Volume One, Chapter 11: Harmony Brings Wealth

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Bench Kid never expected me to fight back. He didn’t even react until the beer bottle in my hand smashed against his head!

Crack!

Bench Kid’s skull was cracked open, blood streaming down his forehead!

Then, a few of Bench Kid’s blonde-haired friends snapped out of it and all started yelling as they came at me.

When I fight, I have one defining trait: I don’t care about my life!

They outnumbered me, but I wasn’t intimidated. I jumped straight into the fray!

Before long, I had knocked all those blondes flat on the ground.

Of course, I wasn’t unscathed.

Someone stabbed my left shoulder with a beer bottle, the pain burning fiercely!

But I was stronger than them.

They were lying down; I was still standing!

Even Song Xiaotang and Magan hadn’t expected me to be so fierce—they stood there dumbfounded!

Not just them.

The customers in the billiard hall all stared at me, wide-eyed.

But I noticed their expressions weren’t fear—they looked somewhat gleeful, even a bit pitying.

I didn’t quite get it.

Back home in the Northeast, if I did this, a crowd would cheer me on.

Just then, Song Xiaotang’s gloating words snapped me back.

“Country bumpkin, this time no one can save you.”

“You’re on Sheng’s turf, attacking Sheng’s men. You really have water in your brain.”

Song Xiaotang grew more excited, as if she was already picturing my downfall.

I suddenly understood.

Bench Kid and those guys were all under Sheng’s wing.

By taking them out, I’d stirred up serious trouble!

Damn it!

It was all that idiot Song Xiaotang’s fault!

If it weren’t for her, why would there be so much crap?

She was still gloating, chirping away!

I was so furious I felt like exploding, and I strode straight toward Song Xiaotang.

“What do you want?”

Song Xiaotang panicked immediately, her face turning pale as she hurriedly backed away.

My eyes locked on her, and I advanced step by step.

I was determined—I had to smash that bottle over her head!

Otherwise, I’d never feel at peace, even in death!

After a few steps, I caught up to her.

“Don’t hit me, don’t hit me, don’t hit me!”

Seeing me raise the beer bottle, she sat down in fright, crying and begging, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please don’t hit me!”

Crying wouldn’t help.

I showed no mercy, raising my hand and about to bring the bottle down when suddenly someone shouted.

“Hey! What are you doing? How am I supposed to do business like this?”

I instantly recognized the voice—it was Sheng.

Sure enough, seconds later, Sheng emerged from the crowd.

Bench Kid and the others quickly called out, “Boss Sheng!”

Song Xiaotang also shouted at the top of her lungs, “Boss Sheng, save me!”

I didn’t rush to strike, just looked at Sheng.

Magan walked over to Sheng, grumbling unhappily.

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“Fish Seller Sheng, you came just in time!”

“This kid got beaten up by me, you handle it!”

“Also, your man Bench Kid got his head cracked open.”

Sheng glanced around the scene.

I had taken down two groups of blondes single-handedly.

Magan had been kicked by me, Bench Kid’s skull had been split.

The other blondes in the billiard hall were all bruised.

After surveying, Sheng finally looked at me and said, “Hey, Gangzi, what’s going on here?”

“We run this business on harmony; that’s the key to making money!”

“Look at you—you’re all bruised up. That’s no good!”

“I think you should go to the hospital first!”

Hospital?

I was stunned by Sheng’s words.

I had assumed Sheng would back Magan, like Bench Kid did.

Even if he didn’t care about Magan, he’d at least stand up for Bench Kid.

But Sheng’s approach was totally different from what I expected!

By telling me to go to the hospital, he was basically telling me to leave.

That was clearly siding with me.

Just as I was puzzled, Magan angrily shouted.

“Fish Seller Sheng, what do you mean? If you let him go now, all the beating I took will be for nothing?”

“Oh come on, we can sort things out slowly!”

Magan pointed at me, shouting, “No need to talk, just kill him!”

“Magan, don’t make things so serious!” Sheng still smiled as he talked with Magan.

“Gangzi is my new waiter today, a newcomer from out of town. He doesn’t know the rules in Port City yet.”

“Look, he’s already hurt. Just do me a favor and let him off, okay?”

“No way!”

Magan glared at me fiercely, hatred in his eyes. “Fish Seller Sheng, if I let him off, what about my face?”

“Oh, let’s discuss it some more.”

Honestly, hearing Sheng talk made me want to laugh.

Even with the tension, Sheng’s words eased my mood.

Sheng chuckled, “Magan, is it really just about face?”

“Yes!”

“Well, leave it to me!”

Sheng said that and then walked toward me.

I didn’t move, still standing there clutching the beer bottle.

Sheng came up and looked at me, then suddenly asked, “Gangzi, is your head hard or not?”

I didn’t understand what he meant, but since Sheng was speaking for me—unlike Bench Kid—I gave him face and said it was alright.

“That’s good,” Sheng nodded. “Magan wants face. You just knock your head once, give him some face, okay?”

Knock my head once?

Knock my head?

What a joke.

Then I realized I’d misunderstood.

Sheng meant I should use the beer bottle to knock my forehead once.

Sheng encouraged me, “Gangzi, Sheng won’t hurt you!”

“If you give him face, he won’t bother you.”

“Otherwise, everyone here just wastes time, which doesn’t help anyone, right?”

“Am I right or am I right?”

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“Gangzi, give Sheng some face. Let’s all make money happily, alright?”

I thought about it. If this could settle things, it would be the best outcome for me.

Ending the feud with Magan, keeping my job.

At worst, I’d have a headache for a few days; I could endure that.

“Alright.”

I gave Sheng face, grabbed the beer bottle, and smacked it against my forehead.

Crack! The bottle shattered, and pain made my head spin.

I looked at Magan.

Magan frowned, clearly displeased.

I glanced at Sheng; he nodded, signaling I should keep going.

Fine, I’d continue!

I grabbed another bottle and struck my forehead again.

That hurt even more!

But Magan still didn’t indicate I should stop, so I grabbed another bottle and hit my forehead once more.

This time, I felt blood trickle down my forehead, dripping onto my face!

Magan’s expression shifted, but he still didn’t tell me to stop.

No choice, I kept going.

I knocked my head against nine bottles in a row, dizzy and nearly unable to stand.

“Enough!”

At last, Magan spoke.

I struggled to lift my head and glanced at him.

Magan looked impressed and said, “Gangzi, this is how deals go down—no fight, no deal.”

“Let’s have a drink. I recognize you as my brother!”

“You’re a real man!”

Recognize me as his brother?

Damn it, who the hell needed his recognition?

What a bully!

I cursed Magan in my heart.

“That’s right, harmony brings wealth.”

Sheng smiled and had someone bring beer, then handed me a cup.

Holding the beer, I seriously wanted to splash it in Magan’s face.

But if I did that now, all those hits to my head would’ve been for nothing.

“Oh, right.”

Before drinking, Magan remembered Song Xiaotang, called her over, and said, “Gangzi, no matter what grudge you have with Xiaotang, let’s all have a drink together and put it behind us.”

I said nothing, just stared at Song Xiaotang.

Even if I didn’t hold a grudge against Magan, I wasn’t so quick to forgive Song Xiaotang!

If it weren’t for her, how could I have gotten hurt on my first day in Port City?

Song Xiaotang seemed stunned by my earlier actions but raised her glass to clink with mine.

I really wanted to slap her!

But I held back, clinked glasses, and took a sip.

However, the beer’s sharpness made it hard to swallow, and I ended up spitting it all onto Song Xiaotang’s face with a “pffft”!

“Ah!”

Song Xiaotang jumped in shock!

I was about to say something when a wave of weakness hit me.

Then everything went black, and I lost consciousness…