Chapter 112: The Underling's World

This story is purely fictional.

“Don’t be like this. If you have something to say, just say it calmly. Your behavior isn’t good for the image. Last time, when our principal saw us, he already warned me to keep less contact with irrelevant people. You and your whole gang swaggered into the school—surely the principal saw you again, right? Our principal patrols the campus several times every day.” Wang Yifa spoke as if startled.

“Hey, what are you talking about? Your principal wants you to avoid irrelevant people, but are we irrelevant? We are your creditors—your debt collectors, got it, fool?” The boss was relentless.

“Yes, you’re creditors, I don’t deny that. But if you talk like this, I might lose my job. Without my job and income, your debts would turn into bad debts or even write-offs—and that would be a losing proposition for everyone.” Wang Yifa mustered the courage to speak frankly.

“Oh, your courage is something else, huh? Threatening me now? I think your guts are even thicker than your waist. I’m never afraid of threats. Listen, the so-called crooked underworld is all about righteous rules, you understand? We always follow the underworld’s code—debts must be repaid, it’s the natural order. Tell him, what’s the rule for not paying debts?” The boss gestured to one of his henchmen.

The henchman caught the boss’s meaning. “According to our rules, if you owe 50,000 and don’t pay, one finger gets chopped off; if it’s between 50,000 and 100,000, you pay with one hand; 100,000 to 200,000, we break a tendon in one foot; 200,000 to 300,000, we cut off a foot...” The henchman paused, cleared his throat. “Since you owe 110,000, if you can’t pay, we’ll break a tendon in one of your feet. Which foot do you want to choose? It’s your call.”

“No, no, no, we’ve known each other for so long, and we’ve been dealing for quite some time. I have 30,000 here—it was provided by my subordinate. I lost 80,000, now only have 30,000 left. This is all the money I have on me. Please give me a few more days. By Monday next week, I promise to pay every cent.” Wang Yifa pleaded humbly.

The henchman grabbed six stacks of 10,000-yuan bills from Wang Yifa—totaling 60,000—and tossed them into the leather bag held by another henchman, who zipped it shut.

“You still owe 50,000. Your account is no longer usable. I’m giving you some face this time. Next week, if you don’t pay me back in full, remember, we live by the underworld’s righteous code.” The boss warned and was about to leave.

“My account may be blocked, but my subordinate’s account isn’t. His 30,000 is yours. We keep accounts separate—he’s him, I’m me. If he’s not short of money, you can’t block his account. Isn’t that what you mean by the righteous code of the crooked underworld?” Wang Yifa said anxiously.

The henchman collecting the debt thought Wang Yifa had a point. “Not bad, you’re right. We’re sticklers for rules—the crooked underworld’s righteous code. I didn’t expect you to learn so fast.” The henchman laughed heartily.

Seeing their boss laugh, the gang of henchmen followed suit, their laughter ugly and sinister, sending chills down Wang Yifa’s spine.

“Today, I’m giving you some slack. You’ve got a few days to settle your debt. Next time, don’t try to fool me. I only recognize money—no less than what’s owed. Crooked underworld’s righteous code, got it, you bookworm?” The boss jabbed a finger at Wang Yifa’s nose.

Wang Yifa instinctively recoiled, fear etched on his face. Stammering, “I know, I know!”

“Good. I just hope you’re not pretending to be ignorant when you know better. See you!” The boss snapped his fingers, signaling the henchmen to leave. At the snap, they swaggered out of Wang Yifa’s office.

They were off to collect debts elsewhere...

~~~~~~

Zhao Ming was at the TV station preparing to head to the Sports Center to broadcast a top-tier league match between the Dahe Team and the Seahorse Team.

Having lost two consecutive Dahe matches in a row, he planned to watch live on-site to follow one more Dahe game. He firmly believed that although Hao Benshan’s Dahe team might lose once or twice, they wouldn’t keep losing again and again.

He was still undecided whether to give Dahe one more chance.

When Zhao Ming arrived at the Sports Center, he still hadn’t decided which side to bet on. He pondered deeply, feeling a headache. Looking at the lively, passionate atmosphere on the field, it all seemed to him like annoying noise.

~~~~~~

After class, Zhang Chi hurried to Wang Yifa’s office.

Wang Yifa sat at his desk, staring blankly at the ceiling. He hadn’t moved all afternoon. He was thinking about how to raise the 50,000 yuan—where to get it from, endlessly calculating.

His elderly father at home had nothing left to give. The last time, Wang Yifa had lied to his father, telling him that his girlfriend’s family had an emergency, and he had used up all his father’s savings. There was simply no other option.

His colleagues at the office had lent as much as they could, and he hadn’t repaid them yet. The pressure was immense.

Seeing his teacher looking so downcast, Zhang Chi knew it was because of the huge loss the teacher suffered overnight. To be honest, Zhang Chi never imagined that someone who used to value every cent so much could now treat money as if it were just scraps of paper, without a hint of care.

Yet when one is penniless, money becomes precious beyond measure.

“No, no, I must recover every cent of what I lost. I have to pay back my father’s savings, or else he’ll never rest in peace!” Wang Yifa thought desperately.

Zhang Chi hurried over and asked, “Teacher, my account hasn’t been blocked, right?”

Wang Yifa looked up, pained. “I fought tooth and nail to keep your account.”

“What? You had to risk your life to pay for it?” Zhang Chi was shocked.

“Yes. I only paid back 30,000 of the money I lost yesterday. I still owe 50,000. Think about their motto—oh right, the ‘crooked underworld’s righteous code,’ it’s complicated. Finger chopping, tendon breaking, hand and foot cutting—scary enough to kill you. I begged and pleaded, but finally managed to save your account. Mine has been blocked. There’s an old saying: as long as you have a bet, you haven’t lost. I’m not afraid of losing money, just afraid of having no bet.” Wang Yifa looked miserable.

“Hm, I believe you, teacher. You’re an excellent educator. I can’t believe someone so smart would sink in such a gutter. That would be utterly unfair.” Zhang Chi encouraged his teacher.

Zhang Chi’s encouragement worked. Hearing his student’s faith in him, Wang Yifa had no reason not to pull himself together. Where one falls is where one should rise. He urged himself to muster strength.

“Your account being blocked isn’t a problem. I have one that can be used. Here’s some good news: there’s a Dahe match at the Sports Center today. We’ll take your laptop and watch the game live, placing bets on the spot.”

“Your account limit is 100,000 yuan. Even if we both win smoothly, we’d only net 70,000 or 80,000. My account being blocked is terrible timing.” Wang Yifa spoke to Zhang Chi with disappointment.

“As long as we win, it’s easy. You’re not trying to dig a well in one gulp, are you? Watch out you don’t break your shovel handle!” Zhang Chi joked.

“Don’t say such discouraging things here. No bad luck talk—the heavens are watching. If you offend the heavens, that’s really bad news. Last month, do you know how our head teacher died? Apparently, one day he spoke disrespectfully to the heavens, said things he shouldn’t have. That very day, during a thunderstorm, lightning struck him dead right at his doorstep. So, watch your words.” Wang Yifa was a bit superstitious.

The two packed up the laptop. Wang Yifa pocketed his phone, tapped it against his chest a few times, then closed the office door and headed to the Dahe Sports Center.

~~~~~~

Back at the Douhao office building, the henchmen returned after a day of debt collection.

They cataloged the so-called collateral they had gathered.

One henchman showed a registered item to Spiral Leg.

“Today we got a lot of collateral, including a famous Qing Dynasty painting called ‘Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea.’ Boss, take a look—is it genuine or a fake?” the henchman asked.

“I’ll find an expert to check it another day. If anyone dares to fool us with a fake, let them be damned!” Spiral Leg Lu Jiahui said fiercely.

He picked up a string of African rhinoceros horn prayer beads and toyed with them in his hand. “Not bad, not bad!”...

~~~~~

After enjoying herself outside, Jin Yan returned home and made several dishes, placing them on the table, waiting for Xiao Yi to come back. She wanted to share the good news that Ma Shengwei had arranged everything for her overseas study.

Xiao Jin was still shirtless, wearing a pair of flip-flops. He sat on the living room sofa, holding several sports newspapers, carefully analyzing the football fixtures and betting odds.

The Dahe team’s match was about to start, but he wasn’t interested in studying it because for domestic matches, Xiao Jin could always get insider information from Lin Yanfeng. He wanted to prepare well for the evening’s X League match, determined to win.

(Continued)