Chapter 1: Rebirth of the Little Red Robe
The first storm of October 1992.
Rain poured down at night.
The howling wind and heavy raindrops battering against the window sounded like drumming in Su Ping Nan's ears.
In a dilapidated flat.
The house was small, no more than ten square meters. A simple earthen bed with a jumbled pile of bedding in the corner, a worn-out wardrobe from the 1960s standing in the southwest corner, that was all there was in this room.
Su Ping Nan looked at his twenty-year-old self in the mirror, his expression strange under the dim light.
He had a shaved head with just stubble, a prominent nose, and thin lips. He was all toned muscles. His bare back sported a black dragon tattoo. It was ferocious and vivid, with its claws outstretched, its body rising amidst swirling clouds, its scales perfectly rendered, and its two dragon eyes wide open, giving it an extremely menacing appearance.
"It's good to see you again."
A smile appeared on Su Ping Nan's lips as he greeted his reflection in the mirror.
At this point, Su Ping Nan's eyes were full of defiance, his expression as proud as an eagle that had just weathered a storm. He was completely different from the crippled, miserable, and struggling old gangster he would become in the future.
In 1992, Su Ping Nan was 20 years old. He lit a cigarette without a filter, a cheap one, and pondered his current situation.
It was mid-October, and Xia Guo had just embarked on a wave of reform and opening up. During this time, he had already established himself in the South Train Station of Wu City with his inherent ruthlessness.
He was from Sujia Village in Changyang County, one of four siblings. His grandfather was a bandit back in the day, with a hot temper and a fierce demeanor, but he was also very righteous. After settling down, he had a high standing in Sujia Village. Usually, if there were any disputes in the village, the old man would step in.
The old man had been a domineering figure all his life, so he gave his four grandchildren names that were all very imposing.
Zhen Dong, Ping Nan, An Xi, Ding Bei.
Su Ping Nan was the second oldest, and the one who most resembled the old man in personality. The oldest, originally named Su Zhen Dong, was later renamed by his father who thought it wasn't appropriate, secretly changing it when registering him.
The old man was furious when he found out. Although the third and fourth were girls, they were still called that. The eldest was like his mother, honest and simple, a true farmer. The third and fourth were girls, and they were the old man's favorite.
After the old man died, Su Ping Nan was like a wild horse let loose. This troublemaker, this ferocious dragon, soon became famous in Changyang County, but no matter what he did, he found that his family was still dirt poor. He, who had come to understand the power of money, couldn't stand it. When he heard that there were opportunities to make money in Wu City, he was impulsive and, together with a few tough guys like him, excitedly rushed into the city.
After a few deep drags of his cigarette, Su Ping Nan calmed down.
In his past life, he had taken many crooked paths, and not only did he not end up well, but his loyal followers were either dead or injured. In this new life, he secretly resolved that he would not be involved in anything shady or illegal. He would just do business honestly. In this era of rapid change, where opportunities for wealth were everywhere, he might even become a big shot. Even if he didn't, if he saved up for a few years and bought a property in the capital in 1998, he would be a hundred times better off than in his past life. He couldn't repeat his mistakes.
In fact, Su Ping Nan's starting point wasn't so bad.
The special nature of the times gave him an opportunity. Su Ping Nan, with neither connections nor capital, had managed to gain a foothold in Wu City Train Station simply through his toughness. At that time, Wu City Train Station was still the third largest station in Tiannan Province, with a well-connected transportation network. It was the junction of several provincial railways, and in this era when road transportation was very underdeveloped, it was a bustling hub.
People and cars came and went every day, a constant stream. Restaurants and hotels lined the streets, operating day and night. Travelers and merchants from all walks of life, carrying dreams of wealth, hurried in and out, creating a unique landscape in Wu City. This also led to a large influx of rogues, thugs, and unemployed people, making the place a chaotic mixture of good and bad. Countless goods were transshipped here every day, and the shortage of train cars was evident. A large amount of goods, due to time or route constraints, would be transported from the freight yard near the station to trucks.
Su Ping Nan was currently making a living loading and unloading goods at the freight yard. Where there are people, there is a jianghu (literally "river lake", a term used in Chinese martial arts fiction to describe the underworld), and with more goods than trucks, whoever gets on first, leaves first, was the skill of the local gangsters who ran the place. It was Su Ping Nan, with his fierce and stubborn nature, who didn't care about relationships or face, who was just a scoundrel, who had managed to seize control of the freight yard. It has to be said that sometimes violence is the most direct and effective thing, especially during that period.
The station management were already sick and tired of this chaotic situation. Every day they were bothered by all sorts of people seeking connections, making their lives difficult. They were all locals, so they couldn't help but be involved with one another, and it was difficult to offend anyone. As a result, when Su Ping Nan, this hotheaded young man, took over and made things orderly, the chaotic situation actually became more organized. To avoid further complications, the station management simply went with the flow. Unexpectedly, Su Ping Nan, while fierce, wasn't stupid. He knew what to do. Thus, through mutual understanding, the station management tacitly accepted Su Ping Nan's presence, allowing him to prosper further.
Blocking someone's source of income would naturally lead to resentment. People thought about how to get even. But Su Ping Nan's personality was never one to stand still. One day, a worker under him had his entire belongings stolen by "Si Hai Ren" (literally "Four Seas People", a slang term for pickpockets) who were picking pockets at the train station. Su Ping Nan actually went directly to confront them. At that time, there were "Si Hai Ren" at all the major train stations in Tiannan Province. The saying "Plucking feathers from a flying goose, picking pockets on the ground" wasn't just a saying. These guys were skilled with their sharp knives, and because of their unity and ruthlessness, they were a major problem at all the major train stations.
After a commotion, the "Si Hai Ren" never appeared at Wu City Train Station again. Su Ping Nan's ferocity that day had scared some people. So, some gossipmongers gave him a nickname, "Xiao Hong Pao" (Little Red Robe).
From that time onwards, the saying "Blood-stained white clothes, Little Red Robe, Su Ping Nan, the most ruthless in Wu City" began to spread throughout Wu City. Those who had been robbed of their bag-carrying business immediately backed down. They were essentially hard workers earning a living, and there were plenty of places to make money in Nan Station, so there was no need to pick a fight with a savage.