked very familiar. Tong Haojing remembered at once. Wasn't that Middle-parted Hair's thug? Yes, the thug. Tong Haojing was certain.

Cuntoucao had once said that the thug was one of their minor leaders and a regular at Hongdu Entertainment City. Following him would surely reveal some clues. Tong Haojing made up his mind. He wolfed down a few pieces of meat, gulped two mouthfuls of soup, paid hastily, and waited at a corner not far from the restaurant entrance for the thug and Cuntoucao to emerge.

In the ground-floor dining hall were the thug, Cuntoucao, and several young hoodlums under him. The thug acted every bit the big brother before Cuntoucao and the others, pointing and gesturing as he spoke. The hoodlums were utterly deferential, respectful to the extreme. They took turns toasting him, while he sat high and mighty, drunk on his own importance. He was almost drunk.

Tong Haojing waited outside for nearly an hour before Cuntoucao and the hoodlums helped the staggering thug out of the restaurant. The thug said, "Come on, let's go to Hongdu!"

The hoodlums answered, "Sure! Let's find a few girls and have some fun!"

Hongdu Entertainment City was the highest-class entertainment venue in West City and had always done good business. Yet for some reason, its owners had changed one after another over the past few years, with none lasting more than two years. Sister Mei, however, had surprisingly run the place for more than two years. People said she had powerful backing and connections everywhere. Old Jiang had told Tong Haojing more than once that the place's problems were complicated, but whenever Tong Haojing followed Old Jiang to Hongdu for routine inspections, it was always filled with singing and dancing, and he could never find anything wrong. The question had long troubled him.

Tong Haojing followed behind them without drawing attention, seeing the thug's overbearing fleshy face and hearing his crude voice. Though he had the fearless courage of a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, he was alone and felt that acting rashly would be unwise. He wanted to tell Old Jiang what he had discovered and get his support, but Old Jiang's desire to play it safe made him abandon that thought. Reporting it to Director Tang was even less likely. Director Tang's stern face and glare alone made people uneasy.

The thug and his hoodlums reached Hongdu's entrance, and a security guard immediately came forward, bowing and scraping. "Brother Hu, please come in! The boss is inside!" The guard knew the thug's group well and knew his relationship with the boss was far from ordinary.

The thug, Cuntoucao, and the hoodlums reeked of alcohol as they darted through the maze-like corridors like headless flies. Several servers in red formal uniforms had to work hard to guide them into the main hall. One clumsy server accidentally spilled tea on the thug. The thug glared, and the hoodlums immediately rushed forward and began punching and kicking him.

Cuntoucao was no longer as reckless as before. He had given up thoughts of fighting and killing, and he could not bear to watch. "Brothers, forget it. Brother Hu won't fuss over something like this!"

The thug sat on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, bouncing the tip of his foot, looking utterly relaxed.

Cuntoucao turned toward him and smiled ingratiatingly. "Brother Hu, don't you think?"

The thug shot Cuntoucao a contemptuous look and said nothing more.

Tong Haojing followed them inside but happened to miss that scene. He sat in the left corner of the hall, where the light was so dim that people were almost invisible. He ordered a coffee and closely watched every move made by the thug, Cuntoucao, and the hoodlums.

The young server clutched his head and curled up on the floor. He did not cry out and did not dare to, because the louder he cried, the worse they would beat him. That was what his fellow servers had told him.

A well-dressed, elegant woman came out and greeted them with a smile. "Brother Hu, why are you here so late?" The woman was Guo Meichen, tall and slender, in her thirties, with flowing shoulder-length hair. Her pale, beautiful face carried a trace of feminine nobility. She was the legal representative of Hongdu Entertainment City, known as Sister Mei.

"Brother Hu, forget it. The kid doesn't know any better!" Sister Mei approached him with a pleading look and a smile.

The thug looked at Sister Mei, his face darkening as he said in a mocking tone, "Stop. Can't you see Sister Mei is here?" His heart itched with desire as his eyes gleamed at Sister Mei, as though he wanted to demand something from her.

"Sister Mei, business is good!" The thug sat on a tall stool in front of the bar, a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he blew out a thin ring of smoke.

Sister Mei slanted her eyes toward the counter server's face. The server understood and fetched several packs of good cigarettes, stuffing them ingratiatingly into the hands of the hoodlums behind the thug.

"How could I possibly accept that?" the thug said with false modesty, then made a subtle gesture. Sister Mei understood at once and hurried over. Without any restraint, he asked, "Sister Mei, has Xiao Hu's birthday party started yet?"

Sister Mei bent down and whispered into the thug's ear, "They came early and have been waiting for you. They're in the Unfinished Love private room." Sister Mei knew the thug had already arranged it with Xiao Hu. Xiao Hu had invited more than ten friends and needed the "buns" supplied by the thug to give things a little excitement. This was one of the most common activities at their entertainment venue.

The thug sneered. "He didn't follow the arrangement. Doesn't he know the consequences?" It was clearly the thug who had failed to arrive on time, yet he blamed the others for coming early. It was pure bandit logic.

"Sister Mei, has anyone come to harass you lately?" the thug asked with fake concern.

"No, no. With Brother Long here, who would dare come cause trouble again?" Sister Mei looked deeply grateful, though inside she felt something indescribable. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she signaled something to the servers and went to attend to other guests.

The thug sent one of the hoodlums into the Unfinished Love private room. Before long, the hoodlum came out with Xiao Hu. Xiao Hu smiled apologetically at the thug. "Brother Hu, aren't there a little too few buns?"

The thug glared at Xiao Hu. "Don't you know? The fucking cops have been cracking down lately. Every intersection is blocked, so less merchandise is getting in. Scarcity drives up the price. Of course the price rises!"

Xiao Hu smiled along and wisely said nothing.

Tong Haojing vaguely saw the thug, the hoodlums, and an unfamiliar young man arguing for a few moments. He did not know what exactly they were doing, but his instincts told him they were certainly engaged in some filthy business they did not want others to know about. He considered how to get closer to the thug. Just then, a server came over to refill the tea, and the hall lights fell across Tong Haojing's face. The thug happened to see him.

He froze for a moment, then suddenly rose to his feet and pointed at Tong Haojing with his right hand. His face abruptly darkened. "Hmph. What a small world. I finally ran into you today."

Ever since the thug had been released on bail by West City Police Station, he had held a grudge against Tong Haojing. He hated that meddlesome tall man who had caused him to spend several days in jail. Scarface had gone into hiding, and one of their Shorty brothers had even died. Fortunately, Long Wen had found someone to help them, allowing the two to escape danger. Otherwise, they would certainly have spent years in prison. But the thug did not know Tong Haojing's name or what he did. They had only met once. The last time he had seen Tong Haojing walking down West City Street with Old Jiang, he had not recognized him at all. Tonight, when their eyes met, the thug suddenly remembered. He roughly judged that this man was his enemy, though he did not dare be certain.

"Come on, that guy looks suspicious. Let's teach him a lesson!" As soon as the hoodlums beside the thug heard Hu Pan speak, they clenched their fists and all sprang up. The stools beneath them clattered loudly. Seeing trouble brewing, the idle customers nearby scattered out of the way.

Tong Haojing remained seated, fearless, calmly drinking his coffee. He had already prepared himself for a counterattack. With his skills, dealing with these hoodlums would be no trouble at all.

Cuntoucao had urgently gone to the restroom. As soon as he came out, he saw the thug's group moving to attack Tong Haojing. He froze when he recognized his benefactor, then hurried forward and stood between the two sides, stretching out both arms to keep them apart.

"Brother Hu, it's a misunderstanding. He's my brother. Let's talk this out!" Cuntoucao tried desperately to stop them.

"He's your brother? Why have I never heard you mention him? What's his name?" After hearing Cuntoucao, the thug no longer dared conclude rashly that this was the man who had provoked him by the Tangdu River. His uncertainty grew. Still, he maintained a vicious, domineering expression.

"Let me introduce him. He's a cop... uh... he's Cop Xiao Jie!" Cuntoucao was frightened by the thug's manner and stumbled over his words, but he was clever enough not to expose Tong Haojing's identity. He deliberately made up nonsense. Tong Haojing rather admired Cuntoucao's quick wits. At a critical moment, he could still keep his head.

Tong Haojing assessed the group in his mind, memorizing each of their facial features as he considered how to teach them a lesson. Since Cuntoucao had said they should get acquainted, there was no harm in playing along.

Back in the army, these kinds of hoodlums would have been beaten until they cried for their fathers and mothers. But his identity was different now. He held himself back, suppressed his fiery temper, stood up, and offered his hand first. This would also help Cuntoucao save face.

Seeing Tong Haojing's tall, sturdy build and his sharp, handsome appearance, it was obvious he was not someone easily bullied. The thug took a step back, a chill running through him.

"Fine. For Cuntoucao's sake, forget it." The thug still carried himself arrogantly, which only made Tong Haojing more indignant. He reached out with his right hand and clasped Tong Haojing's. Tong Haojing applied just a little force, and the thug's palm twisted out of shape. Pain distorted his entire face. He clenched his teeth and did not dare make a sound, his expression filled with terror and looking utterly wretched. The hoodlums beside him found the scene strange and were so frightened that none dared breathe.

The thug sensed that Tong Haojing was no ordinary man and no longer dared provoke him. He called the hoodlums back to their seats, and a vicious fight was narrowly averted.

A server called Sister Mei outside the venue and told her what had happened. She hurried back before finishing her business. Fortunately, both sides had already calmed down and stopped fighting. She brought out two bottles of red wine, called over several hostesses, and had them entertain everyone. Cuntoucao poured a drink, intending to toast Hu Pan, but when he turned around, Tong Haojing was gone.

The thug sat smugly on the sofa as several coquettish women who looked like hostesses came up and clung to him and the hoodlums. They had no shame at all before men, and their half-covered clothing stirred all sorts of fantasies in the hoodlums' minds. The thug crudely embraced the woman before him, his hands roaming over her body. Suddenly, he remembered Long Wen's instructions that they needed to keep a low profile lately. He immediately pushed the hostess away. "Brothers, let's go. We've got important work to do tomorrow!"

The hoodlums were reluctant and unsatisfied, but they had no choice but to follow the thug out of Hongdu Entertainment City. On the way, one dim-witted hoodlum asked, "Brother Hu, why did your face look so bad just now?" To his surprise, the thug casually slapped him across the face, leaving him completely bewildered. The others looked at the foolish hoodlum and burst into wild laughter.

Another rock song began playing in the hall. Men and women danced and sang to their hearts' content. Tong Haojing had no interest in any of it. He came out of the restroom and left the entertainment city.

He had not expected what had just happened. Tong Haojing was somewhat indignant as he walked alone along West City Street beneath the night sky. It was deep into the quiet night. The streetlights were dim, and only the yellow signal light at the intersection flashed on and off. When Tong Haojing returned to the police station, he saw that Director Tang's office light was still on.

After having dinner and a few drinks with an old classmate he had not seen in years, Tang Changan had come directly to the station instead of going home. He lay down on the sofa and fell asleep. A phone call woke Director Tang from his dreams. He rolled over and saw that it was already midnight. The caller was Manager Xiao from Chengda Industrial Company. Director Tang guessed it might concern Hongdu Entertainment Company, because he knew that while Sister Mei was Hongdu's legal representative on paper, its actual controller was Xiao Guang, known as Manager Xiao. Only two people knew this secret. One was Tang Changan, and the other was Hu Yuancheng, deputy director of the Public Security Bureau.

Manager Xiao asked, "A cop came to Sister Mei's place. Did you know?"

Tang Changan was startled. "Who?"

Manager Xiao said, "My people said he's one of yours."

Tang Changan said, "Impossible. If he were, I'd know!" He was absolutely certain.

Manager Xiao gave a sly laugh. "You sent him in undercover, didn't you?"

Tang Changan said, "How could that be?"

Manager Xiao grew impatient and raised his voice. "Enough. Keep your people under control. Don't try to have it both ways!" Manager Xiao was actually very unhappy. He resented Tang Changan for "wanting to be a whore while still demanding a memorial arch." He even considered calling Director Hu.

Tang Changan had never expected that after spending his entire life as a police officer, he would be led around by the nose. It had happened in August two years earlier, during a scorching heat wave. The air conditioner in the station officers' office was old and barely cooled at all. He reported the matter to Hu Yuancheng, the supervising leader. Director Hu's face darkened, and he harshly berated him, saying that as a station chief, Tang Changan could not even solve such a small problem and still expected him to worry about it. Hu Yuancheng immediately made a phone call, then said that Manager Xiao of Chengda Industrial Company would donate ten air conditioners. Three days later, the air conditioners really arrived. Tang Changan told everyone at the station that the city bureau had bought them, but he had never expected the matter to become leverage others could use to order him around. That was something he had never imagined. Worse still, Xiao Guang had also delivered one to his mother, falsely claiming Tang Changan had bought it for her. His mother believed it and never asked questions. Tang Changan only learned the truth several months ago. After that, the air conditioner matter clung to him like a demon. He could not sleep and could not stand straight. Nor did he have the courage to explain it to the Political Department.

Besides Director Hu, the only other person who knew about this was Jiang Hongde. He had learned it from Sister Mei. This was the weakness that made Tang Changan wary of Old Jiang, forcing him to turn a blind eye to some of Old Jiang's improper behavior in Hongqiao. It was also why Tang Changan and Jiang Hongde appeared close on the surface while privately harboring conflicts no one knew about.

Tang Changan understood exactly what Manager Xiao meant. After thinking for a long while, he wondered whether Old Jiang had failed to lay down the rules for Tong Haojing. Tang Changan said in exasperation, "That damned Old Jiang! Has he forgotten all the rules set by the station?"

In Director Tang's mind, the only rash one could be the newly arrived Tong Haojing. He already knew how capable and clever the young man was. It seemed the young man still needed some discipline. He had long wanted to find a suitable reason to blunt his sharp edge and teach him when to advance and when to retreat. Perhaps Tong Haojing could have better prospects in the future. This was also the understanding Director Wu and Tang Changan had reached.