Chapter Six: The Tale of Iron Monkey!

…

On the table, Liu Haizhu twisted open a bottle of Xingyin Pavilion liquor and gulped down more than half of it.

Glancing over at his simple-minded buddy beside him, the more he looked, the more irritated he became!

Over time, the brothers had truly gone out of their way to help their younger brother.

If this kid could just get his act together and settle down.

Give it a year or so, with Song Xiaole’s network and a bit of effort, turning things around would just be a matter of formalities.

The only fault was this kid’s lack of ambition.

It was enough to drive one up the wall!

Isn’t it better to just live a stable life with a steady job?

Finding a wife wouldn’t even be difficult.

Didn’t he see the lineup of blind dates waiting for him?

At that thought, Liu Haizhu shot his younger brother a sharp look once more!

…

Speaking of Courtyard 212, it had its charms.

The person in charge of the shop was the young boss’s second aunt-in-law, Wang Juan. In her thirties, she was at the prime age of a peony—passionate and noble.

She was nearly thirty-four or thirty-five this year, but her skin was still flawless, and her figure rivaled that of the most charming young women of the day.

From afar, she looked no older than twenty-four or twenty-five.

Everyone called her Sister Juan.

She exuded an aura of worldly experience and latent beauty.

…

Just after ordering the cook to slaughter a pig, Wang Juan noticed the brothers settling in and sashayed over, her slender waist swaying, hips poised.

Stepping forward, she smiled softly and placed her hand on Haizhu’s shoulder, greeting the group before lifting a bottle of ‘Xingyin Pavilion’ and downing it in one go.

“Haizhu, haven’t seen you in days. Where did you catch this wild boar? Tsk tsk, that skin’s really tough.”

Liu Haizhu grinned, stood up, raised the bottle, and belched comfortably, “Where else? Caught it up in the mountains.”

“Which mountain?”

“Laojun Mountain.”

“Haizhu, you know I’m not an outsider.”

Wang Juan chuckled as she grabbed his sturdy arm, “Listen to me—your table could barely handle a boar this heavy. There’s still over half left, and I bought it off you at a good price.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Liu Haizhu frowned, displeased, “Wang Juan, don’t treat me like an outsider. You leave me the leg, and you can have the rest.”

Wang Juan quickly waved her hand, pouting, “That won’t do. Can I do that kind of thing? If you don’t want the money, then neither do I.”

Liu Haizhu’s expression immediately soured.

…

Who was Liu Haizhu???

In Huang’an City, the nickname ‘Iron Monkey’ was no empty boast!

Why that name?

It wasn’t bragging; first off, the kid always carried two peaches in his pocket to nibble when hungry.

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…

Furthermore, just look at the banners piled up at Liu family village—that’s not just about shouting out against injustice.

In Huang’an County,

he was like a superhero on the fly. Whether or not there was trouble, the moment his phone rang, he’d rush straight to the scene.

In recent years, this kid had made the whole county a whirlwind of chaos.

Several underworld bosses looked at him as if they had stepped into a pit of dung, forced to smile through gritted teeth.

This kid was fearless,

and no one could beat him—infuriating, isn’t it!

…

Song Xiaole raised his cup with a smile and stood, calling out, “Hey, Sister Juan.”

“Hey.”

“You know me, right?”

“Section Chief Song,” Wang Juan said with a face full of laughter lines, “You’re a regular at our little courtyard—I’d never forget you!”

“Haha, you’re looking good today.”

Song Xiaole pointed to the table piled with barbecue, “Today’s on Haizhu. Just follow what he says, and if it’s not enough, we’ll cover the rest. How about that?”

Wang Juan replied, “Cover the rest? This isn’t worth much—I was thinking of giving him a little extra.”

“Then forget it,” Song Xiaole laughed, “No topping up. From now on, our unit’s late-night snacks are going to be here.”

Guo Minghao nodded with a smile.

“Deal!”

Wang Juan was straightforward, teasing that kid with a playful glare—such a handful.

She called over an assistant and brought out a pack of ‘Red Plum’ cigarettes with yellow borders, handing one to each at the table and tossing the extras down without taking them back.

She cheerfully said, “Brothers, eat well and drink well.”

Before leaving, she gave Liu Haizhu a lingering, meaningful glance.

…

After Wang Juan walked away,

Song Xiaole raised his cup close and clinked it with Liu Haizhu’s, “Haizhu, I think Sister Juan’s taken a fancy to you. She’s wealthy, you’re truly lucky.”

Liu Haizhu rolled his eyes, “Who are you talking to?!”

Song Xiaole chuckled, “You’re the one—I’m an old hand and I know what I see. You’re born with a silver spoon and just don’t realize it.”

Liu Haizhu grinned through gritted teeth, “You wanna fight?”

Yang Peng slyly leaned in, smacking his lips, “Dale, you think Sister Juan would ever go for me?”

Liu Haizhu glanced at him without a word, curling his lips as he took a sip.

Yang Peng had only recently joined this circle through his friendship with Xiaole.

But he never quite trusted the kid.

Haizhu was righteous, Xiaole was smart, but Yang Peng always seemed a bit insincere.

But with Xiaole here, it was just how things were.

…

Guo Minghao laughed and tousled Yang Peng’s hair, teasing, “Your ‘Monkey Brother’ looks good, but with you? Sister Juan would have to be blind.”

“Haha!”

“Hahaha!”

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…

Guo Minghao raised his glass, clinking it lightly, “I heard you’re off to Hong Kong, flying on a big plane. You’re really moving up in the world.”

Hearing that, Liu Haizhu lit up inside.

Heh heh heh, to impress old friends, that was a good feeling.

But if you’re going to show off, do it thoroughly!

His face stretched into a ridiculous smirk as he boasted, “What? I’m just going over to carry bags for the boss—a tough job, you know.”

Guo Minghao was too sharp to call him out and just smiled quietly. The group laughed and raised their glasses again.

Under the table,

Liu Haizhu kicked his younger brother, Geng Wudi, who finally lifted his cup to clink with the others.

…

After several rounds of drinks,

the men were covered in grease, boisterous and shouting, chatting away.

Whether drunk or not,

Song Xiaole suddenly said, “Haizhu, I’m telling you, you shouldn’t do this. You won’t get anywhere inside the system!”

Liu Haizhu shrugged, “What do you mean? Should I just be a low-level clerk for life?”

Song Xiaole laughed and waved his hand, “That’s not what I mean.”

Liu Haizhu raised his eyebrows, “Well then, tell me, what should I do?”

Song Xiaole pointed to himself, then to Minghao, and smirked, “With reform and opening up, there are many things we can do now.”

Liu Haizhu remained noncommittal, “The business world, or government? Let me tell you, if I stop working... you believe my second aunt will kill me in no time.”

Song Xiaole laughed, but his eyes shone brightly, “I took some time off recently to travel. This world isn’t the old feudal way anymore.

People are divided into levels—three, six, nine—there’s no such thing as fairness.”

Hearing this,

Liu Haizhu said nothing, but Guo Minghao downed his drink, his eyes filled with unspoken memories.

Song Xiaole glanced at him, then continued, “Fairness? Fairness has to be earned by strength!

From what I’ve seen, the bright road will always have darkness.

Haizhu, listen to me—you’re born to make your mark.

All the bad guys in Huang’an have either fled or left; who’s not afraid of you?

If you step out and plant your flag,

your ‘Iron Monkey’ name will fly high in no time; not just Huang’an, but neighboring counties like Pi and Xiao will be yours!

Let’s take these three cities as our base, and start with sanitation, demolition, and real estate for our initial capital.

I haven’t figured out exactly what to do later, but whoever does well, we’ll do that—can’t go wrong!”

Seeing Song Xiaole’s earnest expression, the kid furrowed his brow and fell into thought.

Geng Wudi suddenly said, “No way, Auntie won’t allow it!”

Liu Haizhu laughed, “Nonsense! Ha! Plant a flag? You don’t know my second aunt is from Xiao County. Aren’t you afraid she’d take you down with me?”

At that,

Song Xiaole paused with his glass, shrugged, and laughed.

But in his dim eyes, there was a trace of pallor and helplessness.

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