Siheyuan: Fighting against the beasts under the pressure of the system

Zhang Minghui frowned. How could there be movement again after such silence for such a short time? He asked in confusion.

"Tell me what's going on in the black market!"

Li Guoyong said in a low voice.

"Brother Hui, let's go inside and talk! This is really a troublesome matter. Zhang Zhiqiang came to me."

"Liu Sanlang from Xuanwu District has said that Zhang Zhiqiang should give up the black market. If he doesn't, he will do it himself. Zhang Zhiqiang wants us to help."

Liu Sanlang, whose original name was Liu Mancang, was in his thirties and the third child in the family. He had been brave and combative since childhood and fought like a desperate madman. People who knew him called him Liu Sanlang.

Over time, Liu Sanlang felt that this name was good, much better than his original name, so he asked everyone to call him that.

Liu Sanlang had been hanging around in Xuanwu District. A few years ago, he was arrested by the police for hitting someone too hard and causing serious injuries. He was put in jail for four years.

After being released the year before last, he recruited a lot of people under his command and became the biggest gang leader in Xuanwu District.

If Liu Sanlang's family had not paid a lot of money to the victim and reached an understanding with the victim, the court would have sentenced Liu Sanlang to at least ten years in prison.

During this period, Zhang Minghui listened to Li Guoyong talk about the underworld, such as the deeds of Wang Quezi, Li Heizi, Liu Sanlang and others, who were all well-known ruffians in Beijing.

However, everyone’s sphere of influence is different, like Wang Quezi who “eats Buddha” in Haidian District.

In the 60s, Beijingers called thieves "Foye". This name is a specific name for thieves and an obscure expression of their behavior.

In underworld jargon, "xiao luen" is a common name for thieves and petty robbers. The word "luen" is pronounced "liu" (柳) in Tianjin dialect and "lǎi" (lǎi) in Beijing dialect.

In addition, thieves are called "Fo Ye" in Beijing's underworld slang, which is a name for veterans in the stealing world.

Liu Sanlang lived a comfortable life in Xuanwu by "eating Buddha". How come he suddenly crossed the line? If he crossed the line, he would be punished with a fight, which could lead to his death.

Zhang Minghui didn't know these things before, but Li Guoyong told him that there is a rule in the city of Sijiu that if you want to step into someone else's territory, you have to fight a life-and-death contest.

Best of three games, each side has its own players, the winner successfully steps in, the loser admits defeat and leaves. I heard that this is the new order that has gradually formed on the road after liberation.

The reason is very simple. They don't want to make a big fuss and expose the incident to the public, and be arrested by the police.

When Li Guoyong was explaining to Zhang Minghui, he looked at Zhang Minghui with a strange look, which made Zhang Minghui feel scared.

"Guoyong, why are you looking at me like that?"

Li Guoyong told the truth.

"Brother Hui, when we went to the black market that night, I thought you knew the rules of the underworld and that you were going to make an appointment with Wang Mazi. Who would have thought that you were so ruthless and killed him in one move."

"Wang Mazi died tragically. He met a fool who was so fierce that he didn't even give him a chance to speak."

Zhang Minghui sneered and said with disdain.

"Guoyong, don't take the rules too seriously. Rules are for the weak. Only the strong make the rules. You have to use them flexibly and be smart. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died."

.....

Zhang Minghui didn't say anything after entering the room. He sat there and kept thinking about the meaning behind this matter. He always felt that there was something wrong. If no one supported Liu Sanlang, would he dare to cross the line?

Seeing that Zhang Minghui didn't say anything, Li Guoyong quickly began to explain.

"Brother Hui, Wang Mazi has a great reputation in the underworld. No one dares to come to Dongcheng District to deal with him. Since he disappeared, Zhang Zhiqiang has taken over the black market."

"But Zhang Zhiqiang's Duo'er is silent and can't be suppressed. He doesn't have that many people under his command, so he has been targeted."

Conflicts over interests are the most realistic thing in the underworld. If your name is not well-known, you can't stop those who are interested. With such huge profits in the black market, people will naturally target you.

At this time, Li Guoqiang packed up the meat and went into the house. Seeing Zhang Minghui sitting on the chair thinking, Li Guoqiang hesitated for a moment and opened his mouth to speak.

"Brother Hui, look, should we give Zhang Zhiqiang a hand? He has come to us for help. If we don't help, we will lose face."

Zhang Minghui looked up, looked at Li Guoqiang with a smile, and began to speak.

"Guo Yong, what do you think?"

Li Guoyong had already made a plan. He looked up at his brother and spoke word by word.

"Brother, this is not the time to talk about face. We don't owe Zhang Zhiqiang anything. Since Zhang Zhiqiang dares to take over the black market, he must be mentally prepared to face challenges from all sides."

"Why should we help him? The black market is not ours. Don't learn from those young people who talk nonsense about loyalty. You are causing trouble for Brother Hui."

After listening to Li Guoyong's words, Zhang Minghui stood up and patted Li Guoyong's shoulder with satisfaction. Seeing Li Guoqiang's face full of confusion, he shook his head helplessly.

Li Guoqiang is still young and has not experienced any hardships. He is far inferior to his brother and can only show off his bravery.

Zhang Minghui asked Li Guoqiang.

"Zhang Zhiqiang asked you two brothers for help. What benefits did he give you?"

Li Guoqiang tried hard to recall Zhang Zhiqiang's words and opened his mouth to speak.

"Brother Hui, Zhang Zhiqiang said that he will take care of our business in the black market and won't let other people sell meat. Our business will become a unique one."

Zhang Minghui curled his lips in disdain, thinking that Zhang Zhiqiang was quite cunning and good at talking nonsense, and he had fooled Li Guoqiang. Li Guoqiang was a good seller and had a sharp tongue.

Unexpectedly, his IQ was far lower than his brother's and he was obviously fooled by Zhang Zhiqiang.

Zhang Minghui looked at Li Guoyong and started talking.

"Why didn't you explain it to your brother?"

Li Guoyong's face darkened and he slapped Li Guoqiang's head hard several times, saying helplessly.

"Brother Hui, my silly brother wants to show off and be in the spotlight."

Zhang Minghui sat on a chair and spoke in a dignified manner.

"Guoqiang, if you want to stand out these days, it means trouble will come to you. If you are targeted by the police and you go to jail, don't say I didn't warn you."

Li Guoqiang was so scared that he bent down and spoke hurriedly.

"Brother Hui, I was wrong. I just wanted to help Zhang Zhiqiang. I think he's a good guy and worth making friends with."

Hey, you’re a nice guy, Zhang Minghui sneered and continued to sneer at Li Guoqiang.

"Guoqiang, you are a person who only looks at his face but not his heart. If it weren't for your brother looking after you, you would have been played to death long ago."

"Do you know where they are fighting?"

Li Guoyong said without thinking.

"Brother Hui, it's in a place near the suburbs. I'm very familiar with that area. The fight will start at 12 o'clock in the evening three days later."