Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

"That's right, I am." Boss Zhou gritted his teeth, furious. He stared at the man in gray, silently rejecting one idea after another in his mind. If he said he was just a complete passerby, the three men would assume the newsstand was unattended and might become even more brazen in causing trouble. If he said he was from Qingniao, it would escalate the local conflict into a clash between Qingniao and local forces, bringing trouble to Qingniao. In the end, he realized that saying he was the stall owner was the safest approach.

The man in gray nodded.

The blond man threw the last copy of Bluebird Magazine at Boss Zhou's feet and spat, "Fatty, see that? From now on, the book and newspaper business in this town will belong to the money. Bluebird and Blackbird, if I see this kind of stuff again, I'll throw away more than just books."

Boss Zhou looked at the blond man, and his intuition and intellect both agreed: nod and smile, and hold back. Impulsiveness won't do you any good. You have no power to fight back. Be smart.

He desperately wanted to be smart enough so he would be grateful for that quality. He took out a pack of cigarettes.

"Brothers, I'm just a bookseller. I really don't know anything about 'Bluebird' or anything like that. This magazine is delivered by the higher-ups; they bring it here, so I have to put it up, right?" Boss Zhou nodded to the man in gray. "Whether it sells or not is another matter. If it sells well, I'll order more; if it doesn't, I'll return it. If you think this magazine is like... uh... uh..." Boss Zhou tried hard to think of something to compare it to, but his mind went blank. Damn it, you only realize how little you know when you need it, and he just loves using metaphors.

The blond man interrupted, "Get lost, fatso." He pointed his thumb towards the street corner. "Don't want to see you. Hurry up and get out of here. Come back when we're done with our work."

"I..." Boss Zhou began to speak.

“Okay,” said the man in gray, a wide smile spreading across his face. “Brother, you’re a smart man, and so am I. Smart people don’t beat around the bush.” He pulled a flyer from his breast pocket and waved it in front of Boss Zhou. “Look, this is our stuff. It’s no worse than theirs, is it? The content is more exciting, the price is cheaper, and we can also establish distribution channels. Why can they sell it, but we can’t? Next time the people from Qingniao ask, just tell their boss that the rural distribution channels are too complex for a city educated guy like him. This place only recognizes our ‘People’s Stories,’ the stories of ordinary people.”

"What?"

"Didn't you understand what I said? My brother just gave you a chance to leave, but you wouldn't listen. Put your hands on your head and squat down."

"Listen up!" Boss Zhou roared, his suppressed anger finally erupting. A complex feeling welled up inside him; he felt like a watchdog, guarding his territory without actively attacking, but if someone insisted on barking, smashing things, or trying to drive them away, he had to bare his teeth and stand his ground, even if the odds were against him. "I'm telling you..."

The blond man raised his arm, knocking the cigarette from Boss Zhou's mouth to the ground. Boss Zhou bent down to pick it up, and the short man's heavy leather shoe kicked him in the buttocks, causing him to fall to the ground. Boss Zhou's head hit the ground, and he tasted dirt and bile in his mouth. He heard the soft voice of the man in gray in his ear.

"What do you think you're doing, brother? I already told you to put your hands on your head and squat down, didn't I? I told you to put your hands here..."

The man in gray gently placed his hand on Boss Zhou's buttocks. Boss Zhou breathed through his nose, remaining motionless. He understood the man's intention perfectly. Although these three men were domineering, they also understood the principle that striking first meant being in the wrong. They needed him to throw the first punch so that their retaliation would be considered self-defense or teaching the one who struck first a lesson, thus securing their position in terms of underworld rules and any subsequent disputes.

Although Boss Zhou clearly understood the gray-clad man's intentions, he also knew that if things continued this way, the man would soon achieve his goal. Therefore, he focused his attention elsewhere, trying to dispel the blond man's snoring laughter and the gray-clad man's cologne scent. He thought of the half-empty bottle of beer in the store's freezer, condensation forming on its chilled surface. His phone rang again.

Old Zhou placed his hand behind his back, then placed it on the gray-clad man's hand and turned his head. A gentle breeze blew through the town streets, peaceful and serene. Old Zhou saw a green tricycle slowly approaching from a distant street corner, and then he saw the man in a green uniform sitting on it. He was saved.

......

Han Fei got into the Audi van that Ma Yongxing had driven to pick him up at the publishing house, closed the door, and his mind raced. The first step was to find out where Boss Zhou was. He had just called Boss Zhou's cell phone again, but there was still no answer.

The car drove onto the highway.

"You don't need to worry too much, Han Fei," Ma Yongxing said. "I've already sent people to keep watch at Boss Zhou's business hall. His wife is still there; if he comes back, we'll know immediately. Also, I've sent some brothers to Songjiang, Qingpu, Zhujiajiao, and Liantang to inquire which town's newsstand had an incident today, and which street had a disturbance. We'll have news soon."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Ma," Han Fei said.

Ma Yongxing smiled slightly and waved his hand: "Why are you being so polite with me? My venues owe a lot to your ideas. The KTV renovations are almost done. We had two business suites open for trial operation a few days ago, and guess what?"

"Is the effect okay?"

"That's impressive," Ma Yongxing said with a smile. "On the first day of the trial operation, a few building material bosses came in the evening. They originally booked only two hours, but they ended up chatting until late at night and extended their time by three more hours. They even ordered two rounds of fruit platters. The supervisor told me that when those guys left, they said this place was more comfortable for discussing business than a teahouse. Han Fei, your connections are amazing. So, we're all on the same side, you don't need to be polite with me at all. I'll cover for you in this matter today."

Han Fei nodded: "Mr. Ma, the nature of this matter is now very clear. They are selling illegal publications, stealing our content, and engaging in aggressive distribution. All three of these can be reported through official channels. I've already had the reporting materials prepared. So I hope we can avoid conflict with them as much as possible, otherwise, if it ends up at the police station, the nature of the matter will change. They might even turn around and accuse us, and then we won't be able to defend ourselves. Just go over there and support them, make sure they don't dare to be so arrogant before higher authorities intervene."

"I understand." Ma Yongxing chuckled a few times. "Don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing."