You really are your father's son

"Can you stop Huo Laosi and the Thirteen Wolves from making any more pirate copies?" Yang Rui felt not the slightest guilt over collusion between officials and businessmen.

He planned to run biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Colluding with officials was more commonplace than paying taxes; the situation before him could only count as a little practice.

Duan Hang glanced at Leopard, who was tied up, and first asked, "What are you going to do with him?"

"Keep him here for now, so other people don't follow his example and let piracy run rampant." Yang Rui actually had a greater concern. He feared that teachers or students from other schools would secretly organize the mimeographing and sale of test papers.

There were really only two barriers to entry at present: first, large-scale mimeographing required considerable manpower and preparation of materials; second, there were the distribution channels.

From Yang Rui's perspective, informed by his later life, the first barrier depended on the second. As long as the papers sold, how many people would really be stopped by having to find printers and prepare materials? Huo Laosi and his men coerced students into cutting stencils and obtained materials partly by theft and partly by purchase. Although this lowered their initial costs, the foundation was still their distribution capacity.

Leopard's operation here was only an experiment, or rather, a learning exercise. In a day or two at most, once they figured out how to sell the test papers, they could use their influence at the bus station to sell them far afield immediately. Once they became a little more practiced and were certain they could recoup the cost of running a printing press, there was no telling how much they could make by distributing tens of thousands of copies across the province at a time.

In his private analysis, Yang Rui thought Huo Laosi's gang had actually considered the test-paper business more thoroughly than he had. First, they had noticed that the Rui Study Group's papers sold well, but they did not know why, or how to sell them effectively, so they copied his approach and sent Leopard out to sell them and gain experience. At the same time, they had found a suitable printing house, ready to expand production at any moment.

If they had not stopped Leopard today, and his gang had made a decent profit, they would probably expand their mimeographing operation within a few days at most, then move on to mass production with letterpress printing.

In all honesty, their ability to get things done far surpassed Yang Rui's small-scale efforts. Whether it was finding a printing house to run its presses for them or taking control of the bus station, neither was something an ordinary person could accomplish under ordinary circumstances.

Perhaps it was because Yang Rui regarded the test papers as a short-term venture, while Huo Laosi and his men were seriously looking for a money tree?

They had several brothers to support, and their expenses were considerable. They had all served time, too, and had a reckless streak, unlike the cautious Yang Rui.

This conclusion left Yang Rui rather helpless.

In the early 1980s, China had no established position on commercial activity at all; it could only be described as still under observation. In other words, what was deemed good was tacitly permitted, and what was deemed bad was crushed.

The resulting risks really did make young people with bright prospects hesitate.

How could someone like Yang Rui, with countless opportunities ahead of him, bear to lower himself and plunge into this experimental river, serving as a guinea pig feeling for stones?

Adults of the same period probably felt even more apprehensive than Yang Rui. Apart from people who had nothing and nowhere else to turn, it really was difficult to find anyone with commercial daring in China in 1982.

Duan Hang understood the local scene better. After a moment's thought, he said, "We can hold this one, but what if they send someone else?"

"We can't hold the next ones too?" Yang Rui asked this based on Duan Hang's tone. He was still unfamiliar with what second- or third-generation officials' children could do. The previous Yang Rui had also been a mere bookworm; he had never had any practical experience of this sort.

Duan Hang shook his head and explained, "After you hold two or three of them at most, they'll stop sending their own people. Then they can find just anyone off the street to sell the papers. They could even get junior high students to do it. What will you do then? If you keep holding people, their parents will come knocking. Even this Leopard can't be held too long, in case his relatives or friends start making trouble."

Being on home ground had advantages and disadvantages. A lot of things could not be kept hidden.

Yang Rui rubbed his chin and said, "Doesn't pirating my test papers count as a crime?"

"Your papers weren't issued by an authorized publisher. Proving piracy would be difficult, and getting a conviction would be even harder." Duan Hang paused, then pulled Yang Rui outside and lowered his voice. "Huo Laosi knows the chief of Chengguan Station, and they're on pretty good terms. Chengguan Station is the biggest station in Xi County. It has a lot of personnel, a lot of duties, and a lot of power. Its chief, Peng Xiang, has been a police officer for over thirty years. He's a senior veteran, and the bureau director thinks highly of him. If you want to go after Huo Laosi, I can't do it alone."

Only because they were close relatives did Duan Hang analyze the situation so carefully for Yang Rui. Otherwise, he could have gone through the motions and walked away, and Yang Rui would still have had to thank him.

After a little thought, Yang Rui still asked, "Who should I go to, then?"

"If you want Huo Laosi to back down, you'll need at least a word from Secretary Tao of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. If you want to take Huo Laosi down, it'll have to be Secretary Ma of the county Party committee." The Secretary Ma Duan Hang mentioned was the actual county Party secretary.

Yang Rui's eyelid twitched. "Does Huo Laosi know them?"

"He wishes." Duan Hang scoffed. "Peng Xiang is Huo Laosi's only connection, and that's only because he arrested him so many times that they grew attached. But Peng Xiang is a staunch supporter of the bureau director, and the director knows who Huo Laosi is, too. If you want to move against Huo Laosi, you need the director's approval. In our county, only the county Party secretary and the Political and Legal Affairs Commission secretary have that kind of clout. Nobody else will do."

Duan Hang could not have made it clearer, and Yang Rui sank into thought.

The police were a powerful arm of government. Even a county Public Security Bureau director wielded tremendous power. Quite apart from anything else, the annual quota for converting rural household registrations to urban ones could earn him countless favors. Even deputy county heads and deputy Party secretaries had to ask the Public Security Bureau director nicely if they wanted to arrange household registrations for people from their hometowns.

Thus, apart from his direct superiors, the county Public Security Bureau director could afford to disregard anyone.

As for connections in the county or city, the Yang family did have some. Yang Rui's grandfather, Yang Shan, had been a cadre during the war against Japan. After liberation, his entire unit had transferred to civilian work at the local level. Who knew how many of his old comrades and subordinates held posts throughout Hedong Province? With a little asking around, they could always find a connection.

The only problem was still that Yang Rui was too young. He had no proper standing to approach them himself...

Seeing his difficulty, Duan Hang said quietly, "Since Huo Laosi took over the bus station these past two years, he hasn't been keen on hanging around the streets. I reckon once he hears I've stepped in, he'll send someone to mediate. If nothing else works, why don't you do this business with him?"

Yang Rui smiled wryly. "He's a big-time thug in Xi County, and I'm still a student. We're not on equal footing. A partnership like that, without a contract, would be very hard to make work."

"With me here, would I let you get the short end of the stick? If he plays dirty, it won't look good for Peng Xiang either." Duan Hang was unconcerned. The captain of the County Criminal Police Brigade was not a high-ranking position, but he wielded real power within the bureau. With the influence of the Yang and Duan families added in, he was far stronger than some big-time thug.

Yang Rui still disagreed. "He has people and vehicles, and now he's found a printing house. If we worked together, I wouldn't even get a thirty-percent share. Besides, the accounts in this sort of business aren't transparent. In the end, he'd give me however much he felt like giving me, and he'd still say we were taking money without doing any work."

Duan Hang could not help nodding, secretly surprised that his younger cousin had thought more deeply about this than he had.

"Actually, getting involved with these underworld figures is very dangerous right now. If another campaign comes along, whoever's close to them will suffer." Yang Rui could not resist dropping a hint.

Next year would be the year of the Strike Hard campaign. With the successive crackdowns that would follow, not just notorious thugs like Huo Laosi, but even ordinary people released from prison would be scrutinized through prejudiced eyes. Working with them would be no different from digging his own grave.

Still, Yang Rui did rather covet these fellows' resources.

"I'll go home and ask Dad for help." Yang Rui stamped his foot and made his decision.

Duan Hang felt great admiration for how readily Yang Rui had resorted to "calling in a parent." He said, "Aren't you afraid my uncle will give you a hiding? He was furious about the commune being converted into a township."

"No. I'm publishing test papers, not a smutty tabloid. Besides, I haven't taken a cent of the money from the papers. It's all gone toward subsidizing school expenses and easing the students' financial burden. How could Dad not support something so socialist?"

Duan Hang's expression changed in shock. "Fifty yuan a day, and you haven't taken a single dime?"

He had asked about countless details earlier, but the one thing he had not asked was whose pocket the money went into. There should have been no need to ask. Since it was Yang Rui's business, of course the money belonged to Yang Rui.

Duan Hang had even felt a little envious at the time.

Yet Yang Rui said firmly, "Not only have I never taken a cent, I put up quite a bit of money at the start. All the accounts are clear, and Principal Zhao has checked them too."

"Your Principal Zhao? Zhao Dannian?"

"Yes."

Duan Hang believed him at once. A man's reputation followed him like a tree's shadow; Zhao Dannian was a shining red banner in Xi County.

He looked Yang Rui up and down, smacking his lips. "You really are your father's son."

Yang Rui chuckled and said, "Dad ought to help me with this, right?"

"Of course." Duan Hang gloated as he continued, "That fellow Huo Laosi has been monopolizing the bus station and taking a cut. He's already beaten three or four people so badly they've been left disabled. Who'd have thought he'd fall over something this small?"

Yang Rui, by contrast, grew calm. "Going to Dad will only solve the official side of things. The most important thing now is to stop Huo Laosi from getting this piracy business going. Otherwise, once he has the money in his hands, he'll be even less willing to cough it back up."

Duan Hang immediately said, "When I get back, I'll have people investigate his bus station."

"The criminal police are all locals. They're better suited to defense than offense. There's no need to investigate Huo Laosi. Just keep me safe."

"What are you going to do?" Duan Hang was startled.

Yang Rui pointed at the ice cream room inside and said, "Tell me, what can these street thugs stand the least?"

Duan Hang thought for a moment, his eyes shifting. "Losing face."

"Exactly. Face is what thugs live for. I have a way to make Huo Laosi lose a great deal of it. Then he'll have to come after me first, and he certainly won't have time to worry about business." Yang Rui paused before adding, "We can't let him have an easy time in business, either. We'll overhaul our offerings this time and put out two new sets of papers, so he won't dare distribute his stock right away."

Duan Hang looked at Yang Rui as if he no longer recognized him, then said gravely, "If you do this, you'll be cutting off Huo Laosi's retreat. This fellow might even have blood on his hands. If he retaliates, what will you do?"

"All the better if he retaliates. I'll report it to the police immediately, and you can arrest him."

"No. I'm afraid something will happen to you before I can catch him." Duan Hang shook his head emphatically.

Yang Rui repeatedly assured him it would be fine, then said, "I'll go home and see Dad today. Once I return to school tomorrow, I won't leave. I have plenty of schoolmates there. Huo Laosi won't get the better of us if he comes."

He gestured with his chin toward Cao Baoming and the others, then continued, "Judging by the way he does business, Huo Laosi definitely isn't a reckless fool. He'll definitely watch first and act later. Assign two people to follow Shi Gui, the man who helps me sell the papers. If Huo Laosi makes a move, he'll probably go after him first."

"I'll assign one person to keep watch at each end. Shi Gui will be fine. You're the one who needs to be careful," Duan Hang said hesitantly.

Yang Rui chuckled. "I'll certainly be careful. But we can't have nothing happen on Shi Gui's end, either."

"Hm?"

"It's all right if something happens. Surely Huo Laosi won't beat someone into a cripple right there in the street. If he attacks, wait a little before arresting him. Remember to bring in eyewitnesses and take their statements, then take Shi Gui to have his injuries examined." Yang Rui silently muttered, That's what you get for not sending that telegram sooner.

Yang Rui spoke lightly, but Duan Hang listened in stunned disbelief.

After a long while, Duan Hang said again, "You really are your father's son."

This time it was Yang Rui's turn to be dumbfounded. Apparently, Secretary Yang had not earned his formidable reputation by being everybody's nice guy.