Brother Ji had had enough. He was going to go it alone.
A few days back, he had quietly made a connection with the Tianyi Gang and become a "breaker" under one of Tianyi's branches — the business of street-level heroin distribution. Conning and swindling his way around the Walled City, he had actually sold quite a lot.
Then, with that money, he had gone wandering Gui Street, emptied out his entire savings, and picked up an ancient Sheng martial manual of dubious authenticity. Too bad he had no schooling and only a shallow grasp of martial theory — he'd pored over the thing for ages and still couldn't find the way in.
If the seller's guarantee of authenticity held true and he could ever train it to completion, then forget Third Master — he wouldn't fear even the Red Poles of the big triads!
But going solo called for careful planning. The urgent matter was getting past Third Master.
The fattest target on Longjin Road was Chen's Noodle Factory — those machines were worth a bit of money too. Brother Ji would have preferred to keep milking it sustainably, but Third Master was squeezing far too hard...
All he could do was drain the pond for one catch — find a way to pull a fat haul out of the noodle factory.
Then there was Ah Wen — a bit educated, and timid.
That kind of person was easy to control. In a few days Brother Ji meant to give Ah Wen some "good stuff" to smoke and reel him in for good.
With enough able hands under him, he could cook his own powder too. Cook powder with one hand, practice boxing with the other — let the powder feed the fist.
As long as he never touched the stuff himself, then this "big-time racketeer" life that Tianyi Hao led — Big Brother Ji could lead it too!
...
Four Seas Martial Arts Hall.
In the study, Huang Sihai was counting banknotes.
Knock, knock, knock — someone at the door.
Huang Sihai put the money into the safe and stepped out of the study. It was Li Xiuwen.
"What is it?"
"Master, I heard our hall has a second floor?" Li Xiuwen said with an embarrassed smile.
This was something Huang Sihai had never once brought up, so Li couldn't help asking about it himself.
He had paid only the first month's fee. Ten days had gone by now, and from here on it would be six hundred a month — another thing to fret over. He didn't want to keep leaning on his uncle.
"So you've got your eye on it," Huang Sihai said.
"What are the requirements for the second floor?" Li Xiuwen asked, smiling.
"You don't qualify yet. That second floor of mine takes only formal disciples — the ones with real hope of carrying on my mantle."
"Specifically, what does it take? So I can prepare," Li Xiuwen pressed on shamelessly.
Huang Sihai thought for a moment, then said, "If your innate physique shows the makings of a superior, I can put you on the second floor straightaway. Yours isn't bad, but it falls a bit short."
A bit short? More like short by a mile!
Old Huang didn't want to knock the wind out of Ah Wen — he was still counting on this kid to keep coughing up gold coins.
"Does it have to be physique? Is there no other way in?"
"Of course there is. First-floor students haven't formally taken a master. At most they're students — strictly speaking, not formal disciples. Formally take a master, and you can go up to the second floor too."
"How much?" Li Xiuwen caught on.
"Ahem — that depends on affinity. There was a first-floor student before who was willing to put up thirty thousand as an apprenticeship gift..."
"And did he have the affinity?"
"No."
Li Xiuwen cursed him inwardly. This Old Huang — shady as they come.
No wonder the Four Seas tuition ran so much cheaper than the other halls'. So this was where they'd been waiting.
"Is there still a chance for me?" Li Xiuwen refused to give up, asking with a smile.
Huang Sihai said impatiently, "The hall holds its annual tournament once a year. If you can come out on top among all the first-floor disciples, you can get in too. You have a little over three months."
"Understood." Li Xiuwen breathed a sigh of relief. At least there was a way up — a hard one, granted.
"Don't set your sights beyond your reach. A solid foundation matters more than anything. And no crooked ideas — the second floor doesn't take anyone with a crooked heart," Huang Sihai reminded him, eyes narrowed.
"Mm." Li Xiuwen nodded.
"With my fish ball, you should be confident of entry within three days, right?"
"I've already entered."
Huang Sihai lifted Li Xiuwen's shirt. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes; then he said evenly, "Not bad. Same fish ball, and you're a good deal ahead of the others with the same physique... Diligence makes up for what talent lacks. Keep it up."
Old Huang was in a good mood. A bit of talent in this Li Xiuwen was a good thing — he wouldn't give up easily, and the gold coins would keep coming.
Li Xiuwen thought for a moment, then asked, "Master, who entered fastest among the first-floor disciples?"
He wanted to scout out his competitors ahead of time and give himself something to aim at.
"A Chun. His innate physique is close to the makings of a superior — he entered in three days. Among the rest, only Ah Zhen and Cheng Kuiqiang beat you, and only by a little."
"Senior Brother A Chun really is a genius," Li Xiuwen said.
"Him? Still not enough. Tianhong Zai entered in a single day. Don't get cocky, don't rush. Today, consolidate your realm. Tomorrow I'll teach you fighting techniques."
Watching Li Xiuwen go, Huang Sihai shook his head.
He had seen with his own eyes how hard Li Xiuwen had worked these past days — easily the most diligent of all the students. Fish ball plus diligent training: entry in a little over a week was really quite normal. With slightly better luck, plenty of people could manage it.
But that only held early on. However hard you worked later, you'd never catch those with good physiques...
Hard work secures the floor.
Talent and luck set the ceiling!
...
Longjin Road, Chen's Noodle Factory.
Li Xiuwen finished his shower and stepped out of the bathroom. His aunt was staring at him, and it made him uncomfortable.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"I have to say — learning boxing really is something else. You look like you've gotten sturdier. Your muscles are already bigger than your uncle's. Not the skinny beanpole you were ten days ago."
"I can count myself as having learned it now. Not a master, but more than enough to handle small-time thugs."
"Learned it? You've only been under a master ten days, haven't you?" His aunt's mouth fell open.
"Mm." Li Xiuwen showed off the Green Membrane he had just trained out. "This is what sets a trained fighter apart from everyone else. Ordinary people can punch me all they like — it won't hurt."
His aunt reached out and felt it for herself. "The feel really is different. I thought it was just a sheen, but it's like shark skin to the touch... You're really something, mastering it this fast!"
She had never held any hope that Ah Wen would actually learn something real.
When she'd asked Brother Yi for the money, it had been mostly to make Ah Wen give up on the idea for good.
Who could have imagined the kid would truly train it out — in only ten days, no less.
She'd been asking around the neighborhood all this while, too. Some families' kids were learning boxing as well: months of training and still no entry, family savings emptied out, neck-deep in debt.
Seeing his aunt's expression, Li Xiuwen smiled. "Besides my uncle, don't tell a single neighbor about this."
"Why not?" His aunt didn't understand.
"Simple. Brother Ji drops by our place to freeload every so often. If he found out I really had a chance of making something of this, what do you think he'd do?"
That got through to her. "Fair enough. You'd at least have to be stronger than Brother Ji first — safe only once you don't fear him. But what about the hall?"
"When we joined, there was an agreement: nothing about the school's disciples' private cultivation may be leaked. It's strict. Brother Ji won't hear a word of it."
"Good."
...
In the bedroom,
"He really trained it out?" His uncle set down his ledger, astonished.
His aunt hushed him. "Keep your voice down. Ah Wen doesn't want Brother Ji to know. The three of us knowing is enough."
"What's the matter?"
"He's afraid Brother Ji will come pick a fight if he finds out. He doesn't think he's a match for Brother Ji yet."
"Right. Not a word of it, for now." His uncle was a little tense too. If Brother Ji learned that Ah Wen was learning martial arts, there really could be trouble.
"I always knew Ah Wen could do it. You can set your mind at ease now, can't you?" His aunt smiled.
Chapter 12