Chapter 96

Yang Lei handed in his application for leave during his annual duty, but after New Year’s, it was not approved. In the first few months of the new year, the military district would have a major inspection. The leader from Beijing would come directly by private plane. To the army, this inspection was like a formidable enemy. Yang Lei’s break was directly rejected. During the preparation for inspection, the military affairs were strictly rectified. The authorities ordered that all cadres’ breaks were canceled during that period, and the entire military district was to be alert.

For this inspection, once New Year’s was over, Yang Lei was so overwhelmingly busy that he couldn’t even care about Fang Mei’s side of things. Fortunately, Fang Mei’s father’s happy mood was probably actually good for his health. His condition improved significantly, and the marriage was not so urgent. The pressure on Fang Mei was also much less.

After several phone calls, Yang Lei told Fang Mei about his plan to go to the south later.

“Okay, I’ll deal with things at home.”

Fang Mei didn’t even ask what Yang Lei was going to do there. She understood.

Fang Mei also had troubles. There was someone who had pursued her before, and he still hadn’t given up now. He was really annoying her.

Fang Mei had always been merciless in dealing with her pestering suitors. However, this person persisted in pursuing her for many years. Fang Mei had been abroad for so many years, but this person had even waited for so many years. Even when he knew that she was going to get married, he didn’t give up. Fang Mei had said many harsh words, and she couldn’t bear it anymore.

“Shit, he’s still pursuing you?”

Yang Lei knew that there had been such a person many years ago. Hearing that he had actually persisted for so many years, he was also surprised.

“If you really want to get married, you should consider such a reliable person,” Yang Lei said.

“Enough, I’ll just marry myself!” Fang Mei said bluntly.

A few days after the end of his annual leave, Yang Lei took the soldiers of his company on a mission. When he came back, it was past mealtime and he was too late to return to the military district, so he planned to find a place to eat in the city of Jianghai.

Several battlefield jeeps and army trucks drove noisily on the city streets and were very imposing and eye-catching. At the gas station, Yang Lei told the first car of the motorcade to depart first, to order and arrange things when they arrived. That car departed first, driving very quickly. It drove directly and aggressively into the alley of the food street.

That day, Fang Yu and a group of brothers were also gathered in a private karaoke room on this street.

If there were issues on the streets, they were usually discussed in these undisturbed private rooms. It had already become a habit. Er Hei wanted to give the Bright Billiards Room to Fang Yu. He had originally bought and kept it for when Fang Yu returned. Right now, other than billiards, there was also an entertainment and video game Internet café. It was on a grand scale.

Fang Yu asked him to keep it for Xiao Wu. Once Xiao Wu saw Fang Yu’s face, he was so emotional that he buried his head in Fang Yu’s shoulder and nearly shed tears. He already had a family, and he was even rounder. Xiao Wu had also never gone anywhere else. He kept watching over Bright Billiards.

The brothers gathered together, discussing future plans.

“Other than fighting, we don’t know how to do anything else. Why don’t we just be security guards?”

“Are you dumb? That’s not profitable!”

“I’ve heard that doing demolition and whatnot can be profitable. Kicking out holdout residents is profitable!”

“That’s not as good as money lending! Didn’t Yu Ge say to do a legitimate business?!”

“One of my brothers made fake wine and got rich. He sells fake foreign wine. They cost several or tens of yuan. He puts a fake label on it, takes it to the bar or night shows, and it sells for hundreds or thousands! Now, he has even bought several houses! …”

Fang Yu kept smoking. He didn’t speak.

“Yu Ge, what do you think?”

These people were waiting for Fang Yu to speak. Fang Yu stubbed out the cigarette end.

“Since we’re not gangsters, we should make a clean break. Don’t touch anything illegal.”

The brothers nodded. None of them were young. At this age, their passion and enthusiasm of not fearing death had faded. Who didn’t want to live stably?

“I’m planning to first open a car wash and also do auto parts. There are many private cars now, and there will be more in the future. There is a market in this industry, and there are not many car stores yet in Jianghai. As long as you are willing to work hard, you can make money.”

Fang Yu thought for a while and spoke.

“You all understand cars. It’s easy to get started. Later, once we have accumulated capital, we’ll make building materials. There is construction everywhere in Jianghai. Heading in this direction, we can’t go wrong…”

Fang Yu said…

This was a practical path. Everyone felt that there was a prospect.

“Yu Ge! We’ll listen to you! We’ll do whatever you say!”

Having found a way out, like they finally had a home, these gangsters were all excited. They clinked their wine bottles…

When things were just about settled, they exited the karaoke bar and went to the restaurant across the street for a meal.

A brother was the first to cross the street. He had just walked two streets, when he was knocked down by a military vehicle crashing around. That military vehicle slammed hard on the brakes. Fortunately, the brother reacted quickly and dodged, but he was still scraped and fell over. He fell onto the ground.

“Motherfucker, how are you driving??”

The brother who was knocked down propped himself up and got up, limping.

The soldier in the military car looked out and took a glance. Seeing that he could still get up, he didn’t even get out of the car.

“You walk without looking at the road?”

Because military vehicles were not regulated by the region, they always drove aggressively, and no one dared to control them. This was a young soldier and had gotten used to driving recklessly.

“You hit someone and you want to leave without doing a goddamn thing? Apologize!”

Seeing that this soldier didn’t even apologize after hitting someone, pushed the blame away, and wanted to leave, all the brothers were angry.

The soldier ignored him and stepped on the accelerator. The one who was hit was angry and stopped in front of the car. The soldier was also impatient. He jumped off the car, and the two sides started quarreling. A crowd gathered around them to see the excitement.

“Comrade of the People’s Liberation Army, take it easy. The imprints of your brake are still there, and you almost ran into the entrance of the store. How can you say that we hit your car? We don’t mean anything else. You apologize, and we’ll go our separate ways.”

Er Hei patted him on the shoulder. He didn’t want to make a big deal. The military was not to be messed with.

“Don’t pretend to be close. I see that you all are deliberately framing me!”

Young shoulders liked to show off their authority. They thought that these people must be deliberately finding faults to scam money.

“Fuck, did I ask you for money?? I want you to apologize, do you fucking understand??”

Compared to getting hit, being insulted made these gangsters even angrier.

Soldiers looked down on even the traffic police, much less these gangsters. All young people valued their reputation and refused to yield.

“Get out of the way! Our leader is about to arrive. If you continue being unreasonable, we will take you all to the police station!”

The soldier muttered contemptuously: “A bunch of rascals!” and was about to get in the car.

Fang Yu originally didn’t say anything. Hearing this, he lifted his chin at Er Hei.

Er Hei understood. He rushed into the jeep and pulled out the car key.

“You!” The soldier was impatient and said to Fang Yu, “How dare you mess around?!”

Fang Yu lifted his eyelids and glanced at him.

Being stared at by his gaze, the soldier’s heart jolted, and he couldn’t speak.

“Wait for your leader to come and deal with it,” Fang Yu said.

Several military vehicles arrived from behind. Seeing the crowd blocking in front of them, they stopped. An officer in a neat military uniform got out of the car and walked over.

“Zhang Peng!”

“Here!”

Zhang Peng hurriedly stood at attention and saluted.

“What’s going on?”

The officer frowned as he asked.

“Reporting to the leader! A bunch of local thugs made trouble and even pulled out my car key!”

Yang Lei turned around, his gaze sweeping over these people.

His vision under the military cap met Fang Yu’s eyes.

“…”

Yang Lei stopped.

Fang Yu looked at Yang Lei, who was in a neat military uniform. The two looked at each other.

“Isn’t this Yang Lei…”

A brother recognized him. He had just started speaking when Fang Yu stopped him.

“This soldier is too unreasonable. How can he come onto the curb? He hit someone and wouldn’t admit it!”

“Alas, military cars are unreasonable! They can’t be provoked…”

The crowd around them grumbled. There were many people on the street. Many people witnessed the scene just now. It was obvious who was right and who was wrong. The military vehicle was too fast. In order to avoid an electric vehicle across the street, it abruptly turned the steering wheel and knocked over a person who was walking. He even refused to apologize, and the passersby couldn’t stand it.

Listening to the civilians around them talking simultaneously about the situation at that time, Yang Lei asked Zhang Peng seriously: “Was that the case?”

“…”

Zhang Peng didn’t dare to deny it. He was truly guilty.

Fang Yu ordered for the car keys to be returned. Yang Lei took it in his hand.

“Apologize to him,” Yang Lei said.

“Sorry…”

Zhang Peng hung his head.

“Louder!”

“Sorry!!”

Zhang Peng suddenly stood at attention, shouting with a red face.

“Take him to the hospital for an examination. Xiao Zhao! Call the commander of platoon one!”

“Yes!”

The orderly ran to the military truck behind them. After a while, the commander of platoon one ran over.

“Platoon one commander, follow the car and take them. The medical expenses will be deducted from his allowance. Tonight, the three squads will have a meeting for self-reflection!”

“Yes!”

The commander of platoon one brought Zhang Peng and the brother who was hit into his car and rushed to the hospital.

One of the men was brought in by the brothers later. He didn’t recognize Yang Lei, and seeing that others seemed to know him, he asked quietly: “Who is this? So powerful?”

“Fuck, ‘Young Master Yang!’ Don’t you know?”

“…So that is him!”

The crowd here dispersed, and Er Hei got closer.

“Lei-zi, what a coincidence. Your soldier?”

Er Hei had a very good eye. The scene just now was not suitable for greeting Yang Lei.

“A young soldier, immature.”

Yang Lei also disliked some soldiers.

Learning that Yang Lei brought soldiers to eat, Er Hei pulled Yang Lei to join them.

“Come with us.”

Fang Yu looked at Yang Lei.

Yang Lei didn’t refuse. He asked the company commander to take the soldiers to the place they reserved for a meal, and to bring the soldiers back directly after eating. He would go back to the military district himself later. The company commander left a car for Yang Lei and left with the other soldiers. When they entered the restaurant, Er Hei let the other brothers have a table. He sat with Fang Yu and several old brothers who were familiar with Yang Lei in the past.

Although Er Hei didn’t know what the problems and conflicts between Fang Yu and Yang Lei were in the past, he knew that there was something wrong between them, and he always wanted to help solve it.

“Lei Ge, you’re already a leader now. We dare not seek a relationship with you!”

Just now, Yang Lei was very different from the past. All these gangsters realized the differences in their statuses.

“What leader? The leader is at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing.”

Yang Lei took off his military cap. Compared to the strict relationship between superiors and subordinates in the army, he felt that these gangster brothers were more real and had true feelings.

Er Hei told Yang Lei that they persuaded Fang Yu to remain and intended to do car washing and auto parts. Yang Lei was not surprised. Fang Yu had declined his friend’s partnership and shareholding that he had mentioned to Fang Yu. Yang Lei knew that Fang Yu had his own ideas. Fang Yu had a brain and could do great things with accuracy. He could succeed.

“Choose a good place. Jiangxi Road is good. It is concentrated with high-end residential areas, and most of them have private cars. There are few car shops in that area. My friend who lives there often complains that there is no place to wash cars,” Yang Lei said.

“Okay! I’ll go take a look with Da Cong tomorrow!”

Er Hei was happy.

Yang Lei was talking with Er Hei and didn’t eat much. He looked back, and there were several more pieces of duck in his bowl.

Yang Lei looked into the bowl and didn’t say anything. Fang Yu also didn’t say anything.

Yang Lei picked it up and put it in his mouth.

At the table, Yang Lei hardly ate anything. He had stomach issues. Yang Lei originally didn’t have stomach issues. In those years at the Zhou Qiao brigade, he often carried out rescue tasks. Outside, he often couldn’t attend to eating, and he would sometimes have stomach issues. He had always been enduring it. Now that it was bad, Yang Lei didn’t show it and bore it by himself.

Others paid no mind, but Fang Yu noticed.

“What is it?” Fang Yu asked him.

“Nothing.”

Yang Lei bore it.

Fang Yu also had stomach issues before. Seeing the part that Yang Lei pressed, he knew that he had stomach pain. Fang Yu called the waiter and ordered a bowl of hot soup. Yang Lei drank it and greeted everyone. He stood up to leave first. He really couldn’t stand the pain, and he wanted to go back and lie down for a while.

“Yang Lei!”

Fang Yu came out of the restaurant and called him.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing.”

Yang Lei just wanted to go back and lie down for a while. He endured the pain and pulled open the jeep door to enter. Fang Yu grabbed him.

“Give me the key. I’ll take you.”

“I’m really fine.”

There was stabbing pain in his stomach. Sweat broke out on Yang Lei’s forehead.

“What are you showing off for!”

Fang Yu was a little angry. He forcefully grabbed the car key in Yang Lei’s hand.

“…”

Yang Lei looked at him and said nothing more.

Fang Yu pushed him to the passenger seat, got in the car, and started it. Yang Lei sat in the seat. Fang Yu turned his head and glanced at him, glanced at the inside of the car, took a cushion from the back seat, and put it in Yang Lei’s arms.

“Press on it. It will feel a little better.”

Yang Lei didn’t say anything and held it.

When he drove to a street, Fang Yu stopped, got out of the car, and entered a shop. After a while, he came out carrying a plastic bag full of stomach medicine. He took the warm water cup that Yang Lei brought in the car, poured medicine into it, went back to ask the drugstore to help fill it with boiling water, got in the car, put it in Yang Lei’s hands, and started the car again.

The strong smell of medicine scattered in the narrow car.

Yang Lei looked down at the warm liquid. He picked up the cup and brought it to his mouth. Fang Yu saw it from the corner of his eye.

“Wait, it’s hot.”

“I’m not afraid of the heat.”

Yang Lei was not afraid of hot things since he was a child. He liked drinking hot things.

“It’s bad for the stomach.”

“How is it bad?”

“Can it be good if it’s burned?”

“Can this burn it? It’s not a plastic pipe.”

Yang Lei unconsciously retorted.

“…Fuck!”

Fang Yu just answered him with one word.

Yang Lei was taken aback for a moment. He looked at Fang Yu, and Fang Yu also glanced at him.

In the past, the two of them were used to talking to each other like this. Often, they would say one sentence after another, without even thinking about it. Now, it was subconsciously brought out, and both of them were a little awkward.

Both of them paused for a moment. They smiled slightly, with complexity…

Yang Lei lifted the cup in his hand. When the heat dissipated, he took a sip.

The warm medicine liquid flowed slowly into his stomach, warmed his entire body, and relieved the dull pain…