Chapter 2owenty4our
“Here you are,” said Han Jia as he slipped into Xiao Li’s private lounge room after taking a stroll around Jin Ting.
Xiao Li was standing at the side of the window, looking at the scenery outside as he smoked a cigarette. Once he heard Han Jia’s voice, he simply let out ‘yeah,’ in reply without turning around to look at him.
“Lin Zi is downstairs hanging his head dejectedly into the ground as punishment ah,” Han Jia approached him, “Why did you curse him so severely like that?”
Xiao Li frowned, “What? He’s my subordinate, can’t I curse at him?”
Han Jia leaned against the frame of the window and turn his head to the side to look at him, “He had cut you once before and I didn’t even see you curse him so harshly like that. So what, it wasn’t anything serious, he was only slapped by a woman because he touched her, that’s all. How could you curse him with such unpleasant words huh?”
Xiao Li snorted.
“I’ve heard everything you’ve said.” Han Jia sighed, “What, ‘a reckless gangster doesn’t even understand his own importance,’ what ‘who could fall for a reckless person like you, they’re more likely to use you,’ Geez, just from what you’ve said to him, Lin Zi’s complexion, tsk tsk, looked like a piece of s.h.i.t.”
The wrinkles between Xiao Li’s brows tightened as he inhaled a puff of smoke, not saying anything.
“Are you cursing him or are you cursing yourself huh?“ asked Han Jia, “Did Xiao Yang said something to you again?”
“No, I haven’t seen that kid for a long time now,” said Xiao Li.
“What’s wrong with your hand?” Han Jia stared at the wound on his knuckles, “Who did you hit?” suddenly as if he realized something, he laughed, “It can’t be that beastly teacher right?”
“What are you mentioning him for?” Xiao Li irritably pressed the cigarette stub against the ledge of the window before he turned to walk away.
“It’s really him?”
Han Jia burst out laughing as he watched Xiao Li sat on the sofa before he himself approached the sofa and sat down beside him.
“Didn’t I tell you earlier on that he’s a beast and you still got close to him. Now you know right?”
Xiao Li wanted to take out another stick of cigarette, but just as he looked around for one, Han Jia grasped his hand in place before sympathetically saying: “It’s hard to bear right? You thought that he respected you so you never expected that he actually took a liking to your a.s.s.”
“f.u.c.k off,” Xiao Li flung immediately his hand away with his own firm grip.
Han Jia playfully fell on the sofa while clutching his stomach in laughter before he said in between those laughter, “You deserved it! Where would we find such a reckless gangster like you huh? One who envies a ‘righteous blue collar worker’ and mix in with him, why don’t you just surrender yourself to the authorities first huh? I heard you even went strolling around the street, shopping for clothes with him. Do you think you’re a white collar worker? That’s f.u.c.king ridiculous. Hahahaha!! That’s right, he even gave you flowers. Even my girls won’t fall for that bulls.h.i.t and yet you actually visited him hahahahaha!”
It went on like this for a long moment before Han Jia wiped his tears of laughter and sat up straight on the sofa.
Xiao Li had already lit another cigarette a while ago. As he smoked his face was riddled in an ashy color before a livid expression graced it.
“h.e.l.lo, you’re not that right? Are you for real?” Han Jia felt a little stupid as he sighed and said, “I don’t know what to say to make you feel better. You’ve been mixed in with the underworld for so long that you don’t understand how things work anymore? There are only two types of white collar men, one is Xiao Yang who will always look down on you; and two is that beastly teacher, who wants to take advantage of you,” he patted Xiao Li’s shoulder, “And then there are those dirty cops, they look down on you and take advantage of you. If things don’t develop as they want it, they’ll double cross you and lock you up in prison. Only if you’re brain dead would you actually want to be friends with those kinds of people.”
A dim sadness drew on Xiao Li’s expression; it was only a bit later did he nodded his head in agreement, “I know.”
Han Jia gave him a quick glance, “Really?! You’re the stupid fool and you still have the nerve to vent out your anger on your little brothers. Then I’ll go and tell Lin Zi that he doesn’t need to stand there as punishment anymore.”
Xiao Li merely said ‘yeah’ before Han Jia turned and walked towards the doors. When he twisted his head around to look at him Xiao Li, he hesitated for a moment before he said, “Xiao Li, I’m only saying this for your own good, but in regard to the matter that Qing Ye mentioned to you, if I were you, I would agree to it.”
“f.u.c.king leave now.” Xiao Li didn’t bother to look up at him.
After Han Jia left, Xiao Li remained sitting on that sofa by himself for a long time. It was only until his cigarette burn out did he sobered up from his thoughts. Just as he was about to head to the bathroom to wash his hands, his cell phone buzzed.
He picked it up for a look and to his surprise, it was a call from Qi Susu. He hesitated for a moment, but he still pressed the answer b.u.t.ton.
“Xiao dage!” The sound of Qi Susu’s sobbing voice immediately transmitted through the phone, “Qi dage, huhuhu, what should I do?”
“Calm down a bit first.” Xiao Li use a warm tone of voice to comfort her.
With great difficulty, Qi Susu controlled the sound of her weeping and as she held it back she said, “Xiao dage, the hospital called and told me that my brother was beaten by someone. I called A Yang and couldn’t get in contact with him either. Do you think someone will attack A Yang too? Xiao dage, I’m home alone and I’m really scared ah………”
“First don’t cry. Give one of your colleague a call and let them accompany you to the hospital. I’ll go look for Xiao Yang okay?” said Xiao Li.
“Okay, then please tell A Yang to give me a call when you find him.”
After Xiao Li hung up the call, he hesitated for a moment, but nevertheless he decided to go out and look for Xiao Yang as to ease his own worry.
He didn’t even have the time to leave yet before Li Shi Qing’s phone call came through to him.
“Xiao Li,” Li Shi Qing’s voice was very gentle but even then it carried a bit of sympathy to it, “Come over to where I am right now, something happened……to your brother.”