Chapter Three: Resolution

Panting, Skinny Monkey felt a chill run down his spine at Chen Liang’s words. Damn it! Damn it!

“Liang—Liang bro!” Skinny Monkey thought he still had a chance to save himself.

“Our sister is so beautiful. Isn’t it natural that I’d be attracted to her?” He took two more breaths and raised his voice, “Besides, a man should marry when he’s grown, a woman should wed when she’s of age—what’s wrong with mutual affection? Or do you think we brothers aren’t good enough for your sister, Liang bro?”

He tried to rely on the old streetwise brotherhood trick, thinking it would sway Chen Liang. That’s how it used to be—Chen Dumbhead was all about loyalty; as long as you talked about brotherly bonds, he’d buy it.

They say you become like those you’re close to—Chen Dumbhead’s wrestling master was a man of the streets, so nobody was surprised by Chen Dumbhead’s ways.

But now? To hell with it! Chen Liang was no longer Chen Dumbhead, not someone you could easily manipulate.

Without hesitation, Chen Liang kicked Skinny Monkey so hard he slid from the edge of the kang all the way to the doorway. “Ha! Spit! Who the hell do you think you are? Filthy scum like you aren’t worthy to call me brother!”

Chen Liang’s rage stunned everyone around him. He spat on the floor, then pointed at them all. “You trash, dare to use the name of men to extort from the monks, and now you dare raise your voice to me? Believe me, I’ll cripple you!”

Chen Dumbhead had no idea, but Skinny Monkey and his crew had stirred up trouble by extorting from the monks, getting into vicious fights with tough guys from other places.

The old Chen Dumbhead would never suspect Skinny Monkey and his so-called brothers, but Chen Liang, with his new heart, wouldn’t be anyone’s fool.

That’s right! Chen Dumbhead gained nothing from hanging out with these guys, but whenever someone got into trouble, he never missed a fight—he was a real sucker!

Chen Liang also suspected that Chen Dumbhead’s ambush was linked to the last brawl arranged by these so-called brothers.

Like a furious tiger, Chen Liang cast his gaze over Skinny Monkey, who was coughing up blood from the kick. “This is the last warning. If you ever extort monks again, using the name of men, I’ll break your legs!”

Chen Liang’s words made Skinny Monkey, still gasping from the pain, sit up and cry out with grief, “Liang bro, are you cutting ties with us?”

For so long, Skinny Monkey always believed Chen Liang was just his golden-handed enforcer, while he was the real boss. But now, terror filled his heart. Ever since he latched onto Chen Liang, life had been good for him. Without the money from extorting monks, what would he use for his pleasures? Worse, without Chen Liang’s muscle, would those monks he’d extorted ever let him off?

Thinking about the days ahead made Skinny Monkey’s face turn pale with fear.

“Liang bro, aren’t you going to think about old times? Aren’t you afraid this will ruin your reputation if word gets out?” Skinny Monkey’s voice was desperate, like a cuckoo bleeding in the night.

“Hah! Knowing you rotten fish and shrimp is what ruins my reputation!” Chen Liang grabbed Skinny Monkey and threw him out of the house, then looked at the four or five men in the yard. “Come here, everyone!”

He called them together and pointed at the three or four inside. “Skinny Monkey, meaning Hou Number Seven in my hand, and these three pieces of trash, they went for monk money. Let me make it clear: we men stand upright and walk straight. Their lawless deeds—I know nothing of them. If the monk I caught yesterday hadn’t told me himself, I’d still be in the dark!”

He looked at the men outside and continued, “We are men of honor, the money extorted from monks is too filthy even for us!”

“Let me say this: from now on, these guys are no longer our brothers. We can’t afford that shame!”

After Chen Liang finished, he kicked through a sapling as thick as a bowl in the yard, then turned to Skinny Monkey’s crew. “If you ever go around using our name to scam people again, I’ll cripple you! Now get out!”

Watching Skinny Monkey and his group flee in disgrace, the other men in the yard suddenly felt that Chen Liang had grown taller, more impressive.

“Liang bro, so domineering!” “Liang bro, you’re solid! Well done!” they cheered.

This group was different from Skinny Monkey’s; they were neighbors Chen Liang had known since childhood, people he trusted. They banded together only to avoid being bullied by outsiders.

The obvious leader, a young man, stopped the others from praising Chen Liang further, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and handed one to Chen Liang. After lighting it for him, he said, “Finally, Liang bro, you’ve come to your senses!”

Chen Liang took a drag. “Da Wu, don’t say it. Damn, thinking about it, it’s so humiliating—getting tricked by those bastards!”

“Haha, don’t worry, Liang bro! It’s good you woke up in time!” The young man was Cao Kui, a childhood friend of Wu Teng. With four older sisters, those close to him called him Cao Da Wu or Cao Da Kui.

As they were puffing away, Chen Liang suddenly slapped his forehead. “Damn it! I forgot—I promised to buy candy for Xiao Honghong!”

“No more talking, I’ve got to go buy candy, or that little tyrant will cause trouble again!”

Cao Kui, knowing just how much Xiao Chen Hong meant to his friend, teased, “Better hurry! If you’re late, Honghong will chase you around the yard, wanting to marry you!”

“Haha, right! Oh, Da Wu, remember to go tell the monks on the street that Skinny Monkey and his crew are no longer our concern. Let them settle their scores!”

Cao Kui’s eyes lit up at this, and he punched Chen Liang’s shoulder. “Liang bro, you’re scheming now! You even thought of using others to do the dirty work!”

“What scheming? I just realized I can’t let Hou Number Seven trick me for nothing—or else they’ll really think I’m a sucker! Da Wu, pay attention to this, I’m off!”

Without waiting for Cao Kui’s reply, Chen Liang hurried off to the nearby grocery store to buy candy!

If he delayed any longer, that little rascal Chen Hong would turn the world upside down!