The man finished the last sip of his beer, wiped his mouth, and loudly called out to the stall's staff, "Buddy, check out!"
"Which unit were you in before?"
Upon hearing his response, Zhongshi was not offended but instead followed him, persistently asking.
"Kid, aren't you a bit too curious?"
The man, who was just about to pay, suddenly stopped, turned to face Zhongshi, and his narrowed eyes emitted a chilling gaze, clearly displeased by Zhongshi's question.
In China, the military is a special group. People often say there are several ironclad relationships, one of which is having served together, i.e., comrades-in-arms. Especially during wartime, the bonds formed amidst life and death are even more precious.
Consequently, soldiers have a strong sense of belonging to the military, particularly in elite units. Over the years, during the intermittent conflicts with Vietnam, the Chinese forces deployed were undoubtedly the elite units of the major military regions. Moreover, the military has confidentiality agreements, prohibiting soldiers from revealing their unit numbers. Thus, Zhongshi's question inadvertently touched on the man's privacy.
"Sorry, I just blurted it out when I saw a fellow soldier from the mainland!"
Zhongshi took a step back, fearing the man might suddenly lash out. He could tell that this person was not to be compared with a few petty thugs. Not to mention his robust build, the thick calluses on his right index finger and the faint aura of killing intent around him indicated that he had taken many lives.
Although he did not know why the man had left the military and ended up in Hong Kong, Zhongshi's immediate priority was to recruit certain individuals with special skills. Otherwise, in this society surrounded by wolves, it would be impossible to stand firm.
"Kid, I advise you to give up. I won't sell my life for a person like you who is rich but unrighteous!"
The man, noticing Zhongshi's cautious stance, scratched his head and softened his tone. The aura of authority he had unconsciously emitted was indeed intimidating, even though he had tried to suppress it, the killing intent accumulated from hundreds of lives was not easily hidden.
Suddenly, he remembered something, widened his eyes, and stared at the young man in front of him, "What, are you from the mainland too? Did you sneak in at such a young age?"
"Hehe, I didn't sneak in. I came to Hong Kong with a proper visa. Let's not talk about that. What do you do for a living in Hong Kong now?"
Zhongshi laughed it off and redirected the conversation to the man. He knew that the man was wary of him after seeing the earlier scene, so he wanted to build a rapport and then gradually persuade him.
"I work as a laborer on construction sites."
The man sighed, subconsciously looking at his hands. What could someone like him, who only knew how to kill and shoot, do in modern society?
"Why don't we eat and talk while we eat?"
Liao Chengde, who had been standing by, finally interjected. He had felt a chilling aura from the man, and after Zhongshi had talked to him for a long time without getting any information, Liao Chengde was getting restless. He was older and had been living a life of luxury, so his body was not holding up well.
"No, we have nothing more to say. Let's part ways here!"
The man frowned slightly, looking at Liao Chengde with disgust. In his view, the rich and unrighteous person was definitely this fat man, and what could a kid like Zhongshi know! Little did he know, everything was Zhongshi's idea, and Liao Chengde had nothing to do with it.
Liao Chengde, under the man's gaze, felt a bit flustered, his lips moved a few times, but he couldn't say anything.
Unexpectedly, just as the man finished speaking, his stomach growled, clearly indicating that the bowl of beef offal noodles and beer had not filled his stomach.
"Since we've met a fellow countryman in a foreign land, it's a kind of fate. Why don't you join us for a meal? There's no loss, right?"
Zhongshi seized the opportunity to "warmly" invite him. He was most afraid that the man would be stubborn, and no matter how good his persuasion skills were, it would be in vain.
The man looked at the table where Zhongshi and Liao Chengde were sitting, which was full of dishes, and thought that the two of them couldn't finish it all. He was somewhat tempted, but the vigilance he had developed in the military made him hesitant. He slowly shook his head and was about to leave.
"Brother, if you leave like this, what about your parents? Are you going to abandon them?"
Zhongshi, seeing the man's actions, couldn't help but feel anxious. He could foresee that this skilled man would either end up destitute or join a gang and take the path of the "Big Circle."
"..."
The man, upon hearing Zhongshi's words, staggered, and his steps faltered. He turned around, looked deeply at Zhongshi, and without a word, walked to Zhongshi's table and started gnawing on a lobster as big as his arm.
Zhongshi and Liao Chengde exchanged a smile and also sat down, eating heartily.
After a while, the table was left in a mess, all the dishes were swept away, and most of them were devoured by the man, leaving Zhongshi and Liao Chengde speechless.
"Alright, let's get straight to the point!"
The man finished the entire bottle of beer in one go, then paused. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Actually, I want to hire you as a driver, that's all!"
Zhongshi poured a glass of beer and handed it to the man, looking him in the eye and speaking solemnly. He knew his earlier words had touched the man's soft spot, and now he needed to press the advantage.
"Just driving, that simple?"
The man took the glass but did not drink it all at once. Instead, he looked at the rising bubbles in the glass with interest and asked meaningfully.
"Of course, you'll also act as a bodyguard, but I won't ask you to do anything that goes against your conscience. We are in legitimate business and don't do anything illegal!"
Zhongshi slapped his chest and spoke with great enthusiasm. However, what he considered a grand gesture was seen as childish by others and could not be taken seriously.
"Can I think about it?"
The man was somewhat tempted by the high salary and the fact that he wouldn't have to do anything against his conscience. However, he was still cautious and hesitant, as he had just met these people and couldn't fully trust them.
"Since that's the case, let me tell you about our business!"
Zhongshi, understanding the man's hesitation, didn't wait for his response and started explaining his relationship with Liao Chengde. He detailed how they met, how they caused a stir in the stock market, and so on. He also pointed out that Liao Chengde, who was always smiling, was also a refugee from the mainland and was now a millionaire.
As Zhongshi spoke, the man's expression kept changing. When he mentioned that both of them were from the mainland and had started from scratch to reach their current status, the man's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"Since that's the case, you might as well listen to my story."
After a moment of silence, the man spoke in a low, deep voice, "My name is Lu Hu, and I'm from Hunan Province..."
Lu Hu was a reconnaissance soldier in the Chengdu Military Region of the Chinese army. He had distinguished himself in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam, single-handedly killing twelve enemy reconnaissance soldiers, all of whom were top-notch. During his military career, he had received five third-class merits, two second-class merits, and one first-class merit, and had been commended by the military leadership.
However, with the adjustment of the military construction strategy by the highest levels of the Chinese government, millions of soldiers like him were forced to take off their uniforms and become part of the massive military downsizing. Lu Hu, who had limited education, although highly skilled, could no longer stay in the high-tech military and had to leave reluctantly.
When he returned home, he received a devastating blow. His wife, who was pregnant, had violated the family planning policy and was forcibly taken by local officials for an abortion. The operation went wrong, and both his wife and the unborn child died on the operating table. The local officials only gave a small amount of money as compensation. When he returned home, all he saw was a small mound of yellow earth.
In one night, his family was destroyed. He found an AK47 and wiped out the family planning official's family, leaving no survivors. After this incident, he could no longer stay, so he settled his parents and, with the help of his comrades, crossed the border from eastern Guangdong to Hong Kong on a dark, windy night.
In Hong Kong, Lu Hu could only make a living by working on construction sites. Several of his comrades had come to him, suggesting they rob together, but he refused without hesitation. Although he was destitute, he still had principles.
"Is that so..."
After Lu Hu finished speaking, Zhongshi and Liao Chengde fell silent. After a long while, Zhongshi raised his glass and suggested, "The past is the past. What's important is to look forward. From now on, we are one family!"
His words broke the awkward silence. Liao Chengde patted Lu Hu on the shoulder, nodding, and a thousand words were conveyed in that single pat.
Like Lu Hu, Liao Chengde had also suffered greatly. During the so-called "Three Years of Natural Disasters," most of his family had starved to death. In desperation, he joined the ranks of those fleeing to Hong Kong.
If one could live a happy and stable life, who would choose to wander and suffer?
"When can I start work?"
After they clinked glasses, Lu Hu wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth and asked heartily. (Thank you for your support, please click, recommend, and collect!)