Special District 9 Chapter 78: Recklessness

Yong Dong was already intending to leave, but after hearing those words from the manager, he suddenly found himself placed in a spot dignity-wise. “Are you trying to chase me away now?”

“Ma Lao-er is an oaf. He never lets anyone take advantage of him in Dirt Street,” the manager advised. “He had quite a bit to drink today, so I reckon that he’ll be coming back in a moment’s time.”

Yong Dong berated the manager for being too nosey on the inside, but at the same time, he knew that Ma Lao-er was a thug who did whatever as he pleased. He would only lose out if he were to get into a fight with such a person.

That was why he felt extremely frustrated at this very moment. If he were to leave, it would reflect badly on him. It would look as if he was scared of Ma Lao-er. But if he were to remain here, trouble might just come knocking on his door.

After a moment of contemplation, Yong Dong smiled and replied, “It’s fine. On the contrary, I’d be really disappointed if he doesn’t come today.”

“Why are you pitting yourself against him?”

“Don’t bother about it. Bring us more wine, we’ll drink for a while longer,” Yong Dong replied with a casual smile.

“… Sigh!” The manager stood up with a deep sigh.

After the manager left, Yong Dong turned to his friend beside him and said, “Call back home and get them to send two people over. Tell them to inform us that something has cropped up at the company when they arrive…”

…

Ever since the medicine route had been re-established, Liu Zishu had been staying at a house not too far away from Dirt Street. It took just a ten-minute drive before they reached Liu Zishu’s place.

By the roadside, Liu Zishu stood before the car window and instructed Ma Lao-er, “Head back and have a good sleep. There are still things we have to settle tomorrow. Call me after you wake up.”

“Got it,” Ma Lao-er nodded.

“I’ll be leaving then.”

“Take care, bro.”

“Un.” Liu Zishu nodded before turning around to head back to his house.

After seeing that Liu Zishu had left, the driver glanced backward and asked, “Are we heading to your house?”

“We’ll head to our warehouse.” Ma Lao-er rubbed the scab on his face as he spoke with a calm voice.

…

Around twenty minutes later, shortly after a fresh batch of alcohol appeared, two young men suddenly rushed into the music bar. They ran all the way up to Yong Dong and reported, “Something happened at the company. Boss Yuan asks you to return right away.”

“What happened?” Yong Dong asked the two young men right before the manager.

“I’m not sure either. He only said that he wants to see you right now.”

“Work never stops coming in even on a weekend,” Yong Dong lamented helplessly as he stood up. He looked at the manager and said, “We’ll keep the alcohol for next time. We’ll be leaving now.”

“Of course, no problem!” The manager stood up as he nodded in agreement. “Since you have something on, you should head back quickly.”

Having found a way out of the situation without embarrassing himself, Yong Dong led the brothers he had with him over to the entrance of the music bar.

Outside, a car cruised through the snowy road before finally stopping by the roadside.

Ma Lao-er, together with the two brothers who had been beaten up earlier, got down the car.

Yong Dong and the others happened to be walking out of the building’s entrance at that moment, and just like that, both sides bumped into one another.

“You are leaving?” Ma Lao-er hadn’t even wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth yet. The heavy scent of alcohol could be smelled from him even a distance away.

Yong Dong was stunned. “What the heck do you want?”

“I want to fuck you up!”

As Ma Lao-er spoke, he took out his gun and walked up to the steps of the building.

The manager of the entertainment venue had also heard the commotion and rushed out. He tried to defuse the situation. “Ma Lao-er, can’t you sell me a face and let this matter go?”

Ma Lao-er looked at the manager and scoffed, “I didn’t see you giving me any face when I was getting beaten up.”

The manager couldn’t respond to that.

“Are you so busybody as to interfere with what happens on the streets too?” Ma Lao-er sneered as he pushed the manager aside. “Don’t stick your ass in where it doesn’t belong. Get lost.”

Yong Dong stood on the spot unmovingly. He stared at Ma Lao-er coldly as he said, “You still haven’t learned your lesson after everything that has happened recently? Even Old Ma doesn’t dare to appear anywhere yet. Or do you not know what’s going on at all?”

Ma Lao-er raised his gun and pointed it at Yong Dong’s head as he said, “Why is a fly buzzing around my ear? Bloody hell.”

Seeing that Ma Lao-er had already lost his senses to the alcohol, Yong Dong was choked for words.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” Ma Lao-er said as he pressed his gun against Yong Dong’s head. “On a count of three, either you kneel down and kowtow to me, Ma Lao-er, three times, or I’ll blow your head off.”

“Someone like you wants to threaten me?” Yong Dong sneered derisively.

“Ma Lao-er, do you think that no one can curb you, huh?” On the left, Yong Dong’s friend reached out to grab Ma Lao-er’s elbow.

However, Ma Lao-er quickly turned the pistol to him and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

A gunshot sounded.

A bullet pierced through the palm of Yong Dong’s friend, causing blood to spurt from his hand.

Everyone suddenly fell silent in that instant.

Ma Lao-er grabbed Yong Dong’s collar and shouted right into his face with reddened eyes, “Do you know many of those people who were caught and beaten to death are my friends and relatives, huh? Do you know?!”

Yong Dong was stunned.

“Did you think I was drunk?” Ma Lao-er smacked Yong Dong’s face provocatively. “You fucker, I’m just using the alcohol to talk to you with my gun and bullet. You get it?!”

Yong Dong’s face turned crimson. He cursed why his luck today was so bad as to encounter a darned fool who acted without any heed for the consequences.

“Yong Dong, I’ll let you off you kneel down and kowtow to me thrice.” Ma Lao-er pointed at the floor and abruptly shouted, “1!”

Yong Dong clenched his fists tightly as he stared fixated into Ma Lao-er’s eyes, not saying a word at all.

“2!” Ma Lao-er’s chest was expanding and contracting visibly, reflecting the agitation he felt inside. His forefinger had already moved toward the trigger.

Yong Dong had a darkened look on his face. He glanced at the group around him as he muttered to Ma Lao-er discreetly, “Ma Lao-er, Dirt Street is only this big. You should leave some room for yourself to breathe.”

“What bloody nonsense are you spouting? If I don’t force you to kneel at gunpoint today, your men will get me tomorrow. You take me for an idiot?” Ma Lao-er bellowed with his loud voice. “Are you going to kneel or not?!”

Yong Dong’s head rattled under the shout. He glanced at the others around him to look at their expressions.

“Fine, make sure you stand upright. I’ll send you off with three bullets.”

“Ma Lao-er!” Seeing that Ma Lao-er was really going to do it, Yong Dong instinctively pushed the gun aside and said, “Fine, I’ll do it!”

A smug smile crept onto Ma Lao-er’s face as he took a step back.

Yong Dong’s face was so red that it looked as if blood would ooze out at any moment. His chest was inflating and deflating intensely.

“See that place over there? Kneel in that direction!” Ma Lao-er said as he pointed to his left.

“Fine.” Yong Dong replied coldly. He pushed Ma Lao-er aside before dropping his knees to the ground. With his back stiffly straight, he shouted loudly, “Brother Lao-er, are you satisfied now?”

“Haha!” Ma Lao-er burst into laughter. He smacked Yong Dong’s head as he said, “Kowtow!”

Yong Dong faced the ground and lowered his body thrice.

“You’re fucking slacking off in your kowtows, but I’m satisfied now. Yong Dong, let’s play again some other day,” Ma Lao-er smacked Yong Dong’s head another two more times before walking down the stairs. “I’m leaving!”

The two brothers that Ma Lao-er had come with also left the area with their hands in their pockets.

After the three people got onto the car, Ma Lao-er spat along the roadside before looking at Yong Dong with a smug look on his face, “Go back and tell Yuan Hua that there’s this saying, ‘Don’t mock others for wearing tattered clothes. The river changes its flow every decade!’ The Ma Family won’t remain at the bottom forever, and he, Yuan Hua, won’t be on his high horse for his entire life! It’s time for a new era to arrive in Dirt Street!”

…

Several minutes later, in the car.

Holding the steering wheel tightly, the driver’s heart was still thumping fast from what happened earlier. He glanced at the slightly sleepy Ma Lao-er and asked, “Were you a little too reckless for this? No matter what, Yong Dong is still one of the top figures in this region. Aren’t you worried that he might get his revenge for the humiliation today?

“If you think too much over everything, you’ll never be able to make a move,” Ma Lao-er replied. “What’s the point of worrying over everything? Just do it and get it over with. If he doesn’t kneel, I’ll just blow his head off. The gun is my hand anyway, what do I have to fear?”

“The river changes its flow every decade”

This phrase means that power is constantly changing hands. A person who is living a tough life now might rise to prominence in the future, and a person who is living in prosperity right now might not necessarily remain so for the rest of his life.

This is an old analogy that comes from a village living along Yellow River. The Yellow River was said to have a higher riverbed back in those days due to the accumulation of sediments, so the river flow wasn’t as fixed. It would change its path from time to time. Back in those times, the river is a source of livelihood for villagers as they are important for agriculture, fishing, and all sorts of purposes. So, when the river changes its flow, it could spell the prosperity and decline of villages.