Chapter 38: He Has Arrived

"It seems his surname is Lai. I heard the boss call him Mr. Lai. Why? Do you want him to read your fortune too? Forget about it. Setting aside whether he’s the real deal or a fraud, he charges five thousand just for a consultation, not including any rituals. Five thousand! We don’t even earn that much in a year," Wu Dahai said with a bitter laugh.

"If I ever get rich, I’d like to have him look at my feng shui. Once the feng shui is set, I’ll be even richer," I replied.

"Sure. Tomorrow I’ll go and ask around for you. If you strike it rich, I’ll come back and work as your security guard," Wu Dahai said, laughing as he raised his glass.

I picked up my glass and downed it in one gulp.

Just as I set the glass down, a hand landed on my shoulder. "Brother, what a coincidence."

I looked back to see Guo Changxing, the big brother of that guy Ah Hua.

When Wu Dahai saw Guo, his expression turned awkward, even a bit evasive. "Brother Xing, I’ll definitely pay you back once I get my salary..."

Guo Changxing sneered, "That’s what you said last month, and the month before that."

With that, Guo grabbed Wu Dahai’s hand and placed a dagger on the table. "If everyone were like you, would my brothers and I be left to eat nothing but air?"

"I’m in the middle of a drink with Brother Hai," I said, frowning.

Guo Changxing looked at the security uniforms that both I and Brother Hai were wearing. He looked incredulous. "Brother, you’re not joking, are you? You’re working as a security guard? Here at the Awang Restaurant with this Wu Dahai?"

"Is there a problem with that?" I asked.

Guo Changxing stared straight at me, deep in thought. If I wasn't mistaken, he was trying to figure out my relationship with Uncle Yong. After about twenty seconds, he said, "Brother, paying off debts is only natural. You aren't going to get involved in this too, are you?"

"Do you owe him money, Brother Hai?" I asked.

Wu Dahai nodded tremblingly, then said to Guo Changxing, "Brother Xing, this has nothing to do with my brother. Give me some time. When I get my salary this month, I’ll pay you the interest first."

Guo Changxing, however, kept his eyes on me. He was waiting for me to speak.

"Brother Xing, let’s step aside for a word," I said to him.

Guo Changxing nodded at his two lackeys and followed me to a utility pole by the roadside. I pulled out a cigarette, handed it to him, and lit it for him before lighting one for myself.

"Brother, it’s not a lot of money—fifteen hundred. As long as you speak up, let alone giving him a few more days, I could even waive the debt entirely. For the sake of you calling me 'Brother Xing,' I have to give my brother face," Guo Changxing said with a laugh.

In truth, I knew exactly what he was thinking when he looked at me earlier, and I knew even better that he wasn't doing this for me, but for the sake of Uncle Yong.

I took a deep breath. "Technically, it is only right to pay back what one owes; that’s a principle that holds true everywhere. He owes you money, and you have every right to collect it. That has nothing to do with me. But he’s my colleague, and we’ve been getting along well these past few days. We were just calling each other brothers at the table, and I can’t just stand by and watch him get pushed around."

"Brother, say no more. I understand your meaning. Don’t worry, that’s it for today. I’ll take my men and leave right now. I know where he works, but I don’t want to push him too hard. If I force him into a corner and he runs off, who am I supposed to collect from?" Guo Changxing laughed.

His smile was strange—sincere yet cunning. Why? Because he had the face of a villain, yet he insisted on putting on an expression of sincerity.

"Give him three months. If he still can't pay after three months, I’ll cover his debt. For now, he’s useful to me. Does that work for you?" I asked.

"After three months, it won’t be just fifteen hundred. Brother, you know the rules of the streets: nine in, thirteen out," Guo Changxing replied.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at him intently.

Expressionless, I said, "Why don’t you ask why I’m working as a security guard at the Awang Restaurant? You’re someone of status in this area; surely you know what kind of place the third floor of the Awang Restaurant is?"

Guo Changxing immediately switched back to his smiling face. He reached out and hooked his arm around my shoulder. "Brother, that’s exactly what I was waiting for you to say. I don’t need to think twice to know you wouldn’t really be working as a mere security guard. If Uncle Yong finds it inconvenient to arrange something for you, I have a couple of spots where I can help you out. I’ve got the idea now. If there’s anything you need from your old brother, just let me know."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Guo Changxing was a smart man; he left immediately with his lackeys. As they walked away, I heard one of the lackeys complaining, "Brother Xing, I don’t get why we’re giving this kid so much face! Just because he had one meal with Uncle Yong? Is Uncle Yong really that big of a deal?!"

Another chimed in, "Exactly, Brother. That kid Da Hua is itching to take him down. A lot of the brothers were unhappy about what happened last time. You’d better watch out."

They walked off while talking; I didn't know how Guo Changxing answered them. But through these two incidents, I knew that Guo Changxing was a man destined to make it in this world.

When I returned to the table, Wu Dahai asked in shock, "You know them?"

"Yeah, we have a bit of a history. Don’t worry, they won’t bother you for a while. Brother Hai, how did you end up owing them money?" I asked.

"Sigh, it was the slot machines. A while back, I got hooked on those things. I lost over two thousand in total. Later, I got blinded by greed, borrowed five hundred, and over the course of a few months, it snowballed into fifteen hundred," Wu Dahai sighed.

In those days, there weren't those massive gambling machines like the 'Shark, Beast, Bird, and Insect' games. These slot machines were just small, coin-operated fruit machines. They had just started becoming popular that year, and eventually, they would pop up in almost every small shop or internet cafe on the street. I didn't ask further, nor did I say much. I could advise my cousin not to gamble, no matter how harsh my words might be, but I couldn't do the same for Wu Dahai—our friendship hadn't reached that level yet.

Perhaps feeling he owed me a favor, Wu Dahai said as we parted ways, "Ah Cheng, I’ll ask around these next few days to see where that feng shui master lives. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything."

I nodded my thanks and walked silently toward my home.

Many might find this life boring—just going from security work back to a rented room. But that is the reality for migrant workers. Countless people leave the school system, which is a straight line from A to B, and enter society, fantasizing about all kinds of lives, only to find they haven't gained any freedom—they’ve simply walked from one cage into an even stricter one.

In the three kilometers between the street stalls and my rented room, I saw two fights, witnessed a teenager on a motorbike snatch a girl’s bag, saw people playing mahjong under streetlights, and watched hurried passersby.

In this rapidly developing, ever-changing city, too many people live like this, numbly, until they eventually fade into the dust.

Finally, when I returned to the bottom of my building, I saw a man in his thirties, wearing a flat cap and carrying a backpack, standing there.

Seeing me approach, Uncle Yong, who was waving his tattered palm-leaf fan, smiled and said, "Young man, that’s the lad you were looking for, Ah Cheng."

Then, Uncle Yong added, "Ah Cheng, he says he’s your senior apprentice brother and has been waiting here for a long time. I offered to let him wait in my room, but he wouldn't hear of it."

Every hair on my body stood up.

I had never truly believed he would come. Now that he was actually here, I felt at a loss.

We stood there, looking at each other, both examining the other.

A minute later, I walked over, reached out my hand, and forced a smile. "Senior Brother, hello. I am your junior brother, Zhang Zhicheng."