123: Li Zhan and his fellow disciples

The next day, after morning training,

Li Zhan took Da Niu to inspect a few of the larger venues.

It wasn't time to let their guard down yet,

as there were always foolish people wanting to test if there was still an opportunity.

A little past four in the afternoon,

the light softened, and the pedestrians on the street carried a more leisurely air.

The black mercedes-benz drove smoothly out of Phoenix City.

Li Zhan gripped the steering wheel, with Da Niu, Hei Zai, and Tie Zhu seated in the car.

Da Niu sat silently in the passenger seat,

like a steady iron tower, his gaze constantly sweeping the view outside the window.

This was something he learned from watching a few Hong Kong movies, saying the bodyguards in them all did this.

At first, Li Zhan wanted to laugh seeing his dead-serious expression,

but later, seeing him insist on doing it this way, he just let him be.

Hei Zai and Tie Zhu in the back seat seemed rather excited,

even though one had his arm in a sling and the other had an eye covered, their spirits were high.

"Senior Brother, the weather is so comfortable,

much better than the damp, cold gloom in Guilin."

Hei Zai rolled the window down a bit, letting the wind carrying the scent of sunlight blow in.

"Yeah, Dongguan's winter is indeed quite pleasant."

Li Zhan smiled, glancing at them in the rearview mirror,

"How's it going? Been leading the teams for a few days, getting the hang of it?

How much of what Old Zhou and Da Yong taught have you managed to digest?"

Tie Zhu scratched his head with his uninjured right hand and chuckled.

"Was a bit confused at first. Having over twenty guys staring at you, waiting for you to make a decision, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

But Brother Shui Sheng and Brother Da Yong were really great,

teaching us hands-on, telling us how to set rules,

how to arrange shifts, how to review the books, how to keep those unruly punks in line.

It's much better now!"

Hei Zai picked up the thread, his one visible eye gleaming.

"Yeah, Senior Brother!

Before, we only knew how to practice boxing and fight,

now we realize managing people is harder than fighting, but also more interesting!

It's just the accounts are still a bit tricky..."

"Take it slow, no rush." Li Zhan's tone was calm.

"Being able to fight is the foundation, but if that's all you can do, you'll top out at being a top enforcer.

To truly be able to handle things on your own,

you have to learn to manage people, manage affairs, manage money.

Observe more, learn more, ask more.

Old Zhou and the others are seasoned veterans; they have plenty for you to learn.

If you run into trouble you can't solve, come find me or them anytime."

"Understood, Senior Brother!"

They spoke in unison, their faces full of conviction.

Da Niu, sitting to the side, suddenly chuckled naively.

"Mine's simpler: train well in boxing and protect Senior Brother."

Li Zhan smiled and patted Da Niu's solid arm.

"Your task is the most important, and also the simplest."

The car soon arrived at Changan Hospital.

After parking, the four of them walked towards the inpatient building.

Before they even reached A-Wang's ward door,

they could hear the crisp laughter of a young girl and a somewhat slick, accented male voice joking inside.

Li Zhan and his three junior brothers exchanged glances, all showing knowing smiles.

"Listening to this commotion...

A-Wang is living quite the cushy life,

not even slacking off while hospitalized, still has the leisure to flirt with a nurse." Li Zhan teased,

stepped forward, knocked on the door, and then pushed it open.

Inside the ward,

a young nurse in uniform, her face flushed, was covering her mouth laughing at something A-Wang said.

Seeing someone enter,

especially seeing Li Zhan and the few men behind him who clearly looked tough,

she immediately suppressed her smile, lowered her head, and quickly walked out.

As she passed them, she whispered, "The patient needs rest."

A-Wang was half-lying on the hospital bed,

one leg in a thick cast suspended, one arm also wrapped in bandages,

but his complexion looked good, his eyes bright.

Seeing Li Zhan and the others, he immediately cried out happily,

"Senior Brother! You guys came!"

"Came to see if you've gotten soft lying around."

Tie Zhu walked over,

and gently punched A-Wang's uninjured shoulder with his good hand.

"No way!

I practice breathing exercises in bed every day!"

A-Wang chuckled,

but his eyes kept darting towards the door, seemingly still a bit preoccupied with the little nurse from earlier.

Li Zhan pulled over a chair and sat down, assessing his injuries.

"How's the recovery? What did the doctor say?"

"Great!

The doctor said the bones are healing well,

and I can get the cast off for rehab in a while!"

A-Wang answered eagerly, then couldn't wait to ask,

"Brother Zhan, how are things outside?

I heard Brother Hei and Brother Tie Zhu are both out leading teams now?"

Hei Zai raised his chin proudly.

"Of course,

I'm managing over a dozen guys now, watching over a Gambling Den!"

Tie Zhu also nodded. "Me too.

A-Wang, you hurry up and get better.

Senior Brother said once you're out, he'll arrange something for you too!"

Hearing this,

A-Wang's eyes instantly lit up like hundred-watt light bulbs.

He got so excited he almost tried to sit up from the bed, winced as he pulled his injury, and lay back down.

"Really? Senior Brother, don't worry!

I'll definitely recover quickly!

Next time I run into those Thai guys, I won't be as clumsy as this time!

Damn, I panicked a bit back then, got the short end..."

"Learn from your mistakes, practical experience comes from fighting.

You fought fiercely enough this time, didn't disgrace our master's face."

Li Zhan affirmed his performance. "Rest well, there will be plenty of opportunities later.

The team and the venue are reserved for you."

After chatting a while more, asking about the hospital food,

and admonishing him to rest properly and not flirt with nurses and disrupt their work, seeing the time was about right,

Li Zhan got up to say goodbye.

Leaving the hospital,

the setting sun had already dyed the horizon a warm orange.

Li Zhan didn't head straight back to the company. Instead, he turned the wheel

and drove into a bustling Urban village near the hospital.

Evening,

was when the Urban village was most vibrant and lively.

Along the narrow alleyways on both sides,

all sorts of stalls were already set up.

The shiny, oily roast goose and char siu from the roast meat stalls emitted enticing aromas;

the beef offal stall bubbled away steaming hot;

at the entrance of a Chaoshan beef hotpot restaurant, a worker skillfully sliced bright red beef;

the dessert shop was filled with all kinds of sweet treats.

People getting off work, children out of school, tenants in slippers coming out to find food

made the alleyways bustling and noisy, filled with the raw, vibrant breath of life.

"Let's stop here, eat something before heading back."

Li Zhan found a slightly wider spot to park,

and led the three familiarly into a dai pai dong that looked a bit old but had tables and chairs polished to a shine.

The owner, who had gotten to know Li Zhan during his previous hospitalization, welcomed them warmly.

"Brother Zhan, long time no see!

How many? Your usual spot?"

"Yeah, four.

Boss, bring your signature dishes, enough to eat, and a case of ice-cold beer."

Li Zhan gestured for his junior brothers to sit at a round table towards the back.

Soon,

several plates of glistening stir-fries,

a large, fragrant sizzling claypot chicken casserole, and a heaping plate of generously portioned salt and pepper mantis shrimp were on the table.

Golden, ice-cold beer poured into glasses, raising a dense foam.

"Here's...

to celebrating Hei Zai and Tie Zhu's discharge, and to wishing A-Wang a speedy return to the team!"

Li Zhan raised his glass.

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Four glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Da Niu silently served Li Zhan some food, then started eating large mouthfuls of meat himself.

His appetite was astonishing, and he ate fast, but not rudely.

Hei Zai and Tie Zhu were clearly still immersed in the excitement of leading teams and the joy of freedom after their injuries.

They chatted excitedly about how to manage their subordinates while eating,

occasionally asking Li Zhan a question or two.

Li Zhan drank his beer, ate the down-to-earth, wok-hei infused stir-fries,

listened to his junior brothers' accented, somewhat naive but full-of-drive conversation,

watched the people around him, hustling for life yet enjoying simple food at this moment,

and a truly relaxed smile, rare these days, appeared on his face.

This mundane, everyday atmosphere, apart from all the fighting and scheming,

and these simple, pure junior brothers by his side,

made him feel he was still truly alive, his feet still planted on solid ground.

This simple dinner was eaten with exceptional comfort.

"Eat slowly, order more if it's not enough."

He ordered another dozen grilled oysters.

The aroma of garlic and chili permeated the air,

melding into this noisy yet warm, common night.

This...

was part of the life he wanted to protect.