Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Third Brother's calm voice flowed slowly, like a stream of light tea. "You all know to call me Third Brother, but have you ever wondered why I'm number three? I don't have a single relative or friend around me, so where did that name come from? Someone as smart as Xingwen must have thought about it. Even Guozi doesn't know this history. I might as well tell you all today. It's nothing shameful anyway."

"You heard those men mention an 'old man' at the station just now. You know the old man must be the boss, the head of the gang, the man in charge of those scattered stragglers. The old man they were talking about is my father. I've never told you my full name. Now I will. My surname is Shen, and my name is Shen San. Shen as in 'deep.' My father probably gave me that name hoping I'd think three times before acting. Unfortunately, names and fate always seem to run in opposite directions."

None of us spoke. We quietly listened as Third Brother continued.

"My hometown isn't North Gate. It's Yulin County. My father is a fairly prominent figure there. The few newcomers who've made something of themselves here in North Gate over the last few years were all brought up by him. I used to admire him too, but eight years ago, he argued with my mother and accidentally stabbed her to death. I stopped respecting him after that. Of course, if that were all, I could have let it go. One was already dead, so everyone had to do their best to save the one left. Someone took the blame for him, and that was the end of it."

"Less than six months later, he took another young wife. The brother who'd taken the blame for him got into a fight in prison and died too. Not many people knew the whole story. His reputation was still strong, and he could still command everyone's respect. Just not mine."

"I was twenty-two that year. In a fit of anger, I moved to North Gate on my own. I didn't amount to much myself, either. I holed up here for over seven years. Luckily, Guozi came along to keep me company later. What I hadn't expected was how fast family scandals spread. Eventually everyone knew, and the old man learned I hadn't gone far. He put in a word with the people here and had a few men come look out for me now and then. I don't really blame him much anymore, but I don't particularly want to see him either. Otherwise, why would I have told Guozi not to tell anyone when I went into the hospital? That was why."

After finishing, Third Brother looked at Guo Zhen. "Got all that?"

Guo Zhen had kept his head down, fiddling with the blue-and-white porcelain teacup. Only when Third Brother asked did he look up. "Actually, I knew a long time ago."

Third Brother laughed. "Why are there so many fucking bigmouths? Who told you?"

Guo Zhen shook his head. "If I told you, wouldn't that make me a bigmouth too?"

"Heh, fair point." Third Brother nodded approvingly. "Xingwen, I'm done. Your turn."

I finally understood why Third Brother didn't want to go out and make money. If everything he did would fall under the old man's shadow, he might as well do nothing. I knew a few friends like that, from prominent families but hoping to support themselves.

There was really no helping it. That sort of shadow was impossible to escape. Better to accept it willingly. Once you did bigger and better things, the situation would naturally change.

I pressed my lips together, swallowed the tea in my mouth, and asked Third Brother, "Third Brother, aren't you afraid I'll tell other people about all this?"

Third Brother smiled. "I don't care anymore myself. Besides, do you think you're the sort of person who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut?"

"Heh heh, hard to say..."

"Heh heh, if I misjudge someone, that's my own problem."

"Heh heh. Then let me ask you a silly question, Third Brother. Of the friends around you in that line of life, who do you think is doing the best?"

Third Brother thought for a moment. "Xiao Wang, probably. He's spent the last few years cultivating himself and building up some capital through business."

I considered whether to lay out my thoughts. Would bringing it up now be a little too aggressive?

I didn't know Third Brother well. Guo Zhen was the link between us. Would he be willing to get involved in all the complications?

Could I give a man who had given up so much what he wanted?

I propped up my chin, lost in thought, and Third Brother noticed. "Xingwen, if you have something to say, say it. There's no need to stand on ceremony."

I thought it over and decided to be direct. It would work out or it wouldn't. Nothing good came of forcing things anyway.

"Third Brother, I have an idea." I carefully weighed my words as I spoke slowly. "But I don't know what you think. I feel this is something you have to decide for yourself."

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

"Uh..." I struggled to put what I wanted to say into words. "What I mean is, would you like to do something? I'm planning to invest in you."

"Me?" Third Brother was amused. "Haha, what could I do?"

"Oil, border trade, transportation, manufacturing, reselling cigarettes and liquor, trafficking Number Four..." I rattled off whatever came to mind. "What you do doesn't really matter. What matters is whether you want to do it."

Third Brother looked at Guo Zhen, then at me. "You're planning to invest in me?"

"Yes." I nodded. "Ten million within a year. I can't give you any more than that, and I won't ask for any returns for five years."

I could put up ten million. The question was whether he would accept it.

Third Brother lowered his head and took a sip of tea, then looked up into my eyes. "Xingwen, impressive. You really are something. You've even managed to stun me."

Now that I'd put it out in the open, my expression relaxed. "Third Brother, since you look down on the old man's way of doing things, why not use your own way to surpass him and prove you really are doing it better?"

Third Brother shook his head. "That doesn't matter. What do you want?"

That was the most direct question. If I couldn't give him what he wanted, there was no point continuing the discussion. It also gave me a rough idea of what sort of person Third Brother was.

I looked at Guo Zhen, who hadn't said anything, and smiled. "What do I want? I don't know yet. I just hope to have more friends who can lend me a hand when I need it. Having a few more friends willing to help you can never hurt."

Third Brother turned the teacup in his hand. "It's not that simple, is it?"

"It's not that complicated," I said. "Nobody can see the future or know what tomorrow will bring. So I'll pick my investments based on today. I don't believe you'll let me lose out."

Guo Zhen had been watching me all this time. "Xingwen, can you come up with ten million?"

I shrugged. "I said within a year. Coming up with that much in one day would be a bit too difficult."

Third Brother patted Guo Zhen's shoulder. "If this hadn't happened to me, when were you planning to tell Guozi about yourself?"

I gave it some careful thought. "It wouldn't have been much longer. I had to tell him sooner or later. I'll be happy if everyone still treats me as a friend. If they feel distant, there's nothing I can do. Do my best and leave the rest to fate..."

"You really do take things in stride." Third Brother smiled and shook his head. "I get the feeling that even if I turn you down today, Guozi will still be planning to work with you, right?"

I chuckled slyly. "We're brothers. How could I keep all the money to myself?"

"Then why didn't you tell Guozi directly?"

"Simple," I said. "You're more mentally resilient than Guo Zhen. I've seen plenty of people lose their minds after winning the lottery, or simply forget who they are. Look, Guo Zhen and I together aren't even as old as you. Who else would I talk to about this? Besides, even if I want to help my brother, I still have to get past his guardian, don't I?"

"Did you hear that?" Third Brother patted Guo Zhen on the head. "You've made yourself a good friend. He'd rather drag me into this than leave his friend unprotected."

I laughed awkwardly. "Come on... I'm asking for your opinion, aren't I?"

Third Brother gave a faint smile. "You're actually worried about Miss Lu and the others, aren't you?"

I silently gave him a thumbs-up. All those years of gang intrigue hadn't been for nothing. He might have principles, but he was no fool.

"It's not really that I'm worried." I glanced at Zhang Xiaotong beside me. "Let me put it this way. As long as I have one cent and a set of clothes left, I can find a way to do even better than I am now. And I'm young. To be precise, I'm a child. Nobody can match that advantage. My sister isn't even sixteen yet. Do you think we're really that afraid of losing everything we have? I don't think it matters. At the very least, we still have money and friends."

Third Brother smiled and nodded. "You certainly know how to talk. Looks like I'll have to climb aboard this pirate ship of yours for Guo Zhen's sake?"

Naturally, I was overjoyed that Third Brother had agreed so readily. This legendary figure had actually become an ally. How could I not be happy?

"But I'd like to hear your opinion. What are you planning to have me do?"

That was no challenge for me. Painting grand visions and bright futures for people was what I did best. Of course, that was also because I knew what I was doing and had a grasp of the overall direction.

"Third Brother, do you know anyone at Dalian Port?"

"Yes. Why?"

"It doesn't have to be Dalian Port. The port here would work too," I said. "What I mean is, you could try border trade or futures first. If you don't mind, I'd still recommend smuggling. South Korean goods have been getting cheaper over the last few years. You could find someone to make contact with. The profits are good, and it takes very little capital."

Rather than suggesting that Third Brother smuggle, I was really hoping he could help me block off that smuggling route. After 1998, smuggled South Korean goods would put sustained pressure on domestic products, giving many industries in China a major headache. If we could secure that route now and choke off the smuggling channels, it would greatly benefit the development of many domestic industries. But I couldn't exactly tell everyone that I knew how things would develop several years later and that they couldn't go wrong listening to me, so I could only discuss the profits.

To me, smuggling was an extremely risky business, but Third Brother seemed unconcerned. "Sure, I'll look into it. I've got plenty of connections. I just don't have the money."

I smiled. "It's not money you lack. You have principles. Really, I'm making an unreasonable demand here, asking someone to violate his principles."

"Not at all." Third Brother waved a hand. "It's not about principles, just whether I want to do it. If someone else asked me, I might refuse. Coming from you, it sounds interesting. Besides, you have a good friend here by my side."

Guo Zhen said from beside him, "Anyway, if I had an opportunity like this, I'd definitely give it a try."

Third Brother laughed and cursed at him. "Damn it, nothing's even happened yet and you've already got dollar signs in your eyes. You'll definitely do better than me someday, brat, but for now, this has nothing to do with you."

Third Brother's meaning was clear. If we were going to get involved in illegal activities like smuggling now, it would be better for him to take charge. After all, he could take the blame if something happened. What I was doing was like the American government funding guerrillas to go massacre a city. Not very honorable, but highly effective.

I simply needed someone like that, someone with skill, ability, and loyalty.

At least half the rich people I came to know after 1999 had engaged in smuggling in the early or mid-nineties. Personally, I wasn't repelled by it. Most of those with managerial ability eventually went legitimate, transforming themselves into investors in urban development and becoming typical private entrepreneurs. Honestly, if I'd had the connections and money back then, I would have done it myself. After all, those successful entrepreneurs did bring about some positive things.

But what I wanted now went beyond that.

Third Brother was puzzled too. "Xingwen, I could say you aren't satisfied with these businesses you're running, but all the money's flowing into your hands. Do you really need that little bit from smuggling?"

I could tell Zhang Xiaotong beside me didn't quite understand either. Raised on traditional moral values, she had some reservations about my decision. If I didn't resolve that knot, today's decision would amount to a failure.

I asked Zhang Xiaotong, "Sis, you read the company reports often too. How do you think the things we've done have worked out so far?"

Zhang Xiaotong didn't understand what I meant and simply said, "Very well."

I said, "Then don't you find it a little strange that I've repeatedly suggested switching away from and withdrawing from the industries where we currently hold most of the market share?"

"A little, yes."

"It's not that I dislike money," I explained to everyone. "But there has to be a limit to how much you like it. A person's life-tell me, doesn't it all come down to a meal and a bed? Sis, you know me best. Do you think I'm someone who needs to spend a lot of money?"

Zhang Xiaotong smiled and shook her head. "No."

"Exactly. One person can make all the money, but the problem is, even then, he can only do one person's work." To emphasize my point, I simply stood up. "What I'm doing now is very simple-we're breaking new ground, working to bring forward the golden age of certain industries, like tea drinks and electronics processing. These things will come sooner or later. Better a few years early than a few years late. Once we've done it and done it well, we pull out immediately, leaving an infinitely large market for others. There are plenty of industries in China that should have risen but haven't. Why? Because of monopolies, because there's no competition, because everyone clings to some traditional industry they know for their entire lives! Now we're getting things started and showing people that any industry can make money. Then there'll be competition and prosperity. Once there's prosperity, everything else becomes easier."

The three nodded thoughtfully. I'd made my meaning very clear. Everything we were doing now was merely setting an example, proving that something could be done well and yield enormous benefits. It was a lure that could draw more people into competition and development, greatly benefiting the economy within the scope of what I could influence.

Of course, the price was that I would frequently have to quit while I was ahead, unable to keep earning much of that money over the long term.

Put plainly, I was cultivating markets and withdrawing once they fully matured. By repeating that process, after a while, all the industries I'd been involved in would begin to shine.

By then, nobody would know me, and nobody would remember any of us. We would already have moved into other industries, doing other things.

This was the first time I'd explained the purpose behind our current expansion into different industries. They listened, dumbfounded. They had probably never thought about any of this. But as someone who had lived through it and understood the suffering most people experienced during those transitional years, I had to think a little further ahead.

Third Brother let out a long sigh. "Fuck, I've met so many people who thought their talents went unrecognized. I really ought to make those assholes listen to this. What fucking talent do they have? All right, Xingwen, I understand. You want to control the South Korean smuggling route to protect domestic industries, right?"

I nodded. "I wouldn't call it protection. We can't let other people make that money. If we earn it ourselves, we can open up a few more fronts. If others earn it, at most they'll use it for bribes."

Third Brother smiled. "I know what to do. You don't need to give me any money yet. Let me take care of what needs doing first."

I grunted in agreement. "Find someone to register a company. It needs a respectable name on the letterhead. Let Lu Wei and the others know about you, at least to some extent. We need to take care of all that too."

With the meeting over, Zhang Xiaotong and I headed home. I whistled happily the entire way.

Annoyed by my whistling, Zhang Xiaotong pinched me hard. "You little brat, all that whistling is making me need the bathroom..."