Brother Bao

Biodata

Background / History

From Jiangbei to Shiliupu Wharf

Bao Chang formerly worked under a salt smuggler in Jiangbei, leading salt transport crews. After the Japanese occupation disrupted the business, he moved to Shanghai’s Shiliupu Wharf to make a living 6.

His violent temper brought him into conflict with Old Qiu’s men. In a fight the year before his introduction, he defeated six men single-handedly and broke two men’s arms. Old Qiu wanted him killed but ultimately held back. Chen Fusheng, a senior member of the Green Gang’s Wu generation, mediated the dispute and secured Brother Bao a patch of territory where he could work 6.

First Jobs for Chen Fan

Cao Bin recommended Brother Bao when Chen Fan needed to retrieve customs-seized goods from Old Qiu’s territory. Brother Bao initially quoted one hundred dollars, then demanded extra after learning the location. They settled on two hundred dollars, with fifty paid as a deposit. He also recommended Ma Xiaotian as a lookout 6.

The three entered Warehouse Three and recovered three crates containing 120 American-made detonators. Brother Bao carried two crates while Chen Fan carried the third. When Ma Xiaotian drew away approaching customs men, the other two escaped with the cargo on a handcart Brother Bao had positioned earlier; Ma subsequently rejoined them 7 8.

Chen Fan next hired Brother Bao and four followers to escort a planned shipment of three thousand bolts of cotton cloth from Hongkou to Shiliupu. Brother Bao negotiated two hundred silver dollars, with separate medical and living expenses if his men were arrested or injured 13. His crew checked the surroundings of Jiuyuan Warehouse, carried the payment chests into the deal, and later summoned Cao Bin’s unloading team at the wharf 14 15.

Joining the Chen Trading Company

After another fight with Old Qiu caused casualties and forced his crew out of the French Concession, Brother Bao approached Chen Fan for work. He offered the service of himself and his dozen or so followers, promising that they would follow Chen Fan through danger 21.

Chen Fan gave him money to settle his men and offered them warehouse-guarding work rather than customer-facing shop positions. After renting a warehouse near Huishan Wharf, Chen Fan instructed Brother Bao’s crew to clean it 21 22 23. At the trading company’s opening, Brother Bao supervised unloading and watched the front while Chen Fan met privately with Long Wu and Long Si 27.

Seizing Old Knife Handle’s Opium

Brother Bao’s followers—including Fuzai, Menhulu, and Old Qian—helped Chen Fan divert a cargo boat and replace its concealed opium with legitimate goods 33. While the decoy passed inspection, Brother Bao and Long Si’s forces seized the actual shipment at Warehouse Three 34.

Brother Bao kicked the wounded Agen and sent him back with a demand for two hundred thousand, threatening to burn the opium unless payment arrived by three in the morning. His threat exposed his unfamiliarity with handling opium: Old Knife Handle recognized that someone in the trade would know better than to burn it 34 35.

When Old Knife Handle came to the Chen warehouse, Brother Bao stood at Chen Fan’s right with an iron rod. His men occupied defensive positions around makeshift sandbag cover. The confrontation turned against Old Knife Handle when A Xiang held a blade to his neck and Cao Bin revealed that the supposed reinforcements were his own men 36 37.

Operations Against Rui Qingrong

Brother Bao warned Chen Fan that sixty or seventy attackers were approaching the warehouse before Chang Jiu’s force entered a prepared ambush 44.

He later accompanied Chen Fan and the captive Chang Jiu to Datong Warehouse’s back entrance. Once Chen Fan kicked the door guard aside, Brother Bao charged inside, preventing the defenders from closing the door while armed men followed him. After the warehouse fell, Chen Fan left him guarding the prisoners with orders to shoot if anything went wrong 46.

Appearance

• Build: At least 1.9 meters tall, later described as six foot three, with a massive physique repeatedly compared to an iron tower 6 22 46.
• Voice: Loud and resonant, “ringing like a bell” when he orders food 6.
• Clothing: Wears practical short work jackets; during his visit to the trading company, he wears a gray cloth jacket beneath an old blue padded coat 13 21.

Personality

Brother Bao is blunt, quick-tempered, and willing to turn disagreements into fights. Cao Bin describes him as efficient and discreet about cargo ownership, but warns that money matters more to him than personal connections. Brother Bao states his terms plainly and renegotiates when a job carries additional risks 6.

His concern for his followers goes beyond dividing their pay. He insists on compensation if escort work leaves them injured or arrested, and seeks employment from Chen Fan when their feud with Old Qiu leaves them without a livelihood. Asking for help makes the normally outspoken man unusually hesitant; he initially mistakes Chen Fan’s assistance for money intended to send him away 13 21.

Abilities & Skills

Strength and Close Combat

Brother Bao’s reputation rests on demonstrated physical power and a willingness to fight 6.

• Defeated six burly men alone, breaking two men’s arms 6.
• Carried two detonator crates weighing at least roughly 110 jin combined with little apparent difficulty 8.
• Uses an iron rod and readily prepares to attack threats at close range 7 8 36.

Cargo Operations and Crew Leadership

His experience covers salt transport, illicit cargo retrieval, armed escort, and warehouse security 6 13 23.

• Pre-positioned a handcart, oilcloth, and rope for the detonator operation 8.
• Recruited escorts, delegated reconnaissance, and dispatched messengers 13 14 15.
• Retains command of his followers even while they work for Chen Fan; Long Si can borrow these men but cannot treat them as his own permanent recruits 45.

Mobility and Limitations

Despite his size, Brother Bao can climb through a ventilation window with surprising agility 8.

• His heavy footsteps make him less suited to stealth; Chen Fan places him in the middle of their infiltration formation to reduce the risk of detection 7.
• His hearing is less acute than Chen Fan’s or Ma Xiaotian’s, leaving him reliant on their warnings during the warehouse approach 7.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Iron rod — Carried at his waist during the detonator operation, with cloth wrapped around it; also held during the confrontation with Old Knife Handle 7 36.
• Wooden club — Kept on the escape handcart and grabbed defensively when footsteps approached 8.
• Handcart and cargo coverings — Arranged in advance to move and conceal the stolen detonator crates 8.

Relationships

• Chen Fan — Initially a paying client, later his employer. Chen Fan shelters his displaced crew and entrusts him with warehouse security and armed operations 6 21 46.
• Cao Bin — A dockside acquaintance who recommends him to Chen Fan, while candidly warning about his temper and financial priorities 6.
• Ma Xiaotian — Recommended by Brother Bao as a lookout. Brother Bao trusts Ma’s ability to escape pursuit and praises his fighting ability 6 8.
• Old Qiu — Territorial rival whose repeated clashes with Brother Bao eventually drive Bao’s crew to seek work elsewhere 6 21.
• Long Si — Fellow combatant under Chen Fan; they cooperate in taking the opium shipment and defending the Chen warehouse 34 36.

Notable Quotes

“Tell me what it is. Pay enough, and I’ll do it. Once it’s done, we go our separate ways.” 6

“That’ll cost extra...” 6

“My name’s Brother Bao—the Bao in brutal...” 34