Su Ping Nan felt the explosive power he possessed in his youth, grinning widely and happily. He tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling into a deep sleep.
As the sky began to lighten, Su Ping Nan opened his eyes. The rain had stopped at some point.
Su Ping Nan threw on a blue and yellow loading worker's uniform and pushed the door open. The fresh, slightly cold air invigorated him.
Last night, he had searched his entire room but couldn't find any stationery for writing. He ran to the department store in front of the station, bought a few notebooks and pens, and flew back to his "dog den."
After securing the door, Su Ping Nan's expression became manic. His greatest asset now was his decades of foresight. To avoid forgetting, he felt the need to record everything.
The entire morning, Su Ping Nan, his eyes bloodshot, was as excited as a gambler at a table. He filled two notebooks with everything he deemed useful, unwilling to miss any opportunity to make money.
The door was knocked on three times throughout the morning. Each time, Su Ping Nan snarled at the person on the other side.
These knockers, in Su Ping Nan's later life, had long since left this bustling world. Hearing their voices stirred some emotion within him, but he decided to complete his current, most crucial and secretive task first.
Satisfied, Su Ping Nan lit a cigarette, carefully stuffed the notebooks into the deepest part of the mud stove, and then stared at them for a long time before nodding in satisfaction.
As he pushed the door open, the sun had already climbed to the center of the sky, radiating its heat relentlessly, driving away the chill left by the night rain.
Seeing him emerge, the three burly men who had been squatting at the entrance quickly stood up.
Su Wen Wen, Guo Guang Yao, and Yang Bai Li.
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar faces before him, even though Su Ping Nan had lived two lives and had a heart of iron, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
At this point in his life, though Su Ping Nan's methods were ruthless, he was generous and jovial, and therefore had many friends.
Birds of a feather flock together. His current friends were mostly tough and daring men. These three, however, were his most loyal subordinates, even willing to die for him.
Su Ping Nan's expression was calm, his gaze sharp as he scanned each of them.
Su Wen Wen, from the same village as Su Ping Nan, had a delicate face but was incredibly ruthless. He was very calm and organized. His father was a good-for-nothing who had abandoned his sick wife and young son when Su Wen Wen was a teenager. He practically grew up in Su Ping Nan's house and was his closest confidante. He later died in a brawl two years later due to Su Ping Nan's conflict with Jiang Men Shen of North City.
Yang Qian Li, with a kind face, was from Chang Yang County. His stepfather was an alcoholic, and he had a violent temper. After his stepfather beat his mother again, he used a fire poker to break his stepfather's left hand and never returned home. He was subdued by Su Ping Nan, a formidable force coming from across the river, when Su Ping Nan went to Chang Yang County City. He was quiet, seldom spoke, and later died in prison from illness after being sentenced to fifteen years for assault.
Guo Guang Yao, the most handsome of the three, was a native of Wu City. He was very agile in his actions and words, and he was completely devoted to Su Ping Nan, who had captivated him with his ruthlessness. Later, he took a knife for Su Ping Nan and became disabled. He later died from alcohol-induced hemothorax.
Seeing their boss, who had been cooped up all morning, come out, the three hurriedly gathered around him. Su Ping Nan suppressed his internal turmoil, wagged his finger at them, signifying their questions.
He clapped each of their shoulders heavily and said, "Don't ask. I was thinking about some things this morning."
Su Ping Nan's current lifestyle had a certain "big brother" feel to it. He currently made less than 100 yuan a day loading cargo, but he still took care of the food and lodging of his homeless brothers.
In a time when the average worker's monthly salary was barely over 100 yuan, his income was enough to make most people envious. However, due to his style, he hadn't saved much money in the six months he'd been in Wu City.
Their usual eatery was a small restaurant on the east side of Wu City South Station, specializing in northeastern cuisine. The food wasn't particularly flavorful, but it was plentiful, making it the preferred choice for Su Ping Nan and his crew.
The four of them sat down, with Su Ping Nan taking the lead, naturally. He took a sip of the bland tea in front of him and said slowly, "How was the cargo yard these past few days?" Su Ping Nan's memory of the details had faded over time. Su Wen Wen looked at his boss strangely and thought to himself, "We haven't been there for just one morning." He organized his thoughts before replying, "South Brother, Ren Hou Zi was helping out this morning. Everything should be alright."
Ren Hou Zi, real name Ren Wei Guo, was small in stature and nicknamed "Monkey."
Su Wen Wen didn't notice that Su Ping Nan's face had turned dark when he heard this name, and a flash of violent emotion crossed his eyes.
Su Ping Nan remembered clearly that it was this Ren Hou Zi, who was now secretly taking money from him. He used Su Ping Nan's name to secretly arrange the cargo loading order, and later, using the money he had made at the cargo yard and the connections he had made, he started his own business.
Su Ping Nan, in his later life, when he was down on his luck, saw this Ren Hou Zi, who was now a successful businessman, and the contempt and indifference in his voice deeply humiliated Su Ping Nan.
"Call him in," Su Ping Nan said, his voice flat.
"Yes." Yang Qian Li was always the first to respond and immediately went out.
Seeing Yang Qian Li rushing out, Su Ping Nan tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Bring everyone who worked on the cargo with him."
Yang Qian Li paused, "Okay."
The food arrived quickly, all home-cooked dishes, filling the table with a hearty spread.
After a while, five or six men entered the restaurant, laughing and talking. They greeted Su Ping Nan respectfully before sitting down and making themselves at home.
"Knock knock." Su Ping Nan, expressionless, tapped his fingers lightly on the table. The lively atmosphere instantly fell silent, and everyone looked directly at him.
Su Ping Nan felt a pang of nostalgia. He hadn't been treated with such respect in a long time.
Pushing aside his sentimentality, Su Ping Nan's eyes darted to Ren Hou Zi, who was sitting upright beside him.
The current Ren Hou Zi was still young and green, a far cry from the swaggering man who would later throw money at Su Ping Nan.
"Good. I'm pleased to see you all willing to listen to me." Su Ping Nan sat upright in the center, the coldness in his tone unmistakable.
Everyone looked at each other, confused. Although these men had only been working for Su Ping Nan for a short time, his reputation was already terrifying. No one dared to speak.